Beyond the Wrench
How can automotive and diesel shops run a better business and be more profitable? How can we make the aftermarket and dealerships more attractive to younger generations? Each week, Jay Goninen, VP of Industry Advancement at ASE, will sit down with shop owners, technicians, instructors, and professionals in the automotive and diesel industries to have them share their stories and insights. We’ll dive deep into what’s going on in shops and dealerships and what we can do to help drive the industry forward.The Beyond the Wrench Podcast is powered by ASE.
Stop Being the Bottleneck in Your Shop
Eric Svedberg, Business Coach at Go Fuel Coaching and President of European Autowerks, breaks down how shop owners can stop being the bottleneck in their own business. In this episode, he covers how Go Fuel Coaching helps owners step away from the daily grind, why shops should hire for culture and train for the role, and how finding the right constraint boosts productivity and growth.
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About the Episode
Host: Jay Goninen, ASE, [email protected]: Eric Svedberg, Go Fuel Coaching, [email protected]...Building ASE Tests: By the Industry, for the Industry
Matthew Shepanek, Vice President of Credential Testing Programs at ASE, breaks down why every ASE test is built by the industry, not behind a desk. Matt explains how subject matter experts write and validate every test question, how ASE’s new licensed test prep provider program helps techs find quality study materials, and how the new Flex Test remote option lets techs test on their own schedule.
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Host: Jay Goninen, ASE, [email protected]: Matthew Shepanek, ASE, [email protected]...Support the Industry & Reach Future Technicians on ASE Connects (Webinar Replay)
Mark Wilson, COO of ASE, joins host Jay Goninen in this replay of last week’s webinar breaking down how ASE Connects helps shops and dealers build relationships with schools. In this episode, they cover how WrenchWay’s transition into ASE has gone in the first 100 days, how School Assist puts real instructor requests in front of local shops, the launch of student profiles, and how the Industry Data Exchange gives shops verified, anonymous pay and benefits data.
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Host: Jay G...Becoming ASE World Class & Paving the Way for Other Techs
Noah Nelson, Technical Editor at Motor Age Magazine and ASE Master Automobile Technician, is on his way to earning ASE World Class certification and bringing other techs along for the ride. In this episode, he covers how he went from turning wrenches to writing technical articles, the growth mindset driving his pursuit, and how he’s documenting each test to help others prepare.
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Host: Jay Goninen, ASE, [email protected]: Noah Nelson, Motor Age Magazine, [email protected]...Christian Brothers Automotive: Building Better Techs & A Better Industry
Live from the 2026 Christian Brothers Automotive (CBA) Mastering the Difference (MTD) Conference, host Jay Goninen is joined by special co-hosts Cameron Giddings of Christian Brothers Automotive and George Arrants of the ASE Education Foundation. Together they sit down with two guests who are shaping the future of the industry.
Brandon Steckler, industry trainer, founder of SWAT Training and Diagnostics, and 5th-year MTD instructor, explains how shop culture shapes success on flat rate and why he only teaches the basics.
Dan Aldrich, Director of Automotive Technical Training at Christian Brothers Automotive, recaps t...
Christian Brothers Automotive: Mentorship, Management, & Training
Live from the 2026 Christian Brothers Automotive (CBA) Mastering the Difference (MTD) Conference, host Jay Goninen is joined by special co-hosts Cameron Giddings of Christian Brothers Automotive and George Arrants of the ASE Education Foundation. Together they sit down with three guests who are shaping the future of the industry.
Greg Lee, Master Tech at CBA Mira Mesa, TX, is one of the first mentors in CBA's new Apprentice Career Tracks (ACT) program. He explains why he starts apprentices on big repairs and how he stays with them through every job.
Leah VanWinkle<...
Christian Brothers Automotive: Growing the Next Generation of Technicians & Leaders
Live from the 2026 Christian Brothers Automotive (CBA) Mastering the Difference (MTD) Conference, host Jay Goninen is joined by special co-hosts Cameron Giddings of Christian Brothers Automotive and George Arrants of the ASE Education Foundation. Together they sit down with three guests who are shaping the future of the industry.
