Leaders Perception Magazine is currently running an interview series called – Innovate & Elevate: Inside the Entrepreneur’s Toolkit
Today, we had the opportunity to interview Brian Moak – Owner and CEO @ HEART Certified Auto Care.
Brian Moak, owner and CEO of HEART Certified Auto Care, is a gay man who has made a name for himself in the auto industry. With more than 20 years of experience in the auto industry, Brian has created an accepting environment for his employees and customers. He has also deployed his tactical and strategic skills in the pet, solar and commercial real estate industries. In this interview, Brian shares his backstory, the essential tools and technologies he relies on to manage his business effectively, the unconventional and creative approaches he has implemented to contribute to the growth and success of his business, and how he addresses the learning curve and potential resistance from his team when implementing new tools or technologies.
Interviewee Name: Brian Moak
Company: HEART Certified Auto Care
Brian Moak’s favourite quote: “Whatever you are, be a good one.” – Abraham Lincoln
The Interview
Thank you so much for joining us today! Tell us a little bit about yourself. What is your backstory?
Brian Moak : Most people are surprised to learn I’m a gay man running several blue-collar businesses. My name is Brian Moak, I’m an entrepreneur, consultant, coach and motivational speaker with a strong focus on service-based businesses. I got involved in my family’s auto repair business right out of college. As owner and CEO of HEART Certified Auto Care, I have more than 20 years of experience in the auto industry and pride myself on having one of the few LGBTQ-owned auto repair businesses where I strive to create an accepting environment for my employees and customers. I also deploy my tactical and strategic skills in the pet, solar and commercial real estate industries. I’m passionate about helping people navigate their careers in a corporate environment while staying true to themselves. I live in the Chicago area with my husband and two children.
What are the essential tools and technologies you rely on to manage your business effectively??
Brian Moak : In my companies, we don’t have goals – we have standards. In my opinion, “goals” is a weak word because it has a finish line. Instead, we create standards and don’t allow for anything less. We have a solid point of sales system. Every employee has a scorecard where they receive weekly data that shows controllables and implies what we expect them to manage. We have a defined set of controls for each employee, and we create standards around what we expect those controllables to be. If an employee is struggling to meet those standards, we provide actionable, directive data that provides a clear path forward to improve. We sit on the same side of the table and solve the problem together.
Are there any unconventional or creative approaches you’ve implemented that significantly contributed to the growth and success of your business??
Brian Moak : Just like it’s important to maintain your car, you have to maintain your people. All our employees have scorecards where they keep track of what’s expected of them, how they’re doing, and what the end goal is. Each week, we release those employee scorecards. We don’t do it to shame people, we do it to celebrate them. The information we provide our employees must point them in a specific direction and the data has to say, “If you want to do better, here’s how.” If you’re at the bottom and need support, we look at it as a chance to help people get better and build a culture where everyone is moving forward.
How do you address the learning curve and potential resistance from your team when implementing new tools or technologies? ?
Brian Moak : Anytime you’re going to implement something new, you’ll have pushback. It’s important that employees understand this is a closed-door process. There can be no doubt that this is what we’re doing and why. Otherwise, people will think they can try it and if it doesn’t work, they can go back to the old way. Once everyone understands this is what we’re doing, this is how it impacts them and benefits their career, and coaching is provided, you’ll have very little pushback.
Leaders Perception would like to thank Brian Moak and HEART Certified Auto Care for the time dedicated to completing this interview and sharing their valuable insights with our readers!
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