Quantcast
Jump to content

Lost Everything: Started from Scratch and Bought a Shop [RR 882]


Recommended Posts

Aaron Weber, a shop owner from D & E Auto Repair in Chico, California, discusses his experience during the devastating Paradise Campfire in November 2018. Aaron shares how he and his family lost everything in the fire and had to start from scratch. He is transparent about the challenges they faced, including dealing with insurance, finding temporary housing, and seeking assistance. Despite the difficulties, Aaron emphasizes the importance of compassion and empathy, and how this experience has made him a better leader.

Aaron Weber, D & E Auto Repair, Chico, CA

Show Notes

  • Watch Full Video Episode
  • The fire hits Paradise (00:00:59) Aaron discusses the devastating Paradise Camp Fire in November 2018, one of the most destructive fires in California history.
  • Starting from scratch (00:01:10) Aaron talks about how he and his family had to start over with nothing after losing everything in the fire.
  • Evacuating and escaping the fire (00:03:07) Aaron describes the chaotic evacuation process and the harrowing experience of driving through the fire to escape.
  • The evacuation and traffic (00:07:22) Aaron describes the time frame of leaving work, getting home, and being stuck in traffic while evacuating from Paradise to Chico.
  • Watching the news and waiting (00:07:56) Aaron and his family watch the news at his sister's apartment, observing the live coverage of the fire and the challenges faced by those evacuating.
  • Finding out the house is gone (00:11:12) Aaron sees a video on Facebook showing his property after the fire, confirming that his house is completely destroyed.
  • The struggle to find assistance (00:15:13) Aaron discusses the challenges of getting assistance after the fire, including waiting in line and people taking advantage of the system.
  • The need for help and support (00:17:10) Aaron talks about the help he received from his sister, a GoFundMe campaign, and the support of the community.
  • The importance of love and compassion (00:19:21) Aaron reflects on the lessons he learned from the experience, including the importance of love, compassion, and empathy in leadership and life.
  • The challenges of starting a new business (00:22:57) Aaron talks about his experience in buying an auto repair shop six months after the fire and the unexpected difficulties he faced in getting it up and running.
  • Lessons learned from the fire (00:26:46) Aaron reflects on the lessons he learned from surviving the fire, including the importance of being vigilant and aware of one's surroundings, as well as the continuous learning and growth that comes with running a business.
  • The ups and downs of business (00:28:24) Discussion about the challenges and fluctuations in running a business, including learning new technology and maintaining high performance.
  • The power of attitude (00:29:13) Exploration of the importance of perception and attitude in overcoming challenges and achieving success.
  • Starting over and seizing opportunities (00:30:04) Lessons learned from starting from scratch after losing everything in a fire, emphasizing the value of seizing opportunities and never being too old to start over.

Thanks to our Partners, AAPEX and NAPA TRACS

Set your sights on Las Vegas in 2023. Mark your calendar now … October 31 - Nov 2, 2023, AAPEX - Now more than ever. And don’t miss the next free AAPEX webinar. Register now at http://AAPEXSHOW.COM/WEBINAR

NAPA TRACS will move your shop into the SMS fast lane with onsite training and six days a week of support and local representation. Find NAPA TRACS on the Web at http://napatracs.com/

Connect with the Podcast:

-Join our Insider List: https://remarkableresults.biz/insider

-All books mentioned on our podcasts: https://remarkableresults.biz/books

-Our Classroom page for personal or team learning: https://remarkableresults.biz/classroom

-Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/carm

-The Aftermarket Radio Network: https://aftermarketradionetwork.com

-Special episode collections: https://remarkableresults.biz/collections

NAPA-TRACS-Call-To-Action-Graphic-1.png       ARN-Website-Banner-July-2022-1200x400-1.png

Click to go to the Podcast on Remarkable Results Radio

Link to comment
Share on other sites



Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Have you checked out Joe's Latest Blog?

