Melissa “Birdie” Patterson brings nearly 30 years of shop-tested grit to the classroom. From sanding bumpers in a collision shop to managing repair centers and guiding owners through legacy transitions, she’s lived every side of the business. As a former shop manager and I-CAR certified estimator, Birdie understands firsthand the real-world challenges of building trust, leading teams, and keeping culture strong while growing a business that lasts.
A student and longtime collaborator of the late Maylan Newton, Birdie carries forward The Maylan Method - real leadership, clear communication, and culture that lasts. Her teaching style blends humor, storytelling, and hard-won experience, making even complex topics engaging, practical, and unforgettable.
Today, Birdie helps shop owners strengthen their culture, clarify their marketing, and prepare for the future through her company, Bird’s iSocial. She’s taught at AAPEX, ASTA Expo, TOOLS Pennsylvania, ATRA, and local ASCCA chapters, known for her high-energy sessions like Shift Happens, Know Like Trust, and Build a Shop That Lasts Beyond You.
Beyond the stage, Birdie serves as a leader and founding member of Amazing Women in Automotive (AWiA), helping women in the trade connect and grow. When she’s not teaching or traveling to meet clients or events, she’s usually baking, swimming, or working toward her private pilot’s license - always chasing the next adventure, whether in business or in the sky.
Classes on Offer
Profit Without Pressure
Co-taught with Maryann Croce - Sales Through Service & Connection
What if sales didn’t have to feel like pressure - for you or your customer? What if it could feel like trust?
In this grounded and practical session, Melissa “Birdie” Patterson and shop owner/coach Maryann Croce show you how real connection and genuine care lead to confident conversations and consistent profit. With Birdie’s marketing and communication expertise and Maryann’s clarity on leadership and business sustainability, you’ll learn how to align your sales process with both your values and your goals.
This isn’t a class about closing techniques. It’s about opening relationships. You’ll leave with practical communication tools, mindset shifts, and a sales strategy built on trust, because pressure is a tactic, but connection is a strategy.
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Owner Mode
Owner Mode
Co-taught with Maryann Croce
Leading the Business You Built
You didn’t just build a shop - you built something worth leading. But too many shop owners get stuck in the day-to-day, running on chaos instead of clarity.
In this energizing session, Melissa “Birdie” Patterson and shop owner/coach Maryann Croce help you make the critical shift from doer to leader. With Maryann’s proven strategies for building sustainable, profitable shops and Birdie’s expertise in communication and transition, you’ll learn how to delegate with confidence, strengthen your culture, and step fully into your role as an owner.
This isn’t about micromanaging or grinding harder. It’s about creating a shop that runs strong without running you ragged. You’ll leave with tools and perspective to lead the business you built - and enjoy the life you’re building outside of it.
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Know Like Trust
Building an Audience Who Believes in Your Brand
Before a customer ever books, they’re asking three questions: Do I know you? Do I like you? Do I trust you? The answer to those questions is what drives car count, retention, and referrals.
In this session, Melissa “Birdie” Patterson shares the Maylan Method for showing up with the same care online that you bring to the bay. With practical tools for turning content into connection, Birdie shows you how to use trust, tone, and story to make your marketing feel human and your shop unforgettable.
Trust isn’t built by accident - it’s built on purpose. You’ll leave this class ready to show up with clarity and consistency so customers feel like they already know, like, and trust you before they ever call.
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Build a Shop That Lasts Beyond You
Co-taught with Jeff Nott
Legacy Isn’t Luck - It’s Leadership
Some shops are busy. Only a few are built to last. The difference isn’t luck - it’s leadership on purpose.
In this session, Melissa “Birdie” Patterson and shop owner/coach Jeff Nott combine decades of shop floor and leadership experience to show you how to prepare your business to thrive without you. With Birdie’s expertise in marketing and transitions and Jeff’s proven systems for delegation and process, you’ll learn what it takes to build a business that holds strong when you step away.
This isn’t theory - it’s the real work of creating something that outlives you. You’ll leave with a clear roadmap to shift from being the person who holds it all together to the leader who built something that holds itself.
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Lead Like You Mean It
Leadership That Builds Culture and Confidence
Leadership isn’t about titles - it’s about how you show up every single day. The best shops aren’t run by bosses, they’re led by owners and managers who earn trust, set the tone, and lead with clarity.
In this session, Melissa “Birdie” Patterson shares leadership lessons rooted in Maylan Newton’s timeless wisdom and her 23 years of in-shop experience. From MBWA (management by wandering around) to QTIP (quit taking it personally) to raising your own BS Flag, you’ll learn practical, memorable tools that transform everyday interactions into leadership moments.
You’ll walk away ready to lead with confidence, build stronger culture, and create a shop that people want to be part of. When you lead like you mean it, your team and your business will follow.
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Different Brains Stronger Shops
Building Culture Through Neurodiversity
Retention isn’t just about pay - it’s about belonging. In today’s competitive market, the strongest shops are the ones that understand how different minds work together.
In this timely session, Melissa “Birdie” Patterson introduces shop leaders to the power of neuroinclusivity. You’ll learn how to recognize and support different thinking styles, adapt communication to fit your team, and turn differences into strengths instead of friction. With practical examples from shop life, Birdie shows how culture built on inclusivity not only keeps your best employees but also creates a place where everyone can thrive.
You’ll leave with tools to reduce turnover, strengthen trust, and build a team that feels valued and engaged - because the best shops are built for all kinds of brains.
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Ai in the Shop: Smarter Tools for Marketing, Management, and More
From the Bay to the Front Desk, How Ai Helps Shops Work Smarter
Ai isn’t a fad - it’s already changing how shops communicate, train, and operate. From marketing and customer service to training, scheduling, and even accessing old manuals, Ai can save you hours while helping your team work smarter.
In this session, Melissa “Birdie” Patterson breaks down the practical uses of Ai for auto repair shops. You’ll see how tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, and DALL·E can support everything from building training guides to predicting inventory needs. With Birdie’s focus on keeping the human voice at the center, you’ll learn how to use Ai as a helper, not a replacement.
You’ll leave with a clear understanding of what Ai can (and can’t) do, and a set of ideas you can put to work right away to make your shop more efficient, more consistent, and more connected to customers.
Transforming Sales, Leadership & Communication
When shift happens in the shop, do you stall out or shift gears with confidence? Shop life doesn’t come with a script - and every day you’re already improvising with customers, teams, and curveballs.
In this high-energy session, Melissa “Birdie” Patterson blends real shop experience with improv games to help you build trust, adapt quickly, and lead with humor and confidence. You’ll laugh, you’ll learn, and you’ll leave with practical tools you can use Monday morning - because shift happens, but now you&rsqu
