Transcript
Aniz Lavji: Okay, welcome to another exciting episode of the Shop and Tread Talk podcast. I'm Frank. and today we do not have an ease with us but we have a wonderful young lady yemi with us today And so we're just going to have a little chat. and see what got her in this trade and um You'll see where the conversation leads. So, Yemi, why don't you introduce yourself and tell us a little about... why you're here and And what brought...
Aniz Lavji: You to the podcast.
Yemmi : awesome Hello, my name is Yemi. I'm an automotive technician over here in Raleigh, North Carolina. I'm 26 years of age. um I started as a mechanic when I was like 21 or 22.
Yemmi : Also in Raleigh, I'm actually originally from California. But I met Frank over at the ASTA, which is the Automotive Service and Tire Alliance event at the expo that we had over here at the convention center in Raleigh.
Yemmi : and I don't even know how you found me, to be honest. I just remember turning around and you were like. Hey, do you want to do a podcast? Yeah!
Aniz Lavji: well Well, what it was is Aniz and I, we were we were in there and we're like, okay, I'm going to scout out for some people to have on the podcast. And he always scouts out for. I see the bigwigs like...
Aniz Lavji: Like. guys like Josh Parnell and... And Brandon Steckler, like... That's the guy he wants. I'm always looking for... Maybe somebody that...
Aniz Lavji: the other people aren't looking for, the other podcasters aren't looking for, but specifically female techs.
Yemmi : Yeah.
Aniz Lavji: I have such ah an appreciation for female techs. How much harder? the job can be for them And so when, when I saw you and you were in a group of like three girls, I think.
Aniz Lavji: And I'm like, I'm like. If she's a tech, I'm going to ask her. And then when you turned around and your tag said technician, I'm like, hell yeah. So... And I think you were just you were just on your way out the door. You had to go feed a cow. or something.
Aniz Lavji: And I'm like, hey, wait. i always want to chat but that was the bingo night or whatever no uh
Yemmi : It was. Yeah, it was.
Aniz Lavji: yeah Something like that.
Yemmi : Poker night, casino night.
Aniz Lavji: so oh poker yeah casino night it was so loud in there i could hardly even think but
Yemmi : it really was
Aniz Lavji: Yep.
Yemmi : and then you had that class with me like in the next two days and it like took me a second to really register i was like oh shit because i heard your voice and i like remembered it and i was like oh
Aniz Lavji: Yeah.
Yemmi : You're in this class too!
Aniz Lavji: Well, and see and I wasn't even supposed to be in that class. I went i was signed up for a management class. And I walked into the class and I'm like. Aw crap. i don't want to be in this class because because a Yeah, well well, A, I didn't... i didn't I didn't.
Aniz Lavji: I'd seen that class before. And I really. Anyways. That's enough of that. So, so I'm like, I'm on on the app and I'm looking at like, where the heck. Where the heck can I go? Like what class can I take that's right now?
Aniz Lavji: And then I seen that one. I think that was the wiring diagram one. What was his name? Peter or something like that, right?
Yemmi : Yeah. Yeah.
Aniz Lavji: and And I'm like. Oh, you know what? That'd be interesting. And it was only two doors down. So I... come over and it was like you know it started 20 minutes in i walked in And that's why you didn't know I was there because I walked in late.
Yemmi : Ah, okay.
Aniz Lavji: Good. But it was a phenomenal class.
Yemmi : it was and that guy he was funny too just the did like were there like I love people from up north.
Aniz Lavji: I thought... like Yeah, he was
Yemmi : They're they're so freaking hilarious.
Aniz Lavji: Did you say from up north? I'm from up north.
Yemmi : Yeah, yeah.
Aniz Lavji: but
Yemmi : Well, you're Canadian North. That's different. Like, American Northern?
Aniz Lavji: that's
Yemmi : There's our - Crazy.
Aniz Lavji: Over here. So where is he from? Is he like...
Yemmi : i think he's in new york or New Jersey I swear it was
Aniz Lavji: Okay, yeah. That would make sense, yeah.
Yemmi : right
Aniz Lavji: Um, I told him after, I said, you know what? My apprentice needs to take your class. Because my apprentice. Would would just thrive in that sort of like.
Aniz Lavji: ADHD kind of class. ah He would love it.
Yemmi : Yeah.
Aniz Lavji: He actually did a...
Yemmi : Adieu.
Aniz Lavji: He did a ah course or class with Brandon Steckler last night. Um... a zoom class And he's like, oh, man, he was a phenomenal instructor. And I'm like, yeah. So he would love Peter.
Aniz Lavji: And I think there's... He sent me a message, Yuri. I think there's a class coming up. in January that he's teaching. ah Yeah. um let's
Aniz Lavji: Let me see here Peter, February, actually. Peter Orlando right
Yemmi : okay
Aniz Lavji: so Anyways, that's through TST if anyone... Want some group it great... Extra training TST seminars. I just signed up with them I think that's going to be phenomenal. so So he's going to go on that.
Aniz Lavji: But yeah, you're right. He was he was a... funny guy like
Yemmi : Yeah.
Aniz Lavji: really knew how to captivate his audience.
Yemmi : Yes, but there were a couple times he'd scare the shit out of me because I would kind of zone out and he has this voice that would go from like Sokka Sokka to And it like... Oh! Like, throw me -
Aniz Lavji: No. you you don't want to You didn't want to doze off in his class.
Yemmi : no it's scared the shit out of me
Aniz Lavji: Nope. That was one of those like Well, you're... in church and you're falling asleep in the past you're like Screams at you. No, you don't want to do that No. but he yeah it was a great it was a great class but yeah that's so that's where anyways continue your story so that's where we We connected after that because the other the night before that.
Aniz Lavji: There wasn't much communication because it was too loud.
Yemmi : No, I was on my way out. I don't remember why I was on my way out, but I just had to go.
Aniz Lavji: It's about feeding a pet or something.
Yemmi : I don't know. i
Aniz Lavji: You have to take care of a pet.
Yemmi : That makes sense, actually. Yes, because because I was there from 7 a .m. to like... 8 p .m every night i'm like i got somebody's gotta feed the cat so i gotta go
Aniz Lavji: Yep.
Yemmi : But um...
Aniz Lavji: But cat cats feed themselves, you know.
Yemmi : She literally will if I don't come home She will figure out how to get the cap off of the food thing and then get in there So I have X amount of time to figure it out before she does
Aniz Lavji: Yep.
Yemmi : um But... in terms of me so i guess in 2022 I... i i've always like really liked cars but i'm not the girl that grew up in a garage with my dad my dad like he was really into like formula one but we went to like a couple of races but i didn't really grow up like with it When I got to my teenage years, the friends that I was hanging out with.
Yemmi : They were what got me into cars. And like my, my first ever dream car was either a Toyota Celica or like. honda civic si and i remember the si was like unattainable for me because i was like I don't know how to drive manual! So I really wanted to learn how to drive manual and I got this.
Yemmi : Manual Mazda Protege is my first vehicle.
Aniz Lavji: Oh yeah.
Yemmi : Yeah, it was a It was a fucking fantastic day. We had AC, five speed A, it was great. Um. but like the alternator shit the bed and it was gonna be like $1 ,200 to replace and I was not making money.
Aniz Lavji: Oh shit.
Yemmi : money being like a retail manager at the time And I was like. a tool um A cobalt starter kit is like $200. The alternator is like $200. How hard could it be? And three days later. I got an alternate in there.
Aniz Lavji: Eesh.
Yemmi : took me for Fucking ever.
Aniz Lavji: Yep.
Yemmi : um And then I had...
Aniz Lavji: But. But you learned a ton.
Yemmi : um I'm sorry?
Aniz Lavji: But you learned a ton.
Yemmi : oh yeah no we we learned a lot what to do what not to do you know i remember ah learning how to like raise a car and there's still a video of me and I'm like. Literally straddling the jack because I cannot raise the car. I was so skinny. I was so small i gained so much muscle over the past couple of years you really want to get strong be a mechanic It will do it for you.
Aniz Lavji: What? my apprentice was the same way when he started with me i'm like I don't know how he's gonna lift tires No. So it's about the same amount of time, four years.
