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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.
Tonnika Haynes [00:00:00]:
Bad mental health is not an excuse for no accountability. And that's a huge disconnect. Like so many people like, oh, Mars is in retrograde. I'm sorry, I'm being a bitch. Like, no, you're just a bitch.
Riley Spence [00:00:11]:
Yeah. Like, yeah, that's what makes me mad. No, you can say that. 'Cause if you're really having a problem, think about it. And every time I talk to you, you're complaining about something like, oh man, this is so wrong. And this is so wrong. And the injustice in my mental health and this and whatever. If you're really struggling through something, I'm not even going to hear you 'cause you're always complaining.
Tonnika Haynes [00:00:29]:
Welcome. to Downshift with Tanika Haynes, the automotive auntie. 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.
Riley Spence [00:00:51]:
Riley!
Tonnika Haynes [00:00:52]:
What's up?
Riley Spence [00:00:53]:
Not much.
Tonnika Haynes [00:00:55]:
Just getting home from doing a bit of side work, I guess. So what you got to say?
Riley Spence [00:01:00]:
What do you have to say to auntie?
Tonnika Haynes [00:01:03]:
What do I got to say?
Riley Spence [00:01:05]:
What you got to say? Don't you come over here with no negative stuff. I want to hear a good positive story. No, no, I got—
Tonnika Haynes [00:01:12]:
don't have nothing too negative. I, I seen some fake YouTube comments on Ron and Jeff's, uh, podcast and I was like, fuck, am I that depressing? Like, I thought— No, you're not.
Riley Spence [00:01:21]:
People weird. I don't ever read— you know what, I, I never— I've stopped reading comments. I try to read like the ones of people that I know. But some people are just stupid. They can't help it. They can't help it.
Tonnika Haynes [00:01:36]:
Fuck, you could like— you see Mike Allen's Facebook, uh, is, uh, he was, I guess, his rage bait, uh, basically when he posted a clip from one of his podcast episodes of Brian Pollack about putting service advisors on a flat rate.
Riley Spence [00:01:52]:
So that's not Mike. That's, that's all Brian. Brian's crazy. He likes to do that crap. People get mad.
Tonnika Haynes [00:01:58]:
They do.
Riley Spence [00:01:59]:
They get so mad.
Tonnika Haynes [00:02:01]:
Oh my fuck. I posted a comment and like, it was just because I worked both sides, obviously. Like, you listen, like, you know, you listen to the previous podcast with Jeff. So like, I worked both sides and I was just kind of like, man, like, like, you know, I was kind of interested in it because like, Mike, I listened to a lot of Mike's podcasts and like, I know Mike's not everyone's cup of tea. Just like you're not everyone's cup of tea. Just like Jeff's probably not everyone's cup of tea. It's just the way it is. But like, you take something away from all those people, right? So I was kind of curious, asked a question and like, fuck me, man.
Tonnika Haynes [00:02:35]:
So many people just said the same fucking shit over and over and over.
Riley Spence [00:02:39]:
Like, everybody's an expert.
Tonnika Haynes [00:02:41]:
Everyone's like, yeah, try Rusty Bolts. I was like, I'm not talking about fucking Rusty Bolts. But like, I tried, done lots of Rusty Bolts, but like, I'm just asking a question. I wrote like a long Paragraph responding back to one guy who was like, you know, actually having a conversation about it. And but like, the rest was probably like 8 people just saying the same stupid fucking thing.
Riley Spence [00:03:01]:
It's like, they just come to the internet. Yeah, that was like, oh, let's go online and be mean to each other. Okay, good, because they can't reach me. That was one thing that just happened on social media. The guy said something and the girl showed up at his daggone door. Like, really? It was crazy. I don't want to go down that rabbit hole because that's not why we're here. We're here to talk about Riley that swears that he's been a tech and working in the industry since he was 14 years old.
Riley Spence [00:03:27]:
Whatever.
Tonnika Haynes [00:03:28]:
I have— I haven't been a tech since I was 14, but I've been working in the industry since I was 14. Started at a sub dealer or a satellite dealer for Ford. Me and the owner's son, he was a bit older than me, he's like 12 years older than me. So we started out like, working out together. It's a smaller community, like 700 people. And yeah, anyway, I guess he just seen my work ethic in the gym and helping out with stuff, like building stuff around his property, I guess, or whatever. And he was like, would you like to get a job part-time at the shop and then like do full-time in the summertime when you're off of school? So I was 14 and started out sweeping floors and cleaning new cars, stuff like that, reconditioning, and And just gradually it went from there, started out like, then I went to like changing tires, oil, you know, stuff like that. And then it came time to graduation from high school and I was like, you know, I think I might go do automotive mechanic.
Tonnika Haynes [00:04:25]:
You know, I really like—
Riley Spence [00:04:26]:
I think it's stressful.
Tonnika Haynes [00:04:28]:
Yeah, yeah. That's true.
Riley Spence [00:04:29]:
I mean, I can, my sons can say the same thing 'cause they've been at the shop their whole life. So I'll let you pass on that one.
Tonnika Haynes [00:04:35]:
Ah, thank you.
Riley Spence [00:04:37]:
So you just decided to stick with it when you graduated?
Tonnika Haynes [00:04:41]:
Yeah, uh, I did have other aspirations.
Riley Spence [00:04:46]:
Like what?
Tonnika Haynes [00:04:47]:
Uh, some— I wanted to go do marine engineering in the Navy.
Riley Spence [00:04:51]:
Okay.
Tonnika Haynes [00:04:52]:
Uh, but as much as I sound smart now, I was a pretty big dickhead back then and I got in trouble. Uh, so that kind of went by the wayside. It was a long time getting it all sorted, and then by the time I got it all sorted out, I was a couple years into the grade then. And, uh, yeah, I just always gravitated towards it. It was really like, I'm happy I went the path I went. Like, I learned the things I learned, learned the lessons I learned. If I didn't, I wouldn't have changed as a person. Yeah.
Tonnika Haynes [00:05:22]:
So, you know, no regrets.
Riley Spence [00:05:25]:
So like, do you think, um, like you said, you graduated from high school and you just went on to work because the Marine thing didn't work out?
Tonnika Haynes [00:05:35]:
Yeah.
Riley Spence [00:05:36]:
What was your other aspiration? You said aspirations with an S. What else did you think you wanted to do? I'm just curious.
Tonnika Haynes [00:05:42]:
Uh, uh, I was kind of leaning— I was like kind of leaning more towards like either law enforcement or military. You want to be the po-po? Yeah, yeah, you know, you the police.
Riley Spence [00:05:58]:
So now, like you said, you've been on both sides, and I tried to— I mean, not saying I tried and it was terrible. I didn't get to get through the whole podcast. With you and Jeff. So what else have you done other than turning wrenches?
Tonnika Haynes [00:06:11]:
So I, about 4 years, 4 or 5 years into being a full-time mechanic, when I was working, I stuck at that Ford dealership, the satellite dealer I was at for a year after I got outta college. And then I went and worked a couple independent shops away from my home. And then I moved back home, went back to work at that dealer, and I was there for about a year and a half. And I ended up moving to another community, like 6 hours away. And I got a job. I wanted to get a job there as a mechanic. And then they presented the option to me. This is at a startup Ram dealership, Dodge Jeep Chrysler Ram.
Tonnika Haynes [00:06:57]:
So they presented the option to me. It's like, we don't have any mechanic positions, but would you be interested in like a lead service role? Because I had experience with talking with customers and communicating to them like what needs to be done with their vehicles, stuff like that. And I was like, you know, like maybe, yeah, I was like, that sounds pretty good. Like a bit of a change and I can learn more about the business. 'Cause my, like at the time and still kind of in the back of my mind, I was like, eventually I would like to own my own like garage, obviously. Like, you know, I feel like that would be, and like the only way I'm gonna be able to do it is if I know what's happening in the business, obviously. Like everyone talks about it. So.
Tonnika Haynes [00:07:31]:
I went into that role and I was, did that for about 4 years. I was, uh, I ended up working with service manager and parts manager. Uh, took care of a lot of the warrant administration, parts handling, like just learned. I've, I like crammed everything I could learn about parts into my brain in the span of like a month. And like at it for a moment, it was like, I don't know what I don't know. Like, I don't know how any of this works. Like, it feels like someone gave me a car or a rocket ship and I don't even know how to fucking drive it. Like, I thought I was gonna just like ruin the business because like it was a desperation of— I guess it was a promotion out of desperation because they fired the previous person that was in that role.
Tonnika Haynes [00:08:12]:
Right. And he gatekept everything from, from me.
Riley Spence [00:08:17]:
So you didn't get any procedures on how to do anything. So you just went in there blind?
Tonnika Haynes [00:08:22]:
No, he was kind of personally—
Riley Spence [00:08:23]:
What do you think is hardest though? Like everybody thinks the service advisors got the easy job and the technicians are doing all the hard work.
Tonnika Haynes [00:08:31]:
No, they're, they're both equally challenging, I think, in their own ways.
Riley Spence [00:08:35]:
Yes.
Tonnika Haynes [00:08:37]:
Uh, I think a lot of it depends on the, on the structuring and policies in place of where, in place where you work. Uh, 'cause if you're working in the Wild West and you're a service advisor and there's no one there in a higher management role that can make the yes or no calls or has given you permission to make the yes or no calls, On like, say something got a little fucked up on a customer's vehicle. Like they're here screaming at me, they want an answer. Um, is not gonna cut it. What do I do? But the fucking owner's off with his feet up somewhere doing fuck all. And I don't have the power to make these decisions. So, you know, if you're bottlenecked like that, you're gonna fucking hate your life.
Riley Spence [00:09:20]:
Right.
Tonnika Haynes [00:09:22]:
You know, but if you're somewhere where you're given creative freedom and the opportunity to make the mistakes, as long as it's not too big, you know what I mean? Like, and you can make decisions like that. Like, I think you'll enjoy it more if you're the right kind of personality. And being a mechanic, I don't— being a mechanic is not the same everywhere you go. Like, that's the other thing too. So—
Riley Spence [00:09:45]:
Explain, you got to elaborate on that one. Because that's, that's a good point. But I want to hear what you really mean. You have to tell the people in the back.
Tonnika Haynes [00:09:53]:
If you are a mechanic and you're in a dealership, for example, for most dealerships, most dealerships, not all dealerships, can't paint with broad strokes here, but like most dealerships, you have, let's say if you're in a big one, you have a porter, someone who's bringing the vehicles around for you, stuff like that there. And you have advisors coordinating your work for you. Like you're, you're there to turn fucking wrenches. You're there to turn hours. Uh, where I work too, it's like, that's how that works, would generally work in my mind there. That's how I tried to run my service department. I didn't want the techs doing anything but being techs. Like, you know.
Tonnika Haynes [00:10:30]:
Yeah.
Riley Spence [00:10:30]:
Be on the car. You don't need to have too many steps that you need to make. Stay on that car. Okay. I feel you.
Tonnika Haynes [00:10:35]:
Yeah, 100%. You wanna have your workflow, your process there. Like, so that's generally how the dealership runs because if you're not working, they're not making money. Like they're not hitting all their metrics, so they're gonna get pissed off. And then if you're somewhere like I'm working through now, I'm in a construction company where I'm handling fleet, uh, fleet for, uh, another outside company. Then I come in the morning at 7, I could be out in the yard getting a tractor trailer started, even though I'm just not a motor mechanic. Or I could be out in the yard like, uh, unsticking brakes on a tractor trailer. It could be—
Riley Spence [00:11:09]:
Fuck.
Tonnika Haynes [00:11:10]:
Doing anything. Could we run with a sump pump or a pump to start getting the water deflooded or the yard. I could be doing like literally anything.
Riley Spence [00:11:19]:
So yeah, it's an organized task.
