TubbTalk - The Podcast for IT Consultants: Recent Episodes
Richard Tubb
Richard Tubb, a leader and keynote speaker in the MSP community, brings interviews and updates on products, services and success stories in the Managed Service Provider world.
As Richard hangs up his headphones on TubbTalk, the podcast for managed service providers, he shares his final thoughts on his experiences of almost 20 years of running Tubblog, the hub for MSPs.
In this short solo show, he talks about the evolution of Tubblog and how it’s been a journey of consistency. He shares what the blog became and what it’s done for him, both personally and professionally.
He celebrates his friends and mentors, shares what’s next and how you can stay up to date with his plans. He also shares his three words for 2025 and how they’ve inspired him, and gives his final thoughts.
Mentioned in This Episode
- Personal website: Richard Tubb
- GoodReads author page: Richard Tubb
- Connect with Richard on LinkedIn
In this episode, Richard talks to Laura Cook. She’s a strategic advisor who helps expert business owners earning between 250k and £3 million break free from the trap of being tied to the day-to-day business.
She works with founders who feel stretched thin and want to scale the business without losing quality or burning out. She positions them for freedom for growth and even multimillion pound exits.
Laura has helped numerous business owners to triple their valuations, slash their working hours and build businesses that thrive without them.
Richard asks Laura what business owners should do if they don’t think they need an exit strategy or think the company can’t run without them. She shares her advice for preparing for unexpected time off, setting up processes for others to follow and how to strategically prepare your MSP for sale.
Laura talks through how to make yourself a good financial acquisition and why the specific vendors in your stack matter less than the tools you offer. She talks honestly about how to sell a family or close-knit business and what to do if you think your exiting would rock the boat.
Laura explains that you don’t have to transition all in one go, and touches on both the emotional side of a business exit, having the right mindset and how to deal with a sense of loss once you do leave. And if you’re feeling burnt out, why you shouldn’t just jump ship.
Richard asks Laura to talk about some of the practicalities, too. She addresses how to assess the value of your MSP and why having a niche can make your MSP more valuable. She also explains why you should plan your exit even if you change your mind later.
Mentioned in This Episode
- Laura Cook website
- PSA/RMM tool: SuperOps
- IT management software: ConnectWise
- PSA software: Autotask
- Book: Michael Gerber: The E-Myth Revisited
- Personal brand expert: Laura Pearman
- Personality test: Gallup StrengthsFinder
In this episode of TubbTalk, Richard talks to Scott Riley. He’s the founder of Inside Agent, a platform that makes complex M365 security an absolute breeze for managed service providers.
His journey has taken him from being Chief Strategy Officer at one of the UK's largest MSPs, then running his own successful cloud solution provider business, to building this platform that helps MSPs work smarter, not harder.
Scott talks about how he got into the industry and explains what Cloud Nexus (his other company) does. He shares why he started Inside Agent and how they’re leveraging AI.
Richard asks Scott how the platform keeps client data safe, how to use it for prospecting and how it helps with scalability and consistency. They discuss the pricing and contract setup and how to deploy Inside Agent for the first time.
Scott shares his learnings from past challenges, why you need to value your people, who his mentors and inspirations are, and who he is outside of work. And he also shares a long-held belief he’s changed his opinion about.
Mentioned in This Episode
- Inside Agent
- Cloud Nexus
- AI tool: ChatGPT
- AI workflow automation: n8n
- Automation platform: Zapier
- Speaker and author: Karl Palachuk
- MSP expert: Erick Simpson
- AI tool: Claude
- Documentation Software: IT Glue
- Microsoft Secure Score
- Bearded 365 Guy: Inside Agent video demo
- MSP community: The Tech Tribe
- IT expert: Lyle Kirschenbaum
- IT expert: Dan Baird
In this interview, Richard Tubb talks to Kristian Walker. He’s an Account Executive - New Business at Huntress. Huntress are one of the world’s leading cybersecurity organisations. Kristian has been making waves sharing some great advice on MSP sales through his online videos.
Kristian talks about his journey in the IT sector and what a typical day looks like for him. Richard asks him to share why many MSPs struggle with sales and his view on sales.
Kristian talks through how to demonstrate the real value in MSP services, why your approach to client sales has to change and the biggest mistake he sees MSPs make with sales, as well as why engineers should get involved in sales chats.
Richard asks Kristian for his top tips for better sales conversations, as well as the single thing you can do to have more sales in the rest of 2025. Kristian also explains the Neighbourhood Watch solution from Huntress, what MSPs want (and don’t want) from vendors and what to look for in partner relationships.
Richard asks Kristian how he started making videos for LinkedIn and how it feels to put yourself out there. He shares why a mindset shift will give you more confidence to do video, why you don’t need fancy kit to get started, and the responses he’s had to what he puts out.
Finally, Richard asks what’s the best part of Kristian’s job, what the job has taught him about himself and who he is outside of work. He also shares who inspires him in and out of the MSP world.
Mentioned in This Episode
- Huntress
- IT solutions: Datto
- Author and speaker: Karl Palachuk
- MSP community: GTIA
- Sales development leader at Huntress: Tracie Orisko
- VP Ecosystem Evangelism at ConnectWise: Arlin Sorensen
- Sales engineer at Huntress: Sasha Roshan
- MSP community: The Tech Tribe
- Video platform: Bonjoro
In this episode, Richard talks to Myles Peart. He's the Technical Director of NetSec, a UK-based managed service provider. The company recently won a prestigious MSP award from SuperOps and were named Emerging MSP of the Year.
Myles talks about the experience of entering awards and what it’s like being a winner. He shares his journey in the MSP space, how he set NetSec up, their current tool stack and how his wife came to join the company.
Richard asks Myles to explain why he encourages platform unification for SMBs and how his clients find using M365 almost exclusively. They discuss why a focus on cybersecurity is a good idea and the value in forming strategic business alliances.
Myles shares the NetSec approach to customer relationships and why the company focused on successful project delivery in their early days. He talks about how he keeps up with the pace of tech changes and his experiences working with coaches for business and health.
Mentioned in This Episode
- NetSec
- PSA/RMM platform: SuperOps
- SuperOps MSP awards
- Cybersecurity tool: Heimdal Security
- Password manager: Keeper Security
- Cloud backup: N-able Cove
- Email signature software: Exclaimer
- Certification: Cyber Essentials
- Microsoft automation tool: Power Automate
- Scott Riley of Inside Agent
- News site: Legal News Wales
- Tech careers for young people CyberFirst
- UK government security centre: NCSC
- David Brereton of MysonPages
- Automation platform: Zapier
- Business event: Ideas Fest
- Entrepreneur seminar: James Sinclair Business Master Class
In this interview, Richard Tubb speaks to John Espirian, a technical copywriter for many years. Having seen success on LinkedIn, he now works exclusively as a LinkedIn consultant.
He has a private community to help people get their businesses seen online, and is the co-founder and co-host of Uplift Live, a LinkedIn-focused annual conference.
Richard asks John about AI-generated posts and responses on LinkedIn and how to find a happy medium. They discuss using company pages, Sales Navigator and the premium version of the platform.
John shares a ton of helpful advice on how to be relentlessly helpful and create content your audience will value, how to use LinkedIn to grow your business and what you should do if you feel like you’re being left behind.
Richard asks John about some dos and don’ts when using the platform, including third-party tools, sending DMs and connection requests, the benefits of getting recommendations and how to use LinkedIn Ads.
John explains what’s working well on LinkedIn right now and how to stand out. He shares some quick wins to improve your personal profile and why consistency is the key to success.
Mentioned in This Episode
- Espirian
- Connect with John on LinkedIn
- Join Espresso+
- Richard's previous interview with John
- LinkedIn Conference: UpLift Live
- LinkedIn Company Pages expert: Michelle Raymond
- LLM/AI company: OpenAI
- Content expert: Juma Bannister
- LinkedIn expert: Louise Brogan
- Book: John Espirian: Content DNA
- Book: Bob Burg: The Go-Giver
- Content marketing expert: Mark Schaefer
- Lunchtime LinkedIn event: UpLift Live Nano
In this episode, Richard speaks to Gerald Beuchelt. He's the Chief Information Security Officer at Acronis, a company protecting millions of endpoints across 54 data centres, many of them managed by MSPs just like you.
He's led security through IPOs, a $5 billion merger, and now heads up the Acronis Threat Research Unit, or TRU. And that's a team uncovering wild cyber threats that potentially pose a risk to all MSPs and their clients.
Richard asks Gerald to explain the role of a CISO in his own words, how he got into cybersecurity and how his background in mathematics helps him in his work today.
They explore the Acronis Threat Research Unit (TRU) and what Acronis looks like in 2025, with Gerald talking through the changes they’ve made. He also offers suggestions on how MSPs can deal with vendor fatigue and how bringing everything into one place makes it easier.
Richard asks Gerald to explain what a cyber snake and chaosRAT are and how MSPs can support clients using older systems, as well as cyber threats to be aware of and how to educate clients on them.
Gerald shares his thoughts on what a security-first MSP is, why EDR and RMM are merging and how MSPs can prepare for that and how AI use by cyber criminals is getting ever more sophisticated.
He gives one practical habit MSPs can use to improve their security posture, how to get started with Acronis and make the most of its features and what’s coming next for the organisation.
Mentioned in This Episode
- Acronis
- Windows domain networks directory: Active Directory
- Computer programme: Kerberos
- Threat knowledge base: MITRE ATT&CK
- Verizon breach report
- CRM software: Salesforce
- Cyber threat: Sidewinder ATP
- Speaker and author: Karl Palachuk
- Dark web: Digital Underground
- MSP event: MSP Global
- Cyber event: Infosec London
- Cloned Richard podcast
In this episode, Richard Tubb speaks to Polly Brennan, a renowned mental fitness coach. She supports organisations to bring themselves back to a healthier mindset, boosting resilience and wellbeing no matter what comes along.
Polly explains what mental fitness is, her approach to it and her journey from the NHS to running her business. She and Richard discuss why we should all talk about mental health and normalise the challenges people have.
Polly shares her thoughts on how MSP owners can bring the spirit of adventure into their workplace culture, why they need to give their team permission to make mistakes and how to build a connected team.
Richard asks Polly for some practical advice on how to manage wellbeing, how to create a workplace culture where mental health is openly talked about and how leaders can not only support their employees but manage their own mental health.
Polly explains why multitasking doesn’t work and why everyone needs a coach, even coaches. She also explains why simplicity and consistency are key for mental fitness and how we can all learn to be more resilient, as well as one daily habit to strengthen yours.
Richard and Polly discuss why you should start and end your day with intention and some quick tricks to get out of work mode at the end of the day, as well as why breathwork and meditation are beneficial.
Richard asks Polly about the biggest adventure of her career so far, her new membership and why she’s a Brené Brown coach. Polly talks about firewalking and glass walking and shares the books and people who’ve inspired her.
Mentioned in This Episode
- Polly’s website: Adventurous Coaching
- Koast Radio
- Richard’s interview on Koast Radio
- Richard's book: The IT Business Owner's Survival Guide
- Academic: Brené Brown
- Personality profiling: i3 profiling
- Team communication tool: Slack
- Slack polling tool: Geekbot
- Podcast interview with Kevin O' Laughlin of Nostra IT
- Podcast interview with Dray Aga of Huntress
- Free download: five first steps for MSP owners noticing mental strain
- Speaker and author: Karl Palachuk
- Podcast interview with Nigel Moore of The Tech Tribe
- Podcast interview with Dan Scott of Evolve/IT Nation
- Polly’s online on demand mental fitness programme: Adventure Map
- Polly's membership: The Adventure Club
- Logi Firewalking
- Performing circus: Let’s Circus
- Comedian: Cal Halbert
- Book: Bob Burg: The Go-Giver: A Little Story About a Powerful Business Idea
- Book: Bill Perkins: Die with Zero: Getting All You Can from Your Money and Your Life
- Book: Hugh van Cuylenburg: The Resilience Project: Finding Happiness Through Gratitude, Empathy and Mindfulness
- Book: Belinda Kirk: Adventure Revolution: The life-changing power of choosing challenge
- Book: Brené Brown: Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead
- Brené Brown leadership programme: Dare to Lead
- Connected Coaching Northeast
In this episode of TubbTalk, Richard Tubb speaks to Kevin O'Loughlin, the founder of Irish MSP Nostra. He started it in 2006 with the aim of making a positive impact and demonstrating Ireland's potential for global success.
From a starting pioneering cloud email adoption service in 2007, Nostra has grown to deliver €50,000,000 in annual revenue and is growing at 30% year on year through strategic acquisitions and organic growth. And it's on its journey to become a market leading, full-service IT managed service of either business.
Kevin tells Richard why he founded Nostra, their approach to cybersecurity and the tech stack they use, as well as why cannibalising the services they offer has led to growth.
Richard asks Kevin about the companies they partner with and why it’s important to nurture your vendor relationships. They also discuss why MSPs are so resistant to change in an industry where change happens constantly.
Having gone through several mergers and acquisitions, Kevin explains Nostra’s approach to them and red flags to be aware of. He also shares his tips on choosing the right tools for your MSP without feeling overwhelmed.
Finally, Richard asks Kevin how he became an Entrepreneur of the Year finalist and what that meant for him and Nostra. Kevin shares how he keeps going when things are hard, and reveals his biggest inspirations.
Mentioned in This Episode
- Nostra
- MSP community: IT Nation
- Cybersecurity and backup: Datto
- Cybersecurity software: Acronis
- IT management software: Kaseya
- Cybersecurity partner: Huntress
- Cybersecurity software: Webroot
- SOC as a Service: Enhanced (Formerly InSoc)
- MSP solutions: Barracuda
- PSA tool: Autotask
- Network security: SonicWall
- Cloud marketplace: Pax8
- Book: Rhonda Byrne: The Secret
- Investor: Ray Dalio
- Author and speaker: Tony Robbins
- Investor: Warren Buffett
In this episode of TubbTalk, Richard Tubb is joined by Kennedy, the founder of Email Marketing Heroes and the host of the Email Marketing Show podcast.
He’s a professional mind reader turned email marketing expert. He combines psychology, showmanship and strategy to provide his clients with seriously powerful marketing insights.
Richard asks Kennedy what MSPs are missing out on by not having a proper email marketing strategy, and how getting it right means your clients know, like and trust you.
Kennedy shares his advice on the importance of consistency, segmentation and how to get prospects onto your list, as well as why you can’t just rely on social media to grow your MSP.
He also shares his approach to writing emails and how to get personality into your emails without losing credibility, as well as how to avoid your newsletters ending up in the spam or read later folders.
Richard also asks Kennedy about his business, Email Marketing Heroes, the Email Marketing Show podcast, how he became a mind-reader and why he’s in performer mode so often, even when he’s off-stage.
Kennedy explains how to measure the ROI of marketing and emails in your MSP business, a simple automation that even the smallest MSP should have in place, and one thing you think you want from email marketing that you actually don’t.
Mentioned in This Episode
- Kennedy's website
- Book: Bob Burg: The Go-Giver: A Little Story About a Powerful Business Idea
- Event (Newcastle upon Tyne): The Podcast Paddock
- Download the free Fast and Forever Framework
- Sign up for Kennedy’s email newsletter
Time for another Team Tubb Travelogue! This time, Lenka Koppova catches up withRichard Tubb and Pascal Fintoni, who are in Manchester for the SuperOps SuperSummit 2025.
Grab a cup of your favourite tea or coffee, relax and join them for a fun conversation about the highlights from this big event.
Pascal explains how the talks followed the journey a customer might take, from marketing through to sending a proposal, which was a really effective way to showcase how AI can help at each stage.
Richard highlighted a talk from the VP of Product, Damo Vasudevan, on using AI assisted dashboards and for automation to improve service delivery.
They were also joined by special guest Kimmah Lewis, who explained how she and her team put the event together and how much work goes into planning the day.
Also Mentioned in the Travelogue
- The opening keynote from the CEO of SuperOps and closing remarks by the VP of Global Marketing
- The benefits of a no-pitch event
- How AI helps MSPs deliver better, faster and cheaper while maintaining quality
- Where AI has been used badly
- The importance of collaboration, supporting your community and the human touch
- Expert panel sessions
- Swag bags
What is the TubbTalk Travelogue?
These are ad-hoc, bonus episodes of our regular TubbTalk podcast, recorded live at an event. A member of TeamTubb calls Richard for an on-the-ground update on what they’ve learned and their highlights from the day.
What to Know about the SuperOps SuperSummit
SuperSummit is the flagship event from PSA-RMM experts SuperOps. They host these virtually and in-person, and 2025 is the first time they held an event in Manchester.
The free, one-day event is open to all managed service provider (MSP) owners and IT professionals, and provides plenty of networking opportunities, exhibitor stands and talks from industry legends. Lunch, refreshments and an after-party were also supplied!
This year's focus was on AI and how to use it to grow and scale your MSP business. There were dos and don'ts, trends to be aware of and practical advice on how to get started with AI. And as it was strictly a no-pitch space, attendees got plenty of value without the waffle.
Were you at the SuperOps SuperSummit too? Send us a voice recording with your highlights, and we will add your comments to our next Team Tubb Travelogue!
In this episode of TubbTalk, Richard speaks to Matt Middleton-Leal, Managing Director, EMEA North of Qualys, a pioneering and disruptive cloud-based IT, security and compliance solutions provider.
Matt shares his journey in the MSP industry and what studying aeronautics taught him about risk management. He also explains who Qualys are and what they do, before digging into risk and risk management.
He and Richard discuss what MSPs are missing when it comes to risk, and whether or not their clients fully understand its importance. From there, Matt explains why Qualys provide a Risk Operations Centre (ROC) solution and how that works.
He shares how a ROC can be an opportunity for MSPs, but why they need a mindset shift first. Richard asks Matt why he thinks some businesses are investing in risk management, but why there’s reluctance from some clients.
They also discuss governance, using ROC to reduce CISO burnout, and demonstrating how you’re helping clients with risk mitigation. Matt also shares what the experience of being a Qualys partner is like for an MSP.
