PODCAST · business
CollisionCast
by FenderBender
CollisionCast is the premier collision repair 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.
Episodes
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Should You Consider Fleet Repair Work?
One possible solution to fill bays during slow times is fleet work. Whether you service a fleet of last-mile delivery trucks, the local HVAC company, rental cars, or a trucking company, they can be a source of lower profit margin but high-volume, fast production work. ServiceUp Chief Operating...
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AI as a Second Set of Eyes: How Partly Aims to Streamline Collision Repair
In this episode, Partly founder and CEO Levi Fawcett explains how Partly is using a repair-specific AI model to help collision repair shops improve estimate accuracy, reduce administrative work, and make better parts procurement decisions. Rather than replacing platforms such as CCC, PartsTrader,...
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From Guesswork to Proof: The Science Behind Collision Shop Compliance
Are your painters truly protected? Are your waste streams compliant? Or are you relying on assumptions that could expose your business to fines, liability, and unnecessary costs? In this episode of CollisionCast, Jay Sicht sits down with KPA compliance experts Stephany Birkholz and Zach Pucillo…
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ADAS Calibration Requirements: Why a Clean Scan Isn’t Enough
ADAS, or Advanced Driver Assistance Systems, calibrations have become a routine part of collision repair, but misconceptions about when they’re required can lead to missed procedures, unnecessary work and added risk. In this episode, Isaac Aronson, Product Manager at OEC and a former automotive...
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Talking Social Media with Josh Refinish
While Josh Sorel started posting to social media to share his achievements with his wife, he now reaches tens of thousands of followers on Instagram and Facebook with his channel, Josh Refinish. He sits down with Editor-in-Chief Jay Sicht to talk about his refinishing career — now beginning his...
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Strategies for When the Parking Lot Isn't Full
Claims are down across the country, but Shey Knight, CFO of Autosport Bodyworks in Opelika, Alabama and FenderBender columnist, has some strategies to share on how he approaches the collision repair business. He is not only a 40-year veteran of the industry; as an insurance producer, he has a...
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ADAS Liability: What Collision Repairers Need to Know
Advanced Driver Assistance Systems, or ADAS, have aided driver safety and prevented or lessened the severity of collisions. At the same time, they require specific procedures to ensure they’re working as designed post-collision. What is the shop’s liability, and how can an operator lessen that...
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Drive More Customers to Your Collision Repair Shop
As more customers turn to AI chatbots and search engine reviews to decide where to bring their car after an accident, if your shop doesn’t have a strong digital brand, you’ve lost a customer before they’ve even had a chance to walk through your door. In our July case study in the magazine, Noah...
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GM Enhances Collision Assistance Tool
Whether you’re wanting to order a sandwich delivery or look up specs on the newest power tool at the big box store, there’s an app for that. General Motors’ Brian Wakefield, director of Global Digital Service Solutions, joins the CollisionCast to talk about the enhancements to its Collision...
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Changing Lives with NABC
As the National Auto Body Council celebrates its 30th anniversary and looks to the next 30 years, we talk with Executive Director Debby Robinson about NABC's various programs and how your shop can get involved. Learn more about the Recycled Rides program, the First Responder Emergency Extrication...
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The Plastic Repair Decision
There are a number of reasons why you might consider repairing certain plastic parts, including lack of availability of replacement parts, their prohibitive replacement cost, and the rise in customer pay work. How plastic automotive parts are repaired has evolved, but with concern over affecting...
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Helping Close the Technical Gap with BackBay Estimator
Built around proactive microlearning, Collision ProAssist's BackBay Discord community replaces one-size-fits-all training and opinion-driven social media advice with documented, expert-backed answers that improve estimate accuracy, capture overlooked operations, and strengthen communication…
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Give Up What You Don't Need
Are you ready to let go of beliefs, habits, emotions, and stories that no longer serve you? In this special Endeavor to Discover episode, Endeavor B2B’s Chris Messer is joined by Mike Jones of Discover Leadership and Louie Sharp, owner of Sharp Auto Body in Chicago. They emphasize that past...