Aniz Lavji: Yeah, before years, yep.
Yemmi : Yeah.
Aniz Lavji: Yeah, it'll do it for you.
Yemmi : like cool Oh. But anyway. so um I knew that if I wanted to get into the automotive industry, which Part of the reason for wanting to do that was honest, like honest answer. I wanted parts for cheaper and like a lift and to learn how to work on cars. but I to work on my own shit.
Yemmi : ah yeah As every technician knows, once you start working on cars you never want to work on your own shit, so that backfired.
Aniz Lavji: Nope, not at all, yup.
Yemmi : like um But I was like, I need to get my foot in the door somewhere. And so I went to Snappy Lube. where um a gentleman named Dante took a chance on me and I remember like when I came in for my interview i was wearing a shirt that said save the manuals and this is like my favorite tattoo it's a wrench i call it my 10 millimeter
Aniz Lavji: Oh yeah?
Yemmi : So I never. lose it. And I was like, look. And then I showed him my shirt and I was like, you should hire me. And he thought it was funny. And he was like, all right, kid, you know, I'll give you a chance. So for $10 an hour. I went in there and I started changing oil. But...
Yemmi : Every job that I have, like I usually, I care about it. It doesn't matter what it is. So because it was changing oil, like I cared to be good at it. and I cared to like look over the cars. And the the boys that work there, I mean, it's a snappy loop. Like no one cares. You get paid $10 an hour, but I was kind of starting to run circles around them.
Yemmi : And I was starting to get really good. And then I was kind of like. Alright, man. I think I'm like ready to not be a lube tech anymore. And then there was another shop. I'm not going to name the shop, but there's another shop in Raleigh that I went to. and I guess he was looking for an apprentice and was trying to hire somebody.
Yemmi : in retrospect i we might have just needed like a a cheaper mechanic that we could afford, but whatever. He took a chance on me and he taught me most of what I know to this day.
Yemmi : But I just I had to leave because I didn't like. the like The shop environment i just look I was not and I hate to sound like a Gen Z, but I was not vibing
Aniz Lavji: Yeah, yeah No. I. you know what shop culture that's what that's what the word you're looking for
Yemmi : There you go. That's exactly what it is. I was not a fan of the shock culture there.
Aniz Lavji: Yep.
Yemmi : Um... I then tried to get a job at Land Rover and ah i hate to say it but i got the job and they were they loved me you know i got hired I did not pass. I had a driver's license, but my driving record was low.
Yemmi : i have quite the speeding to I had quite the speeding tickets at the time, so unfortunately they were like, um we we adore you, but like... Corporate won't let us hire you because of the background Um.
Yemmi : And then... I tried to get jobs anywhere else. I mean, I remember showing up to Pep Boys. every single freaking day being up this guy's ass because he was like yeah you're hired but like the paperwork portion wasn't going through and i showed up and i showed up and i showed up and then i got hired at a couple other shops but again i never passed the driving like look ah the the driving record portion.
Yemmi : until My current shop... in Consumable Automotive, they were like, We will take a chance on you. It's okay. I'm not mad at you about it. um They found me because they went to Land Rover where... My friend works. um and My boss Nathan he was just Angry he was trying to get parts for something and like he needed bolts for a land rover and it just was not working with him he had to drive all the way across town to get eight fucking bolts he's like irritated and he says to him he's like
Yemmi : do you have any technicians in here that are sick of the dealership life and he's like No. but I have a friend. um named Yemi and so To be honest with you, I got pretty intoxicated and finally got my balls up and I went on their website and I was like.
Yemmi : I'm looking for a job! And then I woke up the next day and Nathan had texted me and I was like, FUCK!
Aniz Lavji: Oh, wow.
Aniz Lavji: So that's a shop you're currently working at.
Yemmi : That is the shop that I'm currently working at.
Aniz Lavji: Damn.
Yemmi : Sorry, I have the worst habit of just... And then didn't even pause.
Aniz Lavji: So good.
Yemmi : Peek. ah
Aniz Lavji: It's all good. Like I said, yeah I'll give you lots of room to speak. cause that's It's what we're here for. But that's amazing. so So for them to give you a chance out of the blue. now You said it was the driving abstract that was keeping you from.
Yemmi : Yeah, the driving record.
Aniz Lavji: getting these other drugs.
Yemmi : Yeah. So like, I guess it's. Like you can. still hire a technician with a bad driving record, but I guess the insurance goes up.
Aniz Lavji: man
Yemmi : And these companies weren't willing to like.
Aniz Lavji: Yes.
Yemmi : foot the difference especially if you don't know me like i I kind of get that you don't know if I'm a good mechanic or not or if I'm worth the extra whatever the insurance is a month to have me on your team.
Aniz Lavji: i I know all about that.
Yemmi : Yeah.
Aniz Lavji: um as an owner i know all about that and you know the one thing the one thing i told our kids when they were growing up and starting to drive
Yemmi : Yeah.
Aniz Lavji: And I said, you know. It's crazy, but the best thing that you can do is at least the first... two years or three years of your driving career Don't be stupid.
Aniz Lavji: Don't have any tickets, nothing, because they had cousins that had tickets, accidents, accidents, tickets. And they are paying out the wazoo for freaking insurance now.
Yemmi : Yeah.
Aniz Lavji: And. All three of my kids right now have. And absolutely. Perfect driving record. And pay. very minimal insurance and they're I got it by the rate around your age. And I'm like.
Aniz Lavji: I attribute that to me saying. Don't screw it up. Because I knew how important it was.
Yemmi : Yeah.
Aniz Lavji: I had one. by a couple of speeding tickets, minor one, but one infraction in my early driving record. And I'm like, I don't want that for my kids when they grow up. so
Yemmi : oh
Aniz Lavji: Yeah, but... as ah As an owner, I know what it costs to have... an employee that has a bad driving record and we actually got to the point one time there's like if If this continues or... One more.
Aniz Lavji: you might lose your job. So we had to have that chat and be like, Hey man.
Yemmi : Yeah.
Aniz Lavji: this this This can't happen. You're going to have to smarten up.
Yemmi : Yeah, no literally. That's what I tell my friends now like well, we'll go out and one of my homegirls her boyfriend he's We drive on this road that's got 45 mile an hour a speed limit, and he's always busting down and going like 90 miles an hour. And I'm like, I love my job. I cannot drive. this fast please slow down So I often...
Aniz Lavji: I'll catch up to you on the next one.
Yemmi : yeah no literally because I don't know I care so much about not losing this place and like they're their one thing is like You know, the record... is whatever but you cannot lose your license yummy and i'm like okay i got you i will not lose my license
Aniz Lavji: Oh, 100%. Well, that's – it's – 50 % of the what you do.
Yemmi : It is.
Aniz Lavji: Test drive the car before, test drive the car after.
Yemmi : Yeah.
Aniz Lavji: If you can't do that. That's half of the job that you can't do now. You cannot do the diagnostics.
Yemmi : Yeah.
Aniz Lavji: You cannot do the. the confirmation of your repair. Absolutely.
Yemmi : Yeah. It's not feasible to have someone else test drive it for you and pull it in and do all that. It's just not. There was a girl at the last shop I worked at who was like 35 and had no driver's license no driving experience at all did not care to learn and it like
Aniz Lavji: RIP Really?
Yemmi : blew my mind. read buy so She couldn't pull a car around. nothing I know nothing. think that's very important in the automotive industry in general. we driver's license.
Aniz Lavji: Well, we had we had a co -op student out of the high school. I mean, he had his driver's license or his... second learner's permit.
Yemmi : m
Aniz Lavji: What? Because he didn't have his full license, we couldn't have him. on our insurance so i wouldn't let them pull any cars in and out No problem working inside the shop. That he was insured for, but not any.
Aniz Lavji: Man, what a pain in the butt that was. cause
Yemmi : Yeah. I can imagine
Aniz Lavji: Now I had to take time out of what I was doing to go run the car in for him. And I'm like. that it's It's frustrating when that happens. so I would have a hard time employing somebody.
