Beyond the Shop: Unique Collision Careers

by Chasidy Rae Sisk

Collision repair is a diverse industry that offers a multitude of career opportunities, and while one may typically think of those options as including roles within the shop – owner, estimator, technician, refinish, admin, etc. – a whole world of possibilities exists outside of those four walls with a plethora of positions that offer individuals to play to their strengths as a part of this fascinating field.

For some, the journey begins in the shop. Mike Johnson (Crown Collision Solutions) is a 42-year collision industry veteran who worked in various roles as a body, paint and frame technician, an independent appraiser, shop manager and even as a sales and technical training representative for Sherwin-Williams “before eventually becoming the owner of an ADAS calibration and programming business. Today, I own Crown Collision Solutions, alongside my son, Tom, in Southeastern Massachusetts. We proudly service over 40 different collision, glass and mechanical repair shops throughout the region.”

Yet, Johnson initially intended to become a carpenter. “When I first applied to vocational technical school, my first choice was carpentry, and my second was auto body. The carpentry program was full, so I entered the auto body program at South Shore Vocational Technical in Hanover. Looking back, it turned out to be a blessing in disguise. 

“I was fortunate to train under a couple of true craftsmen who had a lasting impact on my career,” he adds. “Sam Walkama, my collision shop instructor, and Mike Walsh, my collision-related theory teacher, both inspired me through their dedication to quality and craftsmanship. They taught me not only the technical skills but also how to take pride in my work and continuously push myself to improve. Later in my career, I was fortunate to have another mentor – Chuck Sulkala, a Boston shop owner who invested in my education and taught me how to run a quality collision business with honesty and integrity. To this day, Chuck continues to contribute to the industry and inspire others, just as he did for me.”

Micki Woods (Micki Woods Marketing) began her collision career a little later. “I certainly did not start out thinking I would ever be in this industry,” she recalls. “I had a love for business, and when my ex-husband told me that the owner of the shop he was working at was going to be selling, I felt a pull that this was the direction I was meant to go. I knew nothing about collision, but I did know business to some degree, so I set my mind to learning everything that I could about running a collision repair business. What an adventure!”

That was in 2007. Now, Woods owns a marketing agency that helps “shops dominate Google, increase cars in their drive and maximize their business efforts.” She also hosts the Body Bangin’ Podcast, co-hosts Collision Cocktail Hour and presents at industry events.

Others fall into a collision career purely by accident. Brandon Eckenrode, executive director of the Collision Repair Education Foundation (CREF), did not “specifically set out to enter this industry and didn’t even have familiarity with the industry prior to joining. I was born in Detroit, so my connection to cars goes way back, but growing up, I had a passion around creative writing,” he acknowledges. “I graduated from Western Illinois University with a bachelor of arts in English and a minor in journalism. After graduation, I started working in the construction field to pay back student loans while applying for positions in my field. In the fall of 2001, I interviewed for the marketing communications specialist role with I-CAR which involved writing press releases, managing their e-newsletter, creating marketing collateral and more which aligned with my degree.”

After seven years in that role, he began working at CREF in a similar position, expanding his knowledge and responsibilities under various titles before being promoted to executive director several years ago. He has dedicated the last 16 years of his life to supporting collision schools and students with CREF. 

John Yoswick (CRASH Network) has been “researching and reporting on the collision industry for more than 30 years.” In addition to being the editor and publisher of CRASH Network, he is a writer and contributing editor for a number of other industry publications in multiple countries. Although Yoswick is now a renowned part of the collision collective, he says, “I never imagined my career would be in this industry. I’ve never been a car guy, nor had much interest in the automotive world. My degree is in journalism, and during my first job (at a public relations firm) after college, one of our clients was a group of body shops for which we were doing legislative support. When I left that firm after several years, a shop association in the Pacific Northwest hired me as editor of their monthly publication. After several years, I became a freelance writer in 1991, thinking the collision industry could be a base for my business but assuming I would be writing in other fields as well. Within about a year, all my work centered around the collision industry.”

Guy Glodis has been a legislative lobbyist for nearly two decades, but his focus shifted to helping body shops in 2020. “I had a long history of representing blue collar workers and underdog employees. I had worked with different associations in Massachusetts, such as the concrete industry and other groups that are somewhat similar to the auto body industry, and when AASP/MA approached me about lobbying for their bills, I found that the auto body industry was a great fit. Shops aren’t just underdogs in their battle for a fair labor reimbursement rate; they epitomize the classic David v. Goliath battle.”

