#56 Chase Dolan
===
Speaker: [00:00:00] 1, 2, 3, 4.
Speaker 2: Hey, what's up everybody? Gene Ty, back at you with another episode of the All Access Podcast. This is episode number 56, and today we've got a special guest. We've got Mr. Chase Dolan out of Youngstown, Ohio, uh, which happens to be a small city that sits exactly between Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and Cleveland, Ohio.
Um, chase, welcome to the show.
Speaker: Thanks, Jean. Glad
Speaker 2: to be here. Absolutely, absolutely. Glad to have you. And, uh, guys, a little side note, this is Chase's first podcast, so hopefully we can get him on some more shows. Maybe the Smash Masters guys will pick you up, uh, because we, as we get into this, uh, you're a body shop guy.
And a [00:01:00] PDR guy, you're making that transition. Uh, and that's what Stephan and, and Nick, uh, have both done. Uh, well, I guess technically not Stephan yet, but he has his, he has his notice in, so it's coming. So anyways, welcome to the show. Uh, we got to see each other, I guess, two weeks ago, no, not two weeks ago, A little over a week ago at MTE 2026.
Speaker: Yep.
Speaker 2: How, uh, how did you like the show this year? You said it was your second one? Um,
Speaker: yeah.
Speaker 2: Yeah. How did, how did you like it?
Speaker: It was, it was good, man. Um, really like the education days. Um, a lot of good stuff there. Like you said there though, they, some should be longer. Um,
Speaker 2: yes, yes.
Speaker: I know it's, they cram a lot in, so I take a lot of notes, but it's definitely.
It's definitely good. I, I definitely make sure I go for that. And, um, [00:02:00] like all the tool, the tool stuff, you know, when you go into
Speaker 2: the, well, of course it's, it's always great to, to get the tools. Yeah. So, so back back to that education day for a second.
Speaker: Mm-hmm.
Speaker 2: It was just a couple years ago, uh, maybe even, you know, last year where they still saved some longer sessions.
Like I know, I know for sure our shop owners roundtable. Last year was, it was an hour and a half or an hour and 45 minutes, and, uh, they've cut the, at least the way it looked this year, they cut everything down to 45 minutes and that is just not a long time to get through any kind of subject that has any depth to it at all.
Yeah. So Right. To my listeners, just like I said, uh, at my talks, man, give, give the crew at, at MTE some feedback. Um. And, and see what we can do to get those longer sessions back. I'm even not opposed. Opposed. And Chase, like let's get your thoughts on this to adding some [00:03:00] more education sessions during Friday and Saturday during the actual show, you know, almost like a breakout session where you're not competing with other classes.
Um, we had a lot of people that are like, well, I wanna see you talk about this and, but I also wanna listen to, you know, chase talk about this. Or I wanna hear Jonathan talk about this while you're talking about that. What are your thoughts as an attendee if they spread out more education on both Friday and Saturday in addition to the Thursday day?
What are your thoughts?
Speaker: Yeah, no, I think that's a good idea. Um, 'cause I only did one day of the expo this year. I did two days last year and it was kind of a bit much for me. I spent all my money on day one and I was kind of just out of just doing it all and. You know, I would actually go for three days if there was two days education, but longer classes where you could get [00:04:00] more out of it, you know?
Speaker 2: Agree, agreed. And it's just a nice break, man, that, that show floor when the, when the expo opens up. I love that it's busy. I love that it's grown, but it can be overwhelming, uh, to, you're on your feet all day and you're talking to group after group after group, you know what I mean? Like going, um, you know, vendor to, vendor to vendor.
It, it sort of turns into overload. Uh, and certainly from me doing d for all these years, like my hearing's not so great and all that sound sort of overwhelms me. Like I, I would love to go unplug and sit in a class for an hour. Um, or, or, or so during the, during the actual expo. So anyways, give Sheldon and the crew at MTE some feedback.
Uh, they do an amazing job. They've really taken the show. Uh, you know, up a couple of levels from when Kevin Halewood ran it, uh, which is the idea. Uh, and they're doing a great job, but I think we can do [00:05:00] better on education. So, uh, did you pick up any new cool tools at MTE?
Speaker: Yeah, um, I got the Dent Reaper credos, kinda like a soft pick.
Speaker 2: Oh.
Speaker: Of those
Speaker 2: fricking love them.
Speaker: Wow. I got a couple, couple of the Dent Craft whale tails that I needed. Um, some, some blocks from Dent Craft,
Speaker 2: like the, uh, the nylon, the nylon pushing blocks, like
Speaker: Yeah. There's a set of three.
Speaker 2: Yep. Yep. Yeah,
Speaker: I picked up those. Uh, super
Speaker 2: handy.
Speaker: Got a stand liner, big fender tool, and a flat flathead snake.
I like stand liner stuff. I got a, I got a few of those. Um, got the, um. Black Plague. I got his new glue tabs, so I haven't used them yet,
Speaker 2: but the, the Super Straights. Yeah. So I've had those, I may have even had them [00:06:00] last year when, when you were here for Level Up maybe. Um, but they were super secret at the time.
Like, Hey, don't show anybody these, but test them out. And I don't know if you've experienced a stretchy tab. So have you ever had a glue tab that you go to pull and it stretches, it doesn't break. It just stretches and then it hangs on for a long time. Have you had any stretchy tabs happen?
Speaker: Yeah, it pulls really good.
It
Speaker 2: do, it does. It pulls, it, it, I even had this conversation with Chris White at, at, when I was with Kiko, uh, talking about stretchy tabs and he's like, it shouldn't make any difference. And every dent guy that walked by him like, Hey, chase. Todd, you got a stretchy tab? Oh man, it pulls great. Uh, Hey, hey, John Resner, you got a stretchy tab?
Oh, and, and we all, everybody has a stretchy tab. Chris can't or couldn't. I don't. I don't know that they're not working on something. He's like, I, I, I don't know why that, that would make any difference, but [00:07:00] a stretchy tab works like magic. These new super straight tabs from Keith pull, like a stretchy tab right out of the gate.
They pull, they give you that like, it's like an extra sharp pull, just like a stretch tab would.
Speaker: I wonder when it stretches, it makes it pull without
Speaker 2: she
Speaker: it off. You know what
Speaker 2: I mean? Yeah. It has to, it has to just like give this suction, like it, like it pulls to the center of the tab really well. Um.
Speaker: Mm-hmm.
Speaker 2: But I don't know why some tabs break and sometimes stretch. I have no idea. Yeah, but there's, there's something magical happens when you, it's usually with a, a, a mini lifter, right? And you pull and you're like, and you're like, that just felt weird. And then you look and then you know, your tab is this tall instead of this tall.
Mm-hmm. Um, so the super straight tabs, uh, are made to help people pull straight, uh, which is not a problem that [00:08:00] I've have. Like I'm a pretty precise glue puller. But Keith's design on those is because they're like that. I dunno, is that a pyramid? Pyramid would be three sides. You got four-sided pyramid, or whatever you wanna call it, it forces whatever you're lifting with to absolutely the center of the tab and the lifter and make a perfectly straight pull.
