NEW EPISODES EVERY TUESDAY

The MSP Business School Podcast

A weekly podcast sponsored by vCIOToolbox and OSR Manage, bringing the IT Service Provider community tips and tactics to grow revenues, get closer to clients, and build amazing customer experiences.

Join Brian Doyle, Tim McNeil, and Robb Rogers every Tuesday wherever you get your podcasts!

Listen on these great podcast providers wherever you tune in for your podcasts

EP 176 Dan Adams – Business Success is a Team Sport

Dan Adams, the passionate driving force behind Up-Skill, the leading e-learning platform dedicated to enhancing the performance of technology service professionals..

Episode 175 Roundtable – It’s time for IT Nation (and Brian’s PitchIT Finals)

Today’s podcast is about Brian’s journey, and how he overcame the challenges and improved during the PitchIT program..

Episode 174 Ian Garrett – Do you know where your data is?

Ian Y. Garrett is the CEO and co-founder of Phalanx, and was formally a US Army Cyber officer as well as a data scientist in the defense sector.  He combines his operational knowledge with his PhD research to bring unique insights to the intersection of artificial intelligence & cybersecurity.

Episode 173 Roundtable – Bigger than Fire, AI and You!

Today, talks about AI not just as a tool but also as its impact on the MSP Community.

Episode 172 – When 1 + 1 equals 3 The Tale of Teal with Don Gar and Reid

Don Sauer: Took a more direct path to acquiring nearly 35 years of IT expertise. It began in the US Navy, where he first worked on computer-controlled weapons systems. Gar Whaley: Aligned cofounder, always knew he wanted to run his own business. As technologically savvy as he is today, he honed his customer-centric business philosophy in the restaurant industry. Reid Johnston: TechGen Consulting, Inc. was founded by Reid in 2000 as a sole proprietorship, and later incorporated in 2002.

Episode 171 Frank Raimondi and Matt Koenig – Nodeware Great Compliance Starts with Identifying your Vulnerabilities

Episode 170 Roundtable – Making the Shift from Owner-Led Sales

Tim kicks things off by mentioning that there are various paths to making a transition. He then shares a story about how he and Robb got their transition journey underway, offering some friendly advice on how to go about hiring more folks and what initial steps you should take when thinking about making a switch.

Episode 169 Bobby Jacobs – Meet your customers where they live

Bobby Jacobs is the Head of Growth at Thread. It has previously sold refurbished HP products on AIM. Prior to Thread, Bobby was an early employee at Liongard where he helped MSPs increase their security, efficiencies, and profit. Bobby is also the 2nd Grade Biggest Smile Winner.

Episode 168 Karla Reffold – Is your vendor ready to a Cyber Event

Karla is the COO of Orpheus Cyber. Orpheus is a threat intelligence company with a SAAS platform that helps organizations manage their own risk, and that of their third parties, with an easy-to-understand cyber risk score. Prior to joining Orpheus, Karla founded the international recruitment business, BeecherMadden before overseeing their acquisition by Nicoll Curtin. As a Director for Nicoll Curtin, she expanded the company further before moving to the US to accelerate the growth of the American business.

Episode 167 Nick Wolf – Access Required

Nick is the Director of Partner Acquisition at Evo Security, an Identity and access Management vendor for MSPs and MSSPs. Previously he worked at Datto for 9 years as one of their first employees and helped grow the company from being a startup to a successful exit of over $1 Billion. He also helped launch SKOUT Cybersecurity, an XDR vendor for MSSPs that was later acquired by Barracuda Networks in 2021.

Episode 166 Roundtable – Have you Mastered your Sales Pitch

Episode 165 Allison Trisko and Charlie Farris – Sales Trend & Insights

Charlie talks about how Managed Service Providers (MSPs) can contribute to the efficient operation of a business.  He also gives an example of how club members get membership in exchange for “protecting Member data” which indicates the importance of maintaining the privacy and security of sensitive member information.

Episode 164 Taher Hamid – MSP Marketing Made Easy

Taher is a camp leader at MSP Camp.
MSP Camp is everything an MSP owner or Marketing Coordinator needs to begin marketing their business successfully. 

Episode 163 Jake Gregorich – Integrating Cultures in M&A

Jake oversees revenue generation for one of the largest and fastest-growing IT service companies in the country, Lyra Technology Group, An Evergreen Services Group Company. In just five years, he went from an entry-level copier and IT salesperson to head of sales of an enterprise-size MSP which is on pace to double in size in 2023. He shares his experiences and learnings from that journey with his team and partner companies to help them achieve their growth goals.

Episode 162 Brian Hoppe – Why Your Business Needs a Coach

Brian Hoppe has been part of the Managed Services industry since the early 2000s. He earned both his Bachelor’s and MBA from Baylor University. For over 20 years, Brian has worked in multiple MSPs and has bought and sold multiple MSPs. He’s been everything from a technician to Ops Manager to CFO to CEO. He has grown multiple MSPs to over $5 million in revenue and managed MSPs in excess of $15 million in revenue. Brian has a thorough understanding of all the ins and outs of running a highly successful MSP. But more importantly, he understands how to help MSP leaders get the most from their business. His expertise in leadership and coaching can help any MSP owner or CEO achieve the results they want in both business and life.

