Driven to Success
Driven to Success
Podcast Description
Driven to Success is the go-to podcast for auto shop owners, warehouse distributors, and aftermarket vendors. Hosted by Vic Tarasik of Shop Owner Coach and David Wofford of The Pronto Network, each episode features industry leaders sharing real-world insights, strategies, and stories. Whether you're running a shop, supporting distribution, or serving the aftermarket, each episode helps lay one more stepping stone on the path to lasting success in the auto service industry.
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
The podcast explores themes related to the automotive aftermarket industry, focusing on topics such as parts distribution, the experiences of service center owners, and the importance of communication in building industry partnerships. Episodes will cover real-life stories from shop owners, challenges in manufacturing, and insights into the costs of returns, with examples like discussions on how effective education fosters better relationships.

Looking for conversations that spark ideas and move you forward? Driven to Success gives you an inside look at the leaders shaping the entire aftermarket. Hosts David Wofford and Vic Tarasik dive into real stories, practical strategies, and fresh ideas from standout shop owners, top-performing technicians, distributors, tool innovators, manufacturers, and leaders from key industry associations, plus the unexpected insights that only come from honest, unfiltered conversation. If you’re focused on growing, leading, & staying ahead, this is where the industry’s brightest minds come to talk shop.
For Ryan Samuels, the automotive aftermarket isn’t just a business. It’s a family legacy spanning four generations.
Ryan joins Vic Tarasik and David Wofford to share the story behind Buy Wise Auto Parts, from his great-grandfather’s used-car dealership to his grandfather staring down a showroom full of Studebakers after the manufacturer disappeared, and the hard decisions that ultimately helped build the business Ryan helps lead today.
Along the way, Ryan talks about growing up behind the parts counter, learning from his father and grandfather, being allowed to “fail forward,” building a team that genuinely cares about its customers, and why relationships still matter as much as price and delivery.
It’s a conversation about hard work, family, leadership, resilience, and carrying forward something generations before you sacrificed to build.
And yes, we also find out what a 1978 Cadillac Coupe de Ville can teach a teenager about driving in a New Jersey winter.
Four generations. One legacy. And plenty of lessons from the road.

Disclaimer
This podcast’s information is provided for general reference and was obtained from publicly accessible sources. The Podcast Collaborative neither produces nor verifies the content, accuracy, or suitability of this podcast. Views and opinions belong solely to the podcast creators and guests.
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