Beyond the Wrench

Hosted by Jay Goninen

Business Careers Leisure AutomotiveExplicit

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Episodes

321

Latest episode

Jun 2026

Language

EN-US

About the show

How can automotive and diesel shops run a better business and be more profitable? How can we make the aftermarket and dealerships more attractive to younger generations? Each week, Jay Goninen, Co-Founder & President of WrenchWay, will sit down with shop owners, technicians, instructors, and professionals in the automotive and diesel industries to have them share their stories and insights. We’ll dive deep into what’s going on in shops and dealerships and what we can do to help drive the industry forward. The Beyond the Wrench Podcast is powered by WrenchWay.

Listen to episodes

60 recent

July 1, 20261 hr 10 min

Cool Shop Culture Is No Accident

Gabe Christian, Owner of Import Performance Auto Repair in Bend, Oregon and seven-time winner of best shop in the city, returns to break down what shop culture actually looks like from the inside. He and Jay get into the daily habits, team dynamics, and small details that make technicians want to show up and stay.Watch the video recordingAbout the EpisodeHost: Jay Goninen, WrenchWay, jayg@wrenchway.comGuest: Gabe Christian, Import Performance Auto Repair, gabe@importperformanceusa.comLinks & ResourcesGet notified of new episodes --> Join our email listJoin the ASE Connects CommunityASE Connects brings shops, dealerships, and schools together in one structured network to strengthen the technician pipeline. By making it easier to connect, collaborate, and support students through job shadows, internships, and classroom engagement, ASE Connects helps schools build stronger programs and helps shops develop a more consistent, local source of future technicians. Learn more:ASE Connects Memberships for Shops & DealersASE Connects Memberships for Schools (Free!)Connect with us on social:FacebookInstagramXLinkedInYouTubeTikTok

June 24, 20261 hr 7 min

Still on the Floor. Still Building the Industry.

Anthony Calhoun is an ASE Master Technician with 25+ years in the industry, CEO of A.W.C. Consulting LLC, and author of “Why Techs Leave and How to Keep Them.” In this episode, Anthony walks through what each role has taught him about where the industry is falling short. He covers the mindset that helped him grow as a young tech, the advice he gives to those coming up now, and what pushed him to write a book and build Apex Tech Nation.Watch the video recordingAbout the EpisodeHost: Jay Goninen, WrenchWay, jayg@wrenchway.comGuest: Anthony Calhoun, A.W.C. Consulting LLC, awc@awcconsultingservices.comLinks & ResourcesGet notified of new episodes --> Join our email listAPEX Tech NationWhy Technicians Are Leaving and How to Keep ThemJoin the ASE Connects CommunityASE Connects brings shops, dealerships, and schools together in one structured network to strengthen the technician pipeline. By making it easier to connect, collaborate, and support students through job shadows, internships, and classroom engagement, ASE Connects helps schools build stronger programs and helps shops develop a more consistent, local source of future technicians. Learn more:ASE Connects Memberships for Shops & DealersASE Connects Memberships for Schools (Free!)Connect with us on social:FacebookInstagramXLinkedInYouTubeTikTok

June 17, 202658 min

The CARE Movement—Right People, Rare Experiences

Joe Hamilton, President & CEO of Vortex Optics, helped build one of the outdoor industry's most recognized and fiercely loyal brands by treating service as a competitive weapon, not an afterthought. In this episode, Joe unpacks the CARE Movement (Create A Rare Experience), why hiring people who already share your values is the foundation of delivering it, and why being genuinely human is the rarest advantage a business can have in 2026.Watch the video recordingAbout the EpisodeHost: Jay Goninen, WrenchWay, jayg@wrenchway.comGuest: Joe Hamilton, Vortex Optics, jhamilton@vortexoptics.comLinks & ResourcesGet notified of new episodes --> Join our email listJoin the ASE Connects CommunityASE Connects brings shops, dealerships, and schools together in one structured network to strengthen the technician pipeline. By making it easier to connect, collaborate, and support students through job shadows, internships, and classroom engagement, ASE Connects helps schools build stronger programs and helps shops develop a more consistent, local source of future technicians. Learn more:ASE Connects Memberships for Shops & DealersASE Connects Memberships for Schools (Free!)Connect with us on social:FacebookInstagramXLinkedInYouTubeTikTok