Aniz Lavji: That didn't have a driver's license unless they were like working in the office stop then whatever right you want a taxi to work whatever
Yemmi : right
Aniz Lavji: But in the shop. No, that's that's a... prerequisite. if If you don't. So I understand why the other shops had a hard time. Giving you that job like yeah, you said they were corporate but even an independent like myself i would have an extremely hard time hiring someone
Yemmi : Yeah.
Aniz Lavji: that A, had an extremely bad driving record.
Yemmi : Hmm.
Aniz Lavji: 4B had no... driver's license at all.
Yemmi : Yeah. especially again you don't know this person right this person could if this is a guy that can turn fucking 80 hours a week that might be a little different but you don't know if i'm that guy You know, you got to.
Aniz Lavji: Yeah.
Yemmi : fucking take my word for it.
Aniz Lavji: Yeah, so I guess that's where you might do a working interview and see what exactly they're gonna do
Yemmi : Oh gosh, I've never done one of those.
Aniz Lavji: You know what? And I've never i've never administered one of those, but my friend in Alberta, I messaged him last week, and they were they've been looking for a tech for a while. And he said, they just did. That reminds me, I should text him.
Aniz Lavji: and And he said they just did one. uh a working interview so like like you'll have the guy come in for like two days and be like okay well these are the jobs you're gonna have for two days and then you just critique what they're doing.
Aniz Lavji: and see how they do now I mean in two days are you going to really be able to tell someone's attitude and stuff like that? I don't really think so.
Yemmi : so
Aniz Lavji: But you'll get an idea of whether they can use their hands and know what a wrench is and all that kind of stuff.
Yemmi : Right. Would you, this is paid, right?
Aniz Lavji: Yeah, yeah, yeah, you would pay him, of course, yeah.
Yemmi : Yeah.
Aniz Lavji: um I had a I had a co -op student I don't know if you... If you're... city does that but our our high school still has an auto tech program so we can get students out of the high school. And and it's a co -op program. so I once had a co -op student come and he did not know the difference between a 3 .8 and a half inch drive ratchet.
Yemmi : Oof.
Aniz Lavji: Oh. I'm telling you, that was tough. i it was
Yemmi : Yeah.
Aniz Lavji: It was like a three -month. Term. And I'm like. o but the floor was clean. Let me tell you.
Yemmi : oh
Aniz Lavji: Yeah.
Yemmi : that's awesome
Aniz Lavji: You know what? And then... and then So... um What you said about not knowing. who that person is or how that person is. a very good friend of mine um was my apprentice. for a little while or actually he was my co -op student first that's let's start there And I'm like.
Aniz Lavji: I don't think you're fit for the shot because usually I have a really good. Really good. you know, grasp on that or or like I can. I said, I don't think you're fit for that. I think you'd be better fit as a sales rep, as a service manager, something like that.
Aniz Lavji: So i kind of I kind of pushed him aside and I felt. Now I feel horrible for doing that because he came back. This is before I was the owner. This is when I was working at another shop. So he came back.
Aniz Lavji: um the next semester. as a co -op student. signed up as what we call here an OEF program, which is an Ontario Youth Apprenticeship, Pre -Apprenticeship program.
Aniz Lavji: It takes grade 12 students, registers them as an apprentice. So by the time they're done grade 12, their first year. of apprenticeship which I'll explain what that is because you don't know, ah their first year of apprenticeship is completed.
Aniz Lavji: And so he signed up for that. Let me go. Let me stop there and I'll explain to you what apprenticeship is. so In Canada, we have to be licensed to be in the trade. Okay?
Aniz Lavji: so Yeah. Okay. Yeah. So you don't know. so so
Yemmi : no
Aniz Lavji: In order to work in a shop. we can't just have somebody come in. Like I can have somebody come in and do. generic stuff, oil changes, whatever. uh You could have a loop. like a lube shop or something like that.
Aniz Lavji: But in order to to actually work on cards, you have to be a registered apprentice. or a licensed tech. Okay? and you have to the apprenticeship now it's it's I think they're just changing now, but it was like a three -year program.
Aniz Lavji: um If you did it through the shop. Like say somebody would come to me. I would sign them up as an apprentice. I am hired. I hire them. I... I basically train them. They go do a three -month.
Aniz Lavji: ah term at the at the college. Where they do all of the. a lot of training and learning and stuff like that. like let's say yourre some of your ASE certifications.
Yemmi : Yeah.
Aniz Lavji: Um, But it's it's done in three months or three. three, three months, ah a total of nine month intervals. Um, Anyways, you do that plus your school and your work and all that. It turns out to be like, it takes about three years, four years. If all of the.
Aniz Lavji: fall into place to go from start apprenticeship. to completion to a licensed tech. Could be three to four years in the case of our tech because he kept getting overlooked. he's going to be like six years by the time he's done. It's stupid. Anyways.
Aniz Lavji: anyways That's our apprenticeship if you want more information on that I can I can dive into that later.
Yemmi : Just one question. Is this like a legality in Canada?
Aniz Lavji: Yes. Yes, it is a mandate. It is a mandatory trade. Which means that in order to to be working in the trade, it's mandatory that you're licensed. so We have like.
Aniz Lavji: automotive mechanic, plumbers, electricians. Um, even hairstylists. That's all a compulsory mandatory trade. Yeah.
Yemmi : that's interesting because you're right here you do need a license to do hair but not to work on cars Is that crazy?
Aniz Lavji: Go figure, right? like And I never understood why you had to be licensed to cut somebody's hair. It makes no sense. and Anyways... So back to this this kid.
Aniz Lavji: He came back to us as an apprentice as an OIAP apprentice. And. I was blown away by what this kid could do. so We actually had him on the podcast.
Aniz Lavji: I don't know. some time ago. Not only did he... Excel. in the program Just just blew it out of the water he He went with flying colors through the college.
Aniz Lavji: Did his course there. Um, Did his time with me. After that, he quit went to a dealership. I did some time at the dealership. From the dealership, he got hired to work at...
Aniz Lavji: for the Canadian Army to work on there. And then from there, now he's. um He's not he's not in the army But he's the mechanic for the Army, and he's going to different bases to work there because he's just like.
Aniz Lavji: He went from here. I mean here to working with me to being like And like, boom. Anyways. anyways
Yemmi : gosh that's Fantastic!
Aniz Lavji: Yeah
Yemmi : Good job!
Aniz Lavji: Phenomenal So that just goes to show that sometimes you just cannot tell. a person by a one or two day thing. so A working interview is kind of a cool idea.
Yemmi : Yeah.
Aniz Lavji: But I'd be more like. The last. Guy I hired. i rec i suggested to my wife when we hired him i said I think what we should do is a three -month basis. Be like, hey, we're going to hire you for three months.
Aniz Lavji: And then we'll reevaluate if this is working.
Yemmi : Yeah.
Aniz Lavji: We should have done that. because I knew within three months that it wasn't going to work.
Yemmi : fudge.
Aniz Lavji: Yeah. but it ended up being like nine months and then He quit anyway, so it was okay. But. All right. It's kind of where we're at.
Yemmi : each thing at your shop like do you have like a minimum age that you want to hire people at your shop
Aniz Lavji: I don't know if I ever really thought about a minimum age, no. Because I do like, I really do like hiring. ah young kids out of the high school. Great.
Yemmi : okay
Aniz Lavji: I'm... I've always been. an advocate for that and i've always enjoyed that training. that I have to give them. Mainly because I think like I'm not anywhere near.
Aniz Lavji: uh uh teaching kind of a level.
Yemmi : Yeah.
Aniz Lavji: Even though someone people have said I should be a teacher but I'm not at that level. But I... I love teaching them the basics And and just just just seeing them.
Yemmi : Yeah.
Aniz Lavji: Go from... Like the one kid I had came in and. He really had no knowledge whatsoever. But by the time he left, you know, he could. Rock a car. He could do brakes. He could do oil changes.
Aniz Lavji: Um, Tires, right? And now. He has the fundamentals to, even if he doesn't do the trade. to at least not be... totally useless when it comes to a car later on in life.
Aniz Lavji: Right?
Yemmi : Yeah.
Aniz Lavji: well I don't know. I've hired kids as young as 16. 17.