         5 comments
      I recently spoke with a friend of mine who owns a large general repair shop in the Midwest. His father founded the business in 1975. He was telling me that although he’s busy, he’s also very frustrated. When I probed him more about his frustrations, he said that it’s hard to find qualified technicians. My friend employs four technicians and is looking to hire two more. I then asked him, “How long does a technician last working for you.” He looked puzzled and replied, “I never really thought about that, but I can tell that except for one tech, most technicians don’t last working for me longer than a few years.”
      Judging from personal experience as a shop owner and from what I know about the auto repair industry, I can tell you that other than a few exceptions, the turnover rate for technicians in our industry is too high. This makes me think, do we have a technician shortage or a retention problem? Have we done the best we can over the decades to provide great pay plans, benefits packages, great work environments, and the right culture to ensure that the techs we have stay with us?
      Finding and hiring qualified automotive technicians is not a new phenomenon. This problem has been around for as long as I can remember. While we do need to attract people to our industry and provide the necessary training and mentorship, we also need to focus on retention. Having a revolving door and needing to hire techs every few years or so costs your company money. Big money! And that revolving door may be a sign of an even bigger issue: poor leadership, and poor employee management skills.
      Here’s one more thing to consider, for the most part, technicians don’t leave one job to start a new career, they leave one shop as a technician to become a technician at another shop. The reasons why they leave can be debated, but there is one fact that we cannot deny, people don’t quit the company they work for, they usually leave because of the boss or manager they work for.
      Put yourselves in the shoes of your employees. Do you have a workplace that communicates, “We appreciate you and want you to stay!”
  • Similar Topics

    • By Joe Marconi

      Premium Member Content 

      This content is hidden to guests, one of the benefits of a paid membership. Please login or register to view this content.

    • By Changing The Industry
      The Basics of Owning An Auto Repair Shop - Balancing GP per Hour and Productivity
    • By Joe Marconi

      Premium Member Content 

      This content is hidden to guests, one of the benefits of a paid membership. Please login or register to view this content.

    • By carmcapriotto
      Thank you to our friends at RepairPal for providing you this episode. As shop owners we were part of RepairPal’s Certified network and you can learn more at RepairPal.com/shops.
      Show Notes
      Reasons Google will suspend your GBP Adding Keywords to Your Business Name Using PO boxes or virtual office addresses Using your home address for a service area business - mobile mechanics Making major changes to your information - name, address, phone number Adding Reviews - Talk about RV Masters Recent experience Spam Reviews Two businesses sharing an address - same with phone number A competitor reported you  Dandy Review Removal: Negative review removal using AI They had to rebrand from ReviewVio because of all the negative reviews and complaints that they received. They over charge and under deliver. It is a 12 month contract - not monthly Writer’s Hand: WriterHand.com's Review Generator AI employs state-of-the-art natural language processing algorithms to produce high-quality reviews in a matter of seconds. The tool is designed to cater to the needs of both individual writers and businesses seeking to enhance their online presence. By simply inputting a few key details about a product, service, or experience, users can obtain well-crafted reviews that reflect a genuine customer's perspective. Embed Social: Use AI tools to help you collect more reviews, reply to reviews faster and make your reviews widget designs. New AI Optimization services: Boost Ninja:  Speak on Accurate Automotive GBP Listing being suspended after adding this company to their listing - Supposed to be a Google Maps ranking system by boosting local rankings by targeting top keywords and AI Optimization to your Google listing Problem is when you talk to client’s who have hired companies like this and ask what they are actually doing - the answer is the same: “I have know idea”  
      How To Get In Touch
       
      Group - Auto Repair Marketing Mastermind
      Website - shopmarketingpros.com 
      Facebook - facebook.com/shopmarketingpros 
      Get the Book - shopmarketingpros.com/book
      Instagram - @shopmarketingpros 
      Questions/Ideas - [email protected]
      Click to go to the Podcast on Remarkable Results Radio
    • By Changing The Industry
      Episode 162 - Lauralee Schmidt on Repair Shop Economics and Social Media Slips


  • Our Sponsors



×
×
  • Create New...