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The technician who turned oil changes into master certifications—and negativity into a movement of positivity.

Curtis Gardner isn’t your typical technician. Starting out with oil changes after high school, Curtis worked his way up to Toyota master certification before taking on the German-engineering challenge at Audi. But what makes his story stand out isn’t just his technical chops—it’s his decision to flip the technician narrative from negativity and burnout to optimism, efficiency, and human connection.

In this conversation, Curtis shares how video inspections transformed not just his customer relationships, but his own career. From becoming “the guy” customers now ask for by name, to creating content that shines a positive light on technicians, Curtis is redefining what it means to thrive in fixed ops. If you’ve ever wondered how to solve the so-called technician shortage, why techs need self-leadership, or how tool organization can actually change shop efficiency, this is the episode for you.

Takeaways:

0:00 The hats don’t fit—but this episode does

1:00 Meet the first technician ever on Auto Collabs

2:15 From Legos to master-certified Toyota tech

3:40 Why Curtis started sharing technician content online

5:07 Video inspections: the tool that changed everything

7:20 How customers react when they finally see under their car

8:50 Becoming “my guy”: when customers start asking for you by name

10:15 Why Curtis makes Zen videos inside Audi hoods

11:45 Self-leadership: the hidden skill every tech needs

13:55 Is the technician shortage real—or just perception?

15:20 Why management isn’t always the best next step for master techs

17:00 Curtis’s vision for the service shop of the future

19:10 3D printing a better way to organize tools

21:15 The human connection that technology can’t replace

Connect with Curtis Gardner on https://www.linkedin.com/in/techgnarr/

Learn more about Techgnarr at https://stan.store/techgnarr

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From hype to hesitation—Laurie Halter reveals what dealerships really think about AI in the service drive.

Laurie Halter isn’t just a PR veteran with her finger on the industry’s pulse—she’s now bringing hard data to the AI conversation in fixed ops. In this episode, she joins Paul, Kyle, and Michael to unpack her latest independent research report, a deep dive into how AI is (and isn’t) being adopted in dealership service departments. From vendor hype to dealer hesitation, Laurie’s findings cut through the noise and spotlight a glaring gap between what’s being built and what’s actually needed on the ground.

The crew explores the report’s surprising revelations, including which AI tools dealerships are most likely to adopt first, why predictive maintenance is still a distant goal, and how smarter technology could help tackle the industry’s massive technician shortage. Laurie also shares why independent, neutral research matters now more than ever, and how early collaboration between vendors and dealers will determine AI’s real impact on customer experience.

Get the report here: https://charismacommunications.com/reports/ai-in-the-service-drive/

Takeaways:

00:00 – The PR Pro Who Turned AI Researcher

02:15 – Why Deep-Dive Research Is Missing in Auto

04:55 – The Disconnect Between Dealers and Vendors

06:45 – Inside the “AI in the Service Drive” Report

08:09 – Vendors Think Dealers Are Ready—They’re Not

09:32 – Outbound Texting: The First Step in AI Adoption

13:14 – AI as a Solution to the Technician Shortage

15:38 – Who’s Reading This Report First (Hint: It’s Not Who You Think)

18:07 – AI Adoption Has to Start at the Top

19:24 – Customer Experience Is the Real AI Litmus Test

20:48 – What Laurie Might Research Next

Connect with Laurie Halter at https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurie-halter-1255b6/

Learn more about Charisma! Communications at https://www.charismacommunications.com

⭐️ Love the podcast? Please leave us a review here — even one sentence helps! Consider including your LinkedIn or Instagram handle so we can thank you personally!

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2. ASOTU CON Sessions

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From Kentucky minivan launches to Tokyo auto shows to the Wall Street Journal—Jamie Butters has been shaping automotive news for decades, and now he’s taking that storytelling to an even bigger stage.

In this episode, Paul J Daly sits down with veteran automotive journalist Jamie Butters, fresh off his transition from Automotive News to the Wall Street Journal. Jamie recounts his path from covering Toyota’s first U.S.-built Sienna in the late ’90s to reporting on the industry’s most pivotal bankruptcies, technological leaps, and retail shifts. He shares what it’s like to learn the business from the manufacturing floor up, why hybrid tech’s “overnight” success took decades, and how the view changes when you go from niche trade coverage to a global financial publication.

The conversation digs into the future of journalism in an AI-driven world—why algorithms can’t replace relationships, why trust is the most valuable currency in news, and why every retail automotive pro should read beyond industry headlines. From geopolitical EV battles to dealer lot realities, Jamie explains how the Wall Street Journal will bring broader context to the business of selling cars, and why that matters now more than ever.

Takeaways:

0:00 – Why Automotive Needs Real Journalists, Not Just Headlines

0:56 – Why Jamie Butters’ Move to the Wall Street Journal Matters for Retail Auto

3:26 – From Kentucky to Tokyo: Learning the Industry Through Toyota’s Lens

4:07 – Seeing Hybrids Before the World Was Ready

5:48 – Why You Can’t Legislate Technology Adoption Overnight

8:55 – The Financial Crisis Years: Inside GM and Chrysler Bankruptcies

13:45 – Why Every Automotive Career Should Start with Industry Awareness

14:19 – Dealers Need Global Context, Not Just Local News

16:21 – The Value of Competing News Sources in a Polarized World

17:28 – AI Can Summarize Facts, But It Can’t Build Trust

19:30 – How Human Journalists Will Remain Essential in the AI Era

21:21 – What Jamie Will Cover Next at the Wall Street Journal

Connect with Jamie Butters at https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamie-butters-909ba45/

Read The Wall Street Journal at https://www.wsj.com

⭐️ Love the podcast? Please leave us a review here — even one sentence helps! Consider including your LinkedIn or Instagram handle so we can thank you personally!

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https://www.asotu.com

✉️ Sign up for our free and fun-to-read daily email for a quick shot of relevant news in automotive retail, media, and pop culture.

🎧 Like and follow our other podcasts:

1. Automotive State of the Union
2. ASOTU CON Sessions