Yemmi : That's very young.
Aniz Lavji: Yep.
Yemmi : I'm asking because of like.
Aniz Lavji: Yep.
Yemmi : maturity levels like we've had some issues here where we'll hire we have like a new thing where like if you're under 25 like we're not so we're not saying we're not going to hire you but i guess like there's just kind of a maturity level and like a hustle and maybe we've just met the wrong under 25 year olds because i know that there's some you know younger people that work really hard but at our shop we're kind of like yeah we need you to be the frontal lobe has to be developed first.
Aniz Lavji: And and i completely I completely understand that.
Yemmi : Okay.
Aniz Lavji: now like The...
Yemmi : Yes.
Aniz Lavji: the The apprentice I have now. Peace. He's still under 25.
Yemmi : o
Aniz Lavji: And. man he works his ass off but it's all about
Yemmi : a
Aniz Lavji: What? what is your motivation in your career or in your life like in your job right so your motivation is You didn't want to have to pay somebody else to fix your car because it was too bloody expensive.
Yemmi : Yeah.
Aniz Lavji: So you do it yourself. right But once you're in the trade, what motivates you to stay in the trade? Well, we found out that... Um, It was the pay structure that we were using. It just wasn't, it wasn't jiving with him. like Like, he you know, he was. Never said anything, but you could tell it was. So so we came up, Margarita and I came up with. with a ah new pay structure that would benefit him because I've always I always worked at shops where the pay structure would benefit the employer.
Yemmi : always
Aniz Lavji: And I'm like. Okay, you know what? We got to do something to benefit him. Because I know what it was like to work all these years and yeah, you're... You're getting paid a decent wage, but you're never.
Aniz Lavji: anything. Extra, no bonus, no whatever, right? And so we came up with this and man, I'm telling you like. The production from him went. to We were like.
Aniz Lavji: I think he was doing like. 25 to 30 hours a week. to hitting 50. 48 50 hours almost on a weekly basis.
Yemmi : okay Yeah, that's awesome.
Aniz Lavji: And I'm like... Yeah. and And like he where he works 40 hours. So 410s is what he's doing. Works 40 hours. And he's hitting, I think last last week was 46. It's been a little bit slow.
Aniz Lavji: you
Yemmi : work with
Yemmi : yeah dude
Aniz Lavji: No, I didn't say for me. I said for my employees.
Yemmi : but stay like that's really cool of you to offer that for the ah we're trying to get to something place like that. the reason that we have yet is because Here at Inconceivable Automotive, I am the... lead technician And I say lead in a product. So I am the lead technician.
Yemmi : But I am not the best technician here. oh i i'm not the the girl that can like swap a transmission in fucking eight hours like i can't do that yet
Aniz Lavji: right
Yemmi : Oh. However, I'm like the lead technician in the way that um my lookovers are what like really keeps this place going. So the way that we'll have like our structure here is
Aniz Lavji: Yep.
Yemmi : diagnostics are mostly me and i look over the entire car and like lookovers are my bread and butter i'm very detailed and i'm very good at filling them out all the pictures all the videos and everything like that And I like to think I have a good.
Yemmi : customer speak i have a good way of when i describe something it makes like you could read my ro straight from me to the customer and it's going to make sense my service writer doesn't usually have to do too much translating But, um...
Aniz Lavji: Okay.
Yemmi : With that being said... oh god what was my what was my my point here
Aniz Lavji: Four -day work week.
Yemmi : ah Yes, we wanted to get to a four -day work week. But the thing is, I'm the only person that they really have, like, look over cars and do the diag. So we're trying to get.
Aniz Lavji: Okay, yeah.
Yemmi : the boys up to my level and they're fantastic. But, um... Sometimes DVIs are kind of like pulling teeth. with technicians. I don't know if you've had this problem. but every shop that i've worked at it's it's hard to get them to really like Be real passionate about the DVIs!
Aniz Lavji: Well... And that's where, that's where like... um I know here up here in the great white north of Canada. um Canadian Tire got a really bad rep years ago Because they they started many, many years ago doing... uh digital dbi well i guess not digital but DVI is anyway to us to an extent And. you come in for whatever an oil change and they'll come back and say you need this and this and this and this and this and and way before it was a standard in the industry
Aniz Lavji: they were doing that Well, it was because they were getting. commission on the sales. right Until it became actually illegal to... to do commission on a sale like that No.
Aniz Lavji: that That's different than flat rate. Right? Because you were...
Yemmi : Okay, yeah.
Aniz Lavji: you work flat rate it's whatever right but if you're like hey if i sell this air filter I'm getting 10 % of the sale of that air filter, right? That kind of commission. So that's what they were doing.
Yemmi : Yeah, yeah
Aniz Lavji: and And so that... It's illegal to do that. So... Now... In a reality. Most of the time, That.
Aniz Lavji: guy doing the DVI. Unless he's working on a flat rate or a hybrid system or something like that, if he's only working hourly, he has no drive.
Yemmi : yeah
Aniz Lavji: to sell other stuff.
Yemmi : Yeah.
Aniz Lavji: Like if something is blatantly obvious, like the tire is bald or the ball joints falling out is going to mention something because most of us got in the industry because. We care about cars.
Aniz Lavji: And we care about the safety of our customers like that.
Yemmi : yes
Aniz Lavji: Some people don't give a shit and they're just like. whatever it's a paycheck i get my 40 hours and i go home with a 500 paycheck whatever right
Yemmi : yeah
Aniz Lavji: so they don't care. But when you put it into like a hybrid system like what we have right so so if you
Yemmi : it
Aniz Lavji: you know, bank more hours or whatever, then you'll get paid more. Now, all of a sudden it makes a difference. Then all of a sudden it's like, Hey, okay. Here's Here's an incentive for you. to Not - Find work.
Aniz Lavji: but to... Better. Present stuff that the customer does need. I hate the idea of finding work because...
Yemmi : um
Aniz Lavji: we had We had one customer brought in a car for a safety. We have to... Here we have the safety vehicles. For transfer. and any commercial vehicles have to do an annual safety.
Aniz Lavji: So a person brought in a vehicle they were buying they wanted to transfer it And I write out my list and the list is like a whole page long. And they're like. Wow, you really try to find everything wrong with this car, don't you?
Aniz Lavji: Yup.
Yemmi : Yeah!
Aniz Lavji: I know what we're supposed to do. That's what the rule book says. Oh shit, where was I going with that? Oh, your four -day work beat. Damn. Rabbit trills.
Yemmi : I don't want to hear it.
Aniz Lavji: What I was going to say, like how many how many... employees do you have in your shop?
Yemmi : Okay, so I've got... Two owners. um one of which is gonna be nathan he is the owner and he comes from like a business marketing background so he is the the face.
Aniz Lavji: okay
Yemmi : And then we have James. At his shop foreman, he has like... 10 plus years of automotive experience and he is you know He was like the what I would say, the brain and the brawn, that's that's what those two are.
Yemmi : All right, so there's those two.
Aniz Lavji: Oh. you know
Yemmi : And there's me. and then we have two other employees and you'll never believe it but both of them happen to be My name's Brandon. So. Good.
Aniz Lavji: Oh, my God.
Yemmi : No, it's the worst we call them b1 and b2 because I'm not
Aniz Lavji: That was good.
Yemmi : Every time.
Aniz Lavji: of I was going to say, do you at least have little little Brandon and big Brandon?
Yemmi : Yes Actually, one of them is a lot bigger than the other, so we'll also call them Little Brandon and Big Brandon.
Aniz Lavji: Well, there you go.
Yemmi : And then...
Aniz Lavji: That would work.
Yemmi : So what would that be? So that'd be owners, advisor. gentlemen meet. So six people in total.
Aniz Lavji: Okay, so so what I... What we did is we had... we had When we had it I guess three. So I consider myself a tech in the shop. And then two other guys.
Aniz Lavji: So what what we ended up doing is... is We decided we wanted to do the four -day work week, but I still want it to be open five days a week. So I'm like, okay. You're working Monday through Thursday.
Aniz Lavji: And you're working. Tuesday through Friday. So they both had a four -day work week, but we still got to be open five days a week.
