“I have no idea how to repair a vehicle.” It is not what you expect from one of the most respected collision repair operators in the Northeast. But it is exactly how Elias Akiki explains real leadership in this industry.

Elias took over his family’s shop at 19. He built Akiki Auto Body into a multifaceted operation rooted in people, culture, and doing things the right way. In this episode, he explains why his job is not to decide how a car gets repaired. His job is to follow the manufacturer’s directions to the letter. And he is blunt about why so many shops and insurers still refuse to do the same.

Daniel and Elias cover a lot of ground. How to build a low-turnover team in an industry that struggles to keep people. Why Elias says making money is not the most important thing. The painful decision to “call his own baby ugly” and rebuild the business the right way. His take on OEM certifications, ADAS, and being the last true advocate for the customer.

Own a shop, manage one, or just getting started? This conversation will challenge how you think about safe and proper repairs, culture, and leaving the trade better than you found it.

What does being a BodyShop Leader mean to you?

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

"Fear is a mile wide, but an inch deep." That's how Logan Martin, co-owner of Mr. Dent Collision Repair, describes the leap most shop owners are too scared to take.

In this episode of The BodyShop Leaders Podcast, Logan shares the story of a true family business — three generations of Martins fixing and painting cars in West Plains, Missouri — and how he went from a three-month stint as an accountant to running a growing multi-shop operation now building its fourth location.

We get into the real work of scaling a collision MSO: why processes make or break the jump from one shop to many, how to find and keep great technicians in rural markets (including the apprenticeship program that dropped Mr. Dent's average tech age to 36), and why culture, trust, and the right people in the right seats matter more than any building or piece of equipment.

Logan also opens up about the leadership mindset he calls "leading with a servant's towel," the surprising skill he carried over from his days as a championship dirt-track racer, and why watching his people win is what drives him.

A must-listen for any shop owner thinking about growth.

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

Josh Piccione started his collision career manning a pressure washer. Today he's the general manager of Tom Wood Collision Center in Indianapolis, running one of the most heavily OEM-certified shops in the country — more than 20 manufacturer certifications under one roof.

But the turning point in his career wasn't a promotion. It was a question he couldn't answer. At his first 20 group, moderator Mike Anderson called him to the front of the room as "the most certified shop here" and asked how many Subaru steering columns he'd measured that year. Josh had no answer. He went home and tore his own process apart.

In this episode, Josh walks through what it actually cost to rebuild a shop around doing it right — the training, the bruised egos, the carriers and customers who didn't love it. He explains why he wants OEM certification audits to get harder, how EOS reshaped the way his leadership team operates, and why he stopped treating insurers like a war and started treating them like an opposing team with a different scoreboard. He tells the story of one hour-long call with an adjuster that moved a stalled supplement by thousands of dollars, without a raised voice.

Plus: how to judge which new technology is worth the investment, why he believes the estimator role is headed for extinction, and what rising total-loss rates mean for your business model.

Then the question we ask every guest — what does being a BodyShop Leader mean to you?

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