91 - Success From One to Many, Sue & Jason Ingram

91 - Success From One to Many, Sue & Jason Ingram - Japanese Car Care

March 15th, 2024 - 00:31:56

 

Show Summary:

Jimmy Lea converses with Jason and Sue Ingram, the visionary duo behind a thriving automotive repair business. Venturing from the inception of their journey in acquiring a longstanding shop in 2017, through transformative growth and learning curves, to the expansion into a second, larger location, this narrative is a roadmap of entrepreneurial evolution. The Ingrams share candidly about the challenges and triumphs of transitioning from hands-on technicians to business owners, the instrumental role of continuous education, and the strength found in community and expert advice. Their story is a beacon for current and aspiring shop owners, illuminating the path of growth, adaptation, and success in the automotive industry.

 

Host(s):

Jimmy Lea, VP of Business Development

 

Guest(s):

Sue & Jason Ingram, Owners of Japanese Car Care

 

Episode Highlights:

(00:01:00) - Jason and Sue Ingram share the beginnings and challenges of owning their business.

(00:05:00) - Insights on the importance of community and expert guidance in business.

(00:14:00) - The impact of the Institute's coaching on business profitability and growth.

(00:18:00) - The journey from a small, cramped shop to purchasing a second, spacious location.

(00:21:00) - The pivotal decision to join the Institute and its transformational outcome.

(00:30:00) - Strategies for hiring and the unexpected places to find potential employees.

(00:40:00) - The significance of a strong CPA and building a supportive team.

(00:53:00) - Reflections on growth and the vision for future expansion.

(01:00:00) - Encouragement to seek community support and not navigate business challenges alone.

 

As we unravel Jason and Sue Ingram's journey of growth and resilience in the automotive business, we're eager to hear from you! What pivotal moments or lessons have shaped your journey in the automotive industry or any entrepreneurial venture?

Share your insights and stories with us at info@wearetheinstitute.com, and your experience could be highlighted in a future episode.

 

 

Links & Resources: 

• Want to learn more? Click Here
• Want a complimentary business health report? Click Here
• See The Institute's events list: Click Here
• Want access to our online classes? Click Here

 

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Kent Bullard: [00:00:00] Welcome to the Institute's Leading Edge, a show dedicated to giving automotive professionals the tools and education needed to succeed. The topics we cover are all geared towards running a better business, leading a better life, and ultimately changing the industry for, well, the better. Here's

Jason Ingram: what's coming up.

Jason Ingram: Like I said, there was very many nights between working with customers and helping our techs try and figure out a car or taking on a problem car myself. Being the janitor and fixing the plumbing and doing a little bit of everything, you know, there was many days I'm like, what did I get myself into? Was no more going home and clocking out and being done.

Jason Ingram: It was a whole new level there. So this business is rough. Sometimes it can really take your mindset and put you in it, put you down the wrong path. I told

Sue Ingram: her the same thing, get a CPA and talk through it. Don't go it alone. You really need to find that group. We

Kent Bullard: need your help by submitting questions or topics to info at we are the institute.

Kent Bullard: com. We can continue to provide relevant content to you, the listener, but for now, what are we waiting for? Let's

Jimmy Lea: get into it. Our discussion today, leading edge. podcast. We're talking with Jason [00:01:00] and Sue. What are you doing that is doing really well? I hear that you're expanding, you're growing locations, you're growing the team.

Jason Ingram: Well, we're just kind of following the advice that Aaron and the Institute has given us. Uh, things that we took for granted before, didn't really follow, didn't know to follow. And so, um, kind of brought us back to the basics as to what we're looking for, what we need to focus on and, and, uh, we committed that if we're going to do that, we were going to stick with it best we could.

Jason Ingram: And, um, it's, uh, definitely paid off for us for

Jimmy Lea: sure. So, yeah, Sue was just telling me that she had a really good conversation with a potential employee. Congratulations. Always recruiting. Sue, where, where did you find this potential employee at?

Jason Ingram: Um,

Sue Ingram: T Mobile. T Mobile, yeah. Um, have, have, only, I went into this T Mobile store, um, about a year ago, had such great customer service with this gentleman that I specifically went back to this T Mobile store, [00:02:00] looking for him, in hopes that I can get him to help me, and he gave me um, A year later, he remembered me.

