Hard Conversations Helped Him Build a $14M Operation
Most owners say they want to grow. Few are willing to be challenged.
But that’s what real mentorship is all about. The right mentor asks uncomfortable questions, tells the truth even when it’s hard, and helps you see what has to change next.
Adam Preusser has lived that from both sides. Over the course of 22 years in the automotive industry, he’s gone from one shop to eight locations and a $14M operation, shaped by the mentors who challenged him and the hard conversations that helped him keep moving forward.
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The Right Mentor Expands What You Believe Is Possible
A good mentor does more than help you solve the problem in front of you. They help you see what’s possible on the other side of it.
Adam talks about how the right mentors changed his perspective early in his journey. They helped him let go of false beliefs. They showed him that a shop owner could grow the business, lead well, have a strong family life, and still enjoy what they were creating.
Sometimes that shift happens because someone gives you the right advice. Other times, it happens because you see someone building the kind of life and business you thought was out of reach. Adam saw this in his own experience:
“If they can do it, maybe I can do it.”
That kind of real-life example gives you something to reach for and helps you stop building from the limits you’ve placed on yourself.
Growth Requires More Than Agreement
It’s easy to call something mentorship when it’s really just confirmation. If the people around you only tell you what you want to hear, you may stay comfortable, but you won’t grow. Adam says it plainly:
“If you’re looking for somebody to agree with everything that you already believe, you’re not ready to grow.”
Real mentorship asks you to look at what you believe, question what you’re doing, and face where your own thinking may be limiting the business. This only works when you’re willing to listen, take responsibility, and let the truth do its job.
Hard Conversations Can Move You Forward
Hard conversations don’t always feel helpful in the moment. Just ask Michael Rosenberger.
When Michael lost a manager, a foreman, and a major fleet account at the same time, the pressure hit fast. He was staring at a cash flow problem, a team problem, and a leadership problem all at once.
Adam didn’t just tell him what he wanted to hear. He reminded Michael that the people who left were people he had hired, and the problem in front of him was still his responsibility to fix. That’s the kind of conversation most owners need.
A good mentor doesn’t remove responsibility. They help you face it, focus, and take the next right step. What feels like the end of the world in the moment can become the turning point, but only if you’re willing to get back up and lead through it.
The People Around You Shape You
Adam describes Shop Fix Academy as a place built around mentors, peers, and heroes.
Peers are the people walking beside you through similar challenges. Mentors are those a few steps ahead who can pour into you, challenge you, and help you keep moving. Heroes are the ones far enough ahead that they expand what you believe is possible.
All three matter. A shop owner needs people who understand the pressure they’re in, people who can help them take the next right step, and people who remind them there’s more ahead than what they can currently see.
That kind of environment changes the pace of growth. It gives you a place to learn, be challenged, build relationships, and see what can happen when you stop trying to figure everything out alone.
You Were Not Meant to Build Alone
Mentorship is not just about getting advice. It’s about surrounding yourself with people who can challenge your thinking, help you see the next step, and remind you what’s possible when the day-to-day pressure feels heavy.
Adam’s own story shows what that can lead to. He started with one location generating around $25,000 in monthly revenue. Today, his operation includes eight locations and about $14M in annual revenue.
This kind of growth didn’t happen because he found every answer on his own. It happened through experience, mentorship, and staying close to people who were willing to have hard conversations.
The right room matters. The right voices matter. And the right conversations, even the hard ones, can help you keep growing into the leader your business needs.
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