Finally, Richard asks Matt what he does outside of work and how he keeps his cybersecurity knowledge up to date, what’s next for Qualys and what Matt sees as the future of cybersecurity.
Mentioned in This Episode
- Qualys
- Book: Richard Seiersen: How to Measure Anything in Cybersecurity Risk
- UK government agency: National Cyber Security Centre
- Certification: Cyber Essentials
Time for another Team Tubb Travelogue! This time, Lenka Koppova catches up with Richard Tubb and James Steel of Salesbuildr, who are in Birmingham for UpLift Live 2025, a conference focused entirely on LinkedIn.They were also briefly joined by a special guest, so listen in to find out who!
Grab a cup of your favourite tea or coffee, relax and join them for a fun conversation about the highlights from this big event.
Richard says he really liked the supportive community. About 40% of the attendees are LinkedIn professionals, and the rest are people who use LinkedIn to market their business. It's good that not all of the delegates are trainers.
James shared how much he appreciated the advice on using LinkedIn for different things - you don't have to be professional and business-like all the time. You can share personal updates, you can use long-form videos to get your message across and you can be yourself and succeed on LinkedIn.
Also Mentioned in the Podcast* Live sketch notes and subtitles throughout the day * Dedicated WhatsApp group for all attendees - available straight after registration * LinkedIn group for all attendees * Variety of topics covered during the event * And of course, the Travelogue quiz!
What is the TubbTalk Travelogue?These are ad-hoc, bonus episodes of our regular TubbTalk podcast, recorded live at an event. A member of TeamTubb calls Richard for an on-the-ground update on what they’ve learned and their highlights from the day.
What to Know About UpLift Live 2025UpLift Live is the UK’s first and only conference dedicated solely to mastering LinkedIn. Attendees learn how to transform their LinkedIn strategy while networking with other business owners and entrepreneurs, and hear from expert speakers on all aspects of LinkedIn.
The hosts are:
- John Espirian, a technical copywriter and Linkedin speaker and trainer
- Gus Bhandal, marketing expert and LinkedIn trainer
- Jeremy Freeman, a content writer
In this interview, Richard Tubb speaks to Daniel Priestley. He’s a worldwide renowned entrepreneur, international speaker, and best-selling author, an expert in business growth, personal branding, and entrepreneurship.
He’s the author of several books which provide actionable strategies for entrepreneurs looking to stand out, attract opportunities, and scale. He’s helped thousands of business owners and thought leaders position themselves as industry influencers.
Richard interviewed Daniel at IT Nation Connect Europe and asked him to share his experiences and also explain what he does. Daniel talked though how MSPs can become oversubscribed and how to become a key person of influence.
He and Richard talked about the importance of working on your business rather than in it, how to craft your 60 second pitch and where MSPs should focus their efforts to see the biggest returns.
Daniel discusses how to use vendor relationships to become a key person of influence and explains the difference between being an expert and being an authority – and why it matters.
Richard asks Daniel to explain why having a personal brand doesn’t mean your business is over-reliant on you being present, how to be a successful key person of influence as a service-based business and how to stand out in a sea of AI content.
Daniel shares a common myth about personal branding that MSPs should stop believing, the best investment you can make for that personal brand, and why you should be part of a mastermind. He also reveals the people and books who’ve inspired him.
Mentioned in This Episode
- MSP community event: IT Nation Connect
- Book: Daniel Priestley: Key Person of Influence
- Book: Daniel Priestley: Oversubscribed
- Book: Daniel Priestley: Entrepreneur Revolution
- Pocast: Diary of a CEO
- Podcast: The Joe Rogan Experience
- IT management software: ConnectWise
- Marketing conference: Atomicon
- Business conference: Start Up Week
- Book: Francis Rodino: Leads Machine
- Book: Peter Thiel: Zero to One
- Book: Ray Dalio: Principles
- Book: Brent Schlender: Becoming Steve Jobs
- Book: Andre Agassi: Open (autobiography)
- Podcast: Peter Kujawa of ConnectWise
- MSP conference: IT Nation Evolve
- IT Nation Community Director, EMEA: Dan Scott
- Entrepreneur: Stephen Bartlett
- Author and podcast host: Jay Shetty
In this episode, Richard speaks to Peter Kujawa. Peter is a seasoned executive attorney and industry leader with a wealth of experience in the MSP space. He now heads up the service leadership at IT Nation, part of the team at ConnectWise, overseeing IT Nation Connect, IT Nation Evolve peer groups and the partner advisory councils.
Peter tells Richard how they foster and cultivate a strong community, and why it’s important that everyone in the leadership team has a go-giver mentality. He also touches on the types of MSP who join IT Nation, and how they use their membership for success.
Richard asks Peter to explain the service leadership index 2025 annual IT solution provider compensation report and they discuss a couple of key points from it – around wage inflation and the fact that the more profitable MSPs tend to pay lower salaries.
Peter also shares his advice from his time running an MSP and how he grew it, the mistakes he sees others make when trying to scale and the big opportunities for MSPs at the moment, as well as why AI isn’t taking away jobs.
This episode was recorded live in London at IT Nation Connect Europe 25, so Peter explains what organisers ConnectWise were hoping to achieve, the attendance figures, why competitors are welcome and the decision to make the conference an annual event.
Mentioned in This Episode
- IT Nation
- IT Software: ConnectWise
- MSP community event: IT Nation Connect
- Peer groups: IT Nation Evolve
- Book: Bob Burg: The Go-Giver
- Consultation solutions: Service Leadership
- Podcast: Richard’s interview with Dan Scott
In this special bonus episode of TubbTalk, recorded in person at IT Nation Connect Europe 2025, Richard Tubb catches up with Phylip Morgan Chief Revenue Officer at Pax8. A futurist, Phylip spoke on stage on the topic of ‘the robots are coming.’
Phylip tells Richard what things will look like in 2030 and how to take baby steps to prepare for what’s next, and he also shares some important things that MSPs need to be aware of with AI.
Richard also asks Phylip to share some of the best resources within the Pax8A Academy, available to all partners. They discuss what the Pax8 and ConnectWise partnership means for MSP clients, and how to use the MSP Marketplace for growth.
Mentioned in This Episode
- Pax8
- MSP events: IT Nation Connect
- IT management software: ConnectWise
- Learning platform: Pax8 Academy
- Cloud marketplace: Pax8 Marketplace
Time for another Team Tubb Travelogue! This time, Gudrun Lauret catches up with Richard Tubb, Lenka Koppova and special guest, Sean Lardo of ConnectWise, who are in London for IT Nation Connect Europe 2025.
Grab a cup of your favourite tea or coffee, relax and join them for a fun conversation about the highlights from this big event.
Richard gives shoutouts to Southern IT and Damien Harrison of North-East MSP Bondgate IT, Lenka shares her event highlights and Sean explains how they organise the conference.
Plus… the Team Tubb Travelogue Quiz is back! Can answer Richard, Lenka and Sean answer Gudrun's London-themed questions?
What to Know About IT Nation Connect Europe 2025
IT Nation Connect Europe 2025 is a three-day event designed for managed service providers (MSPs) who want to enhance their business value and gain a competitive edge in today’s rapidly evolving technology landscape.
Organised by ConnectWise, the event features keynote speakers, breakout sessions, exhibition stands, specialist meet-ups (women in tech, M&A, cybersecurity) and networking and socialising opportunities galore. It's one of the best events for forward-looking MSPs.
Were you at IT Nation Connect Europe 2025 too? Send us a voice recording with your highlights, and we'll add your comments to our next Team Tubb Travelogue!
In this interview, Team Tubb’s Kareena Barat speaks to Nicki Kinton, the founder of Confident Cashflow, a Wiltshire-based finance business. A credit management professional, Nicki works with companies of all sizes.
She specialises in helping clients hit their growth goals, tackling cash flow issues and developing better credit management strategies. Here, she shares her advice on improving your MSP cash flow.
Nicki explains who her typical clients are and how she helps them. She talks through how to understand credit, why every MSP needs a credit policy and why late payments aren’t the root cause of your cash flow issues.
Nicki shares the five-pillar framework she uses with her Confident Cashflow clients, how your mindset on payment terms influences cash glow, and how to improve your credit management processes and policies.
She talks through the steps businesses can implement to avoid frequent late payments and when they happen, how to feel confident chasing them up. She also shares who inspires her and recommends her favourite books.
Mentioned in This Episode
- Confident Cashflow
- Nicki's workshop
- Book: Thomas Erikson: Surrounded by Idiots: The Four Types of Human Behaviour (or, How to Understand Those Who Cannot Be Understood) (Vermilion)
- Personality test: DiSC Profile
- Book: Dr Andy Cope: The Art of Being Brilliant
In this episode, Richard Tubb is joined by MJ Shoer. MJ is the Chief Community Officer of the newly-formed GTIA, previously part of the non-profit CompTIA.
A former IT director and MSP owner, MJ did a spell of consulting before joining certification and community organisation CompTIA.
In this interview, MJ shares how the acquisition of CompTIA, the split between the two sides of the organisation and the formation of the Global Technology Industry Association (GTIA), as well as the relationship between the two new companies.
Richard asks MJ what the response has been to GTIA and the feedback they’ve had from MSPs. MJ explains the town hall meetings they’re holding and their plans to expand GTIA, plus he shares the story behind the name and the new branding.
MJ shares his thoughts on why MSPs should join GTIA and the value they’ll get from attending events like ChannelCon. He reveals his hopes for the future of the organisation, and flags some big industry changes that MSPs should pay attention to.
Mentioned in This Episode
- GTIA
- CompTIA
- Podcast: Why CompTIA are the MSP Industry's Best-Kept Secret
- Podcast: Best-Kept Secret to Global Leader: The Remarkable Evolution of CompTIA
- The GTIA online suggestion box
- GTIA Events
In this episode of TubbTalk, Richard Tubb is joined by Andy O'Neil. Having started out in roles within various MSPs, he then went to work for Autotask. Today, he’s leading the managed services function at Numata, a global MSP founded in South Africa.
Andy talks through his experiences in MSPs and what is was like ‘crossing the divide’ into the vendor space. He explains the cultural differences he’s seen in the industry in differences, and what it’s like in South Africa.
Richard asks Andy about how the PSA market has evolved over the last decade and what’s next, the wrong assumptions MSPs make about them, and how they can better leverage their PSA.
They also discuss how MSPs can make a big impact with the tools they use as well as how to customise a PSA. Andy shares his advice on dealing with alert fatigue, and pitfalls to avoid with billing. He also talks about his new role at Numata.
Mentioned in This Episode
- Numata IT
- IT Management software: ConnectWise
- PSA tool: Halo
- PSA/RMM platform: SuperOps
- Data backup platform: Datto
- IT and security platform: Kaseya
- IT and MSP Business Growth Expert: Ian Luckett
- Helping Ambitious MSPs to Scale to £1m: Stuart Warwick
- Business expert: Karl Palachuk
- Accounting software: Xero
In this episode, Richard Tubb speaks to Chris Pottrell. He’s the managing director of Nebula IT, an MSP with a strong focus on cybersecurity. Their comprehensive set of services make them an innovative MSP to watch.
Richard asks Chris about their typical clients, their current tool stack and how they came to work with the Ministry of Defence. Chris also explains how Nebula ended up running their own events.
They then dig into some of the key tools Nebula use: Huntress’ cybersecurity solutions, inforcer for 365 management, and Pax8’s cloud solutions, and shares an example of how Huntress helped them with a client problem.
Chris also explains why MSPs should outsource their SOC and view their outsourcing partners as an extension of their team, as well as how this can help you to define your niche.
Richard asks Chris about Nebula’s approach to SIEM, why they offer cybersecurity awareness training and their experiences with Azure Virtual Desktop and making it a successful client solution.
Chris talks about the internal culture at Nebula, how he looks out for innovation opportunities and what excellence means to him. He shares the new tech that he’s excited about and why MSPs should embrace AI.
Mentioned in This Episode
- Cybersecurity experts: Huntress
- UK cyber assurance standard: IASME
- Cloud marketplace: Pax8
- IT management software: ConnectWise
- PSA tool: Autotask
- Accounting software: Xero
- 365 management tool: inforcer
- 365 management tool: Inside Agent
- Cybersecurity compliance: OneClickComply
- Cybersecurity platform: SentinelOne
- Cloud-native SIEM solution: Azure Sentinel
- Podcast interview with Dray Agha
- AI assistant: Microsoft Copilot
- Data management tool: Mozart Data
- Cybersecurity accreditation (UK): Cyber Essentials
- Information security certification: ISO 27001
- Virtualize Microsoft desktops: Azure Virtual Desktop
- Podcast interview with Andy Readman
- Endpoint management: Microsoft Intune
- Richard’s appearance on Luis Geraldo of Scalepad’s podcast
- MSP peer group: IT Nation Evolve
- Podcast interview with Eric Ostlund
- MSP event: Pax8 Beyond EMEA
- MSP event: DattoCon Europe
- MSP event: Pax8 Beyond Denver
In this episode, Richard Tubb speaks to Sergio Farache, the EVP of strategy and global technology business at TD SYNNEX. In this interview, he talks specifically about StreamOne®. A cloud management platform, it integrates with your MSP systems to assist you in expanding your cloud business.
Sergio explains his role within the organisation, what TD SYNNEX and StreamOne® is, and how it helps managed service providers. He talks about how they help security operations, how they evaluate vendor partners and their approach to AI.
Richard and Sergio then dig into StreamOne®. They look at how it works for MSPs, the PSA platforms it connects with, and the cloud platforms it supports, as well as its reporting capabilities.
They discuss life cycle management, the financial impact of using manual billing and reconciliation and what it means for MSPs who have their own online shop fronts and portals.
Sergio shares his advice on how to make Infrastructure as a Service and usage management easier, as well as other significant opportunities for MSPs. He shares his best advice, where he goes to keep up to date with the industry, and what keeps him engaged with the industry.
Mentioned in This Episode
- TD SYNNEX
- StreamOne®
- Design software tool: Datech (from TD SYNNEX)
- MSP technology and IT software: ConnectWise
- PSA tool: Autotask
- Digital software: ServiceNow
- Channel Academy (from TD SYNNEX)
In this unique TubbTalk episode, Richard Tubb becomes the guest! He was interviewed on The Remarkable People Show, broadcast earlier this year (2024). It’s hosted by Polly Brennan and Maggie Martin on Koast Radio, a local station in the north east of England.
Richard shares his experiences of moving to the North East with his wife Claire and why it feels like home. He tells Polly and Maggie the origin story of his company, Tubblog, and how the TubbTalk podcast evolved from there.
Richard also talks openly about his mental health challenges and how he supports his wellbeing with tactics to be resilient and to feel good on a day to day basis, even when things are tough.
He also shares what he does in his downtime, who inspires him and the famous person he’d love to have dinner with. He tells Polly and Maggie the best piece of advice he’s ever been given, and how he’d like to leave the world a better place.
Mentioned in This Episode
- Department for Business and Trade
- Author and journalist: Chris Brogan
- Book: Bob Burg: The Go-Giver: A Little Story About a Powerful Business Idea
- Meditation app: Headspace
- Entrepreneur and author: Steven Bartlett
- Copywriter and content marketer: Gudrun Lauret
- British actor: Brian Blessed
In this interview, Richard Tubb speaks to Rob Rae, Corporate Vice President of Community and Ecosystems for Pax8. They're a cloud marketplace for future-focused managed service providers (MSP). After 20 years in the channel, Rob has a lot of advice on how to build better MSP ecosystems.
Richard asks Rob for his thoughts on the recent Pax8 Beyond EMEA event, how he thinks events impact the wider MSP community and what the plans are for future conferences.
Rob shares his journey in the channel and why he left Datto to work at Pax8, as well as what his day to day routine looks like. He talks about their company culture, what they’re up to behind the scenes and the realities of expanding into new continents.
Richard asks Rob what he thinks of the recent CompTIA acquisition (Rob is a board member), the lessons he’s learned from his time in the industry and the advice he’d give to potential leaders, as well as who he goes to for inspiration and support.
- Cybersecurity and backup: Datto
- MSP Technology and IT Management: ConnectWise
- IT & security management: Kaseya
- Podcast: Rob Rae bonusode
- Dan Wensley, Operating Advisor, Top Down Ventures; Strategic Advisor, ScalePad
- Cybersecurity and data protection tool: Acronis
- IT certifications and training: CompTIA
- Austin McChord, Chief Executive Officer at Casana
- Charlie Tamayo from Roost
- Paul Redding at CyberQP
- Scott Barlow, Sophos NextGen Cybersecurity Channel Sales Leader
- Jason Magee
- Nadia Karatsoreos, Channel Sales and Marketing Specialist, n-Able
- Christine Gassman, VP of Community at Mailprotector
- Pax8 Beyond 2025
In this interview, Richard Tubb speaks to Colin Hogg, the vice president of sales for Couchdrop. They have an amazing migration solution for MSPs called Movebot. It makes it much easier to do data migrations for your clients.
Colin explains the Movebot Migration solution and how the organisation manages rapid technology developments and how they quickly respond to and fix issues. He also talks about how they do the most common migrations for MSPs, and their real-time monitoring.
Richard asks Colin how Movebot supports their MSP clients when things go wrong, and the advice he’d give on how to email migration, and how to do SharePoint migrations more effectively.
Colin shares how they keep up to date with all the different platforms and how they work, as well as which products and platforms Movebot currently support. He also touches on Couchdrop as a company, and gives his advice to MSPs who want to DIY their data migrations.
Mentioned in This Episode
- Podcast interview with Michael Lawson
- Video walkthrough demo of Movebot
- Free trial of Movebot
- Movebot’s parent company and SFTP solution: Couchdrop
- Multi-tier storage: Apache Ignite
- Microsoft collaboration tool: SharePoint
In this episode, Richard Tubb speaks to Luis Giraldo, the Chief Evangelist for ScalePad, a company that offers a collection of applications to help MSPs launch their growth. In the IT space, he is something of an MSP guru.
He has also been an MSP, CEO, SaaS consultant and an active member of the CompTIA peer group. And in this interview, he tells Richard about his journey to his current role and his live podcast show.
