Stronger teams begin with clearer priorities and consistent support

In this episode of the PartsEdge Podcast, Kaylee talks with Brad and Courtney Paschal, two leaders in the automotive industry who also share life as a married couple. They open up about the real work behind building systems, managing vendors, advocating for fixed ops, and keeping their home life grounded.

Keeping Work and Home in Balance

Brad and Courtney work in the same field and often in the same space. To stay focused, they each created routines that help them shift between work and personal time. Brad wears a cap to signal work mode. Courtney rotates between her home office and her church office for better focus.

They also ask each other one question before offering advice. Do you want help, or do you just need to be heard? That habit has made their communication stronger in both settings.

Building a BDC from Scratch

When Courtney was assigned the BDC, she had no roadmap. She asked vendors to explain everything in simple terms, then built her own systems step by step. She created weekly meetings, tracked closing ratios and lead quality, and set up her reports to keep vendors honest.

This helped her cut through inflated numbers and see what was actually working.

Recognizing Fixed Ops in Real Ways

Brad and Courtney both agree that front-end departments get the spotlight, while parts and service teams are often overlooked. Brad made it a point to support them in small, visible ways. One of those was bringing energy drinks to the fixed ops team. It showed appreciation and opened real conversations.

They believe fixed ops teams should be included in every discussion about tools, marketing, and strategy. Without that, the dealership is not fully supported.

Takeaways

• Use simple routines to protect your work-life balance
• Track vendor performance with your own reports, not just their updates
• Make sure fixed ops teams feel seen, supported, and involved
• Put people first and build systems that serve them

Quote

"Helping people is always the first goal. The results come after." — Brad and Courtney Paschal

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