But in doing so, in the shape of the tabs, man, they pull sharp. Like I pulled, I've pulled the bottoms out of some dents with those that just nothing else wanted to move it up. So you'll like that.
Speaker: You get on like aluminum stuff for
Speaker 2: sure. Yes. Yep. Aluminum and just really anything super sharp. So even a good spiky hail shot in a rail, like if you need to get down deep, those super straight tabs are, are gonna be
Speaker: cool.
Speaker 2: It's not an everyday tab, but it's a one. You need it.
Speaker: Mm-hmm.
Speaker 2: You need it tab for sure. Anything else you picked up cool there or anything else you saw that's on your [00:09:00] hit list?
Speaker: Yeah, I really wanna get a motorcycle stand eventually because I've done a few tanks, um, not enough to get a stand, but I think if I maybe got a stand down the road, I could maybe push on like the dealerships, maybe get some work out of them.
Speaker 2: So I used to do a, I used to do a little bit of mobile motorcycle repair for the shops. Um, I had the version one from Daniel Grm, an Ultra, and it had a hitch mount. That you would put into your hitch. And then did you happen to see ghost Ps? Uh, yeah. New stand.
Speaker: Yeah, that thing's cool.
Speaker 2: It's pretty sick and that won't work just about anywhere.
Speaker: I was gonna say, I was at Dent Visions booth. I got
Speaker 2: Yep.
Speaker: One of their paddles and uh,
Speaker 2: okay.
Speaker: I got the Wizards dice tip. I give that a shot.
Speaker 2: Oh.
Speaker: Supposed to work really good.
Speaker 2: That's another not everyday tip, [00:10:00] but,
Speaker: and I got, uh,
Speaker 2: that's awesome.
Speaker: An inspection wedge 2.0. Yeah. Picked up one of them. I have a wanna say like a edge, that wedge light, maybe it's recharge.
Oh,
Speaker 2: the edgy, the edgy wedge light.
Speaker: Yep. Yeah, but the, the battery died up. I'm gonna reach out to him, see if he can, maybe if I can mail it in, get a new battery because it's awesome. But it just broke so it sucks that it's broke. But yeah.
Speaker 2: So, so David, Stacy with EDGY or Awesome. Definitely reach out to them.
Um. That wedge light, dude, I, I, I've had it since it was, I was good friends with, I'm good friends with Dave. I think I got that as a prototype or a very early release. I think I've only charged the thing like two times in five years or however long it's been out. It's kind of wild. Um, yeah. And then the inspection wedge, uh, from Hudson is, uh, that's another great tool.
Did you get the 2.0, did you say? [00:11:00]
Speaker: Yeah, it was like
Speaker 2: 40
Speaker: bucks for a,
Speaker 2: yeah. So it's shaved, it's shaved, a little thinner, and he is Got it. So you can use it as like a mini pry tool at the end. Oh, okay. Don't be, don't afraid to, don't be afraid to use that. And then I believe, um, that there is a mag light. The brand mag light, uh, makes a USB rechargeable.
Light that will fit exactly in the inspection wedge. 'cause I think the inspection wedge is just a regular AAA battery or something, but they make a rechargeable version that you can drop right into there, reach out to Hudson. He'll tell you, he'll know the model number and everything. You'll pay as much for the light as you did for the wedge.
But it's uh, you know, if I can just
Speaker: change the battery, I'll be fine too.
Speaker 2: Just throw some batteries in it. Well, there you go. Uh, but those are fantastic for being able to look down inside of a door and. What you've got going on without [00:12:00] a doubt. Without a doubt.
Speaker: Just writing an estimate, just being like, yeah, there's a brace there, you know?
Speaker 2: Right. Yeah. Yeah. You can look at and see, I, I like even using it to let customers look down and see. Mm-hmm. And, you know, here's, here's why we have to take this store off. You see it's below this brace, so on and so forth. Or, Hey, this is why we can't fix your door. Do you see how that brace is no longer attached to the door?
Yeah. Well, that's what protects you and, you know, make sure whatever body shop you go to changes this door for you.
Speaker: They will. Yeah.
Speaker 2: Oh, I'm sure they
Speaker: don't
Speaker 2: fix much
Speaker: anymore.
Speaker 2: No, no, not really.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker 2: So, so speaking of body shops, chase, let's, let's jump into your story a little bit,
Speaker: all right?
Speaker 2: Because I know you're, I know you're still.
At a body shop Yes. Doing, uh, paint work. But, uh, when, when did you get into autobody and, and what, what do you do in the autobody side of things?
Speaker: I, um, [00:13:00] I got into it when I was 16. I went to vocational school for it, and I've been doing it ever since. But I, I can do pretty much everything but framework. I don't do framework, but I can do body work.
I, I can put a quarter on, I can change doors, door skins. I just haven't in a long time. I learned all that. The beginning been, I think I'm like 27 years into the trade.
Speaker 2: Okay.
Speaker: I've been painting like all of it pretty much. Um,
Speaker 2: so painter is your specialty?
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker 2: In, in the shop.
Speaker: Yeah. I've been painting a long time.
So much. Nice. And. Tired of it.
Speaker 2: Oh, sure. I'm sure. Well, I mean, 27 years, that's, that's a long career in anything.
Speaker: Yeah,
Speaker 2: for sure.
Speaker: I've been with the shop now for 18 years,
Speaker 2: I've been there Oh, wow.
Speaker: With the company.
Speaker 2: Okay. Okay. That's a long time too. I mean, to, to [00:14:00] find somebody working at a company that long today is Yeah.
Is something special. Um, when did you start thinking about PDR? You probably started thinking about PDRA long time ago. Uh, but when did, when did you start to get serious about PDR?
Speaker: Um, so they got a Kiko kit in our shop. Okay. And we were never trained on it. They just brought in like the guy that does all the shops for my company.
Then he kind of showed us
Speaker 2: Oh, like your, like your training new services guy.
Speaker: Yeah, he comes in, shows people stuff. He's not an expert, but he knows a little bit.
Speaker 2: Mm-hmm.
Speaker: He is an expert with like framework supposedly. Yeah. But I, so I pretty much put a glue tab on a little dent and I popped it with the mini lifter and it kind of came out and I was like, [00:15:00] whoa, I just fixed the dent dude.
And that's
Speaker 2: crazy, isn't
Speaker: it? And I was like, huh. Then I kind of got the bug, but I also worked with a guy for a long time there. It was a really good body guy.
Speaker 2: Okay.
Speaker: Went into PDR and he is doing big things on PDR, so. Oh,
Speaker 2: nice.
Speaker: Kind of a reason too.
Speaker 2: So you had a, so you had a, a colleague or mentor that you worked with that made the leap from autobody to PDR?
Speaker: Yeah, I can say what it is, but I don't think he'll care.
Speaker 2: Alright. That's up to you.
