How do you break through a limiting belief about yourself? Reflecting on this question, reminded me of a story I read in John Maxwell’s book, The Five Levels of Leadership. Maxwell writes about of a young lawyer named Herb, who was new to the legal profession. In an effort to get up to speed, Herb studied two experienced attorneys to…
What’s the starting point of your success as a shop owner? As I ponder this question, I’m reminded of a video series I watched recently done by Dr. Rhadi Ferguson who wrote the book, Coffee With Rhadi, Herculean Conversations with an Olympian. In one of his videos, he tells the story of his quest to…
Imagine me pulling up to your shop in a shiny, black, 2018 Mercedes Benz CLS 550 Coupe. It’s fully equipped to include the 8-cylinder engine, 18-inch aluminum wheels, leather bucket seats, a sunroof, and the leather-upholstered dashboard. As we begin to discuss the car, our conversation shifts to my warranty coverage. “So, what does your…
“Joe” is a shop owner who works in instead of on his business. His business has him in bondage to the point that when he needs to consult with his ‘A’ tech, he doesn’t look out in the bays, he looks in the mirror! I suggested that he contact a certain “head-hunter” recruitment company that…
The story is told of a man who walked across the entire US continent from coast to coast. Afterwards, he was swamped by news reporters. One of them asked him to recap what the most difficult part of his journey was. “Was it dealing with the desert heat? Was it rambling through the Rocky Mountains?…
Are you a mediocre shop owner? What really separates the best owners in the world from everyone else? I came across some information from the world of Olympic figure skating that may help you answer these questions. In his book, Talent is Overrated: What Really Separates World-Class Performers from Everybody Else, Geoff Colvin outlines the…
“What did you fail at this week?” This question was posed to young “Sarah” by her father each night at the dinner table. So much so, that it became part of their dinnertime routine. If she had nothing to report, her dad was disappointed. When she told him about how she “bombed” while trying out…
Have you ever been asked to achieve the impossible? There’s a story of two sons who were asked by their father to rebuild a brick wall in front of his business. There was only one problem: the sons were twelve and nine years of age! The twelve-year-old was designated as the project leader, and he…
If ATI were to give out an award at SuperConference for the Lowest Labor Rate in the Country, “Patrick” would have been the winner! Patrick was a member who I coached several years ago, who owns a shop in Central Pennsylvania, where he charged a $70.00 per hour labor rate. While his labor margins were…
My wife is the ultimate accountability coach. During the holidays, she was holding me accountable for the completion of several household projects. My first assignment was to change the light-bulb in the basement bathroom. Based on the size of the room, I could do this by myself using a three-foot ladder. My next task was to…