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\n\t\tOpinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.\t<\/p>\n
Running 650 collision repair locations would seem to leave little time for hosting a podcast, especially one whose return Matt Ebert<\/a> can\u2019t put on a spreadsheet.<\/p>\n But Ebert has found reasons to keep recording.<\/p>\n The Crash Champions<\/a> leader explained why podcasting has become part of how he builds relationships with customers and potential employees.<\/p>\n \u201cUnless you have an accident, you don\u2019t care about us,\u201d Ebert says. \u201cThen if you do have an accident, then you wish you knew us.\u201d<\/p>\n That creates a difficult marketing challenge. A customer might need the company only once every 10 years. Through PodCrash<\/a> with Matt Ebert, he gives people a chance to hear from him before that moment arrives.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a business where trust really matters,\u201d Ebert says. \u201cSo the way to build trust is to get to know somebody.\u201d<\/p>\n Ebert started by seeking invitations to other podcasts. Launching his own show gave him a way to host conversations about leadership, entrepreneurship and blue-collar trades. Guests with larger audiences could introduce new people to the business, even if only a handful followed after each interview.<\/p>\n After about 35 episodes, Ebert still couldn\u2019t put a precise return on a spreadsheet. But he could point to an unexpected benefit: recruiting.<\/p>\n \u201cThe people interviewing with us feel like they know me,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n Those conversations also let Ebert challenge perceptions of collision repair work. He says the company\u2019s technicians earn an average of more than $100,000 annually, and today\u2019s advanced vehicles mean they\u2019re as likely to hold a tablet as a welder or paint gun.<\/p>\n For Ebert, the show gives customers and potential employees a clearer picture of the people behind the business. When they eventually need a repair or consider a job, they have something more to go on than a company name.<\/p>\n Earlier in his career, Ebert tried his hand at the restaurant business as a Subway franchisee in his 20s. His first location wasn\u2019t making much money, but he thought a second would improve things.<\/p>\n It didn\u2019t.<\/p>\n \u201cI thought getting two that don\u2019t make much money was gonna be a great idea,\u201d Ebert says. \u201cIt didn\u2019t work that way.\u201d<\/p>\n The experience taught him something he would later apply to collision repair: Expansion needs a profitable business underneath it.<\/p>\n \u201cBefore you can scale a business, you need to be able to show that there\u2019s a demand for the product, and that you can do it profitably,\u201d Ebert says.<\/p>\n For years, Ebert operated one repair shop with a partner. He bought out that partner in 2014 and began growing. A private equity investment followed in 2019, when the company finished the year with 13 locations.<\/p>\n Capital helped fund the expansion, but choosing a partner required honest conversations about how to grow and where both sides wanted the company to be in five years.<\/p>\n Running more locations also required him to change.<\/p>\n \u201cIt takes people, and you have to trust people,\u201d Ebert says. \u201cOtherwise, it won\u2019t work.\u201d<\/p>\n That meant accepting work that reached 95% of what he could accomplish himself.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s no way you can scale if you\u2019re gonna demand everything be perfect,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n Ebert once obsessed over a single burned-out light bulb. With 650 locations, he jokes that there are probably 1,000 out at any given moment.<\/p>\n Ebert once wanted one shop and enough money to cash his paycheck. Now, he wants Crash Champions to become the largest collision repair company in the country.<\/p>\n \u201cI never dreamed this big until recently,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n Getting there requires trusting people to run the locations he cannot personally oversee. The burned-out light bulb can\u2019t be what stops him from opening the next shop.<\/p>\n Restaurant Influencers<\/em><\/a>\u00a0is brought to you by Toast, the powerful restaurant point-of-sale and management system that helps restaurants improve operations, increase sales and create a better guest experience. Toast \u2014 Powering Successful Restaurants. Learn more about\u00a0Toast<\/a>.<\/p>\n Restaurant Influencers is proud to have PepsiCo as a sponsor of this episode. Partnering with PepsiCo Foodservice helps restaurant operators drive sustainable growth through smarter digital experiences, AI-backed menu optimization, and tools designed to create more profitable online orders. Check out PepsiCo Foodservice<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\nGrowth requires trust<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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