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Attendees of KnowledgeFest Indianapolis enjoyed a casual setting with plenty of time for conversation, both in the classroom and on the show floor.

Words by Rosa Sophia

The industry returned to KnowledgeFest in-person for the second time since the beginning of the pandemic. Attendees reported a much more casual atmosphere at the show. Jeremiah Mojica of GNC Customs in Goshen, Ind. said it exceeded his expectations, considering the circumstances.

“It was a bit more intimate so you could spend more time talking to people,” he said, adding that it was also easier to get one-on-one time discussing new products and opportunities with vendors.

Jeremiah’s brother, Josh Mojica, also attended, and said that he had a chance to speak with Steve Jergensen of Race Sport Lighting: “We could actually sit down and talk, and it was a calmer pace than normal,” he explained. “It was nice to be laidback and really have conversations with people, especially since I haven’t seen anyone in two years.”

Josh said he goes to KnowledgeFest with a list of things he wants to accomplish: “I like to ask questions oneon-one, face to face,” he said, adding, “It’s easier than over the phone where that personal touch is lost.”

Introducing New Retail Software to Expedite the Sale

Launching for the first time on the show floor was The 12v Dashboard, which David Hampson refers to as a “one-stop lookup tool for all things 12-volt.”

The platform has over five million data points and is meant to increase the accessibility of information to help retailers close sales. David Hampson is the general manager of Stereo West Autotoys in Omaha, Nebraska, and his father, Brian Hampson, is the owner of the two-location business.

“My father has been working on the Dashboard for about 10 years, gathering information and creating the back end,” he said. Impressively, his father developed it completely from the ground up. “We’ve been using it at our store and testing it first before we sent it out to other people to use. I think it’s where it needs to be now. We don’t use anything else at our business.”

The dashboard consolidates information into one convenient source, meaning the salesperson doesn’t have to try to remember which resource had which part. For example, a shop might need a specific backup camera for a specific car: “If the one guy who remembers where you got it isn’t there, it’s a lost sale. Also, some websites have the wrong information. You order the kit and it doesn’t work, and now you’re stuck with parts that will sit for years,” Hampson said, adding that Stereo West Autotoys has parts that have been sitting for as long as eight years, simply because they were purchased for a very specific vehicle, but they turned out to be incorrect.

The 12v Dashboard, he explained, is both a cost-saver and a time-saver, avoiding such predicaments. The company’s booth on the show floor at KnowledgeFest was busy, with lots of attendees stopping by for more information.

Joe Winkler, the manager of the Hendersonville, Tenn. location of Street Sounds Car & Marine Audio was one of the booth’s visitors. “We’re looking into The 12v Dashboard for what we do, and we’re trying to decide if we want to use it at both our locations,” he said. “I think the program will be very beneficial.”

The intention is to make retail stores more profitable, Hampson said, especially at a time when Internet sales are so popular. “Brick-and-mortar businesses need every advantage they can possibly get to be a knowledge powerhouse in the industry,” he added.

While MESA does offer something similar to its members, Hampson said The 12v Dashboard has different data points, and most importantly, it’s open to everyone—making it a unique offering.

Opportunities to Connect With Instructors

Students in each of the workshop classrooms were welcomed to the front of the room where interactive conversations took place on a variety of topics, such as business management, accounting and tech and fabrication.

Winkler said he enjoyed a refresh on

topics he hasn’t considered in a while. He attended the show with the owner of the two-store business, Eric Burton, and they focused mainly on sales and management workshops.

“This year seemed a little small, but we expected that because of COVID. I’ve been in the industry for 40 years,” he said, “and over the years, you tend to put things in the back of your mind. You know it’s there and you use it when you need it, but you don’t think about it.” Winkler sat in on Kevin Hallinan’s sales training, adding, “He reengaged a lot of things I’ve learned over the years, and reinforced that information.”