There’s nothing “blue collar” about attorneys, yet Sean Preston (Coverall Law) is an avid advocate for body shops in Massachusetts and beyond; however, his career had a very different beginning. In fact, in 2012, he worked as an assistant attorney general in Delaware’s White Collar Crime Unit! “I’ve always been interested in business law, and I was doing my time on the government side,” he reminisces. “At the time, my core mentors were in the DuPont Corporation, which was how I got the placement in the Delaware DOJ. And even then I can remember telling one of my members that I wanted to develop the skills to be able to take a small- or medium-sized company and turn them into a juggernaut.”

That desire originated when he was much younger. “I grew up in my family’s modest bookkeeping and tax firm, and I always admired and loved serving business owners,” Preston shares. “It’s a passion I recognized nearly 30 years ago. My legal background took me through several industries in emerging technology, industrial and marine engines and aerospace. My firm experience covered a great variety of civil law, and I’ve been able to leverage that to help point friends and clients in the right direction even when Coverall Law is not the right place for them.”

After more than a decade in international corporate law, Preston and his wife moved their family to Massachusetts where he discovered the collision repair industry quite literally by accident when he hit a deer. He worked for an attorney who was familiar with collision repair and towing businesses, and those two circumstances coalesced to help him “develop an appreciation for the unique challenges facing shops.” Three years ago, he began dedicating his skills to developing creative and strategic business and legal solutions for shops, but his resolve to focus his efforts exclusively on the collision industry “began to cement itself a little more than two years ago when [he] met Lucky Papageorg and Jack Lamborghini at his first AASP/MA chapter meeting.”

Although each journey into the collision repair industry began differently, they all found very similar reasons for sticking with it: the amazing people they get to interact with, a sense of belonging and pride in what they’re able to accomplish. 

“For the longest time, I never quite felt that I fit in anywhere,” Woods laments. “I was told that I was too upfront, honest and brash. Once I joined this industry and started meeting other people, I felt like I had found others like myself, and I understood them as people. They weren’t brash – they were forthright and passionate. They weren’t too upfront – they just didn’t beat around the bush. I loved it! I loved the people. I loved my customers. I loved being able to help folks when they were in a difficult time of their life with vehicle damage then, but even more so now, I love helping shops grow their businesses and become the best shops that they can be. At the end of the day, it was truly my fellow industry members who made me fall in love with the industry and stay so passionate after years have gone by.”

Johnson agrees. “I truly love the people who work in the auto body industry. Most are hardworking individuals who genuinely want to do the right thing. Unfortunately, many are forced to cut corners or are prevented from providing consumers with the proper repairs they deserve because they’re being financially squeezed by outside pressures. Today, I’ve moved into the ADAS calibration side of the industry, and it has been incredibly rewarding. I take pride in ensuring that all safety calibrations are done correctly, without cutting corners, especially when it comes to the advanced safety systems found in today’s vehicles. Throughout my career, I’ve been grateful to meet so many great people in this industry. I can confidently say I wouldn’t have the connections I have across the country today without the people I’ve met and worked with over the years.”

Through his role with CREF, Eckenrode feels “very fortunate to have the opportunity to network with industry members, associations and others around the country. My position also provides me the ability to visit schools and engage directly with instructors and students. Directly supporting collision programs and connecting students with industry employers to address this industry’s need for young talent inspires and motivates me to want to help in any way possible. Every day is different: one day, I’m meeting with industry partners, and the next, I’m presenting to a classroom of students talking about how they have endless career opportunities in this industry.”

Fighting for the right side can be a huge draw, such as in Glodis’ case: “I love fighting for the underdog,” he says. “I’m very grateful to be part of this important fight on Beacon Hill for the working class people of Massachusetts.” 

For others, part of the appeal may be related to who the fight is against. “I despise bullies, and I believe strongly in the American Dream,” Preston states. “For these shop owners to go through their daily life feeling stuck, without options and left to the whim of insurers is a tragedy. Every member of the Coverall Law team understands our long-term mission and what we work toward everyday: empowering member shops to run their businesses on their terms. My purpose in life is to serve, and I love working through big hairy problems. It’s clear that Coverall Law and I are exactly where we are supposed to be.”

