The NOLN Podcast

As AI-driven search engines increasingly aggregate reviews, proactive online reputation management is a critical tool for quick lube shops of all sizes. Adam Alfia, founder and managing director of Real Time Feedback, and Scott Rider, founder and CEO of the Rider Group, join the NOLN Podcast to explain how a proactive engagement strategy can boost retention, improve online ratings, and ultimately drive more revenue for your shop. 

...

Cybersecurity leaders explain why smaller, independent automotive shops can be prime targets for hackers. They also offer practical advice for protecting sensitive information, including customer and financial data, and developing an incident response plan that can prevent an attack from destroying a business.

This article was published on NOLN.net on March 9, 2026.

***

Subscribe to The NOLN Podcast on your platform of choice: 

Paul Elliott, group vice president of franchise marketing for Midas, joins the NOLN Podcast to discuss the company’s recent 70th anniversary celebration, as well as the company’s emphasis on innovation, customer service, using AI as a support tool rather than a replacement for employees, and strong franchisee partnerships. Elliott also dives into Midas’ new marketing campaign featuring actor William Zabka, franchise support, and pe...

Anthony Lopez-Ona, managing director at Mufson Howe Hunter & Co., joins the NOLN Podcast to share insights on how private equity firms view the quick lube industry, what operators should take away from the recent sale of Jiffy Lube to Monomoy Capital Partners, and what operators can expect with regards to M&A activity in the industry within the coming months.

***

Subscribe to The NOLN Podcast on your platform of choice: 

Good help is hard to find, but making sure an applicant’s traits meet the role is even harder. Chris Lawson of Technician Find explains why desperation is an expensive hiring strategy, and he shares practical advice for how independent operators can develop a consistent flow of high-quality candidates to fill job vacancies in their shops.

This article originally appeared on NOLN.net on Feb. 18, 2026.

Read by Brittany Duncan 

***

Su...

Leadership training expert David Rogers, co-founder of Auto Profit Masters and Shop4D, joins the NOLN Podcast to share insights on “the management triangle,” how his military background and time spent working in the fine dining industry helped to shape his outlook on management in the automotive maintenance industry, management best practices, and lessons he has learned throughout his career.

***

Subscribe to The NOLN Podcast on yo...

Nestor Gutierrez, CEO of Rancho Express Lube in Rancho Cucamonga, California, says retaining customers comes down to how you treat them and their vehicles. Gutierrez explains how personalized interactions, community involvement, and added perks can foster customer loyalty and differentiate quick lube shops from their competition.

This article originally appeared on NOLN.net on Feb. 23, 2026.

Read by Brittany Duncan 

***

Subscribe t...

In this episode of the Endeavor to Discover series, Louie Sharp, owner of Sharp Auto Body in Chicago, joins hosts Chris Messer and Mike Jones for a discussion about giving up what you don’t need. Sharp shares his journey of building his business and why it was important to let go of negativity, emotional baggage, and limiting beliefs. Sharp, Messer, and Jones also explore the idea that choosing curiosity over reaction leads to bett...

As National Oil and Lube News begins its 40th anniversary celebration, the NOLN Podcast welcomes Solid Start CEO Amber Kossak and President Crystal Mathews to reflect on the quick lube and fast maintenance industry’s evolution. Kossak, who has more than 30 years of experience in the business, and Mathews, who joined the industry in 1999, share insights on game-changing moments, major developments, short-lived fads, and common threa...

Even when business is running smoothly, it is still worth evaluating the services offered to customers to determine what is working and where a shop might find better efficiency and improvement. In some cases, the answer might be to grow the business by moving some services to a second location. In other instances, cutting a ser...

Having grown to more than 900 locations, including company owned, franchise, and licensees, FullSpeed Automotive recently rolled out a new training program that puts a greater emphasis on the customer experience and consistency from shop to shop. At the forefront of this launch is Jason Johnsey, the company’s director of training and development. Johnsey joins the NOLN Podcast to dig into FullSpeed’s mission to revitalize its custo...

For the automotive service industry, location is crucial to building a solid customer base, ensuring easy access to the shop, and, notably, community acceptance. All three are critical to any service business. Even as a community will want convenience, there are concerns about increased traffic, noise, parking, market saturation, and cultural considerations. Those are among the many issues quick lube operators face when building ne...

In this installment of the Endeavor to Discover series, Chris Messer and Mike Jones welcome president/founder James Baxter and store manager Hunter Barton of Neighborhood Tire Pros in Atlanta. By 2008, Neighborhood Tire Pros had grown to 14 locations before the nation’s economic downturn put a strain on the business that led to the sale of 10 stores.

Baxter and Barton discuss the climb back, putting a focus on the remaining four co...

As a skilled leader who is known for lifting up those around him, Brian Morrison has thrived as the operator of 19 quick lube facilities. Once an executive in the food service industry, Morrison now oversees a burgeoning network of franchise locations for FullSpeed Automotive’s SpeeDee Oil Change & Automotive Service and Grease Monkey brands. A skilled business leader, a charitable boss, and a proud family man, Morrison is the ...

With iFLEX shifting to AAPEX this year, Jenn Bochnowski, vice president of PAMA’s board of directors, and Mark Bogdansky, vice president of trade shows and community engagement for the Auto Care Association, visit the NOLN Podcast to discuss the move. Bochnowski and Bogdansky explain why the move was made, what will look familiar to past AAPEX and iFLEX attendees, and the ways in which the two parties aim to create a better overall...

This article originally appeared on NOLN.net on April 23, 2025.

After recently celebrating the opening of the company’s 500th franchise location, Take 5 President Tim Austin joins the NOLN Podcast to discuss the fast lube chain’s rapid growth. He also breaks down the factors Take 5 considers when evaluating new markets, the traits the company looks for in ideal franchisees, and the ways in which Take 5 will define success in 2026 and beyond.

***

Subscribe to The NOLN Podcast on your platform of...