Between corporations competing for our attention and endless political noise, it is easy to spend time and energy worrying about things that have nothing to do with our lives. Brian Hunnicutt had an epiphany about where he chooses to focus, and in episode 41 of Maximum Octane, he shares it with Kim Hickey.
Brian is a management consultant coach at ATI with more than 40 years in the automotive industry and a love of history. He explains how to cut through the noise, why we forget the power we have to change things, the historical roots of the oil versus electricity debate, and how shop owners can think differently about being short-staffed.
What You Will Learn
- Brian talks about the chance we all have of reaching into the universe and getting what we want from it
- Brian talks about the origin of the oil vs. electricity dispute
- Kim and Brian discuss people’s need to be right instead of trying to build something positive
- Brian shares some tips to put our focus where it needs to be
- Brian explains how to address the lack of internal customers in the automotive industry
Reaching Into the Universe for What You Want
Brian opens with the idea that we all have the chance to reach out and get what we want from life. That starts with deciding what we want and then directing our attention toward it. When attention is scattered across headlines, social media, and other people’s agendas, there is little left for our own goals.
Goal-setting research supports the idea that clear, specific goals improve performance. When people know exactly what they want, they notice opportunities and resources that help them get there. Vague goals, by contrast, lead to scattered effort. Writing goals down, sharing them with others, and reviewing them regularly increases the chance of achieving them.
Deciding what you want is harder than it sounds for many shop owners, because the daily rush leaves little room to think. Setting aside an hour, away from the shop, to write down what you want the business and your life to look like in a few years often brings clarity that weeks of busy days never do.
The History Behind Oil vs. Electricity
Around the 6 minute mark, Brian shares the history behind the oil versus electricity dispute. Electric vehicles are not a new idea. In the early days of the automobile, electric cars competed with gasoline and steam. Understanding that history helps put today’s debates in context and reminds us that technology shifts are part of a long story.
For shop owners, the practical question is how to prepare for a growing number of hybrid and electric vehicles in their bays. The U.S. Department of Energy’s Alternative Fuels Data Center provides background on electric vehicles and their growth.
In the early 1900s, electric vehicles were popular in cities because they were quiet, clean, and easy to start compared with gasoline cars that required hand cranking. The invention of the electric starter, the mass production of affordable gasoline cars, and the availability of cheap fuel shifted the market toward internal combustion. Today, improvements in battery technology have brought electric vehicles back into the conversation. Understanding that cycle reminds shop owners that technology shifts are gradual and that preparation matters more than panic.
The Need to Be Right
Kim and Brian discuss people’s need to be right instead of building something positive. Arguments online and in person often become about winning rather than solving anything. Leaders who let go of the need to be right can focus on what moves their business and their team forward.
This idea applies inside the shop too. Managers who need to win every disagreement with their team discourage honest feedback. ATI’s Mastering the Art of Positive Communication offers a better approach.
The need to be right is a natural human tendency, but it often gets in the way of progress. Leaders who must win every argument discourage honest input and miss valuable perspectives. Shifting the goal from being right to finding the best solution changes the tone of conversations and helps teams make better decisions together.
At the counter, the same instinct shows up when an advisor argues with a customer about who was at fault for a misunderstanding. Even when the shop is technically right, winning the argument can lose the customer. Focusing on what will resolve the situation fairly usually protects both the relationship and the shop’s reputation.
Putting Your Focus Where It Belongs
Around the 14 minute mark, Brian shares tips for directing focus where it needs to be. The common thread is intentional attention. Limit time on media that drains you. Spend more time on activities that build your business, your relationships, and your skills. Andrew Neitlich covers a similar idea in Regaining Control and Blowing the Smokescreens Away.
Attention is a limited resource. Every hour spent scrolling news or arguing online is an hour not spent on family, health, or business. Many leaders find it helpful to limit news consumption to a set time each day, turn off unnecessary notifications, and fill freed time with activities that build their goals. Small changes in how attention is spent can produce significant improvements over time.
A Different Way to Think About Being Short-Staffed
Brian closes with the issue that keeps many shop owners up at night: the lack of employees. He explains why many owners cannot see a way out of being short-staffed and how to address it. Rather than waiting for the perfect candidate to show up, owners can widen their recruiting, develop people internally, improve retention, and build a reputation as a great place to work.
The BLS outlook for automotive technicians shows how many positions the industry needs to fill every year. ATI’s The “No Mechanics Left” Reality and Strategies to Hire and Train High-Performance Teams offer practical next steps.
