Dan Carranza: We Before Me, Building a Shop Culture That Actually Lasts

What separates the collision shops that are thriving right now from the ones that are barely holding on? According to Dan Carranza, it comes down to one thing: culture — and whether it actually lives on the shop floor or just in the owner's head.

Dan is the CEO and founder of Accelerate Growth Partners and one of the most well-rounded voices in the collision repair industry. He spent 16 years building a PBE distribution business to five locations before selling to LKQ, then another 14 years in senior corporate leadership at LKQ and Akzo Nobel. Now he's channeling 30 years of hard-won experience into coaching and consulting collision repair owners on vision, leadership, mindset, and building teams that last.

In this episode, Dan breaks down why most shop owners have a culture gap they don't even know exists, why goals without commitments underneath them are worthless, and what it really took to walk away from a senior executive position to bet on himself. He also shares what's coming with Collision Next 2026 and the simple philosophy that drives everything he does: we before me.

If you want to lead better, grow smarter, and build something that lasts — this one's for you.

Connect with Dan: Website: dancarranza.com Email: dan@dancarranza.com

Topics: collision repair leadership, shop culture, coaching, PBE distribution, MSO growth, technician retention, vision and mission, Collision Next 2026

The BodyShop Leaders Podcast is powered by BodyShop Marketing, the agency helping collision industry leaders grow smarter and lead stronger.

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:00

Goals are worthless, they're great to have, but I'll tell you what, let's just say that you have two goals. Underneath each goal, give me three commitments that you're gonna make to get that goal and focus on the the commitments, you're gonna get there. And that goes back to the connected team. We gotta hold each other accountable. And I think when shops go to conferences, they're great rah-rah moments. I'm more about an action plan so we can actually execute and deliver on the actions.

SPEAKER_00 0:43

Dan's got a resume that very few people in this industry can match. He spent 16 years as a PVE distributor, servicing collision repair shop owners, regional and national MSOs, building that business to five locations in Northern California before selling to LKQ. Then he spent another 14 years in senior corporate leadership at LKQ and at Axo Nobel. But here's what makes his story really compelling. After three decades of serving this industry from every angle, he stepped away from the corporate world to start something new. A coaching and consulting firm built specifically to help collision repair owners lead better, grow smarter, and build cultures that actually last. He's a certified positive leader. He's organizing one of the most talked-about private events in the industry right now, Collision Next 2026. And he's on a mission to transform how shop owners think and leadership. Dan, I'm excited. Welcome to the show. Absolutely. My pleasure. Great to have you here. So, Dan, I think we're just gonna jump right in and work our way through some questions that we've put together. So, like I said, you spent 16 years building a PvE distribution business to five locations in Northern California, serving collision shops through every phase of business, growth, acquisition, failures. Walk us through how you got into this industry as a teenager in your brother's body shop and how that path led you to building your own company on the supply side.