Episode 161: Chris Dix – Meet your customers where they live

Chris Dix is the founder of ChatStyle, a software company based in Charlotte, NC, that provides chat and automation solutions for MSPs and their customers. Chris has over 20 years of experience developing software and is a former Microsoft MVP. He is also an author and has spoken at conferences for Microsoft, O’Reilly, ConnectWise, and MSPGeekCon.

Episode 160: Roundtable – Summer Selling Strategies

Episode 159: Greg Sharp & Trevor Thomas – Contract Chaos No More

Greg Sharp, a CISSP-qualified IT security engineer, is the Managing Director of ZenContract, a company with team members in New Zealand, Australia, the Philippines, the United Kingdom, and Canada. With 30 years of experience in the IT industry, he has served on advisory boards for Datto, Autotask, Dropbox, Microsoft, and Cisco in the APAC region. Greg is currently on three MSP advisory boards and has been a director of multiple businesses. He built and sold three MSP businesses, including the latest one sold to a division of the New Zealand government for a record-breaking multiplier. This process and systems led to the creation of ZenContract, which allows MSPs to fully own contract and agreement management. Greg leads a dream team of specialists, forming a culture that automates and enhances MSP contract management for all MSPs.

Episode 158: Abe Garver – The latest M&A

Episode 157: Jake Carroll – Marcus Chans Ideas for Elevating your Discovery Game

Episode 156: Roundtable – Inside the FTC Safeguards Rule

Discover the essentials of safeguarding sensitive information and gain valuable insights from our discussion. Don’t miss out on this informative episode!

Roundtable Tactics for Quick Revenue Growth (Rebroadcast, original air date 9/21/2022)

We are all looking for an edge, finding that growth hack. Today we discuss a few ways you can begin adding revenue tomorrow.

Episode 155: Roundtable – PitchIT

The subject of today’s podcast provided a summary of the PitchIT program, explaining its nature and purpose.

Episode 154: Roundtable – Using AI Tools for Sales

The subject of today’s podcast centers on the utilization of ChatGPT as an essential component of one’s sales process.

Episode 153: Roundtable – Sales War Stories: Unfortunate Tales from the Frontline

Today’s podcast focuses on the personal stories and experiences of the hosts, which they have accumulated over their years of work, and helped them face life’s challenges and triumphs. 

Episode 152: Jake Carroll, VP of Sales, OSR Manage A Day in the Life of a Virtual Sales Manager

Jake said that there have always been a lot of people who chose to work in sales or as a group of people who work in sales, whether they had a degree or not. Before you could start working, there was no salary and you couldn’t just go knocking on doors. 

Episode 151: Roundtable -Better your MSP with the Business Model Canvas

Brian kicks off the podcast by talking about the business canvas model. He talks about its advantages and how it can open great opportunities in the IT industry.

Episode 150: Doug Kreitzberg Seedpod Cyber Protecting those protecting networks

In 2018, Doug founded a cybersecurity and data privacy risk consulting firm. It was through his consulting practice that he learned the value that Managed Service Providers bring to small and medium-sized businesses.

That insight formed the basis for SeedPod Cyber, a cyber insurance managing general agency Kreitzberg founded in 2021 which partners with Managed Service Providers to provide cyber insurance to their clients.

Episode 149: Roundtable – Perfecting the Art of the Sales One on One

Perfecting the art of sales one-on-one means having the right attitude, setting achievable expectations, and always being prepared with relevant information. 

.

Episode 148: Roundtable – Huddle Up! Revitalizing the Daily Standup Meeting

In this episode, the team discusses Huddle Up! Revitalizing the Daily Standup Meeting here at MSP Business School. 

Episode 147: Len DiCostanzo – Accelerate Partner Integration in your Stack and Sell More

Len DiCostanzo has been a mainstay of the global IT channel for decades, providing thought leadership and best practice guidance for senior leaders. He consults and collaborates with leading and emerging channel vendors, as well as managed service providers and business technology solution providers. His recent work has focused on helping SaaS and cybersecurity vendors and specialty distributors to grow their MSP and VAR channels by building comprehensive partner programs. He has consulted with and led the buildout and execution of Partner Programs for top channel vendors including ConnectWise, LogMeIn, and LastPass.

Episode 146: Ken Fearnley – Risky Business

In this episode, we talked about risky business and life in IT. Getting creative and finding different ways to approach business as they go out into the marketplace.

Episode 145: Jason Pufahl – It’s a cyber life: Sometimes the path chooses you

Jason found himself in the world of MSP after applying for 30 national park ranger jobs and one IT role. He chose the IT gig and that is what brought him here with us today.

Episode 144: Roundtable – Battling Burnout

Want to know about battling burnout? Learn more about it as we talk about it throughout the entire podcast.

Episode 143: Roundtable – The Game of Risk

Looking to understand risks in the sales process better? We address what risks must be managed effectively, should all risks be attended to immediately, and MORE!

