DO IT FOR A LIVING

You're doing highly skilled work, working harder than the general repair shop down the street — and making less money per hour. In this episode, Richard interviews Kevin to break down exactly why performance, restoration, and custom fabrication shops struggle financially compared to general repair, and what to do about it.
We cover the "book time" billing model that lets general repair techs flag 50-60 hours in a 40-hour week, why performance shops are stuck at or below 100% efficiency, the parts markup gap, and the two metrics every shop owner needs to track: door rate and shop efficiency. Then we get into how to actually fix it.
If you run a performance shop, custom fab shop, or restoration business — this might be the most important episode you watch this year.
Most performance shops are running on spreadsheets, notebooks, or nothing at all — and general repair software doesn't fit because it's built around canned jobs and flat rate labor guides. My Shop Assist was built specifically for this industry. It captures your actual labor time on every job, tracks every part and consumable that goes into a build, and shows you real job costing so you know if you actually made money when the car rolls out. You can quote custom work properly, see where your unbilled hours are going, and finally get visibility into the metrics that determine whether your shop thrives or just survives. It's how you stop guessing and start running your shop like a real business.
Kevin Dubois has spent more than a decade working with performance shop owners through My Shop Assist and teaching his "Two Metrics for Success" class at the PRI show. In this episode, co-host Richard Fielder flips the script and interviews Kevin to unpack why the most talented builders in the industry consistently make less per hour than shops doing oil changes and brake jobs — and what it takes to fix it.
This isn't theory. It's the reality of how these two business models work, laid out side by side, with a clear framework for improving your shop's profitability.

www.myshopassist.com - our software for managing your performance shop.

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Unlock the hidden secrets that are transforming manufacturing efficiency worldwide.  In this deep dive, Richard and Kevin explore the powerful concepts that can revolutionize your production line—from error-proofing and Pokeyoke techniques that prevent costly mistakes, to lean manufacturing principles that maximize value while minimizing waste. Plus, learn practical examples—from how to design parts that only assemble one way to organizing complex hoses for faster, error-free installation.

You'll uncover:
The difference between error-proofing and Pokeyoke, and how to implement them effectively
How to design parts with built-in Pokeyoke features that save time and reduce errors
Step-by-step strategies to run a lean shop, from shadow boards to labor tracking
The role of Kanban in managing workflows, inventory, and customer experience
Practical tips to adapt lean and just-in-time principles for small, custom shops
Ignoring these insights can mean wasting thousands of dollars on excess inventory, rework, and lost productivity. Conversely, mastering these methods opens the door to faster throughput, higher quality, and greater profitability—regardless of your company size.

Perfect for manufacturers, shop owners, or anyone striving to eliminate inefficiency, this episode reveals proven strategies to boost your bottom line. Implement these ideas today and start working smarter, not harder.

Be sure to like and subscribe to the channel! the more viewers we have, the more high quality guests we can attract!  

www.Doitforaliving.net

www.myshopassist.com

In this episode, Kevin and Richard sits down with Chris Hagen, owner of Inertia Laboratory. Chris specializes in high-performance damper rebuilds, revalving, dyno testing, and sells high end coilover systems. Before starting Inertia Lab, Chris worked as an engineer for a major vehicle manufacturer, and spent time at AST/Moton - so he brings both OEM engineering credibility and real-world motorsports experience to the table.
We dig into what it actually takes to run a suspension service business - from the technical side of shock dyno testing, to the business operations side of managing parts inventory across dozens of damper brands. Chris breaks down rebuild intervals,  explains the difference between a $300 coilover and a $3,000 setup, and shares why he's built a reputation for fast turnaround without upselling unnecessary work.
We also tie this episode back to our manufacturing systems discussion with Richard Fielder - talking about how Chris applies 5S, standard work documentation, and error-proofing to precision damper work. Plus we get into the tech stack side: what software he's using to run the business, how he tracks jobs and inventory, and what features matter most for service-heavy shops like his.
Whether you're a shop owner thinking about adding suspension services, a racer trying to understand what your shocks actually need, or just curious how a one-man specialty shop operates at a high level, this one's packed with practical takeaways.
Check out Inertia Lab at inertialaboratory.com
Check out My Shop Assist at myshopassist.com for shop management software built for the performance and racing industry.

Be sure to subscribe to the podcast on your favorite platform, and tell us who you want to hear from!  If there is a specific topic you want us to cover, send us a message or email!

In this episode, Kevin and co-host Richard Fielder break down the manufacturing systems used by large-scale factories and show you how to implement them in your small shop. Richard is a controls engineer at Peterbilt where he works with the systems that manufacture semi trucks at scale, and he brings that expertise to help small fabricators, tuners, and parts manufacturers work smarter. Whether you're making one-off custom parts or producing small batches, these principles will make you faster, more consistent, and more profitable.

We cover 5S for organizing your workspace, shadow boards for tool management, standard operating procedures for documenting your processes, and how to build a proper bill of materials so you actually know what things cost to make. Richard explains how each system works on the factory floor at Peterbilt, then we translate it into practical steps for shops with 1-5 people. The goal isn't to turn your shop into a factory, it's to steal the best ideas from industrial manufacturing and apply them at your scale so you stop wasting time, reduce errors, and can actually grow without chaos.

We will be following this episode with additional podcasts related to manufacturing processes we didn't discuss in this episode. Additionally, we will be talking to more guests who do manufacturing to talk to them about how they do things and the processes they use at their shops. Be sure to keep listening, and to subscribe to the channel!

Check out My Shop Assist at myshopassist.com for shop management software built for the performance and racing industry! www.myshopassist.com

In this episode of Do It For a Living, we sit down for a followup with brothers Alejandro and Pablo Moreno, co-owners of Tandem Offroad. Their shop specializes in off-road truck builds and general maintenance, serving customers who demand both performance upgrades and reliable day-to-day service. The brothers share their journey of building a business together, the challenges of manufacturing their own products, and how they've grown their customer base in a competitive market.
One of the biggest challenges they faced was manufacturing their own products without properly understanding their true costs. Like many small shops, they were pricing based on what felt right or what competitors charged, not on what it actually cost them to make parts when you factor in materials, labor, overhead, and time. We dig into how they discovered they were losing money on products they thought were profitable, the wake-up call that forced them to completely rethink their pricing strategy, and the systems they put in place to ensure every product they make actually contributes to the bottom line instead of draining it.
 
Find out more about Tandem Offroad at www.tandemoffroad.com

Find out more about My Shop Assist at www.myshopassist.com
Check out all our content at www.doitforaliving.net

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