SPEAKER_01 2:23

Yeah, it's an interesting story. Funny, but it also has a lot of life pivots, right? And started off my brother's body shop, sanding cars, you know, cleaning the shop, you know, pushing the broom, and uh, you know, working for them for two years and sanding vehicles and sanding Bondo and doing all the dirty stuff, right? And I absolutely hated it. Full transparency, absolutely hated it. So I did everything in my power, you know. Back then we used to wet sand cars, and in Northern California we'd have all four seasons, so we'd have the 35-degree winters and we'd have the 105-degree summers and everywhere in between. So the shop didn't have heat or AC at the time. So I just I didn't really like it at the time. I was, you know, gas money and money to go out and have fun with my friends. Didn't really take it too seriously. It was just a job. When I started not liking it though, there towards the latter part, I did everything in my power to start looking for jobs and other opportunities. And then I left their shop. I thought the family dynamic I'd thrive outside of it, probably a little bit better. So I took a pay cut and I went to go deliver parts for Napa, Napa Auto Parts. And at the time, that owner had a small paint business. We're out in a rural area, so he was selling to farmers, and you know, they'd paint implements and what have you. So some of the supplies they had is like, hey, my brothers use this stuff. Why aren't we selling it to them? So started started selling them a few things and then a few more things, and then that started to create some momentum. And I got some leads to go here, and then all of a sudden, you know, I built the guy's business up. You know, at the time I think he was selling 10 grand a month in paint to farmers. And over the course of the next two years, from the time that I finished off high school in that summer job, we started building that business up to it was a $100,000 a month business. So, you know, fairly substantial for a small little town. And I got out going out there knocking on doors and you know, very fearful of the big shops initially. But once you start getting the courage to start knocking on doors, and and I found very early, you know, this is a relationship business and it's part of the sales process, right? As you start to meet people and build rapport and get to know people, people start to build trust in you. And I saw that happen over the course of time, and that's really how I got into the business. You know, there was a pivot point because that summer of graduation, you know, I had big aspiring plans. My plan was to go to UC Santa Barbara and get a degree. That was always the plan. But again, we talk about life pivots. Got my high school girlfriend pregnant and had a son at the young age of 19. So you talk about a major pivot. So at that point in time, rather than going to the university, I ended up going to junior college. And at this point, you're a father at the age of 19, going on to 20, and things get real, and you've got to make some real life decisions at that point in time. So I still remember those days of taking, you know, 12 to 15 units per semester, working 45, 50 hours a week. And that's tough because that means you're you're working weekends, you're squeezing school in, getting early classes, going to night class, and really just to provide a better life. If you fast forward, my son was born in 1991, and from there I'm laser focused on you know making money and focused on the things that are important, which is now having a young family. And, you know, I really started focusing to make sure that I was educating myself, growing that business, growing my clientele. And my boss at the time ended up backing me up to open up my first paint store. Did that in 1996, opened up a second location, and at the same time bought him out and then grew that to five locations, and then in 2012 built those up and uh sold them to LKQ Corp. At that point in time, I took a leadership role in in managing the area that I was over in Northern California in the Bay Area, quickly became promoted and took on a Western regional role. And I still remember one of the executives when we sold to them had mentioned, hey, we didn't buy the business, we bought you and your people because of what you guys bring to the table. And that that was that was very humbling knowing that you know we had made a mark in the industry and you know being sought after and and having a large corporation tell you that, really instilling in me, like, hey, we did make a difference in the industry. And I think at the time you take a look at what was going on in the discounting environment, it was like, look, I didn't sell out, I bought into the bigger picture, and that's the way I looked at it, and that's the way I, you know, those difficult conversations, I think employees get scared when there's an acquisition. But again, better benefits, the bigger picture, you know, a lot of things that come with being part of corporate and uh having the structure of the 401ks and the insurance and all the perks that come, you know, and I think that was important to make sure that my employees were taken care of. And again, for me, staying on and taking on an executive role with them was also important for my future and my career. And uh, you know, I always thought, you know, I'm gonna retire out here. This is an organization I really enjoy and working with them, and they've got the capacity to continue to grow me as an individual and continue to grow the business, and I can make an impact. So that's kind of how we got into the corporate side of things. So I did a 10-year run with them, and then my phone started ringing. People that I know at Axon Nobel, like, hey, they've got this regional role. Said, man, I'm not really interested, but I I thought, you know, it never hurts to talk. So I ended up going through an interview process, and you know, I always had ties to Axon Nobel. I was a distributor since 1996, all the way now to this portion of the career, and I really liked what they stood for. A lot of business services that came with that product and making an impact, making a difference at the shop level, educating you know the clients, the body shops on how they can get to that next level. And and they proved it, and uh, you know, they backed it with their consultative services, and I, you know, really, really, really enjoyed the organization. So I thought I'm gonna take a shot at it because that is an organization. If there was somebody I'd go to work for, probably a small handful, that would be one of them. So I was given the opportunity, and there we are. I took three promotions within that time. And the last two years I did it as a national sales director overseeing the USA and Mexico. Had a little bit of help in Canada there, but you know, that wasn't my direct responsibility. So that was pretty much the side of the corporate career. So I got exposed as a technician, if you will. I got exposed into the distribution side of things, dealing with shop owners every single day and really understanding what their needs were, some of the pain that they went through, and then on the corporate side of the world, dealing with the larger MSOs and really understanding that segment. And then with PE really having such a big presence over the last call it decade, expanding in the market, really getting an opportunity to see all sides from different angles. And I think that perspective, it's different, it's powerful. I think that's probably what's elevated my thought process in where I'm at today and what I'm doing. And so that's pretty much it in a round robin, if you will, full circle where we are today.

SPEAKER_00 8:37

That is outstanding, Dan. What a story of years of growth and change and accomplishment. You kind of led me right into the next question that I have as you went to the corporate side. How did that experience in corporate change the way you see the challenges shop owners are facing?

