Show Notes
Today, we’re hearing from Gary Wood of Intelligent Auto in Gateshead, a two-time winner of Small Garage of the Year at The Blend, and this year, he’s aiming for the hat-trick.
Gary’s story is one many can relate to: spending 11 years as a mobile tech, tackling the diagnostic jobs nobody else wanted, before taking the leap during COVID to open his own garage workshop.
Ahead of his talk at The Blend 2026, Gary joins us to talk about a topic that isn't talked about enough in our trade: neurodiversity. After discovering his own neurodivergence four years ago following his son’s assessment, Gary started looking at his career, his management style, and his team through a completely new lens.
Join us at The Blend 2026!
The Blend returns to the Eastside Rooms in Birmingham on Saturday, 10th October 2026. Join workshops, industry experts, and trade suppliers for a full day of networking and insights, featuring keynote speaker Rory Sutherland.
👉 Learn more and book your tickets: https://www.theblend.events/
The Blend Podcast is proudly sponsored by Garage Hive and produced by Autotech Communications.
More from The Blend Podcast
In the final countdown episode before The Blend 2026, we’re talking Artificial Intelligence for independent garages. Tim Benson of Oldfields Garage joins us to discuss it ahead of his conference session on the topic.
If you’ve ever unboxed a brand-new dealer tool with little to no instructions on how to get it set up, you’ll know the frustration is real. But as vehicles become increasingly locked down, having genuine OEM access isn’t just an advantage anymore, it’s fast becoming essential.
In our very first in-person recording, borrowing the studio mics from our friends at the On the Ramp Podcast, host Mike Ruff sits down with Garage Hive Managing Director and the original visionary behind The Blend, Ray Dilsons.
MINI Repair Shop: Dealer standards, independent agility by The Blend Podcast
Scaling your independent garage from a couple of ramps to a double-digit team sounds like the ultimate growth milestone, but rapid expansion has a habit of exposing every single crack in your business. If you are still trying to hold onto the spanners while managing a growing headcount, you quickly find that the biggest bottleneck in the workshop is actually you.