LeadFoot Automotive

09/30/2025

This baby getting slapped around?
Yeah... that’s how your car feels at a cheap drive-thru car wash. 🧽💥

At Gateway Auto, we don’t believe in rushed, one-size-fits-all scrubbing.
We hand wash, detail, and treat your car like royalty. 👑✨

🧼🧤 Gentle hand wash.
🧽 Detailed care.
✨ Protected, pampered, and shining.

Your car doesn’t like getting beat up for a cheap wash.
Treat it like you actually care — we do. 😉

👉 Book your hand wash & detail at Gateway Auto today.

08/08/2025

💥 Running a shop shouldn’t feel like herding cats every day.

In our latest episode of the LeadFoot Automotive Podcast, we sat down with Travis Bickham, VP of Marketing at ShopMonkey, to talk about how the right software can help you run smoother, make more money, and stress a whole lot less.

If you’ve been putting off updating your systems, this one’s worth a listen. Travis breaks down what makes ShopMonkey different — and why more shops are ditching the whiteboard for real tools that scale.

🎙️ Tune in on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen.
🔧 Learn more about ShopMonkey: https://www.shopmonkey.io
📲 Drop your thoughts in the comments — is your current system holding you back?

05/30/2025

🔧 Tired of begging for reviews? You’re gonna want to hear this one.

This week on the LeadFoot Automotive Podcast, we’re talking with Dylan Allen, founder and CEO of Cheers—a dead-simple NFC tech that turns those everyday customer moments into 5-star reviews, better SEO, and real recognition for your team.

No more clunky follow-up texts or awkward asks at the counter. Just a quick tap and boom—review posted, employee recognized, customer happy. 💥

📈 Shops using Cheers are seeing 5-10x more reviews and up to 20% more foot traffic. You’re already delivering great service—this just helps make it count.

Find Dylan and his team at cheers.tech, and catch the full episode wherever you listen to podcasts—Spotify, Apple, or right here on our page.

Listen here: https://www.leadfootautomotive.com/p/this-one-simple-tap-could-earn-your-shop-more-reviews-and-more-money-829ebe571d21803a

👇 Drop a comment if your team could use more reviews with less hassle.

05/23/2025

👨‍🔧 Ever feel like the tech in today’s cars is evolving faster than your team can keep up?

In our latest episode of the LeadFoot Automotive Podcast, we’re talking with Chrisa Hickey and Mike Mertes from ICAR—the company who’ve spent the last 4-5 decades building the gold standard in collision training.

We cover:
🔧 How to help your staff learn ADAS and EV
🧠 How AI and VR are changing the way techs learn (for the better)
💸 Where your shop might be leaving money on the table

🎧 Listen wherever you get your podcasts: https://www.leadfootautomotive.com/p/why-smarter-training-more-money-in-your-shop-and-less-stress-for-you-115830007e23132b
💻 Learn more about ICAR at i-car.com

05/16/2025

🚨 Most shop owners aren’t thinking about cybersecurity — but should they be? 🚨
We’ll be the first to say that this topic felt very disconnected from the day to day we live in our shop.

Your scan tools, your network, your customer's vehicle data — they're all vulnerable in the lines of cybersecurity.

In this week’s episode of the LeadFoot Automotive Podcast, we sat down with Donny Seyfer, Executive Officer at NASTF, to talk about the threats facing the industry today — and what you can do to stay ahead.

🔧 Why scan tools are being targeted
🔒 How to protect your shop from digital theft
🛠️ The simple steps you can take now to lock things down

Donny brings decades of experience and breaks it down in plain English.
📲 Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your shows
🎙 Full episode + links at https://www.leadfootautomotive.com/p/is-your-shop-s-scan-tool-a-security-risk-here-s-what-to-know-da1d2c8430883be0

05/06/2025

💥 Everyone has heard of TekMetric, but do you know how it came to be?

We sat down with Sunil Patel, Founder and CEO of Tekmetricto talk about how a former shop owner ended up building one of the most powerful shop management systems out there.