SPEAKER_01 9:00

I think in a nutshell today, right now matters. I think that you know, 20 years ago it was having that five-year plan, that five-year strategy. Well, I'll tell you what, right now we got it, those are important, don't get me wrong, that big picture is ultra important, but we got to shrink those times down. Technology, AI, all the things that are happening, we gotta have a right now plan, we gotta have a today plan. What's that gonna be? And you know, I think part of what the corporate uh structure showed me is it's a big machine. It really is a big, big machine. And at the end of the day, I think with any business, I would say that the day I started to today, and my hope is that 30 years from now, business is a relational business. I think we sell relationships, I think that human connection is ultra important. And I think you know, the corporate world taught me that uh a lot of the the metrics that we see out there are are really numbers driven, financial driven, and that's the part I really didn't like. So if it taught me one thing is going from an independent ownership into corporate, I didn't really like that people. Don't get me wrong, there's amazing people with the corporations I work with, amazing. I love a lot of the team members, I still do and always will. The corporate machine is really, really difficult. So what it did teach me was people really do matter, and I brought that in from my independent ownership career. And I think in the corporate world, you know, you have so many levels of management that are really, you know, high pressure on the numbers. I think it taught me that. The other thing it did teach me was the structure that corporations have is impressive, and that's why they're corporations because they're very structured. And I think the way that they operate is very structured. I think the way they go to market is very structured. So there was a lot of great things that I really learned, but I also got an opportunity to look on the other side of the coin and things that I didn't like. Could I change them? No, because of the levels of management that are involved in in the corporate world. So I guess one of my biggest takeaways, you know, there's companies that are amazing. You look at the apples of the world that are big corporations, amazing cultures, you know, top-down. You know, I was just at Toyota Motor Company in Plano, Texas. You walk around that building and uh you see the smile on people's faces, engagement and all those things. Again, a great success. I had an opportunity to visit the Google campus a few times in the Bay Area. And again, being exposed to many different types of cultures that are that are corporate, there's a lot of really, really good structure there. I think in the collision space, applicable to what I'm doing now in today's environment, one of the things that it taught me is in the collision space, there's also a big gap. And that gap creates a lot of opportunity. That opportunity is really to go in and help collision owners, distribution networks, collision networks, really focus on the foundation that is culture. And I know it's overplayed. I've heard a lot of people like culture's, you know, overstated. I'll tell you what, the word, and it's not a trendy word, it's not something that's gonna go away. As much as people hate the word culture, it is uh ultimately the number one thing that I believe, and this is my belief, people may challenge it. You gotta start there. And I don't care if you're a business that starts a business tomorrow, a business that's been around for 20 years, 30, 50, it doesn't matter. You've got to make sure you've got that right. Because what I have learned is ownership believes that they have their mission and vision statements out there and that their culture's great. You start peeling the layers back and go down to the floor-level employees, maybe the janitors, the people that do some of the dirtier jobs. I believe there's a huge gap there. And I dealt with a lot of executives, amazing people, amazing teams. However, their mission and vision was lived in the executive boardrooms, but it wasn't carried out all the way through the to the floor. And I think that is one of the biggest things where I see an opportunity where my new role, I can come in and help. But you know, there's structure there and a process there to really understand to make sure that things are in order and in line. And again, as an executive or a CEO, they could have a big picture and a big vision and have their core values and all the things that they believe the company stands for. Does it go all the way down to the bottom? And I could tell you with 100% certainty the answer is no in most cases.

SPEAKER_00 13:12

Very good insights, 100% agree there, Dan. With often those visions stop at the boardroom, but that's one thing that you're setting about to change. Dan, I'd like to just take us back a little bit to after 14 years in corporate leadership, you've recently made the leap to start accelerate growth partners. Was there a particular moment or realization that told you it was time to go out on your own?

