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Power does not always come from pushing harder. Sometimes in life and in business, the smartest move is to slow down so you can move forward with control, clarity, and intention. Just like a great driver, growth means looking ahead, preparing for the climb, and knowing when it is time to change gears.
Justin Allen [00:00:00]:
I don't know how to say it other than to say that I had to go through a divorce. I'm not trying to be mean to my ex. I spent a couple of really lonely years and I put that out there because there are people that are going to be listening to your podcast and there's people in our community that are having a really lonely year right now. It is okay. I had to shift down and understand the choices I'd made that got me there and what choices I was going to need to make to be in a different place. State of mind, I think. Right. Welcome to Downshift with Tanika Haynes, the automotive auntie.
Justin Allen [00:00:32]:
The thing about Tanika, she gets to know you, she'll laugh and cut up with you, but then she'll hit you with some knowledge that you may not want, but that you need. Let's downshift.
Ashley Kaplan [00:00:46]:
Now.
Tonnika Haynes [00:00:46]:
We're recording.
Justin Allen [00:00:47]:
And that's when I told her, like, that is not gonna fly with.
Ashley Kaplan [00:00:55]:
That was good.
Tonnika Haynes [00:01:00]:
Race yourself, fool. Like, what? What was that?
Justin Allen [00:01:04]:
Don't you love a good countdown?
Tonnika Haynes [00:01:06]:
That was a good countdown.
Justin Allen [00:01:07]:
Yeah.
Tonnika Haynes [00:01:08]:
Happy Monday, everybody.
Justin Allen [00:01:09]:
And what a beautiful thing it is. We all. We're all here. We woke up, we had a chance to do something better. Do I need to be in earphones and stuff or does the sound sound okay?
Tonnika Haynes [00:01:19]:
No, you sound great to me.
Justin Allen [00:01:20]:
Okay.
Tonnika Haynes [00:01:21]:
Yeah. Cool.
Ashley Kaplan [00:01:22]:
How do I sound? Tanika, you sound wonderful.
Tonnika Haynes [00:01:26]:
You sound wonderful tonight. Justin, I'm excited about this conversation.
Justin Allen [00:01:35]:
I've been excited for a long time. It's. I appreciate you finally talking to me in public.
Tonnika Haynes [00:01:40]:
Finally talking to you in public, Proving that I'm your friend.
Justin Allen [00:01:43]:
Yeah.
Tonnika Haynes [00:01:45]:
All right. Okay, so take your time. Introduce yourself for the people that live under a bridge with trolls.
Justin Allen [00:01:52]:
So my name is Justin Allen. So wait, is Ash supposed to introduce herself too? Did I miss that? What's going on?
Tonnika Haynes [00:01:56]:
I know who Ash is by now.
Justin Allen [00:01:58]:
Okay, okay.
Ashley Kaplan [00:01:58]:
I'm not important.
Justin Allen [00:01:59]:
So my name is Justin Allen. I am a regional training representative for Hunter Engineering Company. I've worked for hunter for about 18 years, but way before that, I was a lover of human beings and chicken wings and nachos and. And good times. And I am so excited that the path that the good Lord had laid out for me involved me being able to love on people and get kind of paid to do it.
Tonnika Haynes [00:02:28]:
You're really good at the loving on people part.
Justin Allen [00:02:30]:
Thank you.
Tonnika Haynes [00:02:31]:
It's so cool.
Justin Allen [00:02:32]:
It's my favorite part.
Tonnika Haynes [00:02:34]:
Have you ever been loved on by Justin Ash? I have, yeah. He, like, brings your energy into the room that you like. I don't know what to do with all this energy, but I'm going to take it. And then it's like he always creates a good space for people to learn. I think that's important. Especially when we did, like, the Women's only alignment class. You created a cool space for those young ladies to come in, ask all the questions that they may have been afraid to ask in a different setting. And then, you know, we just saw friendships forming and confidence shifting and things happening.
Justin Allen [00:03:10]:
Yeah, that was beautiful. That was a. I didn't expect it to go the way it went, and it was awesome to have you there. And Leslie White and other, you know, encouragers kind of pass through and the end of it, at the end of it, you know, like, I've given them certificates and I've thanked them all, and it's been beautiful. And I'm just kind of packing stuff up. And they hung around for like an hour and a half.
Tonnika Haynes [00:03:32]:
I mean, they just creating cell phone
Justin Allen [00:03:34]:
numbers, hanging out with each other. Yeah, it was. I created. We created a space where they had never felt that kind of community in the automotive industry. You know, watching what y' all do with, like, amazing women in automotive and stuff. Oh, it's amaz. It's amazing. And some people and Tanika, boy, you stood up for me on this.
Justin Allen [00:03:51]:
Some people would come online and say things like, what are alignments different for girls? Why should we have just a class for females or whatever, like, you know, being kind of snarky and cynical about it, and I respect everybody's right to their opinions and feelings on it, but at the same time, like, I watch class after class of female technicians who maybe don't feel as comfortable around a group of technicians that they don't know. It's one thing to go to work with your same team every day. That's a very different thing than it is to be in the minority of whatever you do, wherever you are, in a room full of other people. And add to that the fact that it's, you know, it's oftentimes younger dudes in a. In a class and, you know, we've all been around enough young dudes to know how young dudes behave. And it's. Yeah, it can be kind of. Kind of different.
Justin Allen [00:04:43]:
Right. So I believe in meeting people where they are and. And being what they need you to be in that moment to make it conducive for training. Right, right. And so that's what I love about you.
Tonnika Haynes [00:04:55]:
That is so cool. You said it right because everybody was informant when we did the invites, people on Facebook saying. And women were saying this, right. What do you need a women's only class for when it's like, well, everybody's not as strong as you yet.
Justin Allen [00:05:08]:
Right, Right.
Tonnika Haynes [00:05:09]:
And so it's like, even when I went to the women's and automotive conference, I'm sitting on the airplane and a couple vodkan cranberries in, and I just got to thinking that I'm going to a women's only conference. And that's not really my stilo, but I'm going to walk in this room and there's going to be somebody that might need me because they're just scared to come out of the shell. And then let's go in there and just be fabulous for these people. Because I wanted to do the same thing.
Justin Allen [00:05:34]:
Yeah.
Tonnika Haynes [00:05:35]:
I wanted somebody to do that for me. So, yeah, we don't have to do a women's only alignment class all the time.
Justin Allen [00:05:42]:
Right.
Tonnika Haynes [00:05:42]:
But that's for the girls and the ladies that are not ready yet.
Justin Allen [00:05:46]:
Yeah.
Tonnika Haynes [00:05:47]:
Yeah. And what's the point of them saying stuff like that? Just to just. People just say stuff to say stuff to shut up. Like, that was something that she could have kept to herself. And I was really disappointed. Pointed. When people say stuff like that. Like, I don't want to be in a women's only anything all the time, but sometimes a sister got to go in the room with the sisters and talk junk about y'.
Tonnika Haynes [00:06:07]:
All.
Justin Allen [00:06:08]:
Absolutely. Absolutely. You know, and you know, our industry has so few female technicians in it as we stand right now, let alone shop owners or anything else. Honestly, we know that just numbers are there, that, goodness gracious, whatever we can do as an industry to help anybody who's willing to come play with us, hang out and learn and grow and improve. Man, we're. I'm down. Like, let's go. Let's do it.
Justin Allen [00:06:33]:
Let's do it. So I'm actually. I'm eager to. I. I want to do a Spanish speaking class also.
Ashley Kaplan [00:06:39]:
Okay.
Justin Allen [00:06:39]:
I'm looking for, you know, I need to line up a translator. I think Black's Tire Service is talking about trying to help me do something like that. And I'm just trying. Honestly, I'm looking for, like, what are other. What are other groups that are underrepresented or maybe have a more challenging time getting served in these ways that I could. That I could find a way to do it. I think it's very entertaining.
Tonnika Haynes [00:07:01]:
I think that's a good idea. I just like how you Just want to create a space for everybody.
Ashley Kaplan [00:07:07]:
I love that. Justin, let me know about the Hispanic one.
Tonnika Haynes [00:07:12]:
Okay.
Ashley Kaplan [00:07:13]:
I'm, I'm Hispanic and I, I do speak Spanish. I'm not a tran. I, I would like be a terrible translator, but if there's a way that Golden Hour can sponsor it or something, I would love to.
Justin Allen [00:07:23]:
Okay. That's a beautiful thing. Thank you very much. Yeah, yeah. I mean, it's.
Tonnika Haynes [00:07:27]:
I love that you're doing that well.
Justin Allen [00:07:28]:
And I know, like, so I did outside sales for Hunter for a long time before I ever became a trainer also. And I, I know because of how, how I took care of my Spanish speaking customers that they get overlooked a lot. Just because of the language barrier. Just because of the language barrier.
Ashley Kaplan [00:07:47]:
Yeah.