In this episode, we dig into:
📱 Why cloud-based tools actually make life easier
📈 Real stories of shops boosting AROs and profits
🛠️ What the future of shop tech looks like (hint: it’s smarter and more connected)

Sunil’s story is impressive—from medicine to Mercedes retrofits to launching Tekmetric— he’s built something that actually understands life inside a real shop.

🎙️ Listen now on your favorite podcast app or at https://www.leadfootautomotive.com/
Want to check out Tekmetric for yourself? Head over to 👉 https://www.tekmetric.com/

04/25/2025

🔧 You can’t hire experience anymore—you have to build it.
That’s the truth facing every shop in America right now.

In this week’s LeadFoot Automotive Podcast, we sat down with Justin Allen from Hunter Engineering—a guy who’s trained thousands of techs and seen the good, the bad, and the completely unprepared. He breaks down what actually works when it comes to training young techs, building a bench, and staying ahead of today’s crazy-fast tech shifts.

We’re talking:
➡️ How to turn “green” techs into strong performers
➡️ What not to do when you’re hiring
➡️ Why ADAS calibrations are the next big make-or-break moment for your shop
➡️ And how new tools are saving shops hours on every job

If your senior techs are aging out, your rookies can’t tell a torque wrench from a tire iron, and you’ve got EVs and camera cars rolling in the door—this is the episode for you.

🎧 Listen to the full episode now on Apple, Spotify, or anywhere you get your podcasts. Or stream it here: https://www.leadfootautomotive.com/p/automotive-training-engage-educate-and-adapt-with-justin-allen-9a15e91edcca4791

🧰 Follow Justin Allen on socials:
FB/IG/TikTok →
LinkedIn → Justin Allen
📣 Brought to you by Joe & Alex at LeadFoot Automotive—where we help shop owners make smarter tech decisions without the headache.

04/22/2025

🛠️ Feeling buried in admin work and back-end tasks? You’re not alone—and there’s a better way to run your shop.

On this week’s LeadFoot Automotive Podcast, we’re talking with Dave Foy, founder of Fixed Ops Mastermind and a 40-year vet in the dealership and fixed ops world. He’s seen the good, the bad, and the tech that actually makes a difference for service writers, advisors, and shop owners alike.

We’re breaking down:
🔹 Why most shop tech feels like just more clicks
🔹 How AI and automation can reduce stress (not add to it)
🔹 The best way to build a smarter shop without losing your soul (or your team)

Oh—and if you haven’t checked out Fixed Ops Mastermind, it’s a free weekly Zoom call where shop pros from every level come to share what’s working. Look it up on LinkedIn or reach out to Dave directly at 774-696-4239 (just don’t be a spammer 😆).

🎧 Listen now wherever you get your podcasts or at https://www.leadfootautomotive.com/p/the-future-of-fixed-ops-w-dave-foy-what-shop-owners-need-to-hear-2df2066b611501c4

04/18/2025

🚗💻 Did you know your customers' personal data is probably still in their old car?

Garage codes. Home addresses. Phone contacts. Even payment info. Most cars on your lot or in your service bay are holding way more than just engine codes.

On this week’s LeadFoot Automotive Podcast, we talk with Andrea Amico, founder of Privacy4Cars, the only company helping auto shops and dealers wipe vehicle data fast, safely, and in a way that actually makes you money.

Andrea breaks down:
🔧 What data today’s vehicles are really collecting
📲 How your shop can delete it in under 90 seconds
💰 Why shops are billing $40–50 per vehicle for this service
🧾 How total loss vehicles are opening up new revenue streams

If you touch used cars, trade-ins, or total losses—you need to hear this.

📍 Listen to the full episode on Spotify, Apple, or wherever you get your podcasts: https://www.leadfootautomotive.com/p/data-privacy-for-cars-insights-from-ceo-andrea-amico-e0463acec4d2c9de
🔗 Check out Andrea’s company at https://privacy4cars.com/
👂 Give it a listen. Your future self (and your customers) will thank you.

