CollisionCast

Fearless to Courageous

He built 14 stores. Then he sold 10 of them — one by one — during one of the toughest economic downturns in modern history.
In Fearless to Courageous, James Baxter reveals the sleepless nights, payroll fears, and hard leadership decisions that reshaped his company, and why focusing on four strong stores made him more profitable than ever before.
If you’re an entrepreneur navigating growth, succession, or tough calls about the future of your business, this episode delivers real-world insight on vision, culture, and the courage it takes to right the ship.

Empowering Excellence with WIN

The Women’s Industry Network’s mission is to attract, develop, and promote women into collision repair professions. And there is still time to register for Empowering Excellence, the 2026 WIN Conference, May 4-6 in Tucson, Arizona. Blair Womble, director of strategic account services with Caliber Collision; and Nicole Carpenter, head of marketing at VIVE Collision, join the CollisionCast to tell our listeners what to look forward to at the event!For more information on WIN or to register for the conference, click here. Registration is open through the end of April. The early bird registration has been extended to March 16, so don't delay!

Are You Getting Your Piece of the Customer-Pay Pie?

More drivers these days are choosing to pay out of pocket instead of filing an insurance claim. At FenderBender, we know of some shop owners reporting as much as a 30 percent increase in customer-pay work.
In today’s episode, Rich Harrison, CEO of MSO CollisionRight, explains the reasons for this shift, how this evolution creates both pressure and opportunity, and how shop owners and operators can adjust to this new paradigm, including offering easy financing options.

Safety Inspections and Collision Vision

Safety inspections, including but not limited to restraint systems, steering gear, and collapsible steering columns, are of utmost importance when required by an OEM. But with the amount of procedure research required, they can be labor-intensive before the toolbox even opens. Here to talk about those inspections is Gerry Rosenbarker, general manager of Mohawk Collision Center, and two members of his crew, Mechanical Technician Tyler Foote and Collision Parts Consultant Jeremy Godbout. We discuss how their workload has been lightened through the use of Collision Vision, an all-in-one portal that helps shops track everything from OEM and technician certifications to employee training and the proper tools and equipment required for a job. Collision Vision co-founder Andrew Suggs gives us updates to platform since we first wrote about it in the July issue.Read about the presentation on safety inspections at the OEM Summit in the February issue. Reach Gerry and his team at Contact Us – Mohawk Collision Center

Fight Forward

What if the biggest thing holding you back isn’t your goals — but how you’re framing them?In this special Endeavor to Discover episode, Chris Messer, vice president of transportation at Endeavor Business Media, sits down with Mike Jones, president of Discover Leadership, alongside editorial director Chris Jones for a powerful conversation on fighting forward. From personal growth to shop performance, they unpack why focusing on what you want — rather than what you’re trying to avoid — can change your results, your culture, and your leadership impact.If you want a mindset shift that leads to real, lasting change, this is a conversation you don’t want to miss.
 

Independents: Change What You Can Control in 2026

In the second part of this two-part podcast, Dave Luehr of Elite Body Shop Solutions joins the CollisionCast to discuss how a transformational approach to the customer experience can allow you to have customers for life through your unique selling propositions. If you have OEM certifications, we discuss ways you can maximize your ROI at the dealership service lane, plus how to change what you can control over insurer pushback. They're just a few ways independent shops can win in 2026. See how you stack up against other collision repairers at bodyshopassessment.com, and register for the Positivity Summit Feb. 6 at collisionsummit.com.

How Independents Can Win in 2026

In trying times, independent collision repairers are positioned to succeed by leveraging community relationships, reputation, and ability to quickly adapt, including custom programs to capitalize on the rising trend of customer-pay work.In part 1 of this episode, Dave Luehr, owner of Elite Body Shop Solutions, joins the CollisionCast to talk about how the best time to be independent is now. We'll talk about what viewers can look forward to at the Positivity Summit on Feb. 6, plus other ways independents can win in 2026.

Skilled Labor in the Collision Repair Industry

What's the state of the labor shortage in the collision repair industry, and what are some strategies for recruiting and retention? Crash Champions Founder and CEO Matt Ebert joins the CollisionCast to talk about how more young people are choosing skilled trades careers over traditional college educations, how the company's Skills Training Education Program apprenticeship is designed to get a technician standing on his or her own after a year, and more.

Mind Your Business

In this Endeavor to Discover special episode of CollisionCast, Endeavor B2B's Chris Messer and Discover Leadership's Mike Jones dive into why your mindset — not your skill set — determines the trajectory of your business. From the power of surrounding yourself with the right people to embracing change in a fast-moving industry, this episode challenges shop owners and leaders to elevate their awareness, rethink their environment, and commit to becoming an even better version of themselves. If you want to shift from fixed to growth mindset — and inspire your team to do the same — this conversation is your starting point.

Toxic Teams Don’t Fix Themselves: Toxic Leadership and Team Conflict in Collision Repair

Do you have a toxic team, or does your shop have a family atmosphere? Today, we’re talking about toxic leadership and team conflict in collision repair. Dr. Paul White, co-author of The 5 Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace, joins the CollisionCast with speaker and coach Sheryl Driggers of Collision Advice, who's also a former collision repair shop owner, for real talk about tough people, team friction, and how to fix the things that slow your shop down. Get in touch with Dr. White at https://drpaulwhite.com and Sheryl at sheryl@collisionadvice.com. And be sure to check out the previous episode with Dr. White and Sheryl on Busted Myths: What Leaders Get Wrong About Showing Appreciation.