Speakers
Chad Williams
Days before Chad Williams was to report to military duty in Great Lakes, Illinois, he turned on a television and was greeted with the horrifying images of his mentor, US Navy SEAL Scott Helvenston, being brutally murdered in a premeditated ambush on the roads of Fallujah, Iraq. Steeled in his resolve, Chad followed in Scott's footsteps and completed the US military's most difficult and grueling training to become a Navy SEAL. One of only 13 from a class of 173 to make it straight through to graduation, Chad served his country on SEAL Teams One and Seven for five years, completing tours of duty in the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Iraq.
Author of his new book SEAL of God, Chad shares his journey through the grueling Naval Ops training and onto the streets of Iraq, where he witnessed the horrors of war up close. Chad shares his own radical conversion story and talks about how he draws on his own experiences as a SEAL to help others better understand the depths of Christ's sacrifice and love.
Amanda Drake
Amanda Drake is a third-generation shop owner and owns six repair shops in Georgia and South Carolina. She has a master's degree in business administration and over 20 years of experience in the industry.
Kevin Roth
Kevin has worked in the automotive industry since he was 14 years old! He has enjoyed every aspect of the industry. What he finds most enjoyable is building a team and helping those around him succeed.
Joe Valind
Joe Valind is an automotive repair industry veteran of almost 3 decades, a Shop Fix Academy coach and operates 2 auto repair shops in Wisconsin with his sights on five locations in the next 4 years. Since taking ownership in 2005, Auto Safety Center has done over $17 million in revenue with $9.8 million of that in the last 5 years. In 2023, his company is on track for $5.6 million in revenue by year end.
Joe discovered his calling in auto repair much earlier than the numbers show. It was wrought out during many years of struggling trying to create a business that improved his family's quality of life versus slowly destroying it. Whether listening to podcasts or reading stacks of books on business, marketing and finances, the greatest breakthroughs came from his own failures and surrounding himself with those who once walked where he is now; but, are currently standing where he envisions to be.
Joe's been featured in Undercar Digest, May 2023 C12 case study, as a main stage and breakout speaker for Shop Fix, and has participated in Success Leaves Clues as a podcast guest.
Shane Copeland
Shane grew up with a very mechanically-minded father who let him tinker. At the age of 14, he started restoration of a 1971 C10 truck — which was finished on his 16th birthday. From that truck on, his mind revolved around vehicles. Shane went on to receive his associate's degree in Automotive Collision/Refinishing and Applied Service Management from Wyoming Technical Institute in 1998. Shane’s career started in a full-line GM Dealership as an auto body collision/refinishing technician. He quickly moved up the ladder from Body Shop Manager to Fixed Operations Director in the dealership world, and then on to the independent world as a parts and service director for an independent dealer with 3 locations. 2010 was the year he made a giant leap along with his current business partner, Chad Kaemingk, when they purchased 12th Street Auto Care Center. This is an 8-bay facility on a very busy street in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Eleven years later, their second location was purchased, an 8-bay facility as well in Sioux Falls. They've grown a lot from doing just over 600k in their first year in business to now in 2023, serving thousands of vehicles and clients each year with $5M in revenue. They joined Shop Fix Academy in the spring of 2019, and he became a Shop Fix coach in 2022. Shane's forever thankful for his amazing wife, Jessi, and 3 kids. He is a big Chicago Bears and Minnesota Twins fan. He enjoys gardening, lifting weights, vacationing with his wife, and hanging with his kiddos.
Ashleigh Civitello
Ashleigh grew up surrounded by the automotive industry from a young age at her family's automotive repair facility in Houston, Texas. After graduating from the University of Houston, she began working in her family's business, where she grew into the General Manager role over the next ten years. During this time, she met Aaron Stokes and became a proud founding member of Shop Fix Academy!
In 2020, Ashleigh and her husband Theo moved to Denver, Colorado, to open their flagship location, SimplyEuro. Shortly after, she became a managing partner for the SimplyTRUE Automotive Group, which has 15 locations across Georgia, Texas, and Colorado. She has a passion for the personal side of the business — creating the best teams, spearheading HR and training for the group, and helping all achieve their goals. She looks forward to helping the group expand to more locations, a larger team, and ultimately becoming the best automotive group in the country.