Speaker: It was Ryan Campbell.
Speaker 2: Oh, cool. Oh yeah. No, Ryan won't care. That's cool. I didn't know you worked with Ryan.
Speaker: Yeah, he was like a body guy with me for a while.
Speaker 2: Oh, nice.
Speaker: He's a killer man.
Speaker 2: Ryan is a killer. Ryan Ryan's a good friend.
I, I was happy to run into him at MTE and talk and he, he was in the 20 group for a couple of years. Yeah, Ryan and Rachel, both, those two were fantastic. That's awesome. So, [00:16:00] so you worked with Ryan and you saw him make the leap.
Speaker: Yeah. And I still, he made the leap and it wasn't even on my radar. I'm like, I can't do that.
That is wizard stuff. No,
Speaker 2: right.
Speaker: I, I'll paint, you know, I, I'll be honest, I had like an ego of, I'm the best painter around. I make all this money, blah, blah, blah. I don't, I need nothing more in life.
Speaker 2: Right.
Speaker: And then I don't know what happened. I fixed that dent and I was like, yeah, I, I kind of wanna learn this now.
And then I just started going down the rabbit hole. I'm five, four or five years into it now.
Speaker 2: Nice. So the ecosystem made it into you four or five years ago?
Speaker: Yeah, it showed up, but it, it sits in the corner and never got touched. I'm the one who
Speaker 2: used it, sadly. That's, uh,
Speaker: nobody
Speaker 2: liked
Speaker: it.
Speaker 2: Edu education is so important with education is important in anything, right?
In any trade. Yeah. Any skill. Um, and then with the glue pull, [00:17:00] like without education, without somebody who's into it, it is just gonna sit. Like that's, and, and we never wanted that with Kiko. You know, that's not, uh, the game. The name of the game is to just sell systems. Like it's, it's for adoption and the difference between good adoption and the system sitting in the corner collecting body dust is education is.
Yeah, like, like if, if you get good education in there, if, if I would've made the trip up, if I'd have known that you guys were so close and you know, we could have put the screws to the company, um, right. I would've came in and given you a day of training. Um, but nonetheless, I'm glad that the ecosystem made it into your shop and, and you got that little taste of some of the magic that is PDR.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker 2: So how long did you play around with, uh, glue pull before you started moving into trying to push, right, because that's just natural progression or had you [00:18:00] been pushing because of Ryan, um, before Glue Pool showed up? Give us, give us a little bit of background there.
Speaker: No, I never messed with pushing at all.
We got Okay. The glue system and I played around with that a little bit and then that turned into me dabbling into real world. PDRI signed up for that. I was doing the online stuff. Then I bought some tools. I got, I think I got a door Lord set for Manson, uh, interchangeable, like double bends. Uh, a uh, tactical handles a knockdown, a glue, um, side hammer kit, a light.
I got a limited, you know, mobile light.
Speaker 2: Right.
Speaker: And that was my first tools. So I, then I started trying to fix dents with tools, using the videos.
Speaker 2: How, uh, so I never really, there wasn't much, if any, video learning really back in the day. [00:19:00] How difficult did you find it to learn just online and, and, or, you know, what were, what were some of your struggles and some of your successes going that route?
Speaker: Uh, I mean, it was very difficult to learn. Um. Just 'cause I've always been the, Hey, put some glaze in. It probably meant I'm painted. So,
Speaker 2: well, we see that with a lot of body texts,
Speaker: but just trying to hit the center of the dent, uh, and get it up. And then you, you're like, okay, after you just destroy a hood where you're every opening so destroyed, you have to get a new hood
Speaker 2: right
Speaker: from work.
And then after a few months of that, I'm not gonna lie, it, it took me a while to get decent at even pushing pen out.
Speaker 2: Listen, I, I went, so I went for a week of training at the paint pool back in the day. And my joke is that it took me a year to be terrible. [00:20:00] Like prior to a year of metal time, I was something worse than terrible.
So,
Speaker: oh yeah. A year in, I sucked bad still. Like I, I don't think I did a customer car for a year and a half.
Speaker 2: Well, that's
Speaker: probably
Speaker 2: good.
Speaker: I didn't, I didn't wanna touch 'em 'cause, but I also knew from being in the body shop, like I cannot fix people's cars. This is crazy that there's no way they're gonna accept this.
Right. You know, just doing it on my own with the practice hood. But so then you learn and you start getting 'em up, then you kind of go a few feet back this way and you're like, oh god, that's awful. You know? Yeah. Because you don't know how to crosscheck and you gotta learn that and gotta learn to move your light around and your head up and down and you know, and then just, there's a lot, there's a lot to it.
Start starting the dent. Good. That was you. It took years to get good at that, you know, and I really wasn't full time [00:21:00] just pushing dents every day. So it, it did take a long time. 'cause I just did it in my spare time.
Speaker 2: And you're turning big hours in the shop. It's not like you. It's not like you're working at a slow mom and pop shop, like you're putting some real work in at work.
Right. Yeah. At your day job. Um,
Speaker: yeah. High production.
Speaker 2: How long did you try just online, uh, before you reached out to find some in-person training?
Speaker: Uh, I think about eight months. Okay. I was online just pushing, pushing. I'm like, this is the best I'm gonna get. I, and I was getting frustrated that I wasn't getting good
Speaker 2: mm-hmm.
Speaker: Quicker, you know, and that's when I, I reached out for online or in person. Like, I, I gotta get better quicker.
Speaker 2: Right. And that's where you went to, you went to Jim, right. So Jim Mitchell Yes. Runs real world PDR. Yeah. On his, his online training. And he does in-person training. [00:22:00]
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker 2: Yeah. So
Speaker: I went there for a week.
Speaker 2: Okay. And what, uh, what did that look like? What, uh, what did you think you were gonna do? And now with hindsight of seeing what it takes to be good, um, how did, how did that look? How did that look being in it? And now, and now, how does that look looking back on it? If that makes sense.
Speaker: Yeah, it makes sense. So I went there thinking I was coming back as the professional dent guy,
Speaker 2: right.
Speaker: And I, I didn't, well,
Speaker 2: it,
it
Speaker: looks so easy. I learned a lot
Speaker 2: when
Speaker: you
Speaker 2: watched somebody do it. It looks
Speaker: simple. Yeah. Yeah. He showed me everything, you know, I needed to do and learn, and I just needed more time on the metal, you know. But, uh, it definitely jumped me a, I think if I would've went to him in the beginning, I wouldn't have did eight months online [00:23:00]
Speaker 2: right
Speaker: at all.
I probably would've got. Better in that week than I got in the eight months online
Speaker 2: for sure.
Speaker: Yeah, for
Speaker 2: sure. That's a, like I always, I have was saying, and I, I didn't come up with it. Uh, I heard it somewhere where you can either pay in money or you can pay in time. Right. So yeah, if you don't have any money, you're gonna spend time doing something to figure it out.
If you can pay with money, fast forward. Right?