Yemmi : yeah
Aniz Lavji: What it did is it gave them the 40 work week and it gave me a five. 10 hour days and I'm like, holy shit, this is too much for me. I'm an old guy already at this point. right So ah now with the one guy quit, we're just down to one. And then we're like, you know what we're actually going to do is we're just going to do Monday through Thursday.
Aniz Lavji: Um, That's what the tech's going to work. um and then we're gonna do that and then i'm gonna work like a half a day on friday
Yemmi : is
Aniz Lavji: Um, and then and then friday afternoon saturday sunday is off so that way I'm not. working that much I i have other things I have to do. I can't just work in the shop.
Aniz Lavji: 60, 70 hours a week. So that's what we're...
Yemmi : I was gonna say. it You're still out there turning wrenches? is Awesome!
Aniz Lavji: You're now you're getting now I'm gonna make you guess how old I am
Yemmi : As an owner.
Yemmi : but no i met as an owner
Aniz Lavji: Remember, I have kids your age. remember i have kids your age
Yemmi : 45.
Aniz Lavji: Oh, damn. that's it That's probably the closest guess anyone has ever done. I'm 46.
Yemmi : okay
Yemmi : go
Aniz Lavji: That's somebody the other day.
Yemmi : it because you' still got a full head of hair that's That's what's doing it for you.
Aniz Lavji: and Only on the front the back is pretty thin already ah
Yemmi : good thing i want looking at from here huh
Aniz Lavji: Yeah, that's that's why I comb it this way. I need a haircut, but that's why I comb it that way. ah Oh, that's funny. Aw, man, bye. I get... i get I used to, okay, when I was...
Aniz Lavji: When I was... Just a young dad. And I had my son. on my On my hand, we were walking through the local fair. And there was ah there was a game there that says, guess your age or guess your weight.
Aniz Lavji: And I'm like, hoo -hoo. I was always great at that. i Like, guess my guess my age. And here I am. I guess I was 20 years old. Yeah.
Aniz Lavji: 20 years old and here I got this little little kid on my on my hand and he's like that had to be within three years of the age rate. And he's like, Oh, you're 25. I'm like, ah, give me that.
Aniz Lavji: Give me that teddy bear. Whatever.
Yemmi : yeah
Aniz Lavji: But anyways. Then I had somebody not that long ago say, like, are you 60 yet? And I'm like, whoa.
Yemmi : watch ah
Aniz Lavji: What?
Yemmi : Being right on the money is good though. Looking like your age, that's a blessing, okay? At least you don't look old.
Aniz Lavji: Thank you. I know. I like to think that I still look young. I sure as heck don't feel young, but I had a good massage yesterday, so that makes me feel much younger.
Yemmi : oh do you go like get to pay somebody to do that
Aniz Lavji: Oh, yeah, every three weeks.
Yemmi : I've never done that before. I'm nervous.
Aniz Lavji: oh You need to.
Yemmi : ah
Aniz Lavji: It's I. Let me put it to you this way, and you'll say, yay, Frank, at this too. I told my tech. That. I would pay for them. Like we don't have. benefits in our shop yet.
Aniz Lavji: but I would pay for them. To go get a massage. Every six weeks. All he's got to do is book it. And go do it.
Yemmi : that's Awesome. I love that
Aniz Lavji: Oddly enough, I haven't had to pay for a single massage yet But...
Yemmi : ah
Aniz Lavji: Right? If you got offered that from your boss, you'd be like. Heck yeah.
Yemmi : life. He's so nice to us.
Aniz Lavji: Yep.
Yemmi : we had like a rough week here one day and he was just like hey Just take the card and you guys can go out for dinner. You have a $500 limit. And we were like. Okay! So we did.
Aniz Lavji: Yeah.
Yemmi : I hope you don't. that but
Aniz Lavji: ah
Yemmi : dude it's it's a good time uh like team bonding is very important do you guys ever go out together
Aniz Lavji: So we've done a couple of events like that and, you know. um our tech just Just the other day, he's like, you know, we should do another team bonding thing. does we A couple of times we went to the Toronto Blue Jays game.
Aniz Lavji: Did that. But. Um, We haven't. So... it's It's really... I would have to say it has to do with the with the employees that we have.
Aniz Lavji: They're such a...
Yemmi : Yeah.
Aniz Lavji: They're so different That it's really hard.
Yemmi : ah
Aniz Lavji: like like even so many shops and texts they say or owners they like Oh, we do a team lunch every. Friday or or whatever like that. Man.
Aniz Lavji: It's so hard for us to do that because like the... The. the food palette is so different. Oh I kid you not. I kid you not. It's it's unreal. And it's like.
Yemmi : you can't do burgers for him?
Aniz Lavji: No. and No, well... We can't do burgers because so my wife has an extreme gluten allergy so So getting burgers is difficult.
Yemmi : yeah
Aniz Lavji: in In our tiny little town. And we so we can't do pizza. um The other one we can't do pizza on is as is a dairy allergy. And. Um...
Aniz Lavji: I guess the guys, they both like steak that I have there. So every once in a while, I'll get a nice steak and I got the barbecue out there and I'll cook them up a steak. I'll do that. Right?
Yemmi : That's right.
Aniz Lavji: What? My wife hates steak. So...
Yemmi : ah
Aniz Lavji: You know.
Yemmi : your right shop with you
Aniz Lavji: Yeah, so actually, yes. So so we... We work together. So she manages the office and I manage the shop. Um,
Yemmi : Yeah.
Aniz Lavji: The way that came about is... I was. After I... i It's a whole story. I'll tell you that another day. I've told it here a few times already. But anyway, we started the shop and I was by myself.
Aniz Lavji: And so we had hired this girl that was going to do our bookkeeping. um and then just come in the shop one day a week to do service writer work. Well, I found a... really quick that I needed a service writer because it was like,
Aniz Lavji: I just I couldn't handle everything.
Yemmi : Yeah.
Aniz Lavji: But... we weren't to that point where we're like we could hire someone so i actually hired I think I got a co -op student or something like that. to help me in the shop no my brother came that's what it was my brother came he was in between jobs. So he came and helped me.
Aniz Lavji: And. um And he he worked with me in the shop. And I was able to do a little bit of service rate and do whatever.
Yemmi : Yeah.
Aniz Lavji: Um, We were.
Aniz Lavji: Three months in. So we started our shop. March of 2020, mid -COVID. Right? COVID was just... That's when we started shopping. I know, right? And my wife was working for Coca -Cola at the time as ah as a merchandising sales rep.
Aniz Lavji: So she had to...
Yemmi : okay
Aniz Lavji: the stuff get delivered to the store she would go to the store stack the shelves do sales, all that kind of stuff. Um, So she got injured. they wrote her off as irreparable.
Aniz Lavji: Um, and then sent her back to school for retraining as a bookkeeper. Well, as soon as as soon as she got injured. ah That worked. you know now she wasn't working anymore And.
Aniz Lavji: So he was like, okay, well... I need to find some kind of a job. And I'm like, well. oddly enough, I need a service writer. and a bookkeeper. so yeah, we were like Six months in? and she came to work for us. at the shop i mean we own the shop together like when we started the business we did it together but it was going to be me running it and she was going to work outside.
Aniz Lavji: And we never had intended that she was going to work with us, but now she did. And she. I'm gonna say she loves it. I'm gonna have to say that. I don't know if she does.
Aniz Lavji: She does love it. And she's phenomenal at it. But so so anyway. um That was March. whatever have to whatever so yeah six years we've been working together And been together pretty much 24 -7.
Aniz Lavji: Um, running the the shop. So yes.
Yemmi : dream
Aniz Lavji: and a nightmare all at the same time.
Yemmi : Yeah. Yeah, I was going to ask how it was working with your partner.
Aniz Lavji: Yeah. Yes. You know what? It's... it's It's had some phenomenal times. but it's had some challenging times too.
Yemmi : i can imagine.
Aniz Lavji: So it's it's Definitely rewarding. um But you have to work at it it's It's a lot of work. So.
Aniz Lavji: But anyways.