Jay Huh
Jay, on all accounts, should have failed as a business owner. Once a slave to his business, working countless hours, feeling stressed, and being broke all while doing $30-$40k months, he joined Shop Fix Academy and saw his shop transform. Today, he has nearly multiplied his monthly revenue by 10 and achieved complete freedom from his business. He is now a coach for Shop Fix Academy. Jay enjoys coaching other shop owners and vacationing with his wife and two boys, ages 6 and 4. His hobbies include boating, flying, RVing, and striving to positively impact the automotive industry.
Mike Wandrey
Mike Wandrey is a 25-year body shop industry veteran. His career has included operating independent shops to being an executive with Caliber Collision for 20 years in the highly competitive California market. His experience in multi-shop operations, acquisitions, business and leadership development, and working with thousands of body shops across the U.S. has uniquely equipped him to be a Coach and Consulting Manager with Shop Fix Academy, one of the largest automotive coaching companies in the U.S. He calls Tennessee home with his wife, Heidi, and their four children.
Brandon Peavy
Brandon's first career was as a firefighter/paramedic. He was the Chief Operations Officer for the local EMS agency for 15 years. Brandon opened up an ambulance company in 2005, which quickly grew into 3 different regions with 75-100 employees. He owns an Urgent Care center in Harrisonburg, VA. His repair shop is a 14-bay facility with 3 service advisors and 10 technicians, tracking $3 million in revenue in 2023. Brandon has a wife and four children, ages 18, 14, 4, and 3.
Jonathan Ortiz
Jonathan Ortiz is a multi-shop owner based in West Palm Beach, Florida. He is a second-generation owner of Foreign Affairs, his family's European Automotive Shop, and has recently opened a new service brand servicing all makes and models. You may have heard of his hospitality-based customer service as they serve customers hand-crafted cappuccinos with printed art on top! They were awarded the 2021 Best Workplaces Award by Ratchet+Wrench Magazine. Jonathan’s educational background includes an MBA in Entrepreneurship and Innovation from top-ranked Northeastern University in Boston, MA. He will share his high-level strategy on how to recruit top-performing techs and advisors.
Juan Barrera
Juan was born in Colombia and raised in New York. He started his career in automotive right after high school, working as a technician in both dealership and independent repair shops. After about 15 years of turning wrenches, feeling unappreciated and with no more room to grow, he decided to move to Florida and start his shop. Soon realizing that running a shop was not just about fixing cars, he sought help from a coaching company. Soon after, he grew his six-bay auto repair shop from $8k to $40k per month, but then hit a ceiling. At this point, he joined Shop Fix Academy in early 2018 and implemented all the systems and advice given. He grew the shop to $200K monthly and got his personal life back. Juan is now a coach for Shop Fix Academy. He enjoys spending time and traveling with his family, working out, road cycling, and swimming. One of his favorite sayings is: "What got us here won't get us there," which drives him to constantly look to better himself both professionally and personally.
Carlos Ramirez
Carlos Ramirez is a seasoned professional in the automotive industry, serving as both an automotive business coach and the owner of an established auto repair shop. With a family legacy spanning two generations in the business, Carlos has cultivated a wealth of experience since he entered the industry in 2001. Alongside his professional endeavors, Carlos cherishes his role as a devoted husband to his wonderful wife and a proud father of two beautiful daughters. His passion for empowering others is evident in his dedication to helping individuals and businesses alike achieve their goals and unlock their full potential.
Tony Tatich
Tony Tatich, a second-generation entrepreneur from Bremen, Indiana, co-owns and manages five thriving stores with his father, Mike Tatich. Their strategic growth includes the acquisition of three stores in 2023, showcasing resilience amid challenges. Specializing in operations and sales, Tony is also a coach at Shop Fix Academy, where he shares his expertise with industry professionals.
Beyond his automotive pursuits, Tony is deeply involved in his community and family life. Married for 12 years to Anne, he is the proud father of Luke, Layla, Abe, and Cole. A dedicated sports enthusiast, Tony supports the Los Angeles Dodgers, Indiana Hoosiers, and WWE. Actively engaged in community initiatives, he serves on the Redevelopment Commission, Little League Board, owns a youth indoor baseball center, and is a member of the Orthodox Men's Group. Tony also coaches travel baseball, showcasing his commitment to family, community, and professional excellence.