We just hit the halfway point of the year, and with the 4th of July right around the corner, it feels like a good time to do what I do every single quarter on this show: stop, look back, and check in on the goals. Not once a year. Every quarter. Because things shift, and if you're not checking in, you don't actually know if you're still on track or just busy. 

How Q2 Actually Went

Q1 is usually our slowest quarter, and we were heading into Q2 — the ramp-up to busy season — right around the time we lost Dave and had to make some shifts. Looking back, it was a good quarter. A productive quarter. A profitable quarter. Those are all wins. 

But here's the honest part: I did not get the time I wanted to work ON the business. I was buried working IN it. Did I not get the time, did I not have the time, or did I not make the time? Those are different questions, and they're worth asking yourself too. Quarter two was absolutely crazy busy, between the actual work and insurance companies dragging their feet on top of it. I'm hoping this week is the one where things finally level out so I can get back to working on the business instead of just surviving in it. 

So here's my question for you: how did your Q2 go? Did you get to work on your business, or were you stuck working in it? Send me a DM or drop a comment — I want to know your blend. 

Discipline Beats Motivation

Back at the end of last year, I made a promise: I wasn't going to miss a single episode of this show all year long. New episode every week. I've missed a Monday or two — that's why the outro says "new episodes every week" instead of "every Monday" now — but I have not missed a week, and we're 24 or 25 episodes deep at the halfway mark. 

Here's what I've noticed. The motivation that got me fired up to make that promise is long gone. You can only stay motivated for so long. What's carrying me through now is discipline — the same thing I'm working on with eating better and taking care of myself this year. When I falter for a day, I don't write off the whole week. I correct, redirect, and get back on course. That's it. That's the whole trick. 

What We're Working On for Q3

A few big things are in motion for the back half of the year: 

• A brand-new beginner's podcast called PDR Life — a no-BS look at what this business actually takes, what tools to use, and how to get into it. It's going to drop Netflix-season style, the whole thing at once, and I'm already lining up interviews with trainers to be part of it.
• Leaning harder into AI. My whole podcast production workflow now runs through AI — I throw in a transcript and it hands me back show notes, talking points, and a YouTube description in minutes. What used to take a hired writer real time now takes a few minutes flat. We're also testing AI on the Google Ads side.
• Opening up 1-on-1 coaching. We've scaled this shop to multiple technicians, multiple employees, and a brick-and-mortar location with strong sales every year, and a few of you have already reached out asking how we did it. If you want help kicking ass in Q3 and Q4, hit me up for a free discovery call.

Why Video Keeps Paying Off

I've been doing YouTube videos semi-consistently for about 10 years now, ever since my old business coach pushed me to get comfortable on camera. A decade later, I'm watching it pay off in real time — customers are walking through the door telling me they're here specifically because of what they saw on YouTube. As more people watch less regular TV and more streaming, showing up consistently on video puts you in their living room as a familiar face, not just another ad. We're doubling down on that, along with quick, simple tip videos that have been getting great engagement. 

Your Q3 Challenge

Here's the homework: sit down for 20 to 30 minutes — on your lunch break instead of doom-scrolling — and set a couple of real, tangible goals for Q3. They don't have to be finished by the end of the quarter. They just need to be in motion. If you want to hold yourself accountable, send them to me. Tell me what you're working on and where you want to go, and when we check back in for the Q3 goals review, you'll have something to measure against. 

There's a story I love about a Navy SEAL candidate going through BUD/S training. During the runs, there's no set distance — you run until the instructor says stop. The guys who didn't make it were the ones asking, "How much longer? When do they blow the whistle?" The ones who made it through just kept telling themselves, "I just have to take one more step." Even small, slow progress compounds. Recording 30 videos by the end of the year sounds daunting, but recording one this week and another one next week gets you there. Keep taking the next step. 

Tool of the Week: A Twofer

This week's hero tool has bailed me out of more jams than I can count, and this week it specifically saved me on a tough Audi Q3 quarter panel down at the edge. It's the Tequila Tornillo double-bend interchangeable-tip rod from Anson PDR — mine's the 30" version. The tip threads to the standard 5/16" thread, so every tip I already own works on it. I've been able to sneak this through small outer access holes, work from the inside, and not tear up the hole in the process. I've had this one for years, and I've never had a failure — and I haven't heard of anyone else having one either. 

The twofer: on that same Audi, I needed more reach than the rod alone could give me, and I didn't even know extensions like this existed until my buddy Charlie showed me his. PDR Finesse Tools makes a 3/8" set of tips and extensions — 3/8" diameter with the same 5/16" thread — that gave me the extra kick I needed to finish the repair through a hole I couldn't fit anything bigger through. It also comes with its own set of 3/8" tips in different shapes. 

If you're trying to do less invasive repairs and you don't have a solid set of3/8 Tip Set yet, go check both of these out. 

What's Coming Up

• PDR Expo 2026 — same company as MTE — is coming to the Rio in Las Vegas, September 25-26, with a new education series and competitions. Mack is heading out for the beginner competition under the two-year mark.
• A cold glue class this Saturday morning — some classroom time followed by hands-on work on a live car.
• Our soft skills seminar is in the works, likely landing mid to late October — details are still coming together.
• Coaching spots are open if you want help mapping out Q3 and Q4.

Thanks so much for sticking with me through this one. If you haven't already, like our Facebook page at @DentRepairNOW and jump into the comments — we read every single one. Until next week, get after those Q3 goals.