Subscribe
Share
Share
Embed
Confessions of a Shop Owner is hosted by Mike Allen, a third-generation shop owner, perpetual pot-stirrer, and brutally honest opinion sharer. In this weekly podcast, Mike shares his missteps so you don’t have to repeat them. Along the way, he chats with other industry personalities who’ve messed up, too, pulling back the curtain on the realities of running an independent auto repair shop. But this podcast isn’t just about Mike’s journey. It’s about confronting the divisive and questionable tactics many shop owners and managers use. Mike is here to stir the pot and address the painful truths while offering a way forward. Together, we’ll tackle the frustrations, shake things up, and help create a better future for the auto repair industry.
Bryan Pollock [00:00:00]:
You want to hear the uncomfortable? What I think the deal is, I honestly think that people are so used to being spoon fed, they ain't even capable of going to find out what your podcast is and where to get it from. I don't think they have the brains to do it. I think 50% of people are dumber than average. Or the median. Technically the median. I don't think half these people could even get there from here.
Tonnika Haynes [00:00:16]:
The following is a special edition of the show. Don't worry, today's episode still features doofuses talking about the aftermarket. This one just doesn't include my dad, so it's probably better than normal. The stuff said on this show does not necessarily represent the view or opinions of our peers, our sponsors, or any other associations we may have. Chances are there may be some spicy
Bryan Pollock [00:00:39]:
language in this show.
Tonnika Haynes [00:00:41]:
So if you're sensitive to that, you should probably move along. Without further ado, here's your special. Brian Pollock with Confessions of a Shop Owner, presented by techmetric. The best thing to happen to the world of personal transportation since the advent of internal combustion engines. Yeah, with the nipple chafing.
Bryan Pollock [00:01:02]:
Is it nipple chafing?
Tonnika Haynes [00:01:03]:
The thing for.
Jeff Compton [00:01:04]:
There's tape for that.
Bryan Pollock [00:01:05]:
Oh, well, I didn't use the tape. I was in pain. Pain?
Tonnika Haynes [00:01:11]:
Your nipples bleed?
Bryan Pollock [00:01:13]:
Oh, yeah, I did. You just seen all the skinny people I still outran? Yeah, they ain't got no will to live, them people. Well, they're just over there so upset cuz they ain't eating nothing.
Jeff Compton [00:01:23]:
Threshold, right?
Tonnika Haynes [00:01:25]:
How long did you run?
Bryan Pollock [00:01:28]:
3.1 miles. Ran it in like just under 30 minutes.
Tonnika Haynes [00:01:31]:
Who's. Who's in? Braxton? You look marathon. Ish. You done a marathon?
Braxton Critcher [00:01:35]:
No, no, other than 5k.
Tonnika Haynes [00:01:39]:
5k.
Bryan Pollock [00:01:40]:
Okay, time. Braxton. Way better shape than me. 27 minutes.
Braxton Critcher [00:01:44]:
I was like 12.
Tonnika Haynes [00:01:45]:
Oh. Oh my God.
Braxton Critcher [00:01:46]:
I don't remember.
Jeff Compton [00:01:47]:
Yeah, yeah.
Tonnika Haynes [00:01:49]:
Disc.
Braxton Critcher [00:01:49]:
I am not a golf. Disc golf. Yeah, that's. That's what keeps me in shape.
Jeff Compton [00:01:55]:
Yeah.
Tonnika Haynes [00:01:56]:
Yeah. And we're just jumping in. Well.
Braxton Critcher [00:01:58]:
Oh, please. Come on. Yeah, you gotta get your. The suns out and buns out into
Jeff Compton [00:02:03]:
the shot there, Brian.
Bryan Pollock [00:02:06]:
Oreo teeth.
Tonnika Haynes [00:02:07]:
No. Yeah. No. Tell the people what that is.
Bryan Pollock [00:02:10]:
It's my emotional support wiener.
Tonnika Haynes [00:02:12]:
Yeah.
Jeff Compton [00:02:13]:
With mustard.
Bryan Pollock [00:02:14]:
With mustard?
Jeff Compton [00:02:15]:
Yeah, yeah, just mustard.
Braxton Critcher [00:02:17]:
Okay, so anyways, on that note, here we are.
Jeff Compton [00:02:23]:
Enough of the wiener shenanigans.
Braxton Critcher [00:02:25]:
Tools Pennsylvania 2026. And we got four. No, wait, my math is terrible. Three podcasts represented at this table.
Tonnika Haynes [00:02:35]:
Two and a half.
Braxton Critcher [00:02:37]:
Who's the half? You discounted yourself.
Tonnika Haynes [00:02:39]:
Yeah, I'M not.
Bryan Pollock [00:02:40]:
Well, I'm a half, too.
Jeff Compton [00:02:41]:
Next year, we're all going to be catching you.
Bryan Pollock [00:02:43]:
I'm not really half.
Braxton Critcher [00:02:44]:
Mike's in town, so I thought it'd be a valuable opportunity to let the listeners and viewers kind of peek behind the curtain of what goes on in our group chat. Not all of it. Dear God.
Jeff Compton [00:03:00]:
Not all of it.
Bryan Pollock [00:03:01]:
Hold on a second.
Jeff Compton [00:03:02]:
Somewhat.
Bryan Pollock [00:03:02]:
Let me take my shoes off for this break. Oh, my God.
Tonnika Haynes [00:03:06]:
Oh, it just got warm.
Jeff Compton [00:03:07]:
That's where it went wrong last time.
Braxton Critcher [00:03:11]:
So for those who don't know, we all are in a group chat that often goes off, like, probably hundreds of messages a day.
Jeff Compton [00:03:21]:
Like.
Tonnika Haynes [00:03:21]:
No, I like the AI summary.
Jeff Compton [00:03:26]:
Some days it's. Some days we hit 100.
Braxton Critcher [00:03:28]:
Lucas, Jeff, Tanika, me, I don't have a lot of words.
Tonnika Haynes [00:03:32]:
I don't.
Braxton Critcher [00:03:33]:
Yeah, it's usually.
Bryan Pollock [00:03:34]:
If I have time, Jeff, If I have time, I'll get into it. But a lot of times, like, something will happen. I'll be like, I ain't got time for this.
Braxton Critcher [00:03:39]:
Yeah, it's a lot of back and forth. There are some days where it's not much happening, but there's a lot of days where it is one of the conversations that we have had at length two or three or four times. And I have notes.
Jeff Compton [00:03:53]:
Watch out.
Tonnika Haynes [00:03:54]:
He's been taking notes.
Braxton Critcher [00:03:57]:
Is social media and reels.
Jeff Compton [00:04:01]:
It's the devil, mama.
Braxton Critcher [00:04:02]:
And it's all Jeff.
Tonnika Haynes [00:04:03]:
It's the devil.
Braxton Critcher [00:04:04]:
It's all Jeff's fault. That jaded guy over there. Oh, I know people will blame me because I'm the one that edits the video. And people think, oh, Braxton, he. He made somebody say something. That I was.
Bryan Pollock [00:04:16]:
That they did it. Really. I mean, everything bad that happens on all of these podcasts is. Is your fault.
Braxton Critcher [00:04:22]:
Well, it's actually. Mike really comes back to Mike.
Tonnika Haynes [00:04:25]:
Well, really?
Braxton Critcher [00:04:26]:
You know, it could be Lucas, too, because he's kind of the guy that started all.
Jeff Compton [00:04:29]:
Well, listen, they're the leaders.
Braxton Critcher [00:04:30]:
Not.
Jeff Compton [00:04:31]:
Yeah, they're the leaders.
Tonnika Haynes [00:04:32]:
He's the leader.
Jeff Compton [00:04:34]:
Mike Allen and Lucas.
Bryan Pollock [00:04:36]:
I thought you were talking about buying gas in Canada. You were like, leaders.
Jeff Compton [00:04:41]:
Sorry.
Bryan Pollock [00:04:41]:
Like leader of cola. Like super troopers. Okay.
Jeff Compton [00:04:44]:
Does that look like split tube? It sparkles.
Bryan Pollock [00:04:48]:
Thanks.
Braxton Critcher [00:04:48]:
Wipe it off.
Tonnika Haynes [00:04:50]:
Wipe it off with your wiener.
Jeff Compton [00:04:51]:
Yeah.
Bryan Pollock [00:04:53]:
Thanks, Mom.
Braxton Critcher [00:04:53]:
Now you look good.
Jeff Compton [00:04:54]:
Now. You're right. The first time he's had a wiener
Tonnika Haynes [00:04:55]:
on his nose, and that's what happens in the chat.
Braxton Critcher [00:04:59]:
I might edit that out.
Bryan Pollock [00:05:01]:
That might have to go.
Braxton Critcher [00:05:02]:
That might get edited out.
Bryan Pollock [00:05:04]:
Braxton, take that out. That means you Can't.
Braxton Critcher [00:05:07]:
Yeah.
Tonnika Haynes [00:05:07]:
Because they were like, what did he say?
Braxton Critcher [00:05:09]:
Usually people are like, you know, braxton, edit that out. And I tell people, when that gets said, that means guaranteed still in.
Jeff Compton [00:05:15]:
That's not.
Tonnika Haynes [00:05:16]:
I wasn't paying attention to Houston yet. That's the end.
Braxton Critcher [00:05:18]:
Going to let me leave that in. So, Reels, and I want to talk about social media, because any business today, social media is critical.
Jeff Compton [00:05:30]:
Yep, it is.
Braxton Critcher [00:05:31]:
And then. Well, maybe not for Brian's business, but I mean, if. If you had social media Posted in December.
Bryan Pollock [00:05:38]:
December 17th, 2024. Last time I posted on our business
Braxton Critcher [00:05:43]:
page, if you did social media, you probably couldn't handle it because you'd have way more business.
Bryan Pollock [00:05:47]:
They'd probably. Nobody would show up.
Jeff Compton [00:05:49]:
I just think it's at your facility. Like, how much more do they expect you to do? Right. That's how I would look at that in that situation at Wilco.
Bryan Pollock [00:05:58]:
I'm fine. I don't need any more to do. We have too much to do.
Jeff Compton [00:06:01]:
I think you have other people that could pick up that torch and run with it.
Bryan Pollock [00:06:04]:
I feel like that the results of that and the additional car count would be not for me.
Jeff Compton [00:06:08]:
Yeah.
Tonnika Haynes [00:06:10]:
Zero stores.
Bryan Pollock [00:06:11]:
Yeah. We get excited when we have a cancellation. We get excited. Oh, even if it's someone we like.
Jeff Compton [00:06:17]:
Yeah, because you can take it.
Bryan Pollock [00:06:18]:
I'm like. I'm. We're like. We're so happy you canceled because we have too much to do.
Tonnika Haynes [00:06:22]:
That's a good problem.
Bryan Pollock [00:06:23]:
So we're very fortunate. I've recognized that. And it's not common, and I understand that.
Tonnika Haynes [00:06:27]:
Yeah.
Bryan Pollock [00:06:28]:
But it is reality for rural Joe. That's the situation. Yeah.
