Mike Difato

Mike Difato took an unconventional path into the auto repair industry, starting his career in the medical field, where he spent 15 years in sales and marketing within the corporate world. But deep down, he always knew he was wired for entrepreneurship. After taking the leap, Mike purchased a pool service and repair business, gaining firsthand experience in small business ownership.

It was in the auto repair world that he saw the opportunity for real impact and scale. In 2018, he partnered with fellow shop owner Eric Rutherford to grow Prestige European, and together they did just that. Over the next few years, the duo scaled Prestige from $800K to over $4M, achieving 40% year-over-year growth. In 2022, they doubled down, expanding to eight additional locations. By 2024, their operation is projected to hit $18.5M in total sales.

Mike brings a high-level business mindset to Shop Fix Academy, backed by real results. As a coach, he specializes in growth strategy, leadership development, and scaling multi-location operations without losing quality or culture. His mission? To help shop owners think bigger, grow faster, and lead like true entrepreneurs.