Speaker: Yeah, yeah, definitely. Fast forward you and having all the tool selection too. I mean, there, there was any tool you could ever think of there, so.
Speaker 2: Sure.
Speaker: You know, that was good too, to play with all that and like, Hey, whatever you wanna use, any blending hammer I wanted to try was all there.
So it was, it was good stuff.
Speaker 2: Well, that's awesome. That's awesome. So eight months on your own, right? Well, you got the, you got the bug with the Keo pull tab. Yeah. Pulled a dent and you were like, oh, I [00:24:00] can do this. And then in some period of time you started to did eight months online, and then one y one week with Jim.
Yeah. Um, so, so at that point, like you're approaching one year playing around, what was your next step? What, what does your, what's your, what's your career path look like around there?
Speaker: Well, I was still, I was thinking I was gonna come home and maybe be a PDR guy, but I wasn't confident enough and so I just kept painting and kept dabbling with PDR.
Um, I did start my business. I got all that going. Um, so I started actually doing customer cars. Not a ton, but here and there.
Speaker 2: Probably just picking and choosing like what you can do or, or jobs you could set the expectations on.
Speaker: Yeah. Like a little soft dime, dent. Yeah. Mm-hmm. I could fix that.
Speaker 2: Right. Um,
Speaker: [00:25:00] so yeah, I just, and I was fixing stuff in the shop like every day and then, you know, so that was helping.
But, um, yeah, blend panels or even I got paid on some jobs. I started doing all the used parts, you know, and come in with dings in it. IP all them, get some labor credit on that. I'd flag some hours on it.
Speaker 2: Oh,
Speaker: that's
Speaker 2: cool.
Speaker: Instead of bringing mudding 'em and priming 'em, I just PDR 'em and buzz 'em down and paint them.
Speaker 2: Right.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker 2: So, so you said something there that, that I, that like, and, and I guess I'm speaking to the newer texts, right when I say this, you, you actually said a couple of things. One, you said that there's, you needed the metal time. Yeah. And so I've always said there is no replacement for metal time, like putting good quality metal time in.
Is the only thing that's gonna get you there.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker 2: The other side of it, and I think this is why [00:26:00] you're as successful at PDR as you are, is you're, you're putting in, or we're putting in those reps every single day, right? You were in an environment where you could get your hands on metal for some period of time, almost every single day.
It helps you to sharpen those skills. Uh, so on top of just metal time, that daily metal time is just magic, right? Yeah.
Speaker: Yeah. I try to do one down a day no matter what. Yes. Just find the dent, fix it, or try to fix it,
Speaker 2: you know? Right. It again, it's the metal time, right? Yeah. Like getting, getting yourself on the car and behind the metal, behind the dent is, is something that, that so many people, especially body technicians, struggle with.
Because, and you know, you said you're in that production shop, so many techs end up with the mindset of like, I've gotta go, go, go. [00:27:00] Especially if you're in a flat rate situation where, man, I can't spend the time on this. I've gotta just get this into mud or into primer, whatever you gotta do.
Speaker: Mm-hmm.
Speaker 2: Shifting that mindset. Mindset and, and clearly you've shifted that mindset, uh, as the only way you're ever gonna get there.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker 2: Um, so, uh, you know, call it a year, 12, 12 to 18 months in, what was your next step in PDR growth. Right. You came back, you're able to do some small stuff, starting to maybe make a little bit of money.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker 2: Um, where, where or what did you do next?
Speaker: Um, so I was so busy every day at work and I couldn't just. Miss another week. So I, I don't know how I came across them, but the dent was touch, offered like a weekend training.
Speaker 2: Oh,
Speaker: right. So I reached out, I think I reached out to, uh, the guy in [00:28:00] Maryland. Uh oh,
Speaker 2: Chris?
Speaker: Christopher. Chris first. Yep. And he was like, no man, I got kids. Now I don't do it on the weekend, but my buddy Dave o our partner up in Chicago does it. So I don't know if he just told me to call him or Dave called me, I don't remember, but whatever. It was up, hooked
Speaker 2: up up. We got hooked up with Dave o
Speaker: Yep.
We set in
Speaker 2: Chicago.
Speaker: So I shot up there for a weekend and learn some more dense stuff and it's pretty good.
Speaker 2: That's awesome. So how, right, like this is like learning anything is is compounding. So you started online, built yourself a foundation, went to gym for a week. He was able to quickly build on that online foundation.
Now we fast forward to, you know, call it 18 to 24 months, you're into, into the business. You've, you've done the online, you've done in person with Jim, you've put reps in. How much more valuable was the two day [00:29:00] with DAVO at Dent, um, in your journey? Like, like, did, was it more magnified than what you had in your five days in person after spending your online time?
Does that make sense?
Speaker: Yeah, no, it makes sense. No, it absolutely was more magnified because I was a lot better at dents. Um, even Dave was like, man, you're more humble than you think. You're actually pretty decent at these. He's like, we just gotta correct some things. And we literally worked on just making a, you know.
Nickeled a quarter sized glass. That was my goal. Yep. Like, I wanna glass 'em out and I don't think I glassed them perfect. But they were, they were pretty good. I was pretty happy with it. Like, dang, I never made 'em. But he, he really pushed on just cross checking way more, moving my head, way more, putting the light back way more just to get that final worked on that, you know, the last [00:30:00] 10%.
And then we made like, like how John made that dang dent in the rail last year.
Speaker 2: Mm-hmm.
Speaker: Oh yeah. It took a level up. He made one of them, or maybe it was just in a hood and he showed me how to fix it and we fixed that thing and I was like, holy crap. So learned how to fix a real deep dent. And, uh, he actually kicked in a fender.
So did Jim And I mutilated that one, but I actually made the one look pretty good. At Dave's
Speaker 2: at Dent. Oh, nice.
Speaker: Yeah. Yeah. 'cause I was just that much more metal time.
Speaker 2: Yep.
Speaker: But
Speaker 2: yep.
Speaker: You know, he just corrected a lot of stuff that, and a lot of it too was way more knocking down when I think to keep pushing. He's like, no, no, no.
You knock all it down. Everything's too high. So, yep,
Speaker 2: yep, yep. Absolutely.
Speaker: So
Speaker 2: it's, it's, it's really exciting how, how you, [00:31:00] as you become better, as your foundation becomes better when you can go get that over the shoulder, touch and look and correction, um, how much faster you can move forward. I remember, dude, I was ready to quit.
Um, and I, I don't know if I did my origin story on here, or, or, or dense layer or maybe I need to do an episode. Um, but when I met my mentor, I was probably.
18 months in, 18 to 20 months in, and I was on lines because that's how I originally learned that, just to just struggle, bust the whole time. And with just a little bit of over the shoulder in-person training, um, or mentoring or whatever you wanna call it. Once it clicked, it was like struggle, struggle, struggle.
And then over the shoulder and it was just a launchpad. Um, that's, that's a, that's sort of why Level Up came to [00:32:00] be, is there's, there's no, there's like a shortage in the market of that, call it continuing education, advanced education, like you've got beginner training of some sort, be it online or in person or online and in person.
