The First Course Correction of the Year [E240]
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Episode Summary
By the second week of January, most shop owners are already questioning their plans, their numbers, and sometimes themselves. In this episode of The Weekly Blitz, Coach Chris Cotton breaks down why that feeling is not failure—it’s feedback.
This episode is all about making your first smart course correction of the year without panic, emotional decisions, or abandoning a plan that still deserves time to work. If January hasn’t gone exactly how you expected, this episode will help you reset, refocus, and move forward with clarity and confidence.
🔑 What You’ll Learn in This Episode
Why January rarely starts the way we picture it—and why that’s normal
The difference between failure and feedback in the early weeks of the year
A simple 3-question framework to make intelligent course corrections
What shop owners should not change yet in week two of January
One tactical move that can create immediate momentum without discounting
How discipline—not hype—sets winning shops apart early in the year
🛠️ Key Takeaways
January doesn’t reward optimism—it rewards process
A slow start does not mean a bad year
Most early-January mistakes are emotional, not strategic
Small, fast corrections beat big reactive changes
Momentum is built by staying in the game, not starting over
📋 Action Step for This Week
Before making any big changes, sit down and answer these three questions:
What did I assume that turned out to be wrong?
What’s working better than I expected?
What am I overreacting to?
Then choose one tactical improvement to focus on this week—starting with follow-up on declined or unsold work.
🤝 Episode Sponsor
This episode is brought to you by Shop Marketing Pros.
Shop Marketing Pros helps auto repair shop owners build consistent, long-term growth strategies that actually work—especially during slower or unpredictable seasons like January. If you’re looking for marketing that supports your business instead of stressing you out, visit ShopMarketingPros.com.
🎧 About The Weekly Blitz
The Weekly Blitz is a short-form, tactical mindset podcast for auto repair shop owners who want clarity, confidence, and consistent execution in their business. Hosted by Coach Chris Cotton, each episode delivers real-world insight you can apply immediately in your shop.
To listen to more episodes, make sure and go over to iTunes and or Spotify.
Don't forget to rate and review us!
Connect with Chris:
AutoFix-Auto Shop Coaching
www.aftermarketradionetwork.com
940-400-1008
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AutoFixAutoShopCoaching
YouTube: https://bit.ly/3ClX0ae
Email Chris: chris@autofixsos.com
The Automotive Repair Podcast Network: https://automotiverepairpodcastnetwork.com/
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Transcript
This is the Automotive repair Podcast network.
Speaker B:It's your weekly blitz with Chris keeping you in the game.
Speaker A:Let me ask you something.
Speaker A:It's the second week of January.
Speaker A:How's that plan going?
Speaker A:Not the written plan, the one that looked amazing on January 1st.
Speaker A:I'm talking about real life.
Speaker A:The schedule, the car count, the tech mood, the cash flow, your energy.
Speaker A:Walking into the shop this morning.
Speaker A:Because if you're like most shop owners, you've already had at least one moment where you thought, well, that didn't go exactly how I pictured it.
Speaker A:And I want you to hear this loud and clear right out of the gate.
Speaker A:That's not failure.
Speaker A:That's life giving you feedback.
Speaker A:Today's episode is about what great shop owners do next.
Speaker A:Not when things collapse, but when things drift.
Speaker A:This is your first course correction for the year.
Speaker A:So here we are.
Speaker A:It's January.
Speaker A:It's reality check time.
Speaker A:You know, January is a funny month in this industry.
Speaker A:Everybody comes in with big intentions.
Speaker A:You know, this is the year we fix the numbers.
Speaker A:Finally, after 30 years, you know, this is the year we get disciplined.
Speaker A:This is the year the shop runs without me.
Speaker A:And then reality shows up.
Speaker A:Car count's inconsistent.
Speaker A:Weather messes with schedules.
Speaker A:Tom, customers are recovering from holiday spending.
Speaker A:Texts are easing back into the rhythm.
Speaker A:You know, marketing that you finally just got started in December obviously hasn't fully kicked in yet.
Speaker A:And here's the trap.
Speaker A:January doesn't reward optimism.