Braxton Critcher [00:06:31]:
For anybody but Brian, social media is. Is important. And in growing a podcast, you know, you need a social media, because if you don't, how are people supposed to know that you're out there?
Jeff Compton [00:06:45]:
Right.
Braxton Critcher [00:06:46]:
And reels, clips from an episode are one of the easiest ways to get people to say, hey, oh, there's a podcast. I gotta check this out. That is how Jeff has turned into who he is today in this industry is because he's had some reels go crazy.
Jeff Compton [00:07:04]:
Absolutely. Lately. Yeah.
Braxton Critcher [00:07:06]:
And then Confessions. Mike's not here, but Brian on Confessions has had a number of reels recently. One that's got to 2.4 million views.
Bryan Pollock [00:07:14]:
I feel so bad for all them people looking at my ugly face talking about not tearing down a Volkswagen engine. I almost feel bad for them. They could choose not to look at it.
Jeff Compton [00:07:23]:
Yeah. But you and I have discussed this at length several times. There's so Many people out there that are not in the industry that are just wake up every day and choose violence and are angry and just want to cuss out the professionals. And it's. And it's.
Bryan Pollock [00:07:37]:
They're really mad. Sometimes I comment. Thank you. Like when they really get going, I'm like, thank you. You know, what's driving it. Thank. Thank you. Thanks for the help.
Bryan Pollock [00:07:46]:
Appreciate you. Love you. Bye.
Tonnika Haynes [00:07:48]:
Thanks for helping the algorithm.
Bryan Pollock [00:07:49]:
Thanks for helping the algorithm.
Braxton Critcher [00:07:50]:
But there comes a certain point that the reason I brought this up was in the chat. I mean, there's a lot of negativity with these reels.
Tonnika Haynes [00:07:59]:
Yeah.
Braxton Critcher [00:07:59]:
And it's good for growth. People will follow the page and follow.
Tonnika Haynes [00:08:03]:
Listen to.
Bryan Pollock [00:08:05]:
About not tearing down a Hitler mobile.
Tonnika Haynes [00:08:07]:
No, you can't say Hitler mobile.
Bryan Pollock [00:08:10]:
That's what they are. It was Hitler's car company. It's facts. Are you history?
Jeff Compton [00:08:13]:
Are you tearing it down?
Bryan Pollock [00:08:14]:
99 vrskinsy questions here.
Jeff Compton [00:08:19]:
We are not turning it down.
Tonnika Haynes [00:08:20]:
I mean, I'm not in on this.
Braxton Critcher [00:08:24]:
But look, so Lucas has brought up a number of times, you know, the conversation about where do we want these podcasts to go? Because some of the reels that have gone viral have gained a lot of followers. And those followers are people that, like you said, they wake up every morning and just want to be mad. And sometimes you will gain that following and that turns into the things that your followers expect to see. And so I just want to talk about it because this has been in our group chat for months and months and months. It comes up about once a month. And recently it's been a real topic of discussion. And so I want to get all of your guys thoughts on reels and social media and the importance of it and the brand of it, the five year plan, how does that go into it, especially for these two guys who've already seen that. But also Tanika starting out thinking about the kind of content that you want to release that creates the following that you want to have.
Bryan Pollock [00:09:29]:
She. She can say the same exact thing. I can say more eloquently.
Jeff Compton [00:09:33]:
Yeah, yeah. And here's the thing.
Braxton Critcher [00:09:36]:
And you've already experienced some of it recently.
Tonnika Haynes [00:09:38]:
Yeah.
Braxton Critcher [00:09:38]:
I mean, on a smaller scale, but you've already experienced some of the negativity happen.
Bryan Pollock [00:09:43]:
Somebody giving you a problem.
Tonnika Haynes [00:09:44]:
Well, it was with Becky. Just watching people be ignorant about that. Yes. It's like, are you even listening to this?
Bryan Pollock [00:09:51]:
That's a major conversation we did have.
Braxton Critcher [00:09:53]:
I forgot about it. That was on TikTok. I think it was.
Tonnika Haynes [00:09:55]:
That was on TikTok and it's on Facebook. Facebook. I just like. And then I'd ask, I said, do I delete this?
Jeff Compton [00:10:01]:
Yeah.
Tonnika Haynes [00:10:01]:
Or do I just leave it there? Because I don't want to just filter you.
Bryan Pollock [00:10:06]:
Delete that.
Tonnika Haynes [00:10:06]:
Yeah, delete that.
Bryan Pollock [00:10:07]:
Then people can go f off, and when they're done effing off, they can keep effing off.
Tonnika Haynes [00:10:11]:
I mean, even coming to my inbox and saying, this lady is crazy and off her rocket and blah, blah, blah. I was like, well, did you listen to the whole podcast?
Bryan Pollock [00:10:19]:
Who cares? And what. What do they. What do they think you're gonna do? Like, take it off.
Tonnika Haynes [00:10:22]:
Like, take it off. Oh, man, I'm sorry. Let me take it off for you.
Bryan Pollock [00:10:25]:
Sorry that you messaged me. Let me take that off of Spotify. Why don't you just go do whatever you do?
Tonnika Haynes [00:10:29]:
Like, turn it off.
Bryan Pollock [00:10:29]:
If you don't like it, listen to another one. There's 800. Everybody's a pod.
Jeff Compton [00:10:33]:
Eight million of them.
Bryan Pollock [00:10:33]:
Go with somebody else, right?
Jeff Compton [00:10:35]:
Yeah.
Tonnika Haynes [00:10:35]:
Yeah. But the hateful stuff is just. I'm. I'm not ready for that. Not.
Bryan Pollock [00:10:39]:
Yeah, that had me. That had me. You remember?
Braxton Critcher [00:10:41]:
Yeah, you.
Tonnika Haynes [00:10:41]:
Yeah, you remember. As you should be.
Jeff Compton [00:10:43]:
And I. When I had her on, I had similar comments, too. And I just immediately. I didn't even ask for questions. I just deleted them.
Bryan Pollock [00:10:48]:
It's not necessary, I would think.
Tonnika Haynes [00:10:50]:
Okay, I'm seeing this person here on this podcast. This podcast. Let me shut up and listen. But everybody's so smart that they're stupid. It's like you couldn't look past what offended you. I don't know why it offended you. Cause to me, it's none of your damn business.
Bryan Pollock [00:11:05]:
Yeah.
Tonnika Haynes [00:11:06]:
And you couldn't. Yeah, you're so smart. You're stupid. And you didn't even take the time to listen to the message to what was said. You couldn't get past the real. So when people can't get past the real. And we talked about that, you can't get past the real. And you listen to the highlight.
Tonnika Haynes [00:11:22]:
Because just like on the news, I mean, I think about it and I go back and forth with it. Cause me and Braxton have talked about it on the news. The news will tell you something. Something, something details. At 11, you're like, shit, I want to know now.
Jeff Compton [00:11:34]:
Yeah.
Tonnika Haynes [00:11:34]:
So it's kind of like the same thing, right?
Jeff Compton [00:11:35]:
Yeah.
Tonnika Haynes [00:11:36]:
So they try.
Braxton Critcher [00:11:37]:
If it bleeds, it leads. It gets eyeballs.
Jeff Compton [00:11:39]:
Yeah.
Tonnika Haynes [00:11:40]:
And then you come to find out it was in another state. What makes me mad is that my local news will talk about Something. And it was another state that happened in Oregon.
Bryan Pollock [00:11:48]:
Yeah.
Tonnika Haynes [00:11:48]:
Like. Yeah, it must be a slow news day.
Jeff Compton [00:11:50]:
Yeah.
Bryan Pollock [00:11:50]:
So who cares?
Jeff Compton [00:11:51]:
Lucas has pointed out, like you said, it's. It's the reels that are driving people to at least comment and engage, which is what at the end of the day you want. But it has to transition to actually listening to the episode for people to get the true context. And a lot of people depending on how the reel comes up. I see his point. What he was trying to say to me is that because if the reel is effective enough in angering them, they're never going to listen to the whole episode. And that's that fine line you got to watch where you got to say it just in a certain way and say it in a. Just enough that they.
Jeff Compton [00:12:26]:
They don't get like angry. But the piques are curiosity. Then there's a. There's a recipe to that and I don't know what it is.
Bryan Pollock [00:12:33]:
You want to. You want to hear the uncomfortable. What I think the deal is, I honestly think that people are so used to being spoon fed, they ain't even capable of going to find out what your podcast is and where to get from. I don't think they have the brains to do it. Well, I think 50% of people are dumber than average. Or the median. Technically the median. I don't think half these people could even get there from here.
Tonnika Haynes [00:12:52]:
Yeah. Not even talking about podcast. Somebody calls the shop and then asks you what your. Your office hours are. How the hell did you just call me? Did you not Google that? Could you not?
Bryan Pollock [00:13:01]:
Like, we know they got yellow pages and if they do, we'll come out.
Tonnika Haynes [00:13:04]:
That's right. There you. That is not a phone call. Like, people just do not.
Bryan Pollock [00:13:08]:
Yeah. What are your office hours? The ones that were posted.
Tonnika Haynes [00:13:11]:
The one that above the call button. Exactly.
Bryan Pollock [00:13:13]:
Call this place button. Yeah. They're not capable of getting the information.
Jeff Compton [00:13:18]:
They're not.
Bryan Pollock [00:13:19]:
They're really not. I've been in this industry 25 years and I've never heard of this. And this guy doesn't work on cars. Well, if you've been in the industry so long, you can't use a Google search to figure out who this guy is. Come on, bro. Yeah, like, don't be lazy.
Tonnika Haynes [00:13:31]:
And we're no longer working on a 1978 Chevy. This is. We're talking about.
Bryan Pollock [00:13:34]:
It's the average confidence level and that's everything. You know, 50 of people are dumber than the median. I can't say average because that's not technically accurate. It's the median. Whatever. They don't know the difference anyways. Those people.
Jeff Compton [00:13:46]:
Yeah, I. I find, like, again, you know, my. The two that, like, I was joking. Every morning when I wake up, I get notifications from the jaded Facebook page saying there's more comments on Sherwood's reels. It's always those two, three for whatever that he did. But it's. You can't mark up a spark plug. Don't tell me we can't charge $200 an hour.
Jeff Compton [00:14:12]:
All this kind of stuff. And it's every morning when Jeff turns his phone on, there's a notification for that. It's been great for engagement. But like, I'm sitting here going, I'm tired of reading comments about this real.
Bryan Pollock [00:14:26]:
It's like the Sixth Sense. I like dumb people. I, you know, I see dead people.
Jeff Compton [00:14:31]:
Like, I had more time. I'd go back and just sit there and try. Because that's the way I'm wired. Right? Is. Okay, let's. I'll go back and forth with strangers all day. All day. That doesn't bother me at all.
Jeff Compton [00:14:42]:
Right. And yet I don't have the time and I'm running out of the physical energy to do it. Because they don't want to ever say. Like, a win would be to say, okay, I see your point. You were right.
Bryan Pollock [00:14:52]:
I'm not going to change what I'm doing in my place.
Tonnika Haynes [00:14:54]:
But I can see.
Bryan Pollock [00:14:55]:
But I can see why you do what you do. They're not. Most of them are not capable.
