The coming of the new year is traditionally about looking forward. Maybe you’ve made some resolutions about things you want to do or do better. Maybe you’ve got new business goals or plans for improvements.  

In this month’s feature story, however, we’re going to take a look back. You might say we’re going all the way back to the beginning, as we hear four shop owners recall the moment they fell in love with collision repair. But saying the beginning wouldn’t be totally accurate, as it wasn’t necessarily love at first sight for the industry veterans FenderBender spoke to. 

Not every owner was drawn to cars from a young age or grew up working on them in the garage. Some were drawn to the industry but it took a little while to figure out what exactly it was that kept them coming back to the shop each day. Even those owners who were all in from Day 1 probably experienced some growing pains that made them question if they were in the right place. 

I think the new year is a good time to think about where you’ve been as well as where you’re going. I hope that reading about the sparks of inspiration these owners had will make you recall that moment in your own career. It might just help you remember where you want to go. 

This month’s issue has tips for that as well. There are strategies for setting clear expectations with customers, a story of how one operator used solar power to both modernize and improve his shop and how to identify your leadership style and what that means. Thanks for reading, and for being passionate about what you do.