Jamie Robinson almost left the trade in his first year. He hated it. He felt like he wasn’t good enough. He wanted out.

Then everything changed.

Jamie found the right people. He asked for help. He chased the hard jobs. He learned diagnostics. He got better one day at a time. Years later, he won the UK skills contest and went to Seoul to compete for Hyundai on the world stage. He finished second in the world.

This episode is about what happens when a young tech is almost pushed out of the trade, but keeps going anyway.

We talk about bad first years, shop culture, mentors, foremen, apprentices, diagnostics, and why the best techs slow down before they speed up.

Jamie's best advice is simple: Don't be too proud to seek guidance.

The Wrench Turners Podcast is about improving the life, well-being, and productivity of mechanics everywhere.

Negative Pushes

Positive Pulls

God Bless

j.

Follow Jamie

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamie-robinson-1b216b370/

⚠️ Disclaimer:

I’m a licensed mechanic. That doesn’t mean I know what I’m doing, whether it’s fixing things or filming things. Do your own due diligence.

Listen to The Wrench Turners Podcast:

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/show/1ScwRP0DFMtDsp83JxPhPK?si=26aeb4be65da45eb

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/mrjoshuataylor/

LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrjtaylor/

Chapters

00:00 Meet Jamie Robinson

00:53 First Year Was Brutal

03:39 Building Or Bullying

04:42 Protecting Young Apprentices

09:33 From Tires To World #2

15:30 Slow Down To Win

18:28 Diagnose Before Touching Cars

23:21 Notes Get Techs Paid

28:29 Using Pain As Fuel

37:12 Seek Guidance

What separates a great shop from everybody else?

Patty Ruggia has spent years seeing dealerships from the recruiting side. Jade Price sees the industry from inside the workshop. Their answers point back to the same things: leadership, recognition, communication, customer experience, and the culture created inside the shop.

We also get into why constantly correcting people can destroy trust, why great shops make customers feel like part of the community, and how the attitude of one leader can spread through an entire team.

What did the best shop you’ve ever worked in do differently?

Drop it in the comments.

Negative Pushes.

Positive Pulls.

God Bless.

j.

Featuring:

Patty Ruggia

https://www.linkedin.com/in/patty-ruggia-07913863/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/autocanada

Jade Price

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jade-price-4675016b/

https://www.instagram.com/theautomotivecapture/

https://www.tiktok.com/@theautomotivecapture

Hosted by Joshua Taylor

Listen to The Wrench Turners Podcast:

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/show/1ScwRP0DFMtDsp83JxPhPK?si=26aeb4be65da45eb

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/mrjoshuataylor/

LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrjtaylor/

⚠️ Disclaimer:

I’m a licensed mechanic. That doesn’t mean I know what I’m doing, whether it’s fixing things or filming things. Do your own due diligence.

Chapters

00:00 Season 4 Finale

01:05 What Great Shops Do

02:08 Leadership Starts at Top

03:42 Praise Before Criticism

06:49 Make Customers Feel Welcome

08:49 Your Shop Has a Vibe

09:57 Leadership That Spreads

11:47 Negative Culture Costs

12:27 The Biggest Change

13:28 Closing Season 4

We spend a lot of time talking about what’s wrong with the automotive industry.

So Jade Price asked a different question:

What’s actually gotten better?

Patty Ruggia talks about the growth of dealership support teams and the increased respect being given to technician education.

Jade shares what she’s seen from more women entering the trade and how social media has created a much bigger community of technicians willing to help, share knowledge, and support each other.

And the conversation eventually comes back to something simple:

Maybe we need to spend a little more time recognizing what’s improving.

What’s the biggest positive change YOU’VE seen in automotive?

Drop it in the comments.

Negative Pushes.

Positive Pulls.

God Bless.

j.

Featuring:

Patty Ruggia

https://www.linkedin.com/in/patty-ruggia-07913863/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/autocanada

Jade Price

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jade-price-4675016b/

https://www.instagram.com/theautomotivecapture/

https://www.tiktok.com/@theautomotivecapture

Hosted by Joshua Taylor

Listen to The Wrench Turners Podcast:

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/show/1ScwRP0DFMtDsp83JxPhPK?si=26aeb4be65da45eb

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/mrjoshuataylor/

LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrjtaylor/

⚠️ Disclaimer:

I’m a licensed mechanic. That doesn’t mean I know what I’m doing, whether it’s fixing things or filming things. Do your own due diligence.

Chapters

00:00 Welcome to Earned Influence

00:50 What’s Getting Better?

01:29 Better Dealership Support

03:36 Supporting Technician Education

06:25 More Women in Automotive

07:26 Mechanics Helping Mechanics

08:40 Looking for the Positive

11:14 Change Your Mindset

11:53 Final Thoughts