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Collision Repair's Compliance Burden
How do you manage safety, human resources, and environmental regulations and management? Wayne Curtis, CEO of KPA, has over 20 years of firsthand experience working with collision centers and auto body shops to help them balance compliance with the challenges of focusing on daily operations. He...
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Fearless to Courageous
He built 14 stores. Then he sold 10 of them — one by one — during one of the toughest economic downturns in modern history. In Fearless to Courageous, James Baxter reveals the sleepless nights, payroll fears, and hard leadership decisions that reshaped his company, and why focusing on four strong...
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Empowering Excellence with WIN
The Women’s Industry Network’s mission is to attract, develop, and promote women into collision repair professions. And there is still time to register for Empowering Excellence, the 2026 WIN Conference, May 4-6 in Tucson, Arizona. Blair Womble, director of strategic account services with Caliber...
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Are You Getting Your Piece of the Customer-Pay Pie?
More drivers these days are choosing to pay out of pocket instead of filing an insurance claim. At FenderBender, we know of some shop owners reporting as much as a 30 percent increase in customer-pay work. In today’s episode, Rich Harrison, CEO of MSO CollisionRight, explains the reasons for this...
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Safety Inspections and Collision Vision
Safety inspections, including but not limited to restraint systems, steering gear, and collapsible steering columns, are of utmost importance when required by an OEM. But with the amount of procedure research required, they can be labor-intensive before the toolbox even opens. Here to talk about...
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Fight Forward
What if the biggest thing holding you back isn’t your goals — but how you’re framing them? In this special Endeavor to Discover episode, Chris Messer, vice president of transportation at Endeavor Business Media, sits down with Mike Jones, president of Discover Leadership, alongside editorial...
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Independents: Change What You Can Control in 2026
In the second part of this two-part podcast, Dave Luehr of Elite Body Shop Solutions joins the CollisionCast to discuss how a transformational approach to the customer experience can allow you to have customers for life through your unique selling propositions. If you have OEM certifications, we...
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How Independents Can Win in 2026
In trying times, independent collision repairers are positioned to succeed by leveraging community relationships, reputation, and ability to quickly adapt, including custom programs to capitalize on the rising trend of customer-pay work. In part 1 of this episode, Dave Luehr, owner of Elite Body...
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Skilled Labor in the Collision Repair Industry
What's the state of the labor shortage in the collision repair industry, and what are some strategies for recruiting and retention? Crash Champions Founder and CEO Matt Ebert joins the CollisionCast to talk about how more young people are choosing skilled trades careers over traditional college...
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Mind Your Business
In this Endeavor to Discover special episode of CollisionCast, Endeavor B2B's Chris Messer and Discover Leadership's Mike Jones dive into why your mindset — not your skill set — determines the trajectory of your business. From the power of surrounding yourself with the right people to embracing...
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Toxic Teams Don’t Fix Themselves: Toxic Leadership and Team Conflict in Collision Repair
Do you have a toxic team, or does your shop have a family atmosphere? Today, we’re talking about toxic leadership and team conflict in collision repair. Dr. Paul White, co-author of The 5 Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace, joins the CollisionCast with speaker and coach Sheryl Driggers of...
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I-CAR's Kyle Thompson on Developing Talent for Today and Tomorrow
I-CAR President and CEO Kyle Thompson joins the CollisionCast to highlight the organization's focus on talent development. Highlights of this year include the rollout of the I-CAR Academy and Registered Apprentice Program, plus the organization's strong partnerships with ASE, CREF, the Collision...