Jeff Compton [00:14:59]:
Never.
Bryan Pollock [00:15:00]:
That's the reality. Right? And it's like we always, you know, everybody talks about the change. The change, the change. Well, I know the unfortunate reality. Most people ain't changing. No. Until they have to change or lose their business. And half them people or more will just lose the business anyways.
Bryan Pollock [00:15:15]:
It's like somebody said, that's the reality of the situation.
Jeff Compton [00:15:16]:
The average shop rate still 70, 80, or $90. And I said, on what planet. On what planet are you seeing door rates under $100 an hour? Like, we know of a few pockets maybe. Yes. And they're not fixing.
Bryan Pollock [00:15:31]:
I don't.
Jeff Compton [00:15:32]:
They're not fixing and they're not working on a lot of the same stuff that maybe a lot of people that we run with are trying to work on. Right. There's not. And that's not to say that there isn't a place for that. But when you. What. What do you qualify?
Bryan Pollock [00:15:43]:
You can't work this. You know what, though?
Jeff Compton [00:15:44]:
You know what?
Bryan Pollock [00:15:45]:
To be Quite honest. You can't work on chevy pickups for 90 bucks an hour and grow. You can work on chevy pickups for 90 bucks an hour and you as a shop owner can go to work all them hours. And at the end of the day you can take home $42,000 a year and hopefully your spouse works and earns an income and health ins and you can make it work if you want a hobby.
Tonnika Haynes [00:16:04]:
But that's what I think saving the community is. I'm going to do the community a favor and work myself into how I am in my back and my shoulders and amazing.
Bryan Pollock [00:16:12]:
Serving the community by providing them the best effort I have. That's how I'm doing it. I am being honest with them. I'm telling them when the cost per mile to maintain that car is starting to get a little high, it's time to get a new one.
Jeff Compton [00:16:28]:
Yeah.
Bryan Pollock [00:16:28]:
We tell people trade their car in all the time.
Tonnika Haynes [00:16:30]:
Right.
Bryan Pollock [00:16:31]:
All the time.
Jeff Compton [00:16:32]:
I have to do it too.
Bryan Pollock [00:16:32]:
Especially that's how I'm doing it.
Jeff Compton [00:16:34]:
Yeah.
Bryan Pollock [00:16:34]:
But I'm certainly. I'm not in this for the experience anymore.
Tonnika Haynes [00:16:38]:
No.
Braxton Critcher [00:16:40]:
So let me. Let me step in because let me just give you a glimpse into my brain. So I'm listening to this conversation and I'm not an automotive guy. I can't talk technical terms as you guys do or owner terms. Not. That's not me. But I just heard three different reels that I could cut right now and get views from what you guys just said.
Tonnika Haynes [00:16:58]:
Yeah.
Jeff Compton [00:16:59]:
Yeah.
Braxton Critcher [00:16:59]:
And my job as producer extraordinaire is to grow shows.
Bryan Pollock [00:17:04]:
El Capitan.
Braxton Critcher [00:17:07]:
And this is me. And I want you guys to tell me if I'm wrong and to tell me how I need to shift and improve and downshift. Right?
Tonnika Haynes [00:17:16]:
Yeah.
Braxton Critcher [00:17:17]:
So there's a plug.
Bryan Pollock [00:17:20]:
Tell you how to improve. How am I supposed to tell you how to improve?
Braxton Critcher [00:17:22]:
Here's my confession.
Jeff Compton [00:17:23]:
Yeah.
Bryan Pollock [00:17:24]:
To downshift.
Jeff Compton [00:17:25]:
It's not my.
Braxton Critcher [00:17:25]:
So jaded.
Tonnika Haynes [00:17:26]:
Okay. We're going too far with that one. Let's go.
Braxton Critcher [00:17:31]:
I just heard those clips and I would clip what you said about. We tell people all the time you can't charge $90 an hour to do a Chevy and grow. And. And that's true.
Bryan Pollock [00:17:45]:
And grow.
Braxton Critcher [00:17:46]:
And that's what he said. And I would clip that and people would get all hot and bothered about it too.
Tonnika Haynes [00:17:52]:
There's too much money. And this.
Braxton Critcher [00:17:54]:
That I don't care. But the idea.
Bryan Pollock [00:17:57]:
I don't care.
Tonnika Haynes [00:17:57]:
I still do.
Braxton Critcher [00:17:58]:
To me.
Tonnika Haynes [00:17:59]:
Really? Yeah.
Bryan Pollock [00:17:59]:
It bothers you?
Tonnika Haynes [00:18:00]:
No. I mean I would. Yeah. I still do. It will bother me, really. For now, I'm just starting.
Bryan Pollock [00:18:06]:
Okay,
Jeff Compton [00:18:08]:
let me interject in this. Let's. Let's remove you from the podcast realm, though, for a minute and go like, let's hypothetical. Then somebody was to call you tomorrow and say, yeah, I want to bring my 1992 Chevy truck into Brown's Automotive.
Tonnika Haynes [00:18:23]:
No, we don't do that.
Jeff Compton [00:18:24]:
That's right.
Tonnika Haynes [00:18:25]:
Well, what I'm saying is I do care about how other people would feel about that reel. Not the fact. No, I'm not charging no damn $90 an hour.
Jeff Compton [00:18:34]:
That's not happening.
Tonnika Haynes [00:18:35]:
But if he cut a reel and then it would cause controversy, I don't feel comfortable with that yet.
Bryan Pollock [00:18:40]:
Oh, there's no controversy. There's just people who are right and people who are wrong. Oh, it's not controversial. It's not a debate. I'm right, they're wrong.
Braxton Critcher [00:18:48]:
You just don't like the negat.
Tonnika Haynes [00:18:49]:
I don't like the negativity that goes along with it.
Jeff Compton [00:18:54]:
I'm not asking for your input because I'm trying to set up my business model here. Yeah, I've already got the business model. Right. And. And we ain't doing that like, oh,
Bryan Pollock [00:19:04]:
what do you do, Frank, that works for 90 bucks an hour in your shop? Oh, you have a real job at the town so you can have health insurance because you can't afford to pay your health insurance at your job.
Jeff Compton [00:19:11]:
So all the people.
Bryan Pollock [00:19:12]:
Those are the people commenting. Right. They have to have real jobs. Real jobs. Because their automotive shop, much less pay for benefits for employees. They can't even have health insurance themselves. They can't forget it.
Jeff Compton [00:19:23]:
So they're servicing all the late 90s to mid-90s stuff that's still on the road. And they're. And the same people that come in that haven't had a mortgage that they've had to pay in 50 years, it's all been paid off. And they're coming in and they feel like they're the best thing in the world because the people still have them convinced they ain't got no money and just keep patching it up. And they've been patching up for 10 years. And they go, what are all these events you go to? Like, I don't know how you can even afford that. I could never shut my shop down. And it's like, stop working on old rusted junk and you can maybe make some profit.
Jeff Compton [00:19:54]:
And even if you don't come to event, maybe you could pay yourself. Maybe you can hire some talent, maybe
Bryan Pollock [00:20:05]:
That's a big maybe. That's a big maybe.
Jeff Compton [00:20:07]:
Instead of crying about the technician shortage, maybe you can hire better ones. But no, you would have to turn
Bryan Pollock [00:20:10]:
somebody or you have time to train some. Whether. Whether you can hire them if. If they're truly. If you're in a situation, an area with low population, this is not going away.
Tonnika Haynes [00:20:18]:
That Brexit. I know what you're saying.
Braxton Critcher [00:20:21]:
I'm trying to get like, the real.
Tonnika Haynes [00:20:23]:
The reals do not bother them.
Braxton Critcher [00:20:25]:
Yeah, well, what I'm saying is, I think when we got into this, we. And I'm new to growing a brand too. Like, you know, I'm not. This is not my. Like, I've been doing it for 30 years. We're all new at this social media stuff, and I don't think any of us understood what exactly we were getting into on driving people crazy.
Bryan Pollock [00:20:44]:
There was. I didn't know that. You're absolutely right. I didn't know that. So many people. I didn't know that you would say you could cut a reel. That's just somebody saying something that's common sense to somebody who's educated and how this has to work. I didn't know people could get that pissed off.
Bryan Pollock [00:20:59]:
I mean, people get pissed off.
Tonnika Haynes [00:21:00]:
Why they got so much time to get that pissed. Why are you not at work? Like, that was a whole paragraph you wrote.
Bryan Pollock [00:21:07]:
Yeah, dude.
Jeff Compton [00:21:08]:
You know what time it is? Some people at work have a lot of free time still in front of their screen.
Bryan Pollock [00:21:11]:
They still do.
Braxton Critcher [00:21:14]:
The idea around all of this stuff started with changing the industry, Right? And I think that is, you know, one of the core things about all of the shows is to help encourage people in their journey in this industry.
Bryan Pollock [00:21:25]:
Right?
Braxton Critcher [00:21:26]:
That's. That's the deal.
Bryan Pollock [00:21:27]:
I just had a guy talk to in the parking lot that listens to the podcast. He knows. He knows I like weird, oddball vintage scan tools. And he said that he picks up. And he picks up stuff from. From David and Lucas. He picks up stuff from all of us. And he said he really likes it.
Braxton Critcher [00:21:43]:
And that's. That's.
Tonnika Haynes [00:21:43]:
That's what we want.
Braxton Critcher [00:21:44]:
And you're gonna have those people.
Bryan Pollock [00:21:45]:
And that's what he wants.
Braxton Critcher [00:21:46]:
But we talk about this st.
Bryan Pollock [00:21:48]:
He sees what works for him. Some stuff doesn't. I was super reasonable. And I'm like, I never see him in the comments. And I'm like, well, thank goodness this guy's out here. David, I'm happy you're out here.
Braxton Critcher [00:21:57]:
Aren't always going to be doing that. But the thing is and we talk about this at trade shows is honestly, we can't actually change the industry.
Bryan Pollock [00:22:07]:
They have changed themselves. Right.
Braxton Critcher [00:22:09]:
You can give people advice and you can do your best to help them, but for the most part, what, 10%? Whatever the money. Yeah. Whatever it is you say it is, that's always going to be true. Like, I don't think you're actually going to see tangible growth in more shops doing things.
Bryan Pollock [00:22:27]:
And that's. And that's the guess. We always guess. Okay, who, who's actually willing, you know, is it 10, is it 5? Who know?
Braxton Critcher [00:22:33]:
I don't know because we are.
Tonnika Haynes [00:22:34]:
But it's very, very small.
Bryan Pollock [00:22:35]:
It's not the majority, that's for sure. We can all agree on that.
Braxton Critcher [00:22:38]:
Pennsylvania in April. It's beautiful here in Hershey. It's a great place to be. And there's 400 people.
Jeff Compton [00:22:43]:
Delicious.
Braxton Critcher [00:22:43]:
It smells delicious. There's 400 people here. How many shops in a 200 mile radius need to be here?
Bryan Pollock [00:22:49]:
Right. I asked how many shops were within 20 minutes and he almost, he rolled his eyes in the back of his head. He goes, dude, yeah. He goes, this is insane.