Episode 142: Tyson Choptain – The Co-Managed Opportunity

Tyson Choptain is the Executive Vice President and co-founder of Broadview Networks, a leading Managed Services and Security Solutions provider based out of Winnipeg. With more than 30 years of consulting, sales engineering, and implementation has a track record of success with technology in the workplace and providing IT solutions meeting business needs. As an entrepreneur who helped build a successful IT consulting business, his focus on business solutions has helped grow the company to be recognized as one of Canada’s fastest-growing businesses and one of Manitoba’s fastest-growing companies. With a philosophy of teamwork and collaboration, Broadview attributes its success to its 30+ employees.

Episode 141: Jacob Cane – Maximizing your Centers of Influence

Jacob has 25 years of experience in managed IT and cybersecurity services and has participated in multiple startups, acquisitions, and successful exits with experience from company formation through exit and integration. Jacob was Co-Founder and CEO of Proactive Technologies, where he led revenue growth to over $10M per year with an owner-led sales model until Proactive’s acquisition by Abacus Group. Jacob currently works with MSPs to help them optimize owner-led sales and lay the groundwork to make dedicated sales professionals successful.

Episode 140: Aaron Boone – Peer Group opportunities for the Masses

Aaron spent the first years of his career in Sports & Hospitality working in Event Management and Operations and started in the MSP industry in 2011 while completing an MBA. Aaron’s expertise is in Project Management, Finance, and Organizational Strategy & Business Development.

Episode 139: George Bardissi & Sade Mendez – Breaking the Boundaries of MSP Growth

George Bardissi is the Founder and CEO of three companies: Bardissi Enterprises, an MSP based in Philadelphia, PA; bvoip, a channel-only firm that works with other MSPs around the world in the Cloud Communications Space; and MSP Initiative, which was founded in the middle of the 2020 pandemic, as a community and networking entity to help bridge the gap between IT Service Providers and MSPs to collaborate in new ways.

Episode 138: Chris Johnson, Gaining Trust with Security Trustmark

Chris Johnson is a cybersecurity compliance strategist at heart. He is currently CompTIA’s senior director of cybersecurity programs and ex-officio chairperson of the CompTIA Security Community. In this role, he champions the abilities of MSPs looking to focus more on cybersecurity.

.

Episode 137: A-Jay Orr, Building Opportunity for Veterans in Transition

A-Jay Orr, the founder, and CEO of Simple Plan IT. They specialize in helping businesses specifically those that have government contracts, protect digital assets, and be compliant with all the security regulations that the DOD pushes out.

.

Episode 136: Roundtable – Five things on the mind of CIOs in 2023

Know more about the five things that are on the mind of senior CIOs and MSP experts this 2023

Episode 135: Tips for using a VA on your team

Having doubts about getting a Virtual Assistant? How to start if you hire one? Today’s talk is about how to start working with a VA and what are the advantages of having one.

.

Episode 134: The Best of MSP Business School of 2022

Looking back on 2022 here at MSP Business School. To wrap up the year, we’re continuing to do our best to highlight great, engaging, and innovative guests.

Episode 133: Abe Garver, Focus Investment Banking, Inflation may be rising, but so are Valuations Final

Sharing his expertise in the field, Abe discusses excellent client service, responsiveness, and effective communication.

Episode 132: Roundtable How 2X your Sales Pipeline with OSR Manage

Learn the secret of how to easily double your sales opportunities.

Episode 131: Roundtable How are you planning for 2023

Listen to some tips and successful strategies on how we plan our 2023.

.

Episode 130: Emily Glass, Syncro Building a Culture to Drive Success

In this episode, we talked about how building a good culture drives success in a company. Learn how to bond and connect even when working remotely from Emily Glass of Syncro.

Episode 129: Roundtable Building out your Battlecard

This episode discusses how to build battlecards and how you can equip your team with this sales weapon.

Episode 128: Scott Haselkorn,

Haselkorn, Inc. It’s never too early to start an MSP

In this episode, Scott Haselkorn talked about how he started doing MSP and shared relatable experiences of his journey

Episode 127: Roundtable The Do’s and Don’ts of Comp Plans

Learn the do’s and don’ts of comp plans and know the best solution to make reps stay motivated while reducing losses

Episode 126: Brian Scott, ClearTone Consulting A former CISOs perspective on the vCISO role

Brian Scott from ClearTone Consulting joins us today at MSP Business School. Brian is the President and the CIO of ClearTone Consulting.

Episode 125: Roundtable QBRs, Stop Doing This

In this episode, our team discusses what are the needs of the customers and what is the reality of what the customers want.  

Episode 124: Kipp Stumpf,  ConnectWise Evolve Everyone has an Exit!

In this episode, we discuss how the Evolve peer groups help provide MSPs with the resources and mentorship to get to the next level and maximize their exit when the time comes.

Episode 123: Roundtable Compliance is Hot, How can MSPs Capitalize?

There is a lot of talk about compliance, frameworks, regulations, and cyber liability in the market today.  What does it all mean, and is it an opportunity?  Join us for a discussion on how MSPs can join the conversation.