And then there's nothing until like you're jumping out to go to Bryce Kelly and learn how to do Bryce Kelly stuff. You know, that's,
Speaker: that's even if you wanna get that crazy,
Speaker 2: I mean, well, exactly. That's, these old shoulders are too, too done for that man. I, I'm, my, my pushing days are numbered.
Speaker: I, yeah. The stuff he fixes is wild.
Speaker 2: Yeah. But he will teach you that, uh, or, or open your eyes to, to what is possible. Uh, to be done. Right? Yeah. Like, don't, don't say you can't PDR it. Just look at what Bryce did.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker 2: Um, after you came back from your two days, how did that change your business? Did that give you some more confidence? [00:33:00] Uh, yeah.
Start, start doing some more billable, uh, repairs.
Speaker: Yeah. Started taking on more and more and, um. I just kept doing it, been doing, I do it on the side, like after hours after work. Right. I'm usually back here by like 3:00 PM so I start pretty early. Okay. I'll do dents from like four to 7:00 PM and I don't get 'em every day.
But, you know, some days I, I'm booked out all week and some days I'm not. Um, I work usually every weekend in the shop here and, uh, but yeah, just being able to take on more DI was never, I never would before. Like, no, I can't fix that because I, I didn't wanna, like, I don't wanna mess someone's car up and then Sure.
I gotta pay to paint it. So it definitely gave me confidence too though. And I started offering Touchup work too on something like, [00:34:00] Hey, you know, I can get that out, but paint's kind of messed up. Do a little touchup for you. They're like, yeah, sure. So I started doing some less.
Speaker 2: That's awesome. That's a, that's a cool skill set that comes with your previous skill or your current, you know, your your day job.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker 2: You know, that, that fits right in. Uh, and then after that, right. Well, somewhere before that, I told you you weren't allowed to come to the first level up because you, you had reached out and sort of told me Smash where you were at Smash. Yeah. Yeah. It was sort of a, it was a, it was, it was like two days of Level up and then into smash school and, and you, I remember you telling me where you were at and I'm like, man, I just, as much as I would've loved to take your money, chase, it wasn't right for you.
Speaker: Yeah. You told me. No, I, I respected that.
Speaker 2: Um,
Speaker: I think you actually said, you know, you can come if you really want to, but you did, you wouldn't recommend it.
Speaker 2: Right.
Speaker: It's like, it's like trying to take a, like you put in like [00:35:00] mechanics term, like, here, kid, you don't know what you're doing. Um. Re machine this piston, you know, sleeve.
Speaker 2: Right, right.
Speaker: And I'd be in there like, what you showed me. I didn't learn shit, you know? Sorry.
Speaker 2: Yeah, no, no, you're good. You're good.
Speaker: Um,
Speaker 2: but
Speaker: no, that, I appreciated that. But, um,
Speaker 2: I, um, so then you did come back for, for level Up two? Yeah. Or not come back, I guess, but came to Level Up two. Mm-hmm. Um, what made you decide to, to come in for that class?
So that would be, uh, not quite a year ago, right? It's February 8th, and I think that was sometime in March. We did that mid, mid to late March maybe. Yeah. Um, so what pushed you, uh, to come to, to Level Up? What were you looking to do and how did we do with that?
Speaker: Well, first [00:36:00] off. How close you are to me. You know, you're like, an hour.
Yeah. That's that sort of a no-brainer. So that was like, okay, there's some real good training available an hour away. I don't even have to get a hotel. So that Yeah. You drove
Speaker 2: home every night.
Speaker: Yeah. So that was the first thing that was like, all right, I'm gonna really look into this. And, but I was signed up for your a a I,
Speaker 2: yeah.
Speaker: I was doing that and I went through all that, you know, I'm like, this guy knows what he is doing. And then, you know, John wins the dent competition every year. I'm like, he's training there too. I'm like telling my wife like, this is like one of the best 10 guys in the world. I gotta go. So that's why I came.
It
Speaker 2: really was like, it was a, yeah, to spend the, the few days with Jean alone is, is crazy. So,
Speaker: yeah,
Speaker 2: I can,
Speaker: so if I could rewind back. So when I first started painting in the Body Shop, I worked with two really good [00:37:00] painters. At my first job, I got lucky. They were like awesome painters. One guy runs like a restoration shop now he does like,
Speaker 2: oh, nice.
Speaker: Crazy builds. He's so I learned from them guys and like I've always remembered that like, man, to be around the good, the right people that can show you stuff is, it's priceless. And if you can get there and get in that room and spend the hours and days with them learning, you gotta do it. If you wanna be good, because I wanna be good, right?
I don't wanna be the, oh, you can just fix little dings. Like, no, I don't wanna go to fix anything. I mean, right. Maybe Bryce Kelly's level one day, but at like your level, I wanna be on your level. I wanna be respected as like, hey, if you call this guy, he's gonna fix your car. Right? And if he can't, he'll send you the body shop, but why not go there first?
You know?
Speaker 2: I appreciate that. I appreciate that. That's [00:38:00] awesome. What, uh, what was your, what was your biggest takeaway from Level Up last year?
Speaker: Uh,
probably just to learn so much patience and the repairs, um, to slow way down. Um, where I used to kind of give up on a dent, you know? Mm-hmm. Um, like a bigger one. Like, Hey, it's the best I can get it for you. I'm gonna discount it tremendously for you. I'm sorry I couldn't fix it. Where now, after going there, it's like, now I'm gonna fix this.
Ah, you
Speaker 2: understand? You
Speaker: understand what it
Speaker 2: takes.
Speaker: Hey, hey, customer, I need another day.
Speaker 2: Yep.
Speaker: I'm gonna put another day into it now, where I used to give up, like it's ruined. I can't fix this. But I also. I learned how to start them way better, you know, with the, [00:39:00] using glue to get the big damage moving lateral tension.
Speaker 2: Yep.
Speaker: You know,
Speaker 2: that's, uh, so much of what we fight at the end of a repair is the mistakes we made at the beginning of the repair.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker 2: A hundred percent. So, so true. Yeah.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker 2: Absolutely. Um, well you surprised me. Uh, and we opened up Level Up last show, uh, right. So I think it, it went out to a couple of people early.
Uh, but really it was the last show. So one week ago. Today for my listeners who are listening to this live tomorrow when it's published, uh, we went live and we sold out, uh, chase. Did you Thursday, was it Thursday or Friday that you pulled the trigger?
Speaker: Friday morning. I was actually on my way to Dennis listening to your podcast.
Speaker 2: Okay.
Speaker: And as soon as I got there, I signed up.
Speaker 2: [00:40:00] Awesome.
Speaker: Because I was like, I have a feeling like I don't sign up. I'm not getting
Speaker 2: in. Well, so, so we, we did, we sold it out and uh, really it was about four full days. On the fifth day at the beginning of the fifth day is when it went. Um, before I say anything else, chase, I, I can't tell you how proud and honored it makes me, and I'm, I'm sure I'm speaking for Jean as well, uh, that you trust us enough to come back and spend more days with us to learn again.