Pete Candelaria, Master Technician at CBA and one of the brand's highest-producing techs, shares how he mentors the next generation of technicians while pushing himself to earn ASE World Class status.
Caleb DeGarmo, Service Manager at CBA in Gallatin, TN, and the...
IMSA, The Heartbeat of the Auto Industry
John Doonan, President of International Motor Sports Association (IMSA), breaks down why they see themself as the "heartbeat of the auto industry." In this episode, he talks about what makes IMSA's staff and drivers feel like one big family, how IMSA is helping build the next generation of automotive talent through a new career program with ASE, and how strong partnerships with companies keep the series stable.
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How to Build Stronger School-Industry Partnerships with ASE Connects
Lisa Joseph, Director of ASE Connects Schools at ASE, breaks down how ASE Connects (formerly WrenchWay) is helping schools tap into free industry support, and how completing one quick form now enters schools into the $11k Snap-on giveaway. In this episode, she walks through the online platform, how the back-to-school form connects schools with local shops, and gives a sneak peek at Student Profiles coming very soon.
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Log in or Create an Account to Complete the Back to School Form to Enter the Snap-on Giveaway (Deadline 10/2)
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Milwaukee Pipeline 2026: How Ty the Car Guy Built Almost a Million Followers
Tyler Gallardo, known online as Ty the Car Guy with nearly 1 million followers, breaks down how he turned a mobile mechanic business into a full-time content career. In this episode, he covers his path into the trade, how he grew his business from the ground up, how his first videos unexpectedly took off, and how he handles negativity in the comments without letting it get to him.
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Host: Jay Goninen, ASE, [email protected]: Tyler Gallardo, Ty the Car Guy...Milwaukee Pipeline 2026: Growth into Transportation & the Instinct to Build
Cole Conrad, Senior Vice President of Product Management at Milwaukee Tool, breaks down how Milwaukee Tool's growth into transportation trades wasn't a step-by-step plan—it was patience and instinct, one tool at a time. In this episode, recorded live at Milwaukee Pipeline 2026, Cole covers the shift into automotive as an all-in focus, how the team decides what's worth building next, and why trusting instinct over data was key to bets like the Hammer Chisel tool.
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Host: Jay Goninen, AS...Milwaukee Pipeline 2026: Hammer Chisels, Grease Guns, & What's Next
Live from the 2026 Milwaukee Pipeline event, Ryan Mack, Group Product Manager, and Tim Schneider, Assistant Product Manager at Milwaukee Tool, join us to unpack how user frustration drives every product they build. In this episode, they cover the design story behind the M18 FUEL STRIKER, how accessories are engineered around real field use, a new grease gun that solves three key frustrations, and their favorite things about the Pipeline event.
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Host: Jay Goninen, ASE, [email protected]: Ryan...Inside ASE's $25 Million Registered Apprenticeship Grant
Michael Coley, President of ASE Education Foundation, breaks down the largest workforce grant the Department of Labor has ever awarded in the transportation service industry. In this episode, he covers what qualifies as a registered apprenticeship program, how the $25 million is expected to be allocated as final details are worked out with the DOL, and the goal of funding 6,000 new apprentice technicians over the next four years.
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The total cost of the ASE Education Foundation Pay-for-Performance Apprenticeship Program is $25,000,000. $25,000,000 (100%) is funded through a U.S. Department of Labor – Employment an...
Turning Repair Orders Into Content With AI
Joe Toscano, Founder & CEO of Service Stories, returns to show how his AI platform turns everyday repair orders into ready-to-publish content. In this episode, he covers why he built Service Stories after burning out on social media himself, why voice and AI search are changing how customers find shops, and the growing impact of your shop’s Google Business Profile.
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About the Episode
Host: Jay Goninen, ASE, [email protected]: Joe Toscano, Service Stories, [email protected]
Links & Resources
Communication Habits of Great Dealerships
Stacy Balzer, Founder/CEO of Uplift+Ignite Coaching and Consulting and former Senior Director at Ford Motor Company, breaks down the communication habits that set the best dealerships apart. In this episode, she shares the tools and mindset shifts leaders need to actually connect with their teams and build a culture people want to stay in.