Episode 122: Frank Raimondi, Nodeware Helping MSPs make Cybersecurity Easy

Nodeware helps MSPs easily secure their networks from Cyberthreats and stay on top of emerging threats they may be facing.

Episode 121: Roundtable Welcome to Conference Season

Do you have a plan for when you are attending an event?  How do you maximize your time and ensure you meet as many people as possible when you are at a conference.

Episode 120: Roundtable Tactics for Quick Revenue Growth

In this episode, our team talks about the tactics to accelerate revenue growth.  With many MSPs and MSSPs focused on the holy grail of recurring revenue, there may be some low-hanging fruit to boost your top line and expand your profits.

Episode 119: Vince Tinnirello, Anchor Network Solutions Bettering IT Services by Borrowing from Hospitality

Starting his career in hospitality, Vince moved into IT leveraging skills he learned in that industry to build relationships that drive over $6M in revenue for Anchor Network Solutions.

Episode 118: Roundtable Risk-Based Selling Strategies

In this episode, our Brian and Tim talk about Risk Based Selling an how it can drive a more consultative discussion where customers can make a more informed decision about projects and services.

Episode 117: George Smith
Sr. Business Development Manager, Augmentt Secure Your SaaS

George Smith joins us today on MSP Business School and we discuss how important it is for MSP’s to manage and monitor their clients cloud services and if they do not, someone else will.

Episode 116: Garet Peaslee
Former CEO of Secant Technologies and Consultant, How to Adapt, Excel, and Exit as Technology Changes

Garret Peaslee joins us and tells the story of a person that has seen it all in the IT services space. Starting in 1986 before the internet, Garret has show the ability to adapt to change and grow a business and expand.

Episode 115: Roundtable Whitespace Analysis Cross-sell and Upsell Strategies 

In this episode, our team talks about the Whitespace opportunity.  Existing customers offer a huge opportunity to grow revenues and every MSP shares in this chance to expand their relationship with clients.

Episode 114: Peter Duflo
Strategic Ventures, Helping MSP’s to Build Leadership Teams Built to Scale

In this episode, our team talks about the Whitespace opportunity.  Existing customers offer a huge opportunity to grow revenues and every MSP shares in this chance to expand their relationship with clients.

Episode 113: Special Episode, Introducing SalesMaturIT

In this very special episode we introduce to the MSP industry our new Sales Development Platform entitled Sales MaturIT.  This new platform allows MSP’s and MSSP’s to evaluate their current Sales Maturity Level (SML) and create a guided, self-paced patch to reaching their sales goals.

Episode 112: Hartland Ross, MSP M&A Strategies for the Masses

We’re thrilled to have Hartland Ross, join us for an incredible episode. This one is jam-packed with useful information, tidbits, and challenges for anyone thinking about a future M&A transaction.

Episode 111: Dave Sobel, MSP Radio – The Next Generation of MSPs

For this week’s episode of MSP Business School, we borrowed fellow podcaster and YouTube personality Dave Sobel from his usual post over at MSP Radio to discuss how MSPs can do things differently.

Episode 111: Dave Sobel, MSP Radio – The Next Generation of MSPs

For this week’s episode of MSP Business School, we borrowed fellow podcaster and YouTube personality Dave Sobel from his usual post over at MSP Radio to discuss how MSPs can do things differently.

Episode 110: Abe Garver, FOCUS Investment Banking – M&A Update July 2022

Every six months or so, Abe Garver of FOCUS Investment Banking visits our podcast to give us an update on the world of mergers and acquisitions in the MSP industry. Back for the third time, this episode is just as informative and exciting as the two previous.

Episode 109: Jerry Koutavas, The ASCII Group – Seeing the Future First

Jerry Koutavas of The ASCII Group is a household name in the MSP community. In this episode of MSP Business School, we get to hear directly from one of the foremost leaders in the industry as he and the hosts discuss where the MSP industry is now and where it’s headed in the very near future.

Episode 108: Shane Naugher, DaZZee IT Solutions – From Dial Up to Data Protection

As one of the few companies that started during the dial up days, Shane Naugher has seen many shifts and changes in the industry. The evolution of DaZZee IT Solutions is a master class in paying attention to trends and staying ahead of the curve, even when it’s uncomfortable and pushback is strong.

Episode 107: Roundtable – The Curse of the Great MSP

If you listen to our show, you’ve probably heard us talk about the “curse of the great MSP”: the more you automate, the more you do remotely, and the less things tend to break, the more likely it is that your value gets called into question and you get shown the door.

What are some things you can do to avoid this curse? In this episode, hosts Brian, Tim, and Robb share some practical steps you can take to break the curse and provide even greater value to your clients, solidifying yourself as an integral part of their business.

Episode 106: Michael Beecher, EscapeWire Solutions – Becoming a Security First Service Provider

The president of EscapeWire Solutions, Michael Beecher’s unique experiences – both good and just plain awful – have shaped a solid MSP with a healthy and robust security offering. In this episode, Michael and the hosts dive into how terrible events can sometimes be the best things that happen in a young, growing company.