Like that just, that is just so humbling to have a, a student that, that we made a big enough impression on that you trust us to come back. Dude, from the bottom of my heart, thank you so much. Like that really means the world. Uh. To me, and again, I'm sure I'm speaking for Jean as well, so I promise we won't let you down.
Speaker: No, I know, I wouldn't, I wouldn't be coming [00:41:00] back if I didn't think it would help me. You know, like I said, I, I wanna get more time in the room with you guys and work on dents around you guys to get better quicker. I am,
Speaker 2: yes.
Speaker: You know, I'm not getting any younger, so.
Speaker 2: No, none of us are, man.
Speaker: I don't wanna 50
Speaker 2: not come on the board for me.
I
Speaker: don't wanna forever either, man. Yeah. I
Speaker 2: wanna
Speaker: be,
Speaker 2: we're gonna work, I'm gonna work on your confidence. I'm gonna, I'm gonna make my personal goal to get you outta that body shop and get off a, get off of seven days a week. Maybe, maybe this will be the year for the big hailstorm and uh, I'll retire you from the body shop and you'll just come down and do hail for me all year and
Speaker: that'd be great.
Speaker 2: Yeah.
Speaker: Yeah. I did a, did a couple hail jobs here. They were awesome.
Speaker 2: Yeah, hail is, hail is great. It's, uh, it's not a life for me. I don't wanna travel and live in a hotel.
Speaker: Mm-hmm.
Speaker 2: But it is just really difficult to beat, uh, hail dollars. Like,
Speaker: yeah.
Speaker 2: It's just difficult. That's [00:42:00] difficult. Um, well, dude, we're super excited to have you back.
Uh, now, uh, when I asked you to be on the show, my, uh, hope was that, that we could talk about it and you need to hopefully sell a couple more seats. Uh, but we sold out before you got here. However, I talked to Jean, uh, and because we are bringing Jean over from Slovenia for this trip and because the, the first class sold out so quickly, um, you know, I guess it's, you know, our three or four year overnight success, uh, to be able to sell it out.
Uh, I can't say for sure that it's gonna happen, but we are gonna open up. Lemme get you the dates just so I don't mess this up. So it will be March 5th, sixth and seventh. Uh, so Thursday, Friday, Saturday, if we can get at least five people to commit to the class. We're gonna do a second level up this [00:43:00] year again, just because there was so much, um, so much of an ask for the first one that, that had filled up.
Uh, super quick. Uh, head over to dent repair now.com/level-or up, uh, to get to the signup page. Uh, there will be a like checkout. Uh, we're gonna take a hundred dollars deposit. If we reach five, you'll be sent a bill, right? You'll pay the rest. If we don't get to at least five for that second class, we will refund all of your money.
Uh, and I'll put De Sean back on a plane and tell him to go back home and get outta here. Uh, but because that first class sold out so fast, we're gonna open that. Up and see if there's five more people who want to get in, uh, and get better, just like Chase did. Um, I remember like back to your level up. So one of the things we worked on last year was, uh, the stretch metal.
Right. And that's just [00:44:00] a good fundamental course skill. Yeah. And it was right when Keith's, uh, shrinky box, the SB four I think came out and worked with you on that, uh, got some reps in and you went back and I wanna say it was a bedside, but maybe it wasn't a bedside. Yeah. There was something you had that was just nasty, nasty, sharp.
Um, and then I saw you, like in the video, I think maybe you panned over to the SB four and I'm like, oh, he pulled the trigger on it. He got it.
Speaker: Yep.
Speaker 2: Is that damage that you would've even thought about trying before Level Up? Was that even, was that, was that a repair that was even on your radar?
Speaker: No, I, no, because I didn't even wanna paint that truck and the guy was gonna let me, 'cause I told him when I took it in, like, I don't know if I could fix it, but I could fix it.
Paint like, it was like a deep
Speaker 2: goe, like, or not a gouge, but like a deep, deep crease.
Speaker: Yeah. It was probably like [00:45:00] 18 inches long. Had one up top and then it was open and had like a 12 inch down low. And it was, it was sharp.
Speaker 2: Oh, wow.
Speaker: And I actually, that's
Speaker 2: one of those repairs that Yeah. You wanna away.
Speaker: Yeah. I spent a day on it and I got the top fixed.
Speaker 2: Okay.
Speaker: The small part.
Speaker 2: Right.
Speaker: And actually I didn't even fix it. I got it decent and I, I gave up on it. And I remember going in and telling my wife like, that sucks. That one's a bomb. I'm, I don't even wanna paint this truck because it's candy red, which I'll do it all day at work. But here at my shop, you know, I don't have extravagant.
Body shop set up where I'm
Speaker 2: right.
Speaker: So long story short, I, I don't know. I woke up and was like, you know what? I gotta try to fix that. So I went out and I got the top fix. Then I have to shrink that. And then I started on the bottom, started working it, and then I got floppy and like, well, I got that new shrinky [00:46:00] box,
Speaker 2: right.
Speaker: I started zapping it and I got to tighten up. And, and honestly, in the end, it wasn't perfect, but it looked pretty good. The guy was happy with it. Didn't have to get his truck painted.
Speaker 2: Well, in, in the videos you shared, uh, I think me and John were both blown away that, that you got, I mean, it looked great, looked really great,
Speaker: looked good without the light on it.
If I put the light on it, you could see some rippling, but without the light, it looked pretty good, like,
Speaker 2: so. Well, and listen, I mean, think of the, well first, like just a piece of advice, you know, for you and for right up and coming. Uh. Smash. PDR text I never promised Perfect. Ever. I promise. As good as the body shopper better, right?
So, so think of all the things that can go wrong if the body shop repairs that, right? Or if you paint that right, a color match difference, a halo, [00:47:00] right? Because that was that a trico red, right? Yeah. You could, you could, you could end up with a, with a halo somewhere, or, you know, a little bit of modeling in your, um, metallic.
Yeah. Uh, you've got, you're gonna have, if it was a bedside, right, you're gonna set the bed back, you're gonna end up with a hard line edge there. Like, there's so many things that could go wrong or your, your filler puckers a little bit, or maybe it looks really great when it leaves. And then six months down the road when that filler or primer shrinks back a little bit and then it's got a ring around it.
Like, I promise to be as good as the body shop or better. On those, on those big nasty repairs because like you're taking something that weighs thousands of pounds and then is made outta sheet metal and you're hitting it off of another multi-thousand pound vehicle or some big heavy stationary thing that doesn't move.
And then we're gonna go in with these little metal rods or glue tabs and, and we're [00:48:00] gonna rework this like little magicians back to Perfect. Mm. Maybe I bet the customer was thrilled to death that you fixed it and he didn't have to paint his car.
Speaker: Yeah, yeah. He was handle it.
