Hosted by David Laird · 🇺🇸 US · EN-US · 45 episodes
Established thought leaders with verified media credentials.
Welcome to The Honest Garage Podcast — where we talk shop about running a real repair business in the real world.Each week, David Laird sits down with independent shop owners, technicians, and industry experts to unpack what's working (and what's not) in marketing, hiring, leadership, and operations.No buzzwords. No agency jargon. Just honest conversations that help you grow your shop, keep your team steady, and build a business that lasts.Our show is about real shops telling real stories. Where shop owners talk about more than just repairs. They're building people, serving their communities, working on the shop, and not just in it. We are ultimately all shaping the industry that we all love!
David Laird hosts Honest Garage Podcast, a business show with 45 episodes published.
EVs are already showing up in independent repair shops, but Tom Pacheco is not here to scare owners into becoming an EV specialty shop overnight. His message is more practical than that: start with safety, train your peo
Shawn Gilfillan's story is not polished, easy, or overnight. It is busted knuckles, hard lessons, bad hires, a major injury, personal setbacks, and the decision to keep growing anyway. Shawn is the owner of Automotive Ma
Eric Newton is a second generation shop owner, but his story is not about being handed a business. It is about earning a seat at the table, surviving hard seasons, and then stepping into leadership at the exact moment th
Chris Keefer did not grow up planning to be a career tech or a shop owner. He was a BMW enthusiast who knew enough HTML in the early 2000s to make a trade with a local BMW shop. Let him work on his car a few days a week,
Brandon Stapley started where a lot of real shop stories start, turning wrenches in his dad's backyard, then grinding through side work and a rough two bay setup tied to a construction yard in the Arizona heat. When that
Todd Santos did not take the typical straight line into shop leadership. He learned the trade, learned the front counter, and learned what a shop should never feel like for a customer. That mix shaped how he runs the day
Julio Campos has built Dragonfly Automotive in San Diego by obsessing over the things most shops treat as "extras." Communication that is clear. A customer experience that feels intentional. A team that is trained and de
Alex Rodriguez built Euro Cars Southend around a clear promise. If you own a European vehicle and you want it serviced the right way, you should not have to settle for guesswork, vague answers, or a rushed experience. In
Brian Parada did not grow up thinking he would own an auto repair shop. He came in through business school, lawnmower engines, corporate tire stores, and a long stretch of learning how the industry really works when you
Brandon Todd built his entire brand around a promise most shops are afraid to make out loud. Be the honest mechanic people hope they find when they are stressed, busy, and do not know who to trust. Brandon is the owner o
Curt Morgan started Shadow Mountain Auto Service in Phoenix in 2008 with a simple motto: Character counts. In this episode, Curt explains how he has spent nearly two decades proving that character, kindness, and profitab
Greg Miller knows something most shops learn the hard way, fixing cars is only half the job. The other half is building a customer experience that earns the next appointment. Greg is the owner of Figs Auto Repair in Char
Les Aliff has the kind of story shop owners respect because it is built on reps, not hype. He came up through the work, learned what customers actually need when they are stressed and confused, and built Youngsville Auto
Michael Grueneich built Providence Auto Care with a clear mission: take care of people, not just vehicles. In this episode, Michael shares how his faith and family values shape the way the shop operates day to day, from
Mitch Krstovski did not enter this industry through the usual path. He studied business, lived abroad, spent time in New Zealand, and earned an MBA through MIT while based in Shanghai. He was on track for a corporate car
Marcus McFall grew up in a tire store. He was the kid stacking inventory in the back, watching customers roll in for tires, and learning what makes a shop survive when the market shifts. Today Marcus owns McFall Tire and
Running a shop is hard. Running a shop with your spouse adds a whole extra layer, especially when the business is growing and the industry keeps changing. In this episode, David sits down with Lee and Kelli Weatherby of
Josh King walked through the lean years. No paycheck, low visibility, inherited problems, and the kind of pressure that makes most owners quit. Instead, he helped turn an unprofitable shop into something stable, growing,
Victor DiGiuseppi did not come up as a flat rate tech. He came into automotive from the engineering and design world, then built C and S Auto around one big idea. There is a right way to run a shop, and it starts with cl
Jeff Corwin is not trying to be everything to everyone. He built JC's British and 4x4 by leaning into a clear lane and getting exceptionally good at it. In this episode, Jeff shares how specializing changes the entire bu
Alex Rodriguez
National Director · Chi Alpha Campus Ministries
1 appearance on this show
Greg Miller
President of Malone University · North Adelaide Dental Care
1 appearance on this show
Josh King
Head Coach · Edmunds Automotive Repair
1 appearance on this show
Dr. Josh
Clinical Instructor of Practice · Resvita
1 appearance on this show
Johnathan
Serenity EV Repair
1 appearance on this show
Sean Gordon
Grandmaster · California State University, Fresno
1 appearance on this show
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Honest Garage Podcast is hosted by David Laird. The show is categorised under business (leisure) and has published 45 episodes.
Honest Garage Podcast has published 45 episodes.
Honest Garage Podcast regularly covers business, leisure, automotive. It sits in the business category, with a leisure focus.
Honest Garage Podcast is accessible for guests with genuine business expertise. A personalised, episode-aware pitch will still outperform a generic one every time.
Honest Garage Podcast hasn't explicitly signalled guest openness in recent episodes. That doesn't rule out pitching. your hook just needs to be especially compelling and relevant to their recent content.
Episodes of Honest Garage Podcast average 34 minutes. a focused format where a clear narrative arc and tight preparation matter most.
Our data rates Honest Garage Podcast's guest bar at 80/100 (Premium tier). Established thought leaders with verified media credentials. Sign in to PitchCentric to see how your own Pod Score compares against this show.
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