He talks about his podcast, MSP Confidential, and his second career as a jazz musician, what he does in his down time and shares the books that have inspired him the most.
Richard asks Luis to talk in depth about ScalePad: how they help MSPs and the type of businesses they attract, and how to get started with the solution. Luis also shares the biggest misconception that MSPs have about vendors like ScalePad?
And on the vendor side, Richard asks Luis the number one thing they can do to improve the customer experience, as well as the one thing a typical vendor doesn’t appreciate about the life of an MSP?
They discuss what makes the MSP space unique, why you should attend industry events, and how to maintain your resilience in the face of a constantly shifting environment.
Luis also shares his experience of being Vice Chair at CompTIA and his thoughts on their recent acquisition. He explains Stoicism and how that’s changed his approach to life and business, and mentions his venture capital interests through Top Down Ventures.
Mentioned in This Episode
- Fully Managed by TELUS Business from Chris Blay
- Documentation solution: IT Glue
- IT management: N-able
- Luis Giraldo music
- Book: Ray Dalio: Principles: Life and Work
- ScalePad MSP survey
- Client management: Lifecycle Managers (ScalePad solution)
- GRC (governance, risk and compliance) tool: ControlMap (ScalePad solution)
- QBR tools: Lifecycle Insights (ScalePad solution)
- Backup monitoring: Backup Radar (ScalePad solution)
- BI tool: Cognition360 (ScalePad solution)
- Quoting software: Quoter (ScalePad solution)
- Matthew Bookspan of Blacktip IT
- MSP conference: IT Nation Connect
- MSP conference from N-able: Empower
- MSP peer group: ConnectWise Evolve
- Shawn Walsh and Dave Cava from Encore Strategic
- Cloud marketplace Pax8 peer groups
- Peer group: CompTIA
- Mark Cohen
- Peer group: The Tech Tribe
- Podcast interview with MJ Shoer, CompTIA’s Chief Community Officer
- Podcast interview with Dan Scott of IT Nation
- Podcast interview with Todd Thibodeaux, President and Chief Executive Officer of CompTIA
- Podcast interview with Arlin Sorensen of ConnectWise
- Book: Ryan Holliday: The Daily Stoic: 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of Living: Featuring new translations of Seneca, Epictetus, and Marcus Aurelius
- Investment company: Top Down Ventures
- Digital photo journal: Blipfoto
- Podcast interview with David Brereton of Myson Pages
- Book: Bob Burg: The Go-Giver: A Little Story About a Powerful Business Idea
- Luis and Bob live stream chat
- Book: Alan Weiss: Value-Based Fees: How to Charge - and Get - What You're Worth
- Podcast interview with Todd Kane of Evolved Management Consulting
- Author: Catherine Gray
- Book: Robert Wilburn and David Wilkeson: MSP Profit and Growth: Dragonboats, Catamarans and Superyachts
- Book: Shawn Walsh, Dave Cava et al: THE PUMPKIN PLAN FOR MANAGED SERVICE PROVIDERS: The Roadmap To MSP Prosperity: How The Right Focus Leads To Real Freedom
In this interview, Richard Tubb speaks to Todd Thibodeaux, President and Chief Executive Officer of CompTIA, a nonprofit organisation that supports MSPs and IT businesses.
Todd explains how CompTIA supports MSPs, vendors and others in the tech space, how they change people’s lives, and shares his own journey with the organisation.
Richard asks Todd to explain the CompTIA Research arm of the business and talk him through some of the business acquistions they’ve made. They also discuss accreditations for MSPs.
Todd shares his advice on how MSPs can stand out and how to be future-focused. Richard asks him how he prepares to interview guests on stage and what he’s most proud of during his time at CompTIA.
Finally, Richard and Todd dig into tech and tools: what Todd has in his own home, the technology he’s most excited about and the tech he’s still waiting for that we all thought would be here by now.
Mentioned in This Episode
- Peer group: The Tech Tribe
- Peer group: Network Group
- Peer group: SBSC Northwest
- CompTIA ChannelCon
- Tech Event: Consumer Electronics Show hosted by the Consumer Technology Association
- Richard's interview with MJ Shoer, CompTIA's Chief Community Officer
- Richard's interview with Rob Rae, Pax8's Corporate Vice President of Community and Ecosystems
- Cybersecurity Framework from the National Institute of Standards and Technology
- Richard's interview with Tracy Pound, Managing Director at Maximity and CompTIA board member
- Electric generator: ECAT
This episode was recorded live in Berlin, Germany at the Pax8 Beyond EMEA conference. Rob Rae is the Corporate Vice President of Community and Ecosystems for Pax8.
Rob talks about how it feels to bring Pax8 Beyond to Europe and the decision to do so. He also discusses the MSP event industry in general, and shares his process for choosing keynote speakers.
Richard asks how Pax8 partners answer the question ‘how’s business’ and the criteria for choosing vendors that are part of their client marketplace.
Rob shares how he keeps up with the industry, why you should be part of the wider community, and the importance of talking openly about mental health.
Mentioned in This Episode
- Cybersecurity tech company: CrowdStrike
- Cybersecurity tech company: SentinelOne
- Security software: TruGrid
- Pax8 Chief Trust & Security Officer: Rob Reck
- Olympic track and field athlete: Carl Lewis
- Businessman and investor: Robert Herjavec
- Entrepreneur: Richard Branson
- IT certifications and training: CompTIA
- CompTIA ChannelCon
- MSP peer group: The Tech Tribe
- MSP owner and Pax8 Beyond EMEA speaker: Paul Croker
- Pax8 PR: Daniel Skipp
Time for another Team Tubb Travelogue! This time, Gudrun Lauret catches up with Richard Tubb and Lenka Koppova, who are in Berlin for Pax8 Beyond EMEA 24.
Grab a cup of your favourite tea or coffee, relax and join them for a fun conversation about the highlights from this big event.
Richard shares how the community rallied around when he lost his luggage. Lenka talks about how fantastic the event organisation was, from hotel check-in to the closing remarks. Plus, they tell Gudrun how blown away everyone was with the special guest at the after-party!
Other Highlights
- Women in Tech get-together
- Talks on AI, mental health and Pax8 partnerships
- Networking with new MSPs
- A busy vendor hall
- Great food and drink
- Exciting updates from Pax8 and partners - plus the announcement of Pax8 Beyond EMEA 2025!
Plus… the Team Tubb Travelogue Quiz is back! Can Richard and Lenka answer Gudrun’s questions about Berlin?
What are TubbTalk Travleogues?
These are ad-hoc, bonus episodes of our regular TubbTalk podcast, recorded live at an event. A member of TeamTubb calls Richard and/or Lenka for an on-the-ground update on what they’ve learned and their highlights from the day.
What to Know About Pax8 Beyond EMEA
Pax8 Beyond EMEA was the first time Pax8 brought their popular 'Beyond' event to Europe. Pax8 are a cloud marketplace, with a focus on building strong relationships with their MSP partners.
The conference focused on three core themes: community, education and innovation. So speakers, vendors and exhibitors were specially chosen to share their expertise and really give value to attendees.
This episode was recorded live in Berlin, Germany at the Pax8 Beyond EMEA conference, and Richard Tubb speaks to Phylip Morgan. He’s the Pax8 Chief Revenue Officer EMEA, and they talked about what’s new at Pax8.
Phylip talked the importance of the Pax8 cloud marketplace and why MSPs should embrace them instead of fearing them as the competition. He also explained how Pax8 work with their MSP partners to up-serve their clients.
Richard asked Phylip to explain what he means by the phrase ‘data is the new oil’. Phylip also shared his advice for time-poor MSPs, and what he does to keep a level head with all the travel and responsibilities his role brings.
Mentioned in This Episode
- IT certifications and training: CompTIA
- Book: Bob Burg: The Go-Giver: A Little Story About a Powerful Business Idea
- Cloud computing tool: VMware
- Cloud computing tool: Citrix
- AI tool: ChatGPT
- Pax8 Opportunity Explorer
- Pax8 Partner Program
- Pax8 Academy
- Podcast interview with Andy Readman
In this interview, Richard Tubb speaks to Richard Tang, the founder and CEO of Zen Internet, consistently rated as the top internet service provider in the UK. Founded in 1995, the initial plan was to capitalise on the popularity of a new technology. Today, they provide broadband services to mainly business users.
Richard explains how Zen does things differently, and how he juggles the needs of the staff and of their customers. He talks about the benefit of a strong company culture, and why Zen avoids dirty tactics to retain customers.
Richard explains what B-corp certification is, why it’s important and how Zen implement it in their business. He also touches briefly on his relationship with David Brereton of Myson Pages, who shares an office in the Zen building with an interesting history.
He talks through how they support MSPs and resellers of internet services, why making charitable donations is so important, and the surprising inspiration for the Zen company motto. He also shares his tips on how you can adopt the Zen mentality for your business.
Mentioned in This Episode
- Zen Internet
- Peer group: SBSC Northwest
- B Corp certification
- Podcast: Richard's interview with David Brereton
- YouTube: Richard's Three Peaks video
- Cloud marketplace: Pax8
In this interview, Richard speaks to Leigh Smith, Director of Growth and Happiness at AnswerConnect, a 24/7, live call-answering solution founded in 2002. The service enables MSPs to streamline issue resolution, manage tickets more efficiently, and maintain their SLA compliance. And they offer support with capturing and qualifying leads.
Leigh explains why AnswerConnect specialise in working with MSPs, why it’s important to have a human on the other end of the phone and why using AI for call answering isn’t ideal.
Richard asks Leigh to share some specifics around the types of tools AnswerConnect integrate with, their pricing model and why you should trust them to answer calls on your behalf.
They also look at the service options: how to pick up your messages, how they deal with unsolicited calls and how they help clients hit their SLAs. Leigh also explains how they handle calls from prospects and the process for identifying and patching through urgent calls.
Richard also asks Leigh about the company culture, how her experiences in HR help her in her current role, and how to recruit and retain staff. She also explains how she got her distinctive job title.
AnswerConnect are still quite new in the UK, so Leigh shares her experiences of attending MSP events, how she stays up to date with the latest changes and trends in business, and her current recommended books.
Mentioned in This Episode
- PSA tool: AutoTask
- IT software solution: ConnectWise
- PSA/RMM tool: SuperOps
- Workflow automation tool: Zapier
- Podcast: How I Built This
- Podcast: Business Breakdowns
- Book: Atomic Habits by James Clear
- Book: Unstoppable by Dave Anderson
In this interview, Richard Tubb speaks to Daniel Shone and Chris Gorman of Apex Computing: Daniel is the Managing Director and Chris is the CEO. Based in the North West, they support their clients with cybersecurity, hardware and software procurement, BDR and consultancy.
They talk about how Apex got started, what it’s like running a business with a co-founder, and how they share the different roles and responsibilities between them. They also share their current tech stack.
Richard asks Chris and Daniel why they think strategic relationships with vendors are essential, and to talk specifically about their relationships with Huntress and Pax8, as well as the solutions each provides to Apex.
Daniel and Chris give examples of how network monitoring has saved their clients from cybersecurity incidents, and why most of the businesses they work with don’t mind that they outsource some of their services.
Richard digs into the company culture at Apex, how they maintain it while building their business and how it also helps them to weed out bad-fit clients. Daniel and Chris share how they involve their team in decisions on clients, and why they encourage them to make candid social media videos.
They both talk about the positive experiences of networking and being part of peer groups, why they recommend business mentoring for growth, and why all MSPs should be utilising AI.
Mentioned in This Episode
- IT conference: Dattocon
- Podcast interview with Daniel
- Scale your business: MSP Growth Hub
- IT and MSP Business Growth Expert: Ian Luckett
- Helping Ambitious MSPs to Scale to £1m: Stuart Warwick
- Cloud marketplace: Pax8
- Cybersecurity stack: Apex Security Sphere
- Email security: Sendmarc
- Cybersecurity platform: Sonic Wall
- IT and security platform: Kaseya
- Cybersecurity solutions: Brigantia
- Cybersecurity and data protection: Acronis
- Enterprise cybersecurity solutions: Threat Locker
- Cybersecurity platform: Huntress
- IT distributor: TD SYNNEX
- Microsoft Gold Partner programme
- Microsoft Azure ladder programme
- Microsoft Azure infrastructure accreditation
- Apex Computing on YouTube
- Daniel Welling of Welling MSP
- Podcast interview with Daniel Welling
- Darren Strong at Scalable (workplace productivity software)
- Podcast interview with Darren Strong
- Business expert: Karl Palachuk
- Peer group: CompTIA
- Peer group: SBS Network Group North West
- Peer group: The Tech Tribe
In this episode, Richard Tubb speaks to David Brereton. David founded Myson Pages 25 years ago, while most of his peers were operating on a break/fix model. Today, he has 15 employees and supports SMEs with a range of IT requirements.
David talks openly about how early challenges helped Myson become the company it is today and why they do managed services differently. He also shares the company culture and how they nurture talent.
He explains how to support employees with personal challenges, and why he has a philosophy of ‘never recruit, always retain’.
Richard asks David why peer groups are so important to him, why he’s started using the EOS methodology and why the ‘Traction’ model works for MSPs as well as more traditional businesses.
David tells Richard what he’s learned from colleagues at Zen Internet, who his mentors and inspirations have been, his legacy plans for Myson Pages and the charitable contributions the business makes.
Mentioned in This Episode
- Myson Pages
- Broadband provider: Zen Internet
- Documentation solution: IT Glue
- Traction by Gino Wickman
- Peer group: SBSC North West and co-lead Robert Gibbons
- TubbTalk podcast: Why Personal Branding is Important for Standing out in the MSP Community
- TubbTalk podcast: Looking into the Mindset of a Successful, Modern MSP
- IT solutions provider: Aabyss
- Cloud marketplace: Pax8
- Mark Williams at Pensar (IT support)
- Tech apprentices supplier: Baltic Apprenticeships
- IT solutions provider: Enable
- Cybersecurity distributor: Brigantia
- Dan Sullivan at Strategic Coach
- Neil Greatorex
- Peer group: CompTIA
Time for another Team Tubb Travelogue! This time, Gudrun Lauret catches up with Richard Tubb and Lenka Koppova, who are in London for UptimeLIVE.
Grab a cup of your favourite tea or coffee, relax and join them for a fun conversation about the highlights from this big event.
They share why UptimeLIVE is different from the usual MSP events, the new breed MSPs changing the industry and why the keynote speaker was so inspiring.
Plus… the Team Tubb Travelogue Quiz is back! Can Richard, Lenka and special guest Bradley Munday answer Gudrun’s questions about angels?
UptimeLIVE is hosted by Bradley Munday and Jason Kemsley, the co-founders of outsourcing experts Uptime. They provide NOC, SOC, helpdesk and project support white-label solutions to busy MSPs.
What is UptimeLIVE?
The event featured two tracks: one with speakers and the other with deep-dive conversations. There were also plenty of networking opportunities, vendor and sponsor exhibits and an evening reception.
Were you at UptimeLIVE too? Send us a voice recording with your highlights, and we will add your comments to our next Team Tubb Travelogue!
In this interview, Richard Tubb speaks to Jason Kemsley and Bradley Munday, the co-founders of Uptime, a white-label, outsourced solution provider. They offer helpdesk, NOC, SOC and project support. They are also the organisers of a new MSP conference, UptimeLive.
They tell Richard how Uptime helps MSPs and what their typical client looks like. Brad explains the new, emerging MSP model – where outsourcing is used to accelerate growth.
Richard asks Brad and Jason why they think outsourcing has negative connotations, how MSPs should balance technical skills with customer services on the help desk and how the help desk itself is changing.
They also explore why good communication is essential for MSPs, when to outsource your customer services and where artificial intelligence fits in.
Richard asks where the inspiration for UptimeLive came from, how they chose the speakers, and why Levi Roots is their keynote. He also asks Jason and Brad to share their predictions for the future of outsourcing.
- MSP event: UptimeLIVE
- Jason Green, EOS Worldwide
- Chef and entrepreneur: Levi Roots
- John Whitty, Chairman of Air IT
- Book: Anthony Iannarino: Eat Their Lunch
In this interview, Richard speaks to Ben Rogers, a Sales Manager at Cloud Billing. Cloud Billing offers a solution that helps MSPs to automate their billing processes quickly, accurately, and comprehensively.
Ben explains how they help MSPs with their billing and support them manage all of their responsibilities, as well the types of clients they work with and what integrations they have.
Richard asks Ben why so many MSPs don’t realise they have a problem with their billing until it’s too late, how a tool can make life easier and how to check if you’re losing money through your billing practices.
Ben talks through the growth opportunities around billing, how they help MSPs with legislation and security and the one thing MSPs should do right now with their billing.
He also shares what the future looks like for Cloud Billing and his experiences in the MSP industry.
Mentioned in This Episode
- Cybersecurity platform: Kaseya
- Cloud marketplace: Pax8
- IT product and services distributor: Ingram Micro
- Cloud Billing
- Cloud Billing on LinkedIn
- Cloud Billing on Twitter
In this episode, Richard speaks to MJ Shoer, the Chief Community Officer at CompTIA. After studying for a degree in computer science, he worked in sales for startup software and hardware companies.
He taught himself everything he needed to know about technology and became an IT director. He went on to found his own successful MSP, which he sold to a competitor. After doing some consulting, he got his first role at CompTIA.
He joins Richard Tubb to explain who CompTIA are and how they help MSPs. MJ shares the story of his own journey in the tech world and what it was like to experience the start of connectivity.
Richard asks MJ about the ChannelCon events and what it means for members that CompTIA is a company information sharing and analysis organisation. They also look at being a local member and the CompTIA Spark Initiative.
MJ also shares his thoughts on the changing relationship between MSPs and vendors, how to encourage younger people into careers in IT, and how CompTIA are playing a part in advancing women in the industry.
