Rebuild It Smarter: Collin Ettienne on Leaving the Performance Trap, Letting Go of Ego, and Scaling Real Repair

Collin Ettienne built RI Automotive in Tampa the hard way, starting with one lift in a storage unit, wrenching nights and weekends, and (for a season) balancing the shop while working as a firefighter. But the real turning point wasn't opening the doors, it was having the guts to reinvent the business. For years, RI was heavily performance-focused: big builds, fast parts, fun projects… and brutal cash flow. In this episode, Collin breaks down the pivot he made after getting around other operators and training environments, shifting toward a sustainable general repair model that could support a team, systems, and long-term growth. You'll hear Collin get honest about what made the change hard: ego, the need to be "the guy," and learning how to lead without doing everything himself. He also shares what they've put in place to build real A-players; training rhythms, team communication, and using tools like DVIs to drive clarity and trust. If you're stuck in "busy-but-chaotic," or you've built a shop around what's exciting instead of what's scalable, Collin's story will hit home. Links: Honest Mechanic Marketing (HMM): https://honestmechanicmarketing.com/ RI Automotive: https://riautomotive.net/