Justin Allen [00:07:47]:
Other sales guys, and I'm not saying all of them, but other sales humans sometimes would just be a little bit too intimidated and not willing to slow down and try to hash it out. And so I loved just having the type of a career path where I was able to just slow down and let's, let's Google translate a little bit. Let's look at pictures, like, whatever we have to do to get through this just so that they didn't feel like they weren't valuable enough as human beings to be, you know, cared for that way.
Tonnika Haynes [00:08:14]:
So.
Justin Allen [00:08:15]:
Yeah, I love it. I'm excited. We'll figure it out.
Ashley Kaplan [00:08:17]:
You're so cool.
Justin Allen [00:08:18]:
Yeah.
Ashley Kaplan [00:08:20]:
Josh Coombs this weekend said he complimented you on how generous with your time you are and how genuine you are and how authentic you are. And he said in some situations he thinks wwjd, but what would Justin do? And I thought that was really cool.
Justin Allen [00:08:39]:
Yeah, he's a good guy. He's. And again, that's. I tell you the. To have a career path that allows me to just be genuine and kind and generous with what I have in terms of just information and resources as experience or whatever. It's. It's a, an exciting thing that I never, ever anticipated. I never knew this was even an option.
Justin Allen [00:09:01]:
Yeah.
Tonnika Haynes [00:09:02]:
That's so cool. So. Well, you know what prompted me to reach out to you immediately? I thought I would never see you write a post like that. You're like, people. Were you wondering if you should dial it back a little bit? I know that hurt. That did hurt. Because your enthusiasm is everything. And if you, if you dialed it back, we would think something was wrong with you, man.
Justin Allen [00:09:26]:
Yeah.
Ashley Kaplan [00:09:27]:
Yeah.
Tonnika Haynes [00:09:28]:
But I do, I do get it. I do get it. Like, you create spaces for people to be themselves and. But then somebody was you were feeling like you needed to put a shadow over your identity.
Justin Allen [00:09:41]:
It's interesting. It's interesting. I, I, the way it, the way I really meant it is a little bit different than it, than perhaps it came out. Does that ever happen to you? Do you ever say something and it
Tonnika Haynes [00:09:52]:
comes out, like interpret every day, but every other hour? Oh yeah, it's my job.
Justin Allen [00:09:57]:
And it's, it's funny. Everything we're saying here does relate though. Like the, the thing was, and it's interesting, like at the Burson's house this weekend or whatever, you'll find yourself in a room with a diverse range of people and skill set and social, whatever anxiety or introverts or extroverts or whatever. And I, because I moved around a lot as a kid, I have a real soft heart for people who appear to feel left out. And so if I see somebody who feels kind of left out and they're kind of quiet and anxious in the corner, I'm going to dial it down to go and approach them and say, hey, how are you doing? Like, what's going on over here? I can see that, you know, maybe, maybe you don't feel like that's your kind of bag of tricks over here, but what can we do? And it's like you're, like you're at a. I'm going to a funeral. I'm going to a funeral in two days for my aunt, for her husband, he passed. And, and there's going to be old people there.
Justin Allen [00:10:59]:
And when you go shake that old lady's hand at a funeral, like, I can't, I can't. Brian Pollock this lady, right? Like, I can shake Brian Pollock's hand one way. I can't shake her hand that same way. That wouldn't be right to her. And so it's like in that instant when you make eye contact with a person and they're not vibing quite where you are, the ability to calibrate, and this is not about not being true to myself, you know, but the ability to calibrate and communicate in a way that they find relatable in that moment is really more what that's about. Right? Like I, I'm gonna, I'm not gonna snuff out my light for anybody. I'm gonna, I'm gonna shine. But I, but sometimes I think, for me anyway, I choose to dial it up or dial it down to allow a better connection.
Justin Allen [00:11:56]:
Okay. If that's fair. Right, that's fair.
Tonnika Haynes [00:11:59]:
Because if you're gonna go to the funeral, you're gonna shake her hand and you're gonna cup her hand with your other hand.
Justin Allen [00:12:06]:
Exactly.
Tonnika Haynes [00:12:06]:
It's gonna be much gentler. You're going to gentle adjust to the situation.
Justin Allen [00:12:10]:
Yeah. It doesn't mean I'm any different. Didn't change who I am. Doesn't love her any differently, but it allows me to meet her where she's at and not over. And. Yeah. The one word in it was like. Like.
Justin Allen [00:12:21]:
Like I'm not trying to overwhelm people now when it's people. Yeah. I don't know. I don't know. It's. It's definitely. And I love that you reached out the way you did. About meant a lot to me too, because.
Justin Allen [00:12:35]:
Yeah, the we. The people, those of us who are out here eager to go and, like, get it all fired up, because I'm ready at any point in time. We need encouragement on those kind of things, too, you know, so the people said the nicest things, man. Goodness gracious. It was. It really was encouraging. Yeah, for sure. So.
Tonnika Haynes [00:12:56]:
Because I said something similar to mimby one day when I was at. I. I keep feel like repeat myself all the time. But, yeah, Napa now, you know, I like to dress up. I like my red lipstick. I like my hair. I like my stuff. I like my things.
Justin Allen [00:13:07]:
Yeah.
Tonnika Haynes [00:13:07]:
And then everybody else had on jeans and NASCAR T shirt or flip flop.
Justin Allen [00:13:12]:
And I was like, right.
Tonnika Haynes [00:13:15]:
And I did. And I text her that morning, I said, I think I need to dial it down. I don't want to think people. I don't want people to think that I'm, like, stuck up or this, that and whatever that is. Well, you two know that.
Ashley Kaplan [00:13:27]:
Amy, we know that.
Justin Allen [00:13:29]:
Right?
Tonnika Haynes [00:13:29]:
But a sister like her, to be cute, why shouldn't I? And I want you to want to be judging you, but then, like, some people will judge you just because they're not as confident. Maybe. Yeah, yeah. Don't do that. Yeah, they need us.
Justin Allen [00:13:46]:
They do. I agree. We all need each other. And yeah, it's. I want. I like when you say they need us. Thank you. They.
Justin Allen [00:13:56]:
I think. I think in an industry with a lot of introverts in it, they need that strong encourager. They need that strong voice of somebody who's unafraid to say it and put the stuff out there. And you are a champion of that. Right? That is a riot.
Tonnika Haynes [00:14:13]:
I'm trying to do better. Like, that's why I agreed to do this. People are hurting, man. People are lonely and they're hurting and they don't know what to do. And they think everybody else is okay. Like, no, dude, we all crazy. I'm just crazy with lipstick. That's it.
Tonnika Haynes [00:14:29]:
I'm crying, too.
Justin Allen [00:14:30]:
Yeah. Yeah. People, the. The Internet, for all of the things that it allows us to do and help us figure out or whatever. Golly. It separates you. It splits us apart and makes us. It can be very lonely.
Justin Allen [00:14:44]:
No doubt.
Tonnika Haynes [00:14:46]:
It is a very lonely thing. So when you teach classes like that.
Justin Allen [00:14:51]:
Yes.
Tonnika Haynes [00:14:52]:
They fill up your whole cup. Like, do you have a cup like with Winnie the Pooh and he just fills you up? Is that. Does that gas you up? Does it wear you out? Like, for me, it wears me out.
Justin Allen [00:15:03]:
Oh, no, it fills me up. It fills me up. It's so much fun to.
Tonnika Haynes [00:15:06]:
It's fun, but it wears out. My whole social battery is just depleted.
Justin Allen [00:15:11]:
Oh, yeah. Yeah.
Tonnika Haynes [00:15:14]:
Because even at Benji's Friday night, I went to bed at 9, I was like, oh, my God.
Justin Allen [00:15:21]:
Yeah, y' all had a very long day. Y' all had all. It was a long day, and I felt bad. Like, I showed up ready to party, and then I was like, oh, but they've been partying all day, so maybe. Maybe that's not the best plan. But, yeah, boy, Benji and Christy, you can tell they've been working hard. You know.
Tonnika Haynes [00:15:37]:
They've been working hard.
Ashley Kaplan [00:15:38]:
Yeah, they went all out.
Justin Allen [00:15:40]:
I mean, that was, man, amazing.
Ashley Kaplan [00:15:42]:
Some seriousness.
Tonnika Haynes [00:15:44]:
Yeah, that was the best.
Justin Allen [00:15:46]:
And how cool is it that these things are popping up around the state a little bit? Like, I'm telling you. That is tremendous. I love that Josh is doing it next or whatever. Right. And. And Mike Allen. So this is. And just in terms of social events with people around the state, I think that was my biggest.
Justin Allen [00:16:04]:
That was one of my biggest concerns when Lucas got me plugged in to the. As to the Igonc. Is that what it was?
Tonnika Haynes [00:16:12]:
Yes.