Episode 105: Eric Weber, Mindmatrix – Show Up and Be Consistent

The Director of Sales for the MSP Advantage program at Mindmatrix, Eric Weber led an interesting and diverse life before joining the MSP industry. His journey serves as a reminder to show up, be consistent, and give it your all in everything you do, because eventually you’ll end up just exactly where you should be.

Episode 104: Derek Gabriel, Ignite Solutions Group – Keep Trying New Things

Sometimes life takes you on a wild ride, and other times you’re granted choices that have the possibility of changing everything. Then there are people like Derek Gabriel, Co-Founder and CEO of Ignite Solutions Group. As you’ll hear in this episode, Derek is one of those people who doesn’t wait for life to offer up wild rides and lucky breaks: he carves the map himself.

Listen in for a great tale of experimentation and gutsy moves from Fargo, to Bismarck, to Kansas, to Hawaii.

Episode 103: Roundtable – Overcoming the Price Objection

How do you set the tone from the initial encounter to ensure your prospects appreciate the value of the products and services you offer?

In this episode, Brian, Robb, and Tim give many examples on how to avoid and overcome price objections at different stages of the sales process.

Episode 102: Frank DeBenedetto, Two River Technology Group & audIT – Get to the Why

You have incredible products and services, but if your customers don’t understand why they’re important or how they impact the bottom line, you’re setting yourself up for frustration and disappointment.

Frank DeBenedetto has the fascinating perspective of being both an MSP owner and a vendor. We dive in with him about the incredible service he provides through audIT and how it came out of a specific need in his own MSP, Two River Technology Group.

Episode 101: Jon Kotman & Luke Ross, Kotman Technology – Core Values, Culture, and Customers

What creates a thriving culture and excellent client base when it comes to MSPs? For Jon Kotman and Luke Ross of Kotman Technology, it’s all about your principles and core values.

Join us for a wonderful discussion on how defining your principles and sticking with them no matter what leads to the best possible outcome for everyone on your team.

Episode 100: Ed Carroll & Jeremiah Smith, Edison Marks – Aiding and Disrupting

For the 100th episode of MSP Business School, we couldn’t be more excited to have Ed Carroll and Jeremiah Smith of Edison Marks, a brand new company that’s promising to be a major disruptor in how MSPs operate in the sales and marketing space.

Buckle up and get ready for a few “ah-ha!” moments of your own as you listen to this exciting interview.

Episode 99: Roundtable – Marketing Isn’t Sales

Excellent marketing strategies change the game for your MSP’s sales team. But what are these strategies, and how do you implement them?

In this episode of MSP Business School, hosts Brian, Tim, and Robb tackle how to integrate a marketing team into your sales efforts in order to create the greatest growth potential for your MSP.

Episode 98: Travis Barker, EZ IT Solutions – Your Path Will Find You If You Listen

Another addition to our conversations with MSP owners, Travis Barker of EZ IT Solutions joins us to talk about the somewhat crazy and not-so-apparent road that led him and his company to where they are today.

Starting with a great origin story and ending with our best cliffhanger to date, this episode is a must-listen for any MSP owner.

Episode 97: Roundtable – Better Sales Forecasting: Fill or Kill

As a business owner, you need to be able to estimate what your sales are going to be in the near and distant future. But if your sales reps aren’t clearing stale deals out of their pipelines, how will you be able to make an accurate forecast?

In this episode, Brian, Tim, and Robb sit down for a discussion on how you as the owner can help your salespeople create healthy pipelines and actually close more deals in the long run.

Episode 96: Allan Jocson, Agilitec IT – Knowledge + Creativity = Success

One of the best ways to get advice on how to run your business (or ideas for areas of opportunity you hadn’t considered before) is to listen to other successful owners talk about how they got their business to where it is today.

This week, we’re joined by MSP owner Allan Jocson of Agilitec. Allan generously shares how he and his team navigated many challenging times to emerge as a highly successful MSP.

Episode 95: Roundtable – What’s Old is New: Consulting is Back

The shift in recent years to prioritizing and chasing monthly recurring revenue over all other money-making methods has led to a bit of a stalemate in the industry. How do you stand out against the crowd if all you’re doing is offering the exact same services as every other MSP out there?

In this episode, Brian takes the lead as he presents a shift in mindset that will provide your MSP with an endless number of ways to create new avenues of generating revenue and greater value for your company.

Episode 94: Roundtable – Presenting an Offer to a Sales Candidate

In episode 90, Brian, Tim, and Robb discussed how to find and recruit MSP salespeople in today’s market. Now that you’ve found the perfect rep, how do you present a job offer to them? And before you do that, how do you put together a competitive compensation plan that makes them want to work for you?

In this episode, the hosts continue their roundtable discussion about hiring salespeople by diving into compensation plans, bonuses, and the right way to present a job offer.