SPEAKER_01 13:44

There was. And again, we talk about pivot points in my career and and what I've done. I had a shoulder surgery planned in December of last year, and uh going in through the process, the MRIs and all the things, and pre-surgery, because the surgery was going to be in December, met with my doctor, and that was the first sign that actually made my decision in a short amount of time. He said, Hey, this blip on this EKG was not here last year, or you're under stress because I'm seeing something here. I want you to get a second opinion before we have surgery. So, you know, that cause for concern for me. So I mean, yeah, I got a pretty heavy load. It's nothing I can't handle. And uh he sent me off into a specialist and got that second EKG. Checked out fine. I got the surgery, but really just had me start to do some reflections. And, you know, again, love the organization I was working for, absolutely loved my team, loved my people. You know, we're doing some amazing things. But I think that at that point in time, I I did some self-reflection because I knew at some point what I'm doing today, I wanted to do five years from now, you know, business advisor and consultant. But, you know, every year I choose a word and my word for I'd already figured it out for 2026 was accelerate. And in my specific case, really, really, really meant I needed to slow down to be able to speed back up. I was running 100 miles an hour, I felt like Jack of all trades, master of none. I really wasn't using my gifts, talents, and treasures to apply to make a you know, when I work for somebody, I want to make an impactful difference, and I did that. And I believe I proved that. However, the current state in which I was in, I was not feeling that that's exactly what I was doing and really pressing on my strengths. So I talked to my wife, God bless her. She's my backbone, she's my number one fan. And you're right, it is a scary move. You go from a senior executive position at a corporation to go into the unknown. But I always believe, I'm a firm believer in my faith is God's got a plan. And when I thought it through, I was 100% certain. There were there was zero questioning because I know that over the past 30 years, I've built what I consider my biggest wealth is my relationship capital. And I always tell people about relationship capital. I've spent decades building those relationships, having that network of connections all over the U.S. and now in Mexico. And it's like, I'm gonna bet on me. I'm gonna take this gamble, you know, and and uh it's a tough decision. I think a lot of people will sit and stew in the safety of a career. The you know, you've got the stock compensation, you have the insurance, you have the 401k, you have all these comforts to be able to stay. And you know, no disrespect to the corporate world, but I I believe, you know, it's one of those things that keeps that that stability in place, and you know, millions and millions of Americans live and work, and that's their life is the corporate world and that corporate structure. My issue was if I want to get to the next level of what I envision for myself, the impact that I can make, I'm 54 years old now. I I need to go now. I need to break the cycle, and it does. It it takes reflection, it takes tenacity, and it takes a bold vision to be able to do what I did because not a lot of people are willing to do it. And I'm a firm believer that in my whole career is you've got to be able to do the things that other people are not willing to do to get you that next level. And I was willing to break that cycle, and I believe, you know, that's really my calling. I believe that I want to make a decision to do X, I go out and do it. I did it when I went off on my own and started my own business. I did it when I sold the business, you know, I did it when I jumped into the corporate world and and taken the few jobs, but I've always been very, very bold with my vision, and that's what I'm encouraging my clients to do. We got to be crystal clear on where we're going and how we're getting there. And that's where I'm starting conversations is what's the mission and vision? Does everybody understand it? Are they bought in? Do you as an owner understand it? Are you crystal clear on what it is? And if so, how are we gonna figure out how we get there? Does everybody know where we're going? And it's important, it's ultra, ultra important. I'll give you an example. I'm working with a business right now, and you know, one of the things that we sat through, I interviewed all the owners and talked through all their senior managers. You know, we know we've got an amazing business, but what does that mean? Where do we want to take it? I mean, if we build that big, big, you know, picture of where we're going and we're taking a look through a telescope, man, there it is, and it's beautiful. It's amazing. Okay. Once we know that, now the work begins. How do we get there? We may not make a hundred million dollar business if we're at 50, but guess what? We're gonna start putting the building blocks on how to get there, and it starts with people first. You got to get your people aligned, they have to understand it, they have to know where we're going, how we're getting there. Because I think once you communicate that, that creates a lot of opportunity. People know that there's a certainty. I'm at the right place, I'm working with the employer of choice in a given market. I know where they're going, and I want to be a part of it. And I think, you know, part of the work that I'm doing as well as, you know, one of my mentors and the guy that certified me to do positive leadership, you know, he wrote the book, The Energy Bus, 20 years ago, but it's applicable anywhere you go. Like, hey, I know where this bus is gonna go. Love your passengers, and we may have to stop and kick out a few passengers here and there. That's gonna happen. But I think it's very important that a business tells their people, everybody, from the janitor all the way up to the executives, where we're going, and you gotta have a defined plan on how we're gonna get there. And I think if we do that, that's where you start to make a difference. I'll tell you one more example, and then we can go on to the next question because it's important. Businesses get way too caught up in being better than they were last month financial-wise. I get it. You gotta pay the bills, you gotta pay the employees, you gotta pay all the things. I will tell you though, I think, you know, you hear some of the things that Simon Senek has talked about with an infinite mindset. You know, there's a finite game, then there's an infinite game. And I believe the people with an infinite mindset means we're always gonna innovate, we're always gonna grow, we're gonna look at new technologies, we're gonna continue to do the things that it takes to get us to that next level. There's no end game. We're always working on continuous improvement, not only with our people, but with our business in general. And sometimes you're gonna have to maybe tweak your vision a little bit based on the roadmap that we're going on, but that's okay. As long as you know that this is a business that we're gonna take to the next level by continuing to innovate, change, and that's the biggest thing. Those that get caught in the set of rules, and I'm only as good as my last month, those are the ones that are gonna have problems. Because if you're not willing to change, you're in for a higher challenge.