Yemmi : was Speaking of like owning a shop, um I thought this was a great time to talk about. what we have going on at inconceivable so i was one of the first employees here when we first started there was a gentleman um who worked here he was one of the under 25s that did not work out unfortunately um Bye. He was just him and James and they were working in the back. And then I came in and it was all three of us. And then it was just me and James for a little bit.
Yemmi : um but with that being said when i first started here i was telling them that because you said something gets you into the trade and then something keeps you in the trade and what got me into the trade yes i couldn't afford to fix my car what kept me in the trade was
Aniz Lavji: Yep.
Yemmi : Girls in mechanics, the way that you were like, man, I really seek seek out female technicians. I also support the hell out of a female technician. Like if I see that you work on cars on Instagram, follow immediately. And I might even DM you and be like, I'm also a female technician. We should be friends. like um so girls and women in automotive is like very important to me.
Yemmi : With that being said, when I first started here, I told them I was like. I had this elaborate dream that I was like, I'm gonna open a shop. And I want it to be for women. by women, like employed by women.
Yemmi : And I wanted to run like workshops outside of it. to for like to educate younger girls and how to work on cars and the big scale dream was like i would have like a summer camp and all that i don't know how that's gonna work
Aniz Lavji: Oh wow.
Yemmi : But my point is When I told Nathan and James about that they were like, huh? We really like that idea. They're very inclusive. Like they're very, like they're very modern. You know, like I've worked for some people that are like very. conservative and like you know you do you but they're they just they just support everybody and they're very very diverse and supportive here anyway so i told them about that they're like that's a great idea so they came up with like a dream builders program essentially because of me and they were like We love your dream.
Yemmi : You give us... Five good years. And we will support you in starting a shop. Now I'm not going to own it.
Aniz Lavji: hello
Yemmi : outright like me first off because i have to buy my way back to own the whole thing
Aniz Lavji: Yep.
Yemmi : but yeah, it's I pay for a percentage up front and then they help me out with the other percentage up front. And like we have this dream donors program. I've got one year down here. So I've got four more.
Yemmi : Four more years to go. Um. but yeah i hope that that works out um i have every intention of staying here even no matter what happens i i love this shop it's it's a great place to work they're great people um
Aniz Lavji: that's
Aniz Lavji: That's amazing.
Yemmi : Isn't it? so we might her own shop in north carolina in four years it's gonna be pink and glittery.
Aniz Lavji: Yeah.
Yemmi : It's gonna be awesome.
Aniz Lavji: ah yeah You know, there's nothing wrong with a lot of pink and glittery, mate. My wife is running for town council and her... campaign and her all our campaign signs and shirts and everything is pink.
Aniz Lavji: Right?
Yemmi : Awesome!
Aniz Lavji: It's so cool. and And I've never seen never seen that before.
Yemmi : haven't either
Aniz Lavji: and And everyone's like, oh, that's so awesome that your campaign is pink. And and i was like oh and she's like. I don't know. when we were making When we were getting ready to make the sign, she's like, I think I want them pink. And I'm like, are you sure? Because that's not a normal color for.
Aniz Lavji: campaign funding and she's like
Yemmi : No.
Aniz Lavji: Yep! Yeah.
Yemmi : um my gosh actually hold hold please I'm going to grab some support. Ciao! When I first started, they were like, we're going to make you a business cards. yeahy And I was like, okay. And I thought that they would be like a generic inconceivable one. but They're like, no, dude.
Yemmi : We'll make you! A pink business card.
Aniz Lavji: Yeah. That's cool.
Yemmi : We'll be right back. cool
Aniz Lavji: That's cool. Right on. That's awesome.
Yemmi : Yeah, I wish I could bring you over to my toolbox. I just spent fucking $2 ,100 on the Three set of the electronic. torque wrenches from snap -on in pink
Aniz Lavji: Oh shit, you bought that?
Yemmi : Oh yeah!
Aniz Lavji: Damn.
Yemmi : Yeah, it was, well, they're like, you know, they're 2 ,500, but I got them for 21 on promo. but that investment for the three set of the quarter inch three eighths and the half inch the pink electronic First of all, I've been warning these.
Yemmi : for years every october comes around and i'm like
Aniz Lavji: yeah
Yemmi : I need it. And I told my Snap -on guy that last year and he was like, I got. one second i just so happened to be off the monday that he was supposed to come and i was like please please don't sell this to anybody like i i deserve this more than any of these boys I've been waiting for years.
Yemmi : Girl, I need these. So I invested in them and I bought them. But I don't have any regrets because I think that that set is going to take me through my entire mechanic career. I hope.
Aniz Lavji: Oh, it should. Yeah, 100%. Yes. Yeah. ah Man, that's a... That's a big pill to swallow but You know what?
Yemmi : oh yeah my
Aniz Lavji: If you do it while you're young and you're able to.
Yemmi : my accurate entire route was cheaper
Aniz Lavji: 100%. That's the time to do it.
Yemmi : Yeah.
Aniz Lavji: Right.
Yemmi : i mean you know now would be the time he was trying we were trying to put it on a credit but i I don't know if you guys have social security cards over there. We do. I don't know any other American that knows where their fucking social security card is. I don't know where mine is. So he couldn't like sign me up to do it through credit, but.
Aniz Lavji: Oh.
Yemmi : Thankfully, he was cool and just let me, you know, pay it off per week. And I was like, I'll increase my weekly payment. Like I promised. Um, but yeah, my 1993 Acura Integra, I got it for $2 ,000 on Facebook marketplace and I paid 21. for those fucking wrenches. So I paid more for these fucking wrenches than I did for my goddamn car!
Aniz Lavji: No, that's unreal.
Yemmi : Fuck!
Aniz Lavji: Yep.
Yemmi : so
Aniz Lavji: Yeah. Yeah, it's it's important to invest properly. And i tell I tell my young kid, I'm like, there's certain things. There's certain things you have to buy Snap -on.
Aniz Lavji: other things you guys are lucky you've got harbor freight out there they've got some phenomenal tools Um, No. No. We don't.
Aniz Lavji: Oh shit, I wish we did. I go across the border. like I cross over into... Detroit. uh detroit michigan and that's that's where i go i'm like i'm only Just over two hours away So I'll make that trip.
Aniz Lavji: Once every I read. about a little six months or something like that.
Yemmi : That's fantastic That sucks. You can't buy it online either?
Aniz Lavji: Nope.
Yemmi : That blows my mind.
Aniz Lavji: The closest we have is there's this guy up in Niagara Falls. that um he must have some kind of a deal with harbour freight buys like a scratch and dent or something like that so we so he can get the toolboxes And we can buy some of those here that have already been imported and stuff like that, but not tool -wise.
Yemmi : Harbor Freight Toolboxes to touch back on what you said about investing in proper tools and not spending so much on others. I have two U .S. general boxes. That all. filled with Snap -on, Mac, and Matco, and I like to think I'm doing this right.
Aniz Lavji: I would agree with you.
Yemmi : Like my boxes are 600 bucks for one.
Aniz Lavji: I would agree with you.
Yemmi : the other one So funny. My coworker. He's a little bit of a chubby guy. and He's a big guy. and he's trying to get a camshaft sensor to jeep and he's like my fat he calls them his meat mallets he's like i can't get my meat mallets in there And I was like, okay, dude, like I'll get in there.
Yemmi : Cause I'm called tiny hands. Cause I got a little ass hands.
Aniz Lavji: Yep.
Yemmi : I was like, all right. I put the camshaft sensor in and... we were supposed to do a payment plan for me to get the us general box and i gave him like 25 bucks to start off and he was like just put this camshaft sensor in and you can just have the box it's like okay So I split. $625 on Two awesome boxes. and like way more on what's on the inside of said boxes.
Aniz Lavji: Very much so, yeah. Very much so. I i agree. I see that so many times that guys will buy. They'll go and buy like... Five grand six grand on the box And it's like.
Aniz Lavji: Buddy. That's not good. That's going to hold the stuff that makes you money, but that's not going to make you the money.
Yemmi : the
Aniz Lavji: i i worked I worked in tobacco when I was when i was a teenager. And the guy that I worked for was. Used to be a technician. And he turned technician to a farmer. and became a farmer.