Mentioned in This Episode
- CompTIA course: A+ certification
- CompTIA Network+ certification
- CompTIA Information Sharing and Analysis Organisation (ISAO)
- PSA-RMM platform SuperOps and the SuperSummit events
- CompTIA CEO Todd Thibodeaux
- Nancy Hammervik
- Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency
- National Cyber Security Centre
- Tracy Pound of Maximity
- CompTIA course: Managing the Technology Channel
- TubbTalk episode 62 with Tracy Pound on Advancing Women in IT
- Women in Tech ebook
In this interview, Richard speaks to Fiona Challis. She’s been in the IT industry for over 25 years, firstly in corporate and then running a sales training company. Now, she’s passionate about mindset, personal development and energetics.
Feeling like she needed a change, Fiona left the sector to grow, explore and try new things. She’s been helping women with their development, and had a journey of her own.
Fiona explains what energetics and mindset are and how they can impact the performance of leadership teams, as well as how to model the right energy and mindset to your staff.
She’s honest in addressing people who might find these ideas ‘woo woo’ and how to maintain high energy and a positive mindset. Fiona also explains how an MSP’s culture and values impact its success.
Richard asked her to describe self-awareness and how to be kind to yourself if you don’t like what you see. Fiona shares examples of both poor and positive energy in MSP leaders, how to maintain positivity and how to address setbacks.
Richad asks Fiona to share examples of changes that have come about in MSPs after adjusting their mindset, what her work today looks like, and her advice to newer MSPs.
Mentioned in This Episode
- TubbTalk interview with Fiona: How to do Awesome MSP Sales
In this episode, Richard Tubb talks to Dermot McCann. He’s the Executive Vice President and General Manager for Kaseya EMEA, having previously worked as General Manager for APAC in Australia.
He tells Richard about his background as an MSP, why he rejoined Kaseya and how his new role will help the company to grow and develop in Europe. He talks candidly about Kaseya’s challenges and commitment to its partners.
He explains the Partner First Pledge, Kaseya 365 and why they’re focused on cybersecurity, AI and automation in the coming months to grow their business and help MSP clients.
Richard asks Dermot how his experiences as an MSP help him now he’s working on the vendor side and what, if anything, surprised him when he made that shift. Dermot also talks about his own personal resilience.
Mentioned in This Episode
- IT conference: Dattocon
- IT solutions: Datto
- Kaseya’s Partner First Pledge
- Endpoint management: Kaseya 365
- MSP accountability programme: Kaseya TruMethods
- Kaseya cyber insurance fast track
- IT management software: ConnectWise
- Documentation platform: IT Glue
- MSP peer group: The Tech Tribe
In this episode, Richard Tubb speaks to Victoria Blinova, a senior strategic partner manager at Google. She specialises in YouTube deals and leveraging her marketing skills to drive business growth. She is passionate about personal branding as a tool to boost visibility and reach.
Now as a start-up co-founder and advisor, Victoria is deeply engaged in the tech start-up scene all the way across Europe, the UK, and the Middle East, and has experience managing mult-imillion dollar budgets for retail and real estate executives, along with leading the digital marketing for Nestle's MENA B2B Business.
Victoria explains a typical working day, and shares why she decided to use LinkedIn to build her personal brand. She gives advice on: content creation, promoting yourself online and why you don’t need to use video.
Richard asks her how she overcomes self-doubt and the worry that nobody is consuming your content. Victoria shares lessons she’s learned from content creation and inspirational people in marketing.
Victoria discusses her role as a community lead for women at Google, how she’d like things to change for women in tech, and how to do business in different countries with different cultures to your own.
Mentioned in This Episode
- Head of Strategic Partnerships at Agorapulse: Mike Allton
- DM Victoria for a free review of your LinkedIn profile
- Tech start-up: imagi
- TubbTalk interview with Nancy Henriquez: One Woman in Tech's Remarkable Journey From MSP to Community Manager
- Victoria's dad's YouTube channel: Your Russian Dad
- VP of Marketing at Kurt Geiger: Pascale Montaner
In this bonus TubbTalk episode, Richard speaks to Daniel Shone, the Co-Founder of Apex Computing, an MSP based in Manchester. He heads up the account management and sales and marketing teams. They have recently become Azure infrastructure certificated with the help of Pax8.
Daniel tells Richard why he attends conferences like Dattocon, how the right vendors grow your MSP and what makes a good vendor relationship, as well as who they’re currently working with.
Daniel also shares his thoughts on why you shouldn’t avoid your competitors, why he and his co-founder work with mentors, and what’s coming next for Apex in terms of partnerships and growth.
Mentioned in This Episode
- Apex Computing
- IT conference: Dattocon
- Peer group: CompTIA
- Peer group: MG Group
- Cloud marketplace: Pax8
- PSA tool: Halo
- MDF Funding
- Cybersecurity platform: Sonic Wall
- IT and security platform: Kaseya
- Pax8 Azure programme: Kickstart
- Cybersecurity stack: Apex Security Sphere
- Peer group: SBS Network Group North West
- IT and MSP Business Growth Expert: Ian Luckett
- Helping Ambitious MSPs to Scale to £1m: Stuart Warwick
- Growth programme from Ian Luckett and Stuart Warwick: MSP Mastery
- Cybersecurity platform: Huntress
- Enterprise cybersecurity solutions: Threat Locker
- (Zomentum)
- Quoting tool: Salesbuildr
- Channel Chief at Salesbuildr: James Steel
- CRO at Aabyss: Robert Gibbons
- Daniel Welling of Welling MSP
- Darren Strong at Scalable (workplace productivity software)
- CRM platform: HubSpot
In this interview, Richard Tubb speaks to Arlin Sorensen, VP of Ecosystem Evangelism at ConnectWise. He’s been involved in the industry for almost 40 years. In that time, he started HTG peer groups, now IT Nation Evolve.
He had a VAR MSP for 27 years, which he sold in 2012, and recently sold his ag-tech business which focuses on delivering precision technology to farmers. Arlin is passionate about supporting MSPs to grow and scale their business.
Arlin shares his journey in the MSP space, his current role at ConnectWise and how the company is different from others. He and Richard discuss challenges that MSPs face, how things have changed post-covid and how to adapt to remote working.
Richard asks Arlin how MSPs can get more comfortable with sales and how Bob Burg’s book ‘The Go Giver’ changed his own attitude to selling. They also dig into the impact of AI and automation on customer experience and running a business.
They discuss peer groups, MMAs, personal influences and the future of the MSP industry. Arlin also shares his biggest piece of advice that listeners should act on right now.
Mentioned in This Episode
- TubbTalk interview with Arlin Sorensen: Why Discipline and Planning are Vital to Success in Business and in Life
- PSA platform: ConnectWise Manage
- MSP peer group: The IT Nation
- Book: Bob Berg: The Go-Giver: A Little Story About a Powerful Business Idea
- AI assistant: Microsoft Copilot
- Author and marketer: Mark Schaefer
- TubbTalk interview with Dan Scott: How to Grow Your Business in an MSP Community Like IT Nation
- ConnectWise CEO: Arnie Bellini
- Business expert: Karl Palachuk
- Leadership conference: Global Leadership Summit
- Arlin's daily email on Scripture
Nadir Merchant isthe General Manager and CTO for Kaseya’s MSP and IT operations Product Suite.
He’s worked in DevOps, engineering and also held the role of chief technology officer for IT Glue, the documentation experts. Today, his work is focused on building out the engineering offer.
In this bonus TubbTalk episode, recorded live at Dattoncon 2024, Richard asked Nadir to explain IT Glue and their new collaboration tool, My Glue. They also discuss what it means for the company to be part of Kaseya Datto.
Nadir shares his thoughts on how AI will affect documentation, how IT Glue helps to manage stale information and information overload, and what the company has got coming up in the next 18 months.
Mentioned in This Episode
- MSP conference: Dattocon
- Microsoft collaboration tool: SharePoint
- IT documentation: IT Glue
- IT and security platform: Kaseya
- Password management: MyGlue
- ITGlue blog: NetworkGlue
- Cloud wifi: Cisco Meraki
- Network solutions: Datto Networking
- Tech company: Ubiquiti
- Cybersecurity platform: Fortinet
- IT security: Sophos
- AI-powered networking: Aruba
- AI assistant: IT Glue Copilot
Robert Gibbons is Chief Revenue Officer at Aabyss, and Troy Midwood is the Chief Technology Officer. This interview was recorded with Richard Tubb live at Dattocon in Dublin in June 2024.
Robert and Troy shared their experiences in the IT sector, and explained why they believe it’s important to attend conferences such as Dattocon, and why they even bring along their intern!
Robert tells Richard what the MSP community means to him, the most valuable lesson he’s learned, and what he would do differently if he was to start an MSP again tomorrow.
Richard also asks Troy to share some advice for MSPs who are stuck in the mindset of ‘being a tech guy’, why modern MSP owners need to change their attitude to achieve longevity, and what was true when Troy started in the industry that’s still true today.
Mentioned in This Episode
- IT conference: Dattocon
- Podcast: Richard's interview with Robert
- Book: Marcus Sheridan: They Ask, You Answer: A Revolutionary Approach to Inbound Sales, Content Marketing, and Today's Digital Consumer, 2nd Edition, Revised and Updated
- Cybersecurity accreditation: Cyber Essentials/Cyber Essentials+
- Quality management certification: ISO9001
- Environmental management certification: ISO14000
- Information security certification: ISO2700
- Peer group: SBSC Northwest Group
- IT management platform: Kaseya
- PSA tool: Autotask
- RMM tool: Datto RMM
- Documentation tool: IT Glue
- Cloud marketplace: Pax8
- IT conference: Pax8 Beyond (Denver)
- IT conference: Pax8 Beyond EMEA (Berlin)
In this episode, Richard speaks to Greg Jones, Vice President of Business Development at Kaseya Datto. A former MSP, he’s the executive council leader of CompTIA UK and Ireland Committee. Greg has led the way in encouraging modern MSP leaders to share their knowledge through video and social media.
Grey shares his journey in the MSP space, going to work for a vendor and what the transition was like. He also shares his feelings on the MSP community and the IT industry as a whole.
Richard asks him about past assumptions about vendors and how MSPs can build relationships with the vendors they partner with, as well as how this will help them to scale the business.
They discuss business exits, M&As, MSP best practices and emerging technologies. Grey talks about his own personal resilience and why he thinks it’s good to have a business mentor.
Richard asks Greg about his two LinkedIn video series, what community means to him and who influences him. Finally, Greg shares a little about his upcoming book, which is almost finished.
Mentioned in This Episode
- Dattocon Europe
- Kaseya
- Peer group: CompTIA
- Business tools: IT Complete
- Endpoint management: Kaseya 365
- MSP accountability programme: Kaseya TruPeer
- Cybersecurity framework: NIST 2.0
- Greg's LinkedIn series: Who Are You Monday
- Greg's LinkedIn series: 1 Minute Wednesday
- Channel Executive Council
- Alder Hey Children's Charity
- Book and lifestyle: Robin Sharma: The 5 AM Club: Own Your Morning. Elevate Your Life.
In this episode, Richard talks to Stuart Ashenbrenner and Wes Hutcherson of Huntress. They share their advice on managing Macs for clients to prevent and manage hacks.
Stuard is a staff macOS researcher, focusing on macOS security and development, with a ton of experience working as a macOS detections engineer and software engineer.
He's spoken at various conferences about macOS security, and he is the coauthor and core developer of the open source macOS incident response tool called Aftermath.
Wes is the director of product marketing for Huntress, where he oversees market intelligence and go-to-marketing strategies. His multifaceted technology and cybersecurity experience spans over a decade.
He’s worked with market leaders such as Bishop Fox, eSentire, Hewlett Packard, and Dell SecureWorks covering managed detection and response, governance, risk and compliance, continuous threat exposure management, offensive security and other topics.
Richard asks them to explain how Huntress help MSPs, how to deploy the tool and their typical partners, before digging in to threats specifically targeting Macs.
Wes explains the Huntress MacOS support and why they decided to put it together. Stuart talks about the most common attack vectors on macOS and security best practice that MSPs should follow.
Wes explains a number of acronyms that MSPs might come across when dealing with Macs and what they mean to users.
Richard, Stuart and Wes look at Mac-specific attacks, third-party breaches and how to protect clients, particularly those who believe that Macs are more secure than PCs.
They explore tools and resources, touch management, staying ahead of the curve and how MSPs can take advantage of the threats to Macs to find a business opportunity.
Mentioned in This Episode
- Open source macOS incident response tool: Aftermath
- Podcast: Interview with Dray Agha
- Malware: Atomic macOS Stealer (AMOS)
- Trojan: Info Stealer
- Shell programme: Bash
- Scripting language: AppleScript
- Knowledge base: MITRE ATT&CK
- macOS threat: Cuckoo
- XM Cyber study into breach and attack simulations
- Slack community: MacAdmins
- Blog series: Ask the Mac Guy: macOS Security Myths
- bunch of resources you can find on our website. It's very easy to find on, under resources
- On-demand webinar: Dealing with Mac threats
- MSP peer group: The Tech Tribe
- Monthly Huntress get-together: Tradecraft Tuesday
- Huntress: Free trial
In this episode, Richard Tubb speaks to Eric Östlund-Folkeryd, the go-to market lead for Microsoft AI at Pax8 EMEA. He’s the business lead for Microsoft CoPilot and other AI tools.
Eric worked in commercial AI and SaaS roles at multiple organisations, which makes him the ideal person to help MSPs make the most of the latest tools.
He shares his journey in the sector and how he joined Pax8. Richard asks Eric to describe the opportunity for managed service providers with AI and to explain what Microsoft CoPilot is. They also look at challenges with integrating these tools.
Eric tells Richard why MSPs should treat themselves like a client and try out AI tools internally first. They also dig into the tools Pax8 have and why they introduced CoPilot Coffee sessions.
Eric also shares how he uses AI tools in his everyday life and what’s surprised him about Microsoft CoPilot. He’s also honest about why AI isn’t a magic wand. Plus, he talks certifications, new features and success stories.
Mentioned in This Episode
- AI assistant: Microsoft CoPilot
- AI tool: ChatGPT
- Intelligence system from the Terminator films: Skynet
- Help with writing AI prompts: Prompt Buddy
- Microsoft collaboration tool: Teams
- Microsoft AI certification: Azure Fundamentals
- Microsoft skills challenges
- Microsoft AI certification: Azure Data Engineer Associate
- AI-powered data analytics tool: Microsoft Fabric
- Microsoft annual conference: Build
- Pax8 annual conference: Beyond
In this interview, Richard Tubb is joined by David Allen, the godfather of modern productivity. He’s the author of Getting Things Done, the best selling book that spawned the GTD movement, which is now a part of daily life for millions of people all over the world.
David has over 40 years’ experience as a management consultant and executive coach, and they have earned him the titles of personal productivity guru by Fast Company and one of the top 5 executive coaches by Forbes Magazine.
Richard asks David about his new book and why he chose to work with a co-author. They talked about GTD as a movement and how it can be used digitally or with pen and paper.
David explains what impact he thinks technology will have on the GTD methodology in future and why it’s so popular with tech geeks. He also discusses how it works in teams and the mistakes to avoid making when you’re new to GTD.
Richard asks David to share his tips on managing decision fatigue and how to avoid distraction, who inspires him and a book he always recommends.
Mentioned in This Episode
- Post-Industrial Institute
- Frode L Odegard
- Rutger Bregman – Humankind
- Getting Things Done
- TubbTalk 150
In this episode, Richard Tubb speaks to Juan Fernandez, the Global Channel Chief at SuperOps, the next-gen platform for MSPs. A former MSP and investor, Juan’s achievements have been recognised across the industry, winning a host of awards.
Juan shares his journey in the MSP space, who SuperOps are and what Juan’s role involves, as well as how he came to be part of the company. Richard asks Juan to explain how their CEO takes a different approach to business.
Juan tells Richard what he looks for in team members, what to do when people can’t reach their potential and how to build resilience as a leader. They also explore what to do if people are in the wrong role for their skillset.
Richard asks Juan about the SuperOps’ international strategy and what’s next for the organisation, as well as the best ways to stay up to date with the latest trends and changes in the industry.
Juan also shares the mistakes he made as an MSP owner, what CompTIA means to him and how he became a published author. Plus, he explains why not having a mentor makes him a better leader and answers a listener’s question.
Mentioned in This Episode
- Cloud business suite: Zoho
- Helpdesk and ticketing software: Freshdesk
- Cybersecurity solutions: RSA
- TubbTalk 147: One Woman in Tech's Remarkable Journey from MSP to Community Manager
- MSP peer group: CompTIA
- Juan's book: The MSP Owner's Handbook: QBR Edition
- Author and MSP sales expert: Marnie Stockman
- Research firm: Lifecycle Insights
- Interactive audio and video walkthroughs: TalkTrack
- Antivirus: Microsoft Defender
- Cloud solutions Provider: Sherweb
- TubbTalk 150: 25 Years an MSP - Valuable Lessons You Learn from Longevity
Time for another Team Tubb Travelogue!
In this instalment, Lenka Koppova catches up with Richard Tubb, Stephen McCormick and a few special guests who are currently in London at the SuperOps SuperSummit Beer & Banter afterparty after a busy week.
Grab a cup of your favourite tea or coffee or even something stronger, relax and join them for a fun conversation about the highlights from these amazing events.
Plus... the Team Tubb Travelogue Quiz is back! Can Richard and Stephen answer Lenka's tricky questions?
Did you know…
ExCeL London opened in November 2000, in an area of huge regeneration in London’s historic Royal Docks and the first ever event held there was the London International Boat Show?!
Do you think that Richard and Stephen knew this fact after spending 2 full days in this venue?
But most importantly’ you’ll learn more about the MSP show and the SuperOps SuperSummit.
MSP Show: A Thriving Hub for Managed Service Providers
The first MSP Show, co-located with the established SITS Service Desk Show, was a smashing success.
It offered a vibrant atmosphere where MSPs connected, learned, and shared best practices. Attendees benefited from insightful talks by industry leaders, gained practical knowledge from educational sessions, and built valuable connections with fellow MSPs.
We’ll definitely be back next year!