Justin Allen [00:16:13]:
Yeah. Igonc. Once upon a time, my biggest concern was that, man, it looks like y' all are having a good time over here in Raleigh. And out here at Asheville, we're kind of cold, you know, we kind of need some of this love out in Asheville. And so seeing things pop up around, I think are super encouraging to independent shop owners around because it's hard to get to Raleigh sometimes. It can be kind of daunting. It's. It's not super duper close to everybody.
Justin Allen [00:16:41]:
And I love it, by the way. And asta, once a year is fine, but finding ways throughout that year to sprinkle a little bit more.
Tonnika Haynes [00:16:48]:
Right. That's the intention that's what we want to do.
Justin Allen [00:16:51]:
Right.
Tonnika Haynes [00:16:51]:
Just keep the engagement, keep the networking, keep the relationships open. Not all about training, not all about, you know.
Justin Allen [00:16:57]:
Sure.
Tonnika Haynes [00:16:58]:
Pen to paper. It's about connection. Like we've been talking about connection. Finding your automotive brother. So you can talk about that one customer is about to run you crazy or getting ideas and things without paying for training. It's like, I think for me it's been the network and the networking. Networking. In the first couple years, it meant everything.
Tonnika Haynes [00:17:20]:
It still does. It still does mean everything. And then, you know, you walk in a room, you, you see the person that you've been talking to on social media and you make another connection and you realize you're not in the boat by yourself.
Justin Allen [00:17:32]:
Right. Do you have thoughts about how your dad grew the business comparatively? Because he didn't have the Internet.
Tonnika Haynes [00:17:39]:
He didn't have the Internet. Oh, well, he is the Internet.
Justin Allen [00:17:42]:
Okay.
Tonnika Haynes [00:17:42]:
That has a big personality. Yeah, yeah, yeah, he has a really, really big personality. We, we interviewed him yesterday. Hopefully it comes out good.
Justin Allen [00:17:51]:
Yeah.
Tonnika Haynes [00:17:52]:
But we have some technical difficulties. Hope Braxton's going to do his magic. I know, but that has a big personality. You can't tell him what he cannot do. He's gonna figure it out. If he, if he messes up this time, he's gonna do it again. If he messes up again, he's gonna do it again. He's like a self taught person.
Tonnika Haynes [00:18:06]:
He's like a guru and he doesn't even know it.
Justin Allen [00:18:08]:
Sure. Yeah.
Tonnika Haynes [00:18:09]:
He has all these little nuggets, so. But word of mouth and he's very. I remember. Who was it? Neil. Neil Meyer. We were at Feeling Connections last year and someone was making fun about what I was driving and they were like, oh, you're so flashy. You're this and you're that. Well, they were being fun.
Tonnika Haynes [00:18:26]:
I mean, they were just in fun. I was not offended. And Neil's sitting there, he doesn't talk a lot and he's like, yeah, I don't know her dad personally, but if you live in Chapel Hill or Carboro, you know who William Brown is because he's going, he's just going to make himself known.
Justin Allen [00:18:43]:
Yeah.
Tonnika Haynes [00:18:44]:
Walks in the room, you're like, oh, yep, that's him.
Justin Allen [00:18:47]:
Was he doing other things with other shop owners though? Was there that kind of commercial?
Tonnika Haynes [00:18:51]:
No, that's what he said yesterday. They didn't have all of that, you know. Well, a little bit. A little bit. Because our shop was on a block and our building for the first shop in that Building. There was three different shops. It was Dad's body shop, Hatley's, and then Jurgens.
Justin Allen [00:19:08]:
Okay.
Tonnika Haynes [00:19:08]:
So they were all there together. And so that was a little network. And so that was a community there.
Justin Allen [00:19:14]:
Sure.
Tonnika Haynes [00:19:14]:
And Carrboro. So small. There's other shops right around the corner that's been there the whole time as well. So community is small. It's not like you have have a shop in Charlotte or anything like that.
Justin Allen [00:19:24]:
Sure.
Tonnika Haynes [00:19:24]:
It's pretty small. So he sticks out. He stands out. For sure.
Justin Allen [00:19:29]:
Gotcha.
Tonnika Haynes [00:19:29]:
And. And that standing out is a part of his marketing. That's a part of who he is.
Justin Allen [00:19:34]:
Sure.
Tonnika Haynes [00:19:35]:
For sure.
Justin Allen [00:19:35]:
Right, right.
Tonnika Haynes [00:19:36]:
Always had a personalized tag. Always had a crazy automobile. So you knew when he was coming through town and is very outspoken. Not in a bad way, but just for small businesses. Because I actually found some articles from the 80s and early 90s, like I want to say mostly in the 80s.
Justin Allen [00:19:56]:
Yeah.
Tonnika Haynes [00:19:56]:
Him being interviewed and he's pro small business. And because Chapel Hill and Carrboro, they didn't want you to grow anything like that. That was very vocal for his time.
Justin Allen [00:20:08]:
What was his personalized tag?
Tonnika Haynes [00:20:10]:
So I'm not going to say that here. I know he one was never satisfied.
Justin Allen [00:20:16]:
Okay,
Tonnika Haynes [00:20:19]:
let me see. One of my favorites. There's not a favorite I can say on here without somebody saying something, I'll tell y'.
Justin Allen [00:20:24]:
All.
Tonnika Haynes [00:20:26]:
But his one of my favorites right now on the Audi, he has an Audi Q7 that he bought for his dogs. The animals.
Justin Allen [00:20:34]:
Well, sure. And dogs need that.
Tonnika Haynes [00:20:36]:
The tag is for my dogs. D, A, W, G. For my dogs.
Justin Allen [00:20:40]:
Yeah.
Tonnika Haynes [00:20:41]:
And the Corvette. That license plate is crawl out. Because that at his age, that's how he has to get in and out of the car.
Justin Allen [00:20:49]:
Oh, no kidding. Yeah, no kidding.
Tonnika Haynes [00:20:52]:
The other car is time is money.
Justin Allen [00:20:55]:
So he's got all the personalized.
Tonnika Haynes [00:20:57]:
Yeah, yeah. We are known for personalized tax. I haven't done anything for my last two cars, but I know what I'm going to do for the truck sale. But anyway, enough about me. We're talking about it.
Justin Allen [00:21:07]:
Yeah, Sorry, sorry.
Tonnika Haynes [00:21:08]:
Yeah, we're talking about you.
Justin Allen [00:21:11]:
Yeah.
Tonnika Haynes [00:21:11]:
The trainer of confidence, the trainer of equipment, the trainer of people.
Justin Allen [00:21:17]:
Yeah, I wrote things down. When we struggled last time with technology, I tried to write some things down. So I'd have other thoughts for you, but, you know, these rooms start out with strangers. I start out with a room oftentimes with like 10 to 15 strangers in it. And that ability to take a group, it's not an ability that it's a thing. I get to watch the thing. I get to watch where you take all these strangers who don't know anything about each other, and you put a bunch of humans in a room and everybody starts trying to suss out where they fit, right? Like, what's the pecking order in this space? Kind of. And that can be challenging sometimes.
Justin Allen [00:21:57]:
You can see it start to flare up a little bit in certain individuals who think they have all the answers or whatever, and finding ways to lovingly and creatively help them to understand that maybe they don't know everything they thought they did and help them to integrate better into the group. You know, finding that dynamic and getting the people that don't want to talk and don't want to turn a wrench and don't want to get involved and gently getting them up there to do a little bit of work on a car, right? Working on their confidence or whatever it is. It is so rewarding. I didn't think I'd want to teach at all.
Tonnika Haynes [00:22:30]:
I was going to ask you that. Are you a natural teacher? I'm not.
Justin Allen [00:22:33]:
I didn't think I was. I think I might be, but I didn't think I was at all. I didn't think I'd have the patience to put up with people. Because when you watch people being taught most of your life, like all the. All the elementary, middle school, high school stuff, there's teachers are trying to teach a room, that there's a percentage of people that just don't want to be there. And that does not look like fun for me at all. But it turns out trying to teach people that want to learn something is. Is very entertaining for me.
Justin Allen [00:23:05]:
Very entertaining, you know, so I didn't expect it. In fact, one hunter asked me to do it when they came. When they. I told him I was bored, by the way. I said, I'm not. I love my job. And you see me online, I'm having a good time, but what else could I do? You know, I love who we are. What.
Justin Allen [00:23:20]:
What needs are there. And I presented an idea too, right? I'm one of those things you don't, like, bring me your ideas, Tell me what you think. And I did that. And they were like, that's pretty good idea, but how about maybe also this? And so the trainer thing was thrown at me, and I kind of. I don't know. I didn't know what to make of that.
Tonnika Haynes [00:23:39]:
Were you just in sales before or you were just training differently? You're just in sales?
Justin Allen [00:23:43]:
And for sales for me involved installing a bunch of equipment and training people on how to use it, you know, so I was doing a good bit of training, so to speak, but it was. It was certainly different than just a classroom full of people. So I didn't think I would like it. I love it. I now have too much demand and don't know how to maintain my schedule.