Speaker 2: Yeah. And even Bryce will tell you like, not all of his repairs are perfect.
And I bet his perfect repairs, he knows where the flaws are. Right. I mean
Speaker: even
Speaker 2: brand new
Speaker: that flaws.
Speaker 2: Oh yeah, yeah, yeah. That's for sure.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker 2: Right. I, I remember writing several different used new car lots that got hail and you're looking over every single square inch of every panel with lights. Man, some of those are pretty rough.
So like temper, strive for perfection.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker 2: Temper your expectations and set your customer's expectations. Right.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker 2: You know, if it's, you know, in some of those paint problems we just talked about, typically if we have PDR problems, [00:49:00] it's one little small area. Like it's one little small flaw, not a difference in orange peel on a panel or a color match, you know, that flops funny or like, yeah, PDR is a special, special thing, so don't beat yourself up.
Yes. But it was dude that like. That really made, I, I, me and John even talked about it, like you going back not long after class and jumping in and tackling that repair air. Like, dude, that's, that's really impressive. Really, really impressive.
Speaker: Well, thanks.
Speaker 2: So, so hats off for you to, uh, you know, stepping up and, and going after it.
And I love hearing that you were ready to quit and then you went in and sat down and thought about it and you're like, I gotta go back and get it. Like, it's that I slept
Speaker: on it.
Speaker 2: But, but it's, but it's that, it's, that [00:50:00] must get it done mentality that will, that you almost need to excel at. Large, complex PDR.
Right. And even going back, like you, I'm certain you applied that same thing to, you know, when you said you went to Davos and you were talking about a quarter or 50 cent piece size dent, and like, you want to glass it and you're like, ah, as good as I can get it. And then you step back and take a breath or have a drink of water and you come back and you're like, all right, I can do a little bit more.
I can do a little bit more. Uh, that, that's just a mentality that, that you have to have. Um, and I don't know where that comes from or how you test for it, but I promise what that attitude, you're gonna have plenty of success in this, uh, in this trade for
Speaker: sure. Yeah. I'm planning to, you know.
Speaker 2: Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker: I just wanna be able to fix everything at a high level, you know,
Speaker 2: you'll get there.
And, and [00:51:00] even, man, last, last level up. We had everything from.
People who were struggling with the easiest stuff, uh, to, you know, Vinny was 23 or 24 years in, right? And everything in between, um, we're able to tailor because we keep the class small, we're able to tailor it to you. So I tell you that because you're gonna be in for it, man. We're gonna push you extra hard this year, right?
I hope so. Coming, coming, coming back as an alumni, um, and seeing, seeing what you, some of the stuff you've shared out there, uh, we're coming for you. We are, we will, uh, we're gonna plan on, on making chase sweat a little bit.
Speaker: Yeah, I, I want to, I mean, I was telling John at MTEI wanna get a lot better at blending.
I'm just not that good at it and I wanna be better at [00:52:00] it, so.
Speaker 2: Nice.
Speaker: Definitely wanna work on that.
Speaker 2: We will for sure. Both. We both have two different, uh, like so many things in the class. We have two different perspectives on that.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker 2: But yeah, we will both give you, we'll give you our 2 cents on it. That's for sure.
That's for sure. What else are you hoping to work on this year? I,
Speaker: uh, uh, them hard rail dense. Again, I haven't, haven't done many. I, I've done a lot this year. Actually. That one hail job I did had a nasty one. But it wasn't as deep as what you guys made them into. Mm-hmm.
Speaker 2: Yep.
Speaker: But I definitely wanna do them again 'cause that
Speaker 2: cool.
Speaker: You learn how to do them, man. You're gonna fix any rail?
Speaker 2: Yeah, my rail has, that's where I wanna be. So Jean is obviously jean's amazing. Um, I'm also pretty badass on the rails. Uh, and we've got two different approaches again, which is really cool to get you two different [00:53:00] perspectives from. Two really good technicians.
Uh, yeah, going after the same, um, same end result. Uh, actually since, uh, I think it was since that I'd have to go back and look at my videos. I have fixed my hardest, most complicated rail dent ever. It took about six hours. It was a one impact. Uh, and I worked on that one dent for about six hours, uh, to get it and just pushing the, pushing the limits of, of what we can do with glue, right?
Like working, uh,
different approaches. Uh, keeping the paint on the panel that long where it typically pull the same area for six hours and, and not lose the paint was pretty nerve wracking. Yeah. Um, sweet. Yeah. There's gonna be some challenging rail Ds for sure. For sure. Yes. And with the little [00:54:00] side of lateral tension, uh, because that'll help you out on those as well.
Well, that's cool. That's better. Yeah. I don't think
Speaker: we did lateral tension last year. We just pulled 'em and
Speaker 2: Yeah. No, the rails, were just fixing the rails, but the, the lateral tension will definitely help you move that, uh, metal where you need to move it to. So we're, again, we're excited to have honored and excited to have you back.
Um, if you could give one piece of advice to somebody wanting to learn the trade, what would that be?
Speaker: Well, if you wanna get good and not spend years trying to learn it, go to in-person training with a good trainer,
Speaker 2: I could not agree more.
Speaker: I, I've been to three and, well, three different classes and this is my fourth.
Speaker 2: Yeah.
Speaker: I look at it too, like, like they do the advanced skills seminar every year and all [00:55:00] the guys that wanna be the best they go to that. Right. You know, I'd love to go to that one day, but you know, when you guys, I've only missed,
Speaker 2: I've only missed two.
Speaker: Yeah. You guys put this class on. It's like, all right, you got Jean, the, the literally the guru and John who wins the Dent competition every year.
You can go, you can go train with them and learn some how to fix some really hard, complicated stuff. Uh, you know, go to that. If you wanna get good, go to stuff like that. I'm sure there's tons of other training out there. Go to a good trainer if you wanna, if you're serious about PDR, if you're gonna, I guess, dabble in it like some of these kids wanna do.
Like maybe I'll try it. Don't, don't waste your time.
Speaker 2: Right.
Speaker: You gotta go a hundred percent in. Yeah.
Speaker 2: All in
Speaker: you gotta go all in. Yeah.
Speaker 2: That is, that's some fantastic advice. That's the exact advice I would give. [00:56:00] Um, and not just because we train, but like, if you wanna succeed in this, that's the, that's the secret sauce.
And then don't give up. You have to have that. I, I'm not gonna quit mentality. Right. And whether that means you go in and you know, bitch about it to your wife and then sleep on it and get back up in the morning and drag your, sorry, butt back out into the shop and work on it more.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker 2: Or you just go have a conversation with yourself in the corner.
Right. And come back after it. You, you can't quit. You have to have no quit in you. Yeah. Um, to make this, to make this happen.
Speaker: Yeah. And then when you do go to the classes, go back and implement that stuff. And
Speaker 2: yes,
Speaker: keep implementing it. Keep a practice panel around. Make hard dents. Try to fix 'em often. You know, I used to always, you know, try to fix a den a day when I first started.
