Wrench Turners Podcast

John Baranski started as an automotive technician in the middle of the 2008 recession, when shops were closing and layoffs were constant. Instead of quitting, he learned everything no one else wanted to do. Water leaks. Convertible tops. Hybrids. That grit carried him from fixing cars to fixing boats… and eventually, into leadership.Today, John is a shop foreman in the marine industry, managing a team that repairs some of the most advanced wake and performance boats in the world. In this episode, we talk about:👉 How to survive shop closures and layoffs👉 Turning hard jobs into career opportunities👉 Building accountability and trust on the shop floor👉 The difference between working hard and leading hard👉 What it takes to move from wrenching to leadershipIf you’re a mechanic, technician, or service professional who wants to level up, this conversation will hit home.🎧 Listen to more episodes of The Wrench Turners Podcast👉 https://www.youtube.com/@WrenchTurners📌 Like, comment, and subscribe to support the channelSubscribe for episodes on:Service advisor trainingTechnician productivityRepair order accuracyDealership leadership and cultureFixed Ops coaching and managementAutomotive Content CreationEvent Media and PublicationEvent FilmographyListen to The Wrench Turners PodcastSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1ScwRP0DFMtDsp83JxPhPK?si=26aeb4be65da45ebInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/mrjoshuataylor/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrjtaylor/FixedOPS Marketing — Service marketing tools for dealershipshttps://www.fixedopsmarketing.comhttps://www.youtube.com/@fixedopsmarketinghttps://www.linkedin.com/company/fixed-ops-marketingChapters:00:00 – Opening Prayer01:00 – Who is John Baranski? 03:00 – Discovering a Passion05:00 – Getting Recruited07:00 – Surviving the 2008 Crash09:00 – Learning Work Ethic12:00 – Accountability, Trust15:00 – The Power of Great Leadership18:00 – Finding Culture and Coaching20:00 – Moving to Florida:23:00 – Becoming a Master Tech26:00 – Reaching the Top29:00 – The Hardest Jobs in the Dealership 31:00 – Transition from Cars to Boats 34:00 – Entering the Marine Industry 36:00 – Learning Boats from Scratch38:00 – Mentorship, Mindset, and Learning42:00 – Universal Skills All Mechanics Share 44:00 – Advice for Technicians47:00 – “Do the Jobs Nobody Wants to Do” 49:00 – The Wildest Customer Stories51:00 – The Coolest Thing That Ever Happened at Work 52:00 – Final Thoughts and Closing Quote

Technician recruiting is broken, and Sheila Pogue has seen it from both sides.In this episode of The Wrench Turners Podcast, Sheila shares how she went from a parts counter rookie to leading teams across service, warranty, marketing, and now talent acquisition in RV, Marine, Power Sports, and Automotive.She’s placed techs, she’s hired techs, she’s BEEN the tech’s backup when things went sideways. Now, she’s sounding the alarm: if your dealership can’t recruit techs, it’s not a shortage, it’s a systems problem.In this episode:✅ Why most techs don’t even have a resume✅ What top technicians actually want (and what they don’t)✅ How LinkedIn is “word of mouth on wide open throttle” for hiring✅ What shops should be doing right now✅ Why RV, Marine might just be the next big hiring poolWhether you're a GM, Fixed Ops Director, or recruiter trying to fill your bays, or a tech thinking about your next move, this episode will change the way you think about hiring and getting hired.📌 Like, comment, and subscribe to support smarter recruiting and better technician careers.🔧 Follow Sheila Pogue on LinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/sheilapogue713/🔔 Subscribe to the Wrench Turners Podcast for more in-depth conversations with industry innovators.#morethancarsSubscribe for episodes on:Service advisor trainingTechnician productivityRepair order accuracyDealership leadership and cultureFixed Ops coaching and managementAutomotive Content CreationEvent Media and PublicationEvent FilmographyListen to The Wrench Turners PodcastSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1ScwRP0DFMtDsp83JxPhPK?si=26aeb4be65da45ebInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/mrjoshuataylor/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrjtaylor/FixedOPS Marketing — Service marketing tools for dealershipshttps://www.fixedopsmarketing.comhttps://www.youtube.com/@fixedopsmarketinghttps://www.linkedin.com/company/fixed-ops-marketing

Mindy Williams is the definition of a powerhouse. A five-time Subaru Stars winner, Sparkplug Award champion, and the top service advisor at CMA’s Myers team, Mindy knows what it takes to rise from part-time receptionist to full-blown service manager.In this episode of the Wrench Turners Podcast, Mindy shares her journey into automotive, what it means to lead a team while raising two kids, and the exact customer service mindset that’s built her a loyal customer base.She talks real talk about selling with heart, parenting while managing a busy shop, and how care—not—commission, is what keeps customers coming back.🔧 What You’ll Learn:– Why selling the appointment matters more than selling the repair– How to build unforgettable customer experiences– What every manager should learn from CliftonStrengths– How parenting teaches you to be a better leader and vice versa– Why trust and laughter are the real metrics of success💬 Mindy also drops this 🔥 question for the next guest:"How do you handle negative feedback?"🔔 Subscribe to the Wrench Turners Podcast for more in-depth conversations with industry innovators.#morethancarsIf this helped, comment with your next video idea or tag someone who needs to press record. Better yet, go make something. I would love to see it.Subscribe for episodes on:Service advisor trainingTechnician productivityRepair order accuracyDealership leadership and cultureFixed Ops coaching and managementAutomotive Content CreationEvent Media and PublicationEvent FilmographyListen to The Wrench Turners PodcastSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1ScwRP0DFMtDsp83JxPhPK?si=26aeb4be65da45ebInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/mrjoshuataylor/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrjtaylor/FixedOPS Marketing — Service marketing tools for dealershipshttps://www.fixedopsmarketing.comhttps://www.youtube.com/@fixedopsmarketinghttps://www.linkedin.com/company/fixed-ops-marketingASOTU - More than Cars - Where Innovative Ideas In Auto Are Bornhttps://www.asotu.com/https://www.youtube.com/@asotu/https://www.linkedin.com/company/asotuToma - "We care about our customers."https://www.toma.comhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/tomavoice/Chapters00:00 Intro to Mindy Williams01:39 Falling into automotive by accident03:47 What appointment setting teaches you05:46 Handling objections like a pro07:39 Why Mindy loves selling10:00 Relationship-based selling12:30 Using a calendar to build loyalty14:34 Customer care beyond the bay17:33 What parenting taught her about leadership19:30 What makes CMA different21:50 How to make your team feel appreciated23:13 How to find joy in your job25:41 Advice to technicians: speak up27:46 Mindy’s take on work-life balance

