Maximum Octane
Kim Hickey
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About This Podcast
Maximum Octane is the high-performance podcast for automotive shop owners ready to accelerate their leadership, culture, and profitability. Hosted by industry veterans Kim Hickey and Jason Patel from Automotive Training Institute (ATI), each episode takes you under the hood of the nation's most successful auto repair shops to uncover the tools, tactics, and mindset shifts fueling next-level results.
This season, Maximum Octane brings raw, real conversations from ATI SuperConference 2025 in Hawaii—featuring shop owners who are transforming their businesses by investing in what matters most: people, process, and purpose. From using Digital Vehicle Inspections (DVIs) to create superfans and elevate trust, to building training-first cultures that unlock loyalty, growth, and long-term success, these are the stories that inspire action. The season explores the shift from technician to technologist, the power of structure and team leadership, and the innovative thinking driving the automotive industry forward in a time of rapid change.
If you're a shop owner looking to scale sustainably, retain top-tier talent, maximize your Average Repair Order (ARO), or future-proof your business against ever-advancing vehicle technology—this podcast delivers the mindset and methods to get you there. You’ll gain field-tested strategies from ATI’s top-performing members, with deep dives into DVIs, workflow efficiency, culture-building, team accountability, talent development, technician training, and actionable steps to grow your shop’s revenue, reputation, and resilience.
Because in today’s market, it’s not just about fixing cars—it’s about building a business people believe in.
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Recent Episodes
Why Auto Repair Shops Lose Customers by Ignoring LinkedIn with Harris Fanaroff
There are four core aspects of business development in auto repair: in-person, email, phone, and social selling. In-person relationships will always matter most, but they only scale so far. Harris…
Why Your Hiring Ads Fail and How Data-Driven Marketing Attracts Better Techs
Most shop owners think their hiring problem is a technician shortage. According to Matthew Strom, founder of AutoShop Media, the real issue is visibility, messaging, and how shops present themselves…
Stop Guessing at Marketing: Carrie-Lynn Rodenberg on Intent, Strategy, and Getting Real Results
Most shop owners do not fail at marketing because they lack effort. They fail because their efforts have no clear purpose behind them. According to Carrie-Lynn Rodenberg, CEO and founder of Turnkey…
From Shop Owner to Business Owner: Brian Hammond on the Mindset That Changes Everything
Most shop owners open their doors because they want to fix what was broken in the last place they worked. But once the dust settles, many realize they built themselves a job, not a business.…
Use Your Data or Miss the Truth: David Boyd on Revealing the Problems Shops Never Notice
Most shop owners think their biggest challenges are parts, staffing, or car count. According to David Boyd, CEO of Call Inbound, the real problems often hide in places you cannot see: dropped calls,…
Close the Trust Gap: Travis Bickham on Winning Customers with Transparency and Tech
Most auto shops know they need marketing, but few understand what customers actually base their decisions on. According to Travis Bickham, Chief Commercial Officer at Shopmonkey, the biggest threat…
The One Skill AI Will Never Learn: Michelle Wood on Service Advising That Builds Trust
Technology has changed everything about the service advisor role, but it has not replaced the one thing that matters most: people.In this episode of Maximum Octane, Kim Hickey and Jason Patel sit…
Rebuilding from the Inside Out: How Chris Darmody Turned Chaos into Culture at Graham Auto Repair
When leadership breaks down, processes fall apart fast. But rebuilding doesn’t start with systems. It starts with people.In this episode of Maximum Octane, Kim Hickey and Jason Patel sit down with…
Analysis Paralysis Is Costing You Customers! Doug Robison on Taking Action in Your Marketing
Many shop owners know they need marketing, but too often they get stuck thinking about it instead of doing it. Between SEO, social media, websites, and ads, it’s easy to fall into analysis paralysis;…
Fixing the Unseen: The Tools Every Shop Owner Needs for Mental Health and Team Support, with Lee Anderson
Trigger Warning: This episode contains open and personal discussion about suicide, grief, and mental health.In the automotive industry, we never hesitate to buy the latest equipment or the right tool…
The Struggle Years That Shape Entrepreneurs: Josh Oberlander on Building Smarter, Not Faster
What does it really take to build a business from scratch when you don’t have a roadmap? For Josh Oberlander, the answer has been equal parts grit, trial and error, and the discipline to keep…
Stop Wasting Your DVIs: How to Increase ARO, Build Trust, and Create Fans for Life, with Bruce Nation
What if you could transform every first-time customer into a loyal fan who tells everyone they know about your shop? According to Bruce Nation, owner of Westlake Independent Automotive in Southern…
The Delegation Wake-Up Call: How Connor Tracy Went from White-Knuckling 80-Hour Weeks to Building an Engaged, Self-Running Team
What would it take for you to finally let go of the death grip on your business? For Connor Tracy, it took two flaming cars, a smashed customer vehicle, and missing his son’s homecoming photos.In…
The Succession Shift: How Planning Now Saves Your Future and Your Legacy
What happens when your shop's future depends on more than just hustle?In this episode of Maximum Octane, Kim Hickey and Jason Patel sit down with ATI President Ron Greenman for a masterclass on…
Building, Battling, and Letting Go: The Journey to a Multi-Million Dollar Exit with Gilda Dyckman
What if everything you built over decades hinged on just a few key decisions and a whole lot of grit?In this episode of Maximum Octane, hosts Jason Patel and George Zeeks sit down with Gilda Dyckman…
Your Exit Plan Isn’t a Back-Burner Task: What If Your Business Had to Run Without You Tomorrow? with Tony Mercury
What would happen if you or one of your company’s key leaders suddenly couldn’t come back?In this episode of Maximum Octane, hosts Kim Hickey and Jason Patel sit down with Tony Mercury, Vice…
Your Brand Is Costing You Talent: Use This 2.5-Year Strategy to Attract A-Players and Grow Smarter
Is your shop's logo doing all the heavy lifting? Spoiler alert: it's not even close.In this episode of Maximum Octane, branding expert and Director of Business Development at Silver Lake Auto, Krista…
Cutting the Surcharge Cord: Customer-First Payments with Dr. Mark Hale
How about saving your auto repair shop thousands of dollars a month and offering your customers a faster, smoother checkout experience? And the best part: without touching your rates?In this episode,…
How to Stop Tool Hunts, Boost Accountability, and Run a Smoother Auto Repair Shop, with Reiny Salmen
One of your technicians needs a tool and doesn't know where it is. So he goes and asks another, who doesn’t know either, so they go and ask a third tech, who, by the way, also doesn’t know where that…
How To Turn Tech Training Into Your Auto Shop's Superpower with Angie and Ken Rocha
Is it possible to turn constant training into part of your auto shop's culture?In this episode, we explore how to make technicians' development a core part of any auto repair shop culture with Angie…
Frequently Asked Questions
Maximum Octane has published 133 episodes since October 2021, covering topics in Business, Education.
Maximum Octane is currently declining with new episodes every 2 weeks. Average episode length is 34m.
Sign up on Grep.FM to access contact details for Maximum Octane, including email and social media links.
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