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Host: Jay Goninen, ASE, [email protected]: Stacy Balzer, Uplift+Ignite Coaching and Consulting, [email protected]
Links & Resources
The 3-Day Work Week Redefining Fixed Ops
Brooke English Guy, General Manager of Coastal Chevrolet Cadillac and Coastal Nissan in Pawleys Island, SC, breaks down how a third-generation family dealership built a culture technicians actually want to stay in. In this episode, she covers how a compressed 3-day work week reshaped technician recruitment and retention, why she hires for humility, hunger, and people skills over experience, and how she grew past early imposter syndrome to thrive in the car business.
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Quick note—you may notice some video lag in this episode due to technical difficulties. Thanks for bearing wit...
ASE Acquires WrenchWay
Dave Johnson, President and CEO of ASE, sits down with WrenchWay co-founders Jay Goninen and Mark Wilson to break down the news: WrenchWay is officially part of the ASE family. In this episode, they cover why the deal made sense for both sides, what's changing (and staying the same) with the brand and product, and answer some of the questions they've been getting recently—including whether Beyond the Wrench is sticking around.
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Host: Jay Goninen, WrenchWay, [email protected]: Dave Johnson, ASE, dj...The Parts Department Runs on Process
Wayne Brozek, Founder and CEO of WB Global Services, breaks down why the parts department is only as strong as the process behind it. In this episode, he covers how parts and service personalities differ inside a dealership, how a simple audit he performs can expose inventory discrepancies in a shop, and how he applies fractional leadership to help guide dealership teams.
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About the Episode
Host: Jay Goninen, WrenchWay, [email protected]: Wayne Brozek, WB Global Services, [email protected]
Links...
AI is Rewriting the Rules for Diesel Repair
Trent Broberg, CEO of Fullbay, joins the show to talk about where AI is taking the repair industry. In this episode, Trent breaks down Fullbay's shift from an app to a platform, how AI is changing predictive maintenance and parts identification, and key insights from Fullbay's State of Heavy-Duty Repair Report you won't want to miss.
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About the Episode
Host: Jay Goninen, WrenchWay, [email protected]: Trent Broberg, Fullbay, [email protected]
Links & Resources
Cool Shop Culture Is No Accident
Gabe Christian, Owner of Import Performance Auto Repair in Bend, Oregon and seven-time winner of best shop in the city, returns to break down what shop culture actually looks like from the inside. He and Jay get into the daily habits, team dynamics, and small details that make technicians want to show up and stay.
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About the Episode
Host: Jay Goninen, WrenchWay, [email protected]: Gabe Christian, Import Performance Auto Repair, [email protected]
Links & Resources
Still on the Floor. Still Building the Industry.
Anthony Calhoun is an ASE Master Technician with 25+ years in the industry, CEO of A.W.C. Consulting LLC, and author of “Why Techs Leave and How to Keep Them.” In this episode, Anthony walks through what each role has taught him about where the industry is falling short. He covers the mindset that helped him grow as a young tech, the advice he gives to those coming up now, and what pushed him to write a book and build Apex Tech Nation.
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About the Episode<...
The CARE Movement—Right People, Rare Experiences
Joe Hamilton, President & CEO of Vortex Optics, helped build one of the outdoor industry's most recognized and fiercely loyal brands by treating service as a competitive weapon, not an afterthought. In this episode, Joe unpacks the CARE Movement (Create A Rare Experience), why hiring people who already share your values is the foundation of delivering it, and why being genuinely human is the rarest advantage a business can have in 2026.
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Host: Jay Goninen, WrenchWay, [email protected]: Joe Hamilton, Vortex Optics, jhamilton@vortexoptics...Honest Conversations Move the Industry Forward
Chris Craig—Fixed Ops Curriculum Developer at RockED and content creator with 135,000 followers across platforms—has built his following by saying the things most people are afraid to post. In this episode, he breaks down why showing both sides of every industry argument is slowly shifting the culture, from the ASE certification debate to the 30/30/30 myth, what shops get wrong when hiring new grads, and the financial traps that push young techs out of the trade.
