Do you have a notebook full of great ideas from a seminar or training that you never opened again? If so, this Maximum Octane throwback is for you. Kim Hickey revisits her conversation with Wendy Hawks, General Manager of Riverside Auto Center, which originally aired as episode 30.
After attending an ATI conference, Wendy decided her notes would not sit on a shelf collecting dust. She created a simple method to organize them and use them to fuel her personal and professional growth. This episode is a reminder that taking a few extra minutes to plan and organize can change how you lead.
What You Will Learn
- About what made Wendy approach things differently this time
- Why do we tend to beat ourselves when we fail to finish what we have planned to do, and how can we be less harsh with ourselves
- Some non-negotiables that help Wendy remain sharp and responsive
- How to use Wendy’s method to live a more intentional life
Why This Episode Still Matters
Every year, shop owners and managers attend conferences, webinars, and coaching sessions. The ideas are valuable, but most never get implemented. Wendy’s approach offers a practical solution that anyone can use, which is why it is worth hearing again, especially before or after a major training event like ATI’s SuperConference.
The gap between learning and doing is one of the most expensive problems in a repair shop, and it rarely shows up on a financial statement. An owner returns from a conference energized, with a dozen pages of ideas on pricing, hiring, and workflow. Monday morning arrives, the phones ring, a technician calls in sick, and the notebook goes into a drawer. A month later, the shop looks exactly the same. The cost of that event, the travel, and the time away from the business has produced very little.
What makes this conversation useful is that the fix is not about willpower or motivation. It is about having a simple, repeatable process that converts inspiration into scheduled work. Owners who build that habit get far more value from every training dollar, because each event adds a few concrete improvements instead of a pile of forgotten notes.
Wendy’s Method in Brief
- Organize the notes: gather ideas from training into one place.
- Turn ideas into actions: rewrite each idea as a specific step.
- Break it down: split big goals into small pieces that fit into a day.
- Plan daily: schedule those small steps and review them each day.
- Check in: follow up regularly with people you delegate to.
- Be kind to yourself: move unfinished tasks forward without guilt.
Each step in the method solves a specific failure point. Gathering notes into one place prevents good ideas from being scattered across hotel notepads, phone photos, and handouts. Rewriting an idea as an action forces clarity: “improve our phone process” becomes “write a three-question script for incoming calls and role-play it with the front counter on Thursday.” That second version is something a person can actually start.
Breaking work down is where many leaders stumble. A big goal such as “build a technician career path” can feel so large that it never gets touched. Split into pieces, it becomes a list of 20 or 30 minute tasks: list current roles, write what each level requires, review the draft with a lead tech. Small tasks fit into a busy day at a shop, and finishing them builds momentum. Daily planning and regular check-ins then keep the work visible so it does not quietly disappear when the shop gets busy.
Self-Compassion and Non-Negotiables
Around the 10 minute mark, Wendy explains why we beat ourselves up when we fall short and how to be gentler. She also shares the non-negotiable habits that keep her sharp. Together, these ideas create a sustainable way to improve without burning out.
ATI’s How Making Small Moves Creates Giant Results and How to Plan for More Effective, Efficient Workdays build on Wendy’s approach.
Shop owners and managers tend to be hard on themselves. Many came up through the bays or the front counter, where getting the job done right the first time is a point of pride. That standard serves a technician well, but it can turn harsh when applied to a personal task list. When a plan slips, the inner voice says the leader is lazy or disorganized, and that guilt often leads to avoiding the list altogether. Treating an unfinished task as information rather than failure keeps the process alive. The question becomes “why did this not get done, and what is the next small step?” instead of “what is wrong with me?”
Non-negotiables work as guardrails. They are the few habits a leader protects no matter how hectic the week gets, such as a short planning block before the shop opens, regular exercise, enough sleep, or a weekly review. These habits are not glamorous, but they keep a person clear-headed enough to make good decisions when the day goes sideways. A leader who is running on empty makes rushed calls on staffing, pricing, and customer issues.
