AMN Drivetime: MotoRad CEO Matt Buchholz

At 17, Matt Buchholz got his first job turning wrenches and along the way discovered what he describes as “a passion for high levels of customer service.” In this drive to meet the needs of customers while building his career and developing his leadership skills, Buchholz shares that he sought out a lot of feedback. Through this feedback what Buchholz learned and cultivated has become the backbone of his leadership style.

“I think the opposite of humility is pride, and I think pride is really unproductive,” Buccholz said. “I learned that years ago. I’ve always had a passion for customers, but maybe my leadership methods needed improvement. And, I had the blessing of feedback. I always say feedback is a gift. Somebody gives you feedback, it might be difficult to hear … but there are a couple of points in my career where I was seeking feedback and receive feedback and the feedback was, ‘you know, that Matt, there’s room for improvement in your leadership. You’re highly competent in all these things, but there’s a little bit of room for improvement.’ So, I started down this journey of trying to become a leader that people wanted to work with.

“There’s lots of surveys out there, and I think typically the surveys say that approximately 70% of employees don’t like who they’re working for. I’d say that’s a crisis, right? It’s a leadership crisis. So, it’s a drive for customer service because I’m very focused on the customer, but in order to have great customer service externally, you have to treat your employees well internally. And it starts with – I think – humility, because when you have pride, you have bureaucracy, politics, mistrust. And so, the opposite of that is when you have high trust, it’s a very efficient business model, and people can transact and work much better to the end result, which is high levels of customer service. So, I think it starts internally and it starts with self.”

In this latest AMN Drivetime podcast, Bill and Matt dive into a number of other interesting topics, including:

2:41 Matt’s career path from changing oil at 17 to ASE certified technician to CEO of MotoRad
4:22 His passion for Servant Leadership
9:29 How MotoRad approaches the EV market
13:19 How MotoRad maintains and measures its company culture
15:58 Why Matt completed an Ironman during the pandemic
24:32 The keys to balancing a busy professional and family life
27:10 Lightning Round

AMN Drivetime is sponsored by Litens.

As MEMA commemorates its 120th anniversary, it’s an opportunity to reflect on the organization’s profound impact on the automotive aftermarket. Founded on March 2, 1904, MEMA has evolved from a modest gathering of parts manufacturers in Cleveland to a pivotal force in the global automotive landscape.

Over the decades, MEMA has been at the forefront of several key initiatives, including: the introduction of credit reporting services in 1914 to ensure financial stability within the industry; the co-sponsorship of the inaugural automotive service industry show in 1933, paving the way for what would become the AAPEX events; the establishment of divisions and market segments within MEMA to cater to the diverse needs of its members, from heavy-duty manufacturers to the aftermarket suppliers; and the advocacy for critical legislative measures, including the National Vehicle Safety Act of 1966, the USMCA in 2019 and today’s battle for the Right to Repair.