SPEAKER_00 19:59

Man, I love your story. That is truly inspiring how you made that decision to go bet on yourself. And also, just I gotta shout out Go ahead, Dan.

SPEAKER_01 20:13

It's a scary one. It's scary, but I think when you have a level of certainty, and again, I go back to the the relationship capital, having that those deposits that I made in the past, and I would urge anybody listening to this, we got to be depositing our relationships every single day because you never know when you need to take out a withdrawal. So I always make sure I'm very intentional about depositing my relationships. I'm present and where my feet are at, because that makes a true connection with people. And I think once they trust you and they actually see that you can make an impact and make a difference, guess what? You're I had to turn away because I've got too much work right now. I want to make sure that I'm respectful of those clients that I'm working with to make sure that we've got a return on that investment they're making in me.

SPEAKER_00 20:49

Amazing. You betcha. Dan, I have another question here for you. So you describe yourself as an energy and transformation architect. That's not something you hear every day in this industry. What does that mean to you and how does it show up in the work that you do with shop owners?

SPEAKER_01 21:08

Well, hopefully you get some of my energy through this call, and if not, you will. But I think it's important that leadership starting at the top. I always put myself first. You've got to have energy, you've got to have fuel. And you know, energy can mean a lot of different things. But if I sat here and just talked to you really quietly and just kind of did this and looked around and uh no, let's go, let's go get after it, let's send the message, let's make sure we're clear where our priorities are, where are we going, how are we getting there. You got to have that level of energy. And look, you can't be at 100% every single day when you come to work, but you can give 100% of what you got. So if I'm at 75%, I'm gonna give you, Daniel, a hundred percent of that 75%. So that's what I mean by energy. I I believe that you've got to have energy in today's business climate, you've got to operate with urgency and you gotta make stuff happen. And I think that you know most businesses are gonna have some of those low performers. We got to give those people an understanding. Understanding here's where we're going, here's the expectation. You're gonna have to make some tough decisions sometimes. And uh, you know, we've got to get everybody the opportunity to improve, and if not, if they're what we call an energy vampire, we gotta get them off the bus, right? So that's the opportunity leadership has in today's corporate environment. Set the stage where we're going. Here's a clear expectation, here's how we're getting there, and here's the mindset and attitude that we want. That leads us to, you know, in my corporate career, I've always made sure of two things. When we're hiring new people, they understand where we're going. And I've always hired on mindset and attitude. That's 80% of it. You got to get the right people on that bus because the other 20%, the tactical stuff, we can teach that. Energy, all those things that make up the people that we want on any business, we want them on that bus.

SPEAKER_00 22:47

That is cool. I I like that. And yes, Dan, I'm picking up on your energy and a big fan of the energy bus. I've read the book multiple times. I have it here on my bookshelf behind me. It's a great little read. It's just with John Gordon and and his team.

SPEAKER_01 23:02

I'm in his inner circle, so he and I are on a call every month.

SPEAKER_00 23:05

Yeah, we were just together in Jacksonville. So jealous. Yeah, big fan of him and having a few of his books. Excellent. Hey, let's talk a little bit more about this. So, your framework is built around vision, mindset, leadership, and teamwork. For a shop owner who's just grinding every day and barely has time to even think past Friday, how do you get them to slow down and buy into that kind of work?