June 10, 20261 hr 6 min

Honest Conversations Move the Industry Forward

Chris Craig—Fixed Ops Curriculum Developer at RockED and content creator with 135,000 followers across platforms—has built his following by saying the things most people are afraid to post. In this episode, he breaks down why showing both sides of every industry argument is slowly shifting the culture, from the ASE certification debate to the 30/30/30 myth, what shops get wrong when hiring new grads, and the financial traps that push young techs out of the trade.Watch the video recordingAbout the EpisodeHost: Jay Goninen, WrenchWay, jayg@wrenchway.comGuest: Chris Craig, RockED, chris.craig@rocked.usLinks & ResourcesGet notified of new episodes --> Join our email listJoin the ASE Connects CommunityASE Connects brings shops, dealerships, and schools together in one structured network to strengthen the technician pipeline. By making it easier to connect, collaborate, and support students through job shadows, internships, and classroom engagement, ASE Connects helps schools build stronger programs and helps shops develop a more consistent, local source of future technicians. Learn more:ASE Connects Memberships for Shops & DealersASE Connects Memberships for Schools (Free!)Connect with us on social:FacebookInstagramXLinkedInYouTubeTikTok

June 3, 20261 hr 6 min

Mentorship, Career Moves, & Trusting Your Gut as a Technician

Josh Arnold, Recon Lead Technician at Austin Subaru, is back on the podcast for another honest conversation about life in the trade. He opens up about mentoring apprentices from scratch, what it really took to turn around a struggling recon department, and how public speaking and MPI video have pushed him to grow in ways he didn't expect. Watch the video recordingAbout the EpisodeHost: Jay Goninen, WrenchWay, jayg@wrenchway.comGuest: Josh Arnold, Austin Subaru, Connect with Josh on LinkedInLinks & ResourcesGet notified of new episodes --> Join our email listJoin the ASE Connects CommunityASE Connects brings shops, dealerships, and schools together in one structured network to strengthen the technician pipeline. By making it easier to connect, collaborate, and support students through job shadows, internships, and classroom engagement, ASE Connects helps schools build stronger programs and helps shops develop a more consistent, local source of future technicians. Learn more:ASE Connects Memberships for Shops & DealersASE Connects Memberships for Schools (Free!)Connect with us on social:FacebookInstagramXLinkedInYouTubeTikTok

May 27, 20261 hr 4 min

SkillsUSA's Real Impact on the Next Generation

Christian Spell, a recent high school graduate and SkillsUSA National Officer, joins Jay to share how a serious injury redirected his path—straight into automotive class and SkillsUSA. He opens up about competing, leading, and developing the professional skills most techs never learn in a shop.Watch the video recordingAbout the EpisodeHost: Jay Goninen, WrenchWay, jayg@wrenchway.comGuest: Christian Spell, SkillsUSA, cspell@skillsusanationalofficer.orgLinks & ResourcesGet notified of new episodes --> Join our email list2026 SkillsUSA National Leadership & Skills Conference (NLSC) June 1–5Join the ASE Connects CommunityASE Connects brings shops, dealerships, and schools together in one structured network to strengthen the technician pipeline. By making it easier to connect, collaborate, and support students through job shadows, internships, and classroom engagement, ASE Connects helps schools build stronger programs and helps shops develop a more consistent, local source of future technicians. Learn more:ASE Connects Memberships for Shops & DealersASE Connects Memberships for Schools (Free!)Connect with us on social:FacebookInstagramXLinkedInYouTubeTikTok

May 20, 202659 min

Building Technicians From the Ground Up

Todd Ainsworth, Shop Owner at Swedish Automotive, Inc. and President-Elect of the Northwest Auto Care Alliance (NWACA), joins us to talk about developing the next generation of technicians and why most shops are leaving that opportunity on the table. During the episode, Todd covers his journey from technician to shop owner, gives a closer look at NWACA's apprenticeship program and what makes it work, and why it's easier to grow a technician from scratch than to fix someone else's bad habits.Watch the video recordingAbout the EpisodeHost: Jay Goninen, WrenchWay, jayg@wrenchway.comGuest: Todd Ainsworth, Shop Owner at Swedish Automotive, Inc. & President-Elect of the Northwest Auto Care Alliance (NWACA), swedishauto.ws@gmail.comLinks & ResourcesGet notified of new episodes --> Join our email listRegister for the Building the Northwest’s Next Generation of Technicians WebinarJoin the ASE Connects CommunityASE Connects brings shops, dealerships, and schools together in one structured network to strengthen the technician pipeline. By making it easier to connect, collaborate, and support students through job shadows, internships, and classroom engagement, ASE Connects helps schools build stronger programs and helps shops develop a more consistent, local source of future technicians. Learn more:ASE Connects Memberships for Shops & DealersASE Connects Memberships for Schools (Free!)Connect with us on social:FacebookInstagramXLinkedInYouTubeTikTok

