The NOLN Podcast

Hosted by NOLN

Business

Website RSS feed

Episodes

244

Latest episode

Aug 2026

Language

About the show

The NOLN Podcast is the premier quick lube industry podcast, helping shop owners and operators improve their businesses with real-world solutions to common problems, delivered by leading industry experts and elite shop leaders.

Listen to episodes

60 recent

September 10, 2026Episode 11916 min

Accelerating Expansion, Maintaining a Mission (with Linne Fulcher, Valvoline COO)

With Valvoline Inc. set to celebrate its 40th anniversary in October, Linne Fulcher, the company’s chief operating officer, joins the NOLN Podcast to discuss how Valvoline grew from 42 service centers in 1986 to more than 2,000 Valvoline Instant Oil Change locations today. Fulcher also explains how Valvoline has continued to adapt its business model to meet the needs of modern vehicles while maintaining its core customer experience, and he also dives into the company’s continued expansion plans with a goal of growing to 3,500 locations nationwide. *** Subscribe to The NOLN Podcast on your platform of choice: Apple Podcasts iHeart Radio Spotify

September 3, 2026Episode 11811 min

Feature Read: Finding the Franchisees

Executives from two leading quick lube brands share what makes an ideal candidate to own and operate their service centers. This article originally appeared on NOLN.net on July 28, 2026. Read by Brittany Duncan *** Subscribe to The NOLN Podcast on your platform of choice: Apple Podcasts iHeart Radio Spotify

August 27, 2026Episode 1178 min

Never Stop Thinking: An Entrepreneurial Outlook on Quick Lube (with Stephen Spinelli)

Earlier this summer, Stephen Spinelli, president of Babson College and the co-founder of Jiffy Lube International, spoke with NOLN for its “NOLN at 40” series about the journey he and his colleagues took from launching Jiffy Lube International in 1979 and building it into the nation’s first quick lube chain, growing to more than 1,000 locations. In this episode, Spinelli discusses how the industry has continued to grow after he transitioned to the academic world, and he also shares some advice for today’s quick lube operators. *** Subscribe to The NOLN Podcast on your platform of choice: Apple Podcasts iHeart Radio Spotify

August 20, 2026Episode 1159 min

Feature Read: NOLN at 40 | Serving Over Selling

As quick lube marketing has become a sophisticated, technology-driven discipline, its core principles have endured. This article originally appeared on NOLN.net on June 29, 2026. Read by Brittany Duncan *** Subscribe to The NOLN Podcast on your platform of choice: Apple Podcasts iHeart Radio Spotify

August 13, 2026Episode 1169 min

EPR Law Update, Lubricant Packaging Recycling (with David Lawes)

David Lawes, CEO of the Lubricants Packaging Management Association powered by Interchange 360, returns to the NOLN Podcast to provide listeners with an update on the state of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) laws and how they will impact the quick lube industry. With lubricant packaging recycling being largely overlooked historically, Lawes discusses the launch of Colorado’s first automotive and lubricant packaging collection programs. He also explains the importance of proper collection system design for recycling, keeping packaging separate from curbside recycling, and how quick lube operators can leverage existing collection infrastructure to improve efficiency, increase recycling rates, and help control compliance costs. *** Subscribe to The NOLN Podcast on your platform of choice: Apple Podcasts iHeart Radio Spotify

August 6, 2026Episode 1149 min

A Deep Dive Into AI: The Digital Tools Entering Quick Lube

As more auto service businesses are met with AI tools in the market, NOLN chats with the companies behind two leading platforms about what they seek to offer quick lube shops. One of the firms uses existing shop cameras to monitor vehicle entry, service times, and technician activity to boost efficiency. The other handles customer calls, texts, and emails, allowing technicians to focus on service while maintaining high customer engagement during and after hours. This article originally appeared on NOLN.net on June 26, 2026. Read by Brittany Duncan *** Subscribe to The NOLN Podcast on your platform of choice: Apple Podcasts iHeart Radio Spotify

July 23, 2026Episode 11320 min

Right to Repair's Next Chapter (with Bill Hanvey, Auto Care Association CEO)

Congress recently advanced legislation addressing Right to Repair, but the final language looks much different than what independent repair advocates originally sought. Bill Hanvey, president and CEO of the Auto Care Association, recently spoke with Christine Schaffran, editor-in-chief of NOLN’s sister publication Ratchet+Wrench, to explain what made it into the bill, what was left out, what happens next, and how shop owners can help shape the future of vehicle data access and consumer choice. *** Subscribe to The NOLN Podcast on your platform of choice: Apple Podcasts iHeart Radio Spotify

July 16, 2026Episode 1128 min

Feature Read: Perfect Your Preventative Maintenance Schedules

Dave Schedin, an auto repair shop success coach from CompuTrek Systems, recently spoke with NOLN about the potentially fatal flaw in OEM maintenance schedules, what shops should analyze in their data to set more accurate maintenance intervals, and how this information should be presented to customers to build trust and keep their vehicles on the road. This story originally appeared on NOLN.net on May 27, 2026. *** Subscribe to The NOLN Podcast on your platform of choice: Apple Podcasts iHeart Radio Spotify

July 9, 2026Episode 11127 min

Maintaining Margins, Protecting Profits (with Scott Hempy, Oilstop CEO)

Scott Hempy, CEO of Oilstop Drive-Thru Oil Change and Happy’s Drive-Thru Car Wash, joins the NOLN Podcast to take a closer look at a topic covered in one of his recent columns for NOLN: how quick lube operators can maintain their margins even as their costs rise. In this conversation, Hempy explains why operators should focus on controllable factors, such as labor efficiency, bay times, and inventory management, and build a culture of cost awareness in their shops. He also offers up best practices for implementing thoughtful prices increases without driving away guests. *** Subscribe to The NOLN Podcast on your platform of choice: Apple Podcasts iHeart Radio Spotify

July 2, 2026Episode 1109 min

Feature Read: Beyond the Sale: Why Strong Vendor Partnerships Give Quick Lubes a Competitive Edge

Vendors who work with quick lubes have evolved from suppliers and distributors to sage advisors and full-fledged partners. On this note, earlier this year NOLN caught up with representatives from Mighty Auto Parts and Service Champ, who explained why effective vendor partnerships involve understanding the specific needs and challenges of quick lube shops, including inventory, training, and service offerings. This story originally appeared on NOLN.net on May 30, 2026. *** Subscribe to The NOLN Podcast on your platform of choice: Apple Podcasts iHeart Radio Spotify