Most shops are busy. Very few are profitable.

In this episode, James Heward breaks down the system behind high-performing collision shops that consistently outproduce their competition without adding chaos.

This isn’t about working harder or chasing more DRPs. It’s about controlling throughput.

James shares the exact framework he’s used across Caliber, Fix Auto, and his own $20M operation to increase revenue, reduce cycle time, and build teams that self-regulate performance.

Inside this episode:

• Why throughput, not car count, drives profit
• How to categorize every repair (Cat 1 / 2 / 3)
• How to control WIP and stop overloading your shop
• The daily production system that keeps work moving
• Why most shops misunderstand cycle time
• How to turn WIP 4x per month

If your shop feels busy but inconsistent, or you’re struggling to scale profit without adding more headaches, this episode will give you a clear operational model to follow.

Listen in and rethink how your shop moves cars, people, and profit.

Most collision shops think low car count means they need more marketing. Tom Zoebelein argues that in many cases, that is the wrong diagnosis.

In Episode 8, Tom flips the conversation from lead generation to close ratio and explains why better sales execution in the front office can drive revenue faster than buying more leads. Using real examples from inside shops, he walks through where repair orders get lost, what estimators and CSRs should be doing differently, and how owners can track the problem by estimator instead of guessing.

In this episode:

• Why low car count exposes weak close ratio
• The difference between a marketing problem and a sales problem
• Where shops lose jobs during first contact and estimate handoff
• Why “we close almost everything” is usually not true
• How follow-up discipline changes monthly revenue
• What owners should track before spending more on ads

This episode is built for shop owners and operators who want a more practical answer than “just market harder.”

If this episode hits home, share it with your estimator, CSR, or front-office manager and subscribe for more operator-focused conversations.

Most truck shops are missing required operations and leaving real money on the table.

In Episode 7, Dean Hancock explains how to build commercial truck estimates that actually get approved and protect your margins.

Dean owned and sold a heavy-duty shop and now works with Hero Group. In this conversation, he breaks down the structural mistakes most estimators make and how to fix them.

What You’ll Learn:

Why heavy-duty estimating is different from auto

OEM-required operations truck shops often miss

How to reduce pushback from fleets and insurers

The 4-question negotiation framework

Why line-iteming beats big shop supply charges

How to use cycle time reporting to win more work

The real risk behind skipping seat belt inspections

Why ADAS compliance is becoming critical in trucks


If you’re serious about expanding into commercial truck repair or tightening your estimating process, this episode is required listening.

nsurance denials aren’t just an estimating problem. They are a safety problem and a consumer problem. And according to Peyton Bell (Bell Auto Body, Oklahoma), the only scalable fix is state legislation that stops carriers from denying payment for documented OEM repair procedures and parts.

In Episode 6, Peyton breaks down why the popular advice to “just bill the customer” collapses in real life. Most customers cannot float thousands of dollars up front while they fight for reimbursement, and many will choose a faster, cheaper path even when it risks unsafe repairs. That leaves the shop holding the liability, the customer holding the confusion, and the insurer holding the leverage.

Peyton then teaches a practical “master class” on getting laws changed: how to identify and contact your local senator, how to earn meetings, how to explain the issue in plain language, and how to build enough constituent pressure to get a bill sponsored. He also shares how to draft a framework for a bill, then let legislative counsel tighten it into formal language.

If you want to stop losing one claim at a time and start changing the rules in your state, this is your roadmap.

X Games athlete turned high production collision shop owner is not a normal career path, but that is exactly what Ted Culbertson did at Top Gun Auto Body in Helena, Montana. And he brought a leadership philosophy most shops are missing: trust built through transparency.

In this episode, Ted shares how he attracts younger employees, why he interviews people with little or no experience, and how he brings them in through blueprinting and hands-on exposure to the work. We also unpack the daily and weekly routines he uses to keep expectations clear, reduce drama, and build a culture where accountability feels normal, not forced.

If you are trying to grow your team, develop younger talent, and create a shop environment people want to stay in, this conversation will give you practical ideas you can put to work right away.

Coming off a lighter 2025, most shop owners are heading into 2026 thinking about one thing: car count.

In this episode of Operational Intelligence, I sit down with John Brown of Red Rock Collision in Cottonwood, Arizona—the only independent shop left in his market, surrounded by consolidators and DRP-fed competition. And here’s the hook: with the cards stacked against him, John isn’t just staying alive—he’s still growing and building a new, larger shop.

We break down the real playbook for how an independent wins when insurers try to steer customers away before the shop even gets a shot.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How John combats insurance steering with a simple “right to choose” message that actually works
• The front-office approach that wins the job before the insurance company can redirect it
• Why writing a quick estimate and “following up later” is where independents lose
• How John sells against big chains without going negative
• The contract and scheduling strategy he uses to lock in commitment and reduce lost jobs

If you’re trying to stand out, protect your volume, and grow in a market that’s been bought out around you—this episode is for you.

Most shops run sales on gut feel. Shane Orlando runs it on a system.

In this episode of Operational Intelligence, Shane Orlando from Orlando Auto Body breaks down how he tracks closing ratios, why it matters to production and profitability, and how any shop can implement a straightforward workflow to monitor leads, estimates, follow-up, and sold jobs—so the business isn’t relying on assumptions.

If you want more sold jobs, more predictable scheduling, and fewer surprises in car count, this conversation gives you a practical model to start using immediately.

Episode 2 — How BodyWorks Plus Built a Culture That Runs Itself (with Brian Davies)

Operational Intelligence

What if your shop’s culture was so strong that the team held itself accountable — without you constantly checking, reminding, or chasing people down?

That’s the focus in this episode.

In Episode 2 of Operational Intelligence, I sit down with Brian Davies, owner of BodyWorks Plus in Charlotte — one of the few shops in the country where the culture is so tight, so intentional, and so team-driven that you can feel it the moment you walk through the door.

I’ve been inside more than a hundred shops over the past 15 years, and Brian’s stands out for one simple reason: his people don’t just follow the systems — they create them.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• The unique origin story behind BodyWorks Plus
• How Brian used coaching, manufacturing principles, and leadership training to shape the environment
• The daily accountability meeting that keeps everyone aligned
• The surprising ritual the team invented themselves — and why it instantly shows who’s engaged
• Why Brian shares all the numbers openly with the team
• How cross-training and repair-planning meetings prevent mistakes and department friction
• What Brian does to develop “mini-operators” who could run future locations
• The real definition of culture — and how any owner can start building it

And here’s the part that might surprise you:

The strongest elements of Brian’s culture didn’t come from him —
they came from his technicians and managers.

This episode is not about theory, slogans, or feel-good leadership talk.
It’s a how-to lesson in building a shop where people take ownership, look out for each other, and want to win together.

If you’ve ever wondered how great shops create accountability, train their teams, and eliminate chaos — this episode will show you exactly how it’s done.

Welcome to Episode 2 of Operational Intelligence — featuring Brian Davies of BodyWorks Plus.

www.herogroup.ai