Episode 93: Peter Kujawa, Service Leadership – No MSP is an Island

The Vice President of Service Leadership (a ConnectWise solution), Peter Kujawa knows a thing or two about building a business. Assisted by Service Leadership’s support offerings, Peter led the turnaround of Locknet, including the acquisition by EO Johnson Business Technologies.

Now, 11 years later, he’s committed to helping MSPs experience success by using the same tools that aided his company’s growth.

Episode 92: Joel Zaidspiner, ChannelPro Network – The Importance of Education and Exposure

Staying on top of the latest information and technology can be challenging, especially for younger MSPs that aren’t quite ready to commit to something like a peer group. Enter ChannelPro: a free publication with a mission to educate and support the MSP community.

Joel Zaidspiner, ChannelPro’s Vice President & Associate Publisher, joins us to share the importance of education, community, and exposure, and how ChannelPro can assist MSPs in their growth and client relationships.

Episode 91: Jimmy Hatzell, Quickpass – How Marketing Creates Sales at Scale

Not too many people make the leap from technical positions to the world of sales and marketing, but for Jimmy Hatzell of Quickpass, his background in IT serves as a major plus when developing content and marketing strategies.

In this episode, Jimmy shares his philosophy on marketing, explaining how the right kind of marketing will boost your sales teams’ efforts and create sales at scale.

Episode 90: Roundtable – Recruiting Salespeople in 2022

Recruitment has been difficult for nearly every position in nearly every industry for the past few months. How are MSPs expected to find quality salespeople in this climate?

For this special roundtable episode, Brian, Tim, and Robb tackle one of the most difficult challenges MSP owners face today: finding, recruiting, and hiring salespeople.

Episode 89: Michelle Bank, Nuspire – Taking the Confusion out of Cybersecurity

The Executive Vice President and Chief Product and Marketing Officer for Nuspire, Michelle Bank has a passion for bridging product and marketing strategy with technology and a commitment to ensuring her clients don’t get confused about security along the way.

Michelle joins us to talk about what has people perplexed in the MSSP space, why end users are confused by the alphabet soup of IT, and what MSPs and MSSPs can do to help their clients better understand cybersecurity.

Episode 88: Jim Lippie, SaaS Alerts – Solving for SaaS

Are you covering your SaaS? That’s the question Jim Lippie of SaaS Alerts wants to answer for you in this episode of MSP Business School.

As more and more SMBs are migrating the majority of their business to the cloud, it’s up to MSPs to ensure their clients remain protected no matter the application.

Episode 87: Willis Cantey, Cantey Tech Consulting – Making PE Platforms Personal

The CEO of a highly successful MSP in the southeast, Willis Cantey joins us to talk about how he and his team grew Cantey Tech into what it is today and what it’s like to be under the umbrella of a private equity organization.

Willis shares the unique strategies they use to grow, how they are finding the new MSPs coming in, and what the opportunities are for MSPs looking to be targeted.

Episode 86: Rob Rae, Datto – The Time Is Now

As the Senior Vice President of Business Development at Datto, Rob Rae is a man who needs no introduction. If you’ve been in the channel for any length of time, you know his name and have most likely seen him at an event or two.

We’re delighted to have Rob join us for this episode of MSP Business School to talk about the current climate of the industry and the opportunities he sees for MSPs in the coming year.

Episode 85: Walter Contreras, Binox MSP – With Information, There Is (Sales) Power

Walter Contreras is a technologist, entrepreneur, and marketer whose current focus is helping MSPs grow quickly through lead generation and marketing automation technology.

In this episode, Walter sits down with Brian, Tim, and Robb to discuss the changing landscape of sales and how technology can help MSPs through some of the more difficult parts of the sales process.

Episode 54: Jason Cohen
Mission Control NOC and HelpDesk – Why Your MSP Should Outsource Your NOC

A former MSP owner, Jason Cohen of Mission Control NOC and HelpDesk understands the struggles and challenges that young MSPs face as they begin to expand and grow.

After being unable to find the support he needed for his own MSP, Jason realized he could fill a big need in the industry by providing the outsourced service himself.

Episode 53: Shawn Walsh, Encore Strategic Consulting – Becoming the Leader You Want to Be

A former MSP owner with a successful exit in his past. Shawn Walsh wanted to help MSP leaders find their success and help in building organizations that thrive.

We discuss what it takes to be a stong leader, keeping your staff engaged, and drving towards maximum profitability for your company.

Episode 52: Don Sauer
Aligned Technology Solutions – The Power and the Profit of Peer Groups

Episode 51: Doug Lowenthal, TruTechnology – Growing Your Business by Getting Out of the Way

Episode 50: Zay Campozano, IT Help – Leveraging Outsourcing to Grow Your MSP

Episode 49: Virtual Roundtable Discussion – Do You Have a Responsibility to Your Community Upon Exiting Your MSP?