Owners facing staffing shortages can look at the problem from several angles. They can improve retention so fewer people leave. They can develop current employees into higher-skilled roles. They can widen the hiring pool by looking at career changers, veterans, and students. They can improve efficiency so the existing team can handle more work. And they can strengthen the shop’s reputation so candidates seek them out. Each of these approaches is within the owner’s control, which shifts the focus from frustration to action.
Lessons From History for Today’s Shop Owners
Brian’s love of history offers a useful perspective for business owners. Many challenges that feel unprecedented have happened before in different forms. Labor shortages, technological change, economic downturns, and shifting customer expectations have all been faced by previous generations of business owners. Those who adapted, invested in people, and focused on what they could control tended to come through stronger.
Looking at history also helps owners avoid overreacting to short-term noise. Trends that seem dramatic in the moment often unfold over years. Staying informed, preparing steadily, and keeping focus on serving customers well is usually a better strategy than chasing every headline.
How to Put This Into Practice This Month
Brian’s message is easy to agree with and harder to apply, so it helps to turn it into a short plan. For the first week, simply notice where your attention goes. Keep a rough log of how much time you spend on news, social media, and arguments that have nothing to do with your business or family. Most people are surprised by the total. In the second week, set limits. Choose specific times to check news, turn off nonessential notifications, and decide in advance which topics you will not engage with online.
In the third week, redirect the time you have recovered. Use it on one business priority, such as recruiting, training, or reviewing your numbers, and one personal priority, such as exercise or family time. In the fourth week, look back. What changed in your stress level, your energy, and your progress? Shop owners who run this kind of simple experiment often find that the noise they gave up was never adding anything, and that the focus they gained shows up quickly in how they lead.
Questions to Refocus Your Energy
- How much time did you spend this week on news or social media that did not help your business?
- What is one thing you could change this month that would make your shop a better place to work?
- Where are you trying to be right instead of trying to get a better result?
- Who in your network could help you find your next great employee?
Brian returns to discuss pricing in Is Your Auto Repair Shop Undercharging for Its Services? For more on building a bench of future employees, listen to Geoff Berman in Build an All-Star Bench for Your Auto Repair Shop.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can a business owner stop worrying about things they cannot control?
Start by sorting concerns into two lists: what you can influence and what you cannot. Put your time and energy into the first list, such as your team, your service, your marketing, and your finances. For the second list, stay informed at a reasonable level and then let it go. Limiting news and social media to set times helps. So does talking with peers who focus on solutions. Over time, the habit of asking “what can I do about this?” replaces worry with action.
Were electric cars really around in the early 1900s?
Yes. In the early years of the automobile, electric, steam, and gasoline vehicles all competed for buyers. Electric cars were popular in cities because they were quiet, clean, and easy to start. Gasoline vehicles gained the advantage as roads expanded, affordable mass produced cars arrived, fuel became cheap and widely available, and the electric starter removed the need for hand cranking. Today’s electric vehicles are part of a long story of shifting technology, which is a helpful perspective for shop owners planning their future.
How should an independent shop prepare for hybrid and electric vehicles?
Preparation is usually gradual. Start by tracking how many hybrid and electric vehicles already come through your bays and what work they need. Invest in safety training for technicians before they work on high voltage systems, and add the necessary protective equipment and tools. Many of these vehicles still need tires, brakes, suspension, alignment, and cabin filters, so shops can serve them before taking on more advanced work. Building skills step by step lets a shop grow with local demand rather than guessing.
What can a shop owner do about a technician shortage?
Owners have more options than waiting for applicants. They can improve retention so fewer people leave, train current employees into higher skilled roles, and recruit from wider pools such as career changers, veterans, and local trade programs. Building relationships with schools creates a pipeline over time. Improving workflow, equipment, and support staff helps existing technicians produce more. A strong reputation as a great place to work also matters, because skilled technicians talk with each other about where they want to work.
Why do leaders struggle with the need to be right?
Being right feels good and can seem tied to authority or competence, so admitting a mistake or yielding a point can feel like a loss. In practice, leaders who must win every disagreement discourage honest feedback and miss better ideas. A useful shift is to measure success by the outcome rather than by who was right. Asking questions, listening fully before responding, and thanking people who raise concerns signals that the goal is the best result, which makes teams more willing to speak up.
Resources and Links From This Episode
- Automotive Training Institute website
Connect With the Guests
- Brian: LinkedIn
