CollisionCast

Changing Lives with NABC

As the National Auto Body Council celebrates its 30th anniversary and looks to the next 30 years, we talk with Executive Director Debby Robinson about NABC's various programs and how your shop can get involved. Learn more about the Recycled Rides program, the First Responder Emergency Extrication (F.R.E.E.), and the Changing and Saving Lives Foundation Keys for Change program, which can help you dispose of abandoned vehicles on your lot. 

The Plastic Repair Decision

There are a number of reasons why you might consider repairing certain plastic parts, including lack of availability of replacement parts, their prohibitive replacement cost, and the rise in customer pay work.
How plastic automotive parts are repaired has evolved, but with concern over affecting ADAS functionality, it’s also important to view each repair on a case-by-case basis.
To learn more about the state of today’s plastic repairs, in today’s episode I talk with Frank Phillips Jr., CEO of 4Plastic.

Helping Close the Technical Gap with BackBay Estimator

Built around proactive microlearning, Collision ProAssist's BackBay Discord community replaces one-size-fits-all training and opinion-driven social media advice with documented, expert-backed answers that improve estimate accuracy, capture overlooked operations, and strengthen communication between the front office and the shop floor. 
In this episode, Collision ProAssist's Jason Bartanen explains how BackBay and its newest extension, BackBay Estimator — addresses a critical gap in the collision repair industry by connecting technicians and estimators directly with OEMs, equipment manufacturers, and product experts for tailored, real-time guidance. 
By helping repair planners or estimators understand the technical “why” behind required procedures, Back Bay Estimator supports better customer and insurer conversations, increased shop profitability, and technicians being paid for all work performed, and that ultimately creates safer repairs and a more aligned, knowledgeable repair team.

Give Up What You Don't Need

Are you ready to let go of beliefs, habits, emotions, and stories that no longer serve you?
In this special Endeavor to Discover episode, Endeavor B2B’s Chris Messer is joined by Mike Jones of Discover Leadership and Louie Sharp, owner of Sharp Auto Body in Chicago.They emphasize that past struggles, negative motivation, anger, fear, or even past success can initially drive achievement—but holding onto them eventually limits progress. True leadership and fulfillment come from awareness, self-reflection, and consciously choosing how to respond to events rather than reacting emotionally.
By changing the internal narrative, practicing self-worth, and being curious instead of judgmental—especially in leadership situations—people can build trust, stronger relationships, and healthier cultures. The discussion highlights that everyone controls their response to circumstances, and that lasting success requires releasing control, punishment, blame, and outdated motivations. Growth is a lifelong process, and moving forward means giving up what once helped you but now holds you back.
 
 

Collision Repair's Compliance Burden

How do you manage safety, human resources, and environmental regulations and management?
Wayne Curtis, CEO of KPA, has over 20 years of firsthand experience working with collision centers and auto body shops to help them balance compliance with the challenges of focusing on daily operations. He explains the reasons why although the Trump administration has softened certain safety and environmental regulations, now is not the time to grow complacent.

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.