Like others, Preston also enjoys the “collegiality of collision repair; it’s a very small community and often comes with all the pros and cons of a big family. We don’t always all get along, but all the personalities are here, and we’re all connected through the shared experiences of all the technology changes seen recently and the constantly evolving challenges of the last few decades.”

Of course, any job also comes with negatives, and despite the fact that these collision professionals do not work in the shop, it’s no surprise that they share a frustration with some of the same problems that their in-shop counterparts encounter. 

“Three words… insurance company games!” Woods exclaims, adding her distaste for “people and shops that just want to bring others down, rather than coming together and helping our industry be fantastic and stronger together. If you’re not here to help, then get out of the way.”

“I didn’t like the pay or the minimal benefits that were provided, even as a Class A technician,” Johnson admits, acknowledging that those challenges were largely influenced by “the control exerted by outside forces – primarily the insurance industry – dictating how I should repair vehicles. Even worse, they often expected me to perform work for free while taking on the liability for the subpar repairs they were pushing for. It became clear to me that I didn’t want to remain in an industry so willing to sacrifice its own skilled professionals just to stay on an insurance program or referral list in hopes of bringing in more work. That approach not only devalues a technician’s expertise but also compromises the safety and integrity of the repairs being done.”

For Yoswick, dealing with so many different collision professionals has allowed him to see the many challenges they face. “It’s a tough industry in which to succeed as a business owner (a shop owner, in particular). Maybe that’s just as true in other industries, but I’ve seen people who loved the craft of collision repair or loved the idea of owning their own business, but found operating a shop to be more of a tough grind than they’d prefer. It’s tough to see.”

Eckenrode’s role within the industry allows him to offer a different perspective. “It can be frustrating when you see instructors trying their best to better their programs for the benefit of the students but regularly facing barriers from administration or others who may not fully support the program and/or understand the career paths available to students who enter this field. This typically leads to limiting program budgets and that is where industry support, from CREF and others, is critical for these programs to succeed.”

In his early years as a litigator, Preston “didn’t enjoy fighting with people every day, but my corporate experience was very different. Many shops feel the stress of years of this conflict. That was a big inspiration for the Forever Forms. The answer ended up being to simply own the terms and conditions around every dollar that comes through the shop, so that every negotiation can come from a point of legal strength. When shops are protected and have multiple avenues to recover their entire invoice, the conversations change a lot, and I’m a lot happier too. I want every employee for our member shops to enjoy going to work and never dread an insurer’s visit.”

While he doesn’t deal with insurers like many other collision professionals, Glodis’ work as a lobbyist forces him to face similar challenges in contending with politicians, and he admits that his least favorite part of the job is “fighting the bureaucracy on Beacon Hill. Nothing moves quickly! Legislation requires the long game which can be incredibly tedious, and that gets frustrating from time to time.”

Still, collision repair professionals in various roles find a lot of enjoyment and an immense sense of pride in being part of such a vibrant industry, which has offered room for personal and professional growth beyond what many of them initially imagined. 

“My favorite part of working in the collision repair industry is collaborating with CREF’s industry partners and seeing the impact their support has on the high school and college collision repair programs and students across the country,” Eckenrode professes. “Collision instructors share how much the support has made a difference on their ability to provide a quality technical education and how their collision programs have become the envy of other technical programs at their school due the continued support they receive from CREF and others. With a national dialogue around accepting the technical trades as a viable alternative career option for students not interested in the traditional four-year college route, I am proud to be part of the effort to showcase our industry to those who aren’t familiar with its career path options.”

Eckenrode is “incredibly thankful for those who supported me along the way, especially early in my career, including former I-CAR President Tom McGee who pushed me outside my comfort zone to present at industry events, a practice that has become comfortable and exciting after years of practice.”

Woods’ “favorite part of the collision repair industry is the camaraderie and friendships that I have made with truly good-hearted people that have a fire to serve, love people and advocate for their customers. People that I just met quickly became close friends because we had a common love and drive to do the right thing for the right reasons;” however, she is confident that “if God directed me to another path, He would make sure I was fulfilled. Life is what you make of it, and trusting the Lord is number one.”