Tonnika Haynes [00:11:22]:
Yeah, well, it's like just you got to be on the lookout all the time. Like if someone needs you, you don't let someone go do something by themselves struggling with it, you know what I mean? Like you're— even though you're there as a mechanic, it's kind of like a lot of brotherhood there too, right? You always got to be willing to help the people that's there working with you. But we're not paid flat rate. So that's the thing, like it's a bit different. And then I gotta go organize invoices and bill, bill out work orders, stuff like that. So it's shit like that, right?
Riley Spence [00:11:50]:
So you have to build your own estimates. We don't do that in my shop. And I think what you're saying is true. The dealership, you know, that mentality you got usually is, is one brand of car, right? But in independent, you've got every car. But I try to make it so my techs do not write their own estimates. They don't look up their own parts. and actually try to make them to the point that they don't even have to go get their own parts off the shelf. Like, we put everything together, everything's labeled, and then that's all the parts for that job.
Riley Spence [00:12:17]:
Because the less steps that you have, the more productive you can have— you can be.
Tonnika Haynes [00:12:21]:
Yeah.
Riley Spence [00:12:21]:
So I always try to take everything that I've learned through coaching and training and listening to podcasts and listening to people like you and say, how can I make this easier for every position? Like, okay, You tech, you do the techie stuff, but you better give me all the information for that service writer to be able to sell a good job. Meaning you have to do— I need a complete write-up, I need a complete DVI, I need all of that good stuff for you so I can get this job sold for you. And if I can do my job seamlessly and you can do your job seamlessly, we can go the hell home.
Tonnika Haynes [00:12:55]:
Yeah.
Riley Spence [00:12:56]:
So I don't think it should be the front versus the back. It'd be the front and the back work together. and just make it happen and then just go start your vehicle. Gentlemen, start your vehicle and go the hell home instead of, you know, being at war all the time. Because I think people just think the service advisors have it easy, but they're the people that are getting cussed out by the customer.
Tonnika Haynes [00:13:14]:
People like the whole old school mentality of front versus back, that is like— I know Jeff brought up a story one time about an advisor who had to pay out more child support based off how much he was making because he's in a commission or whatever. Like, I think that's the gist of it.
Riley Spence [00:13:29]:
You wouldn't sell stuff. I believe it.
Tonnika Haynes [00:13:31]:
Yeah. Yeah, I do. I do. I feel like in that area, that's the exception to what I'm about to say in those, because someone's purposely torpedoing the business in that way. But if we all just, if you guys just shut the fuck up and work together, you know what I mean? Like crazy thought here. Do you think you might get a little farther ahead if you just fucking communicate it? It just comes back to that. Like, I don't know. Like, just put the ego aside.
Tonnika Haynes [00:13:58]:
Like, don't cut service advisor off because he didn't say the acronym you had properly or some shit like that. Like, just shut the fuck up and sell the goddamn work. You talk to yourself when you go back and turn riches.
Riley Spence [00:14:11]:
Like, yeah, just, yeah, just keep it to your damn self. Like, nobody want to hear this. Shut up. But I mean, some people are just like that. They just want to be at odds with people just for the hell of it. Like we were talking earlier, that's one of the issues I'm having is it's like, just— you just spent another 10 minutes arguing, trying to be correct, when you could just shut up and do your job and help me help you. Please.
Tonnika Haynes [00:14:33]:
All right.
Riley Spence [00:14:34]:
Help me help you. And it's not that bad. I mean, I'm pretty sure there's some— well, I'm starting to learn the more that I talk to people that there's some crappy shop owners out here. Like, like the people that I'm around, because I'm around more people that are at training events That's how I met my village of friends in the automotive industry. I've never really went to somebody else's shop and hung out to see how terrible they were. But unfortunately, I just lost an employee that had been with me for a while, and he's looking for a new job, and he's like, these places are crazy out here. I'm like, yeah. So me as a shop owner, I'm always trying to learn and do better to make it a comfortable workspace.
Riley Spence [00:15:12]:
If we got to be there 9, 10 hours a day I don't want anybody throwing a wrench because if you hit me with a damn wrench, like, like, why are you guys fighting? But I don't have that in my shop. Once that comes up at Brown's Automotive, like, sometimes I let it go too long because I think I can save everybody. But when that stuff starts happening, like, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, what's happening? Why can't we just all get along?
Tonnika Haynes [00:15:37]:
Mm-hmm.
Riley Spence [00:15:38]:
I know that I personally cannot turn a wrench. And that service advisor can't either. But that tech also has to know that you can't sell a damn job. You can't— like, a lot of— yeah, you, you might be able to sell a job, but most of those guys, they don't want to make eye contact with a customer. They can't deal with objections. They might understand what they're doing but can't explain it in layman's terms. Pricing correctly to make sure that the shop is able to keep the lights on and the bills paid, doing all of those things. So it takes It takes the whole shop village to make things happen.
Riley Spence [00:16:12]:
So yeah, people really need to get over that front versus back. And I didn't know that it was still a thing.
Tonnika Haynes [00:16:17]:
And it— I didn't know. I didn't think it was— I didn't think it was as bad as that.
Riley Spence [00:16:22]:
It's getting bad. I mean, it's been bad, but I, I'm just learning about it. So I don't want to know any more about that crap because I think it's all stupid.
Tonnika Haynes [00:16:30]:
You only gotta worry about what's going on in your own bowl.
Riley Spence [00:16:33]:
You know what? That's what I tell you, man. Listen, I sweep around my own front door. I ain't sweeping around y'all— sweep my own porch. But I'll keep looking at— I'll keep looking at your porch and see what you're doing wrong. And I'm like, I ain't doing that shit, you crazy. Like, well, like, I'm in a group meeting or group setting, I'm listening to people complain about their employees or what's going on in the shop, and I'm like, oh, oh, like, really? Like, some of the complaints that people have about their staff, I'm like, Oh, and then I was going to go to the back and hug all my technicians, be like, you know what, I appreciate you so much, I, I love you, thank you so much, you just keep on keeping on, brother. Like, I'm just picking my battles very wisely, like, uh-uh, because I know that, yeah, people are crazy out here and it's hard to find good people. So I'm lucky I got a great staff.
Riley Spence [00:17:22]:
Do you like where you are now? I mean, you said you're busy as crap, but do you love it?
Tonnika Haynes [00:17:27]:
I do. I love it. I love, I love the people I work with. Like, not, not in a weird way. Not like, you know, no one needs to watch your back. It's like, uh, I don't know, it's just something about it. Like, I'm surrounded by guys that are like— not to jerk ourselves off or anything here, but like, I feel like the people in that shop are some of the highest levels of professionalism and knowledge that there is in this area. Uh, I work with fabricators, welders, uh, heavy equipment operators, heavy equipment mechanics, automotive mechanics.
Tonnika Haynes [00:18:01]:
Uh, like we, our fleet manager, he's also aerial worklift platform certified for like inspections and stuff like that. So we inspect a lot of bucket, um, like cherry pickers. Uh, I'm not sure what kind of term you'd be familiar with for it, but like the ones that like you see.
Riley Spence [00:18:16]:
Yeah, we know that.
Tonnika Haynes [00:18:17]:
Line crewing. Yeah. Yeah. So he inspects the booms for that and he's certified for that. So I'm learning that as I'm going too. Like, it's just, you know, real good bunch of guys. Just had a new apprentice hired on there the week, uh, and he's been kind of bouncing back and forth between with me and Phil, one of the other mechanics, a heavy equipment mechanic. And, uh, man, he's like real, real good at, uh, I think he's gonna— he shows a lot of promise.
Tonnika Haynes [00:18:41]:
Uh, had some good conversations with him about like my teaching process versus someone else's, because like not every journeyman can teach every single apprentice. This is like, you know what I mean? Everyone's meant for everyone. Just like, you know, saying this relationship, sometimes 2 people don't work out, don't mix. Like, you know?
Riley Spence [00:18:57]:
Yeah, but I'm pretty sure he'll learn a little bit from you, then he'll learn a little bit from the other guy and learn a bit. Yeah. So, and then he'll be like so much better.
Tonnika Haynes [00:19:03]:
My thing is like everybody, my thing is if you don't, if you don't know, don't pretend that you do know. Because I used to do that when I was an apprentice. I think I was too good to be told and I'd get myself in shit. And I had a, I rode the struggle bus for a long goddamn time.
Riley Spence [00:19:21]:
Ego.
Tonnika Haynes [00:19:22]:
Yeah, ego, huge ego, massive fucking ego. Uh, and now, um, after being seasoned a bit, I guess, uh, whatever you want to call it, um, you know, patience is there. I don't freak out. I don't get pissed off. I think about what I'm doing. I have my process. Like, it comes, always comes back to process.
Riley Spence [00:19:41]:
Yeah.
Tonnika Haynes [00:19:41]:
And, you know, and I try to give that to whoever I'm teaching. If I have an apprentice, I, I try my best. And but like, the ones that piss me off is the ones that are like, you'll— they'll ask you a question, you start talking to them, you explain it, and then they're on their fucking phone. Holy fuck. Oh.
Riley Spence [00:19:58]:
Yeah, my newest guy, we talked about that today. He's been with us maybe 3 weeks. And, you know, I was getting feedback from everybody else and talking to him about it. And I said, do you, you know, and I'm really good with my words now. Like, becoming a leader is something I'm just choosing my words carefully. I'm like, dude, When you go ask your senior techs for help, that means you don't know. But when they start talking to you, you start talking back. They want you to shut up and listen.
Riley Spence [00:20:28]:
And he— I mean, and he's— I mean, he was just sitting. And I said it very nicely because what I tell— he's very young, I think he's 22, he just turned 22.
Tonnika Haynes [00:20:36]:
Wow.
Riley Spence [00:20:37]:
And he's really interested in learning, and I, I see so much promise in him. And I've got young techs, and the guy that is mentoring him right now, he's been with me maybe a year and a half, so he's been through the auntie struggle. So I will be— yeah, if I— you come work for me and you're a young person, older person, I say, listen, what's important to me is that you leave here better than what you started as. So with this young man, um, he's 22 and he is very rough around the edges. So we've talked about a lot of stuff. We've talked about body odor.
Tonnika Haynes [00:21:08]:
Oof.
Riley Spence [00:21:08]:
Yeah, like all the things that I'm just having to groom him, and everybody's grooming him. But I also tell the older takes and the more seasoned guys, like, hey, you remember you used to be that stupid? So show some grace and mercy now. But everything that we tell him and we talk to him about, he, he takes it and he's not offended. He runs with it and he tries to get better.
Tonnika Haynes [00:21:30]:
Does he? So he does, he does like respond?
Riley Spence [00:21:33]:
And he does respond. So today when we're sitting down, we were talking about that, you know, you always have to say something when somebody's talking to you and that's very aggravating. He's like, yeah, I'm aware, I'm gonna work on that, instead of saying no, I don't. So we know that he's coachable, so he can see the things that he has, you know, his flaws, and he wants to do better. And that's what's important to me, you know. I don't need you to be perfect, but I need you to be coachable and able to take criticism because it's only going to make you better, in my opinion.
Tonnika Haynes [00:22:01]:
100%.
Riley Spence [00:22:02]:
And I'm glad that you're doing that, and because you're still young But you know, you used to be that little jerk. Thought you knew everything.
Tonnika Haynes [00:22:09]:
Yeah. And so I think it's easier.
Riley Spence [00:22:11]:
It probably will be easier coming from you than some 50, 60-year-old tech.
Tonnika Haynes [00:22:16]:
Oh, no, I don't know. I lay it out. I lay it out for him. I tell him, like, I told Buddy, I think, well, the new guy, I told the apprentice, I told him, I think on the second day, I was like, man, I could write a book for you, the shit I fucked up. I could write another book for you on the shit I fucked up twice. Like, I was like, don't ever fucking get pissed off and flip out when you're fucking shit up. Because if you fuck it up once, like, you're gonna learn. Second time, you won't fuck it up as bad.
