{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"Downshift With Tonnika","title":"ATTENTION: Shop Owners - Buy Back Your Time | Dan Thieken - Ep 24","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":2966,"description":"In this episode, Tonnika Haynes and Ash Kaplan chat with Dan Thieken, owner of Kreager Tire and Service LLC in Millersport, Ohio. Dan opens up about the journey from sweeping floors as a high school student to owning his own shop, emphasizing the importance of building the right team so that owners can eventually step away from day-to-day operations. He also shares his philosophy on why shops should offer tires—not only as a profit center, but as a window into the car's soul that keeps customers from ever needing another shop.\nTimestamps:\n00:00 Why you should ALWAYS offer tires at your shop\n02:11 Dan Thieken's origin story: From sweeping floors to owner\n04:32 The leap to management—and whistleblowing on bad leadership\n05:25 Not a tech? Why owning a shop is still for you\n07:07 People skills: Bartenders, restaurant work, and automotive service\n10:41 Building a team so you (finally) can step away\n13:31 Small town challenges: Hiring, no running water, and real culture\n16:14 The trust fall: Letting go of your “baby” shop\n18:17 Shop success = buying back your own time\n20:04 The slippery slope of coaching and paying it forward\n22:11 What’s your business mix? Service vs. tires, and how it changed\n24:22 Two reasons EVERY shop should offer tires\n25:10 How selling tires unlocks full-vehicle inspections\n26:20 Stop “selling”—just advise and build relationships\n28:00 Would Dan ever hire a coach? The answer might surprise you\n32:26 Advice for new shop owners: Train your replacement\n34:21 The personal side: Boundaries, empathy, and being “too nice”\n39:00 Mistakes owners make: Wanting to be absentee too soon\n43:12 The real trick: Let your staff learn from their mistakes\n46:00 Why Dan feels more at home away from the counter\n47:51 Upcoming events, classes, and golf trips","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}