Sue Ingram: He remembered that when I came in, I had my daughter. He remembered that we had an automotive repair business. Um, he couldn't remember the name, but he remembered, and it was a year, you know, it was just right at about a year. And, um, he gave me amazing customer service as well. So I actually, I don't, I don't have business cards.

Sue Ingram: So I gave him Jason's business card and gave him, put my cell number on the back and said, if you ever think about leaving T Mobile after 12 years, because that's what his badge said. I really hope you'll give me a call. A week later, he's called.

Jimmy Lea: Oh my gosh. Yeah. What a beautiful success story. I love that.

Jimmy Lea: So I'm going to put a comma right here for a minute. Maybe it's a semicolon. I don't know my grammar is not as good as uh, So the question is let's go back in time back to when you guys started what did that look like when you started your shop X number of years ago. How long [00:03:00] ago was that?

Jason Ingram: Uh, well this this particular shop opened in 1977, but of course we purchased it from a relative my uncle uh back in 2017 I started work here and working here in 2016 Yeah with the knowledge that he was to be retiring and we'd be purchasing the shop.

Jason Ingram: Uh, so that's when it started of course we Had a great name great reputation Uh, but it was doing things, uh, like they were doing back in the 80s, you know in 2016 They were still doing that and so, uh, we just kind of went Uh status quo didn't want to rock the boat or change anything too much to shake things up because it seemed like it was running well and successful at a Again a great name and good customer base, but Uh, really wasn't, uh, producing or turning, uh, what it should have been, of course, all during that time, so.

Jason Ingram: Nice. Yeah,

Jimmy Lea: so when you started in 16, the intention was to buy out

Jason Ingram: [00:04:00] Uncle. Correct. Yes, sir.

Jimmy Lea: Yeah. Okay. And what did that original shop, the first shop, what does that look like? What's the footprint? Uh, the footprint

Jason Ingram: is, uh, had one, uh, Very, yeah, very small head, uh. The whole building is 2400 square feet, including the office and the shop.

Jason Ingram: So, which we're still in, uh, but, uh, we've had, uh, my uncle was the, the main writer and it was just him up front managing, writing, doing everything and, um, and then we had, uh, at the time there were three technicians, uh, two older gentlemen that were kind of long term employees and, uh, then one Fairly new, um, you know, CB tech, if you will.

Jason Ingram: And that was what we were doing. That was it. And all that with one guy up front.

Jimmy Lea: How many bays were you working with these three technicians? Uh, so

Jason Ingram: we have um, we've increased it even though we've crammed more in but it was originally four bays four bays with the three [00:05:00] decks Wow,

Sue Ingram: very

Jason Ingram: very cramped

Jimmy Lea: very cramped.

Jimmy Lea: Yeah. Yeah, that's pretty tight quarters pretty tight quarters and and was it four bay doors or were you double double deeps or

Jason Ingram: So they're not double deeps, but they're, um, it's, um, there's three, uh, two car, if you will, doors. Uh, and so again, we kind of took out a little bit of air, uh, a wash area that they had, and we made an additional bay out of it.

Jason Ingram: So at least we have five indoor bays now and an outdoor bay. Um, but, uh, you know, originally it was just the four and, uh, again, it was just right stacked on top of each other. Um, you know, lift posts actually, well, actually when we took it over, it still had the single pole in ground lifts. In it, which were, of course, as you know, very dangerous and we had to get rid of right away.

Jason Ingram: Yeah,

the

Jimmy Lea: hydraulic in the ground hydraulic big foot one foot wide thrusted up in the air. Oh my God. Yes, sir. My dad used to install those in gas stations [00:06:00] back in the 70s, 80s, 90s in Las Vegas. And then his company, they would service all those, um, he owned the company and, and they, they did all that.

Jimmy Lea: That's, so that's, that's so interesting. Yeah. Cause they, they tend to leak quite

Jason Ingram: a bit. They, they do. They leak quite a bit. And of course you get the air in them and then it wants to shoot the car off the rack, as you know. So, uh, so we had that a bit of a scary situation that we, as soon as we, uh, signed the papers, uh, we took those out.

Jason Ingram: Put in some traditional lifts, which made it a little tighter, uh, but, you know, at least it was much safer, a better working environment in that regard.

Jimmy Lea: Yeah, that's great. That's good. So, you're working, uh, the, the shop, you take over in 17, uncle retires, he's on the beach with my ties. What point is, uh, Sue, do you join the company, the corporation, the business?