SPEAKER_01 23:35

It's absolutely critical. And I'll tell you the shops that succeed, the owners that succeed, the executives that succeed, even the big MSOs, those guys have corporate structures in place that allow the leadership not to be working in the shops. I think where I see the opportunity with small independents, I'm too busy, I'm too busy, I'm too busy, I don't have time for that. We've got to make sure that we prioritize extracting ourselves out of the business to work on the business. And that's one of the biggest things that I'll preach is we need to make sure that those executives are owners, regional MSO leaders, you know, the general managers for this conversation's sake, they've got to be fueling their tank with the energy, with the things that are going on in the market, tactical blueprinting of where we're taking the business. Because what happens is, you know, an owner could get sucked into doing estimates and doing production and doing all these other things. That thing's not going to be sustainable long term. The owners are going to get to a point where they're burnt out, they're going to be exhausted, they're going to want to sell. We've seen a lot of shops that have sold. Right now, in today's collision environment, if you don't know what's going on, your head's in the sand. The market has compressed. There's multiple drivers of why that's happening. You know, the vehicles are more complex, vehicles are totaling out more. You know, the amount of vehicles that are going through a shop is now getting a lot tighter because people are cashing out. They're taking the check instead of fixing their cars. You know, the inflation, the economy is driving some of that. The age of the vehicles out in the market is driving some of that. You know, I tell my shops, and I actually believe it or not, I smile whenever I see shops that say, hey, we're flatter, we're up maybe 5%, because I'm telling you, a lot of the market is not that. They're behind, they're down. You know, right now, the shops that I'm working with, at the end of the day, you're gonna have to outperform the shop next door, the large MSOs. You're competing with a lot of different challenges in this market. So not only is it a tough market, but again, another opportunity, if it is slower, if we have rock star performers, we've got to make sure that we're educating them. We've got to make sure that our cult culture is in place, we've got to make sure that all the little things, because at some point it's gonna turn. It's not gonna be like this forever. And right now is a great opportunity to be able to do some of that. I I've in my 30 years, I always see shops starting to market their businesses whenever it's slow. You should be marketing your shop 24-7 all the time, 100% of the time. I don't care if it's busy, I don't care if you've got a four-week, six-week, eight-week, ten-week backlog, you should be marketing that business and that reputation. You know, the ones that I've seen do that consistently are getting work at their shops and they're keeping people busy.

SPEAKER_00 26:08

So amazing. Dan, you talk a lot about building high-performance, human-centered cultures in an industry where technician shortages and burnout are a real problem. What does a human-centered culture actually look like on the shop floor? And also to attach to that question, how does it impact the bottom line?

SPEAKER_01 26:37

Okay, so we'll start with the first question. So, a human-centered culture is going to be a truly connected team. So if you take a look at, say you and I are working in a body shop, Daniel, I want to make sure when we're working, and let's just say we have a team of 10 technicians, that they're really a connected, thriving team, even though it's individual performance, right? Because they're working on separate vehicles. The underlying culture underneath that means that when you come to work, I'm greeting you. I'm making sure that we have a connection. Because one of the things that I've learned, ironically enough, we're talking about John Gordon, is he preaches connection before correction. So I think from a senior leadership standpoint, we've got to have teams that are truly connected, are looking to the left, looking to the right, making sure that they're looking out, because at the end of the day, we are one connected team. And if we have that, we're gonna put out great performance in the quality of our work, reduction and redo, helping one another, fully communicating with the front office and make sure everybody's on the same page. When you don't have that connection, you start to see some of the stuff break down. So I truly believe that.

SPEAKER_00 27:36

Amazing. I just wanted to emphasize that part of that human connection. I think that is so key in today's world.

SPEAKER_01 27:44

Yeah, and I think owners need to make sure that they're fully aware. Don't get me wrong, the bottom line is very important, but so is that bottom person. And when I work with shops, I want to make sure that I'm gonna greet the janitor with the same level of energy and effort as I'm gonna greet the CEO, and I'm gonna treat him as a human being. And I believe that, you know, everybody needs to be respected. Everybody needs to make sure, you know, I we preach there's tough love, you know. You gotta love your people, man. You gotta love your people at all levels. And I think building that connected team, that's part of my work, is really making sure that we've got a truly connected team that values each other, is committed to that big picture we talked about, and is looking out for one another. It'll never be perfect, but it's always a work in progress, right?

SPEAKER_00 28:27

Love it. Let's talk a little bit about my next question that I have for you. I'm sure a lot of shop owners have been to maybe coaching programs or performance groups or masterminds. They came away feeling like they this was just motivational fluff. What makes your approach, Dan, with Accelerate Growth Partners different from what's already out there?

SPEAKER_01 28:52

So I think the biggest thing is making sure that you have an action plan in place. Because you're right, it's one of those things to go to a conference and you consume, but you don't act upon the consumption. It feels great, it sounds great, you take a few notes, they go in a drawer and you're going back to work. So I think the biggest gap there that I fill in is really a strategic action plan, time-bound dates, activities that we're doing to we're making sure that we are committing to what we're doing. You know, goals are worthless in my opinion, and this is one of the things that I've learned through some of the work that I've done. Goals are worthless, they're great to have, but I'll tell you what, let's just say that you have two goals underneath each goal. Give me three commitments that you're gonna make to get that goal and focus on the commitments, you're gonna get there. And that goes back to the connected team. We got to hold each other accountable. And I think when shops go to conferences, they're great rah-rah moments. I'm more about an action plan so we can actually execute and deliver on the actions. Wow.