SuperOps SuperSummit: Powering Up Your MSP Business with Insights and Community
The SuperOps SuperSummit offered a unique experience for Managed Service Providers.
Unlike traditional industry events, the SuperSummit prioritises knowledge-sharing and building a strong MSP community. Attendees were able to gain valuable insights from successful MSP leaders through panels like "Super MSPs of Europe."
The focus goes beyond theory, encouraging attendees to implement the learned strategies for real-world results. This collaborative environment fosters peer-to-peer learning and allows attendees to learn from each other's experiences.
If you're looking for an event that empowers your MSP business with actionable knowledge and a supportive network, the SuperOps SuperSummit is the perfect fit.
It was a busy, but exciting couple of days for Richard and Stephen.
The MSP show took place at the Excel Centre, London on the 17th and 18th April 2024 and the SuperOps SuperSimmut was hosted at The View, Lincoln’s Inn Fields in London - which also serves as the headquarters for The Royal College of Surgeons of England.
Were you at any of these events too? Send us a voice recording with your highlights, and we will add your comments to our next Team Tubb Travelogue!
In this episode, Richard Tubb speaks to Craig Sharp, the founder of UK based MSP Abussi, one of the longest-running managed service providers in the country.
Craig founded Abussi in 1995 as a database supplier, and the business has transitioned over the past 26 years from software into break/fix hardware. Today they offer managed services, which they've been rocking for more than 15 years.
Craig is something of a go giver and incredibly knowledgeable on customer success and managed services and is always willing to help a fellow MSP.
Richard asks Craig how he started the business and where he got the name from, before delving deeper into what makes Abussi unique, including Craig’s decision to keep the business small and how they work on relationships to retain clients long-term.
Craig explains the business benefits for visiting your clients in-person and why he focuses on systems and processes rather than tech tools, and why his passion for sharing knowledge ultimately helps his clients.
Richard asks Craig about the tools Abussi use to help their clients and the vendors they partner with, as well as why they recently changed some suppliers. They also discuss how the Abussi team stays up to date with the industry and what the future holds for the business.
Craig shares his advice on where IT and managed services is going as an industry, how to handle wrong-fit clients and the biggest mistakes Craig sees MSPs making today.
Richard also asks Craig to share who his mentors and influences are and what he does to relax, as well as what the MSP community means to him and why you shouldn’t be afraid of your competitors.
Mentioned in This Episode
- Olympian and TV presenter: Kriss Akabusi
- Design consultants: Scitech
- Book: Paul Jarvis: Company of One: Why Staying Small is the Next Big Thing for Business
- Satellite internet provider: Starlink
- Book: Michael E Gerber: The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don't Work and What to Do About It
- Book: Douglas Adams: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
- Data visualisation tool: Power BI
- Book: Bob Burg: The Go-Giver: A Little Story About a Powerful Business Idea
- MSP peer group: The Tech Tribe
- Book: Cal Newport: Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World
- Collaboration tool: SharePoint
- Cloud storage: OneDrive
- Cloud marketplace: Giacom
- RMM software: Atera
- Business operating system: Zoho One
- Remote access tools: LogMeIn
- Remote access tools: Splashtop
- Cybersecurity services: Webroot
- Cybersecurity services: Acronis
- Cybersecurity services: Bitdefender
- Cloud network: Arista
- Threat management solution: Untangle
- Cybersecurity services: SonicWall
- Network security solutions: WatchGuard
- Network security solitutions: CiscoMeraki
- Network switches: Zyxel
- Author and SMB expert: Karl Palachuk
- Birmingham homeless charity: Networkfour
In this episode, Richard speaks to Tom Welton, a Solutions Engineer at Pax8. Previously working in their Colorado office, he has been based in the UK since the company opened their first European location.
After getting special dispensation from the British government to move over in the middle of the covid pandemic, Tom has since helped Pax8 to establish several offices in the UK and the wider EMEA.
Speaking in person at Channel Live 2024 in Birmingham, Tom explains his background and experiences at Pax8 to Richard. He shares how he overcame his imposter syndrome and what a Solutions Engineer does.
Richard and Tom also discuss why they enjoy attending in-person channel events, how MSPs are using AI and why it’s important to be aware of data protection and security requirements when using publicly-available tools like ChatGPT.
Mentioned in This Episode
- IT Industry Association: CompTIA
- AI tool: ChatGPT
- AI tool: Microsoft CoPilot
- Cybersecurity accreditation: Cyber Essentials
In this episode, Richard Tubb speaks to Allen Edwards, an accomplished entrepreneur and speaker. He's the founder of Eureka Process and the co-owner of Gozynta.
Allen has also just published a book: “Process and the Other P Word (Which is also Process): the Power and Profitability of Process Within Your IT Business.”
Mentioned in This Episode
- Gozynta
- Allen’s book: Process and the Other "P" Word (Which is Also Process): The Power and Profitability of Process in Your IT Business
- Operating system: Novell NetWare
- IT management tool: ConnectWise
- Podcast interview with Dan Adams
- Business finance tool: QuickBooks
- IT business expert: Karl Palachuk
- Book coach: Mike Capuzzi
- Book: Michael Gerber: The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don't Work and What to Do About It
- Book: Robert Kiyosaki: Rich Dad Poor Dad: What the Rich Teach Their Kids About Money That the Poor and Middle Class Do Not!
- Richard’s book: The IT Owner's Survival Guide
- Book: James Clear:Atomic Habits: the life-changing million-copy #1 bestseller
- Collaboration tool: Teams
- Collaboration tool: Slack
- Book: Dr Atul Gawande: The Checklist Manifesto: How to Get Things Right. Atul Gawande
- Documentation management tool: IT Glue
- Collaboration tool: Confluence
- Collaboration tool: SharePoint
- Book: Karl Palachuk: Relax Focus Succeed - Revised Edition
- Meditation app: Headspace
- Podcast interview with Karl Palachuk
- MSP community: CompTIA
- MSP community: The Tech Tribe
- MSP community: The Eureka Community
- MSP community: The IT Nation
- MSP event: DattoCon
- MSP event: ChannelCon
- MSP event: Channel Pro road shows
- Allen's cafe and nightclub: Trickster's Hideout
Time for another Team Tubb Travelogue!
Gudrun Lauret catches up with Richard Tubb, Stephen McCormick and Lenka Koppova who are in Birmingham for two events -- Channel Live, and UpLift Live 2024!
Grab a cup of your favourite tea or coffee, relax and join them for a fun conversation about the highlights from these two events.
There are shout-outs to old and new friends, a discussion on the impact of LinkedIn, and Stephen's voice almost gives out!
Plus... the Team Tubb Travelogue Quiz is back! Can Richard, Stephen and Lenka answer Gudrun's LinkedIn theme questions?
Did you know...
Channel Live positions itself as the networking hub for the ICT Channel and connects IT resellers, service providers, MSPs and Channel partners face-to-face with vendors, distributors and expert speakers from across the sector - all together, all for free.
Uplift Live is the UK’s first LinkedIn-focused conference at Millennium Point in Birmingham.
It is THE place to learn from and network with engaged users of the world’s number one business platform.
UpLift Live is the brainchild of LinkedIn expert, John Espirian (a former guest on TubbTalk!).
Were you at either Channel Live or Uplift Live too? Send us a voice recording with your highlights, and we will add your comments to our next Team Tubb Travelogue!
In this episode, Richard Tubb talks to Dean Watmough, an expert on MSP people. He’s the CEO and cofounder of Humnize, a UK based business that is focused on empowering MSPs to build, develop, and retain highly skilled teams.
He and Richard talk about how Humnize came about, how they help their MSP clients to leverage people power and how they find the right candidates for their MSP clients.
They chat specifically about recruitment: where MSPs go wrong with their approach to it, why traditional recruitment companies don’t work for MSPs and the aspects of recruitment that Humnize want to change.
Dean explains why his team work remotely and why it’s important to build connections in hybrid workforces. He also shares what he thinks modern HR looks like for MSPs, and why Humnize offer a free HR health check to all MSP clients.
They also discuss mental wellbeing in the workplace, Dean’s suggestions for improving mental health, and what the future holds for Humnize.
Mentioned in This Episode
- Humnize
- Indeed
- Glassdoor
- Richard Branson
In this bonus interview, Richard speaks to Mostyn Thomas, the Senior Director of Security at Pax8 and an expert in cybersecurity. The conversation was recorded live at the Cloud and Cybersecurity Expo in London in March 2024.
Mostyn is responsible for overseeing the company’s channel security operations, empowering Pax8 partners to reduce risk, improve efficiency, and ultimately grow their business.
Richard asks Mostyn to explain the surprising cybersecurity lesson from a deadly fire, which Mostyn referred to in his presentation at the Expo, and how attitudes towards cybersecurity are changing amongst SMB owners.
They talked about why education is key to making MSP clients cyber aware, Mostyn’s experiences of transitioning from MSP owner to vendor and what’s next for Pax8. Mostyn also gives his advice on dealing with objections from rural businesses.
Mentioned in This Episode
- The Cloud and Cybersecurity Expo
- Richard's first podcast interview with Mostyn
- The Pax8 cybersecurity masterclass
Time for another Team Tubb Travelogue!
Lenka Koppova catches up with Richard Tubb, Stephen McCormick and special guest Tom Welton of Pax8, who are in London for the huge Cloud & Cybersecurity Expo 2024!
Grab a cup of your favourite tea or coffee, relax and join them for a fun conversation about the highlights from this big event.
There are shout-outs to old and new friends, a story about smoke jumpers, and a chat about the impact of Artificial Intelligence on cybersecurity and our lives as a whole.
Plus... the Team Tubb Travelogue Quiz is back! Can Richard, Stephen and Tom answer Lenka's cybersecurity themed questions?
Did you know...
The Cloud & Cybersecurity Expo is part of the Tech Show London.
Tech Show London is an award-winning event featuring an unparalleled line-up of world-renowned speakers and exhibitors.
They come together to present the most cutting-edge cloud technologies and high-quality services, setting the stage for innovative digital transformation strategies.
Tech Show London events include Cloud Expo Europe, DevOps Live, Big Data & AI World, and Data Centre World.
This year both events took place at the Excel Centre, London on the 6th and 7th March 2024.
Were you at the Cloud & Cybersecurity Expo events too? Send us a voice recording with your highlights, and we will add your comments to our next Team Tubb Travelogue!
In this episode, Richard Tubb speaks to Nancy Henriquez, Head of Community at SuperOps. They offer an AI-powered PSA-RMM solution for MSPs of all sizes. Nancy tells Richard how she went from MSP owner to community leader.
Nancy tells Richard why she changed career, what SuperOps do and why they’re playing down the AI aspect of their offerings. Plus, she picks her favourite of the latest tools that SuperOps are developing.
She describes a typical day as Head of Community and why MSP communities are so important. Richard and Nancy then talk more specifically about women in tech: what they can contribute to the industry and how their role might evolve.
Richard asks Nancy what the biggest barriers are that women experience in the tech sector and how leaders can better support women in the industry, and highlights some organisations who are already working to bring about change
Nancy’s advice to any young women who want to get into IT andpractical steps that companies and individuals can take to create a more welcoming and a more inclusive environment specifically for women in tech.
Mentioned in This Episode
- Podcast: Richard's previous interview with Nancy
- Book: Bob Burg: The Go-Giver
- Peer group: CompTIA
- Peer group: The Tech Tribe
- Young women in STEM group: Nerdy Girl Success
- Business strategy: Channel Futures
- Women's STEAM organisation: Women in Tech
- Channel marketer: Kris Blackmon
- CEO of Proda Technology: Marissa Maldonado
- Echelon Computer Technologies: Justine Anderson
- Lionguard CEO: Michelle Accardi
- Channel chief: Michelle Ragusa-McBain
- CEO of 3rd Element Consulting: Dawn Sizer
- Founder of Bluebird Leaders: Rebecca Woods
- Sales Development Representative at SuperOps: Nicole James
- Women in Tech ebook
In this episode, Richard Tubb speaks to Michael Lawson, who has over
15 years of experience in working with MSPs. A seasoned startup founder, he’s recently built an exciting new platform for MSPs. Movebot is designed to make data migration easier, particularly at scale.
Michael tells Richard how he came up with the idea for Movebot, the tools it integrates with and the tech requirements for MSPs to run it effectively for themselves and their clients.
Richard asks Michael to explain the types of data Movebot migrates and how to use it for data merges, as well as giving some examples of how real-life MSP use the tool in their businesses.
Michael also talks through how Movebot transfers live data and how Movebot helps its global MSP clients to stay data compliant and up to date with legislation changes in their home countries.
Richard asks Michael what Movebot’s tech support and outsourcing offerings look like, the pricing structure, and his plans for Couchdrop and Movebot in 2024 and beyond.
Mentioned in This Episode
- Movebot's parent company and SFTP solution: Couchdrop
- Cloud storage solution: Dropbox
- Multi-tier storage: Apache Ignite
- Microsoft collaboration tool: SharePoint
- Microsoft's online communication suite: Office 365
- Google's online communication suite: Workspace
- Cloud-based client portal: Huddle
- Project management tool: BIM 360
- Amazon cloud storage: S3
- Cloud storage: Wasabi
- Cloud storage and backup tool: Backblaze
- UK data protection legislation: GDPR
- US health legislation: HIPAA
- Californian consumer legislation: CCPA
- Privacy experts: Keepabl
- Online collaboration tool: Slack
- MSP peer group: IT Nation
- Online chat forums: Discord
- Movebot's Discord channel
In this episode, Richard Tubb speaks to Dan Adams. Dan is the chairman of New England Network Solutions, a Massachusetts-based MSP, and he's also the founder of Up-skill, a media and e-learning service for IT professionals.
Dan is also the author of "The Tech Nerd's Guide to Career Success: Seven Proven Lessons to Unlock Your Growth in an IT Services Company". He explains why he was inspired to write a book and who it's for.
Dan shares the story of his career in the IT space and how he set up and grew his MSP, as well as what inspired him to write his new book, who it’s aimed at and how it can help engineers as well as business owners.
Richard and Dan discuss the disconnects between the roles an MSP owner has, how engineers think versus how MSPs think and Dan’s four success quadrants for MSP owners.
They also talk about the lessons in the book around measuring competence and success, how MSP owners can encourage their engineers to learn from the book’s advice, and how it can be beneficial to those in both nimble and larger-sized MSPs.
Dan also shares who his mentors are, what the MSP community means to him both professionally and personally, and the book he’s gifted most often to employees and colleagues.
Mentioned in This Episode
- Operating system: Unix
- Operating system: Windows for Workgroups
- Operating system: Windows NT
- Operating system: Novell NetWare
- Communication tool: AppleTalk
- Microcomputer networking system: ARCNET
- Software company: cc:Mail
- Word processing tool: WordPerfect
- Spreadsheet programme: Lotus123
- MSP peer group: HTG Evolve
- Interview with Erik Thorsell: Why are You Building an MSP Business, Really?
- Dan’s book: The Tech Nerd's Guide to Career Success. Seven Proven Lessons to Unlock Your Growth in an IT Services Company
- Book: Bob Burg: The Go Giver
- Brian O'Connell from Service Leadership
- Interview with Dan Scott of IT Nation: How to Grow Your Business in an MSP Community Like IT Nation
- Ted Halsey of Snap Tech IT
- MSP peer group: The Tech Tribe
- MSP peer group: CompTIA
- MSP peer group: IT Nation
- Book: Michael Gerber: The E-Myth Revisited
In a unique bonus episode of TubbTalk, Richard Tubb discusses why he wants to do an audio version of his popular MSP Insights newsletter.
Richard explains that many MSPs prefer to listen rather than read. If you're busy or commuting, it's easier to have audio on in the background.
Plus, Richard hopes that this will help him reach a bigger audience, who may not know about him already.
And as recording audio content is time-consuming and draining for him, Richard prefers to write an update instead, as he explains in this episode.
Except it's not Richard speaking at all. What you'll hear is a synthesised version of his voice, created with an AI tool called Descript.
What do you think? Revolutionary or world-destroying? Would you use it in your own business? Would you enjoy listening to a recording knowing it wasn't really the person you follow?
Mentioned in This Episode
Video and audio editing and AI Tool: Descript
In this episode, Richard Tubb speaks to Nigel Moore, the illustrious founder of The Tech Tribe. It’s community for forward-thinking MSPs looking to network, collaborate and learn from their peers. Its members have access to marketing, training, expert panel discussions and more.
This is a bumper episode, so get a flask of tea, a packet of biscuits and settle in to learn from Nigel and Richard! Nigel explains how The Tech Tribe came about, why people join and why it attracts industry experts.
He also shares his advice on running a successful MSP without working long hours, how to grow a strong team culture and how they deal with disagreements in The Tech Tribe community forums.
Nigel talks openly about how he overcame addiction to grow a successful business and how this led to meditation and journalling practices.
He shares his tips on how to tackle difficult conversations and why he thinks AI might help us better understand ourselves.
Richard asks Nigel why he invests in businesses, and not necessarily those in the IT industry, his current favourite apps and a fact about himself that always surprises people when they learn it.
Finally, they discuss who Nigel’s mentors and inspirations are on his life and work, which book Nigel has gifted more than any other, and why he doesn’t like receiving presents himself.
Mentioned in This Episode
- Nigel's previous appearance on TubbTalk
- Author and business expert Karl Palachuk
- MSP Community: CompTIA
- MSP Community: ConnectWise Evolve
- MSP Community: TruPeer
- MSP Community: ASCII
- Marketing and sales tool: Growably
- MSP Community (Australia): SMBiT
- MSP marketing expert: Paul Green
- MSP coach: Andrew Moon
- MSP sales expert: Jennifer Bleam
- IT coach: Pete Matheson
- MSP Sales Whisperer: Paul Lloyd
- Jamie Warner at Invarosoft
- List of MSP peer groups
- Online coach: James Schramko
- Book: James Schramko: Work Less, Make More: The Counter-Intuitive Approach to Building a Profitable Business, and a Life You Actually Love
- CIA Ops by Robert Crane
- The Strategic Coach: Dan Sullivan
- Collaboration tool: ClickUp
- Health research: Zoe
- Online therapy: BetterHelp
- Awareness day (Australia): Are You OK Day
- Disabled Surfers Association
- Great example of doing video marketing, via John Fisher
- Taki Moore: Million Dollar Coach
- Business expert: Marcus Lemonis
- Book: Ray Dalio: Principles: Life and Work
- Asset management firm: Bridgewater Associates
- Book: Michael Gerber: The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don't Work and What to Do About It
- Book: Geno Wickman: Traction: Get a Grip on Your Business
- Birmingham homeless charity: Networkfour
This episode was originally recorded live as a chat between Richard Tubb, Dray Agha and Joe Burns on the topic of cybersecurity. Dray is UK Manager for Threat Operations for Huntress, a managed cybersecurity platform.