Jeff Compton [00:22:59]:
Yeah.
Bryan Pollock [00:23:00]:
He goes, you can't get. He goes, he was talking about some groups he's involved in. He goes, I have a whole group that I'm involved in. There's only three of them here.
Tonnika Haynes [00:23:08]:
So people rather complain than change.
Braxton Critcher [00:23:11]:
Exactly.
Tonnika Haynes [00:23:11]:
And if you, you know, challenge them, say, hey, why are you only charging $90 an hour if you know, if you charge correctly. How do you say it's correct? If you charge correctly, you wouldn't have to have that job at the city and then break your back here. So do you really have two jobs or a job in the business? Cause it sounds like you got two jobs. So you call somebody out on their
Bryan Pollock [00:23:31]:
phone, it sounds like you got a job and a hobby.
Tonnika Haynes [00:23:32]:
A job and a hobby. Exactly.
Bryan Pollock [00:23:33]:
Job and a hobby. I'd use the term business loosely and job loosely. It's a hobby.
Tonnika Haynes [00:23:38]:
Yeah.
Bryan Pollock [00:23:38]:
Because a job, you can go get benefits at a job. Being getting benefits at a shop ain't even a job.
Jeff Compton [00:23:43]:
Yeah, right.
Braxton Critcher [00:23:44]:
So let me, let me pose this question. If a year ago today we didn't post any reels, like positive ones or ones that could cause some rage if we posted none, would you have the same reach and impact that you would today if we had not?
Jeff Compton [00:24:08]:
So let me, let me. There's somebody out there, and he ain't worth saying the name, but there's a person out there in the scope of what we do that Makes himself out to be a white knight coming along rescuing people with broke down cars. And it's all got this, I feel
Tonnika Haynes [00:24:27]:
for it for a little bit too, bro.
Jeff Compton [00:24:28]:
Yeah. And it's all got this tangible feeling that it's all positive. Right. And so he had a ton of followers, ton of engagements like the, the GoFundMe and all this kind of stuff is great. And it, I guess you could spin that and say it's all positive. But again, it comes back to my favorite word is perspective. Because it's very easy to sit here and say every other shop doesn't know what they're doing is ripping people off. And that's a very negative thing to say.
Jeff Compton [00:24:56]:
But if your audience is who you made it up to be, want to hear that, to them it's very positive. Right. So it comes back to perspective. We're not out here, the outliers that are in these channels that we run in. Right. They've already changed the industry for themselves. They've already changed the industry in their local area because they're not doing the norm. So positive and negative is perception.
Jeff Compton [00:25:21]:
And I think what I became overwhelmed with was just like I felt like I was, yes, getting a lot of comments and a lot of communication, but it was in such a negative place that it was pointless to try and get them to see the other side because they didn't want to. Right. And I don't know if that's the difference between a rage bait and a clickbait maybe is a rage bait is going to get somebody angry and they don't even want to have the conversation. They just want to be heard by their opinion and that's it. Whereas clickbait maybe gets people to engage.
Braxton Critcher [00:25:52]:
That's so. So, so you didn't answer my question.
Jeff Compton [00:25:55]:
Sorry.
Braxton Critcher [00:25:55]:
But we can come back to that. So the guy that stopped you in the parking lot never comments, but he sees all the stuff that, you know,
Bryan Pollock [00:26:04]:
I should say, I've never seen him comment. He really appreciates. So there's people. So the deal is the, the reality is all those reels have to be posted to catch the eyes of people. So the people who are willing to do the work, because those are out there. Right, because remember I only said 50% of people are unwilling to do right or whatever the number is. There's a percentage of people who are willing to do the work.
Braxton Critcher [00:26:27]:
Yeah, but, and this is my perspective and this is where I want you guys to tell me if I'm wrong. I making reels am not trying to cut Something that makes that person look bad or create negative rage. I am trying to get eyeballs and those eyeballs help those people because you're not going to change the bad people.
Bryan Pollock [00:26:50]:
And him and I had a probably half hour conversation. He, he didn't need our help. Yeah, he's got his stuff together. He's got multiple businesses, he's diversified. Multiple businesses, multiple industries.
Braxton Critcher [00:27:00]:
But those people, the ones that actually do care and will change.
Bryan Pollock [00:27:05]:
To me interested in listening. Wall sees it.
Braxton Critcher [00:27:07]:
We'll ever see real without.
Bryan Pollock [00:27:10]:
He sees the real. He sees the real.
Jeff Compton [00:27:12]:
Yeah.
Bryan Pollock [00:27:13]:
Now he's interested. He's like, oh, I wonder what these guys are all about. Now he clicks on. He's like, oh yeah, this is pretty cool. Yeah, I'm gonna listen to this.
Braxton Critcher [00:27:19]:
And if, and if we only posted, you know, the super positive feel good stuff, which isn't all about what you guys talk about. To me, if I, if I cut only those things, it wouldn't be a accurate representation of what goes on on the shows because sometimes there are things you guys talk about that are rage.
Jeff Compton [00:27:37]:
Yeah.
Braxton Critcher [00:27:38]:
And that's okay. And that. So he wouldn't be an accurate representation. But also if I only cut reels for those, you wouldn't get the eyeballs, you wouldn't get the attention the listeners to then have people like that. Because he probably would have never heard about the show had he not had other people in the comments getting attention and rage.
Jeff Compton [00:27:58]:
Right.
Braxton Critcher [00:27:59]:
If you don't have some of the negativity driving the other, you're not gonna get.
Bryan Pollock [00:28:01]:
And then, you know, social media see that he's involved in automotive among other things though.
Braxton Critcher [00:28:05]:
Right.
Bryan Pollock [00:28:06]:
He's involved in multiple industries from what I understand. He's, you know, he's has a couple restaurants, does a little dirt work, construction type work, stuff like that. He's got multiple. And he's not, he's not, he was, he was a technician. You know, he's a guy and he's, he's talking about maybe, you know, narrowing back down and focusing on a certain thing, but he didn't need it. He's successful in multiple businesses. Right. So when you have somebody that's successful in multiple industries, they're gonna, they don't need Mike's help and my help, but they're going to actively seek out the knowledge.
Bryan Pollock [00:28:39]:
He's like, hey, I kind of, I like listen to your guys show. You know, it was, it was interesting. But like you said, without all the engagement. As far as comments though, the algorithm never drives that. So somebody sees that because that's the reality. That's the reality, right? If nobody, if it doesn't grab people's attention. Okay, like, let's see, let's say the confessions. Let's say Mike and I sent the Confessions page to the, to the couple hundred people we know, right? Let's say there was a thousand people we know that we sent it to and every.
Bryan Pollock [00:29:08]:
All those thousand people like it, right? If you don't ever put anything on there that may be a little thought provoking or spicy as some people call, never gets commented on. People like, oh, yeah, okay, yeah, well, whatever, right? None of that ever happens. It never grow. It doesn't grow to 27,000 followers like it has, Right. You sit there at a thousand followers till the end of time, and those thousand followers are people who already know your opinions and already know the conversation you're having. You never actually reach out beyond the bubble that you already had.
Braxton Critcher [00:29:40]:
Yeah.
Jeff Compton [00:29:41]:
Yep, yep. And that's.
Braxton Critcher [00:29:43]:
That's that.
Jeff Compton [00:29:43]:
Well said.
Braxton Critcher [00:29:44]:
That's.
Jeff Compton [00:29:44]:
That's how I, I see it.
Tonnika Haynes [00:29:46]:
Look.
Tonnika Haynes [00:29:46]:
When I first opened my shop, I thought my old systems would keep up. The software that I had would continue to evolve. But as we grew the slow estimates, scattered workflow, increasing downtime, it really just, it was becoming a real problem. That's why I switched to techmetric. It's not just software. It's a complete shop management system that makes my life easier. Smart jobs, instant estimates, integrated payments, integrated financing options. I mean, it allows me to focus on the work that actually makes me money and not get bogged down in the other details.
Tonnika Haynes [00:30:18]:
My shop's repair orders have jumped over 300% since switching to TechMetric. And when I need help, their support team responds in real time. I actually was online with them asking questions just this week, and I got answers in minutes rather than having to wait for callbacks and emails days later. If your system is holding you back, it's time for a change. Tap the link in the show notes and see how techmetric can help you move your shop forward.
Bryan Pollock [00:30:42]:
I'm a stupid grease monkey. I figured that out.
Braxton Critcher [00:30:44]:
I went to. I played, I played baseball in high school with a guy who got married and has a kid who's about 2 years old that was born without half of his arms and half of his legs. And they're Christians. And they chose. The doctors knew this was going to be how the baby, they took ultrasounds and they were like, you could abort this child. And they chose not to abort the child. And so they wanted to create this social channel around what happiness that the child gives them, but also what kind of value of life that he has. Hoping to inspire other people in similar situations to keep the kid.
Braxton Critcher [00:31:23]:
Yeah, that's their hope. And they post all kinds of really heartwarming videos about this kid and their life together. And they have hundreds of thousands of followers online. And if you go and scroll in there, while none of their content ever has anything to do with negativity or rage, it's all good stuff. Sure, they got a lot of hate in there.
Jeff Compton [00:31:45]:
Of course they will.
Braxton Critcher [00:31:45]:
A lot of hate in there. Can't believe you. You're. You're trying to monetize your child. Or I can't believe you're in here trying to show off this sad kid.
Bryan Pollock [00:31:56]:
Why are they so mad? Like, why are they so mad? Let me.
Tonnika Haynes [00:31:58]:
I guess I just don't understand that. But I definitely.
Braxton Critcher [00:32:01]:
What I think is I have. No matter what kind of content you
Tonnika Haynes [00:32:05]:
post, don't be an idiot.
Braxton Critcher [00:32:06]:
You're gonna have stupid people.
Bryan Pollock [00:32:08]:
Do those people understand how stupid they are though? No, they don't. I have a. I have a good friend who has. Who has a disabled child and there's medical expenses involved. My friend does. He does pretty well for himself now. And they can. They can absorb that.
Bryan Pollock [00:32:23]:
He does well enough for himself that he's just. I just talked to him not too long ago. He says he's super thankful for the position he's worked himself into in life with his. In his financial position, that he knows that he can take care of his daughter without having to rely on xyz. Right?
Jeff Compton [00:32:41]:
Yeah.
Bryan Pollock [00:32:42]:
So let's just. Let's just dive into that. The mentality of the average American. How stupid are these people to think that that child doesn't have medical bills? How do they know that? Even if. Even if this page is making money, why are they getting pissed off? What do they think the parents are going to do with the money? They're going to seek treatment to improve the life of the child. That's why people piss me off.
Tonnika Haynes [00:33:05]:
Because people do kind of.
Bryan Pollock [00:33:07]:
People piss me off.
Tonnika Haynes [00:33:08]:
I guess it's still shocking to me and I'm not gullible.
Jeff Compton [00:33:11]:
It's not the. They, they. It's not that they don't know that the child has medical expenses, but they don't know the, The. The expense of what something like that is. A custom wheelchair, a custom vehicle to move a wheelchair.
Bryan Pollock [00:33:24]:
They have no understand that the expense of taking care of this child could be 30,000amonth.