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Busted Myths: What Leaders Get Wrong About Showing Appreciation
Boost productivity, reduce turnover, and elevate morale by mastering one overlooked leadership skill: showing appreciation. Dr. Paul White, co-author of The 5 Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace, joins the CollisionCast with speaker and coach Sheryl Driggers of Collision Advice, who's also…
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Focus on the Outcome
In business, conflict is inevitable, whether it’s from customers or your staff. As Mike Jones, founder and president of Discover Leadership, points out, conflict often arises because people operate from their own “belief systems.” In this special episode, Mike joins Chris Messer, executive vice...
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'Required': Ford Motor Co. Updates its Position Statements
In this episode, we’ll be talking with Andrew McInnes, FCSD, Collision & Global Brand Protection Manager, Ford Motor Company, about how the OEM recently updated its position statements for all Ford and Lincoln vehicles from 1996 and later to include a powerful word change to “required,” and the...
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An 'I Will' Attitude is the Only Attitude
Do you have an “I can” attitude…or an “I will” one? You may recall the protagonist in the children’s book “The Little Engine That Could” overcoming a seemingly impossible task. But according to Mike Jones, president and master trainer at Discover Leadership, “I can” is a statement only of...
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Fake Parts Can Have Real Consequences
Last year, U.S. Customs and Border Protection seized over 211,000 counterfeit auto parts, a whopping doubling from the number seized the previous year. This issue goes beyond selling an unlicensed copy of an emblem. NHTSA identified five known cases of death or serious injury in 2023 and 2024 in...
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Mark Allen Talks About Audi's New Roadside Events Platform
Owners of late-model Audis can better find your Audi Authorized shop with the OEM's latest offering. Mark Allen, manager of collision equipment and EV after sales service at Audi of America, joins the CollisionCast to talk about the Audi Roadside Events Platform, a telematics-based roadside...
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Lead from the Front Lines
Leadership isn’t just for those with a title. Every team member has a leadership role. Whether you're a manager or a technician, success comes from shared vision, ownership, and consistent action. Great cultures are built intentionally by people who lead from the front, together. Everyone,...
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Preparing Your Shop for In-House ADAS Calibration
There are several reasons to consider adding ADAS calibration, including reducing cycle time, offering a profitable service, or gaining control over quality. Steve Dawson, regional manager in the Washington, D.C., area for Hunter Engineering, joins the CollisionCast to talk about what you might...
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Follow Up, Follow Through
Are you a manager, or are you a leader? Do you know the distinction? If you are setting specific outcomes and making sure projects are moving forward, not just waiting until the deadline, you’re likely a leader, someone who follows up and follows through. For over 30 years, Mike Jones, president...
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Calibration Crisis: How Drivers' Safety May Be Placed at Risk
As it relates to ADAS calibrations in collision repair shops, what is the skill level of technicians? AirPro Diagnostics conducted a survey and presented the data to professors at the University of North Florida in Jacksonville, Florida, for analysis. The 26-page report from Dr. Debbie Wang and…
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How Training and Development Drive Success at CARSTAR
In this episode, we explore the critical role that training and development play in driving success at CARSTAR, one of the leading collision repair networks in the country. Our guest, a proud CARSTAR owner, opens up about the inspiration behind making employee growth a top priority and how this...
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Failure Isn't Fatal
For anyone who has ever uttered the words, “failure is not an option,” Mike Jones, president and master trainer at Discover Leadership Training, has a message you should consider. In this special edition of CollisionCast, Jones, who works extensively with small to medium-sized business owners and...
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Slow Sales? Shop Profits' Greg Lobsiger Shares How to Help Turn Things Around
At a time when many across the country are experiencing slowing sales, Greg Lobsiger, owner of Loren's Body Shop in Bluffton, Indiana, and monthly FenderBender Shop Profits columnist, had the best sales month since his grandfather opened the shop in 1951. Lobsiger offers a message of hope and a…
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Talking Tariffs with Greg Horn of PartsTrader
The on-again, off-again nature of the various tariffs that apply to our industry can be confusing. To help our listeners gain a better understanding of what tariffs currently apply and how they could soon affect collision repairers, we talk with veteran analyst PartsTrader Chief Industry…
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Changes Coming from BAR for California Repairers
In California, the Bureau of Automotive Repair is implementing new regulations July 1 that will change how collision repairers will do business. These changes will be detailed in the Write it Right guide, also on July 1. Andrew Batenhorst, body shop manager of Pacific BMW in Glendale, California,...