Joe is the owner of Reformed IT, an MSP based in the East Midlands. He’s also a Huntress customer, using their outsourced NOC services. They both generously gave up their time for this TubbTalk Live show.
Richard asked Joe to explain whyhe chose to partner with Huntress rather than doing his own cybersecurity and the experience of integrating Huntress tools into his tech stack.
Richard also asks Dray about Huntress: how they find the right employees and their approach to 24/7 cybersecurity support. Richard asks Joe how to assess cybersecurity systems and Dray how Huntress support their clients to do cybersecurity better.
He also asks Joe to explain session hijacking and Dray about the importance of conditional access policies. Finally, he asks them both for their thoughts on government involvement in regulating MSP cybersecurity.
Mentioned in This Episode
- Tech Tribe
- Security testing: Red Team and Blue Team
- Security qualification: Certified Ethical Hacker
- Cybersecurity best practices framework: CIS Controls
- Defence licences: Huntress Neighbourhood Watch
- MSP conference: Managed Services Summit
- MSP peer group: SBCS Northwest
- MSP business expert: Karl Palachuk
- Microsoft 365 Business Premium
- Cybersecurity certification (UK): Cyber Essentials
- Cybersecurity certification (UK): Cyber Essentials+
- Cyber advisor
- Cybersecurity compliance: CompTIA Trustmark
- Cybersecurity certification (USA): CISA
- Information security standard: ISO 27001
- Cybersecurity awareness platform: Curricula
This is another Team Tubb Travelogue!
Steve McCormick catches up with Richard Tubb and Pascal Fintoni who are in London for two different yet complementary international events: the B2B Marketing Expo and the Call & Contact Centre Expo.
Grab a cup of your favourite tea or coffee, relax and join them for a fun conversation about the tech highlights from each expo.
There are shout-outs to old and new friends and a chat about the impact of AI on all our marketing and customer service practices.
Plus lessons about preparing for trade shows, and... the Team Tubb Travelogue Quiz is back!
Richard and Pascal share their reactions and new findings from the two international events, the inevitable travel mishaps, food reviews and together they tackle one important question:
Is knickerbocker glory better than sticky toffee pudding?
Did you know...
The B2B Marketing Expo showcases cutting-edge developments in marketing and features high-quality exhibitors and interactive sessions, making it a must-attend event for marketing professionals seeking the latest trends and innovations in the industry.
The Call & Contact Centre Expo has become Europe's major event showcasing the latest technologies and strategies for customer engagement, and inviting organisations to transform their Help Desk experience through engaging conversations and reimagining processes.
This year both events took place at the Excel Centre, London on the 29th and 30th of November 2023.
Were you at the 'B2B Marketing Expo' or 'Call & Contact Centre Expo' events too? Send us a voice recording with your highlights and we will add your comments to our next Team Tubb Travelogue.
In this episode, Richard Tubb talks to Phylip Morgan, the Chief Revenue Officer at Pax8. A cloud marketplace, they believe that the distribution market and the whole channel is fragmented, and somebody needs to unite and bring it together.
Phylip shares his journey in the IT space, what drew him to Pax8 and how the industry has changed since he started, as well as one thing that’s stayed the same, and what’s coming next for Pax8.
Phylip explains to Richard why he thinks that data is like oil and why data sharing doesn’t affect your competitive advantage, and they also discuss what AI means for the MSP sector.
Richard also asks Phylip to explain more about Pax8: their approach to community and their workplace culture, the Pax8 Beyond conference and the future of live events. Phylip also talks about his life outside of work – being a father, grandfather and church pastor.
Mentioned in This Episode
- Pax8
- Pax8 Beyond
- The Tech Tribe
- CompTIA
- Book: Bob Burg: The Go-Giver
- Speaker and author Patrick Lencioni on YouTube
- Speaker and management consultant Peter Drucker
- The Culture Creation Canvas
- AI tool: Chat GPT
- Microsoft AI assistant: CoPilot
- AI web chat: Bing Chat Enterprise
- Interview with James Marshall at Microsoft Ignite
- Cloud solutions provider: Wirehive (acquired by Pax8)
- Book: David Allen: Getting Things Done
- SBSC Northwest Group run by Robert Gibbons
- Church founder: Bill Hybels
- Calon Church
- Leadership consultant: Ken Blanchard
- Global Leadership Summit
We managed to track down Richard Tubb and Steve McCormick during a recent trip to the North West of England.
It was a busy couple of days; they attended the MSP Summit Manchester 2023 and then they fought their way through heavy traffic for the SBSC North West evening event, where we finally caught up with them.
This is a fun discussion with the usual mix of event recap, travel woes, impromptu practical advice and culinary delights! And well-deserved shout-outs to great individuals including:
Phyl Morgan from Pax 8, Kate Wood from Women In Tech North, Robert Gibbons from Cara Technologies and SBSC North West, Sam Sheridan from Sheridan Computers.
And let's not forget Richard's newfound friend... the legend that is Kevin Keegan!
Did you know...
The Managed Services Summit Manchester is a major event in the IT industry featuring impactful presentations by industry leaders, networking opportunities, and a platform for critical business discussions.
The SBSC North West is an independent forum for Microsoft Small Business Specialists, fostering collaboration among members to share best practices and insights within the Microsoft Small Business community.
Were you at the 'MSP Summit Manchester' or 'SBSC North West' events too? Send us a voice recording with your highlights and we will add your comments to our next Team Tubb Travelogue.
In this special bonus episode, Richard shares his best MSP business advice. This show was recorded as a live AMA (ask me anything) with members of the SuperOps community.
In this episode, Richard speaks to Darren Strong. Darren is the Managing Director of Focus Technology Solutions, a managed service provider based in the North of England.
Plus, he’s also built and managed multiple MSPs and founded Scalable MSP. They consult, configure and implement established MSP best practices to help managed service provider businesses accelerate their profit.
Darren tells Richard why he joined the ConnectWise IT Evolve community and the catalyst for starting his MSP. He explains the types of MSPs they work with and the services they provide.
They also dig into growth, with Richard asking how Scalable helps MSPs benchmark their progress and what Darren considers to be the main issues MSPs face when they grow.
Darren also speaks honestly about why he doesn’t think there’s a conflict of interest working with an MSP coach who also owns a managed services business, how he juggles the two roles and his advice to grow and scale.
Mentioned in This Episode
- ConnectWise
- ConnectWise IT Nation Evolve
- Book: Bob Burg: The Go-Giver
- TubbTalk episode 117: How to Grow Your Business in an MSP Community Like IT Nation
- The Tech Tribe
- PSA tool: AutoTask
- PSA tool: SuperOps
- PSA tool: Halo
- Steve Riat
- Mit Patel
- Raja Pagadala
- Book: Alex Hormosi: $100m Leads
- Book: Alex Hormosi: $100m Offers
In this special bonus episode of TubbTalk, recorded live at Microsoft Ignite, Richard Tubb speaks to James Marshall, Azure Success Manager at Microsoft UK. They talk about what’s new at Microsoft and what MSPs can look forward to.
James tells Richard why IT professionals should attend Microsoft Ignite, and they discuss why hybrid conferences are still needed, as well as how Microsoft goes about delivering virtual event.
Richard asks James about their commitment to the environment and how they’re redressing the balance from past technologies. They explore thenew Co-Pilot AI Assistant and Co-Pilot Studio, what Microsoft Loop is and why Azure is a good fit even if you’re new to business.
Mentioned in This Episode
- Event: Ignite
- Design events: Build
- Partner event: Inspire
- Online office tools: 365
- AI assistant: Co-Pilot
- AI tool: Chat GPT
- Video conferencing: Teams
- Email software: Outlook
- Collaboration tool: SharePoint
- Co-Pilot Studio
- Collaboration tool: Loop
- Cloud computing tool: Azure
- Online training: Ninja
- Note taking app: OneNote
- Business apps: Dynamics 365
In this episode, Richard Tubb speaks to Mark Taylor, the founder of Chorus, a Microsoft-focused MSP. Today, they are a leading MSSP, providing channel focused MDR and MXDR services built on the Microsoft security stack. Mark now serves as the CTO.
Mark explains his background and how he ended up in the IT space, what an MSSP does and why he decided to become one. He also explains how the team manage their responsibilities when providing both MSP and MSSP services.
Richard asks Mark to explain various security acronyms, how Chorus deal with client security breaches, and the types of clients they help. Mark also explains how the business gained MISA certification from Microsoft and what that means for their clients.
Mark tells Richard how they support MSPs who want to transition to be an MSSP and the things to consider as well as sounding a note of caution. They discuss the biggest mistake MSPs make with cybersecurity and what AI means for both MSPs and MSSPs.
Finally, Richard asks Mark to share who has been an influence on his life and career, his go-to resources to stay up to date with the industry, and what he does in his spare time.
Mentioned in This Episode
- Chorus
- Cloud computing solution: AWS
- IT distribution company: TD SYNNEX
- Communities network: Reddit
- Flight club: Gravity Industries
- Business apps: Dynamics 365
- Security solutions: Defender
- Secure device and app management: InTune
- Zero Trust policy engine: Microsoft Entra Conditional Access
- Cloud security solution: Sentinel
- Conference: Ignite
- MISA (Microsoft Intelligent Security Association)
- MXDR Verify
- AI assistant: Co-Pilot
- Online office tools: 365
- Collaboration tool: SharePoint
- Cloud storage: OneDrive
- Video conferencing: Teams
In this episode, Richard is joined by Daisy Pike, manager of Solution Consultants EMEA at PAX8. Daisy has a wealth of experience in the IT industry, as well as a degree in electrical engineering. Pax8 are a groundbreaking cloud marketplace platform for MSPs.
Daisy explains a typical day for her and what her team does, and how that fits in with the wider Pax8 mission. She also describes her background in STEM and nuclear power, and how that led her where she is today.
Richard and Daisy dig into continuity, why it’s so important for MSPs and why you need a good backup solution. She also explained why MSPs need to be aware of Microsoft Clause 6B.
Richard asked Daisy what MSPs should look for in a continuity platform, how they should explain the importance of it to their clients, and the various Pax8 continuity bundles to make it easier to implement into your existing stack.
Finally, Daisy shares her experiences as a woman in IT, her advice to girls wanting to get into STEM and who she considers her mentors.
Mentioned in This Episode
- Microsoft Dynamics
- SharePoint
- SentinelOne
- Backup tool: Acronis
- Automation Tool: Roost
- Backup tool: Dropsuite
- Azure backup: redstor
- Pax8 Academy
- Book: Bernadine Evaristo: Girl, Woman, Other
- Cookbook: Ixta Belfrage: Mezcla
In this impromptu Travelogue, Pascal Fintoni manages to catch up with Richard Tubb, Stephen McCormick and special guest Tracie Orisko, Senior Director of Sales Development & Community at Huntress.
You can expect the usual mix of practical business advice, food and drinks reviews, fun travelling anecdotes and our Team Tubb Travelogue Quiz!
The 'Breaches & Brews' Events were informal gatherings organised by Huntress UK at great breweries and distilleries across London, Manchester, Birmingham, and Bristol.
These events brought together Managed Service Providers (MSPs) and their teams to discuss essential cybersecurity topics and gain insights into Huntress' collaboration with MSPs in the ongoing battle against cybercriminals.
Were you at one of the 'Breaches & Brews' events too? Send us a voice recording with your highlights and we will add your comments to our next Team Tubb Travelogue.
In this episode of TubbTalk, Richard speaks to Dray Agha, UK Operations Manager for cybersecurity experts Huntress.
Dray tells Richard how he got started in the IT industry while he was still a kid, and how he ended up at Huntress. They discuss the workplace culture at the company and what makes them different.
Dray describes the Huntress experience for MSPs and how they support their clients with three key cybersecurity challenges. They also dig into SOC – what, if any, difference there is between it and managed security platforms, and why you might want to outsource your SOC.
Dray tells Richard why outsourcing isn’t a bad thing, and why overseas suppliers can have a positive impact on your business, but also talks through the steps if you decide you want to build your own internal security system.
Richard asks Dray to explain the terms ‘offensive security' and ‘persistent foothold’, why defensive security is both exciting and frustrating, and how Huntress respond to client security breaches.
Finally, Dray shares the biggest change he’s seen in the industry since he started, who his mentors and influences are, both professionally and personally, and his best resources for staying up to date with the cybersecurity industry.
Mentioned in This Episode
- Product Labs
- The Tech Tribe
- Cisco
- Windows event forwarding
- Windows event collector
- Blog: Defense Evasion: Defenders Strike Back!
- Splunk
- Elasticsearch
- OpenSearch
- Huntress/Kyle Hanslovan on YouTube
- Andrew Thompson Mandiant Intelligence
- Lockheed Martin Cyber Kill Chain
- MITRE ATT&CK
- Book: Jaime Levy: UX Strategy
- Mark Gould
- Book: Harlan Carvey: Windows Registry Forensics
- John Fitzpatrick, MWR Infosecurity
- Darknet Diaries
- GreyNoise
- Huntress Tradecraft Tuesday
- Huntress free trial
In this bonus episode of TubbTalk, Richard talks to Arvind Parthiban, CEO and co-founder of SuperOps.AI, a combined and RMM for MSPs. They have built artificial intelligence into the very foundation of everything the platform does.
Arvind says they describe themselves as the modern PSA and RMM platform, with five products streamlined into one. Their goal is to help MSPs do business more easily and get to profitability quicker.
This special interview was put together to share the latest funding news from SuperOps with the wider MSP community. They closed a series B funding round with $12.4m raised, plus additional capital investment. The total raised was $30m.
Richard asks Arvind what the funding means for MSPs in general and SuperOps’ clients in particular, why they decided to apply for funding now and what updates they’re planning.
Arvind also discusses their plans for new offices, adding MSP and tech expert Juan Fernandez to the team and why they’re launching a new community. Plus, Arvind shares what he hopes the next 12 months will be like for the business.
Mentioned in This Episode
- ChatGPT
- Generative AI
- Investment firm: March Capital
- Juan Fernandez
- Book: Juan Fernandez: The MSP Owner’s Handbook
In this episode, Richard Tubb speaks to sales expert Danny Boyle, author of "Sell More, do Less, an MSP and IT Specialists' Guide to Better Sales Calls.” Danny’s a sales leader with a proven history of success in driving step change growth for cloud software brands in the IT industry. He shares his advice on how MSPs can become comfortable with selling.
They talk about Danny’s background, how he got started in the IT space, who Ninja One are and what Danny does there. Richard asks Danny what inspired him to write a book and why now.
Danny and Richard also dig into sales tactics and how to do better with selling. They look at the reasons why MSPs struggle with sales, the skills you need, and why Danny believes anyone can sell.
Danny also shared the biggest mistake MSPs make when they think about selling, his BANK OUT process and the structure and cycle of sales. He also explains why he thinks he has such a high closing rate.
Plus, Danny tells Richard how studying psychology and sociology taught him how to build better relationships and who he considers as mentors in the IT space as well as what he does in his spare time.
Mentioned in This Episode
- MSP Expert Rick Yates
- Psychologist Jordan B. Peterson
- Book: Bob Burg: The Go Giver
- MSP Expert James Steel
In this episode, Richard Tubb speaks to Dave Tilly, CEO of DaaS Portal. Dave is revolutionising the way DaaS (device as a service) is delivered in the MSP space.
He and Richard talk about what DaaS actually is, where the idea for the business came from and how DaaS Portal helps MSPs to manage hardware, as well as the experience for MSPs of using the tool.
Dave explains to Richard about their relationship with Pax8 and how they’ve been supported. He also explains how DaaS Portal integrates with your existing MSP stack.
Richard and Dave were also briefly joined by Scott Riley of Cloud Nexus to talk about his experiences with DaaS Portal and how it’s changed his company’s hardware process. Scott also explained the myth of margins on devices.
They then looked at client self-service on DaaS Portal, how they help MSPs to explain DaaS to clients and why they use experience level agreements not service level agreements. Dave also explained why if a client defaults on their DaaS agreement it’s not a big deal.
Mentioned in This Episode
- Pax8
- Microsoft InTune
- Cloud Nexus
- Simon Sinek – Start With Why
- Ecologi
In this special bonus TubbTalk episode, Richard Tubb talks to Bradley Munday and Jason Kemsley, co-founders of Uptime Solutions, to learn more about their impending merger with Inbay.
Uptime Solutions is a white-label outsourcing platform, offering specialist support to MSPs for NOC, SOC and helpdesk. Likewise, Inbay provides outsourced support, with project help and dedicated tech expertise.
Richard, Jason and Bradley talk about how the merger came about, the solutions Inbay offer and how they fit with those of Uptime, and what the merger means for MSPs. Plus, they look at why outsourcing works well for most MSPs.
Bradley and Jason explain how they’re supporting their customers in the immediate and in future as well as how they’re sharing the news with the MSP community. Richard asks them what the merger means for the wider IT industry and why it will succeed when others have failed.
They also explain how they’ll maintain their focus on operational delivery, why they’re not rebranding at the moment, why all the roles are staying the same, and what Brad and Jason have learned about mergers and acquisitions.