Jeff Compton [00:33:28]:
And then they don't exactly and then they're mad that if it's monetized through social media, but they're mad that if it's monetized through social media and their living conditions are better than theirs, maybe they're on a house with a lawn and they're in some terrible apartment in. On skid, like in the skids. And they're looking at that going, must be nice. Like, that's, you know, that's. That's the. The stupidest conversation that ever gets happened. Or anybody say, because must be nice.
Bryan Pollock [00:33:57]:
Must be nice.
Jeff Compton [00:33:58]:
But that's what they're saying.
Bryan Pollock [00:33:59]:
I never see any of the must be nice people at the shop at
Tonnika Haynes [00:34:01]:
four in the morning.
Bryan Pollock [00:34:02]:
It's weird. So weird. You know what, man? A lot of times I'm at the shop Sunday afternoon.
Tonnika Haynes [00:34:07]:
Sunday afternoon, and people are dropping off their cars. They're like, what are you doing here? I was like, because I got stuff to do. I got stuff to do.
Bryan Pollock [00:34:12]:
I got stuff to do.
Tonnika Haynes [00:34:13]:
I know it closes. I still come in here to work.
Jeff Compton [00:34:15]:
But it's the must be nice attitude that is what has spawned so many people to grab a keyboard and try and make themselves feel better.
Tonnika Haynes [00:34:23]:
Must.
Bryan Pollock [00:34:24]:
Must be nice. In most cases, must be nice is linked to an adult that's incapable of making a good decision. And they've chosen Newports and Red Bulls.
Jeff Compton [00:34:33]:
Yeah.
Bryan Pollock [00:34:34]:
Instead of improving their financial position.
Jeff Compton [00:34:37]:
I'm going to express myself with these two sleeves of tattoos as I stand there and ask if you want fries with that.
Bryan Pollock [00:34:42]:
Yeah. Yeah. That's a typical person thinking, but I got $6,000 worth of ink this year. That's exactly.
Tonnika Haynes [00:34:49]:
That is my favorite chap.
Jeff Compton [00:34:51]:
Right.
Tonnika Haynes [00:34:51]:
Choose your heart, man.
Jeff Compton [00:34:52]:
You know? So it's like. And they're like, they wouldn't want to trade position all the clips out of it.
Bryan Pollock [00:34:59]:
Look at Braxton. He's pumped right now.
Tonnika Haynes [00:35:01]:
What Braxton is trying to get at makes sense that if it were not for the real spicy or not, we could not get the message out that we're trying to.
Bryan Pollock [00:35:09]:
100% agree. 100 agree.
Jeff Compton [00:35:12]:
Yeah. It's just how you said to me yesterday. Just don't engage them in the comments.
Braxton Critcher [00:35:16]:
You just let them do what they don't do because you can.
Jeff Compton [00:35:18]:
Or say, just like you said, your mind. Bless you.
Tonnika Haynes [00:35:21]:
Bless. Bless it.
Jeff Compton [00:35:22]:
You know. Right. And I say, thanks for listening. I started doing that.
Bryan Pollock [00:35:26]:
Oh, yeah, that'll be a good one.
Jeff Compton [00:35:28]:
Thanks for listening.
Bryan Pollock [00:35:28]:
I'm gonna try that out.
Jeff Compton [00:35:29]:
I wanna.
Bryan Pollock [00:35:30]:
I don't think I've engaged anybody in our comments. And.
Jeff Compton [00:35:32]:
And then A cash register drawer sound.
Tonnika Haynes [00:35:34]:
That will come out.
Jeff Compton [00:35:35]:
Thanks for listening. Cha Ching. Just put another dollar in my pocket. Thank you. Right. And you don't arrogant because it's like, hey, you.
Tonnika Haynes [00:35:45]:
You started it. I started it.
Jeff Compton [00:35:47]:
So that's it.
Tonnika Haynes [00:35:48]:
That's. That's fair.
Braxton Critcher [00:35:49]:
I mean, think about, like, you know, 27, 000 on Facebook.
Bryan Pollock [00:35:53]:
Right?
Braxton Critcher [00:35:54]:
37, 000 on. And we got. And we got, you know, other big followings on social media. 725, but Facebook is the big one.
Jeff Compton [00:36:02]:
Yeah.
Bryan Pollock [00:36:02]:
Oh, girl.
Braxton Critcher [00:36:03]:
We can think about the people who, like, are mega famous to how, like. Like, you can't even imagine. You think it's bad with the amount of followers we have? Think about, like, millions of followers.
Jeff Compton [00:36:14]:
Sherwood and Sherwood or Sherwood are almost at 500,000.
Braxton Critcher [00:36:20]:
But I'm talking about followers on YouTube. Millions and millions of followers. Like, you know, athletes, they have a celebrity. Social media, they have a manager. Manager. But, you know, there comes a point where you can't respond to these people. You physically would not have enough time in the day to do it. And if you did, you're gonna go crazy.
Braxton Critcher [00:36:39]:
So you. There has to be like. And this is what I was saying earlier, too. Like, we didn't know that this is where it was gonna go. And so now we're experiencing new things. We didn't really know we were gonna have to do this.
Bryan Pollock [00:36:50]:
This is a Mr. Rogers.
Tonnika Haynes [00:36:51]:
Can you.
Bryan Pollock [00:36:52]:
Can you. Can you cut the Mr. Rogers in there where you're learning so many.
Tonnika Haynes [00:36:55]:
So many new things? Please add that in there. I'm so proud of you. I'm so proud of you.
Bryan Pollock [00:36:59]:
I'm so proud of you. You're learning so many new things today.
Braxton Critcher [00:37:03]:
So, I mean, it's like we kind of just have to. You have to find the off switch somewhere, and there. Because there's. I mean, as the page, it's good to engage with people.
Bryan Pollock [00:37:16]:
Yes.
Braxton Critcher [00:37:17]:
But sometimes there is a line there somewhere where it becomes unhealthy for you. You got to protect your peace, man.
Jeff Compton [00:37:24]:
Yeah, man.
Bryan Pollock [00:37:26]:
You stole the flashlight from my dad. None of that. Not a single one of them People bothered me.
Jeff Compton [00:37:31]:
And that's the thing. Like an out.
Bryan Pollock [00:37:32]:
Oh, you know what? I take that back.
Tonnika Haynes [00:37:35]:
Who hurt your feelings? Who hurt you?
Bryan Pollock [00:37:36]:
I had one guy hurt my feelings.
Braxton Critcher [00:37:38]:
Was his name Mike Allen?
Bryan Pollock [00:37:40]:
No, I won't get into it.
Tonnika Haynes [00:37:41]:
It's a long story, but Mike doesn't look at him.
Bryan Pollock [00:37:43]:
But I made some. I made some phone calls.
Braxton Critcher [00:37:45]:
Tell Mike, hey, by the way, that video is doing well. Oh, it is. Okay, Google.
Bryan Pollock [00:37:48]:
I made some Phone calls. And I found him, and I called his cell phone and we had a conversation. I found him. No. Oh, I found him. He had a lot. He had a lot to say online. He didn't have a lot to say on his phone.
Jeff Compton [00:37:56]:
And that's sometimes the difference.
Tonnika Haynes [00:37:57]:
Keyboard warriors.
Bryan Pollock [00:37:59]:
Oh, yeah. I said, you know what? You know what? I don't. He said something to the. To the effect of F your whole bloodline, you know, because my background pictures my dad's gravestone with his military service black on him. And. And it said, especially Ron. Well, my dad's name's around. My child's name is Ron.
Bryan Pollock [00:38:17]:
So I made a couple phone calls. I found the guy. We got. We're straightened up. He won't. He won't be commenting again.
Tonnika Haynes [00:38:22]:
He won't say nothing no more.
Bryan Pollock [00:38:23]:
He can be all right.
Jeff Compton [00:38:25]:
Yeah, but see, that's.
Bryan Pollock [00:38:26]:
That's that irritating.
Jeff Compton [00:38:27]:
That's.
Bryan Pollock [00:38:27]:
That's the only one, though, that I've ever really.
Jeff Compton [00:38:29]:
Of course, because I was taking it to another level.
Braxton Critcher [00:38:32]:
Like, what was the video context.
Tonnika Haynes [00:38:33]:
But the thing is, what would piss you off so bad, right, from a clip in the interworld that you feel like you had to say something like that?
Bryan Pollock [00:38:42]:
You have to say something like that and have a refrigerator hunting you down. That's not good. It's not a good situation.
Braxton Critcher [00:38:47]:
Candace has to remind me a lot of times, because I'm a very competitive, and I love my. I love my sports teams. And there was a time where it was bad. Like, if my team lost, don't talk to me for a day or two like it was bad. And I've gotten a lot better. But she has. Whenever I start to get upset about something stupid like that, she's like, Braxton. You realize there's starving people in Africa right now that have real problems.
Bryan Pollock [00:39:11]:
Here we go.
Braxton Critcher [00:39:12]:
And that's a. That's true.
Bryan Pollock [00:39:15]:
That got me to £400. You have to finish your dinner. They're starving kids.
Tonnika Haynes [00:39:20]:
What city did he.
Bryan Pollock [00:39:21]:
Yes, ma'.
Tonnika Haynes [00:39:21]:
Am.
Braxton Critcher [00:39:23]:
You know. You know, put. Puts it in perspective, though. You know, people got real problems. People in the hospital right now with issues, and you're over here perfectly healthy with a good roof over your head.
Tonnika Haynes [00:39:33]:
I can't get all flats right. All I wanted was all fat. Piss me off. Some people really wouldn't mind for a drumette.
Jeff Compton [00:39:44]:
When we put ourselves out in the automotive realm, we have to remember that a lot of us that are our audience as people not in the realm. So they all have a situation where they feel like they didn't understand what the repair was or they didn't feel the repair was fair. Or like you and I go back and forth so many times.
Bryan Pollock [00:40:02]:
First thing, what is fair?
Jeff Compton [00:40:04]:
Yeah. And. But the second thing is, is like it didn't. They. They were ripped off. They were just frankly ripped off. They were promised that this part would fix this complaint and they didn't fix it in the lights back on. Pardon my language.
Jeff Compton [00:40:15]:
And they're mad and they're angry. Right. We have to remember a lot of those people have that. That are watching. And what the algorithm is going to show it to them are the exact people that are watching. So they're not interested in us trying to be better than those people that screwed the most. They got it. Exactly.
Jeff Compton [00:40:32]:
They're going to throw hands through the screen at someone and we represent that. And that's the difference is it doesn't matter how hard we try.
Bryan Pollock [00:40:38]:
And that's fair. You know, but, you know, that sucks for them, I guess.
Tonnika Haynes [00:40:41]:
Well.
Bryan Pollock [00:40:42]:
And I don't know why. Why are people. I don't want to go on the tangent. I was going to say why are people paying for cars that ain't fixed anyways? But that's.
Jeff Compton [00:40:50]:
Well, you. Yeah. How many times have you asked and what doesn't make sense, why do people.