Aniz Lavji: And the one time one of the girls that was working there. Her alternator wasn't working. and so I'm like well I can change it for you and he said well You can use my tools to do the job because I didn't have any tool. Like I had a few. Whatever.
Aniz Lavji: He said, you can use my tools to do the job. So I did the job. And then he says, you know, Frank, if I ever do If I could do this again. If I could. Go back and start this trade over and do it again.
Aniz Lavji: I would have. Not bought everything Snap -on and Mac. Because at that time, everything, snap on mic, snap on mic. He said, I would have went and bought. So we have we have Canadian Tire here. They have their own brand of tools, Mastercraft.
Aniz Lavji: And then of course, Sears had their Craftsman brand back in the day.
Yemmi : okay I thought Sears was still open over there. Took me out.
Aniz Lavji: No, no, it's not.
Yemmi : okay
Aniz Lavji: No, so, no, they years ago. So, back in the day. So, that's like. 20. 20 years ago, 20... seven years ago. um And then he so and i I took that to heart. I'm like, okay, there's certain things that have to be snap on.
Aniz Lavji: And everything else was. Mastercraft and and And Craftsman and Mastercraft had a great program because you could go by. 110 -piece socket set for like...
Aniz Lavji: $79 .95 on sale. lifetime warranty on the sockets and ratchets and everything like that. Like you snap a socket, you go bring it in. They give you another one. It was, it was great.
Aniz Lavji: but They're not. the best quality, right? So, you know, sometimes you would end up stripping a bolt or something like that because you didn't have. a good wrench or a good socket. But I may do with it for like.
Aniz Lavji: 20 years.
Yemmi : That cobalt tool set that like $200 I mentioned about the ultimator, I still use those sockets to this.
Aniz Lavji: Yeah.
Yemmi : Fucking dead.
Aniz Lavji: Right Yeah. Yeah. and And, and so that's what I tell my guy too. I'm like, Now. He beats the hell out of his tools. like He's got this Milwaukee impact.
Aniz Lavji: That I don't know how many times he's had it rebuilt already because he just And I have the same tool and it. it doesn't break Anyways. So... So I'm like, okay.
Aniz Lavji: I think that you need to buy better quality tools. Then he goes and buys this. I don't know, $300 snap on ratchet. Two weeks later, it's broken Bye -bye. You have got to be kidding me.
Yemmi : broken a snap -on ratchet. How did you do that?
Aniz Lavji: trust me If you want one broken, ship it up here. We'll break it for you. No problem. Peace. I kid you not, I don't know if he's got a special gift or something, because he can break anything.
Aniz Lavji: so
Yemmi : Okay. customer states is that intermittently. WHAT - Their power steering will randomly go out and I like look up the codes.
Aniz Lavji: Hello.
Yemmi : and It's got like history codes for like the steering angle sensor. Endless, like... ah Some motor related to that. and um so i'm looking up the information because honestly like some diagnostics i have to look up information i don't know everything about every call so i have to like look up this shit that's No information on identifx.
Aniz Lavji: Yeah, yeah
Aniz Lavji: Impossible.
Yemmi : Fuck. I finally get some information that essentially says Okay. Mind you, let me know. This thing had power steering but before I touched it. When I test drove it, it had power steering. And then I bring it back and I threw it. information I find out Okay, let's try a recalibration first, because I guess two years ago some dipshit... put in a rack kind of ugly the boots were Torah. nine ways from sunday But so I try to relearn. and um well the car does not have power steering at all now
Aniz Lavji: Oh shoot.
Yemmi : Oh yeah. It's okay because i we, you know. I went through a couple of things and I was able to test certain things, but it was like I had to take apart the steering wheel. to um like access a sensor that i need so i had to ask for more diagnostic time because Depending on how long I've worked on a car, they will have me ask for more Diag time.
Aniz Lavji: Okay, yeah
Yemmi : So tomorrow I have a steering wheel to take off of a BRZ. we're gonna figure out What happened there? So yeah, I too can break a car.
Aniz Lavji: So. Oh yeah. Okay, so it must have so it has a steering angle sensor built in behind with the airbag or something like that.
Yemmi : You got to take apart everything to get to this because the the pinpoint.
Aniz Lavji: the airport.
Yemmi : test that I could find through Subaru essentially said it was like The first step was Make sure that the steering angle sensor is plugged in. Then you need to go through your scan tool and, um, See if the degrees the degrees on there will go from zero to 360, which right now they don't.
Yemmi : Um, but I'm all I have is this pinpoint test to go off of. So I need to get in there and see if I'm getting power and ground to this steering wheel sensor. And if not... then we're either gonna i think I think it's between that and the electronic power steering module.
Yemmi : And those two are like.
Aniz Lavji: So the steering... The steering angle sensor will be part of the clock spring, right?
Yemmi : Which is also... now that This is a little embarrassing because I'm not the greatest technician yet. I still have a lot to learn. But now that I think about it, it has a terrible... You know when the steering wheel makes that terrible noise?
Aniz Lavji: Yeah.
Yemmi : That clock springs probably fucked up. which. might have something to do with it.
Aniz Lavji: Is the airbag light on?
Yemmi : No! I had ABS and traction control light on prior to service.
Aniz Lavji: does
Yemmi : and then After I tried to relearn it, I got a power steer in the flight also.
Aniz Lavji: Does it have...
Aniz Lavji: Does it have any steering wheel controls that don't work?
Yemmi : and he can What?
Aniz Lavji: Steering wheel controls like radio controls or a cruise control or anything like that that doesn't work
Yemmi : like it would I think it was. I can't remember off the top of my head.
Aniz Lavji: Great.
Yemmi : but um
Aniz Lavji: So those kinds of things. So so the class that that my apprentice was at yesterday, one of the things with Brendan Steckler, one of the things was. Um, teaching Teaching you how to diagnose.
Aniz Lavji: um more more easily. more easily? easier without without having to follow like You know the diagnostic tree like Ford.
Aniz Lavji: I don't know if you ever worked on coal
Yemmi : I hate the diagnostic tree.
Aniz Lavji: least
Yemmi : I just had nothing to go off of.
Aniz Lavji: we We go wire here there, right? So we did we did one today.
Yemmi : yeah
Aniz Lavji: um It was on a Ford. Edge. And it had an oxygen sensor code, a heater circuit of all things, right? you know like I look at that and I'm like, it needs a sensor.
Yemmi : yeah
Aniz Lavji: I know it is. But I walked them through the test and I said well the first thing we did is we looked up the diagram And we looked it up and said, okay, so these two wires, this green and this green and gray wire, these are the two.
Aniz Lavji: that, um, control it so we've got power and ground you know that's how it's going to control it so we follow the one diagram or the one wire back And the power circuit. when we get to one part of the diagram it feeds like six other different Um,
Aniz Lavji: sensors and solenoids. I said if we stop right here, we can already say that we know the power circuit is good. We know that the fuse is good. and we know that the power circuit is good up to here without doing any testing just by looking at this Because you don't have any of these other.
Aniz Lavji: codes for any of these other sensors. so it can't be bad he kind of looked at me and i said think about it You have power going over here goes to here to here to here to here and to the sensor. to this oxygen cycle.
Yemmi : Yeah.
Aniz Lavji: So that has to be good. He's like, okay, that makes sense.
Yemmi : yeah
Aniz Lavji: I said the one thing we don't know is whether the ground side from the PCM is controlling it. So instead of now because it because it The penult would have probably told you to do it. Unplug here here and...
Aniz Lavji: get an ohm meter and measure resistance between this wire and steve but Forget that. Put a light in between these two wires. turn the car on if the light lights up you know that whole circuit is good the pcm is good The power and ground, everything is good.
Aniz Lavji: And it was like, okay, so we did it. Boom, it worked. I said, now you have eliminated everything. Here's your sensor. Here's everything else. You just eliminate everything else.
Yemmi : a
Aniz Lavji: What's left? Well the sensor. So now you could go and you could test the sensor. But for what reason? The computer is already telling you the sensor is bad or something. To the censors, bud.
Aniz Lavji: You just verified everything else is good. It has to be a sensor. He's like, oh, okay. So now you just.