Mentioned in This Episode
- Uptime Solutions
- Inbay
- Uptime Solutions’ podcast: Progressive Mindset
- Richard’s appearance on the Uptime Solutions podcast
- The Tech Tribe
- MSP subreddit
- CompTIA
- CompTIA ChannelCon
- TubbTalk episode 78
- TubbTalk episode 82
- TubbTalk episode 89
In this new episode of the Team Tubb Travelogue audio series, Stephen McCormick invites Pascal Fintoni to join him on an impromptu audio call with Richard Tubb and James Steel from Akamai Linode.
Both Richard and James are about to start their final day at the CompTIA ChannelCon unmissable event in Las Vegas.
This year, the theme for the 3-day conference was 'Build The Impossible' with a strong message to look outside your current customer base, circle of partners, and comfort zone.
Richard and James share their reactions and experience so far, memorable speeches and key take-aways, surprising emotional moments and something to do with an oxygen bar?.
They also take part in a Team Tubb Travelogue Quiz at the end of the call!
Were you at the CompTIA ChannelCon 2023 event too? Send us a voice recording with your highlights and we will add your comments to our next Team Tubb Travelogue.
In this episode, Richard Tubb speaks to Benjamin Netter, founder of Riot. Riot is a Paris-based, all in-one-platform that drives better protection for MSP. A SaaS platform, they’re on a mission to turn employees into your company's biggest cybersecurity assets.
Richard asked Benjamin what led him to create Riot and how the tech can help employees be more aware of their cybersecurity responsibilities, and the challenges of protecting their BYOD.
Benjamin explains how gamification helps MSPs to protect their clients, how Riot helps when a breach happens and what their support function looks like. He also talks through the latest phishing tactics to be aware of, and shares his biggest inspiration as a business leader.
Mentioned in This Episode
- Riot
- Y Combinator
- Riot Chatbot: Albert
- Newsletter: Zach Whittaker – This Week in Security
- Find out more about Riot's MSP Partnership Programme or email Audrey
- Book: Dale Carnegie: How to Win Friends and Influence People
In this episode, Richard Tubb talks to Ian Thornton-Trump, a cybersecurity expert and the chief security officer of Cyjax, a threat intelligence and cyber security company.
During their short chat, Richard and Ian talked about the current state of the MSP industry, why vendor solutions should give real business value to MSPs and their clients, and the impact of AI on the sector.
Plus, Ian gives his thoughts on how MSPs can compete in an overcrowded cybersecurity market and shares his experiences at the Pax8 Beyond event in Denver, and why he’d go back next year.
Mentioned in This Episode
- Pax8
- ThreatLocker
- CrowdStrike
- ConnectWise
- Password Manager from N-able
- Syncro
- Datto
In this interview, Richard speaks to Mostyn Thomas, the Senior Director of Security at Pax8. He’s responsible for overseeing the company's channel security operations, empowering Pax8 partners to reduce risk, improve efficiency, and ultimately grow their business.
Mostyn has more than 20 years of experience working with managed service providers, including founding Astrix Integrated Systems in 2001. He’s a Cyber Essentials trainer and holds a range of security qualifications.
Richard and Mostyn discuss the shift to a cybersecurity focus in the IT space and why Pax8 are so popular.
Mostyn shares his experience of transitioning from IT provider to cybersecurity expert to vendor and what a typical day looks like as the director of security.
Mostyn shares his advice on how MSPs can support clients who only have small cybersecurity budgets, the one cybersecurity tool every SMB should have and the threats they need to be aware of.
Richard asks Mostyn to share the best resources to stay up to date with cybersecurity trends, where he goes for advice, his inspirations and mentors. They also look at the number one mistake MSPs make and how to have a security-first mindset.
Mentioned in This Episode
- Graham Cluley
- Ian Thornton-Trump
- Wes Spencer
- Jennifer Bleam
- CompTIA
- Karl Palachuk
- National Cyber Resilience Centre
- Cyber Essentials
- Acronis
- Connect Secure
- SentinelOne
- Simon Sinek
- Jim Collins – Good to Great
- Malcolm Gladwell
- Chip and Dan Heath
- Matthew Syed – Black Box Thinking
In this episode, Richard speaks to Peter Kujawa, Vice President of Service Leadership and TSP evangelist. Service Leadership helps IT solution providers to build shareholder value and reach top quartile, best-in-class profitability.
They do this through objective benchmarking, advanced peer groups, self-paced performance improvement tools, executive training, and individual management consulting for MSPs worldwide.
Richard asks Peter to explain how he got into the MSP world and his experiences of mergers and acquisitions. Peter talks through how Service Leadership helps MSPs and the definition of a TSP.
Peter describes the benchmarking reports they do, and why they’ve decided to conduct these annually. He tells Richard what MSPs should know about compensation and remuneration and the types of MSPs who are a good fit for Service Leadership.
They discuss security and normalisation, IT Nation Evolve and the benefits of peer groups, plus performance improvement assistance for MSPs and the two benchmarks MSPs should monitor.
Mentioned in This Episode
- Service Leadership
- ConnectWise
- Sliq
- IT Nation Evolve
- Annual IT Solution Provider Remuneration Report
- SL Insights
- CompTIA
- The Tech Tribe
- BrightGauge
In this inaugural episode of the Team Tubb Travelogue audio series, Pascal Fintoni catches up with Richard Tubb and Stephen McCormick at the end of busy and exciting day at the Channel Sec 2023 Conference in London.
The event was held at Lancaster London on the 18th May, this 1 day event organised by IT Europa combined high-level conference and networking event aimed at UK and European Managed Service Providers (MSPs), Managed Security Service Providers (MSSPs).
Richard and Stephen share their initial takeaways, key messages and amazing individuals they met on the day.
We also find out why Stephen is such an unlucky traveller!
Were you at the Channel Sec 2023 conference too? Send us a voice recording with your highlights and we will add your comments to our next Team Tubb Travelogue.
Over the past few weeks, Stephen McCormick and I have been speaking to MSP business owners, creative marketers and directors to share their experiences of entering and winning the SuperOps MSP awards, and their best advice for business success.
To mark the end of season five of TubbTalk, we present to you a round-up of those top tips. There are all kinds of things that these IT experts do that you could start doing in your MSP too. You never know – you too could be an award winner!
Jack Peploe of Veterinary IT Services talks niching and website mistakes and Mitch Redekopp of Rivercity Technology Services chats about why he does a cyber risk assessment with new clients and the challenges of running an MSP.
Marketing expert Sarah Turner of Backbone IT shared the highs and lows of marketing in an MSP and a customer-first approach to business. Jack Gray of FOMO Technology discussed being a solo MSP and obstacles to growth, and Simon Heath of The Final Step shared their approach to business culture.
Mentioned in This Episode
- Book: Marcus Sheridan: They Ask, You Answer: A Revolutionary Approach to Inbound Sales, Content Marketing, and Today’s Digital Consumer
- AI tool: ChatGPT
- MSP marketing expert: Paul Green
- The Tech Tribe
- 7 Figure MSP
- Book: Chris Wiser: 16 Strategies You Need To Know To Protect Your Business From Hackers
- Book: Janna Dutton: Conversations Over Coffee – Volume 1: Real People, Real Stories, Real Success
- Ernest Murry CTO of Genuine Technology Group
- Marketing CRM: HubSpot
- Design tool: Canva
- Online video editor: Invideo
- Website heatmap tool: Hotjar
- Mel Robbins Podcast
- Jay Shetty Podcast
- Book: Mel Robbins: The High 5 Habit: Take Control of Your Life with One Simple Habit
- Book: Mel Robbins: The 5 Second Rule: The Surprisingly Simple Way to Live, Love, and Speak with Courage: Transform your Life, Work, and Confidence with Everyday Courage, (cover may vary)
- Feel Better, Live More podcast
- Book: Dr Rangan Chatterjee: Happy Mind, Happy Life: 10 Simple Ways to Feel Great Every Day
- Book: Dr Rangan Chatterjee: The 4 Pillar Plan: How to Relax, Eat, Move and Sleep Your Way to a Longer, Healthier Life
- Book: Nir Eyal: Indistractable: How to Control Your Attention and Choose Your Life
- Book: James Clear: Atomic Habits: the life-changing million-copy #1 bestseller
- CompTIA
- IT Nation Evolve
- Book: Bob Burg: The Go-Giver: A Little Story About a Powerful Business Idea
- Gazelle management strategy
- Traction management strategy
- IT Nation
- Kim Scott – Radical Candor
- Book: Michael E Gerber: The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don’t Work and What to Do About It
- Book: L David Marquet: Turn The Ship Around!: A True Story of Turning Followers Into Leaders
In this episode, Richard talks to Simon Heath, a director at The Final Step. They’re a long-established MSP based in London, supporting time-poor business owners with a white glove IT service.
Simon tells Richard how he transitioned from the world of acting into the MSP space, all about the kind of work they do at The Final Step and how they find clients.
Richard and Simon discuss the importance of a strong company culture and how the pandemic strengthened their own culture and values. Plus, Simon shares his advice on how MSP owners can build a good culture of their own.
Simon also explains the SuperOps awards process, why he thinks The Final Step won the “MSP with the Best Work Culture” award, and why he’d recommend entering an awards competition to any MSP owner. He also shares openly about the challenges and successes of running a business, and what he thinks is next for the IT sector.
Mentioned in This Episode
- IT Nation Evolve
- Bob Burg The Go Giver
- Gazelle management strategy
- Traction management strategy
- IT Nation
- Kim Scott – Radical Candor
- Michael E Gerber: The EMyth Revisited
- L David Marquet: Turn the Ship Around
In this episode, Stephen talks to Jack Gray, the founder and Managing Director of FOMO Technology. It’s a Northern Ireland-based IT support and services company, and Jack has over two decades of experience in the industry.
He’s committed to providing businesses in the region affordable, customised, and personal IT support. Jack won the “Solo MSP of the Year" award in the recent SuperOps MSP awards.
Jack tells Stephen about how he got started in the industry and why he set up his own business. He explains he found out about the awards, the process of applying for them and what the win means for a solo MSP business like his.
He shares honestly about the challenges he faces running a solo MSP and the successes he’s had in business so far, and what the obstacles to growth are when you’re a one-man band.
Stephen asks Jack for his predictions for what’s next in the IT industry, and also for FOMO Technology. Plus Jack shares his advice for new solo MSP owners, especially if they’re entering awards competitions.
Mentioned in This Episode
- CompTIA
- The Tech Tribe
In this episode, Richard Tubb speaks to Sarah Turner, a creative marketer at IT Backbone. They support cloud migration, infrastructure overhauls and build anything that their clients need.
A data lead decision-maker, she was part of the team that helped IT Backbone win the “Most Innovative Marketing and Sales Campaign” category of the MSP awards, hosted by SuperOps.
They talk about Sarah’s marketing background and how she ended up in the IT industry and the marketing strategy she submitted as their entry into the awards competition and how she made it stand out.
He asks Sarah for her advice on marketing campaigns in general – the tools to use, how to measure the success (or otherwise) of the campaign, and the best tools to use for data analysis.
Sarah also tells him what a customer-first approach looks like at IT Backbone, the challenges and successes of marketing in an IT company, and where MSPs go wrong with their approach to marketing.
They also discuss why MSPs should enter awards, the SuperOps awards process and what the win means for Sarah and IT Backbone. Finally, Richard asks Sarah what’s next for the business and what potential obstacles they need to overcome.
Mentioned in This Episode
- HubSpot
- Canva
- Invideo
- Hotjar
- Mel Robbins Podcast
- Jay Shetty podcast
- Mel Robbins High Five Habit
- Mel Robbins: 5 Second Rule
- Feel Better, Live More podcast
- Dr Rangan Chatterjee Happy Mind, Happy Life
- Dr Rangan Chatterjee The 4 Pillar Plan
- Nir Eyal: Indestractable
- James Clear Atomic Habits
In this episode, Stephen McCormick talks to Mitch Redekopp, CEO of Riverity Technology Services, an MSP in Canada. The company has become known as one of the top managed service providers in Saskatchewan, while also having a highly experienced software development on hand.
They have a deep focus on packaging together cybersecurity and creating bespoke solutions to help improve their clients' internal business processes. River City won Emerging MSP Of the Year category at the SuperOps MSP Awards.
They talk about what the business does, and how Mitch got into the MSP industry. He explains their cybersecurity offering, and how the software development element fits in with their other services.
Richard asks Mitch about the process of entering the SuperOps awards competition, why he thinks he won and what the success means for their business. They also talk about the books Mitch has written and his predictions for cybersecurity and cyber protection.
Mitch shares the best and worst parts of running an IT business, his plans for the future and potential obstacles he might need to overcome. He also gives his advice for new MSPs, and reveals his biggest influences and mentors.
Mentioned in This Episode
- Rivercity Technology
- The Tech Tribe
- 7 Figure MSP
- Book: Chris Wiser: The Small Business Owner's Guide to Protecting Your Business From Hackers
- Book: Janna Dutton: Conversations Over Coffee
- Book: Marcus Sheridan: They Ask, You Answer
- Paul Green
- Ernest Murry CTO of Genuine Technology Group
In this episode, Stephen McCormick talks to Jack Peploe of Veterinary IT Services, who won the MSP Website of the Year Award at the SuperOps MSP awards. Jack is a veterinary IT expert and ertified Ethical Hacker, who has worked alongside the veterinary sector since he set up his first business at age 16.
He has made it his mission to help veterinary practices across the UK to utilise their technology so that they can function in a secure, professional and efficient manner, leaving vets to focus on patient care.
Stephen asks Jack how he got into the IT industry and why he decided to niche his business. They discuss the SuperOps competition – the entry process, what the win means to his company and what Jack attributes his success to.
Stephen asks Jack for his thoughts on the most common mistakes MSPs make with their websites and his advice for MSPs just starting out. They also talk about the best and worst parts of running an MSP business, Jack’s influences and where he thinks the industry is going next.
Mentioned in This Episode
- Marcus Sheridan: They Ask, You Answer
- ChatGPT
- Paul Green
- IT Veterinary Services
In this episode, Richard Tubb talks to Andy Readman, Principal Consultant at Pax8 EMEA. He explains why MSPs should consider using Pax8 Professional Services.
Andy’s focus is on developing the Pro Services capability to deliver services to their MSP partners that will make a tangible difference to their businesses and help them grow.
Richard asks Andy about his role at Pax8, what he did before and what led him to his current job. They talk about Pax8’s Pro Services and Andy reassures Richard that it’s not a competitor to MSPs.
They explore how to better utilise new technologies and tools such as Intune, what digital transformation means for MSPs and How Pro Services helps with that transformation process.
Andy also explains how Pro Services helps MSPs with cybersecurity and migrations to tools like Azure and SharePoint, and lets Richard in on the Pax8 ice-breaker where everyone shares a surprising fact about themselves.
Mentioned in This Episode
- Singlesource IT
- CompTIA report into the digital skills gap
- Cybersecurity masterclasses
- Azure demystification webinar
- Microsoft Intune
- Data strategy workshop
- Get started with Pax8
- Pax8 launch briefing (for new clients)
In this special TubbTalk interview, Richard Tubb becomes the guest on his own show! Team Tubb’s Community Manager, Stephen McCormick, takes over the presenter’s seat; he asks probing questions to find out Richard’s origin story and what’s important to him.
They talk about how Richard got into the world of IT, why he set up his own business and why he made the decision to sell up. Richard explains how he went from blogger to speaker, to consultant and media expert.
Stephen asks Richard about the importance of community, the groups hosting meet-ups around the world, and what makes the IT channel so special. Richard explains what they’ve meant to him, both personally and professionally.
Richard talks about why MSPs need to practice self-care and be honest about mental health challenges, and the tools he uses to help him relax. He also shares who’s inspired him in the world of business in general and technology in particular.
He also tells Stephen what he’d do and what he’d focus on if he started an MSP today, how to get started with outsourcing for your business, and his best sales and marketing tips. The interview ends with Richard answering a series of questions from the TubbTalk audience.
Mentioned in This Episode
- Life Lessons From My Father
- The E-Myth Revisited
- The IT Owner’s Survival Guide
- SuperOps
- Uptime Solutions
- Tubblog mental health resources
- CompTIA
- The Tech Tribe
- ConnectWise Evolve
- Karl Palchuck
- Erick Simpson
- Harry Brelsford
- Raja Pagadala
- Book: David Allen: Getting Things Done
- Book: Bob Burg: The Go Giver
- Zomentum
- The Sandler Selling System
- Robin Robbins – lumpy mail
- Paul Green
- Andrew Moon
- ZedNet
In this episode, Richard Tubb talks to Derik Belair and Gavin Garbutt, co-founders of Augmentt, a SaaS security management and software solution. They decided to build a technology platform dedicated to helping MSPs create SaaS and Microsoft service revenues when they noticed a shift towards cloud-based applications.
They talk in detail about the Augmentt solution: which tech tool category it falls into, their approach to cybersecurity and how the solution helps with MFA.
Derik and Gavin walked through how to easily deploy it, the SaaS Application Discovery Feature and using it to back up data. They also looked at how Augmentt can be used in onboarding and offboarding, and why MSPs need to understand the threat of shadow IT.
They also share candidly about their personal and business relationship, as they’ve worked together for a long time. Gavin and Derik also shared the biggest change they’ve seen in the industry in the last 20 years, their biggest lesson from their experiences in the MSP space, and what’s coming next for Augmentt.
Mentioned in This Episode
- Augmentt
- Augmentt video demo
- Augmentt Discover
- Dropbox
- Adobe
- Salesforce
- Box cloud management
- Gino Wickman: Rocket Fuel
In this episode, Richard talks to Marc Barry, co-founder and Chief Product officer at Enclave. He has a Master's Degree in Applied Information Security, and a background in security across public and private sector organisations, with a focus on building, researching and securing computer networks.
He tells Richard about his background and experience and what drew him to Enclave. He also explains what Zero Trust is and what Enclave does, as well as how it differs from a traditional VPN.
They discuss the impact Enclave has on traditional firewalls, how it works with fixed IP addresses, how to deploy it efficiently and the integration strategy. Marc also explains the recent project to make the tool usable on smartphones.
Richard asks Marc how Enclave fits in with today’s remote working culture, how it works with modern and virtual infrastructures, how it’s licenced to MSPs and what the customer support looks like.
