“We only win if our members thrive”: ATI President Joy Garcia
From a childhood spent in her father’s shop to her new role as President of ATI, Joy Garcia is dedicated to helping independent owners thrive by removing roadblocks and building trust.
When Joy Garcia joined Automotive Training Institute (ATI) as Brand President earlier this year, it was a full circle moment.
Acquired by Driven Brands in 2019, ATI is a coaching and training company dedicated to directly supporting and coaching independent repair shop owners through every aspect of their business, from pricing and staffing to managing profitability.
While ATI serves a unique market, it’s a market that Joy uniquely knows and understands: “Growing up, my parents were independent shop owners,” she recalled. “I saw their struggles of running a small business by themselves. They used whatever resources they had, mostly friends and family, but it was still a challenge. If there had been someone like ATI during that time, I can’t imagine the impact that would’ve had.”
Because of this, Joy understands that for many ATI members, their shop is their life. To her, that makes it all the more critical that the brand lives out its core mission: teaching people how to run better, more profitable shops.
“Yes, we offer products and training. But the outcome for that shop owner is what really matters,” Joy explained. “People come to us when they need help. Some are so stressed and on the brink of collapse and others are on the other end and ready to sell the shop they spent 40 years building. In many ways, people are trusting us with their livelihood. It’s humbling.”
Turning brand promises into real experiences
Despite growing up around her family’s business, Joy was not naturally drawn to the automotive industry. She spent the majority of her time in marketing, e-commerce and retail operations before realizing her true talent lay in bridging the gap between a brand’s promise and the actual customer experience.
Joy quickly found this was a skillset that could be applied to any industry.
“I’ve found my passion in identifying how a company communicates with its customers to build lasting relationships,” she said.
This specialized focus allowed her to stretch into operations and P&L management, always with the goal of ensuring that what a company says it will do matches what the customer feels.
Leading through transparency
Now at the helm of ATI, Joy knows that her role isn't to be the technical expert, but to be the support system for those who are.
“My philosophy is full transparency,” Joy said. “I want to communicate where we are as a company—where we’re winning, where we’re losing, and what we’re going to do to fix it. I want my team to feel safe and secure so they can act out of passion and excitement rather than anxiety.”
As ATI President, she sees her role as helping her team define a growth strategy and then removing the roadblocks that stand in the way.
“I don't mind doing the blocking and tackling so that the team can make the touchdowns,” she said. “I know that’s a cliché, but it’s true. They’re the experts, and my job is to stand in front and get the noise out of the way so that they can succeed in their roles.”
Defining success by member success
Unlike other brands in the Driven Brands family, ATI doesn’t have customers—they have members. And for ATI, success isn’t measured by the number of members it has, but by how those members perform.
“We only win if our members thrive,” Joy said.
She views ATI’s relationship with its independent shops as a partnership built on shared success. If individual members aren’t growing, ATI isn’t either.
“We can add a ton of members and report growth all day long, but if we’re not actively servicing those members in the right way, we haven't done our jobs," she explained.
This commitment to doing business right is what drives Joy forward.
"I want our members to achieve the freedom and the profit they deserve for the hard work they put in every day," she said. "If we can give them the tools to run a business that supports their family and their community for years to come, then we’ve truly succeeded."