Jason Ingram: Um,

Sue Ingram: so I actually started right at the beginning and a little bit before. So while I wasn't necessarily on the payroll, [00:07:00] um, I, uh, Jason's aunt did the books, um, for, for the business. And so, um, In, in 20, I guess it was probably late 2016. Um, I started working with his aunt to learn the books, to learn the business.

Sue Ingram: My. Um, I hadn't worked for a few years prior to that. Cause I stayed home to raise our daughter, but she went back to school or she went to school. And, um, so then, um, but my, my background was actually in, um, the administrative healthcare field. So automotive was brand new to me. I started working with, with his aunt to learn it.

Sue Ingram: So from the moment that we signed the paperwork, I was working full time in the business. Um, cause it was, it was just him and I for a little while at the front and then, you know, very shortly after that, um, our manager was able to move up front. [00:08:00] And so Jason taught me how to, to do service writing and estimates, and I learned how to do all that

Jimmy Lea: jazz.

Jimmy Lea: And with all that jazz, how did you do, how did you do as a service advisor? Um, I

Sue Ingram: think I did okay. I, I love people. And so I, I actually, I miss that part of it. I do miss having that contact with the customers on a regular basis. Um, but, um, I think I did okay. I had lots of questions and Jason and our manager, Eric, were very gracious with me and answering my questions or, you know, I would go grab the technician and say, Hey, come look at this part because it's listing too, you know?

Sue Ingram: And so the guys were great. They were they were great with me, but um, I think I did. Okay, I think Um, I think I did okay on

Jimmy Lea: it. Oh, that's awesome And jason if we go back in time remembering sue as a service advisor, how did she do? Oh, she did Well, yeah,

Jason Ingram: she did. She was uh had a really good. Yeah Yes Connected [00:09:00] with the customer really well, I think she uh, you know, uh put it uh But put an element in there that we we didn't have before.

Jason Ingram: Uh, so it helped us out quite a bit because I was just uh You Of course, a former tech who is now trying to, uh, run a shop and be a service advisor at the same time, which I had never done full time. And so, uh, you know, kind of learning from her approach as well, I think helped me adapt a little quicker and as to what, you know, uh, what the customers were looking for, what we needed for a customer base.

Jason Ingram: You know, they've been coming to us for many, many years. And so I think we had a pretty smooth transition that she was very much key, key to and helped out with quite a bit.

Jimmy Lea: Nice. And at what point along the route, did you, did you say, okay, uh, I'm a very high skilled technician. Now I'm a business owner. I need to be a high skilled business owner.

Jimmy Lea: When did you start looking for assistance with being a business

Jason Ingram: owner? Well, um, you know, quite honestly, we, uh, we started doing this and then we thought we were doing pretty [00:10:00] good. You know, I'd been trained, uh, by some pretty big corporations, uh, you know, uh, some of the dealership groups and, and some pretty large, uh, uh, independent, uh, you know, retailers, if you will, that, that put me through a lot of training.

Jason Ingram: So I thought, well, you know what, I can go in there and apply what I've learned. And, and we did well, we, we increased, you know, on our own, what my uncle was doing. We, we doubled it within the first couple of years. Yeah. But then we seem to stall out and, um, you know, again, out of mindset that was kind of stuck in some of the old ways.

Jason Ingram: We tried a lot of new things that I have learned. But again, we didn't have any specific training as to this particular business model. Uh, you know, my training was much larger business models and much different metrics. And so didn't have really any. Any idea what metrics I needed to be going for and where they needed to be, uh, other than what, you know, uh, my uncle was doing in the 1980s, if you will.

Jason Ingram: And so, um, we kind of got tired because we [00:11:00] were beating ourselves up. We were there, you know, 12, 14 hours a day. And, um, again, the business was running. Customers were happy. Things were doing well in regards to that end of it, uh, personal land. We were running ourselves ragged and we weren't really producing anything.

Jason Ingram: We're making anything out of it, barely breaking even if you will. And I said, this was just too, too darn hard, uh, to do all this, to work so hard, just to, uh, you know, say, Hey, we broke even this month, you know? So, so we started kind of looking around. We started

Sue Ingram: looking probably about six or eight months before we signed up with the Institute.

Sue Ingram: So we've been looking at our options and everything like that. So, um, and talking about it, what do we do? What's our next steps and things like that? Uh,

Jason Ingram: knew about the Institute, knew about a couple of, uh, the Institute's competitors and things of that nature. But then when we, uh, we actually, uh, went to a [00:12:00] presentation that Cecil put on at the, uh, Napa Expo.