Episode 48: Dave Hodgdon, Portsmouth Computer Group – Engineering the Perfect Exit

Episode 47: Roundtable – The Emerging Role of the vCIO in Account Management

Episode 46: Roundtable – Prospecting in a Post-Pandemic Climate

Episode 45: Special Episode – Building a Post-Pandemic Sales Team

Episode 44: Jamie D’Agostino, Netology –
The Risk You Take When Going Outside Your Contract

Episode 43: Dave Cava, Encore Strategic Consulting – Vertical Focus = Maximum Valuation

Episode 42: Ross Brouse, Continuous Networks – How to Lose $200K on a Salesperson and Win

Episode 41: Virtual Roundtable Discussion “The Top Industry Trends of 2021 (Thus Far)”

Episode 40: Tim Schmitt,Switchfast “Taking Big Risks When Facing the Adversity”

Episode 39: Kevin Clune, MSP Growth Hacks. “Showing MSP’s How To Hack Their Way to the Top!”

Episode 38: MSP Business School Masterclass “Why your first sales rep will fail (and why it may be your fault)”

Episode 37: Craig Taylor, Cyberhoot “When a client experiences a $26K phishing attack, a business is born”

Episode 36: Teresa Rule, RNT Professional Services “Teaching the Next Generation of CyberWarriors to Defend the Digital Universe”

Episode 35: Brian Doyle “Why Strategic Account Management is Vital to MSP Success ‚Äì The vCIO Role

Episode 34: Jesse Hill, Tier 3 IT Solutions “Treat your team well and good things will happen”

Episode 33: Abe Garver,
Focus Investment Banking “What MSP’s can do to prepare for M&A in 2021”

Episode 32: Guy Walton, CAMO¬†“Going Phishing with a Former FBI Cybercrime Guy”

Episode 31: Craig Reeds, CISSP, CRISC, Velta Technologies, “Protecting the Production Lines From Cyber Crime”

Episode 30: Stuart Selbst, Industry Vet 
“Customer Success Starts with You”

Episode 29: Roundtable Discussion “Commoditization and Competition During COVID”

Episode 28: Peter Strahan, Lantech, “Sometimes it takes a fire!”

An amazing story that helped shape Lantech was an incident that had impacted a key client. The client had acquired a location to serve as its new location and spent over a year in renovations.  A month after move in, Peter received a call that there had been a fire in the building.

Episode 27: Robert Cioffi, Progressive Computing “No Man is an Island”

Robert believes that success of your business and what can drive growth can be learned when you open yourself up and be vulnerable.  While bravado and ego may lead people to launch an MSP, many do not let people in to offer suggestions, guidance, and assistance.

Robert is a strong proponent of peer groups and coaching as a key to bettering your business and you personally.  As such he is now a facilitator for IT Nation Evolve Peer Groups.

Episode 26: Carrie Simpson, Managed Sales Pros, “How I opened a call center overnight, from another country”

Carrie shares how she started Managed Sales Pros like many companies, in 2013 from her kitchen. Her company’s growth was rapid, including opening a U.S. call center almost overnight. On the heels of a successful sale of her U.S. operations, Carrie’s story is about seizing opportunity and not being afraid to move quickly to grow your business.

Episode 25: Jeff Grande and Mike Paone, TBNG Consulting “Building an MSP from 2 to 50 and what we learned along the way”

Jeff and Mike joined forces to launch TBNG Consulting and have grown the organziation to a staff of 50.  They share how to grow a successful MSP you need to constantly look to improve, hire to your weaknesses, and sometimes check your ego at the door.

Episode 24: Turning the Tables ” An Interview with Robb Rogers and Tim McNeil, OSR Manage

MSP Business School Co-Hosts Robb and Tim also have a day job.  As partners in in OSR Manage and Virtual Sales Management provider, they help technical founders build amazing sales teams.

Episode 23: Leigh Wood, Node IT
“How a $50K Loss Improved our Business”

Leigh Wood Owner and Director of Node IT Solutions shares a story of persistence in the face of adversity. We learn how when faced with a crisis that can cause a company to cease operations, Leigh and his team rose up and met the challenge head on.

Leigh stepped off the plane to a text none of us would ever like to receive, a client who owed 50,000 pounds announced that they had gone out of business and that debt will never be collected. He then shares his tale of rebound and recovery.

Episode 22: Jason Schaller, Anderson Zurmuehlen “MSSP’s: The Wild, Wild West of Risk Assessment”

Jason is the Head of Security for Anderson Zurmuehlen and Accounting, Audit, and Technology firm based in Helena, Mo.  His team focuses on security risk and incident prevention.

Today we discuss the importance of assessments in a vulnerability prevention program and the risks that early stage MSSP’s may opening themselves to if they are not regularly assessing risk

Episode 21:  Todd Whitley, Brightwire Networks “If You’re Not Growing, You’re Dying!”

Today’s Interview Series guest is Todd Whitley, CEO and Partner for Brightwire Networks.  Brightwire started as the traditional owner-led sales organization, and has since completed the transition to a mature sales team.  Todd sees 5-year business cycles within his business.  They key is being adaptable and focusing on growth.

Episode 20: Roundtable Discussion: Selling Large, Service Models, and Peer Groups

In this episode we recap some of the highlights from our past 5 guests.  As experts in the field we have seen that each has their own approach in achieving success.  Robb, Tim, and Brian discuss what they learned and share their opinions on whether they agree or disagree.