May 13, 20261 hr 17 min

BMW's STEP Program: Nurturing the Next Generation of Technicians

Antonio Maldonado and Jake Martin are recruiters for the Service Technician Education Program (STEP) at BMW North America—and they go way beyond just recruiting. In this episode they break down how STEP works for automotive and collision students, what hands-on training from day one actually looks like, and how BMW is nurturing the next generation of technicians from first contact to career.During this episode we experienced some technical difficulties — we apologize for any inconvenience this may cause while listening.Watch the video recordingAbout the EpisodeHost: Jay Goninen, WrenchWay, jayg@wrenchway.comGuests: Antonio Maldonado, BMW North America, antonio.maldonado@bmwna.comJake Martin, BMW North America, jake.martin@bmwna.comLinks & ResourcesGet notified of new episodes --> Join our email listGet Started with TruVideo’s Education Program for SchoolsJoin the ASE Connects CommunityASE Connects brings shops, dealerships, and schools together in one structured network to strengthen the technician pipeline. By making it easier to connect, collaborate, and support students through job shadows, internships, and classroom engagement, ASE Connects helps schools build stronger programs and helps shops develop a more consistent, local source of future technicians. Learn more:ASE Connects Memberships for Shops & DealersASE Connects Memberships for Schools (Free!)Connect with us on social:FacebookInstagramXLinkedInYouTubeTikTok

May 6, 202635 min

Inspection Video Is the New Standard—Are Your Students Ready?

Video inspections are now standard in dealerships and shops across the country, but most students graduate without ever recording one. In this episode, Warner Jones, Sr. VP at TruVideo, walks instructors and program directors through why inspection video is a must-have skill for today's students, how it closes the communication gap between techs and customers, and how schools can get the industry's leading video platform at no cost.Watch the video recording About the EpisodeHost: Jay Goninen, WrenchWay, jayg@wrenchway.comGuest: Warner Jones, TruVideo, wrenchway@truvideo.com Links & ResourcesGet notified of new episodes --> Join our email listGet Started with TruVideo’s Education Program for SchoolsJoin the ASE Connects CommunityASE Connects brings shops, dealerships, and schools together in one structured network to strengthen the technician pipeline. By making it easier to connect, collaborate, and support students through job shadows, internships, and classroom engagement, ASE Connects helps schools build stronger programs and helps shops develop a more consistent, local source of future technicians. Learn more:ASE Connects Memberships for Shops & DealersASE Connects Memberships for Schools (Free!)Connect with us on social:FacebookInstagramXLinkedInYouTubeTikTok

April 29, 20261 hr 2 min

Build a Shop That Runs Without You

Dan Paulson, Author of “Escape the Owner’s Trap,” joins us to tackle one of the biggest challenges shop owners face—being stuck in the middle of everything. We break down how to build accountability without micromanaging, fix communication gaps, and create processes your team will actually use. If your shop depends on you to function, this episode shows you how to change that.Watch the video podcast on YouTubeAbout the EpisodeHost: Jay Goninen, WrenchWay, jayg@wrenchway.comGuest: Dan Paulson, dan@invisionbusinessdevelopment.comLinks & ResourcesGet notified of new episodes --> Join our email listEscape the Owner's TrapJoin the ASE Connects CommunityASE Connects brings shops, dealerships, and schools together in one structured network to strengthen the technician pipeline. By making it easier to connect, collaborate, and support students through job shadows, internships, and classroom engagement, ASE Connects helps schools build stronger programs and helps shops develop a more consistent, local source of future technicians. Learn more:ASE Connects Memberships for Shops & DealersASE Connects Memberships for Schools (Free!)Connect with us on social:FacebookInstagramXLinkedInYouTubeTikTok