Jason Ingram: Yeah, Napa Expo in 22 and, uh, you know, as soon as it was over with, we went and kind of talked to Cecil for a few minutes and talked to, uh, another gentleman and, um, and decided right there that, you know, after what we knew and after talking with Cecil, we better sign up with these folks and see what they can help us out with.

Jason Ingram: So what has happened

Jimmy Lea: since. Presentation with Cecil. What does that look like from then until today? Where are we? What's, what does

Jason Ingram: that look like? It definitely become a profitable shop, which is, is nice. It's a much less stressful in that regard. Our demand is increased even from there. Uh, we've gone from, you know, generally about a two to three week wait was our average time to, uh, right now we're, we're.

Jason Ingram: Booking about six weeks out, which is why we're expanding. We're trying to remedy that by expanding here. Uh, so, uh, we've Maintained our customer base. We've gained some Uh, we've become profitable now We're hitting hitting the [00:13:00] metrics that we need to hit. We're watching them We're able to adjust and we're much less stressful, uh for myself and susan um, you know, there's New components, of course, with expanding, uh, as expected, but, um, but, you know, that would never been a possibility before we got involved with, uh, with the institute was, uh, the expansion would have never even been a possibility.

Jason Ingram: So, uh, so, you know, it's brought that that opportunity to us and we're moving forward. You know, getting, getting, getting much larger and moving on.

Sue Ingram: Our, our group and our coaches helped us, you know, like Jason said, with the matrix, you know, to see where we have improvement, but also, which was a little painful at the time, but they weren't shy about saying, well, Okay, ding a ling.

Sue Ingram: Why are you doing that? You know and pointing out the mistakes, you know that we were making not just the things that we Can be doing but [00:14:00] the mistakes that we were doing um, and and that was you know, extremely helpful and um, you know, we we signed up and um And like I said, that the expo was in July of 2022.

Sue Ingram: And we signed up, you know, there, um, you know, after deciding that this is the organization we want to be affiliated with and we, um, really started, you know, getting into it. That first October, that October, 2022, when we went to the first group meeting and, um, we felt a little beat up when we left, but we left there with.

Sue Ingram: Pages and pages and pages of notes and, um, a great community, you know, that, that was there to support us and back us. And by about the end of May, mid to late May of last year, 2023, Jason and I were looking at properties. So, not even quite a year into it, we were looking [00:15:00] at properties to say, okay, it's time to take the next step and expand because there's no reason not to at this point.

Kent Bullard: What if we told you that you could get quality training and education conveniently and without emptying your pockets? Our gear platform presents great education and resources for automotive shops. Courses led by experts inside and outside our industry. A community of like minded people to engage with.

Kent Bullard: And a resource library at your fingertips. With a monthly membership, you can gain access to Access to every course we have in the library with the ability to watch wherever and whenever you'd like. The right training is more easily accessed than ever before. For help with improving your business, go to we are the institute.com and take your first course today.

Jimmy Lea: Love it. I love it. So properties, does this mean you built a new facility or you're looking at properties to purchase? We,

Sue Ingram: we purchased. We purchased so we we own our original property. Um, and we purchased this location. We did look into purchasing [00:16:00] land and building, but there's not a whole lot of options were kind of landlocked here in Albuquerque.

Sue Ingram: Um, and so, um, that the next, you know, obviously best thing was to find property that we could purchase this building is not a, it was not automotive, but it has a large warehouse that we were able to very quickly, we're, we're still in the process, but we're, we're quickly renovating it to be an automotive repair shop.

Jason Ingram: Nice.

Jimmy Lea: And how big is this second shop? What

does

Jason Ingram: that look like? Okay.

Sue Ingram: Total square footage is about 9, 000 square feet.

Jason Ingram: Yeah,

Jimmy Lea: that's massive. That's huge. How many lifts were you going to get

Jason Ingram: in there? Sue? Uh, jason,

Sue Ingram: how many he just had the lifts installed. They just finished them up on thursday or friday Yeah,

Jason Ingram: yeah, we've got uh, we've got eight lifts in there basically so it's uh, Much much larger than than what we have now much more room And so, uh, with a total of eight in there, I think that we're in, we're in much better shape.

