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Repair Shop Reckoning

Repair Shop Reckoning

By: Kevin Brown
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About this listen

 Repair Shop Reckoning is the no-nonsense, hard-hitting podcast where host Kevin Brown pulls no punches in bringing you the raw truth about the collision and repair shop industry. Forget the corporate sugarcoating—this show dives into the gritty reality of what really goes on behind the scenes. Whether you’re a shop owner, a mechanic, or just someone tired of the BS, Kevin’s got the hard-earned expertise and unapologetic opinions you need. Each episode tackles the biggest issues, challenges, and game-changing tips in the industry, giving you the tools to cut through the noise and level up your shop. Buckle up—it’s time to get real.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/repair-shop-reckoning--6688688/support.Copyright Kevin Brown Economics Leadership Management & Leadership
Episodes
  • Breaking Down The Cost Of Doing Business

    Breaking Down The Cost Of Doing Business
    Apr 3 2026
    Most shop owners don’t have a pricing problem. They have a numbers problem and it’s costing them more than they realize.

    In this episode, Kevin breaks down what actually happens to every dollar that comes into a shop and why so many owners are busy, working nonstop, and still wondering where the money went. Because the truth is, you can be doing millions in sales and still be losing money if you don’t understand your numbers.

    Kevin walks through a simple breakdown of a $100 repair order to show exactly where the money goes from the true cost of doing the work to the overhead that eats away at your margins every single month. Payroll, insurance, subscriptions, fuel, taxes… it all adds up faster than most owners realize.

    This isn’t theory. This is real shop math and real-world patterns that show up every single day. In this episode, we get into:
    • The difference between gross and net—and why most people get it wrong
    • Why being busy doesn’t mean you’re profitable
    • How overhead creep quietly destroys your margins
    • Fixed vs variable pay—and who’s actually carrying the risk
    • Why discounting jobs to make payroll is a losing game
    • How bad pricing decisions start before the job is ever sold
    • Why QuickBooks and a real shop management system are non-negotiable

    At the core of this episode is a hard truth too many shop owners are guessing. Guessing on pricing, guessing on margins, and guessing on what it actually costs to run their business. And when you guess long enough, it catches up to you.

    If you don’t know your numbers, you don’t have control. And if you don’t have control, you don’t have a business.

    Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/repair-shop-reckoning--6688688/support.
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    44 mins
  • You Don’t Have a Sales Problem… You Have a Culture Problem

    You Don’t Have a Sales Problem… You Have a Culture Problem
    Mar 27 2026
    Everybody keeps talking about how this industry is broken. How it sucks. How you can’t make money. How technicians are leaving and shops are struggling.

    Here’s the truth. Yeah, there are problems. But that’s not the whole story.

    Because there are shops out there winning. There are technicians building real careers. There are owners creating teams, culture, and systems that actually work. And the difference isn’t luck. It’s how they run the business.

    In this episode of Repair Shop Reckoning, Kevin breaks down what’s really going on inside shops right now. Not from the outside looking in, but from someone who’s been in it for over 30 years.

    He gets into:
    -Why most shops don’t actually have a sales problem, they have a culture problem.
    -How weak processes, lack of training, and poor leadership create chaos that no amount of selling can fix.
    -Why customers lose trust.
    -Why technicians get frustrated.
    -And why owners stay stuck working in their business instead of building one.

    And more importantly, he shows you there is a different way to do it.

    This isn’t about pretending the industry is perfect. It’s about understanding that if you’re willing to take ownership, build the right systems, and lead the right way, you can still win here.

    If you’re tired of the negativity, tired of hearing how bad it is, and you know there has to be a better way, this episode is for you.

    Because yeah, some days suck. But this industry is still full of opportunity. And if Kevin can do it, so can you.

    Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/repair-shop-reckoning--6688688/support.
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    1 hr and 39 mins
  • They Ignored the Trades...Now They Have to Pay for It

    They Ignored the Trades...Now They Have to Pay for It
    Mar 20 2026
    Everybody keeps talking about the technician shortage like it just showed up out of nowhere. It didn’t. We built it.

    For the last 30 years, we told kids not to go into the trades. We stripped hands on training out of schools. We pushed college as the only path. Then we built workplaces that burn out the very people we depend on. And now everyone’s asking where all the good techs went.

    Here’s what nobody’s saying… Supply and demand has shifted.

    There aren’t enough skilled people, and the ones who can actually do the work are becoming more valuable by the day. That means something most people still haven’t realized. The trades are no longer the fallback option. They’re the opportunity.

    In this episode of Repair Shop Reckoning, Kevin zooms out and connects the dots. This is not just about mechanics. This is about a system that devalues real skill while depending on it more than ever. Kevin breaks down why the technician shortage was created, not accidental, how schools and culture steered an entire generation away from the trades, what is really happening inside dealerships and larger operations, and why good technicians are leaving while broken systems keep the wrong people in place.

    He also gets into what actually fixes the problem. Leadership. Training. Pay. Standards. Not talk. Not excuses.

    If you are a shop owner trying to build a team, a technician feeling the pressure, or a parent trying to guide your kid down the right path, this is a conversation you need to hear.

    Because at the end of the day, the world still runs on people who can fix things. And the people who can are about to get paid.

    Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/repair-shop-reckoning--6688688/support.
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    1 hr and 24 mins
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