On this episode of the Wrench Turners Podcast, I sit down with Canadian technician David Rodrigues. For nearly 20 years, David has been mastering his craft on Hondas and Acuras. This is not just a career recap. It’s a deep dive into legacy, leadership, and the reality of working flat-rate.David shares how he started through co-op, landed a rare apprenticeship, and became the go-to diagnostic tech. But then he left. Why? Leadership that didn’t fight for his time. And when he returned, everything changed.In this episode, we cover:🙋‍♂️ Why being the best technician in the shop can feel like a curse🙋‍♂️ How he diagnosed a TLX that only failed in the rain🙋‍♂️What real support from a service manager looks like🙋‍♂️How a good shop foreman can make or break a dealership🙋‍♂️Why boring jobs make the best moneyThis is for the tech who wants more. More respect. More growth. More meaning in the work. Don't miss this conversation if you’re leading techs or trying to become one worth following.Chapters:0:00 The technician’s legacy3:00 Hot Wheels to Hondas10:00 Earned Apprenticeship17:00 Dealership promised everything, delivered nothing26:00 Diagnosing the impossible TLX33:00 Shop foremen make or break it42:00 The boring jobs pay the best45:00 Best advice for every tech49:00 Work-life balance isn’t one-size-fits-allIf you're a fixed ops director, service manager, Technician, BDC trainer, SaaS Founder, Service Advisor, or automotive professional looking to understand the future of dealership operations, this discussion offers valuable insights.🔔 Subscribe to the Wrench Turners Podcast for more in-depth conversations with industry innovators.#morethancarsIf this helped, comment with your next video idea or tag someone who needs to press record. Better yet, go make something. I would love to see it.Subscribe for episodes on:Service advisor trainingTechnician productivityRepair order accuracyDealership leadership and cultureFixed Ops coaching and managementAutomotive Content CreationEvent Media and PublicationEvent FilmographyListen to The Wrench Turners PodcastSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1ScwRP0DFMtDsp83JxPhPK?si=26aeb4be65da45ebInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/mrjoshuataylor/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrjtaylor/Sponsored by The Bearded BrotherhoodPremium beard care products built for technicians.Use code WRENCH15 at checkout: https://thebeardedbrotherhood.cohttps://www.youtube.com/@TheBeardedBrotherhoodhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/the-bearded-brotherhoodPowered by:FixedOPS Marketing — Service marketing tools for dealershipshttps://www.fixedopsmarketing.comhttps://www.youtube.com/@fixedopsmarketinghttps://www.linkedin.com/company/fixed-ops-marketingThe Lion Partnership — Consulting for service department performancehttps://www.lionpartnership.comhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/the-lion-partnershipDCS - Digital Communication Solutions — Digital Sales and Service Tagshttps://www.dicoso.ushttps://www.linkedin.com/company/digital-communication-solutions/ASOTU - More than Cars - Where Innovative Ideas In Auto Are Bornhttps://www.asotu.com/https://www.youtube.com/@asotu/https://www.linkedin.com/company/asotuToma - "We care about our customers."https://www.toma.comhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/tomavoice/

This isn’t another how-to-fix-a-car video.This is how to fix yourself in the trade before the trade breaks you.In this Wrench Turner's Podcast compilation, five technicians and leaders drop hard-earned wisdom, not about tools, not about pay plans, but about mindset, ownership, growth, and survival in the bay.💬 "No one’s coming to save you."That’s the wake-up call running through every clip in this episode.You’ll hear real stories and raw advice from:Technicians who've fought burnoutLeaders who've turned mistakes into mentorshipWrench turners who chose growth over gossipIf you’ve ever felt stuck, pissed off, or like you’re the only one who cares, this one’s for you.j.Subscribe for weekly episodes on:Service advisor trainingTechnician productivityRepair order accuracyDealership leadership and cultureFixed Ops coaching and managementAutomotive Content CreationListen to The Wrench Turners PodcastSpotify: https://wrenchturnerspodcast.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/mrjoshuataylor/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrjtaylor/Sponsored by The Bearded BrotherhoodPremium beard care products built for technicians.Use code WRENCH15 at checkout: https://thebeardedbrotherhood.coPowered by:FixedOPS Marketing — Service marketing tools for dealershipshttps://www.fixedopsmarketing.comThe Lion Partnership — Consulting for service department performancehttps://www.lionpartnership.comDCS - Digital Communication Solutions — Tools for service and BDC teamshttps://www.dicoso.usChapters00:00 Introduction03:16 Dealing with Bad Days (Derek Scherer)06:30 Understand Before You Diagnose (Daniel Lee)09:14 Take Ownership of Your Training (Clinton Cruz)11:48 Positivity is a Survival Tool (Brooklynne Morse)13:22 Invest in Your Growth (Jeremy Stephens)16:46 Final Message