Jason Ingram: [00:17:00] Uh, the office is, is quite large there, which we've never had office space. So we've got some office space that we can work with and, and have some, uh, as you know, like right now, uh, our office space at the old location where I'm at. The phone's ringing, people are talking, as you can hear, there's not any private space here at this current office.

Jason Ingram: So at least we'll have that now as well and then have a much bigger shop for the guys to, you know, do, do their, do what they do out there. So it'll be much more comfortable. Oh,

Jimmy Lea: I love it. And how close, what's the proximity between the two locations?

Jason Ingram: It's about

Sue Ingram: seven miles, um, about 14, 14 to 15 minutes, um, away from our original location.

Sue Ingram: Very close. Yes, not so close that it's Albuquerque for being a large city, it's not. It's very spread out. It is. So seven miles is in Albuquerque people tend to not like to drive any more than about 10 miles from [00:18:00] their home or their office. They're very funny. There's, you know, we've got the river through town.

Sue Ingram: And if you ask a West Sider to drive across. The, the river to the east side, it's like the end of the world for them. Um, and vice versa, you know, west siders don't like going to the east side. East siders don't like going to the west side. It's, it's this whole thing. Um, so it's, it's, it's a really good, and it's a, it's a really good demographic that the new shop is located in as

Jason Ingram: well.

Jimmy Lea: Yeah, isn't it amazing that natural land barrier that people just don't cross over? Yeah. Rivers, rivers is one, freeways is another, railroad tracks becomes another. It's interesting that people just have an aversion to crossing over.

Jason Ingram: Yeah. Those things. Absolutely.

Jimmy Lea: Yeah. Well, that's good. That's phenomenal.

Jimmy Lea: You're, you're growing, you're expanding. You've added Eight more bays, which is awesome. Um, and, and, and having office space helps that as well. So this is where you [00:19:00] are today. And, and are we, do you have the occupancy? Do you have a certificate of occupancy? Are you, are you servicing vehicles

Jason Ingram: today?

Sue Ingram: We are not, um, because we just have a little bit more, um, uh, construction to do.

Sue Ingram: I mean, if you will, we just have some, you know, the lifts, you know, Jason had the lifts put in, we need to have some electrical ran, actually the electricians out there working right now to run the electrical for the lifts. Um, and then we've got just a. A few other small, uh, minor things. One of the bays that Jason's gonna put the alignment rack in needs, he's having a garage door put in and then running some additional electrical in that room.

Sue Ingram: So little things, little things like that. And, and then we're, we'll be up and running. So I'm. Yeah, sure. Working on getting the office, you know, set up and everything. So, so we are not servicing vehicles as of yet. We have our fingers crossed for no [00:20:00] later than mid April. We would really like April 1st, but we're trying to be realistic at the same time.

Sue Ingram: Then

Jason Ingram: maybe kind of like Susan said, maybe mid April we hope to plan this to go. Uh, full on, if you will, so.

Jimmy Lea: Nice, nice. Mid April, hopefully, mid April is your launch date. That'd be phenomenal. What's your advice for, uh, people getting into the industry now? What's your advice to those that are opening a shop, or maybe they've had a few years under their belt?

Jimmy Lea: What advice would you give shop

Jason Ingram: owners today? Well, I know Seuss has some things to say on that as well, but I'll start out with is definitely don't do it alone because, uh, that is a a tough road that you're probably going to end up, you know, making the wrong decision or, you know, getting out of the business, if you will, because it can be pretty rough.

Jason Ingram: Uh, but when you have a group to work with, you know, the, the folks in our group that the other shop owners and then the coaching from, from Aaron, uh, you know, that really kind of simplifies it and makes it, uh, to where you can understand really what you're trying to do and [00:21:00] what you're going for. Uh, again, it, it changes your mindset.

Jason Ingram: You know, this can really, uh, this business is rough. Sometimes it can really. Take your mindset and put you, put you down the wrong path. And so we want to say definitely don't do that alone. Get somebody involved like these guys. Aaron is great and really has helped us along the way and helped to correct.

Jason Ingram: You know, when I'm not thinking right or, you know, making poor decisions, um, really helps to bring, bring it around to, you know, a simple, simple, simple way of correcting what we're doing wrong. And so, um, but it's invaluable. Uh, you know, it's just not worth trying to do it on your own without having these guys back you up and help you.

Jason Ingram: Uh, it's just way, way too hard, uh, to do it without some, some help and some coaching.