Bryan Pollock [00:40:55]:
And I know shops that have. I know shops that have subbed cars out to the dealer because the shop can't get to the bottom of it. They send to the dealer. Dealer puts a bunch of parts on, write some bill, $2900 and says, yeah, the car ain't fixed. But all these modular here now I'm like, why are you paying them? Yeah, yeah, they didn't fix it. Yeah, but that's a whole. We can't get.
Tonnika Haynes [00:41:13]:
That's another podcast.
Jeff Compton [00:41:14]:
Well, it's a completely different subject matter. So what's the real. What's the real money that you can charge people if they'll pay fourteen hundred dollars and it doesn't fix the car.
Bryan Pollock [00:41:22]:
Fourteen hundred one.
Jeff Compton [00:41:23]:
And you're the bad guy. I said that how many years ago?
Bryan Pollock [00:41:26]:
15 years ago.
Tonnika Haynes [00:41:27]:
The price is right.
Bryan Pollock [00:41:28]:
1401.
Jeff Compton [00:41:29]:
But it is.
Bryan Pollock [00:41:30]:
Yeah, but it is. If they put 1400 into it and the car ain't fixed and you find a broken wire, what's the fix worth? What's the market value of the fix?
Tonnika Haynes [00:41:38]:
The market value, 1401.
Jeff Compton [00:41:40]:
$1 more.
Bryan Pollock [00:41:42]:
And we don't do that, to be very clear, however.
Jeff Compton [00:41:44]:
But that's the. Yeah.
Tonnika Haynes [00:41:46]:
Braxton, what else do you have for us?
Braxton Critcher [00:41:50]:
I love this stuff.
Jeff Compton [00:41:51]:
This is great.
Bryan Pollock [00:41:55]:
So many more angry people, and we're not going to respond to them because if you're angry, we don't like you cutting that one, too.
Braxton Critcher [00:42:03]:
Not me. Not me. I like you.
Jeff Compton [00:42:04]:
Well, they're not our people, though. Well, that's the thing, right?
Tonnika Haynes [00:42:07]:
People. Yet. Well, gonna change the industry. And they will, because.
Bryan Pollock [00:42:11]:
No, no. You know, can I tell you something? Greg Buckley told me one time, real frustrated. I was trying to help somebody with something, and I was just super frustrated, like, oh, my gosh, this guy just won't. He won't under. He's choosing not to understand this guy. Greg Buckley told me, and I just talked to him this morning, and I told him I took that advice very seriously when he's. I literally told him this this morning. But Greg told me one time, he goes, brian, you're not the messiah.
Bryan Pollock [00:42:33]:
You can't save all these people. That's what he said.
Tonnika Haynes [00:42:38]:
Yeah. I am not Captain Sable.
Braxton Critcher [00:42:39]:
Well, I was going to say Tanika loves to say this, and I think in this situation with people getting upset online, we have to remember, what you eat don't make me fat.
Tonnika Haynes [00:42:50]:
He said it right, too. What you eat don't make me fat.
Braxton Critcher [00:42:53]:
And what you have is other people's
Bryan Pollock [00:42:56]:
cake don't make me fat.
Braxton Critcher [00:42:57]:
Either way.
Tonnika Haynes [00:42:57]:
No, down south. We're down south. What you eat don't make me fat.
Bryan Pollock [00:43:00]:
Okay. I ain't arguing with him.
Braxton Critcher [00:43:03]:
I think we have to remember that these are our missions. We're trying to help the industry, and we're gonna stay focused, but some people just aren't gonna get on a train
Tonnika Haynes [00:43:15]:
just like they won't show up for training.
Braxton Critcher [00:43:16]:
Right. There's just nothing you can do about it. And you can do your best and don't worry about the rest.
Jeff Compton [00:43:23]:
Yeah.
Bryan Pollock [00:43:23]:
I don't know. Price didn't.
Tonnika Haynes [00:43:25]:
Dropping bars. Look at that. Do your best. Don't worry about the rest.
Jeff Compton [00:43:28]:
Yeah.
Tonnika Haynes [00:43:31]:
Word.
Bryan Pollock [00:43:32]:
That's the thumbnail image.
Braxton Critcher [00:43:34]:
That's the thumbnail image.
Jeff Compton [00:43:36]:
Word to your mother.
Bryan Pollock [00:43:38]:
Word to your mother. Word to your mother.
Jeff Compton [00:43:41]:
I think in some ways it's like we don't. We don't necessarily talk about the positive things enough because it would seem braggadocious. Right. And the reality is, what we just discuss is we discuss always the challenges. The challenges. The challenge is challenges. Yeah. We don't.
Jeff Compton [00:43:57]:
Like. You don't ever puff your chest, like, outside of the circles necessarily, on some of the amazing things that you do.
Bryan Pollock [00:44:05]:
I don't really do that many amazing things. I've just stuff up. So I figure a couple things I know.
Braxton Critcher [00:44:10]:
Yeah. Maybe that's something that we try to lean into. And that's so the highlight. Some of the good stuff, and that's
Jeff Compton [00:44:15]:
what I keep thinking going forward is
Bryan Pollock [00:44:17]:
we do talk about that.
Tonnika Haynes [00:44:19]:
I try to do. I try to do that.
Braxton Critcher [00:44:21]:
You do.
Tonnika Haynes [00:44:21]:
I want to, like, this is where I'm from. This is where I went. And this is what's happening happened. This is the good that came out of it.
Jeff Compton [00:44:27]:
Yeah.
Braxton Critcher [00:44:27]:
And you always wrap up the episode with like, hey, what gives you hope about this industry? Encourage someone that's in shoes that you were in 20 years ago.
Tonnika Haynes [00:44:36]:
Right.
Braxton Critcher [00:44:36]:
Like, stuff like that.
Tonnika Haynes [00:44:37]:
Because I find that people think it's just them, and they're still thinking that in 2020. It's just my shop. It's just me. I'm not doing good. No, no, you're doing great.
Bryan Pollock [00:44:45]:
No, Same problems, different zip codes.
Tonnika Haynes [00:44:47]:
Yeah.
Bryan Pollock [00:44:48]:
Oh, yeah.
Jeff Compton [00:44:49]:
Everybody's facing the same, like, man, I ain't.
Bryan Pollock [00:44:52]:
And that's another question.
Tonnika Haynes [00:44:52]:
And they're looking up. They're looking at the highlight reels of our lives on social media.
Bryan Pollock [00:45:00]:
Oh, yeah.
Tonnika Haynes [00:45:00]:
And they're thinking those other 23 hours are just as easy. Cause that's all we share, is the highlight reels on any social media, whether it's business, personal, podcast, the people that get online and cry for a living to music. Now, that's a different beast. We'll talk about that in another episode. But really, that's what we post. We edit our highlight reels and we put music behind it. And you make. Make everybody laugh for the likes for the dopamine.
Tonnika Haynes [00:45:30]:
And that's what people are seeing. And then that's how they get the feeling like, oh, it's just my shop. I'm the only one that's struggling. And that's why I was telling what Benji today. I was like, listen, dude, if you've got three BAEs and your capacity is 500,000 a year, get there. Don't sit there and compare yourself to the guy that has $400,000 a month. Stop looking at those fools. Cause they're miserable anyway and they smell funny.
Tonnika Haynes [00:45:59]:
Work on you. Focus on you. Boo. Do the best you that you can do.
Braxton Critcher [00:46:04]:
Social media has done way more damage than it has.
Tonnika Haynes [00:46:08]:
Absolutely.
Bryan Pollock [00:46:09]:
Sure.
Braxton Critcher [00:46:09]:
I mean, there's a lot of good out there in there, but yeah, it's. It can. Everybody wants to compare their self to everybody else.
Tonnika Haynes [00:46:15]:
Everybody taking these vacations, baby. That vacation reel was from three years ago. I wouldn't know. Damn. Where you believe that? I did go somewhere. But I'm Just saying. But yeah, people believe all of the highlight reels.
Jeff Compton [00:46:26]:
Yeah, well, yeah, it's what people want to show because they want to make it feel better. Like how many people are in dead end relationships and open marriages and stuff and they're still posting celebratory, this is our anniversary. And yet I know a couple, right. And it's like. Or you know, the backstory. You're like, oh, I know the real story.
Tonnika Haynes [00:46:46]:
And it's like, oh.
Jeff Compton [00:46:47]:
And that's, that's ugly. And I'm not trying to put those people on blast, but I mean, that's exactly. Yeah.
Tonnika Haynes [00:46:52]:
People are not who they post to be.
Jeff Compton [00:46:55]:
And from the business standpoint, we've talked about this, people can get in there and get all up on boat, like, this is the revenue that we generated, this is the hours that returned and everything. And then we can go. We in the industry know that there's also fallout from that. Right. And. And so when some of those business
Bryan Pollock [00:47:12]:
models, although they may work for a few years.
Jeff Compton [00:47:15]:
Yeah.
Bryan Pollock [00:47:15]:
There's certain business models that have an expiration date that has to do with population density, market size, so on and so forth. Yeah.
Jeff Compton [00:47:21]:
And that's when we get into that. You know, everybody was so just, it was so divided last two months ago, right. When that happened, the plane crash. And everybody was so divided and it got so toxic in one week.
Tonnika Haynes [00:47:36]:
Ugly.
Jeff Compton [00:47:36]:
Yeah. And it was like, holy crap. Like everybody just chill for a minute. Like, it doesn't what that hap. What they talk about all day long isn't for me. But it doesn't mean that. Like, but again, don't make you fat either. That's right.
Tonnika Haynes [00:47:50]:
If you don't like it, keep it moving, big dog. You know, and like for me, that's not my model. Todd Hazy's not my model. You know, I choose to do it this way. You choose to do it, but
Bryan Pollock [00:48:03]:
everybody looks a certain way online and then you find somebody in that market that's actually involved and you find out that,
Jeff Compton [00:48:10]:
oh maybe that they show up every
Bryan Pollock [00:48:12]:
Monday at that shop and go, or exaggerate. What do you have, how great it is. And the staffing gets changed more than Brian changes the socks. It's not as great as everybody thinks it is. You know, there's a lot of people acting like everything's great, but then there's a lot of people that have a whole ass hiring manager because you can't keep people in the building for 30 days anyways.
Jeff Compton [00:48:34]:
But yet those people in that, that represent that side of the industry, they're still our people and they're still within our industry. And that's the thing. It's like we, we need to remember that they still deserve a somewhat level of respect, you know, and, and, and at least of okay, you do you like you always say, and, and we're gonna do us. Right. And it doesn't necessarily.
Bryan Pollock [00:48:57]:
I promise you I will keep doing me. Somebody will have a gun to my head. I'll just keep doing me. I, I'll risk surviving the gunshot.
Jeff Compton [00:49:01]:
Yeah. And that's the thing.
Bryan Pollock [00:49:04]:
So it's like that's how it's going to go.
Jeff Compton [00:49:05]:
I don't care as much as I used to care about what somebody else was doing and whether it was wrong for the industry. I'm past that point. Right. I put my focus on my people, which is the technicians and that's where I put my focus. And it's like this can work for you and it might not work for you. It depends on the type of person. You may go to a dealer and love it and you may go to an independent shop and love it if both of them are opportunities and, and avenues for some young people.