Tonnika Haynes [00:24:06]:
Cause you demand. Everybody wants to be trained by Justin.
Justin Allen [00:24:09]:
Thanks. That's kind of say. I'm not sure it's accurate, but it's kind to say. I am also just not as organized as maybe I should be. Maybe that's also the problem.
Tonnika Haynes [00:24:18]:
No, Rachel's beautiful.
Justin Allen [00:24:20]:
She's a lovely one.
Tonnika Haynes [00:24:21]:
Beautiful family, all blended. Like your life sounds like a fairy tale. And you are always, always happy. And we know that's not true.
Justin Allen [00:24:29]:
Yeah, yeah, it's mostly that,
Tonnika Haynes [00:24:33]:
but no, it's mostly always find a way to bring light to the room. That's why I wanted to reach out to you because I really enjoy talking to you. And I think when you did the training for the girls. Because I was only there for the one day.
Justin Allen [00:24:45]:
Yeah.
Tonnika Haynes [00:24:46]:
This is amazing. I need to bring you to the shop and maybe I can have a class at my shop and inter and have some more people around. My boys need training. Because you did training with Benji's crew. Well, some of his crew.
Justin Allen [00:24:59]:
Correct.
Tonnika Haynes [00:24:59]:
They went to level three. How many levels is it?
Justin Allen [00:25:01]:
Three.
Tonnika Haynes [00:25:02]:
Level three.
Justin Allen [00:25:02]:
We do three. Yep.
Tonnika Haynes [00:25:03]:
Yep. So they finished all of their training. He was like, I didn't know what I didn't know.
Justin Allen [00:25:08]:
That's the funny thing, too. Like I'm telling. The thing about training is that, man, we could all be better at anything we want to do. Ashley, Ash, what's something you want to be better at?
Ashley Kaplan [00:25:19]:
Communicating.
Justin Allen [00:25:20]:
Communicating. Okay. Well, turns out you can.
Ashley Kaplan [00:25:24]:
Right?
Justin Allen [00:25:24]:
Like, there's. There's YouTube videos and there's podcasts, and there's so many great ways to learn to be a better communicator. And you're going to do that. You want it and you will pursue that. I've been watching your videos too, where you've, you know, you're real quick to say no. You're quick to say, I'm not real good at this video stuff. I'm not doing it. I haven't done much of it yet.
Justin Allen [00:25:41]:
And the only thing standing between you and being more confident about it is more doing it. You know, like, that's what it comes down to. And just that idea of being willing to release yourself to that stuff. Like the last thing you did on the way home from the versus place, where you just did the video out looking out of the front of the car. It was brilliant. It was great, and it was good to hear you doing that. But that's. That's what it comes down to.
Justin Allen [00:26:07]:
Practice, just like anything else.
Ashley Kaplan [00:26:08]:
Yeah.
Tonnika Haynes [00:26:09]:
Listen to.
Ashley Kaplan [00:26:09]:
I think that's for anybody, too. Like, you don't have to be perfect at what you're trying to get better at tomorrow. But, like.
Justin Allen [00:26:16]:
Right.
Ashley Kaplan [00:26:16]:
I just met myself where I was at. I'm like, I know I need to do more videos, but I'm not quite comfortable flipping the camera around yet. So, yeah, I'll practice just talking to the camera, and then I'll eventually flip it around. So.
Justin Allen [00:26:28]:
Right. Right. Well. And I'll. I'll go and. Let me. Can I go and drop a tip on y' all right here about doing that stuff?
Tonnika Haynes [00:26:36]:
Okay.
Ashley Kaplan [00:26:36]:
Yeah.
Justin Allen [00:26:37]:
So first of all, if I go, I really want to go back and create a video of, like, a compilation of when I started. I started doing videos in 2012.
Tonnika Haynes [00:26:49]:
Wow.
Justin Allen [00:26:49]:
So. Right. So 14 years later, I'm fairly comfortable with it. Right. But I want to do this compilation video, and you're going to see me be, like, bashful and embarrassed and whatever Lucas has been. He's. He's. Oh, Luke, speak about encouragers.
Justin Allen [00:27:05]:
Holy crap. Right? Like, Lucas is always hilariously encouraging, and he. He says, justin, I have watched you go from, like, not having it, you know, being very uncomfortable on camera and not knowing what you're doing, all that kind of stuff. And it's just a tremendous transition you've kind of experienced. And it really. Well, A, it's people saying nice things to you like that. And then B, it's. It's just going for it.
Justin Allen [00:27:27]:
So here's the tip. And this is the one thing that I do hate about webcams. Right. I can't make eye contact with either of you.
Tonnika Haynes [00:27:39]:
Right. It feels like it's like, who am I supposed to look at?
Justin Allen [00:27:44]:
Right. So when you are making a video of yourself, what's really important is that you are not looking at yourself. You have to look at the camera.
Ashley Kaplan [00:27:56]:
Yeah.
Justin Allen [00:27:56]:
And if that means on your camp, you know, once upon a time, we had loose leaf paper that we would put in binders for things. Right.
Ashley Kaplan [00:28:05]:
Yeah.
Tonnika Haynes [00:28:06]:
I still got some.
Justin Allen [00:28:07]:
Do you remember the little plastic circles that you could put over the holes to try to keep that page from ripping out too easily?
Ashley Kaplan [00:28:14]:
Right. Yeah.
Justin Allen [00:28:15]:
You. You can still get those.
Tonnika Haynes [00:28:18]:
Okay.
Justin Allen [00:28:19]:
You buy some of those, and you put that bright yellow circle or whatever right around the camera hole on your Phone or whatever, at least as a training aid to get that ball rolling, because then you're just looking into that bullseye. You will train yourself to do that. Wow. Because looking at yourself is what everybody else does. I don't want. I want. If I'm going to have a psychological connection with anybody, like a positive relationship connection, we're going to have to make eye contact. And just being digital doesn't.
Justin Allen [00:28:51]:
Doesn't give you the excuse because. And now that I've said it to you, every video you watch of people talking to their camera or talking to their phone, you're gonna see the ones that are just looking at themselves. We're. We're absolutely. We're hypnotized. Kind of like, it's not because we're vain. It's not because of anything else like that, but we're kind of worried about,
Tonnika Haynes [00:29:17]:
like, oh, look at me.
Justin Allen [00:29:18]:
Yeah. Yeah.
Tonnika Haynes [00:29:20]:
Oh, hey, how you doing?
Justin Allen [00:29:21]:
Right.
Tonnika Haynes [00:29:23]:
Right now I'm looking at the camera right now. Can you tell that I'm looking at the camera?
Justin Allen [00:29:26]:
Yeah. See, now, wait a second. And that's what I've been doing with y'. All.
Tonnika Haynes [00:29:29]:
No, but I've been trying to look at you on the. On the screen. But I'll sit here and look at the camera and talk to the camera. And it's going to look weird once it's produced.
Justin Allen [00:29:37]:
No, it's. Well, no, where the camera is, it's being produced from. Because right now you are looking at me. Like, I'm feeling your eye contact, Tanika, and I love it.
Tonnika Haynes [00:29:46]:
Oh, okay. Cause I'm looking at the blinds and
Justin Allen [00:29:48]:
look at these ones.
Ashley Kaplan [00:29:50]:
Oh, my gosh.
Tonnika Haynes [00:29:51]:
No, the blinds behind the camera.
Justin Allen [00:29:52]:
Oh, behind that. Okay, okay. Right, Right.
Tonnika Haynes [00:29:55]:
Oh, so I'm looking at the blue dot. So I understand what you're saying. If we got the little thing and put up there, it'll focus right there. And it looks like I'm talking to you.
Justin Allen [00:30:02]:
Right. Well, look back at me for a second. Look back at me. Now I'm looking at you on mine. Right. And so all you're doing is looking at my bald spot.
Tonnika Haynes [00:30:11]:
But we love your bald spot.
Justin Allen [00:30:14]:
But. But do you, like. So keep looking at me for a second and just understand the difference is between this and. I'm talking to Tanika in her face. Oh, now you're looking back. And when I look here, we're. We are even. It'll only be on the video.
Justin Allen [00:30:28]:
Yeah, but we would be making eye contact. And so it's hard in here because I want to stare at your Face. I want to see your expression. I want to see all that stuff.
Tonnika Haynes [00:30:37]:
Yeah. So I'm sitting here talking to. It looks like. Was it not R2D2 Johnny 5? The camera looks like Johnny 5 looking at me. Oh, yeah, yeah, I'll talk to Johnny five. But then I can't see you. But I understand because now I look like I'm engaging directly with you. Yeah, you're teaching me the things.
Tonnika Haynes [00:30:56]:
I'm just like on my lipstick report. And that's another thing. Like, I don't know why I started doing that. The lips we love.