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Host: Jay Goninen, WrenchWay, [email protected]: Chri...Mentorship, Career Moves, & Trusting Your Gut as a Technician
Josh Arnold, Recon Lead Technician at Austin Subaru, is back on the podcast for another honest conversation about life in the trade. He opens up about mentoring apprentices from scratch, what it really took to turn around a struggling recon department, and how public speaking and MPI video have pushed him to grow in ways he didn't expect.
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About the Episode
Host: Jay Goninen, WrenchWay, [email protected]: Josh Arnold, Austin Subaru, Connect with Josh on LinkedIn
Links & Resources
SkillsUSA's Real Impact on the Next Generation
Christian Spell, a recent high school graduate and SkillsUSA National Officer, joins Jay to share how a serious injury redirected his path—straight into automotive class and SkillsUSA. He opens up about competing, leading, and developing the professional skills most techs never learn in a shop.
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About the Episode
Host: Jay Goninen, WrenchWay, [email protected]: Christian Spell, SkillsUSA, [email protected]
Links & Resources
Building Technicians From the Ground Up
Todd Ainsworth, Shop Owner at Swedish Automotive, Inc. and President-Elect of the Northwest Auto Care Alliance (NWACA), joins us to talk about developing the next generation of technicians and why most shops are leaving that opportunity on the table. During the episode, Todd covers his journey from technician to shop owner, gives a closer look at NWACA's apprenticeship program and what makes it work, and why it's easier to grow a technician from scratch than to fix someone else's bad habits.
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Host: Jay...BMW's STEP Program: Nurturing the Next Generation of Technicians
Antonio Maldonado and Jake Martin are recruiters for the Service Technician Education Program (STEP) at BMW North America—and they go way beyond just recruiting. In this episode they break down how STEP works for automotive and collision students, what hands-on training from day one actually looks like, and how BMW is nurturing the next generation of technicians from first contact to career.
During this episode we experienced some technical difficulties — we apologize for any inconvenience this may cause while listening.
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Ho...Inspection Video Is the New Standard—Are Your Students Ready?
Video inspections are now standard in dealerships and shops across the country, but most students graduate without ever recording one. In this episode, Warner Jones, Sr. VP at TruVideo, walks instructors and program directors through why inspection video is a must-have skill for today's students, how it closes the communication gap between techs and customers, and how schools can get the industry's leading video platform at no cost.
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Host: Jay Goninen, WrenchWay, [email protected]: Warner Jones, TruVideo, [email protected]Build a Shop That Runs Without You
Dan Paulson, Author of “Escape the Owner’s Trap,” joins us to tackle one of the biggest challenges shop owners face—being stuck in the middle of everything. We break down how to build accountability without micromanaging, fix communication gaps, and create processes your team will actually use. If your shop depends on you to function, this episode shows you how to change that.
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Host: Jay Goninen, WrenchWay, [email protected]: Dan Paulson, [email protected]
Links & Resource...
Growing the Auto Industry Funnel: Recruiting, Training, & Inspiring the Next Gen
Justin Allen has been in the automotive industry since 1998—and now, as a Regional Field Trainer for Hunter Engineering Company, his passion is training the next generation of technicians. In this episode, Justin breaks down how he got his start under the hood with his dad, tips for technicians that want to sharpen their skills with training, and how the industry needs to change its attitude toward young people walking in the door.
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Host: Jay Goninen, WrenchWay, [email protected]: Ju...Technician Happiness Starts the Moment They Walk In
Marco Zwanenburg, Aftersales Consultant at New Drive Consulting, joins us to be a voice for technicians in this people-first industry. He shares how shops can create a strong first impression from day one, why appreciation has to go beyond pay, and how holding onto the wrong people can quietly damage shop culture.