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Why is Claims Frequency Down?
Vehicle complexity, including the growing average number of replacement parts — up by 15% — and lightweight parts that more often need to be replaced instead of repaired, means repair times are longer and the labor required for this is more specialized. This has increased severity. Meanwhile,...
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How Airflow Can Make or Break Paintwork in a Shop
A paint booth is essentially a large air mover. The freer air can move in and out, the better off you'll be. But if a booth is imbalanced, the air can be turbulent and dirty, and that creates more work to sand out and polish dirt nibs. In this CollisionCast episode, sponsored by Accudraft Paint...
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'Braking' the Stigma of Mental Health Care in Collision Repair
May is Mental Health Awareness Month, formed in 1949 by what is now known as Mental Health America. This year, its campaign theme is "Turn Awareness into Action," which celebrates "the progress we've made in recognizing the importance of mental health — and challenging us to turn understanding…
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Meeting Challenges in the Collision Repair Industry Today and in the Coming Months
Join this episode of the CollisionCast, in which Mike Brockway, owner of Dabler Auto Body & Collision Repair in Salem, Oregon, talks with Editor-in-Chief Jay Sicht about some of the challenges facing the collision repair industry today, including pushback from insurers on certain line items, and...
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Hands-On Collision Repair Training for the Front Office
Beginning in May, 3M is rolling out its new Front Office Collision Repair Training course. Intended for repair planners/estimators, adjusters, collision repair shop managers and owners, the focus of the three-day course is on foundational processes in the body repair and paint shop areas....
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Peace of Mind or Damage Control? The Case for Proactive Security in Auto Repair
In this CollisionCast episode, sponsored by AMAROK, Editor-in-Chief Jay Sicht sits down with AMAROK Enterprise Development Manager Jackson Skey to talk about how improving your collision repair shop's security can be a turnkey solution that can give your customers peace of mind their vehicle is...
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WIN for Women in Collision Repair
Women are not well represented in collision repair, and there’s one organization that aims to support women in this male-dominated field. Liz Stein, vice president of strategic initiatives at Certified Collision Group and current WIN chair, and Cheryl Boswell, CFO and partner for DCR Systems and…
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The Importance of OEM Procedures in ADAS Calibrations
Following OEM procedures closely is needed not only to ensure proper calibrations of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS,) but can also help seed up works in process (WIP.) Hear how the co-founders of Lightning Auto Service advocate for proper procedures and some steps they've taken to…
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Changing Lanes Training: From the Military Life to the Auto Body Life
Caliber Collision doesn’t just combat the tech shortage with their Technician Apprenticeship Program (TAP); they’re also changing the lives of active-duty service members by giving them a smooth transition not only to the collision repair industry but also to civilian life. Andrew Vaccaro…
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What to Expect When Preparing to Sell Your Business
Focus Advisors is a mergers and acquisitions firm specializing in the collision repair market and helping MSO owners achieve maximum value through a strategic exit. President Chris Lane and Senior Associate Madeleine Roberts Rich join the CollisionCast to discuss how collision repair business...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
CollisionCast is the premier collision repair 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.
HOSTED BY
FenderBender
CATEGORIES
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does CollisionCast have?
CollisionCast currently has 399 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is CollisionCast about?
CollisionCast is the premier collision repair 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.
How often does CollisionCast release new episodes?
CollisionCast publishes regularly with 399 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
Where can I listen to CollisionCast?
You can listen to CollisionCast on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts CollisionCast?
CollisionCast is created and hosted by FenderBender.
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