Ashley Kaplan [00:31:03]:
It's crazy.
Tonnika Haynes [00:31:04]:
We love it because I can. I'm stopping and I'm going. I'm stopping and going. We're just trying to not edit it and be natural.
Justin Allen [00:31:11]:
Right?
Tonnika Haynes [00:31:11]:
Like, how much editing are you doing?
Justin Allen [00:31:13]:
Me? I'm very little. Very little.
Tonnika Haynes [00:31:17]:
Because you've been doing it for 14 years.
Justin Allen [00:31:19]:
Yeah, it's because of the practice. I've only, I've only in the last six months started editing out like stumbles and misspeaks. I just. Because I realized I couldn't. I'll short my video a little bit. I don't like to do it. I think it's more organic when people see you be a real human and stutter through something and fumble over your words or whatever. But I also wanted to elevate my game a little bit, I guess, and.
Justin Allen [00:31:46]:
And so I just cut out some of that. But it's not too much different. I really, I don't, frankly, I don't have time to edit much.
Tonnika Haynes [00:31:53]:
You know, someone told me to get meta glasses. It's like, do meta glasses. And I was like, oh, I, I'm
Justin Allen [00:32:00]:
excited about the technology. I'm a, I'm a gadget nerd and I'm excited about the technology. I want to try it. I don't want to buy them currently. You know what I mean? Like, I don't want to spend the 3, 400 bucks. But I am eager to try some of that stuff. But I want the ones that'll have like, it'll show me the whole computer screen inside here too.
Tonnika Haynes [00:32:20]:
Like, oh, no, I don't want that. I'd go crazy. I'd be cross eyed.
Ashley Kaplan [00:32:22]:
That would be so cool.
Tonnika Haynes [00:32:24]:
Yeah, it's gonna be the meta glasses. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Justin Allen [00:32:30]:
So I'm, I'm excited about all that stuff.
Ashley Kaplan [00:32:32]:
But I love them for a technician too. Like for your inspections. That's so cool.
Justin Allen [00:32:37]:
Yeah, yeah. Nate Winston and Chris Enright, like they wear them every now and then or whatever. And I Find it very entertaining.
Tonnika Haynes [00:32:44]:
That is so cool. You taught all of this at asta, right?
Justin Allen [00:32:49]:
I talked to you guys about, like, how to take pictures that are appealing to the general public for your social media.
Tonnika Haynes [00:32:58]:
Oh, by the way.
Justin Allen [00:32:58]:
So here's the why. Because a lot of you, a lot of the shop owners keep getting harassed by. If you're paying somebody to do your marketing, they're always, hey, could you send me some more pictures? Could you send me some more pictures? And nobody sent them any.
Tonnika Haynes [00:33:11]:
Always the same pictures.
Justin Allen [00:33:12]:
That's why we always see the same canned advertisements on everything, because nobody's sending any pictures. So if you don't like the pictures you're taking, then why don't we have a class and help you take some better pictures? And then everybody will want to eat your chicken wings,
Tonnika Haynes [00:33:25]:
because that all makes sense. I forgot the hot sauce. Your buffalo sauce. I was ready last time.
Justin Allen [00:33:31]:
I know, I know. When we get out of here, I'm going to. I'm in Silva, North Carolina. This is in my Airbnb.
Tonnika Haynes [00:33:39]:
It looks like a AI backdrop. It's so.
Justin Allen [00:33:43]:
I know. I thought the same thing. I was like.
Tonnika Haynes [00:33:45]:
I was like, is that AI? Is that real?
Justin Allen [00:33:47]:
Yeah. No, no. This is my Airbnb in Silva, North Carolina.
Tonnika Haynes [00:33:50]:
I got chicken wings as well. I'm a text Santana, say, hey, Santana, do you want to go get chicken wings with your mama?
Justin Allen [00:33:58]:
Yeah.
Tonnika Haynes [00:33:58]:
Because there's a cool dive bar up the street from me, and it's very rough looking, but it's my favorite place.
Justin Allen [00:34:05]:
What's it called?
Tonnika Haynes [00:34:06]:
Brayley's. Braylee's, Braley's. So we would have. It's not a lunchtime gig. We can't go, like, during lunch. You'd have to go after hours, after training. So you get beer and it's like, cheers. You walk in and they say, hey, T.
Tonnika Haynes [00:34:19]:
I'm like, what's up, y'?
Justin Allen [00:34:20]:
All?
Tonnika Haynes [00:34:20]:
Give me my drink, my wings. I love it.
Justin Allen [00:34:24]:
So are they open on a Monday night?
Tonnika Haynes [00:34:28]:
Yes.
Justin Allen [00:34:29]:
So May 11th or 12th? We need to go. That's fine.
Tonnika Haynes [00:34:32]:
Okay, well, I will look at my calendar.
Justin Allen [00:34:35]:
That's what I'm gonna look at it now.
Tonnika Haynes [00:34:36]:
I'm gonna look at it and I'm like, make eye contact with the thing. But yeah. May. Where am I going to be? You said May 11th.
Justin Allen [00:34:44]:
May 11th. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Tonnika Haynes [00:34:47]:
Looks like I'm going to be in the town of Durham.
Justin Allen [00:34:51]:
Ash, where's home for you right now?
Ashley Kaplan [00:34:54]:
It's Phoenix, Arizona, right now.
Tonnika Haynes [00:34:57]:
What's happening? What do I not know?
Ashley Kaplan [00:34:59]:
Well, you know a lot of stuff. So there's potential for something to change.
Justin Allen [00:35:04]:
Wait a second. You were at Benji Burris house over the weekend and you're from Phoenix, Arizona.
Ashley Kaplan [00:35:08]:
Yeah.
Justin Allen [00:35:09]:
I didn't know that. That makes it even cooler that I got to see you.
Ashley Kaplan [00:35:13]:
Yeah, that area is home to me. I grew up in Georgia, so.
Justin Allen [00:35:17]:
Okay.
Ashley Kaplan [00:35:18]:
I felt very. I felt homesick while I was there. I was like looking around. I'm like, man, this feels like home.
Justin Allen [00:35:24]:
Well, and I was so glad to meet you in person and it was so cool in that moment because of what I said to you too. I was like, well, this is Ashley Kaplan's what my brain is saying. But I heard you introduce yourself as Ashley and I thought that was really cool because I, I really value people the way they want to be referred to. And here's the why on that. My fifth grade teacher and I might have already said this on Lucas's podcast or something, but her name was Ms. Kirby in Brevard, North Carolina. And I loved her. I thought she was fantastic.
Justin Allen [00:35:50]:
She was very sarcastic, very sarcastic woman. And considering I was 11.
Tonnika Haynes [00:35:56]:
Yeah.
Justin Allen [00:35:57]:
My name. Hi. Hello. My name is Justin Allen. And so on her little roster it was just an A or who knows what, but she called me just the whole year long and she thought it was great. It was the funniest thing to her. And you know, 11 year old Justin didn't really know what to make of it. But I knew my name wasn't Justina.
Justin Allen [00:36:16]:
And so ever since then, I try to be really intentional, like I don't care what you want to be called, just make sure I know it and I'll hit the marks. It's fine.
Tonnika Haynes [00:36:24]:
So that's mean she called you Justina.
Justin Allen [00:36:27]:
Well, you know, I liked her. She was still a cool teacher. But to hear Ash say, hi, I'm Ash. I was. My brain was like, let's program that in here. And it's not Ashley, but it's Ash. I like that.
Ashley Kaplan [00:36:38]:
Thanks. I am big on names too. Like, it's a big pet peeve of mine if somebody says or spells somebody's name wrong. So I try to be very, very into. I know. Poor you, Tanika.
Tonnika Haynes [00:36:50]:
People say Tonica all the time. I'm like, that is not my name. But I just.
Justin Allen [00:36:57]:
Okay, yeah, theory. Read it back to me that way. Yesterday I, I made a reminder and Sarah was like, record with Tanika at 6 o' clock or whatever.
Ashley Kaplan [00:37:06]:
She's so ridiculous.
Tonnika Haynes [00:37:08]:
If I put something, put it in somewhere, I just spell it the way that I want it to be. Said. So I'll. I'll put T A, N, E, E, K, A.
Justin Allen [00:37:17]:
Okay.
Ashley Kaplan [00:37:18]:
Wow.
Tonnika Haynes [00:37:18]:
Yeah. But, yeah, so maybe my parents didn't know how to spell. I don't know.
Ashley Kaplan [00:37:24]:
I've been trying to get Ash to stick since I was in, like, elementary school, and it never stuck until our group, like, last year. Last year and a half, two years that I've been like, I guess, like, making a name more for myself.
Justin Allen [00:37:38]:
Yeah.
Ashley Kaplan [00:37:38]:
And I just started saying, no, I'm Ash. It finally stuck. So I love it.
Justin Allen [00:37:43]:
Good job.
