{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"Downshift With Tonnika","title":"Why Great Technicians Struggle as Shop Owners | Aniz Lavji & Brian Gauthier - Ep 35","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":3693,"description":"What happens when automotive professionals stop trying to figure everything out alone? In this episode of Downshift with Tonnika, Tonnika Haynes sits down with Aniz Lavji and Brian Gauthier to talk about the training, relationships and hard business lessons that transformed the way they approach the automotive industry. They share how ASTA Expo helped them find mentors, strengthen their technical skills, understand their numbers and build connections that continued helping them long after the classes ended. Aniz also explains how changing his shop software and processes helped him generate 50–60% more business, while Brian shares how the people he met helped him move from feeling stuck as a technician to opening his own shop.\nASTA Expo 2026 takes place September 24–26 in Raleigh, North Carolina. Use registration code DOWNSHIFT25 to save $25. Register HERE\nTimestamps:\n00:00 – Meet Aniz and Brian: two very different automotive journeys\n02:21 – Why neither guest had attended industry training before\n05:12 – Finding a way to attend despite family and financial pressures\n07:01 – Why the best learning often happens outside the classroom\n10:46 – The biggest lesson from walking into a “bigger room”\n13:10 – How ASTA Expo changed Tonnika’s own career and business\n14:32 – The software change that helped Aniz grow business by 50–60%\n15:58 – Working on the business instead of always working in it\n20:20 – Internet opinions, difficult customers and running your own shop\n23:11 – Pricing, boundaries and learning to say no\n25:25 – Why “profit is not a dirty word”\n31:00 – Aniz’s vulnerable first-night experience and the people who showed up\n36:00 – Why the relationships can matter as much as the training\n42:07 – How Brian went from feeling stuck to opening his own shop\n44:07 – Why technicians and service advisors must invest in themselves\n49:34 – What first-time ASTA Expo attendees can expect\n54:02 – Stop gatekeeping knowledge in the automotive industry\n59:08 – ASTA Expo dates,...","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/RqLvAXD6t3OmHHS9ZFHGPTGVrggjn4BeYj1DvroAUC4/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS8yNzBj/NmUwMzMxNDk0NTIz/OTlhM2UyNjY5ZDM5/ZmM0NC5qcGc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}