On this episode of the Wrench Turners Podcast, I sit down with Canadian technician David Rodrigues. For nearly 20 years, David has been mastering his craft on Hondas and Acuras. This is not just a career recap. It’s a deep dive into legacy, leadership, and the reality of working flat-rate.

David shares how he started through co-op, landed a rare apprenticeship, and became the go-to diagnostic tech. But then he left. Why? Leadership that didn’t fight for his time. And when he returned, everything changed.

In this episode, we cover:

🙋‍♂️ Why being the best technician in the shop can feel like a curse

🙋‍♂️ How he diagnosed a TLX that only failed in the rain

🙋‍♂️What real support from a service manager looks like

🙋‍♂️How a good shop foreman can make or break a dealership

🙋‍♂️Why boring jobs make the best money

This is for the tech who wants more. More respect. More growth. More meaning in the work. Don't miss this conversation if you’re leading techs or trying to become one worth following.

Chapters:

0:00 The technician’s legacy

3:00 Hot Wheels to Hondas

10:00 Earned Apprenticeship

17:00 Dealership promised everything, delivered nothing

26:00 Diagnosing the impossible TLX

33:00 Shop foremen make or break it

42:00 The boring jobs pay the best

45:00 Best advice for every tech

49:00 Work-life balance isn’t one-size-fits-all

If you're a fixed ops director, service manager, Technician, BDC trainer, SaaS Founder, Service Advisor, or automotive professional looking to understand the future of dealership operations, this discussion offers valuable insights.

🔔 Subscribe to the Wrench Turners Podcast for more in-depth conversations with industry innovators.

#morethancars

If this helped, comment with your next video idea or tag someone who needs to press record. Better yet, go make something. I would love to see it.

Subscribe for episodes on:

Service advisor training

Technician productivity

Repair order accuracy

Dealership leadership and culture

Fixed Ops coaching and management

Automotive Content Creation

Event Media and Publication

Event Filmography

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DCS - Digital Communication Solutions — Digital Sales and Service Tags

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ASOTU - More than Cars - Where Innovative Ideas In Auto Are Born

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Toma - "We care about our customers."

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This isn’t another how-to-fix-a-car video.

This is how to fix yourself in the trade before the trade breaks you.

In this Wrench Turner's Podcast compilation, five technicians and leaders drop hard-earned wisdom, not about tools, not about pay plans, but about mindset, ownership, growth, and survival in the bay.

💬 "No one’s coming to save you."

That’s the wake-up call running through every clip in this episode.

You’ll hear real stories and raw advice from:

Technicians who've fought burnout

Leaders who've turned mistakes into mentorship

Wrench turners who chose growth over gossip

If you’ve ever felt stuck, pissed off, or like you’re the only one who cares, this one’s for you.

j.

Subscribe for weekly episodes on:

Service advisor training

Technician productivity

Repair order accuracy

Dealership leadership and culture

Fixed Ops coaching and management

Automotive Content Creation

Listen to The Wrench Turners Podcast

Spotify: https://wrenchturnerspodcast.com

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

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

Sponsored by The Bearded Brotherhood

Premium beard care products built for technicians.

Use code WRENCH15 at checkout: https://thebeardedbrotherhood.co

Powered by:

FixedOPS Marketing — Service marketing tools for dealerships

https://www.fixedopsmarketing.com

The Lion Partnership — Consulting for service department performance

https://www.lionpartnership.com

DCS - Digital Communication Solutions — Tools for service and BDC teams

https://www.dicoso.us

Chapters

00:00 Introduction

03:16 Dealing with Bad Days (Derek Scherer)

06:30 Understand Before You Diagnose (Daniel Lee)

09:14 Take Ownership of Your Training (Clinton Cruz)

11:48 Positivity is a Survival Tool (Brooklynne Morse)

13:22 Invest in Your Growth (Jeremy Stephens)

16:46 Final Message

From Parts Ninja to Shop Coach and Service Director of Multiple stores | Robert Migliaccio | Wrench Turners Podcast

Today’s guest didn’t just work his way up; he built his way up. Robert Migliaccio started as a teenage car detailer, dropped out of high school, and never looked back. With decades in the trenches of fixed ops, Robert’s story is the kind you don’t hear often, and the kind you don’t forget.

He’s run parts counters like a silent assassin, coached technicians with empathy and clarity, and now oversees multi-store service operations across states. And he does it all while mentoring new techs, giving back to local schools, and living what it means to be a leader in the service lane.

💥 Topics we cover:

👉 How Robert found opportunity after dropping out of high school

👉 What it really takes to run a winning parts department

👉 The question every tech should ask during an interview

👉 Why the best leaders treat their stall like a franchise

👉 How to bring entrepreneurship into a dealership

👉 The myth of the “dead-end” parts job

👉 Leading a shop while raising a family on one income

👉 What basketball taught him about leadership and peace

If you’re in fixed ops, this is one of the most well-rounded voices you’ll hear. And if you’ve ever felt stuck in your role, this episode might be the spark you need to keep going.

📌 Don’t forget to:

👍 Like

💬 Comment with your biggest takeaway

🔔 Subscribe for more real, raw conversations from the world of automotive

👍 Work with me:

Want to be on the show, be a sponsor of any show that I host or produce? Do you need a content creator for your business or automotive event filmography? Reach out: joshua@justworkhard.com

🎙️ Listen to The Wrench Turners Podcast

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https://wrenchturners.online

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💼 Connect with Joshua Taylor on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrjtaylor/

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Connect Convert Close - Sales and BDC Workshop

May 22, 2025

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