The BodyShop Leaders Podcast
The BodyShop Leaders Podcast brings you real conversations with the people shaping the future of collision repair — shop owners, vendors, and innovators who lead with purpose.
Hosted by Daniel Burkholder of BodyShop Marketing, each episode dives into the lessons, mindsets, and breakthroughs that drive top-performing shops and the leaders behind them.
No fluff. Just authentic stories and practical insights to help you grow, lead, and build a smarter, stronger shop.
Powered by BodyShop Marketing — where the best shops come to grow.
The BodyShop Leaders Podcast
Ken Hunnell: When Process Change Makes People Quit (And Why That’s Good)
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What if the moment your team starts quitting… is actually proof you’re doing something right?
In this episode of BodyShop Leaders, I sit down with multi-shop owner Ken Hunnel to unpack the uncomfortable truth about real process change inside a collision repair business.
Ken started in the parts department in 2001 and worked his way up to owning multiple auto body shops across Oklahoma and Kansas. Along the way, he helped transform operations, implement segmented workflow, improve cycle times, introduce team-based pay systems, and build high-performance cultures inside his collision repair facilities.
But the breakthrough moment?
It came when technicians started quitting.
We talk about:
- Why high performers refuse to tolerate mediocrity
- What real leadership in a collision repair shop actually looks like
- How to implement process improvement without losing your team
- The power of weekly process-only meetings
- Team-based compensation in auto body shops
- Building multi-location growth the right way
- Hiring before you’re ready
- Creating ownership opportunities for future leaders
If you’re an auto body shop owner, collision repair manager, or aspiring MSO, this conversation will challenge how you think about leadership, accountability, and building a first-class operation.
The future of the collision repair industry will require stronger leaders — not just better technicians.
This episode shows you what that looks like.
The BodyShop Leaders Podcast is powered by BodyShop Marketing, the agency helping collision industry leaders grow smarter and lead stronger.