Tonnika Haynes [00:22:43]:
Like, you know?
Riley Spence [00:22:46]:
Well, my son is really hard on himself. When he was working before he left to go to school, he was at the shop and he— he's gonna get me. He was doing a brake job on one of my cars. And he broke something on the caliper, and it was like an $1,800 caliper. But he got— oh, he was, he was so disappointed in himself. But he was like 0 to 100, huh?
Tonnika Haynes [00:23:12]:
Was that your G-Wagon?
Riley Spence [00:23:13]:
No, no, no, no, no, that's too new. It needs brakes. It's, um, that was a '63. So, um, E63, little coupe.
Tonnika Haynes [00:23:24]:
Yeah.
Riley Spence [00:23:24]:
I think that that's which one it was. That sounds so arrogant when I say it like that. But anyway, um, but the other tech was able to show him how it can be fixed, and we fixed it, and he saved the day. And I was like, Jordan, I'm glad you did it on this car, as long as you learn from what you did. But if you fuck it up 2 times, you know, that's on you. But please learn from what you're doing. Slow down. Take it— his problem is that he wants to be like this a mechanic, this top-grade guy, all of a sudden I'm like, dude, you're 20 years old.
Riley Spence [00:23:56]:
You're 21. Or how old is he? He's only 20.
Tonnika Haynes [00:23:59]:
It's like, you're 20 years old.
Riley Spence [00:24:01]:
Yeah, I don't even know how old his children are. I don't even know his name. But you're 20 years old. There's people like, this guy's 40, this guy's 50, and they're still making mistakes. But that's how we continue to learn. Don't be too hard on yourself.
Tonnika Haynes [00:24:13]:
Yeah, 100%. Yeah, I, uh, so you— I oversaw Sorry, I didn't mean to cut you off.
Riley Spence [00:24:19]:
No, go ahead.
Tonnika Haynes [00:24:22]:
You ever had— it's like, this is gonna relate back to something like my story, I guess. But like, did you ever have techs— I'm sure you have— like, had them come in and oversell themselves? Like, you have someone that's a C-tech come in and talk their game up like they're an A-tech, and then day one, they just— you're like, okay, yeah, this is not what I thought it was. Yeah.
Riley Spence [00:24:41]:
So that actually It happened in a working interview, and this young man, he was so sweet, and he like, he had so much promise. And really, I do— my problem is I think I want to help and save everybody. I want all the young techs, and I want to bring them up in the industry, and I want them to be happy, and there's going to be balloons everywhere. And this guy came in for a working, um, interview, and what was it? I really think it was something as simple as like mounting a tire, and it's like a brand new Hunter. It's pretty new. I think that my tire machine might be 2 or 3 years old. Um, he couldn't do it with the oil change. It was a Toyota.
Riley Spence [00:25:23]:
He couldn't get the cap off of it, the oil filter housing. And it was our car.
Tonnika Haynes [00:25:29]:
You had a tool. You had the tool.
Riley Spence [00:25:31]:
He didn't even know the tool existed, and it was our loaner car. So that's what we do our work and interviews on. So he didn't know what kind of tool to take the oil filter housing off on the Toyota. I'm just like, okay.
Tonnika Haynes [00:25:44]:
Um, how many years experience?
Riley Spence [00:25:45]:
The other guy that he was working with, he just looked and he's like, he's like, man, you, you don't know what you're doing. Like, it's okay, it's okay. You just don't, you just don't know. We can't— I just sometimes I'll get somebody in there, somebody really green, and I've got the time and opportunity to teach them. But you can, yeah, you can be light green, but not all the way green. You know how bananas like green, and then it's just like that little green right before it turns yellow? I'll do that little green before it turns yellow. But that green, green banana that just came off the tree, that's hard as a rock, uh-uh, I don't think I have the patience for that anymore. I used to.
Riley Spence [00:26:24]:
I don't have that anymore. But again, like, the, the light green banana can come apply, but you at least know Doing oil change, bro.
Tonnika Haynes [00:26:32]:
So at least need you to be able to do this.
Riley Spence [00:26:35]:
The ego. Yeah, yeah, because you can do it at your— on your grandma's Buick in the front yard. You did a brake job before, you are not— yeah, you don't— you don't know what you're doing, bro. Like, this is not an '89 Buick Century, whatever. Anyway, so tech— so what do you think But we're talking about the young technicians, and that's why I reached out to you. Like, you're doing it right. You've been doing this for a long time, so you're not really a young technician. You're not just getting in the game.
Riley Spence [00:27:05]:
You've been here a long time. You're, you're old. You're old goat. Because you've been here like 10 years, so you old. You didn't even qualify for this conversation. But what I'm concerned with—
Tonnika Haynes [00:27:16]:
Hey!
Riley Spence [00:27:16]:
Is like, when I'm hiring now, I do tend to want to have give younger people the opportunity.
Tonnika Haynes [00:27:26]:
Hmm.
Riley Spence [00:27:27]:
And because we, we always saying that, you know, the industry, there's nobody to work, we can't find techs. Sometimes you have to build the tech. Like, you have— everybody had to start somewhere. And I think the disconnect personally, and I might get thrown under the bus for this, is that the older techs— and I'm not saying, oh, I'm 50 years old, so, you know, 40, 50, 60 years old— they're tired and they're grumpy and they've been doing this for a long time and they're not willing to teach. When you were coming up, did you find that to be like the people that should have been mentoring, teaching? Did you have a problem with that?
Tonnika Haynes [00:28:03]:
No, I'll, I'll be honest, Tanika. I, I was a lot like, I'm not gonna like say this in like a cocky way. But like, for me, I, I eventually came to an understanding, you know, I gotta shut the fuck up. open my ears and take in what someone's telling me, or I'm never going to get better. So that's, and that's true. That's true in all facets of life.
Riley Spence [00:28:31]:
That's what I tell my kids.
Tonnika Haynes [00:28:33]:
Yeah, yeah.
Riley Spence [00:28:33]:
He graduates July 3rd. And he's getting ready. He owes Mercedes a year. And I tell him, you get your goofy ass in there. And you find the oldest, grumpiest, wisest tech in there. and become his minion. Wipe his tools down, toolboxes, shut up, and listen to the sensei.
Tonnika Haynes [00:28:54]:
Bring him fucking coffee.
Riley Spence [00:28:56]:
Yeah, I said you be his minion, and that's how you learn. And I'm so glad you said— and I believe that that's part of the problem. It's not that they don't want to, is that you get these cocky kids in there— not cocky kids, that sounds so mean— you get hungry Kids that are hungry for knowledge, um, but they don't know how to shut the hell up, listen more. And then I can't imagine being a tech sitting there with this apprentice and I'm telling him something, he's telling me what he saw on YouTube. That would be funny.
Tonnika Haynes [00:29:38]:
So like you said, the worst thing you can say The worst thing you can say back to a tech who's trying to teach you is, yeah, I know. But yeah, I know. Yeah, I was like, no, you don't fucking know. If you fucking knew, you wouldn't be fucking asking me. Like, you don't fucking know that.
Riley Spence [00:29:53]:
But then, oh, the other side of that, I gotta get some DDP, my Diet Dr Pepper. I am not sponsored by Diet Dr Pepper. The other side of that is, alright, so 20 years from now, you're still wrenching, right? And then you've got this kid that comes in that's 25. Are you gonna make it to 20 years from now? Anyway, we'll talk about that in a minute. You got a kid coming in, he's gonna be 20. Okay, he's gonna be 20 years old.
Tonnika Haynes [00:30:18]:
Yeah.
Riley Spence [00:30:18]:
All right, and then the year is 2046, the year of our Lord.
Tonnika Haynes [00:30:21]:
Yeah.
Riley Spence [00:30:22]:
And we're fixing spaceships now, and you started off fixing 2020 Volkswagens and dump trucks and cherry pickers and stuff.
Tonnika Haynes [00:30:33]:
2006 Fords.
Riley Spence [00:30:36]:
Yeah, it's like, so now we're fixing spaceships.
Tonnika Haynes [00:30:40]:
Okay.
Riley Spence [00:30:40]:
Yeah, because I'm sleepy and I'm feeling silly. That kid might know a little bit more about that spaceship than you.
Tonnika Haynes [00:30:48]:
That's true.
Riley Spence [00:30:50]:
So imagine— I don't know where I'm going with this, so I'm just thinking, if I'm a tech— I'm not a tech— like, if I'm—
Tonnika Haynes [00:30:57]:
I would feel the reverse.
Riley Spence [00:31:00]:
And the cars that are coming out now, like, with my cars, there's so many damn buttons on there. I don't want them. That's a lot of buttons. And then Jordan, my son who's down at Mercedes school right now, can tell me more about my car than I can imagine. And I don't want to hear shit because he makes me feel stupid. But imagine you working on my truck, 2025 Mercedes G-Wagon, right?
Tonnika Haynes [00:31:24]:
Yeah.
Riley Spence [00:31:24]:
And then you don't know what the hell you're doing because there's so many features that you're not familiar with. But this kid just got out of school. Do you think you could move your ego, put your ego to the side and let him teach you a couple things?
Tonnika Haynes [00:31:38]:
Yeah, 100%. I have no doubt. I, if an apprentice has something to tell me, if someone that I like, if overall in general skills, like, say if you put me up against someone and like, you know, it's like, okay, yeah, Riley is, you know, better at these things. He's more meticulous with these things, you know, stuff like that. But like, that guy had like a niche something he was really good at, like say if his thing was like small engine repair, like dirt bikes, stuff like that, or if he knew fucking anything that I didn't know, I'm always more than willing. Like, because I learned the hard way is the only way I know how to fucking learn. And I learned the hard way that sometimes you have to listen to what everyone has to say and not just the select ones that you want to watch on YouTube, the ones you want to pay for the classes. Everyone has something to offer.
Tonnika Haynes [00:32:26]:
Everyone in every workspace, no matter how fucking useless they are, they have something they can offer. And even if like, and the young techs too, like not to get off topic, but like young tech specifically, like your son, for example, like he's into a brand that I probably worked on literally less than a handful of times.
Riley Spence [00:32:45]:
Mm-hmm.
Tonnika Haynes [00:32:46]:
Uh, so yeah, 100%. He could show me lots of things I would never thought was a thing. with Mercedes. And I'm sure I could teach him some things too. And that's just how it is, give and take. No one comes at their mother knowing everything.
Riley Spence [00:33:01]:
And that's the— that's how I feel about the front end as well, like the front office. One service advisor, she's 23 now. When there's a new feature that shows up on TechMetric or Detect Auto or anything like that, and I have to learn something else, This brain does not want a new phone. Like, if my phone screen cracks, I do not want to get a new phone because I do not want to learn anything else about the new phone. But this younger brain is like, oh yeah, Mr. Ricky, just do this. And then you make the whole shop better by just bringing in some little young blood. And so I want to encourage people out there in Beyoncé's internet to Let the young people, younger generation in the door, and I believe that we can teach them and they can teach us as well.
Riley Spence [00:33:56]:
Sounds like— yeah, it's not a fairy tale. I think you just have to have the— you just have to turn to an auntie and uncle and just lead them. And sometimes you do have to just like, dude, what the hell? You think about Yeah, you're gonna—
Tonnika Haynes [00:34:12]:
you gotta be honest.