Tonnika Haynes [00:37:45]:
So at home, which is Charlotte. I grew up in Charlotte. My family, my immediate family, my mom, my sisters, my aunties, everybody calls me Nika.
Justin Allen [00:37:55]:
Nika?
Tonnika Haynes [00:37:56]:
Yeah, just Nika. Not Tanika.
Justin Allen [00:37:57]:
Right.
Tonnika Haynes [00:37:58]:
And. But my father has always called me by my whole name. So if my family comes to see me and you say, hey, Tanika, they would look at you like, why are you calling her that? Like, who is that? That is my name. My name is.
Justin Allen [00:38:11]:
Yeah.
Tonnika Haynes [00:38:11]:
Or my grandma's calling me Nika Poole. So it's pretty funny.
Justin Allen [00:38:18]:
It's funny. I. I gotta grab something. Hang on a second.
Ashley Kaplan [00:38:20]:
Oh, I'm gonna start calling you that.
Tonnika Haynes [00:38:24]:
Please don't do that. Only Kitty can do that. Only Kitty can do that.
Ashley Kaplan [00:38:29]:
I think when I'm, like, texting Katie or somebody, I just refer to you
Tonnika Haynes [00:38:33]:
as T. Who else does that? They do that at the bar. Somebody else calls me T. I don't know, Auntie. So I thought you were going to get something.
Justin Allen [00:38:47]:
I did.
Tonnika Haynes [00:38:48]:
Okay.
Justin Allen [00:38:50]:
So what are you looking forward to next, Tanika?
Tonnika Haynes [00:38:53]:
Vision. This is the first time I'm going to Vision. I leave. I fly out Thursday.
Justin Allen [00:38:58]:
Cool.
Tonnika Haynes [00:38:58]:
Go to Vision. And also on Thursday, the first episode of the podcast is dropping on. So what is that? That's going to be the fourth or fifth. I don't know. I don't know. First. First Thursday.
Justin Allen [00:39:16]:
Yeah.
Tonnika Haynes [00:39:17]:
And I probably got that date wrong because I have the brain of a perimenopausal woman, so. But this week we should have the episode. I'm excited about that. I'm so nervous about it because, I don't know, people, like, what are they talking about? This is not even good because I'm no Mike Allen. I'm not all funny.
Ashley Kaplan [00:39:35]:
I think you're gonna be.
Tonnika Haynes [00:39:36]:
I haven't had any funny things to happen. Like, I'm not gonna have clips or stuff.
Justin Allen [00:39:42]:
Oh, sure you will.
Tonnika Haynes [00:39:43]:
Yeah, but we'll see. Like, I'm trusting the process.
Justin Allen [00:39:47]:
Yeah.
Tonnika Haynes [00:39:48]:
And then at the vision, I get to go to Montana again with Kim and Lola Schmidt. Kim Walker and Lola Schmidt and Sherry Hamilton, man. All last year. And I cannot wait to unwind with those ladies for a week.
Justin Allen [00:40:01]:
So I remember the pictures. That was such a cool thing to get sealed.
Tonnika Haynes [00:40:04]:
It was so life changing. And that's another thing about the industry and these, these networking opportunities and the trade shows and whatever. You meet people like, I've met my automotive family at asta.
Justin Allen [00:40:18]:
Yeah.
Tonnika Haynes [00:40:18]:
And my first. My first cousin, actually, he says he's my husband. The first person was John Firm bucking buckaroo Bob. It was the first one that really like, come here, girl. Come here. You know. You know, he is. He's.
Justin Allen [00:40:32]:
Yeah.
Tonnika Haynes [00:40:33]:
Lovingly aggressive. So that. And, you know, I had been talking to Lucas Underwood online, but then I got to meet these people and these people are my family. And I really. It really hit home this weekend when normally I'm going to stay in a hotel, but I was like, no, I'm staying at Christine Benji's house. Where's my room?
Ashley Kaplan [00:40:57]:
Yeah.
Tonnika Haynes [00:40:58]:
Welcome home. I like walking around, my pajamas and bare feet or whatever. I really feel at home with them. And it's good to have. Because everybody isn't. Doesn't have that family. I have a wonderful family, sure. But to have an extended family that I actually chose.
Justin Allen [00:41:14]:
Right.
Tonnika Haynes [00:41:14]:
And we get to talk about the same stuff.
Justin Allen [00:41:16]:
Yeah. And if I'm in a hard term,
Tonnika Haynes [00:41:18]:
I know who to call.
Justin Allen [00:41:20]:
They can relate to your trials and tribulations of the career path you're on and all that stuff.
Tonnika Haynes [00:41:24]:
Yeah. Yeah. So I definitely want everybody in the industry to have that person. Cause those people are available, but you just gotta step into the room and find them, show up and speak. I was so proud of Santana this weekend.
Justin Allen [00:41:38]:
I was excited to see him there. Yeah.
Tonnika Haynes [00:41:41]:
He was engaging in the class, talking to people when he left. Cause he had to go to work. So he left after the second day. And I don't think he got to say goodbye to Jim Kokones of all people. That's the one. He wanted to make sure that I told him that he said bye. That he really liked him. And so today, in today's Monday morning meeting, it is.
Tonnika Haynes [00:42:04]:
We're talking about our weekend. And he said he learned a lot about himself. And I think he grew a lot more respect for the family business because of course, he grew up in it. He didn't watch any real struggles or whatever because I probably hid him from him anyway. But so I'm excited for him. It's like, I got home yesterday, I was like, where you been? I went for A run. He made up its bed this morning before he went to work.
Justin Allen [00:42:31]:
Nice.
Tonnika Haynes [00:42:33]:
Yeah, yeah. He took over my audible because I sent him a. I say you should read these books. You should listen to these books if you don't have time to read them. And he's doing the things. He's like putting pen to paper, making it happen.
Justin Allen [00:42:46]:
And I'm sure that he knows that you're fantastic, but I hope that he also enjoyed seeing you be surrounded by so many people that love and care about you.
Tonnika Haynes [00:42:56]:
That was a little. Yeah, he said that. So Jordan saw it at ASTA last year, right? September. She was like, ma, always. People are talking to you. I was like, I know, baby. I'm tired. But I love.
Tonnika Haynes [00:43:09]:
I love it. I love it. And it does. It takes my social battery.
Justin Allen [00:43:12]:
Sure. Right, right.
Tonnika Haynes [00:43:13]:
But I love it. Not for the sake of arrogance. It's just like. It's so warm, and then you get to meet people. Then, like, if it were not for this person, I wouldn't have met this person.
Justin Allen [00:43:26]:
Yeah.
Tonnika Haynes [00:43:26]:
If it were not for Mike, I would have met Ash.
Justin Allen [00:43:29]:
Right, right.
Tonnika Haynes [00:43:29]:
You know, so all of those connections are so important.
Justin Allen [00:43:33]:
Yeah.
Tonnika Haynes [00:43:34]:
So important. I love it.
Justin Allen [00:43:36]:
How do people get along without it? I don't know. I don't know. Being an adult is not easy. Being an adult's a hard thing to do.
Tonnika Haynes [00:43:43]:
It's the dumbest thing in the whole
Justin Allen [00:43:45]:
world when you figure different chapters of life, and it's harder to make friends or you're too busy to do anything with friends or whatever. Being able to get that message midday from Lola asking about some training thing or whatever going on, you know, it's just so cool to have connections around more than just your little bubble. Right. And the Internet can give you that, and. But not the same as when we all come hang out.
Tonnika Haynes [00:44:14]:
We all come hang out, and it's just a bunch of cackling and catching up and pictures, and it's. It's. It's so wonderful. But I definitely pray for more people that need it, that don't know that they need it to get it.
Justin Allen [00:44:30]:
Yeah, absolutely. Like. Like the people that live near something like this, like Ash over there in Arizona, y' all have an event out there, some kind of a sunshine, some something or other event, Right. What's the automotive event there?
Ashley Kaplan [00:44:43]:
Sunrise and then ratchet and wrench.
Justin Allen [00:44:46]:
Yeah. And now ratchet and wrench moves around, right?
Ashley Kaplan [00:44:49]:
Oh, you're right. Yeah.
Justin Allen [00:44:50]:
Okay.
Tonnika Haynes [00:44:51]:
Yeah, they had it there this year. They kind of move around.
Justin Allen [00:44:52]:
Is it in Arizona this year? Okay. Okay.
Tonnika Haynes [00:44:55]:
It was yeah. Last year or whenever it was. I don't even know what today is.
Justin Allen [00:44:58]:
Right. But that sunrise thing, like, for instance, like, there's people over there nearby that have no idea that happens, that have no idea the good times they could be having and things that could be learned if they went there. That's the stuff that blows my mind. Like, people with really easy proximity to this stuff. Because sure enough, there we are in Locust, North Carolina. I don't even. I think it might be Locust where Benji. Actually, Oakboro.