SPEAKER_00 29:50

Yeah, that's exactly what we need is to take action, isn't it? Let's shift just a little bit. You've seen collision repair industry from just about every angle, from distribution, working alongside shop owners for many years, then as corporate executive, and now as a coach. What is the biggest blind spot that you see in how shop owners are running their shops today?

SPEAKER_01 30:16

Right back to the first question that we had, I think, when we started talking about culture. Gotcha. Um, I I see that as a blind spot because a leader owner believes they've got their mission and vision statement in place. They believe their people are aligned, and once you start to go back and do some discovery, that's not the case. And if you have that wrong, that's an area of opportunity that we've got to fix. So I think when you see that that not connected team, that fragmented team, you're gonna see a lot of turnover in technicians leaving. You talked about the shortage. Think about how difficult and expensive it is to keep replacing people. That's a culture problem. And and I know some people say culture's played out. It really is not played out. That that is the ultimate competitive advantage if you've got that part right. You got to get that part right.

SPEAKER_00 31:01

Amazing. Yeah, I love that answer. So, Dan, you've got something exciting coming up. You're organizing Collision Next 2026, and if I understand correctly, this is a private event for collision repair owners doing at least five million in revenue. What's your thinking behind the event and what do you believe owners at that level need that they're not getting from other conferences or trade shows that are already going on?

SPEAKER_01 31:30

And I go to a lot of those, by the way, and there's a lot of redundancy, there's a lot of the same messaging, there's conversations on, they seem to be the same conversation. So, as important as it is to understand where the market's going, don't get me wrong, that is always a great refreshing update. You know, my event, I'm really focused on do we have a tax strategy in place? Do we have our organizational structures in place? Do we have our culture in place? You know, taking a really solid look from a CFO perspective on what a collision owner should be looking at, right? You know, we're gonna do something a little bit different that I've done with my conferences. We do breakouts. A lot of the industry conferences, they'll throw 300 people into a room and they're hammering the same message for eight hours or two straight days, and you come out exhausted. And no disrespect to them. I do mine a little more dynamic. So as an attendee, you can customize your breakouts that you want to go to. That way you're getting more impact on attending. And the reason I chose shops doing 5 million or greater, I want to elevate the client list, the attendee list. And again, this will be invitation only. Daniel, I'm gonna send you an invite so you can actually see what it's all about because you've got to actually experience it to be able to see it. I could talk till I'm blue in the face, but those that have been to my events in the past, through some experts' events, I called them when I was with Axo. So now that I'm no longer with them, I'm doing this one on my own. And I'm calling it Collision Next because my aspiration is to be able to turn this into, this is the inaugural one, to turn it into an annual type of event. You know, normally I would probably have chosen the summertime, somewhere right in the middle of the year. This particular time, because of availability, you find venues where you've got meeting space, but no rooms or rooms and no meeting space. We're doing this one in Anaheim, California. I'm super, super stoked. We've got an amazing, amazing lineup of speakers and content, and it's different. And I purposely, Daniel, have not thrown my content out there just yet. I want to wait because I want anybody to copy it, because mine is going to be different. Mine's going to be a more elevated attendee list. And I'm smiling because I'm thinking of the masterminds are going to be able to network and connect and engage with one another and really talk through some of the problems in the industry. That's where the magic happens. I'm not going to wave a magic wand. The people that are there and the elevated client list and the vendor partners and the executives that'll be there, that's where they're going to gain a big impact. I'm looking forward to doing some things different, and I'm just super, super excited. You know, we've got a focus group kicking off, and these are people that have volunteered, people that are industry experts. We're pulling together a round table of some very, very high-level people to really make sure that when people come to this event and they leave, they're going to say, That's the best conference I've been to in a long, long time.

SPEAKER_00 34:09

So that's the goal. That is so cool. That's exciting. Dan, with everything that's changing in this industry, you know it as well as anybody. Consolidation, AI, EVs, ADOS. What's one piece of advice that you would give a shop owner who wants to make sure that they're still thriving five years from now? It's a very simple bit of advice.