Riley Spence [00:34:13]:
Some of the laziness, you can help them grow up. And if we all did—
Tonnika Haynes [00:34:20]:
You gotta be honest with them. You gotta just be straight up with them. They are just—
Riley Spence [00:34:27]:
a lot of them are— they just don't know any better because they didn't grow up in the same village. Like, my generation, your generation, completely different. We had a village. In the neighborhood, there was a cranky old man that everybody was afraid of, but he'd teach you something. If you did something, you're going to get in trouble with all your neighbors. Like, you've got in trouble in school, your grandma, your mom's going to tell everybody in the neighborhood. You got a whooping from everybody around you. Like, back in the '80s, '70s and '80s when I was coming up, you've got a baby girl, right? So if she was 5, 6 years old, I saw her— and I am not her auntie, we are not related— but if I saw her doing something she ain't got no damn business doing, I'd be like, I'm gonna tell your daddy.
Riley Spence [00:35:06]:
And she'd be like, oh, don't tell my daddy. Or I could pop her ass and say, come here. You know that village thing?
Tonnika Haynes [00:35:14]:
Yeah, ours is the same. I grew up the same way. Ours is so—
Riley Spence [00:35:19]:
but these kids today don't get that that much. My kids do because we have a big family, but these kids today, you can't say anything to them. They talk back. They have no respect. And so I think that kind of messes them up when they have to come into the real world and realize don't nobody give a shit about you but your mom and your daddy. Maybe your daddy. Like, this is not how the world works. You don't get to pout.
Riley Spence [00:35:41]:
You don't get to say, I know my rights. Nobody cares. Like, nobody cares. Like, oh, I'm so tired. Yeah, me too. Take your ass to work. I need a mental health day. Mental health is real.
Riley Spence [00:35:53]:
We'll get to that. Yeah, you just lazy as shit. You don't need no mental health day. Get your ass in there and work. Oh, I need a break. I need an hour break. You better go grab a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and put some grease on it and keep moving it. Like, they just expect so much because social media, and then they've been raised just to be these little lazy things, and then they want to come into the workforce, and then they think everybody's so mean and so, so bad.
Riley Spence [00:36:15]:
But I think if you can get the right person in the door and they are coachable, like the kid I have now, I'm like, yeah, you spoiled, and nobody told you this. I don't think anybody ever told— talked to you about this. And I can look at him, he's just like having aha moments. I'm like, dude, that's rude. That's— who lets you do that? Like, he has allergies. It's like— I hope he doesn't hear this— he has allergies and he just openly coughs and sneezes. And I'm like, that's— nobody ever told you that that's nasty?
Tonnika Haynes [00:36:42]:
Oh.
Riley Spence [00:36:42]:
And I really believe— like, he's like, yeah, but I'm sorry, I just got allergies. Bruh, older shop owners like me, like, I can't imagine another shop owner dealing with some of the stuff I deal with, but I believe that I'm just gonna help the kid, help him grow some. Come here, boo-boo.
Tonnika Haynes [00:37:02]:
That's a lot of great—
Riley Spence [00:37:03]:
Auntie talk to you. And you could like teaching these young men how to be men and teaching young ladies how to be ladies and not— we're not going to talk about that. Let's get back on subject because I think the generation complains too much because they've just been allowed to.
Tonnika Haynes [00:37:19]:
I think, I think there's a— like me, me and the woman who gave me— me and the my massage therapist today, we had a conversation about something like this basically. But it was like I said, as a man, obviously now in this day and age, it's a big thing about men's mental health and stuff like that there. And not a big thing, I guess, but it's a topic of conversation. And I don't think I'm the men's mental health Jesus or anything, but I will be open with You know, coworkers, young men, stuff like that. Because I went through addictions, I went through mental health struggles, stuff like that. And I don't think I'm cured by no means, but, you know, I've learned to cope in more healthier ways and stuff. So I will have these open conversations with like young adult, like young men, I guess, young women, whoever the fuck wants to listen to me talk about it. I'll tell them, I'll give them my perspective.
Tonnika Haynes [00:38:13]:
But bad mental health is not an excuse for no accountability. And that's a huge disconnect. Like, so many people like, oh, Mars is in retrograde, I'm sorry, I'm being a bitch. Like, no, you're just a bitch.
Riley Spence [00:38:28]:
Yeah. Like, yeah, that's what makes me mad.
Tonnika Haynes [00:38:31]:
Because I can't say that anymore.
Riley Spence [00:38:33]:
Really having a problem? No, you can say that. Because if you're really having a problem, think about it. And every time I talk to you, you're complaining about something like, oh man, this is so wrong. And this is so wrong. And the injustice and my mental health and this, that, whatever. If you're really struggling through something, I'm not even going to hear you because you're always complaining. Like, so I believe that if you, if you have a situation going on, or if everybody's sitting there talking about their mental health and, you know, my anxiety and what's some other keywords, my ADHD, everybody is diagnosing themselves with all these things just because they heard somebody on TikTok. And then they're on TikTok and FaceSpace and they're crying to music and they're talking about how everything is so sad and this, that, whatever.
Riley Spence [00:39:18]:
And the whole world's doing this. The people that really seriously struggle with these things are being ignored. It's like crying wolf. There's so much cry wolf. But it's like, if you can tell somebody, like you said, dude, you ain't— ain't nothing wrong with you. Your grandma just didn't whoop your ass. That's it. Like, you've been getting away with murder all your life, and your mom told you you was the most special person in the whole world, and you, you had so many options, and she let you decide on what you wanted for dinner.
Riley Spence [00:39:49]:
Like, in my house, you ate what the hell was in front of you.
Tonnika Haynes [00:39:51]:
Yeah.
Riley Spence [00:39:51]:
But you had choices. You had choices, and your mom cooked a separate dinner for you, and you had peanut allergies, and everybody's supposed to be— yeah, like, dude, shut up. And then you want to come into the world and you think that shit works in the world, and like, yeah, like you said, it's a full moon and I don't know how to control my emotions on the full moon. Really? And people say this, like, I need a, I need a mental health day once a month. Yeah, it's called Saturday or Sunday.
Tonnika Haynes [00:40:25]:
That's, that's not true. Now, if you work for Mike Allen, you don't get Saturdays.
Riley Spence [00:40:30]:
You don't get Saturdays. I think he closed on Saturdays now. Well, you know, I'm only open 4 days a week. I do believe in work-life balance. That is a real thing.
Tonnika Haynes [00:40:40]:
Whenever I hear you talk about that, like, talk, like, here, like, listen all your fucking episodes. Like, I'm just like, I feel like she's trying to recruit me.
Riley Spence [00:40:47]:
4 days. It's 4 long-ass days though. It's 4 long days.
Tonnika Haynes [00:40:51]:
But here's the thing, we start at 7.
Riley Spence [00:40:55]:
We start at 7.
Tonnika Haynes [00:40:57]:
Yeah, we start at 7.
Riley Spence [00:40:57]:
Phone rings at 5:30. Yeah, but it's 4 long days, but it is, it is what it is. Um, my— one of my newest techs leaves like— I don't— in the beginning he didn't know what to do with himself on Friday. He's like, I don't— I was like, dude, go fishing. Like, go somewhere. Like, go get a haircut, make an appointment, go out to eat. Like, there's got to be work-life balance. But that whole— I think we're going to get in trouble with that.
Riley Spence [00:41:24]:
Mental health is real. The automotive industry is like one of the highest suicide rates because we're dealing with a lot of testosterone and we're dealing with men that work very, very hard. Okay?
Tonnika Haynes [00:41:36]:
Yeah.
Riley Spence [00:41:37]:
It's a very demanding job on your bodies and on your minds, especially your bodies.
Tonnika Haynes [00:41:44]:
Mm-hmm.
Riley Spence [00:41:44]:
And unfortunately, a lot of our brothers and sisters go home to a house that is not supportive, and they just don't get what they've done and been through all day. And so then they have no relief. And then you're in the shop, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 dudes and you don't know if you can trust your brother with your feelings. Like, if you're struggling with something, hopefully for you there is someone in that shop that you can say, dude, like, I need to— I need to tap out. Like, I'm going through this, I'm feeling this, I'm worried about this, this isn't working out for me. And so, like, uh, having a brother at work to talk to about that, you know, everybody's like, oh, I want to run my shop like a family. But when you're in the atmosphere that is a real family and say, hey, I'm struggling with this.
Tonnika Haynes [00:42:38]:
Yeah.
Riley Spence [00:42:38]:
And so I'm glad that I think, and I hope that I've created an atmosphere in my shop that people can come to me and say, you know what, I'm not feeling it today, I'm a little grumpy today, I'm going through this, I'm going through that. And I can say, I'm no, I'm no psychologist, psychiatrist, or any of those things, but hey, is there anything you need from me that I can help your job, your day be easier? Or do you just want to do a brain dump and I'll listen to you? So we definitely need to have those soft spaces for technicians, service advisors, everybody under the roof in any industry. But unfortunately, this industry— I don't, I don't know why. I'll do a deep dive in it one day when I'm sitting there on the phone. Why? What's going on there? But it is real. But what discounts people that are really going through something are the people that say, like you said, yeah, what's wrong? You're sitting there with a $10 coffee from Starbucks and you're like, oh my God, my bills, I'm so broke. Or you talk about being broke, but then you're on the tool truck all the time. Like, you people that make their own problems, they are the problem.
Riley Spence [00:43:54]:
And they're just like, you're not going through anything, you just It's just stupid. And I don't want to hear it. Come to me when you got a real problem. I'll be here for you. Other than that, bro, calm down. That's life. Life just be lifin'.
Tonnika Haynes [00:44:10]:
I'll tell you, like, this happened like this week. So like I said, we're a construction company. So we got a lot of operators, stuff like that. A lot of different people work there. And everyone, and like, I'm the only like real automotive person, like automotive-oriented mechanic there. And, um, so anyway, a couple of the guys now is after coming to me with their vehicles, asking me to do stuff like after hours for 'em. Like, you know, and it's not taking away, like our business is not servicing the general public. Like, you know what I mean? So it's not taking away from our business.
Tonnika Haynes [00:44:45]:
So like, you know, I was like, okay, yeah, best con. I'll look at it for you. Like, do it for you for this much, whatever. So there Monday, I think it was, uh, I had like 3 different things to go look at. I had to go look at a, a, uh, medium duty truck that had a high pressure fuel leak. So I went and looked at that, diagnosed it, left, came over, looked at something else for another guy. And then I got back to the shop and our truck, our operators finished up at 6. So he was getting back to the shop at 6.
Tonnika Haynes [00:45:16]:
So I went and took his car. Took it for a quick drive. I was like, oh yeah, brakes are metal on metal. Like, I'll just pull it over and, uh, pull her up by the shop and take tires off and push back calipers and just make sure the pistons— nothing seized, nothing like that. So I got a full scope of what I need to do. So anyway, I pushed, pushed the pistons back like you would, blah blah. Long story short, anyway, like, I fucked up and got careless when I was bringing the vehicle back to him. Thought I had the pedal pumped up and I ran right into the side of a fucking float.
Tonnika Haynes [00:45:45]:
Like, like track trailer float with his car.
Riley Spence [00:45:51]:
Damn. Now that's a situation.
Tonnika Haynes [00:45:54]:
It is. But you know what, I'm paying for it. Like, we brought it down to the body shop, had my— to the garage I used to work at, got an estimate, got parts ordered, put down payment down on the work, had a discussion with him afterwards, went to my boss Both my bosses before the next morning. So they didn't find out about that toolbox talk. Uh, and it was just like, this is what happened. Just want you to know, like, I'm taking care of it. This isn't gonna spill over into a personal issue between me and Dave in the workplace. Like, you know, it, I'm not gonna run away from it.
Tonnika Haynes [00:46:28]:
Like, this is gonna be handled properly and with integrity, and I'm gonna do it in a way that he's never gonna be able to say I fucked him over. So, right, you know, that's— and that's an example of, you know, like taking fucking responsibility for your actions, you know what I mean?
Riley Spence [00:46:44]:
Growing up.
Tonnika Haynes [00:46:45]:
Yeah, exactly.
Riley Spence [00:46:47]:
Do you think you would have did the same thing 8 years ago?