Justin Allen [00:45:24]:
Oakboro, North Carolina. And we have people from Ohio and people from California and people from, you know, Phoenix and Texas. Like, the people who get it, can't get enough of it is what really comes of this. And they are traveling far and wide to make it happen. Just like Tanika. Just like you're about to go to Kansas City.
Tonnika Haynes [00:45:44]:
Right.
Justin Allen [00:45:44]:
I didn't look at David's recommendation for food, but the Joe's Barbecue is pretty tasty stuff. I just. I'm just going to throw that out there, okay? The. Like. I can't get enough. I don't get to go to Vision this year. I don't have enough time in my schedule to get to all the places I'm not going to go to, apparently.
Tonnika Haynes [00:46:03]:
I just bought the ticket last week.
Justin Allen [00:46:04]:
Nice. Yeah. I can't get the tools this time, but I've got to get these things on rotation in a way so that I can do it responsibly and not have Rachel run away from me.
Tonnika Haynes [00:46:14]:
Right.
Justin Allen [00:46:15]:
But it's just. It's so much fun. And the people that live really close, I just don't get it. They literally don't know. That's the only reason. And some of them are introverts in a way that they think there is no way on. On earth I would ever be happy or comfortable hanging around with a bunch of strangers.
Ashley Kaplan [00:46:29]:
Yeah.
Justin Allen [00:46:29]:
And they don't know the love that exists amongst people that can relate to your struggles and who are not about to ask you to come outside and take a look at their car and tell them what's wrong with it, you know, because that ain't right.
Tonnika Haynes [00:46:44]:
That part ain't gonna happen. It's just. Just real, true connection.
Justin Allen [00:46:50]:
Yeah.
Tonnika Haynes [00:46:50]:
And nobody's in there singing Kumbaya, people. It's not a whole Kumbaya thing.
Justin Allen [00:46:54]:
No.
Tonnika Haynes [00:46:54]:
We are drinking more lies and beer than thing I've ever seen. It's like a big barbershop.
Justin Allen [00:46:59]:
Lies and beer. Is that what you said?
Tonnika Haynes [00:47:01]:
Lies and beer?
Justin Allen [00:47:02]:
Yeah, that's fine. And hey, if you're not into beer and whiskey, then that's okay, too. We take all kinds in these events.
Tonnika Haynes [00:47:10]:
Yeah. You can have your water. You can have Dasani. You get all kind of water. Sparkling water.
Justin Allen [00:47:14]:
That's right.
Tonnika Haynes [00:47:14]:
Kool Aid, orange juice, grape juice, whatever. Whatever your libation choice is.
Justin Allen [00:47:21]:
But it's just so much fun watching people show up because I. I think I've gone to. I think this is going to make my sixth year at asta and I
Tonnika Haynes [00:47:32]:
need to figure out mine, too. I always say something different.
Justin Allen [00:47:35]:
Yeah, I know it's close because I think you and I were there pretty much together on the first. Pretty close on the first time because Rachel and I came and hung out with you at the bar.
Tonnika Haynes [00:47:42]:
Yeah.
Justin Allen [00:47:42]:
And I think it was still like you were there charging your batteries up and getting away from people for a minute. And so I spoiled it. I spoiled it.
Tonnika Haynes [00:47:50]:
I'm used to it now. I'm ready for it now. I just get some energy drinks, put them in the room, and ready, set, go. Comfortable shoes, let's go.
Justin Allen [00:47:57]:
Right. But so you go and you see somebody else that's at, like, this is their first time here, and they've got that look on their face like, I have no idea what I'm doing or where I'm supposed to go. And those are the people that I get sucked in real fast. Like, I will help you. I will talk to you. And then the next year, they show up with, like, their spouse and their three other technicians. And it. It just.
Justin Allen [00:48:17]:
It changes lives. It absolutely changes lives. And it is. The training is amazing. The relationships are the thing.
Tonnika Haynes [00:48:25]:
The relationships are the thing I can't wait for. I don't know who he is yet. Only on Facebook, but Caleb Mack, I don't know why. He's my new best little project. I adore him. Watching him and his family. And then I know I'm gonna say his name wrong. Anise from Canada.
Tonnika Haynes [00:48:42]:
He's got. Yeah, that was his first time. And I do remember he. I hope he's not mad. I'm saying it because I think he was over when he was missing his family and his kids.
Justin Allen [00:48:50]:
Yeah.
Tonnika Haynes [00:48:51]:
And I remember I figured that out. Either he said something, but I said to Benji, or Benji said something to me. He's like, let's all reach out to him at the same time and say, hey, bro, where you at? We're in the room. We're in the boom boom room with Mike Allen. Come down and be with us. We came down and socialized. And I think he. He's the best time that he's had it.
Tonnika Haynes [00:49:12]:
Yeah. He's so cool.
Ashley Kaplan [00:49:13]:
Yeah.
Tonnika Haynes [00:49:14]:
But just imagine if we can grab like a hundred different shop owners, new shop owners, and bring them in.
Justin Allen [00:49:20]:
Yeah.
Tonnika Haynes [00:49:21]:
Every year. The difference we can make exponential.
Justin Allen [00:49:24]:
It's absolutely.
Ashley Kaplan [00:49:25]:
It's crazy. Like, everyone travels from all over like you were talking about. But I've talked to people that are local, like, just. Excuse me. Just at the training this weekend, somebody that was like, just an hour outside of Raleigh, that had never even heard of it.
Justin Allen [00:49:38]:
Yeah, yeah.
Tonnika Haynes [00:49:40]:
Because they're in their bubble, and I'm gonna try to be. Well, Justin's really good at it. I'm trying to get louder and louder about it. It's like, hey, come on outside and play.
Justin Allen [00:49:49]:
Yeah.
Tonnika Haynes [00:49:50]:
But I guess their algorithm does an algorithm and they don't hear about it.
Ashley Kaplan [00:49:53]:
That is so funny, Tanika. That is exactly what it is. Hey, can you ask your mom if you can come outside and play?
Justin Allen [00:49:59]:
Yeah. We have so much fun. We have so much fun. David Carroll was there from up in Maryland. He's got a cool shop out in the woods out in Maryland, you know, and just such a cool guy, like everybody there. It's a riot. I have the best time with all of those situations.
Ashley Kaplan [00:50:14]:
Like, well, September cannot come fast enough.
Justin Allen [00:50:18]:
Yeah. Yeah.
Tonnika Haynes [00:50:19]:
And especially since you're now on the committee with me. We've got a lot of work to do. We gotta get the word out.
Justin Allen [00:50:24]:
We got a meeting tomorrow at 1 o'. Clock.
Tonnika Haynes [00:50:26]:
Yes, we do.
Justin Allen [00:50:27]:
Yeah. I'm having. I'm scheduling my class, and I told the people today because I'm trying to be more organized, I said, here's the thing. Tomorrow we're going to take lunch at 12:50, because I got a meeting I got to go to, so. Yeah, somewhere on there. So I'm excited.
Tonnika Haynes [00:50:40]:
I got some superstars to help push ASTA a whole lot more this year.
Ashley Kaplan [00:50:44]:
Yay.
Justin Allen [00:50:45]:
Yeah.
Ashley Kaplan [00:50:46]:
Yeah.
Tonnika Haynes [00:50:47]:
So I am trying to figure out how to start wrapping up the podcast, so since it's called Downshift.
Justin Allen [00:50:56]:
Okay.
Tonnika Haynes [00:50:57]:
And the reason behind that is about slowing down. Get your stuff together, taking a breath, and then.
Justin Allen [00:51:05]:
So we're not downshifting past a slow driver. We're downshifting because we're approaching a stop sign.
Tonnika Haynes [00:51:10]:
We're downshifting for either one, but to me is to pass the slow driver.
Ashley Kaplan [00:51:15]:
Yeah.
Justin Allen [00:51:16]:
Okay. That's not slowing down.
Tonnika Haynes [00:51:18]:
Yeah. You have to slow down just a little bit. You can't slow down all the way because then you would go out of business.
Justin Allen [00:51:23]:
So we're on a two lane backcountry, North Carolina Road. Stuck by exactly. Body going 53 miles an hour in a.
Tonnika Haynes [00:51:30]:
So you're gonna pull back, you're gonna slow down a little bit.
Justin Allen [00:51:33]:
Okay.
Tonnika Haynes [00:51:34]:
Like that. You're not gonna die because you're on a two lane road and then you're gonna punch it.
Justin Allen [00:51:41]:
You're gonna get it. Yeah.
Tonnika Haynes [00:51:43]:
Tell me about a time in your life that you had to do something like that when life got out of control and you had to sit your butt down and chill for a little bit and reassess.
Justin Allen [00:52:00]:
I. Okay, then I'll. I'll just put this out here this way. I had. I. I don't know how to say it other than to say that I had to go through a divorce. And I don't want that to sound mean to anybody. I'm not trying to be mean to my ex.
