Episode #209- Never Stop Learning -REBOOT #117

🎙️ Podcast Show Notes:

Knowledge isn’t just power—it’s survival in today’s collision repair world.

 In this weeks’ episode, I share lessons from decades serving this industry, and my recent experience at the Tennessee Collision Repairers Association “Music City Conference”. The core message? Continuous education isn’t optional—it’s the foundation of safe repairs, thriving businesses, and long-term success.

Our industry is evolving at breakneck speed. ADAS systems, EVs, and OEM-mandated repair procedures are rewriting the playbook every year. Falling behind isn’t just about lost efficiency—it can mean liability, lost business, or even life-and-death consequences. The $42 million John Eagle Honda lawsuit is a stark reminder of how costly “doing it the old way” can be.

But here’s the flip side: investing in education—both for yourself and your employees—pays dividends beyond the shop floor. When owners commit to their own growth, they set the tone for the entire team. When technicians attend training events, they don’t just return with new skills; they return re-energized, motivated, and proud to apply what they’ve learned. The result? Better repairs, higher morale, and a shop culture that attracts and retains top talent.

Key Takeaways

✅ Continuous education is survival — ADAS, EVs, and OEM repair procedures are changing faster than ever, and staying current is non-negotiable.

✅ Investing in your team pays off — Training opportunities not only sharpen skills but reignite pride, passion, and loyalty.

✅ Leaders set the tone — When owners prioritize their own growth, they inspire their employees to do the same.

As Henry Ford said, “Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young.” Whether you’ve been in this business for 5 years or 50, the moment you think you’ve seen it all is the moment you fall behind. Because in this industry—and in life—the learning never stops.

 #CollisionRepair #AutoBody #ShopOwner #ADAS #EVRepair #ContinuousLearning #Leadership #BusinessGrowth #AutomotiveIndustry #RepairSafety #TrainingMatters #BodyShopLife  #NeverStopLearning 

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Chapters

• 0:00 Nashville Conference Reflections
• 3:36 Meeting People and Career Growth
• 6:26 Continuing Education in Auto Repair
• 8:20 Benefits of Professional Coaching
• 9:08 Safety and Proper Vehicle Repair
• 11:04 Pride, Ego and Learning
• 13:03 Investing in Training and Growth
• 15:19 Episode Closing and Final Thoughts

Transcript

SPEAKER_02: 0:00

Having just spent the last couple days at the inaugural Tennessee Collision Repairs Association Music City Conference in one of my favorite cities, Nashville, and sitting through several timely educational sessions presented by collision industry leaders like Mike Anderson, Dave Lewer, and several others, as well as getting a chance to present my own cost of contamination overview, I had the opportunity to cap off that two-day event with an open mic discussion panel in a packed room that was very educational, eye-opening, and inspiring. Usually these inspiring experiences are not only awesome opportunities for me to extend my own knowledge about our industry, but it also fuels my desire to share what I've learned with all of you and hopefully inspire you to expand your own education regardless of what you do for a living.

SPEAKER_01: 0:57

Welcome to the Mind Rings Podcast with your host, Rick Hello, where minor investments produce major improvements in mindset, personal growth, and success. This is the place to be every Monday.

SPEAKER_00: 1:18

Next level growth is up everybody.