Sue Ingram: Have a really great CPA. I, I, I can't emphasize that enough. Um, Jason and I, we inherited the CPA from his uncle and we chose to because they knew the business. [00:22:00] But it turned out that that was not the best way to go. So we found a new CPA.

Sue Ingram: He's been absolutely wonderful. He truly looks out for us. And so have a really good CPA on retainer and, uh, don't hesitate to reach out to them. Don't try to figure things out on your own. That's what they're there for. They're the experts. So that would be my first piece of advice. Along that line, surround yourself with really great people like Jason was saying.

Sue Ingram: So yes, Aaron's been absolutely wonderful. John, you know, he, he was so great and challenging, especially me, but the employees too, you have to surround yourself with like minded, really great employees. And Jason and I have been so blessed in, in having that, having that through that work family that they want to see the business.

Sue Ingram: succeed. Um, you know, of course they need to succeed as well. And if they succeed, the business [00:23:00] is, you know, succeeding and vice versa. And so I would, I would say get back up. You're, you're going to get knocked down from time to time. And Lord knows, I've been knocked down quite a bit, you know, but get back up.

Sue Ingram: And when you're surrounded by great people like Don and Aaron and the rest of our group and the rest of, you know, all of you guys at the Institute, our employees, it makes it easier. To, to get back up.

Kent Bullard: The most crucial interaction our customer has with us is with our service advisors. So why not have it be with someone who's confident and capable?

Kent Bullard: We train hundreds of top performing advisors, utilizing the latest technology, tactics, resources, and training methods, placing them in a group of their peers. Our training keeps them accountable, engaged, and dynamic at the counter. We believe in developing career oriented advisors so that they have a place they can call home and you don't have to stress any more about turnover.

Kent Bullard: If you're looking for the next sales training opportunity to provide your advisor with the best possible outcome, experience what it's like to have an Institute trained advisor. Book a discovery call today [00:24:00] at wearetheinstitute. com. There's a lot of sales training programs out there, so why not choose the right

Jimmy Lea: one?

Jimmy Lea: I heard two things there. Get a good CPA. And secondly, is Surround yourself with community. Surround yourself with people that have been there done that that have that experience and they can talk to you about That experience they can talk to you about the next steps you need to take Uh and and holding you accountable.

Jimmy Lea: How powerful is

Jason Ingram: that?

Sue Ingram: Yeah, no, it's great. It's great. Also having those people that not only have been there, done that, but are there doing it that are making the same mistakes as you, that you can talk through it. Jason and I had the opportunity this weekend, um, by chance to talk to another couple that they own a business.

Sue Ingram: It's not an automotive repair, but talking with them and, and we were telling them the same thing. I told her the same thing, get a CPA. Don't go it alone, and you [00:25:00] really need to find that group. Of course, we, we just couldn't say enough great things about the Institute, but you've got to find that, that group to, to help, because you guys can, can learn off of each other.

Sue Ingram: Finding those people that not only can give you advice, but that you can also

Jimmy Lea: help. Yeah, it's powerful. It's powerful. Well, we appreciate you. Well,

Jason Ingram: we, you know, really appreciate everything you guys have done for us, all the, all the help and the training we've got. So

Jimmy Lea: let's look down the road. And thank you, Jason, by the way.

Jimmy Lea: Thank you. Um, let's, let's look down the road. What does, and maybe this is too soon to ask this question because you're still moving into 9, 000 square feet. What's the goals? Where are we going? What, what's, what does that look like? What does that future road look like for Jason and Sue? Well,

Jason Ingram: for

Sue Ingram: Sue, I, I, I swear Jason wants to, to throw a hammer at my head every time I jokingly say this, but I, I'll say, well, when we're, when we're opening our third location, he just glares at me and looks for something to throw [00:26:00] before we do that.

Sue Ingram: I want to see this second location up and running, thriving, doing as well as. As our first location, having happy employees. I, I think our employees are happy. They, they tell us they're happy. They show up and do good work every day. Thank God. But we want all of our employees to be happy. I want to see this location thrive and, and do well and serve the community with the same honesty and integrity as we strive for at, at our original location.

Sue Ingram: If that means in a few years. That I can talk Jason into a third location, then that will be, that'll be the goal for that location. But one step at a time, I suppose.

Jason Ingram: Yeah. Yeah. I, uh, well, like I said, I would love to, uh, you know, the, the goal is to get this second location up and running, uh, maintain the equality and integrity that we're, we're known for.