Tonnika Haynes [00:46:53]:
I probably would have went crying to someone to fix my problem for me.
Riley Spence [00:46:57]:
Mm-hmm.
Tonnika Haynes [00:46:59]:
But instead, I'm here now. I'm A podcast with you at 8 o'clock at night. My girlfriend is in putting our daughter to sleep. I'm waiting for an airplane to land with parts on it at 10 o'clock so I can go fix that high-pressure fuel leak tonight and then get up at 5 o'clock tomorrow morning and go to work, start the whole day over again.
Riley Spence [00:47:22]:
Living a dream. Adulting.
Tonnika Haynes [00:47:25]:
Exactly. You want nice things and you want to fuck things up, you know, you got to pay for it. That's it.
Riley Spence [00:47:30]:
I know that's right. I mean, because if every day was a sunny day, then what's a sunny day?
Tonnika Haynes [00:47:35]:
That's right. You got a little struggle.
Riley Spence [00:47:37]:
So you know what to do as a young tech, and you think that you could mentor younger people and get them— and as long as they're coachable, you can get them headed in the right direction.
Tonnika Haynes [00:47:49]:
I had a kid come to us. Oh, sorry. Sorry.
Riley Spence [00:47:52]:
No, go.
Tonnika Haynes [00:47:54]:
We had a kid who quit school. Quit high school. All right, he quit high school when he was 17, I want to say. Yeah, 17, he quit high school. He was in— he was going into his last year of grade— last year of high school, and he quit, dropped out, uh, moved to Goose Bay where I live. And, uh, he was the brother-in-law of our service advisor that we had.
Riley Spence [00:48:16]:
Mm-hmm.
Tonnika Haynes [00:48:18]:
Uh, and anyway, we talked and I did the interview with him. Uh, with him and the owner, uh, asked a couple questions. He seemed like he had a willingness to learn, brought him into the shop. And like, you know, at first, obviously, like, he had no tools. He was broke as a fucking joke. Like, you know, shit like that. And I've seen a lot of potential and I could see it, what he was building up to. And like, the first day he comes in with like, first, like, couple months, he had sweatpants on every day.
Tonnika Haynes [00:48:43]:
No coveralls, no work pants. Uh, I told him in an interview, if you show up with no work boots, I'm sending you the fuck home. So beg, borrow, steal, plea, whatever, go get some fucking work boots.
Riley Spence [00:48:56]:
Right.
Tonnika Haynes [00:48:57]:
So anyway, the— he ended up turned— he ended up becoming an awesome, awesome technician. Me and the other journeymen at the garage we were— I was at, uh, we really took him under our wings. And like, I am so fucking proud of that kid. I, I, I'm not sure how often I tell him, but like, I, I don't tell him enough. Like, I am really proud of him. He's come so far. He's like, it's just a really good feeling when I walk into that business and I see him there doing jobs that he never thought he'd be able to do. And he's doing them like, he's not doing everyone perfect, you know, he's still like pretty green or like pretty new into it, but like, you know, he's doing awesome.
Riley Spence [00:49:38]:
Yeah. But you had a, Yeah, you had something to do with that though. That's, that's a— it's a great feeling. It is really a great feeling. I had a young man stop by yesterday to see me, and similar, he didn't drop out of school. He just had some situations happen in high school, um, and then he started working with me for a while. And he— I knew he wasn't going to be there forever because he ended up in— I think he is in the Navy, Air Force, one of those. But anyway, just when he comes back in town, he'll stop by and he's telling me how his life is going and everything.
Riley Spence [00:50:06]:
I was like, oh, I had something to do with that. And you know, he's got a son now. I feel like his son— actually, his mom say his son is our grandson. I said, look at my babies. Um, yeah, so I love that part of the industry. That's why I think it's important for us to give the proper young people, um, the opportunity. But trying to figure out who that person is, it's hard because you think about it, the guy in sweatpants, he's gonna come to work in sweatpants. Well, he didn't know any better, but you taught him better.
Riley Spence [00:50:33]:
And he— okay, I'll, I'll get me some pants and this, that, whatever. So I think it's all our responsibility to do that, even like front office, back office. You know, the social media girl can turn into the best service advisor ever. You know the—
Tonnika Haynes [00:50:46]:
Yeah.
Riley Spence [00:50:47]:
Yeah, I mean, you've got words. You can find a young lady or young man that loves cars, but they cannot fix one, but they love it, and they might be the best service advisor you could ever train up. And then you can train them in your processes. Same thing in a shop. You know, that kid playing with Legos and tearing shit up and taking this part of granddaddy's lawnmower every 5 days, putting it back together. That is the beginning of a great technician. And sometimes you just have to help them get there some kind of way. And, you know, sometimes you gotta slap somebody in the back of the head like, come on, get your shit together, you're gonna be great.
Tonnika Haynes [00:51:24]:
Yeah.
Riley Spence [00:51:25]:
But I was gonna ask you, on the other side of that, What would you, what would you suggest that shop owners do to make it a better experience for younger techs coming in? Make it not easier, we don't want to make it easy for them, but more attractive?
Tonnika Haynes [00:51:45]:
I think the big one that stands out to me, like one that I've had in my mind now, like, because we're not able, we're not, we're having a hard time right now recruiting journeymen. And stuff. And I don't— and personally, I don't want— like, I wouldn't want a journeyman to come into our shop. I wouldn't want someone who's all trained, who's like just too in their own ways to be changed. You know what I mean? I want the same quality on everything, like from all, from all the— like every tech that's there needs to be producing the same quality work. You know what I mean? Right. Not the same speed. Just done fucking right.
Tonnika Haynes [00:52:23]:
And right with—
Riley Spence [00:52:24]:
and then you'll get your speed later. Let's just do it right. Let's focus on the process first.
Tonnika Haynes [00:52:28]:
Okay, so that, that can be taught, right?
Riley Spence [00:52:31]:
Yeah.
Tonnika Haynes [00:52:32]:
You know what I mean? But you can't change someone who's so fucking stuck into, oh, that's good enough, or you don't need to do that. That's, that's foolishness. Or it's okay to put new pads on those old shitty rotors.
Riley Spence [00:52:44]:
Like, you want somebody to have pride in their work.
Tonnika Haynes [00:52:47]:
Yeah, like stuff that's fucking easily avoidable if you just pull your head out of your ass. You know what I mean? Like, that's, that's what I want. So I want, so I want, uh, to attract apprentices. So, sorry, I kind of got off on a tangent there for a second. I forgot the whole question.
Riley Spence [00:53:03]:
I love it.
Tonnika Haynes [00:53:04]:
But, uh, what do you think the shops can do to attract them? I think, I think they need, I think if they did like a tool subsidy sort of deal there with some sort of work, with some sort of guaranteed work return. You know what I mean? Depending on performance, like just so it protects the garage of the shop owner being stuck with the bill for the tools. Something like that. You know what I mean? Like if you could offer something to them where it's like, it's like, okay, you're a young tech and you're looking up the mountain of completing your toolbox.
Riley Spence [00:53:35]:
I'm losing you.
Tonnika Haynes [00:53:36]:
You know what I mean?
Riley Spence [00:53:38]:
Oh, okay.
Tonnika Haynes [00:53:38]:
You got me?
Riley Spence [00:53:39]:
So yeah, I was losing you for a little bit. So you're saying like if we can have like some kind of tool allowance, Because tools are expensive to help them build up their toolbox.
Tonnika Haynes [00:53:48]:
Yeah.
Riley Spence [00:53:49]:
Okay.
Tonnika Haynes [00:53:50]:
Like, I've seen Sherwood from Royal, Royalty Auto Services, I think his name is, shop in Georgia. Yeah. So I've seen him, he did, he had something done where he partnered with Harbor Freight and they purchased tool carts and loaded them up with tools. Like if you could do something like that for a young tech coming out of trade school, like, 'cause like not everyone comes from the same socioeconomic backgrounds where mom and dad are making $500K a year and got a 401k and can afford to drop $10 grand on tools for you, right? Like to have you in a spot where you're not working out of someone else's box and pissing off your fucking mentor and shit like that. So if you could give that tech that leg up, that would be a huge difference. I think, I think you'd see a lot more people stay with it because they don't feel like they're so behind the 8-ball in a way. And I think if you— another thing I think would be a good idea is maybe the offering of training. I never ever in my whole fucking career had training offered to me by my— by the garage I worked at.
Riley Spence [00:54:59]:
Wow.
Tonnika Haynes [00:54:59]:
Never.
Riley Spence [00:55:00]:
I was gonna ask you about that. That blows my mind too. Like my team, we go to ASTA, this will be our 5th year going and we shut the shop down. Everybody gets a hotel room. We're in there, they're getting the whole experience in the world right now. You're going next year? 2020?
Tonnika Haynes [00:55:16]:
This year.
Riley Spence [00:55:17]:
This year? Boo! Oh man. But, but you're going without a shop. Like, I do believe the other— I'll probably get in trouble for this one too— that, you know, if you're really hungry and you really want to learn, you don't have to wait for your shop to sign you up for training. Like, there's so much stuff out there right now on in the mornings on Mondays for the first 30-45 minutes, my techs sit down and they watch YouTube clips from Royalty and, um, Scanner Danner.
Tonnika Haynes [00:55:48]:
Scanner Danner. Danner.
Riley Spence [00:55:50]:
Oh, Danner. So we're just sitting there, they're doing breakfast. I actually fix breakfast every Monday morning. They sit there, it's time for them to wake up, get ready. You know, Monday, you're just like, uh, Monday. So it's an opportunity for them to get some education, get some training. But not only that, if you're in a shop that does not offer training, doesn't mean that you cannot train yourself.
Tonnika Haynes [00:56:12]:
Mm-hmm.
Riley Spence [00:56:13]:
In this big—
Tonnika Haynes [00:56:14]:
that's what I had to do.
Riley Spence [00:56:15]:
Yeah, you got Dolly Parton's internet with YouTube videos all day with all kind of information. You know, this information wasn't available to my father when he was coming up. Even me, you didn't have no YouTube videos teaching you stuff. So do not let a shop hold you back from your own knowledge. Like, once you learn something, that shop can't take that from you. So if they don't offer training, you train yourself. If you want to be better, work on yourself. You know, don't use that as an excuse.
Riley Spence [00:56:44]:
Not saying that you're using it as an excuse, but I'm just talking to the people in the back.
Tonnika Haynes [00:56:48]:
Yeah, 100%. Like, you look at Riley Mullins, I think that's his name. Fuck that dude. Did you— have you ever listened? I think you did an episode with Jeff.
Riley Spence [00:57:01]:
I know Jeff. I don't, because that's not my thing. Like, my—
Tonnika Haynes [00:57:04]:
I know, I know, I know.
Riley Spence [00:57:06]:
Well, no, not Mike Allen. The only time I listen to Mike is if Matt Lofton's on there, because, you know, that's about—
Tonnika Haynes [00:57:12]:
Oh yeah, he's so good.
Riley Spence [00:57:13]:
Yeah, yeah, Mike, that's when I listen to him. I don't know why I want to hear Mike mouth all the damn time. I don't listen to him. He don't even listen to me.
Tonnika Haynes [00:57:19]:
But he was, he was on with the He was on with Jeff, uh, Compton, or whatever, on Jaded Mechanic. And man, that dude is a fucking inspiration to anyone who's ever faced adversity.
Riley Spence [00:57:32]:
Mm-hmm.
Tonnika Haynes [00:57:33]:
I, I followed on Instagram. I never ever messaged him before, but like, I can't remember his entire backstory. Basically like 5— I think it was like 5 years ago or whatever. I don't want to misquote it and say he was homeless or anything like that there, but I noticed he was in a very hard situation and he He came up from that, came back from that, and started at ground zero, worked in a shop that showed no support in the way of training. He did it all, like basically Check Engine Chuck. He like, I don't know how it happened, like how they got together or whatever through the internet. And Check Engine Chuck—
Riley Spence [00:58:06]:
Wait a minute, what's his name again?