SPEAKER_02: 1:25

Welcome to the MindMix Podcast. Thanks so much for stopping in. If you're a returning listener and haven't done so already, please take a minute and click the follow or subscribe button and then rate and review the show. When you rate and review the show, the algorithms for Apple, Spotify, Google Podcasts, iHeartRadio, Amazon Music, and all the other platforms will see that it's valuable and show it to more people that have never seen it before. And hopefully it can help them too. I would really, really, really appreciate your help sharing this word with your friends and family as well. And if you're a brand new listener, welcome. I hope you find something of value here that helps you in your personal or professional life as well. Please make sure to click the subscribe or follow button so you never miss another episode. If you've been listening to the show for a while, or been on the receiving end of my daily quote of the day emails, or maybe just catch my posts on Facebook or LinkedIn, you know I'm all about the quotes, right? If you'd like to start receiving my quote of the day emails, there's a link in the show notes to sign up. It's free and you can unsubscribe at any time. Having just spent the last couple days at the inaugural Tennessee Collision Repairs Association Music City Conference in one of my favorite cities, Nashville, and sitting through several timely educational sessions presented by collision industry leaders like Mike Anderson, Dave Lewer, and several others, as well as getting a chance to present my own cost of contamination overview, I had the opportunity to cap off that two-day event with an open mic discussion panel in a packed room that was very educational, eye-opening, and inspiring. Usually these inspiring experiences are not only awesome opportunities for me to extend my own knowledge about our industry, but it also fuels my desire to share what I've learned with all of you, and hopefully inspire you to expand your own education regardless of what you do for a living. This week I wanted to reshare a message from a couple years ago that spoke to that exact topic, and quite honestly, it's a message that needs to be heard again. So let's go way back to early 2023 in episode 117 and really let this message sink in. One of my greatest passions in life started way back when I was just a skinny long haired teenager back in the 70s, and has grown stronger over the decades. I've always enjoyed meeting new people from all aspects of life, all economic backgrounds, and all different ages. I've always been fascinated with what makes people tick, what their views or outlook on things are, what they have in common with others, and how different and unique each one of us are. Now this may sound a little strange coming from a self proclaimed introverted extrovert. Yep, I was more comfortable at parties just kind of lurking in the background, quietly observing, than to stand in the middle of a conversation. I was shy on the outside, but curious and interested in those around me on the inside. I always seemed to take jobs that were extremely social in nature, from selling garden seeds as a youngster door to door to driveway sales, you know, like pumping gas and filling oil. Yeah, I used to do that. To working in several restaurants, body shops, and my job or sales career. I always seemed to be in a position to talk to others as part of my job. Now when I was younger, I didn't have the confidence to lead most conversations, but when someone engaged me on a subject I liked, like cars or music, for example, I lit up like a spotlight. But as time went on and I matured, I was able to sell, advise, and mentor with authority. Over the past thirty plus years in the distribution world, making thousands of sales calls and putting myself in a position to have to communicate with just about every personality type you could imagine, was probably the best thing I could have ever done as a career. Not only has it provided me expertise in reading people and finding solutions quickly for most, it's also proved to be an ongoing education I would have never received in college, which I didn't have as an option, nor anywhere else. Which leads to my other passion, and the focus of this message learning, knowledge, education, and continual improvement. With the exception of the time I spent in high school, I've always craved learning. Although, as I said a minute ago, because I had four other brothers and sisters and a single income family, college just wasn't an option. But I found plenty of ways to learn and to grow through the various jobs that I had. Opportunities to learn something new are everywhere you look. There's a great quote by the former Secretary General of the United Nations, Kofi Anon. Knowledge is power, information is liberating. Education is the premise of progress in every society, in every family. The more I learn, the more I understand those first three words. Most industries or occupations require some level of continuing education to stay up to date, relevant, or competitive in their fields. And most employees begrudgingly take whatever trainings is needed or mandatory at whatever intervals to remain employed, and that's it. The transportation industry, and more specifically, the automotive repair industry requires so much more training at much shorter intervals due to the constant changes in technology, substrates, equipment, and repair methods that seem to change with every new model that it can feel like a full-time job just to try to keep up. Since the introduction of ADAS systems, electric vehicle technology, artificial intelligence, the OEM's creating and strongly recommending to now insisting on their own safe and proper repair methods to return the damaged vehicle back within OEM specs. The need for training by all members of Repair Center has skyrocketed. Along with that, I've noticed a big increase in the amount of training opportunities available to our industry in the last few years. And a massive increase in the amount of social media focus on that available training in all aspects of vehicle repair. The reasons for all this are really quite simple. Safety, safety, safety. If you're looking for a competitive edge for your business or a more effective jumpstart to your personal development, I'll make your first step super simple. It is a fact that an incredible number of the most successful business owners, nearly half of the Fortune 500 companies, top-earning professional athletes, entertainers, and industry leaders like Microsoft's Bill Gates, former President Bill Clinton, Oprah Winfrey, Richard Branson, Amazon's Jeff Bezos, and Salesforce Mark Benioff, all have one thing in common. They all have at least one coach, and some have several, that they work with on a consistent basis. Someone that helps guide, mentor, and support them, challenge them, help them set and achieve goals that move them forward, and then hold them accountable to follow through, driving personal and professional growth. Working with a coach has many substantial benefits. Just for an example, 80% of coaching clients report improved self-esteem or self-confidence thanks to coaching. 