Episode 19: Tommy Wolosin, NetWorks “Creating Customer Loyalty through an Amazing Culture”

Today we speak to Tommy Wolosin, one of two partners operating NetWorks in Nashville, TN.  Tommy talks to us about creating an amazing culture to drive both client and customer relationships.

Episode 18: Jon Rees, Allied Communications ‚ÄúHow UCaaS and CCaaS Can Be a Tool for Success in our New Working Conditions”

Jon Rees joins us today on MSP Business School.  Jon is the Head of Technologies for Allied Communications, a Communications focused service provider with a large focus on the Casino and Gaming industry. In fact, they are the provider for 37% of the Las Vegas strip and 60% of Atlantic City.

Episode 17: Eric Kiehn, C&W Technologies
“Using a Down Economy to Innovate and Succeed”

In today’s epiosode we speak with Eric Kiehn, the owner of C&W Technoligies.  His service provider business has lasted 36 years and has seen good times and bad.  Eric tells us about those experiences and the downturns often led to new revenue opportunities.

Episode 16: Matthew Bookspan, Blacktip IT “The Courage to Launch When The Forces Around You Say You Shouldn’t”

 Matthew Bookspan talks to us about the launch of Blacktip IT.  He did this at a time where most of us would be avoiding risk. Holding a six-figure job and with a baby on the way, Matthew and his wife made the decision to start and IT company and he has never looked back.

Episode 15: Craig Skevington,
Steadfast IT “How to Hook a Whale”

Today we speak with Craig Skevington of Steadfast IT.  He shares with us how Steadfast IT creates amazing customer experiences and how that generates new opportunity.  We then focus in on a large relationship they recently acquired and the steps Steadfast took to seal the deal.

Episode 14: Motivation through Sales Metrics

In another live case study we analyze sales metrics and how they reflect a Rep’s sales DNA.  We analyze the work plan of a rep Brian managed that produced consistently, followed a rigid work plan, and as result the metrics became levers for keeping performance on track.

Episode 13: Overcoming Sales Objections – The Two Headed Monster

As MSP’s work with their clients’ it is easy to get complacent and work exclusively through your primary point of contact.  What happens when then contact is not the sole decision maker and has an equal partner who has equal say in your renewal decision.  Can you be at risk?

Episode 12: How TSP’s can stay engaged with their clients

Today’s conversation focuses on client engagement, especially¬†when things are slow in the relationship and things are working and we have moved to cruise control.

Episode 11: Breaking Down the Sales Prospecting Process

Today’s we break down the prospecting process, how to get organized, focused, and targeted in your plan.

Episode 10: How Does Your Management Style Change with a Remote Workforce?

With more an more staff working from home and many businesses looking at making that move permanent for their staff, we look at the impact on manage those teams and steps to take to keep everyone productive.

Episode 9: Should I focus my MSP on a specific Vertical? 

Going Vertical! Sounds like we may be talking with skater or snowboarders, but the vertical we will be speaking about today is singular focus on one industry.¬† Many MSP’s have adopted the vertical approach, and quite a few with huge success as we can see in the ChannelE2E’s Annual Top 100 Vertical MSP report.

Episode 8: We Are Going Farming

In this episode we dig deep into the role of the MSP Inside Sales Representative. 

Episode 7: MSP Sales Models That Work

In this episode we MSP Sales models that can be leveraged beyond the owner led sales model.  We discuss how to get started and the steps you need to take to set yourself up for long-term customer acquisition success.

Episode 6: Social Media Strategy with Jason Moss

In this episode we have a special guest filling in for Robb and Tim.  Jason Moss, Director of Marketing at Allied Communications, shares with us the tips and tactics he has employed to grow the Allied following by nearly 600% in seven months on the job.

Episode 5: Driving Value and Revenue through effective Account Management

In this episode we discuss the role of the MSP Account Manager.   A great account manager can maximize the lifetime value of the relationship and ensure that the relationship sticks long-term

Episode 4: How to Build Amazing MSP Sales Teams

In this episode we discuss our the various sales approaches in use at MSP’s and MSSP’s today.  These include owner-led, inside/outside sales team, and hybrid sales models.  Robb discusses the realistic expectations for bringing on your first sales person and what support a new MSP Sales Rep will require.

Episode 3: Back to Work in the New Normal

We have hit the peak of the COVID crisis and our conversation focuses on what MSP’s can do to prepare to head back to work in the “New Normal”.  

Episode 2: What can Sales Managers do to Keep Staff Sharp

The Dean’s discuss the global condition of MSP sales teams during the COVID-19 crisis. Are they laying off staff? If not, what tasks are sales team taking as companies assess post-COVID damage.

We discuss what steps sales managers can take to keep their sales team engaged during this slow period and ready to execute when life returns to the “new normal”.

Episode 1: Economic Stimulus

In this episode we discuss our experiences in filing for the economic stimulus packages. 

We also talk about how to manage our remote teams as we work from home.  We highlight tools that can be used and some of the interesting things we need to adapt to in WFH.