The Power of Identity: How Seeing Yourself Differently Changes Everything

Many auto shop owners I met started their journey the same way; as technicians who loved solving problems, cared deeply about customers, and wanted more control over their future. That same technician identity is what got them here. But it’s also what can hold them back.

When you open a shop, you don’t just add “Owner” to your title.  You take on a new identity entirely. Yet, many owners still see themselves as the go-to technician, the problem solver, the one who jumps in to save the day. That mindset feels responsible, but it quietly limits the growth of both the business and the team.

Technician Identity vs. Owner Identity

Technicians solve problems by doing. Owners solve problems by building systems and empowering people.

A technician’s success depends on personal output. An owner’s success depends on creating repeatable results, without always being the one turning the wrench.

Think about it this way: you wouldn’t keep using the same scan tool from 2005 and expect it to diagnose today’s vehicles accurately. Business ownership is no different. If you don’t upgrade your thinking, your old habits and assumptions will hold your business hostage.

The technician identity is about mastery of skill. The owner identity is about mastery of leadership. You’ve already proven you can fix cars.  Now it’s about fixing bottlenecks, people challenges, and processes.

We All Play Multiple Roles

What makes this conversation about identity even more powerful is that being an owner isn’t your only role. You may also be a manager, a parent, a spouse, a volunteer, or a mentor.
Each of these roles requires you to show up differently; with different strengths, levels of patience, and perspectives.

For example:

• As a parent, you teach and guide, not just do everything for your kids.
• As a volunteer, you work within a team toward a shared goal.
• As a manager, you delegate and develop others to reach higher standards.

When you bring the best characteristics of each role, such as patience, accountability, empathy, discipline into your owner identity, you elevate your entire business. That’s the power of identities. They shape how you think, behave, and lead.

If You’re Not Growing, You’re Coasting

Business, like life, doesn’t sit still. You’re either growing or coasting. And coasting always leads downhill. The strongest shop owners I know treat leadership like technicians treat diagnostics: always learning, improving, and upgrading their tools.

Shops that commit to continued learning, business training, leadership development, and financial education, attract better talent, keep better customers, and perform at a higher level.
Why? Because the leader at the top keeps growing.

You don’t have to know it all. You just have to stay curious. The most dangerous mindset in business is believing you’ve arrived.

Identity Drives Behavior

The moment you start thinking of yourself as the owner who develops people instead of the technician who does it all, everything changes.
Your decisions change. Your calendar changes. Your stress level changes.

When your identity shifts, your behavior follows.

• The technician jumps in to fix a comeback.
• The owner coaches the technician to learn from it.
• The technician answers every customer’s call.
• The owner builds a system, so calls are handled consistently.
• The technician checks the bank account for cash flow.
• The owner reviews the numbers, makes decisions, and plans.

The more you operate from the owner identity, the less your business depends on you and the stronger it becomes.

Leadership Starts with Self-Awareness

True leadership starts with recognizing where you’re still operating from your old identity. Ask yourself:

• Where am I still acting like the technician instead of the owner?
• What habits or beliefs need an “update” to match the business I’m building?
• What characteristics from my other roles could make me a stronger leader here?

Maybe it’s patience from parenting, communication from volunteering, or discipline from your personal life. These crossovers strengthen every role you have, especially as an owner.

The Bottom Line

You are more than your technician background. You’re the owner, leader, and visionary your business needs. The same curiosity and persistence that made you a great technician can make you an even better owner.  If you channel them differently.

Remember: you don’t grow by doing more; you grow by thinking differently.
The greatest shops and the happiest owners are built by those willing to evolve their identity.

This week’s challenge:
Pick one area: financials, systems, or leadership and commit to learning something new. Growth starts with curiosity.

Maryann Croce is a shop owner and business coach who helps single-location auto shop owners create profitable, sustainable, and enjoyable businesses. Her 3-Day Weekends System helps shop owners reclaim 10+ hours a week by learning to manage smarter, delegate with confidence, and lead with clarity. Learn more at smallbizvantage.com.