SPEAKER_01 34:31

Act as if you're a surfer. You're on a wave of change, you've got to adapt, you've got to pivot. But the number one thing I would say, stay on top of innovation and training and knowing what's going on in your market with vehicles, all the things, all those things. You got to stay on top of it literally daily. Repair procedures, what's going on with the OEs, having a robust and very strong connection with your insurers. You know, we've gone through the space where some shop owners were on very OEM centric and some hate insurance companies, and now some of those are coming back and say, I want some insurance work while they burn some of those bridges. And you know, that I'm a firm believer that you can coexist. I'm very pro-fixing the car the right way to OE procedures. I'm also a realist in knowing that there is an insurance play in this industry, and those that are insurance friendly are getting a lot of the work that's there, even though it's a smaller amount of work, but they're getting some of that work because of their relationships. And if I'm a body shop and I do have the desire to work with insurance partners, I'm gonna sit them down, those that I choose to work with, and I'm gonna have a conversation just like you and I are talking. I'm gonna say, you know, Mr. Insurer, if you're if Daniel, if you're the insurance company, let's just revisit your playbook. Let's understand how we work well with one another. So we're not arguing 50 times on 50 different ROs, on 50 different things. Let's understand how we work. And it goes back to relationship, right? That kind of could tie back into culture, really. You know, when I say connected teams, I mean that not only with your employees, with your vendors, your relationship partners, your OEs, and your insurance partners. You got to have some of that stuff in place, you know. You know, though that's important. So I think staying on top of the wave of change, be a surfer, and making sure that you're staying on top of relationships and training. Training, education, understanding the vehicles, understanding all the things that are going on, you know, as far as repair procedures, etc.

SPEAKER_00 36:12

go. Outstanding. Dan, we ask every guest at this question at the close of the show what does being a body shot leader mean to you?

SPEAKER_01 36:25

You've got to lead with purpose. I think that in everything we do, whether you're an actual collision owner or in the space or any business for that matter, you've got to have that big picture. You're the leader, you've got to cast out that vision. You've got to love your teams, you've got to love tough. But it really, really means driving the right behavior, having a purpose for what you do, and making sure that your team knows that. I think being a leader in this business, you've got to be able to communicate what that vision's going to be. You've got to be really connected with your team at all levels, not just your management team. You gotta, gotta, gotta. I can't even stress it enough. You gotta have that culture piece right. I think that's what it means. Making sure you have that, make sure you're living it, making sure that, you know, if I'm asking you to do something, it's nothing that I wouldn't go out there and do myself. And I think once you build that, you're gonna have a really, really strong performing team. I mean, I know several organizations that are ultra successful that are not having a lot of the problems that some of the shops that I hear from are. And there's a reason for that. Not saying that it's not slow. We recognize that it's slow, it could always be better, but I'll tell you what, you you see the difference. And I will boil down the shops that are ultra, ultra slow and having people turn over to the ones that are, you know, they got the vehicles going, they're moving, they're keeping people employed, there's work going through. It's leadership and it's culture and it's doing the right things.

SPEAKER_00 37:42

So love that answer. Couldn't ask for a better one, in my opinion. So, Dan, I really appreciate you sharing your story so openly from your starting days at your brother's shop to building your distribution business and selling that to LFKQ and then into the corporate. So, thanks again for coming and sharing your time and uh your wisdom with us. Really appreciate that.

SPEAKER_01 38:13

No problem at all, Daniel. And and again, thanks for having me. One last thing I'll close with and and hopefully this will resonate with with people whenever they do listen to this, is we before me. Gotta think through that. We before me. So when you walk into your work, wherever you are, wherever you're working, whatever you're doing, even as a technician, we before me. That starts at the leadership all the way down to the janitor, we before me.

SPEAKER_00 38:35

That is amazing advice. So for everybody that's tuning in, if this episode brought you value, make sure you subscribe, share it with a shop owner who needs to hear it. And Dan, I have one question for you yet. Where can people find you and connect with you?

SPEAKER_01 38:51

The easiest way is going to be on my website. It's fairly easy at carranza.com. My email is easy, dan at dancaranza.com. There's a link in the website. If you do get into my website, you have an opportunity to take a look at the workshops that I do, some of the work that I'm doing out in into the market. And I told you earlier, I wasn't I'm not taking any clients on as far as consulting, but I'm absolutely open to do workshops within shops and have some time in my schedule to do that. We just need to book them ahead of time. And you know, a workshop is a half a day. I'd like to come in for the whole day because I really want to understand senior leadership where they're at and break that down a little bit. But you know, people are asking how long the workshops are. They're they're four hours, and we'll do a lunch after. But again, we can customize those. And I'm available to do executive calls and just kind of talk through where the business is at and then customize what the right workshop would be based on where the business is at. But happy to do that any given time.

SPEAKER_00 39:39

But yeah, best best place is my website, dancaronza.com. Excellent. Encourage anybody that's listening to connect with Dan if you're looking to grow. So thanks again. And to all you body shop leaders out there, keep growing, and we'll catch you on the next episode.

SPEAKER_01 39:55

Next summer. Thanks, Daniel.