When Rick Eckert and Russell B. Hill founded FixedOPS Marketing in 2019, there were no guarantees.
There wasn’t a team of forty employees. There weren’t hundreds of dealerships. We weren’t a preferred vendor of The Shop by FordDirect.
There wasn’t a podcast, conference stages, or national branding and recognition. There was simply a belief that dealerships deserved better service marketing for their fixed ops departments.
Like many startups, we began with a handful of people wearing a dozen hats. One software developer started building the platform. A marketing specialist got the website, branding, and social media off the ground. A graphic designer created our logo, brochures, and the first pieces of sales collateral. Every day was spent building something that didn’t exist the day before.
In just three months, Russell welcomed our first 30 dealerships. Momentum was building!
Then the world shut down.
Like every business, we were thrown into uncertainty. Starting a company is risky enough. Starting one just before a global pandemic? That was a challenge no one could have predicted. Dealerships were adjusting. Customers were changing their habits. Every day brought a new obstacle. So we listened, we evolved, and we kept building.
We kept showing up. We pivoted. Those years shaped who we are today. They made us stronger, more resilient.
In late 2021, we launched the What the Fixed Ops?! podcast. What started as a way to share ideas with the industry has grown into a platform featuring conversations with some of the brightest minds in automotive. Hosted by Russell B. Hill and co-hosted by Charity Dunning, the show has become another way for us to educate, meet new people, and celebrate the people making waves in fixed operations and the automotive industry.
Today, FixedOPS Marketing serves more than 700 dealerships, including a 130% increase in stores over the past six months. We’ve grown from a small startup into a team of around 40 employees and earned the trust of organizations and dealer groups including Volkswagen, Sonic Automotive, Lithia Motors, and Group 1 Automotive.
Along the way, Russell has shared ideas from stages across the industry, presenting at Digital Dealer, NADA, and national webinars on topics ranging from electric vehicles and artificial intelligence to productivity, leadership, and the future of fixed operations. In 2027, Charity Dunning will continue that tradition by representing FixedOPS Marketing as a presenter at NADA with Fixed Operations: Creating Predictable, Repeatable Service Revenue through Marketing.
Another milestone is just around the corner.
Russell is preparing to release his memoir, It’s Your Fault!, the story of a man trapped by addiction, crime, and prison who found redemption, rebuilt his life, and ultimately founded a successful company dedicated to helping dealerships succeed. It’s a story about accountability, second chances, servant leadership, and choosing life when every other path seemed closed.
As we celebrate seven years, we’re proud of the milestones – but we’re even more grateful for the people behind them. Every dealership that trusted us. Every employee who believed in the mission. Every partner, podcast guest, conference organizer, and friend who became part of our evolution.
The story isn’t about the destination. It’s about the journey.
Seven years is an incredible milestone and we’re just getting started!
