Having a family atmosphere in your shop makes everything smoother; it creates a great work environment and strengthens relationships, trust, and efficiency. It sounds simple, yet it is not so easy to get.

In this episode, we chat with Greg Marks, Owner, Technician, and Advisor at Marks Automotive in Jasper, Alabama. Greg’s shop is known not only for its top-notch quality service but also for its unique culture. The work environment Greg created at Marks Automotive since the company started in 2013 is light, fun to be in, and inviting.

Throughout our conversation, we delve into how Greg and his team created a family-like work environment and the challenges they had to overcome along the way. We also talk about how challenging it can be to establish boundaries and a boss/employee relationship while, at the same time, nurturing an honest friendship.

Plus, Greg talks about the importance of training and developing internal customers, his journey of developing a second in command for his shop and the advantages of it, and so much more.

In this episode, you will learn:

• About Marks Automotive family atmosphere and its creation (2:09)
• How to build solid boundaries while nurturing your friendship with internal customers (4:13)
• How to be ready to have difficult conversations (7:17)
• Greg’s experiences developing a second in command (12:18)
• Trust but verify, always (21:40)
• How having a second in command improved Greg’s personal and professional life (23:01)

Resources

• Marks Automotive website
• Connect with Greg Marks on LinkedIn