Tonnika Haynes [00:58:09]:
Riley Mullins, I think his name is.
Riley Spence [00:58:10]:
Okay, I gotta look it up.
Tonnika Haynes [00:58:14]:
I think his name's spelled a little different, man. But anyway, he helped him out and like just did everything he could for him and then introduced Riley to like a community of other people in the, in this industry that could help him out with tooling for like programming modules and shit. Like, like that's a, like that's a guy who fucking wants it. He does not want to be in the same fucking spot every day. He wants to be progressing. And like, that is just true to form that if you want it, you'll get it.
Riley Spence [00:58:40]:
If you are in a crappy shop right now, Auntie is telling you, if you're in a crappy shop, you're a technician, you're probably not listening to this podcast, but hell, tell the people listen to the damn podcast because I got stuff to say. Okay, you're in a crappy shop, you do not like where you work, but you know that you are a damn good tech or you can be better at what you're doing and you're hungry for training. Do it yourself. Keep your job, keep your head down, train yourself, make yourself so good that when you go to the next shop, Maybe they'll offer you some education, maybe they won't. Just keep making yourself better and you're gonna find the shop where you fit. Go ahead and set yourself up for greatness. Just if those people in that shop are not doing the job right and you know they're not doing the job right, you do your job right anyway. You know what I'm saying? Like, people have to have that mentality.
Riley Spence [00:59:26]:
You can't say, oh, I'm at a shitty shop, all shops sucks, this, that, whatever. No, all shops do not suck. All shoppers are not shitty. So that's like, you know, you try one thing and you just give up on it because one person gave you a bad experience. No, you can't do that. So like, I'm just encouraging— well, I'm like, I really would like to encourage younger techs, older techs, service advisors, everybody in the industry. If you're in a shitty position, you do the work that you need to become the best service advisor, parts manager in the world, and make yourself that employee that everybody wants. And then you'll be able to go to the next shop and, and just soar and shine.
Riley Spence [01:00:11]:
And then sometimes shop owners don't even know how shitty they are. I really believe that, like, a lot of these shops, they don't know because they're not educated as well. Like, there's not a lot of people that go to training. There's not a lot of people that go to Vision, ASTA, all of the things that are available because they don't think that they can stop and take the time to go and learn how to properly run a business, how to be profitable. And then you can actually pay your technicians what they deserve, and they can have health insurance and life insurance and dental insurance and vision. Like, you can be a great business owner. It can really happen. I mean, it didn't take a lot for me, but I'm so glad that I was open to training and it's not still doing the same dumb stuff I was doing.
Tonnika Haynes [01:00:55]:
Fuck, that's crazy. Like, I'm excited. I'm excited to actually get to go to these events. Me and my girlfriend are gonna— she wants to go down too with me.
Riley Spence [01:01:05]:
Come bring me that baby.
Tonnika Haynes [01:01:07]:
Bring the whole— yeah, we're taking baby too. Fuck it, we're doing the baby. We're gonna do like a family vacation out of it. But like, and she's— I told her, I was like, you know, like a lot of this I'm gonna be in like a class, not like most of the time. I'm assuming that's how it works, like looking at like the scheduling and stuff.
Riley Spence [01:01:20]:
We've got women's dinner, she can bring the baby. She can volunteer. Come find me. I love the ladies. But yeah, she can see, I mean, she can see the other side of it, but you—
Tonnika Haynes [01:01:32]:
But I got the support from her is what I was like kind of getting at. Like, you know, if, like, if I didn't have the like unreal support at home from her, like I'd still like, you know, I don't know how this would work. I just, I don't think it even would. I wouldn't be able to be as hungry as I am. to get ahead, wanting to better our lives. And like, she, she has a really good job too. Like, I don't need— we— I could not do what I do and be comfortable. I could just float through the rest of my career and, you know, make a good living.
Tonnika Haynes [01:02:02]:
And, but I wouldn't be getting better and I wouldn't be advancing in the direction I want to go. And she sees that and she understands my drive and determination to get to where I want to go. So like, as important as it is for you to look after yourself, like the person you're with is, is a massive, massive thing. If you're someone that's in a relationship and stuff, obviously. But if you're just, you know, a single guy and you're doing that, but like, yeah, anyway, what I'm saying is just—
Riley Spence [01:02:30]:
You just choose your mate wisely and you have to have a support system because you said you're going to get ready to go and pick up some parts off of a plane. Can you imagine? the girlfriend or wife that you're saying, oh, I've got to go and get these parts at 10 PM. You're gonna leave me at home with this baby? Yes, I'm going to get parts at 10 to make money to feed the baby. Like, can you imagine the arguments that other people are having with a spouse or girlfriend because they have to go do something? But you don't have to deal with that. You've got a support system. And that ties back into the mental health thing. Like, I literally had—
Tonnika Haynes [01:03:05]:
Yeah, 100%.
Riley Spence [01:03:07]:
I had one tech and I just wish I could tell him. I didn't feel comfortable telling him, like, listen, your support system sucks. Like, your wife pulls you away from jobs for like the dumbest reasons. Like, if you— what are you doing? But some people just don't— they don't have the open communication. And then, like I said, I can't imagine how hard your job is, but I know Mm-hmm. It's cold, it's hot, the car is hot, it hurts, you busted a knuckle, you can't figure this thing out, it's frustrating, the job went over, the job— you didn't get the right part. All the frustrations you deal with in one day, man or woman, and then you go home to somebody— I can't imagine that. And then you don't have a place to have any relief.
Riley Spence [01:04:01]:
Like, you're at work, you got to be Superman at work. You go home, you got to be Superman at home. Like, shit, only place you get relief is just sitting on the toilet like Jim.
Tonnika Haynes [01:04:09]:
Yeah. Or sitting—
Riley Spence [01:04:11]:
or getting home, you know, you pull in the driveway and just sit in the car for another 30 minutes, just sitting in the car like, oh my God, oh my God, I gotta go in here.
Tonnika Haynes [01:04:25]:
You know she gonna be angry when you come inside.
Riley Spence [01:04:28]:
No matter what I do, here she— here she come, her damn mouth. Or his— him too. Men do the same thing.
Tonnika Haynes [01:04:35]:
Yeah, yeah, men are just as bad.
Riley Spence [01:04:38]:
Some people are just toxic. But you do— it's important if you want to advance in any career, in anything in your life, to have a good support system.
Tonnika Haynes [01:04:47]:
Yeah, that is paramount.
Riley Spence [01:04:50]:
Paramount.
Tonnika Haynes [01:04:50]:
I try my best to like, like right now she's on maternity leave. She don't go back to work till October. So like, you know, when she goes back to work, she's in a very important role. Like I gotta, then that's gonna be my give, you know what I mean? Like I'm not gonna be able to be going fire like this. I'm gonna have to be at home with the kid. And that's it. That's life. You just fucking give and take, you know?
Riley Spence [01:05:11]:
Like, when people are like, oh, I gotta watch the kid, you know, that's yours, cute. You know that you're not watching it. That's, that's your baby.
Tonnika Haynes [01:05:17]:
You're being, you're being a fucking parent. You know, you're crazy.
Riley Spence [01:05:19]:
I gotta watch the kids as We ain't, uh, ain't them your damn kids.
Tonnika Haynes [01:05:24]:
Yeah, you had a smile on your face making them. You don't have a smile on your face fucking watching them.
Riley Spence [01:05:30]:
You had that good time, big dog. Oh yeah, she's adorable. She is adorable. I was just sitting in Facebook, I was like, look in the world. How old is she?
Tonnika Haynes [01:05:39]:
Like, she's maybe 8 months now. Yeah, she's coming up on 8 months. Uh, she just turned 7 months on the 22nd. She is like, oh my fuck. It's like, just like, I don't know how to describe it. I would, I would redo the fucking Holocaust for that child. That's not even a lie. I would.
Tonnika Haynes [01:05:55]:
She is the light of my life. I don't give a fuck.
Riley Spence [01:05:57]:
Look at your face, you're just beaming over there. So girls belong to dads, and yeah, girls belong to daddies. I'm my daddy's girl. You can't tell my daddy I ain't 3 months old. Like, if he could pick me up and put him— put me in his pocket, and my daddy loves me, I get on his flipping nerves on purpose. But I'm like, that is baby. He was saying the other day, we were talking, he's like, I can't believe you're getting— well, my son's birthday was yesterday. This is June 4th, and I don't know when it's coming out because we've got so many kitties.
Riley Spence [01:06:26]:
But you know, Santana's birthday was yesterday, and it's like, Dad, I have a 22-year-old son. He's like, but I have a 50-year-old daughter. And I'm like, that's crazy.
Tonnika Haynes [01:06:36]:
It's crazy.
Riley Spence [01:06:37]:
But I can come say, Daddy, hey Daddy, can you go to Lowe's and pick up this Hey Daddy, can you do this?
Tonnika Haynes [01:06:42]:
Hey Daddy. He'd be like, yep, I can go do it.
Riley Spence [01:06:44]:
So she's gonna have—
Tonnika Haynes [01:06:46]:
How old is your father?
Riley Spence [01:06:47]:
How old is my dad?
Tonnika Haynes [01:06:47]:
How old is your father, Tanika?
Riley Spence [01:06:48]:
My dad is still— he's young. He's only 60. He'll be 69, 68 or 69 this birthday at the end of this month.
Tonnika Haynes [01:06:55]:
Oh, okay. So he had to be very young. I listened to his episode with you, man. That's like unreal.
Riley Spence [01:07:03]:
Dude, I love that dude. He was like— he wasn't nervous. He just wasn't relaxed enough. I'm gonna do another episode because he he opened up because he was like, what are we doing? And I was like, Dad, we're doing a podcast. And I remember I walked in the house and he was like, what's a podcast? And I was like, oh my God. Once he got rolling— and I think he understands what I'm doing now because I remember one day he sent me a message. He's like, I don't know what you're doing, but I'm very proud of you. Like, okay, Dad.
Riley Spence [01:07:27]:
Like, he doesn't do YouTube or anything like that. He's just like, no.
Tonnika Haynes [01:07:31]:
Oh yeah.
Riley Spence [01:07:32]:
But he'll hear people talking about it. And now, when I was growing up, I was Brown's daughter. I was always Brown's daughter. That's Brown's daughter. That's Brown's daughter. Now he's Tanika's dad, and it's too funny. The tables have turned, William Brown. But no, I think I'm gonna do that again.
Riley Spence [01:07:47]:
Maybe we should do it like every once, like twice a year.
Tonnika Haynes [01:07:51]:
Way, way better than fucking Matt Lofton's coaching calls.
Riley Spence [01:07:54]:
Like, that is a trip. But he's got such, such, such good knowledge, but he's just not politically correct with anything that he says. And I'm the same way, but I'm very mellow with it. But what he says is like, he always had great young people around him. Like I was saying, the people that my dad hired, he made a difference in their lives. Like, if there was 100 people that was taught by my father and 100 people are still alive when God calls my dad to glory at 99 years old, they're gonna be there for him. They're gonna be at that service. There's very few that will not.
Riley Spence [01:08:28]:
So I just want to make the same difference. Like, you know, I make money, I'm doing well. Um, I'm very comfortable and proud, but right now the most thing— the thing that makes me most proud is my employees and the difference that I think that I'm making in their lives. And even in the industry, like talking to you and talking to anybody else, it just makes me happy to see that, you know, you've got a baby and your wife is supporting you and you're just living life right now and you're going through the roller coaster shit and it's fun. And, um, like, if you ever need anything, I would hope that you can be like, hey, Miss Tanika, in, you know, in the DM, or you got my cell number, what do you think about this? And I can be like, look, Riley, that's the dumbest shit I ever heard in my life. Please don't do that, baby. Like, I want to be that for people because my dad's the same way. And so I never thought that I would be that person.
