The NOLN Podcast

Chris Messer and Mike Jones are back for another installment of the “Endeavor to Discover” series. This month, they speak on the power of adopting an “I will” attitude. Jones explains why common phrases such as “I think I can,” “I’ll try,” and “I hope” are actually powerless and reflect low commitment, as they express potential, but not purpose or action. Messer and Jones explore how to build confidence, resilience, and follow-through by using decisive and empowering statements, like “I will.”
The discussion also dives into leadership cultures, specifically how the mind-set of “under-promise, over-deliver” is inauthentic, and that leaders should commit fully to winning, with a strong sense of personal accountability and clarity of purpose.
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With the SEMA Show just over a month away, Tom Gattuso, SEMA's vice president of events, stops by the NOLN Podcast to set the scene in Las Vegas. Gattuso shares what's new at this year's SEMA Show, and offers a behind-the-scenes look at the multi-year process needed to plan out a SEMA event. Lastly, Gattuso offers up some tips for how SEMA Show attendees can make the most of their time on site.
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Ruben Ortega Jr., director of inside sales at Service Champ, stops by to discuss how the tool needs of quick lube shops, along with common tool-related questions he receives from operators. Lastly, Ortega offers up some practical advice for managing your shop tools while operating on a tight budget.
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In this month’s installment of the “Endeavor to Discover” series, Chris Messer and Mike Jones are talking about leading from the front lines and why leadership isn’t about titles—it’s actually about ownership, vision, and leading by example. Messer and Jones also explain why true leaders lead from the front and why every team member should see themselves as “the” leader in their role.
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Jason Lyon, chief operations officer for Benny’s Car Wash, recently was announced as the association president for the Preventative Automotive Maintenance Association’s 2026-27 term. This week, he took time to speak with us about his goals for PAMA, from better understanding the association’s membership to growing its education and training initiatives.
Lyon also discusses how Benny’s is relying on community engagement and personal interactions to grow its customer base and overcome the challenge of guests going longer between service visits.
>> Now on NOLN.net: PAMA Announces 2026-2027 Officers, Board of Directors
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Are you a manager or a leader? Do you know the difference between the two?
In this episode of our “Endeavor to Discover” series, Chris Jones, executive vice president of EndeavorB2B’s Transportation Group, and Mike Jones, president and master trainer at Discover Leadership Training, discuss how leaders follow up and follow through—setting specific outcomes and making sure projects are moving forward and not just waiting until the deadline.
Messer and Jones also share a key tip that will help your business operate at a higher level.
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Doug Zarkin has two decades of experience in retail and brand marketing, but he’s a newcomer to the quick lube industry. Zarkin was hired as the new chief marketing officer for Take 5 Oil Change earlier this summer, and he describes the way in which he has observed Take 5 lube techs working as “nothing short of a symphony.”
Zarkin shares what appealed to him about joining Take 5, what he has been able to carry over from his marketing experience with health and wellness brands, and the role of marketing as Driven Brands looks to grow the number of Take 5 locations across the U.S.
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In the first episode of our “Endeavor to Discover” interview series, leadership and failure are the topics of conversation as Mike Jones, president and master trainer at Discover Leadership Training, joins Chris Messer, executive vice president of the Transportation Group at Endeavor Business Media, NOLN’s parent company.
Jones, who works with small- to medium-sized business owners and their teams on evolving to improve, explains why failure isn’t fatal. If you’ve ever uttered the phrase “failure is not an option,” this conversation is especially for you.
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FullSpeed Automotive President Ron Stilwell joins the NOLN Podcast to discuss the growth of the company’s Grease Monkey brand. Stilwell shares insights on how FullSpeed is mapping the expansion of Grease Monkey into new markets and the role its “store of the future” model is playing in that development.
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Margaret Light, a licensed marriage and family therapist with Equilibrium Therapy Services, explains the impact of mental health on decision making for business leaders. She also offers some tips for shop operators and managers who have a tendency to be either too optimistic or too pessimistic in their work, and she also offers thoughts on bouncing back mentally after making a bad business decision.
>> Download the 2025 NOLN Operator Survey Report
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