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About the Episode
Host: Jay Goninen, WrenchWay, [email protected]: Marco Zwanenburg, New Drive Consulting, [email protected]
Links & Resources
Women Supporting Women in Auto
Tiffany Scherado, Owner of Lifetime Transmissions and Facilitator of Amazing Women in Automotive (AWiA), joins us to share how AWiA is building a powerful community for women in the industry. Tiffany talks about what’s new since her last appearance on the podcast, what makes the AWiA retreat so impactful, and how being part of the group has helped her grow as both a leader and a person.
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Host: Jay Goninen, WrenchWay, [email protected]: Tiffany Scherado, Lifetime Transmissions & Amazing Wo...How Gear Her Up Is Opening Doors for Women in Auto
Jason Kerstetter, Co-Founder of the Gear Her Up Foundation, joins us to share how he’s creating opportunities for young women in automotive. Inspired by his daughter learning to work on her own car, Jason explains how the 12-week program teaches hands-on skills and helps break down barriers in the industry.
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About the Episode
Host: Jay Goninen, WrenchWay, [email protected]: Jason Kerstetter, Gear Her Up Foundation, [email protected]
Links & Resources
5 Steps to Train and Retain New Technicians
Donald Favors, Auto Tech Instructor at Lowell High School, joins us to talk about the five steps he developed for technician retention in his “Pathway to Retention” program. In the episode, he walks through each step in detail—from connecting with local schools to providing technicians with financial education—and shares his journey from working in the automotive industry to transitioning into education.
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About the Episode
Host: Jay Goninen, WrenchWay, [email protected]: Donald Favors, Lowell High School, [email protected]
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Motivating Students & Helping Them Succeed
Gerrot Jacobson, Automotive Instructor at Hawkeye Community College, joins us to talk about how he challenges and motivates students in the classroom every day—giving them a safe place to fail so they can learn, grow, and keep moving forward! He also shares his path into the automotive industry and why it’s so important for shops to show up and build relationships with their local schools.
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Host: Jay Goninen, WrenchWay, [email protected]: Gerrot Jacobson, Hawkeye Community College, [email protected]Simulating a Flat Rate Pay Plan in the Classroom
David Kocher, Automotive Instructor at Kirkland Ranch Academy of Innovation, joins us to explain how he introduced a simulated flat rate pay plan to help students understand how flat rate works early in their careers. David walks us through his background, the ins and outs of the incentive-based system he’s developing for his class, and how students are responding to the experience.
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Host: Jay Goninen, WrenchWay, [email protected]: David Kocher, Kirkland Ranch Academy of Innovation, [email protected]Second Generation Shop Ownership
Brad Templin, COO at Scott's U-Save Tires & Auto Repair, discusses his journey into second generation shop ownership and what the transition looked like taking over his family’s business. He shares why he chose not to take the easy path back into the industry, the importance of proper succession planning, and why owners must continue growing themselves to help their business and people reach their full potential.
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Host: Jay Goninen, WrenchWay, [email protected]: Brad Templin, Scott's U-Save Tires & Auto Repair, [email protected]...Mentorship is the Beginning of Leadership
Dwayne Myers, CEO of Dynamic Automotive, discusses why mentorship is the foundation of leadership and how his team focuses on growing their own technicians through a structured apprenticeship program. From investing in local schools to intentionally developing and nurturing talent, he explains why this approach is key to addressing the technician shortage.
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What 5,500 Technicians Really Think About the Industry
In this recorded webinar, WrenchWay leaders Mark Wilson and Jay Goninen, along with Dave Johnson from ASE, share highlights from the 2026 Voice of Technician Survey. Based on more than 5,500 responses across the automotive and diesel industries, they discuss what technicians value most.
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Links & Resources
Training & Developing Young Technicians
Cindy Barlow, Director of Industry Relations at WyoTech, joins us to talk about how, as an industry, we’ve neglected training young and entry-level technicians. In this episode, she discusses how shops can better support and develop young talent, why early exposure helps students decide if the industry is the right fit, and how fundamentals, soft skills, and early training are essential to improving retention.
Check out the full video version of the podcast on YouTube!
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