Justin Allen [00:52:18]:
But I had to go through that and I had to learn things about myself differently. I had to reevaluate all kinds of stuff. And I spent a couple of really lonely years. I had a couple of really lonely years. And I put that out there because there are people that are going to be listening to your podcast and there's people in our community that are having a really lonely year right now. And it is at. It is okay, you know, But I had to go through. I had to do a lot of reevaluating who I am and how I am and all these kind of things.
Justin Allen [00:52:56]:
And as a dad and as a life partner, all of that stuff, I had to shift down and understand the, the choices I'd made that got me there and what choices I was going to need to make to be in a different play state of mind, I think. Right.
Tonnika Haynes [00:53:14]:
Yeah.
Justin Allen [00:53:16]:
But. Yeah, so that. And. And I hate it. And I, I think anybody who's gone through divorce hates it. Like it's nothing. Anybody goes into life and like, here's something fun. Let's try this.
Justin Allen [00:53:26]:
But I say it to other people that if you are in that spot and you are having to go through that, just know that, man, A, you're not alone. And B, there is. There's as much life as you could possibly want on the other side of your misery right now. If you're miserable, you know, there's a lot of people that really get overwhelmed and really get to feeling like there's no hope and there's no light or whatever. And that's an easy thing to feel as a human. Especially like we're joking about, like with the way the Internet separates everybody and yeah. And I'd say, goodness gracious, if you're feeling that way this year, then there may be no more important time in your journey right now than to plug in with other humans. You know, I want to encourage you if you're struggling and you're feeling lost and alone and like everything you hoped for has fallen apart and you cannot make sense of it.
Justin Allen [00:54:28]:
Let's get you to Asta and don't. That should not sound like a sales pitch at all.
Tonnika Haynes [00:54:32]:
No, no.
Justin Allen [00:54:33]:
You know what I mean?
Tonnika Haynes [00:54:34]:
Is important, I think.
Justin Allen [00:54:36]:
Yeah. The community associated with it. Show up at Josh Coombs shop next month. Right?
Tonnika Haynes [00:54:44]:
Yeah.
Justin Allen [00:54:44]:
If you're anywhere around, if you're within an hour's drive or whatever.
Ashley Kaplan [00:54:48]:
Shoot. I might take a flight. We'll see.
Justin Allen [00:54:50]:
Right. I mean, just get.
Tonnika Haynes [00:54:52]:
We're gonna have. We're gonna have one once a month for the rest of the year.
Justin Allen [00:54:55]:
That is awesome.
Tonnika Haynes [00:54:56]:
In different locations. So.
Justin Allen [00:54:57]:
Absolutely awesome.
Tonnika Haynes [00:54:58]:
If you're following, make sure you follow the AST Facebook page so you can keep up.
Justin Allen [00:55:03]:
Yeah.
Tonnika Haynes [00:55:05]:
Plugging in connections and just know, like you said, you said it a couple times, that you went through it.
Justin Allen [00:55:11]:
Yeah.
Tonnika Haynes [00:55:11]:
And there's another side.
Justin Allen [00:55:13]:
Yes.
Tonnika Haynes [00:55:14]:
Yes. There's no guarantee that none of us are going to get through life without having some. Some stuff.
Justin Allen [00:55:20]:
Right. Right.
Tonnika Haynes [00:55:21]:
But getting stuck in it. That's the situation that we don't want to be in.
Justin Allen [00:55:26]:
There's a lot. Life that is. That is. As the great philosopher Dory, the Sunfish said, or whatever it's that. Keep on swimming.
Tonnika Haynes [00:55:34]:
Keep swimming. Yes.
Justin Allen [00:55:37]:
Got to sometimes. And so. Yeah, don't. The worst thing you can do in those situations is to keep isolating yourself. Just come on out. There's people here that are. Are just there to be with you. We don't have to make a big deal out of anything, but just come on out and be around some other humans and get some of that energy.
Justin Allen [00:55:57]:
Nobody's going to ask you to get on that spinny thing that the video camera swings around you while you wear the hair and the sunglasses like Tanika and I did back at asta.
Tonnika Haynes [00:56:06]:
But if you want to get on
Justin Allen [00:56:07]:
the spinny thing, have I got a. I've got a plan for you if you want to go.
Ashley Kaplan [00:56:14]:
Yeah. But you might just meet like your new best friend or somebody.
Justin Allen [00:56:18]:
You never know. Yeah. You never know. You. You're probably not going to meet them sitting on the couch at home feeling sorry for yourself.
Tonnika Haynes [00:56:26]:
Probably not. Amazon is not dropping off best friends on the front porch.
Justin Allen [00:56:30]:
And. And there's a moment to Be at home feeling sorry for yourself. Like, don't. I'm not. I'm not dismissing that at all. There's a time for that.
Tonnika Haynes [00:56:37]:
Oh, there's a time to go in your room and listen to the sad songs.
Ashley Kaplan [00:56:40]:
Yeah, that Madea quote, I was telling you, Tanika, she said, go ahead, be sad for a minute, cry about it, and then go ahead and do something. Get on. Get over.
Justin Allen [00:56:48]:
Yeah.
Tonnika Haynes [00:56:49]:
Get your jaws on. Let's go.
Justin Allen [00:56:51]:
Yeah. So now what? Like, okay, you've been upset and that's all right. Now what? What you gonna do?
Tonnika Haynes [00:56:56]:
No box. He gonna kick rocks.
Justin Allen [00:56:58]:
Yep.
Tonnika Haynes [00:56:59]:
Let's go.
Justin Allen [00:57:01]:
You gotta go. You got to go to something. There's no better. There's no better place if you're an automotive. Get. Find out. Come on. Some of you are watching this because someone told you to look out for Tanika and she's amazing.
Justin Allen [00:57:17]:
And you do not know the other things going on. So, so real fast. Like, if you're not plugged into some things on Facebook, the Changing the industry podcast, maybe remarkable results with Carmen Capriotto, maybe the auto shop owners group. Like, yes, some of you are hearing this podcast right now and it's your first taste of any automotive people encouraging each other. And you need to go rewind the podcast, go Back to that 15 seconds, write down those things I just said and go plug in online. That's the bare minimum is to connect online with people and then come out and see us because we're a lot more fun in 3D.
Ashley Kaplan [00:57:56]:
We are 3D.
Tonnika Haynes [00:57:58]:
And. And we smell good too. You can't even smell us. That's scratch.
Justin Allen [00:58:02]:
That's my objective. Delicious smell. So good this year.
Tonnika Haynes [00:58:05]:
I want to smell so good.
Justin Allen [00:58:06]:
Absolutely delicious. Yeah.
Tonnika Haynes [00:58:08]:
So if somebody wants to train with Hunter Engineering or they want to contact you to have wings and beer. How did I find you?
Justin Allen [00:58:17]:
Yes. So great. Thank you for that. You will find me on all of the entertainment based socials as the letter J. And then Allen. So J. Allen Hunter is how you'll find me on there. If you're on LinkedIn and you're very professional and stodgy, then it's just Justin Allen, you know, and that's.
Justin Allen [00:58:38]:
I love to connect with anybody anywhere they want to. You'll find my cell phone number scattered around in places like that too and whatnot. But come and find me. Like, I'm out there to spread hope and encouragement any way we can. And the. The Internet is a. It's a way. It's one way to do it.
Justin Allen [00:58:57]:
So that's what I'm doing. Thank you. I appreciate that.
Tonnika Haynes [00:59:02]:
Well, love, this was great. I enjoyed talking to you. You have anything else you want to add for the people out here in the Internet world?
Justin Allen [00:59:10]:
No. Just know you are loved. And there is another. There are opportunities just waiting. There's so much stuff just waiting. Don't. Don't lose out on it all just because you're stuck. You feel stuck.
Justin Allen [00:59:22]:
You're not act. You are not as stuck as you think you are. There's ways to get unstuck.
Tonnika Haynes [00:59:27]:
Ways to get unstuck.
Justin Allen [00:59:29]:
Yep.
Tonnika Haynes [00:59:30]:
All right. I'm Tanika. That's Ash. Is that Ash?
Justin Allen [00:59:33]:
That is Ash.
Tonnika Haynes [00:59:35]:
I'm so. And we're signing off.
Justin Allen [00:59:38]:
Go get you some wings.
Tonnika Haynes [00:59:40]:
Go get some wangs.
Justin Allen [00:59:41]:
All right.
Tonnika Haynes [00:59:43]:
Downshift with Tanika is where we slow down long enough to have real conversations. Hosted by myself, second generation shop owner, Tanika Haynes. This goes beyond your car count your KPIs. We want to talk about leadership, legacy, mindset, and the messy, beautiful journey of building something that lasts. You will hear stories from shop owners, technicians, and other industry leaders who are figuring it all out by themselves in real time. This is a space for growth, tough love, laughter, and leveling up.