{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"Confessions of a Shop Owner","title":"Ep 89 - Sam \"Awesome\" Freeman & Ethan Whidden | Why You Don't \"Need\" an A-Tech","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":4347,"description":"Sam Freeman is the Partner Manager with Promotive Ethan Whidden is a Sales Representative. Today, they share with Mike what they've learned about the challenges of recruiting in the automotive repair industry. They discuss the unrealistic expectations shop owners often have when looking for that elusive “A tech” and why most owners should reconsider what they truly need in their shops. The conversation covers the importance of clear communication—both when hiring and when working with vendors—and the need for accountability on both sides of the hiring process.\n\nTimestamps:\n00:00 - The reality of open bays & shop hopping\n01:14 - Walking the trade show floor & exhibitor life\n03:23 - Ethan Whidden on joining Promotive, shop culture, and genuine conversation\n07:27 - Mike Allen confesses: why he hesitated to use Promotive\n08:45 - Effort vs. results in recruiting—Matt Lofton’s tough love\n09:01 - Why most shops think they need A-techs (and why they’re wrong)\n14:47 - Defining technician levels (and what “A-tech” really means)\n17:26 - Expectations vs. reality: shops, techs, and unicorn hires\n18:09 - The shop owner who took “unrealistic” to new levels\n19:31 - Diagnosing your real hiring needs\n20:01 - Chaos coordinators & fixing the front office\n21:02 - You don’t need a unicorn—you need to be a better owner\n24:01 - Shop competition: Mario Kart, go-karts, and Monopoly battles\n27:02 - Epic neighborhood parties and community building\n33:06 - Localized guerrilla recruiting vs. Promotive (can you DIY?)\n34:03 - Why shop owners make terrible customers for vendors\n35:09 - Communication, unspoken expectations, and messy outcomes\n37:58 - Candidate screening, accountability, and whose fault is it, really?\n41:41 - Hiring stories: ghosting, no-shows & offers used as leverage\n51:14 - Why techs really leave—(hint: it’s not always money)\n01:00:05 - What you SHOULD pay your B-techs and A-techs in 2026\n01:06:09 - Boasting moms, cheer championships, and motivation\n01:11:08 - Code yellow, code...","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/TGFdk8p3lwIqG6-Zxu0zdS85-eMxgjWH_ROpDgligzo/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS9hYmUy/MTMxZmUzN2Q5Mzkw/YTgxMDliZDViN2U3/N2Q1ZC5qcGc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}