Like,
Speaker 2: that's it.
Speaker: Now I, that metal time now do that normally [00:57:00] just 'cause of work and here I'm always fixing something. So
Speaker 2: yeah. Now you're kind of ready for a, you said you were putting in seven days a week. You're kind of ready for a day without a dent. Might be okay. Every once in a while.
Speaker: Yeah. I don't mind those, but that's a, you know, I go full-time PDRI, maybe I can start taking weekends off again.
Yeah. So that was my whole thing. My whole life was weekends off. I got the greatest job in the world, you know, and then PDR showed up and was like,
Speaker 2: yeah, a new, a new trade, some entrepreneurship. It's,
Speaker: yeah, it's
Speaker 2: a, it's a sickness, that's for
Speaker: sure.
Speaker 2: Yeah.
Speaker: Oh yeah. That's
Speaker 2: for sure.
Speaker: Yep. I will say too, like when I was getting into PDR, like I, uh.
You know, I honestly believe this, when you get so much in a career and you're just done, there's no more advancement. It could take a toll on you mentally, [00:58:00] you know? Sure. Kind of, kind of depress you. Like what more Is this everything? Like, I'm freaking, I think I was like 37, 38 years old when I started getting to PDR, and I'm thinking before that I'm like, this a, all I'm ever gonna be is just a car painter.
I'm like, yeah, I make good money. But it's so monotonous at this point, you knows.
Speaker 2: No, it turned into not a challenge for you anymore.
Speaker: Yep. Yeah. There's no more, there's nothing more I could learn with painting nothing.
Speaker 2: Right.
Speaker: I mean, unless I go into like crazy airbrushing and custom crazy stuff, which I don't wanna do that.
Speaker 2: Well, that's a whole different, that's a whole different art.
Speaker: Yeah. It's
Speaker 2: right.
Speaker: Yeah. That's a, in my opinion. A lot of custom guys fail. Like yeah, if you could get big and famous and be that custom guy, yeah, you could do it, but
Speaker 2: end up on hot rod TV or something and
Speaker: Exactly. But I assume every
Speaker 2: year,
Speaker: you know, that's, [00:59:00] um, but it, you know, it kind of made me happier person.
It took me from, you know, I was a big fish in a small pond, man, and now I'm in a whole new world. I'm a big, now you're a small fish in the ocean. It's cool, man. It's cool though. I'm, I'm learning stuff every day. I'm excited about my
Speaker 2: future. So, chase, I will tell you that this is my, I think next month, I think I started in March.
March or May. Anyways, this year will be my 24th year in PDR.
Speaker: Mm-hmm.
Speaker 2: I definitely have not learned at all, and I learned new stuff all the time. Right. There's always new challenges. Every dent is a different challenge. Um, and I still, I still love it. I. I feel as though maybe pushing wise, I'm past my prime.
Like my body's just beat up, I'm tired. We've got a business to run. Yeah. Um, but as far as technique goes, I'm learning new techniques all the time, trying new techniques, [01:00:00] uh, learning from my students even. Right. Even, you know, being out, we just did, uh, what are we, what are they trained? Like it was like eight guys a day, maybe.
Maybe seven. Seven guys. Seven different techs over six days, like six shops. So I just trained like 42 guys. I learned, uh, in some glue poll. I learned stuff. Um, I had almost every one of those trainings. Like there's just, there's so many, so many things you can learn, um, in this crazy world of PDR. That, that I, man, I don't know that I'll ever be done learning.
Uh, I did say a long time ago, if I reach the point where I have nothing more to learn, I'm hanging it up and, and going home and putting my dent tools away. But I don't think that's happening anytime soon. [01:01:00] Hopefully I'll be retired before then.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker 2: Yeah. So for your career change, I think you're gonna be just fine.
You've got plenty to learn, son.
Speaker: Oh yeah. Oh definitely.
Speaker 2: Yeah. It's kind of doubt
Speaker: endless. There's
Speaker 2: so much. Yes. Yeah, it's cool. And again, every dent is, any dent is different. You know, we were just talking five minutes ago about the hardest rail den I've ever done successfully. I've tried harder and failed.
Yeah. But like, yeah, there's still challenges out there. Um, I still wanna duplicate that Bryce Kelly video where he just takes a craftsman hammer and beats like a six inch area. Over rail about flat and goes and glue pulls it back just to see if I can do it. So yeah. Pretty excited.
Speaker: That's what we're gonna do.
A level up, huh?
Speaker 2: That's right. Yep. You're in for it. You're in for it, man. Well, good deal. We'll
Speaker: see.
Speaker 2: Uh, chase, where can, uh, where can people follow [01:02:00] you? Uh, your, your company is with Dolan, D-O-L-A-N, dent Repair.
Speaker: Yeah. Um, I have a website, dolan dent repair.com. I'm on Facebook. I have a Dolan dent repair page, then I have a personal Facebook.
Um,
Speaker 2: nice.
Speaker: I have a TikTok page with a lot of paint work and dent a lot of paint videos and then Okay. A lot of dent stuff too. Um,
Speaker 2: nice.
Speaker: But I'm not huge on social. I gotta get better with it. I just
Speaker 2: running in your spare time in the day, man, man. In your spare time when you're not working. 80 or 90 hours a week.
Yeah.
Speaker: Yeah,
Speaker 2: for sure. Well, guys, go give Chase a follow, uh, if you get to meet him. He's a really great guy, easy to talk to. Him and his wife even came down for our dance for kids, uh, and hung out. We appreciated having you there for that. Um, maybe, uh, I guess a few of you will be at Level Up. You'll get to meet him at Level Up this year, uh, and right.
[01:03:00] Chase, your first podcast is in the books, so congratulations on that. Like I said, maybe the SMASH Masters guys will reach out and and get a, get a a you're, you would be a great fit for their show, I'm sure.
Speaker: Yeah, that'd be cool. I, I've met Stefan a bunch now. Well, I met him at your thing. I've met him at MT twice.
Nice.
Speaker: Now. And I, I've met Nick. They're cool guys. And them dudes are really good body guys. I, yeah, they're box your videos. They, they know what they're doing, man. They really do.
Speaker 2: They definitely got the hang of it. That's,
Speaker: I've been in, I've been in this Body shop tree a long time and I've seen some hacks and
Speaker 2: they're definitely, I'm sure, I'm sure, you know.
Yeah, no, they're both, both good dudes and they both have turned into really great PDR techs as well.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker 2: Cool. Well, I'm gonna take us out here and wrap this up. So guys, again, if you're interested in that level up and you missed the sign up, dent repair now.com/level-up, uh, to sign up, [01:04:00] uh, for the next one, March 5th, sixth and seventh, if we can get five spots.
So drop your deposit, say yes, and we'll get you there. Listen to what Chase said, right? We will make you better. Lock yourself in the shop with me and John for a few days. Um, as always, follow us at Dent Repair now across the board on all social media. Thanks so much for watching. We appreciate you guys, and I'll see you on the next episode.
