Episode 21

When You are the Owner, Nobody Stops You From Making Bad Decisions - Nathan Bryant [E021]

When You are the Owner, Nobody Stops You From Making Bad Decisions - Nathan Bryant

  • What Nathan thought he was going to do, wasn't how it worked out when he opened his shop.
  • He was doing brakes for soccer moms and had very little diagnosis.
  • His first two years were challenging to say the least
  • He thought he knew how a shop worked from a mangers perspective. It is different when you are the owner.
  • When you are the owner, nobody stops you from making bad decisions.
  • He realized he had to get his ego out of the way.
  • Things change, not for the better or worse; they change
  • The change that happens when you go from being the technician to being the service writer. Or when you go from being the service writer to the service manager. Or when you go from being the technician to the owner. And then all of a sudden, you're the technician, the service writer, the service manager, the janitor, the accounts receivable, the accounts payable, the bookkeeper and the repairman.
  • I will pay good money for people that can do things that I can not do.  Web design, my lawyer, my accountant. These are people that can largely charge me. 
  • It's more education. Management classes. It's getting them to places like Vision KC  where they're going to learn something,
  • I was talking to a person who's the head of Lincoln tech. And she was saying we need to start talking to kids in the sixth grade about becoming auto mechanics.
  • Nathan and Matt love to solve puzzles
  • Solving problems are fun
  • And if we can get that across to, you know, six, seventh, eighth graders, you know what, maybe we get somebody excited about this because the jobs, are not the same as they were 20 years ago, it's not anywhere near as dirty, and it's not anywhere near as greasy.  We get to be software engineers sometimes now.
  • The key of everything is education, and we need to educate ourselves. 
  • We let things build up because we are afraid to confront them. When you do you have to be willing to hear things you may not want to hear, which could be criticism of you, and you must be willing to accept it and then decide if it is valid. You may own part of the problem.
  • Many people are not comfortable with conflict and dealing with your shortcomings. 
  • Clear lines of communications and job expectations, both ways, are necessary

Thanks to our Partner, NAPA Autotech napaautotech.com

Email Matt: mattfanslowpodcast@gmail.com

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Aftermarket Radio Network: https://aftermarketradionetwork.com/


About the Podcast

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Diagnosing the Aftermarket A to Z

About your host

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Matt Fanslow

Matt Fanslow is the diagnostic tech/shop manager at Riverside Automotive in Red Wing, MN. His primary responsibilities are to diagnose driveability and electrical/electronic issues, and perform most all programming, coding, initializing, adoptions, etc. Basically, if it needs to be figured out or has wires, it goes to Matt.

He’s been a tech since 1996. Matt is also a subject matter expert for ASE and has instructed at Vision Hi-Tech Training and Expo. Matt has participated on 18 ASE technical committees for the ASE Practice Test, A6, A7, A8, and L1 tests. He’s also done case studies for Standard Motor Products. Fanslow’s goal is to do everything in his power to improve the overall level of professionalism within the automotive and light truck repair trade and also raise the level of its public image.