Johnson has “always loved making something look new again – bringing damaged vehicles back to pre-accident condition or restoring cars to look like they just came off the showroom floor. I took great pride in working with my hands and in the craftsmanship required to do the job right. I was proud of the skill set I developed over the years, not just in auto body repair but also in mechanical work. I worked my way up from being a technician on the shop floor into management. Along the way, I had the opportunity to be part of a collision industry 20 group, where I traveled to other states to learn from some of the top-performing collision shop owners in the country. Those experiences taught me a great deal — not just what to do, but also what not to do. Now, I work for myself in a small, family-run business, and I truly love what I do.”

That type of diversity holds a lot of appeal for some. “For as much as there is about the industry that doesn’t seem to change, there’s also so much that really does,” Yoswick observes. “There’s always something new happening to learn and write about, so it’s never boring. In CRASH Network, we focus a lot on tracking and analyzing trends in the industry to help people understand what’s happening – and why.”

Yoswick also loves the freedom and ability to be creative that his collision career offers. “Covering this industry has enabled me to be self-employed (which I love) for almost 35 years, has allowed me to attend and report on industry events all over the world, given me a chance to own and craft a publication into one with a unique niche in the industry and given me access to a wide range of business leaders at companies of all sizes.”

“If you want to fix a factory, you don’t go to the board room; you go to the assembly line,” Glodis points out, expressing the pleasure of “visiting shops, talking to technicians and seeing the great work they do on the ground to ensure public safety when they restore damaged vehicles.

“I’m proud to represent a group of people who have been woefully underrepresented in the past (collision repairers) and shamefully overshadowed by the insurance industry,” he continues. “At the same time, I’m fighting for the safety of Massachusetts drivers and everyone else on the road. I feel a great sense of pride knowing that I’ve contributed to the rise in relevancy of the auto body industry on a statewide level. We now have access to the administration, governor’s office and legislative leadership…and for the first time in 25 years, we emerged victorious in last year’s legislative session when we secured a board tasked with researching labor reimbursement rates and making a recommendation. By working together with an active and vibrant membership, AASP/MA has become relevant politically and also found a way to go from the defensive to the offensive legislatively.”

Preston takes a lot of pride in navigating shops’ challenges and helping them find solutions, insisting that “nerdy stuff in the law and corporate finance” is his jam. And the financial structure of many shops gives him a lot of room to exercise that skill set. “Decades of being subjected to asinine insurer reimbursement ‘rules’ has led to the weirdest financial model of any business or industry I’ve seen! It’s like an eye doctor losing 75 cents of every dollar and praying that sales of eye-glass frames makes up the difference. For two years, Coverall Law has been chipping away at a robust tool to advise shops on and manage their pricing in a way designed to withstand scrutiny in court. Employing concepts like contribution margin and capital allocations should assure that shops are adhering to best corporate practices, getting returns for investing in themselves, protecting their entity and pricing in a way that makes sense. Other industries don’t offer such challenges to attorneys or such appreciative clientele, so I’m confident that my team and I will never go unchallenged, and we’ll continue to enjoy the warm regards of our members.”

There’s no denying that what happens in the shop – safely repairing vehicles – is the very heart of the collision repair industry, but there are many vital parts of the larger body that comprise the industry. Writers, lawyers, lobbyists, association leaders, marketing specialists, ADAS specialists, companies that manufacture and sell parts, paint and other materials and supplies…there is space for anyone interested in dedicating their talents and passion to improving the collision industry. 

“This is an industry that can probably put you to work no matter what your skills are,” Yoswick insists. “Whether you’re good at working with your hands and love cars, or if you are a gamer and technology fan, or maybe you are good in sales and interacting with people or simply want the variety of opportunities available in a fast-growing business. Or, as in my case, if you want to help keep people informed through research and reporting…there’s a role for everyone’s talents.”

“The thing that is so unique about our industry is that there is really a place for all people – contrary to what most people think because they don’t know better,” Woods points out. “You can be creative. You can be an introvert. You can be an extrovert. You can be a technical-minded person, a number cruncher or somebody who just loves people. There is a spot for everyone, and once you find the right spot on the right team, the magic happens!”

Want more? Check out the September 2025 issue of New England Automotive Report!