04/15/2025

🚗 Tired of juggling 5 different systems just to run your shop?

We sat down with Amber Wright from AutoLeap on the latest episode of the LeadFoot Automotive Podcast to talk about how one platform is helping shops simplify operations, boost revenue, and cut admin time in half.

Whether you’re a one-bay mom-and-pop or running multiple locations to franchise, this episode breaks down what actually matters when picking a shop management system—and why AutoLeap is worth a look if you’re wanting to streamline your shop.

Their goal isn’t just another tech tool. It’s built with real feedback from their shops to cover every function a shop needs in one auto repair software.

📲 Want to learn more about Amber and AutoLeap?
Visit: https://autoleap.com
Email: [email protected]

🎧 Listen to the episode wherever you get your podcasts or head to:
👉 https://www.leadfootautomotive.com/p/autoleap-interviewed-one-system-to-streamline-your-auto-shop-c047b267d037a589

Drop a comment if you’ve tried AutoLeap—or if you're still stuck on a system that feels like it’s from 2005 👇

03/27/2025

🚗 Are In-Car Ads and Subscriptions the Future of Driving? 💰

Imagine buying a $50K car—only to have it serve you ads while you’re driving. Sounds absurd? It’s already happening. And as cars become more autonomous, it might only get worse.

💰 Ford patented a system that listens to in-car conversations and tracks destinations to push targeted ads.
💰 Jeep drivers are seeing pop-up ads mid-drive, urging them to extend satellite radio subscriptions.
💰 BMW, Toyota, and GM have experimented with subscription fees for heated seats, remote start, and even navigation.

Automakers see massive revenue potential in these moves—but will consumers accept it? So far, public backlash has forced some rollbacks. But what happens when self-driving cars are the norm?

🚕 Waymo taxis already operate autonomously
💸 Subscription-based rides could become the standard
🎥 Ad-supported transportation may offset costs—but at what price to your privacy?

One Reddit user painted a chilling picture:
💬 "I think we’ll have augmented reality ads first. HUD technology already exists to project information onto your windscreen. Combine all of these technologies, and whenever you use autopilot or self-driving, virtual ads will pop up on your screen and stay in your field of vision using eye tracking. If you take your eyes off the ads, the ACC will turn off. There will also be a monthly subscription to not have ads."

🚘 Is the car of the future just a rolling entertainment hub—filled with ads, paywalls, and forced subscriptions? Would you ride for free if it meant being in an ad-based surveillance machine? Would you buy a self-driving car that worked for you while you weren’t using it?

👉 We dive deep into this topic in our latest article: https://dripl.ink/UgfpC

What do you think? Would you accept ads in exchange for cheaper rides—or should cars remain ad-free spaces? Drop your thoughts below! ⬇️

Automakers are increasingly turning vehicles into digital revenue streams, pushing in-car advertisements and subscription-based features onto consumers. But is this innovation, or is it just another way to squeeze more money out of drivers who have already paid tens of thousands of dollars for their...

03/12/2025

🚗 New Episode Alert! 🎙️

This week on our podcast, we’re diving into the world of efficiency and innovation with Jon Cabak from Detect Auto. If you're a shop owner or technician looking to streamline your operations, you won’t want to miss this!

🛠️ Jon shares his journey from the fan business (yes, fans!) to revolutionizing the automotive service industry with intelligent software solutions. Wondering how to boost your maintenance sales effortlessly? He’s got the inside scoop on tools that can help you sell more while saving your team's valuable time.

👀 Plus, hear about Jon's awesome features designed to maximize productivity—like their brand-new profitability analysis tool—which can change the way your shop operates.

Whether you're a tech lover or someone who just wants to make your shop run a little smoother, there’s something in this episode for everyone!

🔗 Tune in now to hear the full conversation and check out how Detect Auto can change your shop for the better! Listen here: https://podcast.leadfootautomotive.com/2402922/episodes/16611563-detect-auto-ai-for-service-advisors