How to Turn Conference Notes Into Action
The best time to start is before the event even begins. Bring one notebook or one digital file and use it for everything. During sessions, mark ideas that apply directly to your shop with a simple symbol so they are easy to find later. Resist the urge to capture every slide. A few strong ideas you will act on are worth more than pages of content you will never review.
Within a few days of returning, block an hour to sort your notes. Group them into categories such as people, processes, marketing, and personal growth. Then pick no more than three ideas to work on first. Trying to implement everything at once is one of the most common reasons nothing gets implemented at all.
For each chosen idea, write:
- The specific outcome you want and how you will know it worked.
- The first small action, small enough to finish in one sitting.
- Who else needs to be involved, and when you will check in with them.
- A realistic target date for the full change.
Finally, put those actions on your calendar, not just your list. A task with a time attached is far more likely to get done than one that waits for a free moment, because in a repair shop there is rarely a free moment.
Common Mistakes That Stall Follow-Through
One mistake is keeping the plan in your head. Owners often believe they will remember what they learned, but memory fades quickly when daily demands take over. Writing it down and reviewing it regularly is what keeps an idea alive.
Another mistake is delegating without follow-up. Handing a project to a service manager or lead technician and never mentioning it again sends a clear message that it was not important. Regular, short check-ins show that the work matters and give the person a chance to ask for help before they get stuck.
A third mistake is announcing big changes all at once. Teams can become skeptical when a leader returns from every event with a new initiative that fades in a few weeks. Rolling out one change at a time, and sticking with it, builds credibility. Over a year, steady, modest improvements add up to a noticeably different shop.
Your Next Step
- Find your last set of training notes.
- Choose one idea and schedule the first small step for tomorrow.
- Set a weekly check-in with anyone helping you implement it.
For more on systems and follow-through, listen to Wendy K. Walters in Building Systems to Gain Freedom and Get Better Results and Eric Twiggs in How to Stop Procrastinating on Solving Our Procrastinating Issues.
If you have several old notebooks, do not try to process them all at once. Start with the most recent one, since those ideas are freshest and most relevant to where your shop is today. Once that first idea is in motion, come back for the next one. The goal is not to empty the notebook in a week. The goal is to build a steady rhythm where learning leads to action every time.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I actually use my notes after a training conference?
Consolidate everything into one notebook or file within a few days of returning, while the material is fresh. Sort ideas by category, then choose no more than three to start with. Rewrite each one as a specific action with an owner and a date, and put the first step on your calendar. Review the list weekly. The key is converting broad ideas into small, scheduled tasks rather than hoping you will remember them later.
Why do shop owners struggle to implement what they learn?
Most owners return from training straight into a backlog of customer issues, staffing gaps, and paperwork. Without a system, urgent tasks always win over important ones. Ideas also tend to be written as concepts instead of actions, which makes them hard to start. Owners who set aside planning time, break goals into small steps, and involve their team in follow-up are much more likely to see lasting change.
How can I stop feeling guilty when I do not finish my to-do list?
Accept that an unfinished list is normal, especially in a repair shop where interruptions are constant. Instead of judging yourself, move the incomplete task to the next day and ask what got in the way. Often the task was too large or poorly defined. Breaking it into a smaller piece usually solves the problem. Treating missed tasks as information helps you plan better instead of avoiding the list.
What daily habits help shop managers stay focused?
Useful habits include a short planning block before the doors open, reviewing priorities at the end of the day, protecting time for exercise and rest, and holding brief check-ins with key team members. The specific habits matter less than consistency. Choose a few that support your energy and clarity, treat them as non-negotiable, and protect them even during busy weeks, when good judgment matters most.
How many new ideas should I implement at once?
Start with one to three. Every change requires attention, training, and follow-up, and a shop team can only absorb so much at a time. Implementing a few changes well builds trust and shows results, which makes the next change easier. Keep the rest of your ideas on a backlog list and pull from it as each project becomes part of normal operations.
Resources and Links From This Episode
- Riverside Auto Center website
Connect With the Guests
- Wendy: LinkedIn