Jason Ingram: Get it profitable. Have the guys from our group come out and give us some, [00:27:00] some input on the new spot and see how it's doing and, and get there. Their feedback on our layout and what we can do to improve it and just get it up to where again It's it's something that we feel that is is running The way it should run that we are maintaining Uh everything that we stand for and um, you know, once it's it's up and running successfully I think we'll have to look at the next step from there.

Jason Ingram: I'm not a huge fan of Of multiple multiple locations like some of our shop owners in our group, uh have but you know It's I I have my comfort levels, but that's what the institute has helped me with Like I said, there was no possibility that we'd be even be opening a second You When we first got involved with the institute, but, um, but they changed my mindset and, uh, made me realize, you know, that that was probably the right way to go.

Jason Ingram: And so who knows? Uh, you know, who knows? Right now, like I say, the block is, is me probably more than anything, but we'll get this second spot up and going, get the, the first one maintaining and, uh, We'll see where we're

Jimmy Lea: at from there. I [00:28:00] love it. And once, once you're have created that rubber stamp that is culture is quality, is integrity, and you're able to expand that out to location three and four and five and six, it becomes that rubber stamp where you know what it takes to do it.

Jimmy Lea: And every couple of years you just add another location along. Long, long along. There you go. And it's that easy, right?

Sue Ingram: Right. Why not?

Jimmy Lea: Well, that's cool. Well, I appreciate your advice. I appreciate your insight. I appreciate your experience. Appreciate you taking some time to meet with me and talk about that experience and what it looks like for you.

Jimmy Lea: There's a lot of shop owners in the industry. Uh, and they feel like they're an island. They feel like they have to go it alone. And that's what I'm hearing from you is no, don't go it alone. You, you don't have to do that. Lock arms with a community, lock arms with a group of like minded shop owners, and together [00:29:00] we can make that path quicker, better, easier, faster, avoid the mistakes because, uh, together.

Jimmy Lea: As a group, we know more than we know individually. So as a group, we can help us to succeed. So

Jason Ingram: that's been a

Sue Ingram: conversation that Jason and I have had a few times since joining the Institute is imagine where we would be now, if we had joined back in 2017, when we first. bought the business. Imagine where we could be.

Sue Ingram: And I mean, we don't dwell on that because we are where we are, but, um, just imagine if, if we'd have had that community, what seven years ago versus just a year and a half, almost two years ago, it's don't, don't go it alone. Get that community and don't give up.

Jason Ingram: Don't give

Jimmy Lea: up. Was there a time period where you thought, Oh my gosh,

Sue Ingram: I think more so for Jason, there was probably some, some very stressful times that he [00:30:00] was like, what did we get ourselves into?

Sue Ingram: Um, never really a regret that we considered selling or anything like that, but just more stressful times than others. Um, I can say that this, This last year and a half, um, with really getting the training and knowledge that we need to continue to take the business further and further. It's like Jason said earlier, it has been less stressful in a lot of ways.

Sue Ingram: Brings on some other stresses. Um, just because you have some other things to look at, but, um, good stresses if there is such a thing. Yeah.

Jason Ingram: It's a, like I said, there was very many, many nights I, uh, between working with customers and. And helping our techs trying to figure out a car or being on a problem car or actually taking on a problem car myself and, uh, being a janitor and fixing the plumbing and doing a little bit of everything.

Jason Ingram: You know, there was many days I'm like, [00:31:00] what did I get myself into? You know, I was no more going home or clocking out and being done. It was a whole new level there. So, uh, but yes, I mean, after finally getting the training where, you know, these guys, why are you trying to do everything? You can't do everything you're you can't do it.

Jason Ingram: So. Uh, getting that mindset change that I needed from them, uh, was just a game changer for sure. Well,

Jimmy Lea: congratulations to you guys. The future is bright. Wear your sunglasses because you're going to need

Jason Ingram: them. Thank you. Well, thank you, sir. You're welcome.

Jimmy Lea: Thank you very much. I appreciate you spending some time with me today and tell me about your story, about your experience.

Jimmy Lea: Next time I'm down in Albuquerque, I'm going to have to come by and say hello. Absolutely. Please do.

Kent Bullard: That's it for this one. This episode was brought to you by gear for shops. com, the gear heads network, and the Institute for a better business, a better life and a better industry visit. We are the institute.

Kent Bullard: com. Thanks for listening. And we'll catch you in the next one.