Riley Spence [01:09:17]:
I keep saying that on the podcast, it's going to become redundant, but hey, I love it. And so I just want to be like William Brown.
Tonnika Haynes [01:09:23]:
Yeah.
Riley Spence [01:09:24]:
That, that man has made such a big difference in the industry, and I don't think I feel like he didn't get enough flowers, and I want people just respect his authority because I'm just— this is not a racial thing or anything, but Chapel Hill is a very, very small little white community, and we've had that shop. It's— Chapel Hill is small.
Tonnika Haynes [01:09:43]:
And it's very—
Riley Spence [01:09:44]:
Yeah, it's very, very white. It's not anymore, it's very diverse now. But okay, he went in there, he did his damn job, and we've had our shop for 46 years. And that's hard for anybody, but it's specifically hard for a minority. And now it's me, a woman, and I just gotta do— keep doing the damn thing because I gotta make my daddy proud. And then my kids are coming up behind, so hopefully they'll continue the legacy. Like, I remember I just posted it on Facebook, um, because Jimmy Lee's— his episode came out today. Jimmy Lee.
Tonnika Haynes [01:10:21]:
I started it today.
Riley Spence [01:10:23]:
Yeah. And so, but this time last year I was on his podcast and he— yeah, so that's crazy, right? Um, and he asked me at the end, he was like, well, give me, you know, sum up the word legacy into— he said, what does legacy mean to you in one word? And my goofy ass started crying. I was like, gotta give you 2 words, Jimmy. My children, Santana and Jordan, because that's my legacy. I'm my dad's legacy. Your girl's gonna be your legacy. You know, we just wrenching and fixing cars and doing all that stuff, but at the end of the day, it is, um, it's about what we leave behind.
Tonnika Haynes [01:11:05]:
Right.
Riley Spence [01:11:06]:
What you're leaving for your baby, what you're building for her and your wife, and what, what people gonna say with you. once you close your eyes, they ain't like, that damn Riley wasn't shit. Or are they gonna say, I remember, I remember Riley, he, he helped me do this, or he helped me do this, and he, he was mean as hell when he was teaching me, but I learned. So there's going to be some technicians that come up behind you, and unfortunately— and not unfortunately, but you're gonna have to just say, hey, you know what, the student is now the teacher. You're going to be somebody's sensei. And you're gonna make a difference in the industry as long as we keep it positive. Until Jeff Compton shut up, everything is peaches, damn it.
Tonnika Haynes [01:11:52]:
I love Jeff, he's so fucking—
Riley Spence [01:11:53]:
I love me some Jeff Compton. I ain't gonna say that too many times.
Tonnika Haynes [01:11:56]:
I know, I've seen the picture you guys got her down at, uh, was it Vision?
Riley Spence [01:12:01]:
Yeah, Vision. I love my boy. He's such a big grizzly bear.
Tonnika Haynes [01:12:05]:
Yeah, he is. He's, he is such a nice guy. He's like, he's like an onion. There's a lot of shells, right?
Riley Spence [01:12:14]:
And so when people get mad about his podcast because they're like, oh, it's just rage bait, he's not. No, he has a lot of good points, lots of good points. And so I love me some Jeff Compton.
Tonnika Haynes [01:12:25]:
He definitely has a vast experience of the shitty shit of this industry, and then he's seen the good sides. He's seen all the fucking sides of the Rubik's Cube. And he's, you know, it is what it is.
Riley Spence [01:12:40]:
He's just telling everyone and letting everybody tell their stories. And then I'm trying to pull out all the good stories out of you.
Tonnika Haynes [01:12:47]:
He says it with brutal honesty.
Riley Spence [01:12:49]:
A little bit too much.
Tonnika Haynes [01:12:51]:
But I love it.
Riley Spence [01:12:52]:
I wouldn't change. I would not change. We need it. We need to hear it. And shop owners need to hear that part. Um, what is it like to be on the other side? Like when, when I'm— like I was telling you, when I do my, um, my one-on-ones with my employees. What do you need from me? Like, what am I missing? What am I becoming blind to as a shop owner? Like, how can I make this better for you? Because if I make it better for them and I give that— you remember you talk about that authority to make a decision and not wait for the owner? If I can give you the authority to make decision and I can empower you and you can do your job, that means we're both gonna make money. And you can be here, do your job, and be able to do my job, all that good stuff.
Riley Spence [01:13:31]:
Like, so when shop owners listen to different, um, opinions, or look at something differently, instead of looking at all the KPIs and counting the beans and everything, if they can take the time and look at the people of the business, then it might be a little bit better. So we'll get a little bit better, a little bit at a time. Mobile—
Tonnika Haynes [01:13:50]:
Your problem's not a numbers problem. Your problem is a people problem that you're avoiding. Like, Right. A lot of businesses I go into and I like, I like to like study when I go into a business, no matter what kind of business it is, and just like witness the interactions between the customers.
Riley Spence [01:14:09]:
The culture.
Tonnika Haynes [01:14:09]:
And yeah, and just see it and like, it's like, okay, well like, you know, I see the issue there and I see the issue there and like I've been doing it more like since I've like, you know, been introduced to this like way of learning through podcasts. So listen to business owners like you, Mike, Kevin Brown, I think his name is. Like, you know, he's a smart guy. Like, Mike's smart, you're smart. I think all you guys have something to offer. Jeff too. Like, even though he's not a business owner, he still has really good—
Riley Spence [01:14:38]:
He's got a lot of common sense stuff to offer.
Tonnika Haynes [01:14:40]:
Yeah, for sure. A lot, a lot. And like, I use that and I watch how other businesses operate and I'm just like, you know what, one day I'm not gonna make those mistakes. So I'm not gonna have a dirty bathroom. I'm not gonna have— Yeah, like, it's just little things like that. Yeah, yeah, for sure.
Riley Spence [01:14:56]:
Like, you have to always be hungry for knowledge. I listen to podcasts, um, like you said, I listen to Dave Ramsey. I don't take everything he says.
Tonnika Haynes [01:15:03]:
I do too. I fucking love it.
Riley Spence [01:15:05]:
But I tell you what, 25 years ago when I thought I was grown and I was doing dumb shit, he saved me. He didn't personally save me, but his method saved me.
Tonnika Haynes [01:15:14]:
Did you call it?
Riley Spence [01:15:16]:
Yes. Yeah, I did. I still have my books and everything.
Tonnika Haynes [01:15:20]:
Goddamn.
Riley Spence [01:15:21]:
Yeah, like my dad tells the story that I wanted that damn truck and he told me not to get that truck. I bought myself a 2002 Cadillac Escalade. Then I ended up with a 2004 baby.
Tonnika Haynes [01:15:32]:
Kevin Brown, him and his wife did the same thing. They were like, they had no money for Christmas. And that was what they did.
Riley Spence [01:15:38]:
They—
Tonnika Haynes [01:15:38]:
I listed it up a little while ago. Like, I know everyone, like a lot of people have vastly different opinions on Kevin, you know what I mean? Yeah, it's like he's— that, like, it was pretty cool. I thought it was awesome. Like, I think it's awesome.
Riley Spence [01:15:50]:
But you can take that stuff, even if you don't agree with everything. If you don't agree with everything that Jeff says or Mike says or anything, yeah, you take all of that stuff and then you just apply what works for you. Yeah, not what's easy for you, but what makes sense.
Tonnika Haynes [01:16:05]:
Like, for example, people don't do that though.
Riley Spence [01:16:07]:
Like, people think— people don't do that because they're too arrogant. They their egos won't allow them to do that. Like, people get mad about financial situations. Um, I put a post up, and actually it was me and Jeff going back and forth in the DMs. He was— I was like, listen, I don't think techs are broke as they think that they are. I think they just spend too much money on dumb shit. Like, you got 800 t-shirts. How many Matco t-shirts do you need? Like, how many? Like, if you want it, that's great, but don't want it and tell me that you're broke.
Riley Spence [01:16:37]:
Pick a struggle, damn it. Like, you bought gummy bears off a tool truck for $10. You could have got those from Walmart for $2. Like, those are the things that people— the mistakes people make. But I'm aware of it because I already did that shit. And people like— I, I like my nice stuff. I do have my truck. I've got those things.
Riley Spence [01:16:54]:
But I tell you what, I don't owe anybody any damn money. I owe Mercedes some money for that truck because I couldn't pay cash for that shit, but that's a business write-off.
Tonnika Haynes [01:17:02]:
I'm fucking telling Dave. I'm fucking telling Dave.
Riley Spence [01:17:05]:
You just tell David. Only tell— they call me, tell me, say, say something, Dave. But my house— now what I do, I get bored in my house, I repaint. And that's why my office looks— look, my office is a new color. I get bored and I want a new house, like, oh, I get a fancy house. Shit, I go in my daddy house and act like that's mine. But I'm staying right here because my mortgage is cheap and this ain't nothing but a glorified closet. And I don't mind.
Riley Spence [01:17:27]:
My house is not here to impress anybody. And I've got plenty of money in the bank, and I'm very— listen, dude, I was sitting— my cousin came to see me at work one time. We were just shooting the crap, and we grew up like— our childhood is unmatched. And Kyle came to see me, and I was making myself my breakfast, and he was like, cuz, I know that you're not finna eat no damn Red Hot wrapped up in a piece of white bread. I was like, shit, give me some Red Hots. And that's like— I don't know. What's a Red Hot? Red Hot is like a sausage. It's a, it's a sausage and it's like a little spicy.
Riley Spence [01:17:59]:
Cut that joker down the middle, fry it on both sides like bologna. It's like bologna in sausage form, but a little spicy.
Tonnika Haynes [01:18:06]:
Okay.
Riley Spence [01:18:07]:
One slice of bread, fold it in half, and some mustard. Boom, breakfast.
Tonnika Haynes [01:18:11]:
Oh yeah.
Riley Spence [01:18:12]:
And he's like, I can't believe you're eating that. I'm like, dude, if I eat this, then I can go on vacation wherever I want to and I can sit in whatever seat I want to on the airplane. Like I was telling when Ash was on there with my dad, food is just a potential turd. Like, food is— you just shit it out. Excuse me for my followers that don't know that I say that. You do. So why would I spend $10 to $12 on breakfast every day when I can just go and get me a pack of Red Hots from Walmart and a loaf of bread and some mustard and I'm happy? I got some calories and I got some energy. But then—
Tonnika Haynes [01:18:47]:
Yeah, brother.
Riley Spence [01:18:47]:
Now don't get a sister wrong, I will go to Louis Vuitton and buy me something. I just picked the battle. I pick my struggles. So if you want to spend all your money at Starbucks, that's fine, but don't tell me that you're broke.
Tonnika Haynes [01:19:01]:
Yeah, please don't.
Riley Spence [01:19:03]:
Like, I love when customers come in and I can see that they have a brand new whatever the popular tumbler is with their water or their coffee, and I know what kind of purse you've got and you've got an iPhone 2500 and you're telling me that you can't— you want an oil change coupon? If you don't get out my damn face and pick— you better pick your struggles. Somebody is texting me like 100,000 times. It better be good. It better be good.
Tonnika Haynes [01:19:32]:
The starter— the starter failed on your son's Cherokee again.
Riley Spence [01:19:36]:
Oh my God, I was so proud of him.
Tonnika Haynes [01:19:39]:
Honestly, I changed that starter before. It's not fucking easy. I was so proud of him.
Riley Spence [01:19:45]:
him.