Bryan Pollock [00:49:34]:
And sometimes even on that level, you got to be like, dude, if it's so bad, do something about it.
Jeff Compton [00:49:39]:
Right. And that's. I have to tell so many of them, right. Like it's like. So let's.
Bryan Pollock [00:49:44]:
Why do you keep. Why are you still crying about.
Tonnika Haynes [00:49:46]:
Why are we having this conversation again?
Bryan Pollock [00:49:48]:
Bro, did you take the wheels off your toolbox? What's the trouble here?
Jeff Compton [00:49:51]:
Yeah, right. I don't want to move.
Bryan Pollock [00:49:54]:
Well, and then when you say that other people get mad, I don't really care.
Jeff Compton [00:49:57]:
Yes.
Tonnika Haynes [00:49:57]:
You know, you're just trying to help them think because you. I'm not going to sit here and listen to the same complaint.
Bryan Pollock [00:50:02]:
You complain how you get screwed every single day. Well, why don't you go try a different shop and see if it's new or the shop. Let's try that. Because let's at least change one thing. You can't change you. Cuz you are. You change your environment. If you still suck in the next environment, it might be.
Bryan Pollock [00:50:15]:
Maybe it's time to check the mirror. Maybe it's better in the next environment. I don't know. I don't know the answer. I'm not you. I don't work beside you. I can't tell you.
Tonnika Haynes [00:50:23]:
Do something.
Bryan Pollock [00:50:24]:
Doing nothing. Yeah, do something.
Jeff Compton [00:50:25]:
Shed or get off the pot as do something. Yeah, yeah. You know, and that thing I can show them person after person. That moved across the country to find a better opportunity.
Bryan Pollock [00:50:37]:
You know, I talk to some people who bring people in from across the country. All the time.
Jeff Compton [00:50:42]:
Yeah, all the time.
Bryan Pollock [00:50:43]:
Built whole businesses with transplants.
Jeff Compton [00:50:46]:
Look at Zeb. Zeb threw that money up there and said, I don't care where you come from. Come here if you can do the job.
Tonnika Haynes [00:50:51]:
Well, you know, I can't come.
Jeff Compton [00:50:53]:
And it's like all of a sudden, all the hands went down. I'm not coming. Everybody talks a big game, and then somebody says, show me what you can do. Come here tomorrow. Right? We've got more bays and more cars than you get done. And nobody comes and knocks on the
Bryan Pollock [00:51:06]:
door except a few people. Right now my phone will go chirp, chirp, chirp.
Jeff Compton [00:51:09]:
Yeah, yeah. So I mean, and it's. And again, there's a big difference between having the. The trying to be heard, right? And legitimately complaining. And that's just what I. I have to have this conversation all the time with.
Tonnika Haynes [00:51:25]:
With.
Jeff Compton [00:51:25]:
With my mom is that sometimes, like, it sounds like complaining, but I'm just trying to unload, right? That's a lot of the people, when we put ourselves out there, again, is they're complaining, and it sounds like complaining, but they're just trying to be heard and get some. Some tension out of themselves that makes them feel better, right? And. And, you know, now nobody likes to hear, well, suck it up. But a couple of. I had to, like, I had to walk uphill both ways to school. That never taught a kid to appreciate, you know, the fact that they didn't have to walk. Don't forget snow, right?
Bryan Pollock [00:52:00]:
Tanika didn't. There was no snow.
Jeff Compton [00:52:02]:
But you know what I'm trying to say, right? Like, that never made anybody appreciate better. It was just, okay. It's a disregard.
Tonnika Haynes [00:52:08]:
You want to be a sounding board.
Jeff Compton [00:52:10]:
Yes.
Tonnika Haynes [00:52:11]:
But then when Jimmy Bob complains about the same thing for the five weeks. Yeah, I don't hear that shit no more. Jimmy Bob.
Jeff Compton [00:52:18]:
That's right.
Tonnika Haynes [00:52:19]:
Like, what are you going to do about it? Like, Brian's like, okay, what are we doing?
Bryan Pollock [00:52:21]:
Do something, change something, do something thing.
Jeff Compton [00:52:23]:
Yeah.
Bryan Pollock [00:52:24]:
If you're like, this place is horrible. This place is a prison. Move.
Braxton Critcher [00:52:29]:
Get out. You're not trapped there.
Tonnika Haynes [00:52:30]:
I mean, dude, it was a shop owner friend of my father's, and he sent me a message on Facebook and he was talking, talking, talking. He was like, listen, you should do this. Consider this. You know me from my childhood now, you know the type of people that me and my father are. I am telling you the best advice I can give you right now is to shut your door and come to Feeling Connections and listen to Becky wicked it on this Friday. I will pay for you to go. Oh, man, you know I got those. Oh, you know what? You know what?
Bryan Pollock [00:52:56]:
Now all the excuses.
Jeff Compton [00:52:57]:
Can't, can't, can't.
Tonnika Haynes [00:52:58]:
Yeah.
Jeff Compton [00:52:59]:
I got. I got a car lot. I got a lot full of cars. I can't, I can't.
Tonnika Haynes [00:53:03]:
I can't miss a day that's not working out.
Bryan Pollock [00:53:06]:
I use for my wrestling coach. I had the best wrestling coach planet. He was. He's in the coaching hall of fame. Yeah, he was good.
Tonnika Haynes [00:53:12]:
Yeah.
Bryan Pollock [00:53:12]:
And he used to. If we were. If we were messing around and not. Not doing what we're supposed to do and getting beat or something, and he, he'd pull you aside and he goes, you know, you're out here finding a way to lose. It's just as easy to find a way to win.
Jeff Compton [00:53:25]:
Yeah.
Bryan Pollock [00:53:26]:
Right. And they, what they do is they keep making the excuse and they keep finding a way to lose.
Jeff Compton [00:53:31]:
Yeah.
Bryan Pollock [00:53:32]:
And it's just as easy to find a way to win. And it's not as comfortable. But difficulty level. Long term, winning is easier than losing long term.
Jeff Compton [00:53:40]:
And that's how losing is easier. Short term term, that's how you create that movie that you play in your head is when you keep finding the people to blame and the excuses that
Tonnika Haynes [00:53:48]:
you're going to make people to listen to it.
Jeff Compton [00:53:50]:
That's right. And then nobody else will listen to it.
Tonnika Haynes [00:53:52]:
No. You'll find some trials that will be sharing the misery. The misery with you.
Bryan Pollock [00:53:58]:
The person that chooses to lose also.
Tonnika Haynes [00:54:01]:
Yeah.
Bryan Pollock [00:54:01]:
Like this. This sucks.
Tonnika Haynes [00:54:03]:
That's right.
Jeff Compton [00:54:05]:
And that movie.
Bryan Pollock [00:54:06]:
A change.
Jeff Compton [00:54:07]:
That movie in your head is what will really screw you up.
Bryan Pollock [00:54:10]:
Yeah. Make a change.
Braxton Critcher [00:54:11]:
Josh talks about that all the time.
Jeff Compton [00:54:13]:
Yeah, yeah, yeah. That's your very. Because here's the thing. That's your very real reality is whatever you picture in your brain.
Bryan Pollock [00:54:19]:
Yeah.
Jeff Compton [00:54:19]:
As the reason for why you act this way or whatever. That's the move.
Bryan Pollock [00:54:23]:
Jim and I have a whole section in our class on. On visualization.
Jeff Compton [00:54:27]:
Yeah. Yeah.
Bryan Pollock [00:54:27]:
Right.
Jeff Compton [00:54:28]:
Like the beauty.
Bryan Pollock [00:54:29]:
You have to visualize where you want to be. You have to visualize it. Right.
Jeff Compton [00:54:35]:
And.
Braxton Critcher [00:54:35]:
And then build steps to get that.
Bryan Pollock [00:54:37]:
And it's not some hokey pokey BS that. I mean, what do you think? What do you think these trainers are teaching some of these professional athletes to do? You think a quarterback visualizes the throw to the ball into the receiver's arms? Right. People visualize Professional Olympic shooters. Right. The Winter Olympics this year, they're all skiing around and shooting. Right. They're all visualizing the shot. It's not some hokey pokey.
Braxton Critcher [00:55:03]:
You walk up to the punch thinking you're going to miss it. Well, you're going to miss it.
Tonnika Haynes [00:55:09]:
I'm not skiing. Black people don't ski. I'm lying. I just say stuff like that. But they were saying, you know, on the slopes.
Braxton Critcher [00:55:18]:
Yeah.
Tonnika Haynes [00:55:18]:
You're going fast as hell on two little skinny little pieces. Yeah. But they say you just have to look at where you're going.
Jeff Compton [00:55:25]:
That's right.
Tonnika Haynes [00:55:26]:
Like if they didn't look at. Exactly. Because I'm like, how can you focus at that speed?
Bryan Pollock [00:55:30]:
Snowmobiling. We have a funny saying. If you ride out in the powder, if you look at a tree, trying to avoid it, you want to hit that tree every single time. You have to look where you want to go.
Braxton Critcher [00:55:40]:
If you look right, you're going to go right.
Bryan Pollock [00:55:42]:
You have to look where you want to go. So if you don't want to hit the tree, you better be looking at the gap. You look at the tree, Hit the tree.
Jeff Compton [00:55:48]:
Yep.
Bryan Pollock [00:55:48]:
Every time. Yeah, every time. Not just like, oh, it might work out. No.
Tonnika Haynes [00:55:53]:
Hey, George, look out for that.
Bryan Pollock [00:55:55]:
Yeah, yeah, yeah. You have to visualize. And some people, like Jeff said, their visualization, or as Jeff referred to it, the movie they're playing in their head is Woe is me. Woe is me. Woe is me.
Tonnika Haynes [00:56:06]:
This industry sucks. I'll never do this. But then they say it so much that other people believe it. No, dude, you suck. Or maybe you're in the bad shop, but the loudest person gets the attention.
Bryan Pollock [00:56:19]:
And how many high school educated level people do I have to go through that have just absolutely made it in this industry? This industry is so terrible. Yeah, I have, I have dozens of people that are just killing it, killing it. Some of them didn't make it out of high school.
Jeff Compton [00:56:37]:
They're multi millionaires.
Bryan Pollock [00:56:39]:
Some of them didn't make it out of high school. They're multi million.
Tonnika Haynes [00:56:41]:
Like Daddy's story, he's 18 years old with a kid. Me and I tell people statistically, according to statistics, shouldn't even know where he. I wouldn't even know who. I shouldn't know who he is and he shouldn't be anything. High school. Did graduate from high school, started a shop, but he had people behind him that believed him and he kept his eyes on the prize and he did the work. And he did the work.
Bryan Pollock [00:57:02]:
Yeah, you have to do the work,
Tonnika Haynes [00:57:03]:
you have to do the work.
Bryan Pollock [00:57:04]:
Trying to skip out on the work.
Tonnika Haynes [00:57:05]:
That's the problem, you know, because like I was saying, the coaches are saying, well, work on your business. Not any. No, you got to do both. You have to do both for a long time.
Bryan Pollock [00:57:13]:
We have a whole section of that
Tonnika Haynes [00:57:14]:
that we talk about.
