From Angry and Burnt Out to Thriving with Joe Stokes

From Angry and Burnt Out to Thriving with Joe Stokes

Author: SLCAutoPodcast June 24, 2022 Duration: 48:21

Angry, burnt-out, and stuck. Those are some words that would describe where Joe Stokes found himself years ago. He was an incredible tech, made good money, and by all counts lived a good life, but he was miserable. He was angry. He was burnt out. His state became unbearable. He found himself forced to make a choice to either give in to the despair or somehow find a way to break free. Luckily, Joe found the way out, and in this powerful episode, he'll reveal how he did it and call you to do the same.

Joe Stokes has been in the auto industry for 20+ years. He is the District Manager for EuroFix, AutoFix, and Mike's Auto in Nashville TN.

Joseph’s Reading List

  • Emotional Intelligence 2.0 by Travis Bradberry
  • Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman
  • The Road Less Stupid by Keith Cunningham
  • Crucial Conversations by Kerry Patterson
  • Radical Candor by Kim Scott
  • The Dichotomy of Leadership by Jocko Willink, Leif Babin
  • The Book of Joy by Dalai Lama, Desmond Tutu
  • The Like Switch by Jack Schafer
  • The Ultimate Jim Rohn Library by Jim Rohn
  • The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey
  • Leadership & Self Deception by The Arbinger Institute
  • How to win friends & influence people by Dale Carnegie
  • Who not How by Dan Sullivan
  • Crucial Confrontation by Kerry Patterson
  • Motive by Patrick Lencioni
  • The 5 dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni
  • Leadership 2.0 by Travis Bradberry
  • How to do the work by Dr. Nicole LePera
  • The Tao of Seneca by Seneca/Tim Ferris
  • Exactly What to Say by Phil M Jones


Behind every thriving auto shop, dealership, or industry supplier, there's a story of how it got there. Success Leaves Clues: An Automotive Industry Podcast digs into those stories, moving past the myth of the solitary genius to explore how real growth happens through shared knowledge. Each conversation pulls back the curtain on the day-to-day realities and pivotal decisions that shape careers and businesses. You’ll hear from shop owners navigating expansion, technicians mastering their craft, service advisors building client trust, and the investors and vendors whose support keeps the entire ecosystem running. The dialogue gets into the specifics-the operational tweaks, the leadership challenges, the customer service philosophies-that actually move the needle. This isn't about abstract theory; it's a practical look at the automotive trade, built on the premise that the most valuable insights often come from someone who has already walked the path you're on. Tune in for honest, detailed conversations that feel more like a mentorship session than a broadcast, all focused on the tangible clues that lead to lasting results in this demanding field.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Success Leaves Clues: An Automotive Industry Podcast
Podcast Episodes
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Sometimes things at our shops take some pretty sharp turns, and sometimes those turns are into a ditch, but other times it’s straight into a canyon! What do you do? Perhaps it's ego, but for many of us, the first instinc…
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What if you had to start over from scratch? Like one day, you have a shop, and the next day you don’t. Where would you start? What resources would you pull from? -- From buildings, to contracts, to hiring, to marketing —…
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Duration: 29:46
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