He also attended Industry Best Practices for Marine Installation, a class led by Brandon Green of The Car Audio Shop, Luke Fidler of Audio Expert Car & Marine and Adam Devine of Devine Concepts. “I really enjoyed that training,” he added.

The speakers, he felt, did a phenomenal job. “Vincent DeStefano was very energetic and knowledgeable, and so well-directed in his approach.” Winkler noted he hasn’t been to a show in years, and returning to KnowledgeFest was a good opportunity to realign his focus.

Josh Mojica said he enjoyed Salim Kassouf’s classes on finances—Financial Controls: Switching Gears From Spinning Wheels, and Business Controls: How Strong is Your Foundation? “He challenged us, but he didn’t go so deep that it was over my head,” he said. “We learned we need an accountant at the shop. We have a bookkeeper, but we need an accountant. My brother and I sat in the class together and realized, ‘He’s talking about us.’”

The family business, he said, has a bit of an unusual approach in that all members of the staff are able to handle any department and each of them have managerial roles. The only reason Josh is a general manager, he noted, is because “it’s self-given. I’m the oldest of the three brothers.” Josh Mojica handles the administrative side, while his father takes care of payroll. “We’re also technicians and we do sales.”

He added that he always brings pertinent information back to the shop after KnowledgeFest. The team has been attending since 2012. “A lot of it comes down to motivation,” he said, adding that an extraordinarily busy year has meant nearly reaching the verge of burnout. But for Josh and his brothers, the event rejuvenates them. “KnowledgeFest refuels the fire—reminds us why we do this, and tells us we aren’t alone.”

Fueling the Industry During Unprecedented Growth

There was a time when 12-volt professionals might’ve predicted a downturn in sales. Instead, shops are busier than ever. Josh Mojica said GNC Customs has been so busy that cars don’t fit in the bays, and there aren’t enough employees to help the customers. “Pre-COVID, I spent about three to five hours a week doing orders and inventory,” he said. “Right now, on a busy week when I’m ordering things, it’s at least ten hours. And I’m still the remote start tech here. This is my busy season.”

He added he’s not sure why it’s as busy as it is. “There’re only four of us, so we can only handle so many cars.” On a busy day, the team will work on 10 cars. On an

average day, they work on about five.

While at KnowledgeFest, GNC Customs incorporated VAIS Technology’s SEER into its product offerings, along with the Car Keys Express box, which can be easily displayed on a store counter. “I walked out with one of those machines under my arm,” he said. “I’m trying to get it set up now.”

Jeremiah Mojica said he went to KnowledgeFest with the intention of altering his mindset. “I want to [figure out] how I can better represent our company and myself in my own position,” he said. “I’ve been an installer all this time, and a fabricator, but at the same time I’ve taken the back seat. I need to step up and take more managerial and owner responsibilities.”

He added he wants to help run the day-to-day and better understand the numbers. He wants to learn as much as he can. “Because we’re a family business, I don’t have to deal with that now, but there may come a point where I’ll have to.”

Jeremiah recommended the book Start With Why for anyone looking to expand their professional and personal mindset: “It was given to me by one of my clients a while back. It asks, ‘What’s the why in your life? Why do you go to work?’ A paycheck is what you get from working, but it isn’t why you work,” he explained. “When I deliver a car that I put a lot of work into, I have a happy client. To me, that’s the fun of it. That’s my why. I want to make people happy with what I can produce with my hands.” Change is on the horizon for GNC Customs. Josh Mojica noted the business has reached a transitional point. The brothers’ parents are looking toward retirement, and the next step will be figuring out the logistics.

“We’re looking at how to manage it so it’s win-win for everyone,” Josh said. “We spoke with an accountant in May, and I hope we’re able to work with her going forward, so we can do things differently. I want to do things right.”

For Joe Winkler, manager at Street Sounds Car & Marine Audio, Kevin Hallinan’s sales trainings were a much-needed refresher on techniques and strategies he said he doesn’t always keep top-of-mind.