Bryan Pollock [00:57:15]:
How do you know what's wrong if you don't show up?
Jeff Compton [00:57:17]:
Y.
Tonnika Haynes [00:57:19]:
Do the work.
Bryan Pollock [00:57:20]:
Got to do the work.
Tonnika Haynes [00:57:21]:
After hours, before hours, you have to do the work.
Bryan Pollock [00:57:23]:
And it's the same as like the more technical side of stuff that I do. If you think that I showed up the shot from nine to five and I supposedly figured out all this magical crap between nine and five, it's. No, no, no, no. You can choose what you devote life, balance, and you can choose.
Braxton Critcher [00:57:43]:
He gave you the side eye you
Bryan Pollock [00:57:45]:
gotta have and you can choose how successful you are.
Jeff Compton [00:57:48]:
Yeah.
Bryan Pollock [00:57:49]:
Here's the deal. If you put in an extra 20 minutes a day, the statistics that coconuts collected. So I'm assuming they're correct because he's a master researcher. So I'm going to believe him. The statistics say that if you put an extra 20 minutes a day, you'll achieve a level at a certain thing. If you focus on that subject for 20 minutes a day extra, you'll achieve mastery of that subject at a level that will put you within the top 10% of people in that subject.
Jeff Compton [00:58:16]:
Yep.
Bryan Pollock [00:58:17]:
That's what 20 minutes a day extra work gets you. Is 20 minutes a day even that much you have? Everybody's got half hour lunch. Your shop, the guys take half hour lunch.
Tonnika Haynes [00:58:25]:
They got an hour.
Bryan Pollock [00:58:25]:
Okay, wolf your cheeseburger down. Spend 20 minutes a day watching scanner dance. Choose your flavor. I don't even care what you want. Choose your flavor. Watch it. You don't have to do what I do. What Jeff knows what I've done in 20 years, I've put an additional 20,000 hours in outside of.
Jeff Compton [00:58:42]:
Yeah, right.
Tonnika Haynes [00:58:43]:
Training.
Jeff Compton [00:58:44]:
Yeah.
Bryan Pollock [00:58:45]:
And that's what you get. What I have, the blessings that I have is what I get for that extra effort.
Tonnika Haynes [00:58:52]:
Absolutely.
Bryan Pollock [00:58:53]:
But you're certainly not just going to show up and somebody brought it up in the class the other day. I have a girlfriend. I want my work life, man. Okay, buddy, that's fine. So if you would like to be. This is going to. This is going to be a rage bait Click. If you would look up, go online, go to the US labor statistics, look up what the average salary of an automotive technician is.
Bryan Pollock [00:59:17]:
And if you want to be, if you want a 9 to 5 it. You will be that average technician. You will earn the average salary. Good luck. Don't complain to me when you chose average. Yeah, you're choosing average.
Jeff Compton [00:59:28]:
Yeah, well, that's exactly what they choose.
Bryan Pollock [00:59:31]:
Average. And they get pissed off that they're average. Bro, you chose average. I didn't choose average for you. You chose average. This is how you live now.
Tonnika Haynes [00:59:38]:
I think I can get away with saying this. The girlfriends really mess. Text up the girl. I can get. I can. I can say it. Yeah, no, I'll say it.
Bryan Pollock [00:59:47]:
I'll be the female.
Tonnika Haynes [00:59:48]:
The girls really mess up.
Bryan Pollock [00:59:49]:
The girls that twisted up, they get all twisted up over these girls. And I'm like, bro, like, especially pull your head out of your ass. We got to do.
Jeff Compton [00:59:58]:
Especially if you're with a toxic one. That was me way back in the day.
Bryan Pollock [01:00:01]:
Even.
Jeff Compton [01:00:02]:
And it cost me a job.
Bryan Pollock [01:00:03]:
I think that even a. Even. Even a girl, that's not a problem. I think their head gets all discombobulated and they're all. They can't even make heads or tails of what the situation is and they start acting stupid. I've seen it happen.
Tonnika Haynes [01:00:17]:
Happen.
Bryan Pollock [01:00:17]:
I've seen it happen. And it's.
Jeff Compton [01:00:20]:
Well, you had one. You had one that left your shot and followed her.
Bryan Pollock [01:00:24]:
Remember that?
Jeff Compton [01:00:25]:
That's how much that's.
Bryan Pollock [01:00:26]:
How about that. But I love everything about it.
Jeff Compton [01:00:28]:
But that's what I mean. You and I have talked so long.
Bryan Pollock [01:00:31]:
This kid. Yeah, his freaking girlfriend broke up with him. This kid go drives to the Buffalo airport the next morning instead of coming to work, it's buys a plane box and everything left.
Tonnika Haynes [01:00:42]:
This ain't no way.
Bryan Pollock [01:00:45]:
This way.
Tonnika Haynes [01:00:46]:
She was working. She was working with the WAP I ain't never seen.
Bryan Pollock [01:00:51]:
Yeah, Wings and pizza.
Tonnika Haynes [01:00:52]:
Yeah, wings and pizza. That's exactly what we meant when we said that. But no. I had a young lady started off as a tech with me. She was really young and she wanted to do it. She was doing a good job. She wanted to be a diesel tech. She could have got a boyfriend.
Tonnika Haynes [01:01:09]:
And I said, let me tell you something. And then mom kicked her out. And I said, if your mama kicks you out, you know you got problems. And she I'll be late because he was down in Vietnam. So it was hour and a half, two hour drive. And she's trying to come back and forth to work.
Bryan Pollock [01:01:22]:
She's called Vietnam.
Tonnika Haynes [01:01:24]:
Vietnam.
Bryan Pollock [01:01:24]:
I. I heard is that we call it Fayetteville.
Tonnika Haynes [01:01:26]:
Yeah. Military at Fennel.
Bryan Pollock [01:01:30]:
I'm. I'm familiar with the military town. I had Never heard it called that. My life she lost. My life has been improved.
Tonnika Haynes [01:01:40]:
He lives in Vietnam.
Bryan Pollock [01:01:41]:
I know.
Tonnika Haynes [01:01:41]:
I'm going to tell Josh we gotta reel it in.
Braxton Critcher [01:01:44]:
Okay.
Bryan Pollock [01:01:44]:
Sorry.
Braxton Critcher [01:01:46]:
I love it. You guys have given me more content to cut.
Tonnika Haynes [01:01:49]:
That was not the point of this whole conversation.
Braxton Critcher [01:01:51]:
But he's enjoying it all.
Bryan Pollock [01:01:53]:
When is Feit Nam getting cut? Because I want to put that on endless loop because I'll last that forever.
Tonnika Haynes [01:01:58]:
Do it in the Force Gunther. How much you willing to pay, Brian?
Braxton Critcher [01:02:00]:
I'll get it up for you.
Jeff Compton [01:02:01]:
And we'll get Michael Gunther to put, like, your face onto Rambo's body.
Tonnika Haynes [01:02:06]:
No, I want to be Force Gun. He's my favorite.
Bryan Pollock [01:02:08]:
Oh, yeah.
Tonnika Haynes [01:02:09]:
You know,
Bryan Pollock [01:02:12]:
we can get around Robin Williams. Good morning.
Tonnika Haynes [01:02:16]:
Okay, okay, we're back.
Braxton Critcher [01:02:18]:
I love you all, and I think these conversations are valuable for us and the listeners, especially the ones that actually care and aren't just here because they mad. But you know, that you guys, I believe, because I came, I worked for a Christian radio station, and I really do believe that God called me out of that space to be in this one to help you guys do what you want to do. And I love getting to do what I do. And sometimes, you know, there are. There are things that we got to figure out. And this has been one of those. This 20, 26 so far has been figure out how to manage social media, how to build a brand and how to. And really come up with where you want to be.
Braxton Critcher [01:03:03]:
Like, where. Where you want to be in five years. And I think we're really changing things up on how we do it all.
Bryan Pollock [01:03:10]:
Yeah.
Braxton Critcher [01:03:10]:
And it's been fun. It's been fun.
Bryan Pollock [01:03:12]:
I've learned a lot, and I do appreciate you.
Jeff Compton [01:03:14]:
I've learned a lot.
Braxton Critcher [01:03:15]:
I'm learning a lot, too. I mean, you know, like I say, I'm kind of new at this at the same time, but so bottom line,
Tonnika Haynes [01:03:21]:
what we want from our listeners is to get past the real.
Jeff Compton [01:03:25]:
Yes.
Tonnika Haynes [01:03:26]:
Because we need the reals in order to reel in new listeners so that we can continue to do our work. But we need you to listen to the whole.
Braxton Critcher [01:03:37]:
I don't know what, I don't know what percentage of it is, but say if you had a hundred thousand views on a video, let's say there's a thousand people that actually go to watch the full episode. That's still good. I mean. Yeah, that's 1,000 people. That's 1%. That's a thousand people that wouldn't have gone 100.
Bryan Pollock [01:03:55]:
Can you imagine if we change if Some. If you take a hundred people.
Jeff Compton [01:03:59]:
Yeah. And convert them.
Bryan Pollock [01:04:02]:
1.
Jeff Compton [01:04:02]:
Yeah.
Bryan Pollock [01:04:03]:
1 I wrote down here with Dan and Rachel. They brought to a guy that's running a shop and his employees. So one. One shop. One shop is a huge change. I was excited. I was like, this is awesome. This guy's mind is blown.
Bryan Pollock [01:04:17]:
He's down here.
Tonnika Haynes [01:04:18]:
So if anybody wants to know what we want to do other than hear ourselves what he just said.
Braxton Critcher [01:04:22]:
That's right.
Tonnika Haynes [01:04:23]:
One shop at a time.
Bryan Pollock [01:04:24]:
One shop at a time. One bite at a time.
Braxton Critcher [01:04:26]:
Right.
Jeff Compton [01:04:27]:
That's how you know right there.
Braxton Critcher [01:04:29]:
I'm gonna say, like Jeff does, I loves you all.
Jeff Compton [01:04:31]:
Yeah.
Braxton Critcher [01:04:32]:
How do you say it?
Jeff Compton [01:04:33]:
I love you all.
Tonnika Haynes [01:04:33]:
God bless. Good night.
Jeff Compton [01:04:35]:
Thank you for listening.
Tonnika Haynes [01:04:37]:
Chop, chop.
Bryan Pollock [01:04:38]:
I'm not saying nothing because you know
Braxton Critcher [01:04:40]:
if you do, you won't.
Jeff Compton [01:04:41]:
And that is the rest of the story.
Tonnika Haynes [01:04:44]:
Thanks for listening to Confessions of a shop Owner, where we lay it all out, the good, the bad, and sometimes the super messed up. I'm your host, Mike Allen, here to remind you that even the pros screw it up sometimes. So why not laugh a little bit, learn a little bit, and maybe have another drink? You got a confession of your own or a topic you'd like me to cover, or do you just want to let me know what an idiot I am? Email mikeonfessionsofashopowner.com or call and leave a message. The number 704-confess. That's 704-266-3377. If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to, like, subscribe or follow. Join us on this crazy journey that is shop ownership. I'll see you on the next episode.