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Darrin Barney As our keynote speaker, Darrin will lead a practical, hands-on session focused on one of the most important parts of running a successful shop: leadership. He’ll help owners and managers take a closer look at how their leadership style, communication, and emotional awareness impact team engagement, retention, and the day-to-day health of the business. Many of the problems that feel like constant fires can be traced back to leadership and communication. Darrin will help attendees recognize those patterns, understand their influence, and make intentional changes that create stronger teams and better shops. Attendees will walk away with greater clarity about how they lead and a practical plan they can put to work immediately. About the Speaker: Darrin Barney began his automotive journey working alongside his father while also working toward becoming an Eagle Scout. In 2003, he founded his own auto repair and 4x4 business with a core philosophy centered on treating customers like personal friends and delivering an exceptional customer experience. Through a strong commitment to employee development and customer safety, his shop grew into one of the largest independently owned auto repair facilities in North America, serving customers from around the world. Darrin’s success has led to features in nationally published articles, industry podcasts, magazine covers, and speaking engagements at some of the automotive industry’s largest events. He is deeply committed to continued education, earning his Accredited Master Automotive Management credential in 2017. He is also a Certified High Performance Coach and has coached shop owners and management teams to significant growth and operational improvement. Darrin lives in Grand Junction, Colorado, with his wife Ginger and their three children. Outside of work, he is active in his church, enjoys writing and recording music, and spends time exploring the outdoors through camping, four-wheeling, and travel.
Zach Wright Zach will explore how customer expectations are changing and what that means for today’s diesel shop. Quality repairs are still the foundation, but customers also expect convenience, clear communication, and an experience that builds trust from start to finish. This session will look at how modern tools can help shops simplify the customer experience, identify opportunities beyond the initial repair, and turn one-time transactions into long-term relationships that keep customers coming back.
About the Speaker: Zach Wright is the Director of Sales at Tekmetric, a shop management platform built to help automotive repair businesses operate more efficiently and deliver a better customer experience. Through his work with shops and industry professionals, Zach brings insight into how technology, communication, and better processes can help owners strengthen customer relationships, improve operations, and create sustainable growth.
Sara Fraser Sara will tackle two people challenges that can have a major impact on a shop: working with family and understanding the different personalities on your team. She’ll explore the unique dynamics that come with having family members in the business, including communication, expectations, boundaries, and separating personal relationships from professional responsibilities. Sara will also break down common employee types and how understanding what motivates different people can help owners and managers communicate more effectively, build stronger teams, and create a healthier workplace culture.
About the Speaker: Sara Fraser is Vice President of Haas Performance Consulting and brings more than 15 years of experience in retail, management, customer service, marketing, and business operations. Her automotive experience includes six years managing the office of a used car sales and service center, giving her firsthand perspective on the people and operational challenges shops face every day. Sara works closely with shop owners to strengthen their teams, improve workplace culture, and find the right people for their businesses. She is also an experienced automotive industry trainer, speaking on topics including leadership, communication, generational differences, management, culture, and strategic hiring. Sara brings a practical, people-focused approach that helps owners and managers better understand their teams and become more effective leaders.
Lucas Underwood As our lead-off speaker, Lucas will share the story of how his path as a shop owner eventually grew into something much bigger. From running L&N Performance Auto Repair to launching the Changing the Industry Podcast, Lucas has built a platform centered on honest conversations about where the automotive industry is headed and how the people in it can continue to improve. He’ll talk about the lessons, relationships, challenges, and opportunities that shaped his journey, while encouraging attendees to invest in themselves, stay connected to the industry, and be open to where their own path might lead.
About the Speaker: Lucas Underwood is the owner of L&N Performance Auto Repair and the host of the Changing the Industry Podcast. As a shop owner, Lucas understands firsthand the challenges that come with building a business, leading a team, and serving customers in an ever-changing industry. Through Changing the Industry, Lucas brings together technicians, shop owners, vendors, and other industry leaders for conversations focused on making the automotive world better. His work is driven by a desire to help people improve their businesses, careers, customer relationships, and lives, one conversation at a time.
Jimmy Lea Jimmy will take a practical look at local marketing and the opportunities shops have right in their own backyard. This session will cover ways to strengthen your local presence through tools like Google Business Profile, customer reviews, and user-generated content. Jimmy will share tips and strategies shops can use to get more value from the customers they already serve, build a stronger online reputation, and make it easier for new customers in their market to find and trust them.
About the Speaker: Jimmy Lea is the Vice President of Business Development at The Institute for Automotive Business Excellence and brings decades of automotive industry experience to the stage. Through his coast-to-coast travels, Jimmy has visited thousands of shops and seen firsthand what separates successful businesses from those struggling to gain traction. His experience spans company culture, marketing, processes, leadership, and shop operations. By learning from some of the industry's most successful shops, Jimmy has made it his mission to share those lessons with other owners and help elevate the automotive industry as a whole.
Zeb Beard Zeb will lead a diesel-focused diagnostic class built around one simple principle: stop guessing and find the root cause. This session will explore a disciplined approach to diagnosing diesel trucks, helping technicians move beyond replacing parts and hoping something fixes the problem. Zeb will share practical insight from decades in the field on testing, troubleshooting, and following the evidence to make an accurate repair the first time. Attendees will leave with strategies they can take back to the shop to improve diagnostic accuracy, reduce wasted time, and build greater confidence when tackling difficult diesel problems.
About the Speaker: Zeb Beard has been diagnosing and repairing vehicles since 1993. After more than a decade of developing his craft, he opened Strokers Diesel Performance & Repair in 2005 with a commitment to accurate, high-quality repairs without compromise. Under Zeb’s leadership, Strokers has grown into one of the largest and most capable automotive repair facilities in its region, attracting customers from more than 100 miles away. His extensive hands-on experience and reputation for diesel diagnostics have also taken him beyond the shop, with opportunities to teach and speak at major automotive industry events across the country. Zeb brings more than 30 years of real-world experience to the classroom, with an approach grounded in testing, accuracy, and fixing the actual problem rather than simply replacing parts.