Yemmi : Yeah.
Aniz Lavji: All of these steps and you just went from here. to hear.
Yemmi : Yeah.
Aniz Lavji: And eliminate all that, right? Anyways. I don't know about your BRZ how that would work. But i I wonder if, like it said. in the diagnostic set, make sure it's plugged in. And then see if you got.
Aniz Lavji: well in your case because you have no reading Maybe you do have to check if they can be plugged in. But I do wonder if there is a... connector at the bottom of the steering column that you could access without taking the Steering wheel off.
Yemmi : possibility I could probably look a little harder and see if I could figure that out this one today was a day and a lot of times what I have to do is usually i do 90 of the diet or 95 of the diet myself but i do always check with james i'm like okay
Aniz Lavji: Yep.
Yemmi : i've done all of this and this is all of my findings and this is Do you agree with me that it needs X, Y, Z? and I needed James for that today because I... Our shop is very like cars in, cars out, and I can't take apart a car that I don't.
Yemmi : like know if i can get it back together within like a fucking hour because again i have to run to i guy i guy a guy a guy And I was trying to ask him, like, hey.
Aniz Lavji: Yeah, yeah yeah
Yemmi : do you want me to take about the steering wheel right now? Or is there another section that you think that we should look at? So I have to, I have to collaborate with them. I'm still learning on my diagnostics. That's our answer! Fucking horror. Like.
Yemmi : nuts and bolts are a little easier like diagnostics and learning how to That's what I've been focusing on for years. it's it a It's a fucking hard thing to do man.
Aniz Lavji: Oh yeah, it is.
Yemmi : Look. So, yeah.
Aniz Lavji: I'm still learning and I've been in it for a few years.
Yemmi : i oh yeah like and but he it was such a shit day today in terms of parts like we just got fucked nine ways from sunday every fucking rotor was wrong it needed to be vented or and millimeters are wrong and we measure rotors too but Sometimes like you just shit happens and then
Aniz Lavji: Yep.
Yemmi : We really needed this one rotor for another car and... will two of them and this girl comes with from Napa with the parts and she's like I'm sorry I forgot the other one and we're like this is the one fucking time I needed you would not - Fuck this, like any other - we're usually chilling.
Aniz Lavji: Oh. Really?
Yemmi : But today... Things were going left to right so I was kind of on this diagnostic for a while because I was kind of in limbo gathering information i Have like a ah in my notebook. I was writing down things so that I could present them to James and I put Might need to remove steering wheel.
Yemmi : FUCK! underneath it. Right?
Aniz Lavji: Oh, yeah. Well, that kind of stuff happens. And you know what? You can't avoid. You you have to. Follow the steps of where it takes you. so Hey. If that's the next step. Do that. And.
Aniz Lavji: Follow the procedures. Yeah and And the one thing you're going to learn from there is the next time you'd be like, hey, well, I wouldn't have had to do this.
Yemmi : and
Aniz Lavji: I could have done this and it's come to the same conclusion, right? So once you can learn those kinds of things, and then you'll be like, okay, I can eliminate. this hard work because I can do it easier this way.
Yemmi : Yeah.
Aniz Lavji: And that's... Honestly, that's that's this trait. Every time that we do something. I tell my wife that all the time. So we've had an issue here. Let's learn from it. Let's make a process procedure.
Aniz Lavji: so that the next time We don't have this issue. We never have to deal with that and again, because even if it comes up. Boom boom boom. in place right And that's how you learn your diagnostics too.
Yemmi : ye oh yeah experience has helped me a lot man the things that used to take me forever I'm like ah I've seen this shit six times before I know what that is
Aniz Lavji: Yeah.
Aniz Lavji: and And that's what this trade is all about. And and you'll learn it. And that's what. the community is all about too like like going to got places like asta and and and tools and stuff like that
Yemmi : yeah
Aniz Lavji: and meeting people like. You and I met at ASTA. Now... we have another resource that we can use, right? Be like, hey.
Aniz Lavji: I don't know how to do this, but I know somebody that. probably could right so you can start reaching out to people like that like i I use that all the time. I've met so many people in this last year That's been my goal this last year is to.
Aniz Lavji: Connected. and to network with more people. Cause I worked for. 25 years or 20 years. in the same town and i Didn't know a single technician outside of my town.
Yemmi : Hmm.
Aniz Lavji: Right? and so then i got on this i'm like i got a network right so i started working on this
Yemmi : Cheers!
Aniz Lavji: man i'm telling you i have more names of my contact this year than I've ever had in my life. and And so if I have a if i have a situation like...
Aniz Lavji: I know so many people that work in different dealers performance shops transmission shops, whatever. I can just. Reach out and submit. Hey. I've got this question. Can you help me with this?
Yemmi : Yeah.
Aniz Lavji: And. that is so valuable it's unreal like you cannot put a price on that
Yemmi : Okay.
Aniz Lavji: to to have those kinds of connections, to have that kind of information. and
Yemmi : I agree.
Aniz Lavji: Doing stuff like this, like being on this podcast here today. People that are going to see this are going to be like, hey. I love what she's doing. I love the goal that she has for being uh female tech for being in a female shop.
Aniz Lavji: all that kind of stuff. And maybe this might help boost that, right? Let's hope it does. That's what we work towards. We want to. i want to help people get further in this industry to connect with other people.
Aniz Lavji: and just to Um, I don't know Have... have a better understanding of why we are all here and it's Because we hate cars. That's why we're all here.
Yemmi : you're making a little community i love it
Aniz Lavji: at We're trying to. Amen. Not any closing remarks. We're wrapping up here. I think it's just over an hour now.
Yemmi : Yep.
Aniz Lavji: ah Ah!
Yemmi : Do I have any closing remarks?
Aniz Lavji: Let me ask you this. Let me ask you this. I'll do the closing remarks. Let me ask you this. Um, I guess you kind of answered this. but But we're... Where do you think you would see yourself in five years time? Do you see yourself still working there or do you see yourself being like, Hey, you know what? I'm sick of this and I'm gonna have my own shop.
Yemmi : Because I'm at that that four years from now, Mark, I'm hoping that in four years I am looking for shops and that that's what I'm going to be doing. I don't plan on getting a different career. I can tell you that much.
Yemmi : i'm i'm in here now and this is what i plan on doing as but i hate to say money is a big motivator like
Aniz Lavji: Okay.
Yemmi : I couldn't afford to go to college, but I'm a bright girl. And I was like, oh, well, when you're smart and you can do this, you can make good money. So. this is where i'm gonna be because that The money is good, and um I actually really like it. I'm hoping that I can get to the point, though, where I'm making enough, or maybe when I own my own shop, I can... Make someone else work on my shit.
Aniz Lavji: There you go. There you go. That's what it is.
Yemmi : That polish that everyone fucking hates.
Aniz Lavji: so but Somebody... You know what? I... No, you gotta be the boss that everyone loves.
Yemmi : I know, I know.
Aniz Lavji: I'll... I always say that. that The reason that we have this job is because people will pay us to do stuff that either they don't want to do or they can't do. on their cars.
Aniz Lavji: that's why That's where we come in. And so now we as an owner. we hire someone to either do the job That I don't want to do Or that.
Aniz Lavji: I can't do. So I hire someone to do that for me. So this kind of works all the way around. So. Anyways, with that. Um, We're just over an hour here. Yemi, it was an absolute blast having you. I really appreciate you coming on.
Aniz Lavji: What a fantastic story. I hope that it really. helps a lot of people. And I wish you all the best in in your four -year plan here. And.
Aniz Lavji: We'll definitely keep in touch and see where we're at. in four years time.
Yemmi : so much frank I appreciate you having me. It's been a fucking pleasure. This is awesome. I have not shut up about this for the past week. This has been great.
Aniz Lavji: Awesome.
Yemmi : Thank you so much.
Aniz Lavji: All right. For all of you watching and listening. um Like and share this podcast. Get the word out. Um, You can find us on ah Spotify, Apple Podcasts.
Aniz Lavji: YouTube and Facebook. So check it all out and make sure you give us a follow. And until next time. Take care.
