Evolved Radio

Today on the podcast, I’m joined by Lucas Acosta, CEO of Foojee. Foojee is an MSP that focuses on supporting Mac environments. As a long-time Apple fanatic, I’m always interested in people working in the Apple ecosystem. Lucas and I discussed how supporting Mac environments is like supporting a stable Windows environment. This provides more opportunities to provide value to the customer. We talk a bit about how Windows-focused MSPs should think about the Mac fleets they manage. We also talk about what Lucas attributes his company growth to.  This episode is brought to you by Evolved Management Training Courses. Online courses specifically crafted for MSP needs. A Service Manager BootCamp course, a project manager for MSPs course, an MSP security fundamentals course, and an IT Documentation Done RIght course. Some links that were mentioned in the episode. training.apple.com macadmins.org

When I started the Evolved Radio podcast years ago, I intentionally made the episode format three digits. "001" I knew this was something I wasn't going to give up on after six episodes, which is the average number of episodes that new podcasts do before being abandoned. The podcast has evolved. I've focused more heavily on my target market of MSPs and IT service providers, but I still like to throw in some random nerdy stuff like fusion, drones, genetic engineering, and more. To celebrate a real milestone for me as I hit episode 100. I'm again evolving the podcast. This episode is a video podcast! I hope to add video to most future episodes as well. If you’d like to watch the video version, check it out on my YouTube channel here. This one is a collaboration with Kyle Christensen from K7 Leadership. We are talking about why the service manager plays such a crucial role in every MSP, how to be successful as a service manager, and what owners need to know about making their service manager successful. This was a really fun episode to jam on with Kyle. With occasional rants and fun observations from our time in the industry helping MSPs with exactly these kinds of issues. This episode is brought to you by Evolved Management Training Courses. Online courses specifically crafted for MSP needs. A Service Manager BootCamp course, a project manager for MSPs course, an MSP security fundamentals course, and an IT Documentation Done RIght course.

On this episode of Evolved Radio Podcast, I’m speaking with Orrin Klopper, CEO of Netsurit, a veteran of the IT industry since 1997. Orrin shares his journey from high school to becoming a leading figure in the field. But it's not just Orrin's personal story that we explore in this episode. We also discuss the current state of the managed service provider (MSP) industry. Orrin sheds light on the consolidation happening within the industry, driven by private equity firms and the desire for liquidity events. We learn about the challenges MSPs face in finding new customers and the impact of emerging technologies, particularly AI. Furthermore, Orrin reveals his company's unique approach to customer support agreements, highlighting the importance of incentivizing customers to follow recommendations. We also explore their company's "managed innovation" service and how it differentiates them from competitors. Moving beyond the industry, Orrin shares valuable insights into building a purposeful and supportive culture within an organization. We discuss the importance of supporting employees' dreams and aligning the company's purpose with that of their clients. We also dive into their programmatic approach to management, focusing on personal and professional development. Throughout the episode, Orrin emphasizes the significance of cultural alignment and differentiation in an industry where IT services are becoming increasingly commoditized. Join us on this episode as we explore the MSP industry and the power of supporting the dreams of the doers. Don't miss out on the valuable insights shared by Orrin, a true industry expert with a passion for growth and purpose This episode is brought to you by Evolved Management Training Courses. Training built for your MSP specific needs.

Today on the Evolved Radio Podcast, I’m joined by Brian Hoppe. Brian built, grew, and ran his MSP. He then went on to be acquired. In our conversation, Brian and I discuss the journey of his MSP life. We talk about his early growth through acquisitions, his thoughts on playing to a niche, some great lessons learned, like faking it till you make it, and how peer groups and mentors impacted him. There are lots of learnings that maybe help you on your business journey. Please enjoy my conversation with Brian. This episode of the podcast is brought to you by Evolved Training Courses. Training built for MSPs.

Today I’m joined by Phil Edgell of Edge Consulting. Phil and I met early in our tech careers and went on a similar journey in an explosive growth phase at the company we worked at. Phil’s experience is extremely wide-ranging, from starting as a tech to leading a world-class IT company and building the sale channel for several high-growth SaaS companies like Hootsuite and Revenue.io.  In this episode, Phil shares his insights on winning more business, the importance of role-playing, why cold calling gets a bad rap and actionable tips on identifying your ideal customer. Please enjoy this insightful conversation with Phil. This episode of the podcast is brought to you by Evolved Training Courses. Training built for MSPs.

Today on the Evolved Radio Podcast I’m chatting with Alex Dow, Chief Innovation Officer and co-founder of Mirai security.  Alex is an old friend and someone I deeply respect for his experience and knowledge of cybersecurity. He’s worked in the federal security space, securing the Olympics, and now runs a fast-growing security consulting firm in Vancouver.  Alex is also returning guest on the podcast. He originally joined me way back on episode 11 when we talked about drone racing. On today’s episode, we’re discussing the security mindset. What is a “good enough” cyber security strategy? The buying psychology of the business that is looking for security services, a ton of war stories from Alex’s travels in the security world. We even dip into the details of the recent LastPass security breach. Please enjoy my conversation with Alex. This episode of the podcast is brought to you by Evolved Training Courses. Training built for MSPs.

Today on the podcast I’m speaking with Colin Knox CEO and co-founder of Gradient MSP. Colin is an MSP channel veteran. He built and sold his MSP, and created Passportal, which he sold to Solarwinds. Now Colin is back at it with Gradient. Colin and I get real on the composition of the MSP market not being what a lot of people would seem to understand. How that influences the vendors and marketers of the industry and what effects that has on a huge majority of the MSP market.  We get on our soapboxes a bit in this one and talk about some really important topics. I hope you enjoy my conversation with Colin. This episode is brought to you by Evolved MSP Training.

Today on the Evolved Radio Podcast, I’m chatting with Shane Mishler from SD Tech. Shane and I discuss the power of partnership. The lessons he’s learned in running an IT business with his business partner. We chat about the pros and cons of having a business partner.  I explore how Shane and his partner share the responsibilities of the business and ensure effective communication between them. We also dig into how partnerships should be considered with clients and vendors.  This is a great conversation for anyone who owns a business with someone or is considering taking on a partner. This episode is brought to you by Evolved Training. Training courses built for MSPs.

Today on the Evolved Radio Podcast I’m joined by Matt Call, Assistant Professor of Management at Mays school of business @ Texas A&M. Matt’s research seeks to understand how organizations can create and capture value from their workforce, with a particular interest in star employees. His work has been featured in Wall Street Journal and numerous academic journals. We chat about identifying high performers, the downside risks of high performers, and how they should influence our thinking about stars as managers as well as members of teams. It’s a fascinating and practical discussion about how to increase the collaboration and cohesiveness of your teams. Please enjoy my discussion with Matt. This episode is brought to you by Evolved Management training.

Today on the podcast I’m joined by Alastair Woolcock, CSO with Revenue.io. Alastair has had an incredible career in technology sales, strategy, and industry analysis. Today Alastair is rolling those skills together to help build a sales enablement platform with Revenue.io. It’s a very cool technology that we touch on at the end of the interview. Alastair shares his thoughts and experience on the art and science of being successful at sales, the people, the tool, and the technology. Please enjoy my conversation with Alastair.