Podcast: Nonprofit Auto Repair: From Social Worker to Shop Owner (w/ Cathy Heying)

Feb. 28, 2023

Cathy Heying, founder of The Lift Garage in Minneapolis, Minnesota, changed careers at 38 to become an auto technician to help fight against transportation scarcity.

Chris Jones

In this episode, Cathy Heying, founder of The Lift Garage in Minneapolis, Minnesota, visits Ratchet+Wrench Radio to talk about the inner workings of nonprofit auto repair shops. Heying, who was once a social worker, made a career change at 38 in order to help more people in real time.

Here's what we discussed:

Her time as a social worker
When she became an auto technician
The founding of The Lift Garage
How the nonprofit operates
How she helps customers understand car care
How her techs are compensated
Partnering with outside independent auto repair shops to service her customers
The challenges of her work that differ from what other shop owners face.

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About the Author

Chris Jones | Editor

Chris Jones is Group Editorial Director for the Vehicle Repair Group at Endeavor Business Media. He’s a multiple-award-winning editor and journalist and a certified project manager now providing editorial leadership and brand strategy for the auto care industry's most trusted automotive repair publications—Ratchet+Wrench, Modern Tire Dealer, National Oil & Lube News, FenderBender, ABRN, Professional Distributor, PTEN, Motor Age, and Aftermarket Business World.