99% of individuals and companies that hire a coach report being very satisfied, and 96% would do it again. If deep down you know it's time to make those improvements in your business, your personal life that you've kicked down the road year after year, if you're tired of knowing there's a better version of you waiting to shine, but unsure of how to bring that version to light. If you're tired of wanting to enjoy a more successful business, but not sure how to start, and if you don't want to go another 12 months without better results, but you don't want to go it alone, then take the first step. It's super simple. Sometimes talking to the right person can make all the difference. Go to www.rixilover.com/slash contact, and I'll set you up with a free consultation call with me to see if one on one coaching is right for you. Vehicles interact with our society on two fronts. Initial collision, they can run into property, other vehicles, and people, and secondary collision. The people on the inside driving can slam into various parts of the interior of the vehicle. Humans are soft and squishy compared to the hard plastic, aluminum, and steel components of today's automobile, and they lose every time an accident forces them into battle. So repairing these vehicles correctly or incorrectly can really literally be the difference between life and death. For many years I truly believe that a majority, but most certainly not all, repair technicians that I've run across in hundreds of body shops really didn't have this in the forefront of their minds guiding repair decisions. Nope, not until the forty-two million dollar John Eagle Honda lawsuit that resulted from the twenty thirteen collision crash of an improperly repaired vehicle. That certainly opened some eyes and created some severe pucker situations for many collision repairs and shop owners. Well, perspectives changed and more technician training was consumed, but unfortunately, there's still many that are way behind the curve on gaining the knowledge needed to process a safe and proper repair. There's also an air of arrogance and ego with some that have been doing it for 30, 40, or 50 years, that they've learned enough. They've seen it all or done it all before, and there's nothing more for them to learn at this point. In my experience, dealing with some of these texts from a job's position for over thirty years, and even going back to when I was a paint instructor for several semesters, usually the ones that claim they know it all are usually the ones that need the most training. There's a quote from Epicus says that it's impossible for a man to learn what he thinks he already knows. There's a tremendous amount of pride in the men and women in our industry, from the back of the shop all the way up to ownership, but with that pride comes a bit of ego as well. And sometimes we need to put that ego in check. Admit to ourselves that we don't know it all. In fact we never will. And open our minds to learn something new. Remember, there is power in knowledge. I was reminded of this recently when I attended a training event with a few paint techs from a high volume shop that does outstanding work. Even though these were some very experienced and very talented technicians, they were still excited to learn more about a new paint line they've been using for a few months. Even though they had most of the key functions of this new system down perfectly, with the help of a very patient and thorough instructor, they were able to unlock some very beneficial tricks and tips with this new system that will enable them to produce even higher quality repairs in a shorter amount of time. It was funny, the older, more experienced painter admitted to all of us, he was pretty sure that he would probably not walk away from training without any clear advantages, but was pleasantly surprised to take home some solid nuggets that would definitely up his game. I would strongly encourage our industry leaders, shop owners, and managers to first invest time and finances into their own continuing education, whether it's taking part in some iCar, AMI, paint manufacturer, equipment, or other training opportunities available, even those unrelated auto-repair, as most self-development education will have some major impact on whatever industry you serve, as well as your own personal lives. Secondly, encourage, empower, invest in your own people that work for you to take advantage of any training available to them as well. Do not limit them to virtual or online options only. There is so much extra value gained in spending time outside the shop in a learning environment with one's peers. New perspectives, special tricks of the trade, hidden shortcuts, and sometimes a better way of approaching common problems are revealed and shared within the group. As an owner or a leader, you may not realize how many of your techs crave that chance to get out of the shop for a training event and learn with their peers. The classroom setting, time spent on the floor with instructors, and especially the lunches or dinners out spent with others in the industry can reinvigorate their passion for what they do and have them all fired up to put their new learnings into action at your shop. But your ignoring this fact, or worse yet, refusing to send some of them to training opportunities, only instills the message that you just don't care about their desires to grow and improve, or they just aren't worth the investment, or they're only there to make you money. This negative mindset and working atmosphere won't inspire or drive performance. It will only serve to inspire that desire to find someplace else to park their toolbox. In my career as a paint tech, I've worked at many places that did not value training, and a few shops that did. And I remember how both felt to me. In my last thirty plus years as a distributor, I've had the privilege of not only being able to attend training and continued education events, product trainings, self-development seminars, live speaking events and conferences, but I've also had the extreme pleasure and honor of attending many of these with my customers, as well as my peers. For those of you that know me well, I'm big on quotes, right? In fact, I've been sending out a quote of the day for over a decade. Every weekday, sending out something that may inspire, motivate, or give you a positive lens to look through. If you want to join that list, just click on the link in the show notes to join. But I wanted to wrap this up with a couple quotes I really love about this message. Henry Ford had said, Anybody that stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning is young. Ben Franklin said this without continual growth and progress, such words as improvement, achievement, and success have no meaning. And the great B.B. King once quoted, The beautiful thing about learning is that no one can take it away from you. So do yourself a favor. Do your business a favor. In fact, do the whole world a favor. Keep learning, keep growing, and set an example for those that look up to you. Well, that's all I had for you today. Thanks again for tuning in. I really appreciate your support, and I hope you have a great week. I can always be reached at www.rixilover.com, where you can find all my social media links, podcast episodes, blog posts, and much more.