Tonnika Haynes [01:19:45]:
I was like, fuck, that's—
Riley Spence [01:19:46]:
I was literally coming back in from vacation with my cousin, so I was landing in Florida, and then— and I'm like, Jordan, I'm in Florida, I don't know anybody in Savannah, where the hell he was, and he's 2 hours from home, and you cannot miss a day of school. You can— I think you can miss one day of school at Mercedes, and I don't know what you want me to do. I don't know his shop owner, this, that, whatever. And he says to me, and I still ignored him. He said, Ma, I'm just letting you know what's happening. Can I tell you that I will figure this out by myself? And so I was basically— he was telling me, shut the hell up and let me do it. And so I felt proud of him because he wanted to take care of that by himself.
Tonnika Haynes [01:20:28]:
Mm-hmm.
Riley Spence [01:20:29]:
And so can you imagine another 20-year-old be like, I'll call my mom, I need a tow truck, I don't know what to do. Them boys had flashlights out there. All I saw was flashlights. on their phone, flip-flops, and he finally told me the real story of what happened. Oh, by the way, the starter had been acting up since January.
Tonnika Haynes [01:20:45]:
Yeah, I've seen that. I've seen that up there.
Riley Spence [01:20:47]:
Yeah, so I'm down there this weekend and he says, um, I was like, well, Jordan, where'd you get the tools and this and whatever? He said, Ma, this guy came out the gas station and he was looking at us and we was looking at him and he looked like he, he had some tools, Ma. And he said, we kept looking over there like he looked like the guy— he said the guy looked like he had just got off of work and he was like, I really need to help these kids, but I'm tired and I don't feel like helping these damn kids, you know, one of those things. And he said, but the guy came on over there and say, hey, I got some tools at my house. And Jordan's like, Mom, it was the sketchiest looking white guy in the whole world and I really could have been on Dateline.
Tonnika Haynes [01:21:23]:
Yeah.
Riley Spence [01:21:24]:
But I trusted him because he said, because his, his brother or somebody was with him that had, um, a mental disability, he could tell. And he's like, I feel like I'm gonna be okay. He's like, Mom, this man had like 20 acres and he has so much equipment out there. Like, Jordan, Jordan really wants like 25 acres of land, a single-wide trailer, every F-150, 250, 350, 450, 650. He wants all of that. That's what he wants. And he was like, he had everything out there. He had all the tools and he just came back there.
Riley Spence [01:21:51]:
He didn't help me, but he made sure I did it right. I'm so proud of him.
Tonnika Haynes [01:21:55]:
It sounds like Ed Gein helped your son.
Riley Spence [01:21:57]:
I was so proud of him because the guy— the kids that were with him, his friends, like his best friends that are in the program too, they are from California.
Tonnika Haynes [01:22:08]:
Oh.
Riley Spence [01:22:09]:
And yeah, so they're from California. Those are the kids that I don't know if you saw them on my Facebook.
Tonnika Haynes [01:22:14]:
I see. I was gonna ask you about the pudding. I need to ask you about the pudding. That was my—
Riley Spence [01:22:19]:
They had never had banana pudding.
Tonnika Haynes [01:22:21]:
I haven't either. I never had that. Really? Oh my God.
Riley Spence [01:22:23]:
See, I gotta get you some banana pudding. I have to figure out— I'll tell, tell your wife if I send her the recipe. recipe, she can make it. It's, it's easy. It's very easy. But they had never had it. And so also being from California, they had never seen, um, a Confederate flag or seen themselves a real South Carolina white man with a Confederate flag. And they were seeing— they were like— Jordan was like, Mom, they were scared, scared.
Riley Spence [01:22:52]:
Jordan's like, I know some of y'all too. You my people. Everybody my people. Because that's how we were raised. Everybody's my damn You can't, you can't.
Tonnika Haynes [01:22:58]:
I heard the South— I heard South Carolina is the worst of the 2 Carolinas.
Riley Spence [01:23:03]:
I don't— well, yeah, because it's South Carolina, ew. But no, ain't nothing wrong down here. Don't believe that shit. South Carolina's got a lot more bugs and mosquitoes and ants than we do, but no, uh, you've got your accent, I got mine.
Tonnika Haynes [01:23:20]:
All right, that's, that's fair. I'm excited.
Riley Spence [01:23:22]:
Don't let that shit on the news bother you. Don't even believe that crap. Don't— yeah, me neither. Don't watch that shit. Yeah, we all want to go to Outback and go to the beach and have a good paycheck and go home and have a cookout. Everybody in the world wants the same thing at the end of the day.
Tonnika Haynes [01:23:39]:
At the end, I feel like— yep, I feel like that. I feel like I like— well, the other, like, another person I really like is like Zeb, like Beard.
Riley Spence [01:23:48]:
That guy is my spirit animal. So I love him so much because the way he acts is the same way my father used to be. Like, I can't wait for those two to meet each other. Have you seen him do my intro yet?
Tonnika Haynes [01:24:01]:
Oh yeah, I heard it today on the Jimmy Lee episode. I like— I was like, I was like, oh, it changed. See, because I had—
Riley Spence [01:24:07]:
I couldn't choose. I couldn't figure out who I wanted to do it, him or Benji, because I adore both of them so much. Like, they're so funny.
Tonnika Haynes [01:24:14]:
Yeah, Benji.
Riley Spence [01:24:15]:
Yeah, yeah, Benji, that's, that's my brother. Like, the world is so small. Um, I grew up in Charlotte, but my auntie lives— and then Benji's like 45 minutes outside of Charlotte, but my auntie lives like 5 minutes from his house. And I lived there with her for about a year. And so when we were in the meeting, because we used to be in the same coaching group, and he was telling me where he was from, and I was like, oh, I know where that is. He was like, you don't know where Frog Pond is? I was like, yeah, I used to live right up the street.
Tonnika Haynes [01:24:44]:
I know where that is.
Riley Spence [01:24:44]:
And he's like— And we've peas and carries ever since. I love that whole family, is amazing. So yeah, Zeb is my spirit animal, that dude right there. But I adore him because when I listen to him talk, I remember listening to him, I was like, that's my dad if my dad was a white guy. That's me on all day. That's so—
Tonnika Haynes [01:25:04]:
Zeb is— I, I would, I would move to Arkansas if it worked for Zeb. I would, I would 100% if my wife would agree to it. I would go work. I would fucking bleed every day for that man.
Riley Spence [01:25:17]:
But his story is so amazing.
Tonnika Haynes [01:25:19]:
So cool. It's unreal. I listened. I went on fucking Apple Podcasts and I searched Zed Beard and every fucking episode, anything that had his fucking name in it, I listened to it because like his story is insane, man. Like that dude has no fucking quit. He's so fucking humble.
Riley Spence [01:25:34]:
How can you be so humble and so influential at the same time?
Tonnika Haynes [01:25:38]:
And look like Jesus. And look like Jesus.
Riley Spence [01:25:39]:
That's the other thing, like Diesel Jesus.
Tonnika Haynes [01:25:43]:
Yeah, Diesel Jesus. Yeah, he looks like Diesel Kid Rock, actually. Kid Rock. Exactly.
Riley Spence [01:25:48]:
But he's so humble. He's so fun. I think the funniest crap he's ever put out there— well, not ever, but one of the funniest things is when him and Brian Pollack were fighting at ASTA. I'm gonna send you that clip. So please, him and Brian Pollack were in the sumo suits.
Tonnika Haynes [01:26:07]:
Yes, yes. Okay, I've seen the Jeff and Mike one.
Riley Spence [01:26:10]:
Yeah, so it was him and Brian Paul in swimsuits. I don't think they did it because Brian— I think Brian's back was hurting or something crazy, and he said, yeah, like, yeah, he slipped on a cat and hurt his back. And the way he did, I was like, dude, you crazy. He is hilarious. And I don't even know how Susie deals with that poor man, but it's some great people in this industry. The industry is great.
Tonnika Haynes [01:26:32]:
I love it.
Riley Spence [01:26:33]:
It is.
Tonnika Haynes [01:26:33]:
It's, it's a lot better than people— like, I know, like, you know, there is times when you can have like a serious conversation about it. But like, there is a— there— this industry is— this stuff like this is what's changing it. Like, stuff like talking— who would you ever fucking thought you'd be talking to a young man from fucking Labrador?
Riley Spence [01:26:51]:
Dude, I never thought I'd be doing this shit, period.
Tonnika Haynes [01:26:54]:
Like, yeah, exactly.
Riley Spence [01:26:55]:
I tell people, it's like, why are you doing this? Like, well, because you know what? Braxton kept telling me to do it, and I was just like— and then I prayed about it, and God was like, yeah, this is what you're supposed to be doing. I'm like, doing it? I don't even know what I'm doing. I use— I don't even use big words. I don't know none of them. And I have a horrible accent, which I think is funny. I don't even listen to myself talk, and I stutter, and I say like all the time. Like, what do I need a podcast for? And then it's like this, like, if I had this, if I had someone to talk to 20, 30 years ago, how much easier my life would be, you know what I'm saying?
Tonnika Haynes [01:27:28]:
Crazy.
Riley Spence [01:27:29]:
The things that I have to go through. So like, that's what I was saying, it's important for you to continue. I remember telling, um, Richard, like Check Engine Chuck, at last year ASTA, I was like, dude, you've got a hell of a platform. Let's make sure we keep it as positive as possible and let the young people see you guys to let you know like, hey, when your friends are laughing at you because you want to be a technician, you're going to be a dirty mechanic, they have no respect for me, remember, your job can't go overseas. So like, for me in college, and I was going back and forth to my daddy's shop, and I was going to work at my daddy's shop, my friend's like, oh, you're gonna work at a daddy's shop? Yeah, I am. And I am, and I make a whole lot of money doing it now.
Tonnika Haynes [01:28:08]:
You guys still friends?
Riley Spence [01:28:10]:
Huh?
Tonnika Haynes [01:28:11]:
Are you still friends?
Riley Spence [01:28:13]:
No, actually, um, a lot of them are like, yeah, that's my girl. But yeah, oh, you're still cool. I'm glad I did what I did, but my path would have been easier if I saw— if I had somebody to talk to. So you might just be somebody to talk to. Like my son, like Jordan, when he's out here doing his things, I want him to have all the automotive uncles that he can have. And I've been putting him in the spaces. And he was at ASTA last year. He had a flipping ball.
Tonnika Haynes [01:28:44]:
Oh, I can't imagine.
Riley Spence [01:28:46]:
Yeah, he had a flipping ball. And like seeing Chicken, he's like, Mom, how you know Chicken? And Chuck was like, Richard, it's just Richard. Like, how do you know? What am I— what am I— and it's like, you guys are superstars to them, or you can be a superstar to somebody, not just because, you know, you have a million followers and whatever, but they, they see you and they're like, okay, he is doing that dirty greasy job And he's still happy. So let me go ahead and follow my dreams because my mom and them told me I was supposed to be a doctor, a lawyer, or an IT guy, and I don't really want to be a doctor, lawyer, or IT guy. I don't want to do this. I want to do that. So you got a job to do, Riley.
Tonnika Haynes [01:29:29]:
Me?
Riley Spence [01:29:29]:
Yep.
Tonnika Haynes [01:29:31]:
I got another— oh yeah, I got a little bit more time. I gotta go see since not the wife and stuff, but Awesome. It's been amazing talking to you, Tanika.
Riley Spence [01:29:38]:
Yeah, you gotta go hug on your baby and go to work and do some mother work.
Tonnika Haynes [01:29:43]:
Yeah, I get this guy. Gotta go get dirty and get paid.
Riley Spence [01:29:47]:
Dirty hands, clean money.
Tonnika Haynes [01:29:49]:
Amen.
Riley Spence [01:29:50]:
All right, well, I will see you on the face space and we are going to log out. It was great talking to you.
Tonnika Haynes [01:29:56]:
You too, Mom.
Riley Spence [01:29:57]:
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. Growth, tough love, laughter, and leveling up.