Repair Shop Reckoning
Repair Shop Reckoning is the no-nonsense, hard-hitting podcast where host Kevin Brown pulls no punches in bringing you the raw truth about the collision and repair shop industry. Forget the corporate sugarcoating—this show dives into the gritty reality of what really goes on behind the scenes. Whether you’re a shop owner, a mechanic, or just someone tired of the BS, Kevin’s got the hard-earned expertise and unapologetic opinions you need. Each episode tackles the biggest issues, challenges, and game-changing tips in the industry, giving you the tools to cut through the noise and level up your shop. Buckle...
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RSR BYOST
In this episode of Repair Shop Reckoning, Kevin starts with a debate that lit up social media:Should technicians be helping pay for scan tools?But what starts as a conversation about equipment quickly turns into something much bigger.This episode is really about control.<br /><br />Control of your business.<br />Control of your customer experience.<br />Control of your processes.<br />And ultimately, control of your future as a shop owner.<br /><br />Too many shops operate on hope. They hope customers remember what was approved. They hope employees remember conversations. They hope chargebacks don't happen. They hope...
The Collision Industry's Race to Zero
In this episode of Repair Shop Reckoning, Kevin takes on one of the most controversial topics in the collision repair industry:<br /><br />Who decides what a repair is worth? <br /><br />Too many shop owners have accepted the idea that an insurance estimate is the final word. Kevin argues that's exactly the mindset that has created what he calls the industry's "Race to Zero"—a constant push toward lower labor rates, reduced markups, shrinking profits, and shops working harder while making less.<br /><br />This episode breaks down why insurance estimates are not contracts, why knowing your numbers matters mor...
The Customer Is NOT Always Right
In this episode of Repair Shop Reckoning, Kevin tackles one of the most damaging beliefs in business: "The customer is always right."<br /><br />For years, shop owners have been taught to bend over backward for every customer, absorb every complaint, hand out discounts, and tolerate behavior they would never accept from employees, vendors, or even friends. Kevin argues that mindset is destroying shops from the inside out.<br /><br />Using real stories from the front lines, he breaks down why some customers are worth fighting for and why others need to be shown the door.<br /><br />You'll hear...
Prepare to Deliver: What Smart Owners Do During Slow Times
In this episode of Repair Shop Reckoning, Kevin tackles a reality every shop owner will face sooner or later: What do you do when the phones slow down, the bays aren't as full, and the panic starts creeping in?<br /><br />Too many owners react by cutting marketing, slashing prices, taking bad jobs, and making emotional decisions that create even bigger problems. Kevin argues that slow times aren't what destroy businesses. They simply expose the weaknesses that were already there. <br /><br />This episode is all about what smart operators do when business slows down.<br /><br />Kevin breaks down:Wh...
RSR Cash vs Accrual
In this episode of Repair Shop Reckoning, Kevin breaks down one of the biggest problems killing repair shops right now:<br /><br />Owners are doing the work… but they are not controlling the money.<br /><br />What starts as a conversation about cash basis vs accrual accounting quickly turns into a much bigger discussion about billing discipline, cash flow, overhead, collections, labor rates, and why so many shop owners stay broke while working themselves into the ground.<br /><br />Kevin explains the real difference between cash accounting and accrual accounting in plain English, why your numbers can lie to you if...
From Mechanic to Shop Owner: The First Thing You Have to Fix Is You
In this episode of Repair Shop Reckoning, Kevin gets personal.<br /><br />Before the shop ownership.<br />Before the buildings.<br />Before the consulting.<br />Before the success.<br /><br />There was a broke mechanic blaming everybody else for problems he created himself. Kevin opens up about the years he spent buried in debt, falling behind on tool payments, living paycheck to paycheck, and constantly thinking the problem was his boss, his pay plan, or the industry… until he finally realized the truth: The first thing he needed to fix was himself. This episode is about the mindset shift that ch...
We’re Not in Business to Lose Money
In this episode of Repair Shop Reckoning, Kevin sits down with Anthony Rendino from A/R Customs and Collision to talk about the reality of running an independent body shop in today’s insurance-driven world. This conversation goes deep into what most collision shop owners are struggling with right now: Insurance companies cutting rates.<br /><br />Short pays.<br />DRP pressure.<br />Paint material costs exploding.<br /><br />And shops staying busy while barely making money. Anthony shares how he and his partner built their shop from the ground up after leaving larger operations, why they diversified beyond insurance work, an...
Chaos Starts In The Shop When Communication Stops
In this episode of Repair Shop Reckoning, Kevin breaks down one of the biggest reasons shops create their own chaos… poor communication and broken expectations.<br /><br />Most customers can handle bad news. What they can’t handle is silence, vague answers, missed promises, and feeling like nobody knows what’s going on.<br /><br />Using his own recent experience dealing with a dealership after the engine failure in his 2025 Sierra, Kevin walks through how quickly frustration builds when communication falls apart—even when the actual repair process is moving forward.<br /><br />This episode is all about expectation control.<br /><br...
Own Your Shop. Own Your Life. The Path To Freedom
In this episode of Repair Shop Reckoning, Kevin takes the conversation beyond numbers and into what every shop owner is really chasing… freedom.<br /><br />Freedom from chaos.<br />Freedom from bad customers.<br />Freedom from living week to week.<br />Freedom from having to say yes to things you know are wrong.<br /><br />Kevin breaks down why knowing your numbers is about far more than spreadsheets and reports. It’s about building a profitable shop that gives you leverage, confidence, and control.<br /><br />Because when your business is broke, desperate, or disorganized, everybody owns a piece of you...
The Balance Sheet Reality No One Talks About
In this episode of Repair Shop Reckoning, Kevin breaks down the part of the business most shop owners either avoid or don’t fully understand… the balance sheet.<br /><br />You can be busy, profitable, and still not actually getting ahead.<br /><br />This is why.<br /><br />The balance sheet shows what you truly own, what you owe, and where your money is really going. And for a lot of shops, that picture isn’t as strong as it feels day to day.<br /><br />Kevin simplifies it with real-world examples so it finally clicks.<br /><br />You’ll hear why...
