Collision Course

In the latest episode of Collision Course, Jason Stahl interviews Drew Plischke, director of client insurance reconciliation at Gold Coast Auto Body in the Greater Chicago area, on how his shop operates in a manner much different than other collision repair facilities, refusing to play the insurers' game and instead fighting tooth and nail for the vehicle owner. In this episode, you'll learn: The importance of educating the consumer on a proper and safe repair per their vehicle manufacturer's guidelinesThe importance of understanding your state's laws and insurance policy languageHow Gold Coast does not "play the game," as the price to repair the vehicle is produced by the extent of damage the vehicle sustained in the accidentHow Gold Coast adheres to a 100% disassembly with three goals in mind: no supplements, one complete part order and no delaysAnd more!

Jason Stahl interviews Mike Anderson, president and owner of Collision Advice, on what his message is to collision repairers in 2026 and how they can thrive, not just survive, in challenging times.In this episode, you'll learn:How to ignite excellence in your OEM research, customer experience, marketing efforts, culture — and yourselfWays to capture more businessHow to boost customer payHow to be profitable no matter the level of your business volumeAnd more!

Jason Stahl interviews Aaron Schulenburg, executive director of the Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS), on five issues he is hearing from SCRS members in their respective marketplaces that are making running a collision repair business more challenging today, including:Escalating insurer cost pressure disrupting shop operationsConsumers increasingly being asked to repair cost gaps out of pocket due to insurer pushbackRepair complexity outpacing shop compensation modelsSurging administrative workload — with AI not being a cure-allDeclining car count creating market instability

Jason Stahl interviews Blair Womble, secretary and conference chair of the Women’s Industry Network (WIN), and Nicole Carpenter, conference vice chair, on WIN’s upcoming annual conference May 4-6, 2025 in Tucson, Ariz., themed, "Empowering Excellence: 20 Years of Driving Change & Building Leadership."

In this episode, Jason Stahl discusses the technician shortage with Conner Janning who, as a traveling welding instructor for I-CAR, is on the front lines of the tech shortage and, as such, has a rare, firsthand view of what it will take to rebuild the tech pipeline.  Janning is trying to change the narrative around collision repair, showing students that collision repair isn’t just "fixing cars" but a modern, tech-forward career that blends engineering and safety-critical problem solving.