Speaker A:January rewards process.
Speaker A:So the mistake I see most shop owners make is assuming a slow start means a bad year.
Speaker A:A rough first week means the plan was wrong or worse.
Speaker A:They start second guessing themselves.
Speaker A:Doubt creeps in.
Speaker A:They think they were wrong.
Speaker A:So, nope.
Speaker A:What's happening right now is normal variance.
Speaker A:And strong operators don't panic.
Speaker A:They adjust.
Speaker A:This is where we get tactical.
Speaker A:If you do nothing else this week, I want you to sit down with a notepad and I want you to answer these three questions honestly.
Speaker A:What did I assume that turned out to be wrong?
Speaker A:But I need you to be specific.
Speaker A:Car count assumptions, staffing assumptions, cash flow timing, customer urgency Assumptions aren't bad, they're unavoidable.
Speaker A:But unexamined assumptions create stress.
Speaker A:Okay, the next question I want you to ask yourself what's actually working better than expected?
Speaker A:And this is where most owners fail.
Speaker A:You'll focus on what's missing and completely ignore one advisor who's crushing it.
Speaker A:One marketing channel that's producing one process that's finally sticking.
Speaker A:You know, momentum hides in small wins.
Speaker A:Your job is to notice them and reinforce them.
Speaker A:The third question I want you to ask, what am I overreacting to?
Speaker A:Let's be honest.
Speaker A:One bad Monday, one declined estimate, one off tech day one slow morning Most January mistakes aren't strategic, they're emotional.
Speaker A:And emotional decisions made in January get paid for all year long.
Speaker A:You know, this next part really matters.
Speaker A:Week two of January is not the time to slash prices, kill marketing, change pay plans, micromanage your advisors, or rewrite the whole playbook.
Speaker A:And so here's the line I want you to remember if the strategy made sense on January 1, it deserves more than 10 days.
Speaker A:Discipline isn't stubbornness.
Speaker A:It's patience with intention.
Speaker A:Let me give you one tactical move for week two.
Speaker A:You know, this week I want you to double down on follow up.
Speaker A:Not discounting, not panic promotions, but follow up declined estimates, unsold work, missed opportunities, DVIs that never got a second conversation.
Speaker A:There is more money sitting in your CRM right now than most shop owners realize.
Speaker A:If you sat down and knew all the stuff that got declined dollar for dollar, you'd probably puke.
Speaker A:I need you to get in there, double down on follow up and make it happen.
Speaker A:One of the biggest mistakes shop owners make in January is pulling back on marketing right before it starts working.
Speaker A:That's why I trust and recommend Shop Marketing Pros.
Speaker A:They understand this industry, they understand seasonality, and they don't chase shiny objects.
Speaker A:What they do is they build consistent long term growth strategies that actually survive months like January.
Speaker A:If you want marketing that supports your shop instead of stressing you out, check them out@shopmarketingpros.com Again, that's Shop Marketing Pros Marketing built for shop owners who plan to stay in business.
Speaker A:We talked about that.
Speaker A:Let me leave you with this.
Speaker A:Momentum isn't built by perfect starts.
Speaker A:It's built by fast, intelligent course corrections.
Speaker A:This week isn't about starting over.
Speaker A:It's about staying in, staying calm, staying disciplined, staying committed to the plan with some smarter adjustments.
Speaker A:If you're still standing in week two of January, you're not behind.
Speaker A:You're right where leaders separate themselves.
Speaker A:Thanks for listening to the Weekly Blitz.
Speaker A:If this episode hit home, share it with another shop owner who needs to hear it and I'll see you next week.
Speaker A:I need you to stay focused, stay intentional, and keep moving forward.
Speaker A:Have a great day everybody.
Speaker B:You've been listening to the Weekly Blitz with Chris Cotton on the Automotive Repair Podcast Network.
Speaker B:Download our Excuse exclusive podcast app at automotive repair podcast network.com because the best conversations in the industry start here.
Speaker B:Want expert advice on running your shop?
Speaker B:Well Chris is listening.
Speaker B:Check the show notes for his email and send him your topics.