Marc talks Richard through how Enclave guarantees user safety, the free version for non-commercial users and what’s next for the business. He also shares the resources he uses regularly to keep up to date in the industry, and who’s influenced him throughout his career.
Mentioned in This Episode
- The Colonial Pipeline hack
- Billing reconciliation tool: Gradient
- Development tool: GitHub
- Anonymous functions: lambda
- Cyber Kill Chain from Lockheed Martin
- Deployment tool: Kubernetes
- Google security researcher: Tavis Ormandy
- Software engineer: Mark Russinovich
- Computer scientist: Paul Graham
- Computer science news site: Hacker News
- Discusssion site: Reddit
- RSA security conference
- InfoSec conferences
In this episode, recorded live at IT Nation Connect 22, Richard speaks to experts from three different companies offering some of the best MSP tools available on the market.
Ben Spector and Ted Roller explain why Zomentum is different to other quoting tools, how it helps MSPs with turning prospects into sales, and how it fits in with the vendor eco-structure.
Richard also speaks to Joe Alapat and Matt Miller of Liongard, who talk about the type of MSPs who use the tool, how it fits into their tech stack, its integration strategy and how it solves MSP pain points.
James Steel of Linode explains why so many business owners are considering a move to alternative cloud solutions. He tells Richard the typical customers they have at Linode, and how the recent acquisition of the company by Akamai will enable them to support more MSPs.
Mentioned in This Episode
- Zomentum
- Liongard
- Linode
- Sales quoting software: QuoteWerks
- Close CRM
- Proposal templates & quote software: ConnectWise CPQ (formerly ConnectWise Sell)
- Video: Zomentum Walkthrough
- Video: Zomentum Connect Walkthrough
- Book: W. Chan Kim & Renee A. Mauborgne: Blue Ocean Strategy, Expanded Edition: How to Create Uncontested Market Space and Make the Competition Irrelevant
- Active Directory
- Endpoint Security: Sentinel One
- Accounting Software: QuickBooks
- UniFi-Ubiquiti servers
- Open-source tool: Odoo
- Open-source security: Wazuh
- Security and cloud delivery: Akamai
- Cloud computing: Digital Ocean
- Alternative cloud: Vultr
- Cloud-based network management: Auvik
- Tom Lawrence YouTube channel
In this episode, Richard talks to Michael George, CEO of Invicti Security. They’re an accurate automated application security testing platform that scales like no other solution.
Michael tells Richard about his past experience of leading Continuum, and what the buyout and merger process was like. He also explains what led him to found Invicti, and how the business helps MSPs.
They talk about the importance of a positive company culture and how Michael and the Invicti team build and nurture theirs. Michael also explains the organisation’s relationship with the wider cybersecurity company and how itfits in to the MSP market.
Richard asks Michael why he thinks that application security testing is so important in modern cybersecurity, the practicalities of solution consolidation in cybersecurity, and how Invicti helps MSPs manage risk in a scalable way.
They also look at the good and the bad when it comes to private equity funding for MSP vendors and how to spot red flags, what’s next for Invicti and what’s next for Michael – including mountain climbing.
Mentioned in This Episode
- Invicti
- ConnectWise
- Jira
- Jenkins
- ServiceNow
- A3Sec SAS
- Smart Solution Consulting GmbH
- Monogo
- Bulletproof
- Kaseya
- Linux
- Summit Partners (growth equity firm)
- Book: David Foster Wallace: Infinite Jest
- David Foster Wallace Kenyon College commencement address: This is Water
- Invicti's AppSec Indicator report
- Invicti's MSSP Program
- Invicti Resources Library
In this episode, Richard is joined by Dave Algeo, the founder of the Midlife Reshape Academy. He specialises in helping people in all walks of life to refocus on their health and wellness and get back to their past fitness levels.
They talk about how MSP owners and IT professionals can deal with overwhelm and burnout, and how to balance productivity and the demands of the job with managing health and wellbeing.
Dave shares some tips on maintaining wellness when you’re struggling to prioritise it with all the other demands on your time. He also talks Richard through his SDADS Method, which is a way to help you simplify tasks.
They also explore what the secret to weight loss is, and if it even exists. Dave explains how you can ensure that you’re doing the right things for your wellness, and how to break bad habits and engrain good ones. Richard and Dave also discuss the importance of mental health.
Mentioned in This Episode
- Crackerjack video featuring Rosie
- Layne Norton
- The IT Business Owner's Survival Guide
- Guest blog post: Writing Down Your Successes
- Productivity tool: AppBlock (for Android users)
- Productivity tool: Freedom (for iOS users)
- Audio course: Operation Snooze
- Meditation app: Headspace
- Meditation app: Calm
- Book: Prof. Matt Walker: Why We Sleep
- Tubblog mental health resources
- Chrome extension: Newsfeed Eradicator
- Pastor Steven Furtick
In this episode, Richard talks to Raja Pagadala, managing director of London-based MSP The Final Step. It’s one of London's oldest and most well-established IT businesses and a 2022 winner on the MSP 501.
Raja is actively sought out by some of the industry's top vendors and businesses to act as an advisor and confidant. This interview was recorded live at ConnectWise IT Nation in Orlando, Florida.
They talk about how peer groups help Raja personally and professionally, what’s changed the most since Raja started his business, and his number one piece of advice for today’s MSP owners.
Richard also asks Raja to talk more about The Final Step as a business: what a white glove MSP is, the toolkit they use to support their clients, and how they retain those clients for decades.
Raja explains why they go deep into client businesses to better support them and why MSPs should think strategically about their own clients. He also tells Richard how the business attracts tech talent and retains them.
Richard also asks Raja how he handles having tough conversations as the MD, their four-step methodology for helping clients break their IT bottlenecks, and how to demonstrate your value to clients who’ve forgotten how you help them.
Mentioned in This Episode
- HTG
- CompTIA
- The Tech Tribe
- ConnectWise
- The IT Nation
- Acronis
- Jim Collins
- DattoCon
- Kaseya
- The Final Step downloadable ebook: How to break the IT Bottleneck
- Bob Burg: The Go-Giver
- Hardin Byars of Innovus Consulting, LLC
- Simon Sinek: Start With Why
- Patrick Lencioni: The Five Dysfunctions of a Team
In this episode, Richard talks to Erick Simpson. Erick is one of the true architects of what we now know as the Managed Service Provider channel. Eric co-founded, developed and sold one of the first pureplay MSPs in the industry, and then co- founded MSP University and authored four books.
He told Richard how he got started in the MSP world and the difference between having a job and running a business. They also considered what it means to be a ‘modern MSP.’
Richard and Erik discussed the most significant changes in the IT industry and how the pandemic changed the way internal IT departments view MSPs. Erick explained the idea of ABC clients and why you should be clear on which clients fall into which category.
They talked about why MSPs should promote cyber security insurance, and alongside that, how and why to communicate the importance of cyber protection to their clients to encourage them to take it seriously.
Finally, they talked inspiration and motivation – what gets Erick out of bed in the morning and excited for his day, who’s inspired him the most, both personally and professionally, and what’s coming next for him.
Mentioned in This Episode
- Podcast: Vera Tucci on CoMITs
- Erick Simpson’s blog on firing clients
- Alan Weiss: Million Dollar Consulting
- https://www.amazon.co.uk/Million-Dollar-Consulting-Sixth-
- Erick’s inspiration: Amy Luby, founder of Modern MSP
In this interview, Richard talks to Dan Scott, the IT Nation Community Director, EMEA, for ConnectWise. The IT Nation is an MSP community group, brought to you by ConnectWise, the IT software and services company.
IT Nation membership includes conferences, community events, product trainings and more. The supportive community is what really helps MSPs to grow their business and thrive, even in times of uncertainty. This interview was recorded live at the IT Nation Event in Orlando, Florida, in November 2022.
Dan told Richard how IT Nation works and the kinds of events they run, why they’re committed to an open eco-system, and how he got started in the industry. They also discussed ConnectWise Evolve, which was previously part of HTG.
They also discussed why MSPs should embrace peer groups and how the IT Nation groups work. Dan explained the feedback scorecard and how members measure their progress. He also told Richard about how the peer groups work around the world, and what’s coming up next in the event space.
Mentioned in This Episode
- ConnectWise
- Datto
- Event: IT Nation Share
- CompTIA
- The Tech Tribe
- Event: Acronis CyberFit Summit
- Book: Bob Burg: The Go-Giver
- ConnectWise Evolve
- Event: IT Nation Connect
- Event: IT Nation Secure
In this episode, Richard Tubb talks to James Slaby. James is the Director of Cyber Protection and Solutions Marketing at Acronis. This role sees him creating assets, identifying markets to expand into and delivering talks and webinars on all things cybersecurity.
Acronis are a multinational tech company with a focus on cyber protection, cybersecurity and supporting MSPs and businesses to keep their data safe. This interview was recorded live at the CyberFit Summit in Miami, Florida, in November 2022.
James and Richard talked about what cyber protection is, and why MSPs need to help their clients to understand that it’s a continual process. James also explained the importance of cyber protection for cloud services.
They discussed where MSPs and their clients are exposing themselves to attacks, why all businesses need disaster recovery, why MSPs should protect their clients against ransomware attacks, and how cybersecurity awareness training can help businesses.
James also talked Richard through some of the Acronis products and why the solution is so easy to deploy. They looked at how the company has become a household name and how sports team-ups have helped – and how MSPs can do the same.
Mentioned in This Episode
- How to register for next year’s CyberFit event
- Channel Futures article
- eBook: Assessing the Software Supply Chain Cybersecurity Risk
- Acronis CyberFit Sports Team-up
In this bonusode, two previous guests on TubbTalk speak to each other. This fireside chat was recorded virtually in September 2022.
Emily Glass is the President and CEO of Syncro. They’re an all-in-one RMM, PSA and remote access tool that helps managed service providers - MSPs - run more profitable businesses.
Vera Tucci is the co-founder and CEO of T-Consulting, an MSP and COMIT. They provide co-managed IT and cybersecurity support to SMBs without an internal IT department and larger companies looking to improve their teams.
They talk about the challenges of running an IT business, and the after-effects of the covid pandemic. Emily and Vera discuss how to juggle work and home life, and why it’s important to be more authentically yourself at work.
Emily explains how she manages her team when they’re fully remote, and Vera talks about the difficulty of employing younger people who’ve never worked in person in an office. They both talk about the need to develop a strong company culture.
They also talk about the importance of communication – both externally with clients so they know what you’ll deliver and what to expect of your working relationship, but also internally with teams, especially if they’re inter-generational.
Mentioned in This Episode
- Datto
- Syncro
- T-Consulting
This special episode marks the end of the Ultimate MSP Crossover event that took place in September 2022. Podcast host Paul Green serves as the quiz master to test his fellow podcasters on their knowledge of all things tech and IT. Who will win - Team Atari or Team Commodore? And how much do these experts really know? Tune in to find out!
This special episode marks the end of the Ultimate MSP Crossover event that took place in September 2022. Podcast host Paul Green serves as the quiz master to test his fellow podcasters on their knowledge of all things tech and IT. Who will win - Team Atari or Team Commodore? And how much do these experts really know? Tune in to find out!
This bonusode features a snippet of Richard Tubb’s interview with Maggie Philbin, former TV presenter on tech show Tomorrow’s World and the founder of TeenTech. In this snippet, Maggie talks about young people's views on IT and how to encourage them to see it as a viable career, and how we can encourage young girls into tech. You can find the full interview https://www.tubblog.co.uk/podcasts/teen-tech-girls-in-tech/ (here).
This bonusode features a snippet of Richard Tubb’s interview with Chris Brogan. Chris is a best-selling author, keynote speaker and consultant. In this snippet, Chris talks about how business owners can be kind to themselves and how to handle a depressive episode. You can find the full interview https://www.tubblog.co.uk/podcasts/mental-health-for-msp-owners/ (here).
This bonusode features a snippet of Richard Tubb's interview with David Allen, creator of the Getting Things Done Methodology. In this snippet, David explains how GTD helps with mindfulness, and how he implements the methodology in his own business and life You can find the full interview https://www.tubblog.co.uk/podcasts/productivity-healthy-habits-and-getting-things-done-tubbtalk-50/ (here).
In this episode, Richard speaks to Emily Glass, President and CEO of Syncro. They’re an all-in-one RMM, PSA and remote access tool that helps managed service providers - MSPs - run more profitable businesses. She and Richard talk about managing a remote team, why a combined PSA/RMM is good for MSPs and how the MSP market has changed since Emily started in the industry. Plus, Emily shares Syncro’s Philosophy on PSA Integration, their licencing model, the challenges of long-term contracts with vendors, what it’s like being one of the few female vendor CEOs and why there aren’t more of them. They discuss how Syncro helps MSPs grow their businesses and their future plans, how to support a remote team and why Syncro is a human-focused company first. Emily also shares openly about her own meditation practice and that of the C-suite team, the importance of time management and work/life balance, and the people who’ve been mentors for her throughout her career. Mentioned in This Episode RMM & PSA tool: https://www.datto.com/ (Datto) (now part of Kaseya) Automated backup: https://www.backupify.com/ (Backupify) Cloud services tool: https://www.akamai.com/ (Akamai) Video communication platform: https://www.brightcove.com/en/ (Brightcove) Meditation app: https://www.headspace.com/ (Headspace) Casana CEO and Emily's mentor: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mcchord/ (Austin McChord) American businesswomand and Emily's mentor: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ursula_Burns (Ursula Burns)
In this episode, Richard talks to Shabad Chawla, the founder of London-based MSP Tech Sapiens. Its managed service framework is based on the UK’s Cyber Essentials scheme and other relevant industry standards. This allows Shabad to offer a profitable niche service. Shabad tells Richard about the tech stack they use in Tech Sapiens, how they use the Keepabl solution and their relationship with the team there. He also explains why he believes GDPR is an opportunity for MSPs. They also discuss how MSPs can find the best vendor partners to work with and why Tech Sapiens focuses on helping clients with Cyber Essentials accreditation. Plus, Shabad shares the best and worst things about running an MSP, what he gets from MSP peer communities, and how he sees the future of the industry. Mentioned in This Episode https://www.datto.com/uk/products/autotask-psa/ (Autotask) from Datto/Kaseya Sales platform: https://www.tubblog.co.uk/zomentum-revenue-platform/ (Zomentum) Documentation: https://www.itglue.com/ (IT Glue) GDPR compliance training: https://www.tubblog.co.uk/keepabl/ (Keepabl) Cybersecurity: https://cybersmart.co.uk/ (CyberSmart) UK government cybersecurity scheme: https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/cyberessentials/overview (Cyber Essentials) Video hosting and sharing: https://vimeo.com/ (Vimeo) Create step by step guides: https://www.tango.us/ (Tango) Create step by step guides: https://scribehow.com/ (Scribe) Create step by step guides: https://www.techsmith.com/screen-capture.html (Snagit) https://www.tubblog.co.uk/techtribe/ (The Tech Tribe) Discord channel: https://mspsinthe.uk/ (MSPs in the UK) MSP Geek https://join.mspgeek.com/ (Slack channel) AI tech support: https://www.moveworks.com/ (Moveworks) MSP admin portal: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/lighthouse/m365-lighthouse-overview?view=o365-worldwide (Microsoft Lighthouse) M365 monitoring: https://mspeasytools.co.uk/ (MSP Easy Tools)
In this episode, Richar talks to Alex Martin. Alex is the cyber security analyst for UK-based LMS Group, a role he took on after achieving a degree in cybersecurity and forensic computing. LMS support a range of businesses of different sizes; they provide consultancy, break/fix, security compliance and virtual CIO services. We talk about the tools they use in LMS Group, including PSA, RMM and phishing simulation and training. Alex explains how the usecure simulation tool is used internally with new starters and to educate new and existing clients about human risk. He also tells me how he shares the results of those tests with clients, and the importance of viewing them as a learning opportunity and not a reason to tell someone off. Plus, he tells me how the tool helps LMS Group to grow, as well as about their relationship with usecure. Mentioned in This Episode ConnectWise Cloud app management tool: https://automate.io/ (Automate) https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365 (M365) https://meraki.cisco.com/en-uk/ (Cisco Meraki) https://www.usecure.io/en/ (usecure) https://www.zensoftware.co.uk/ (Zen Software) https://www.cybereason.com/blog/category/podcasts (Cyber Reason podcast) https://darknetdiaries.com/ (Dark Net Diaries podcast) Book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Perfect-Weapon-sabotage-fear-cyber/dp/1911617729/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1SVPXLQK40QJH&keywords=david+sanger+perfect+weapon&qid=1652293281&s=books&sprefix=david+sanger+perfect+wepon%2Cstripbooks%2C84&sr=1-1 (David Sanger: Perfect Weapon) Book: Kevin Mitnick: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/076454280X?tag=tubbweb&linkCode=ogi&th=1&psc=1 (The Art of Deception)
In this episode, Richard talks to Keith Edmunds of Tiger Computing to learn more about Linux for MSPs. They discuss: Why businesses use Linux over the traditional Microsoft solutions How the advent of Cloud Computing means people worry less about their operating system they The benefits to MSPs of focusing on a niche rather than trying to be a "Jack of All Trades" How MSPs can partner with Tiger Computing to support their clients who use Linux
In this interview, Richard speaks to Scott Riley, the founder of Cloud Nexus, a UK-based MSP specialising in the Microsoft Stack. Scott explains that he decided to niche the business to give a better service, outsourcing other tasks to select partners. Richard and Scott discussed the pros and cons of working with the Microsoft Stack, and how niching into using it led Scott to set up the Microsoft 365 Masterclass. Scott shared which tools he uses in Cloud Nexus and why MSPs should outsource their helpdesk. He also shares honestly about the limitations of outsourcing and when it’s not the best option. Richard also asks Scott about the SOC and helpdesk support he gets from Uptime Solutions, the relationship they have with Cloud Nexus, and why Uptime’s company culture makes them a great fit for the business. Plus, Scott shares the best and worst things about running an MSP. Mentioned in This Episode https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365 (Microsoft 365) https://azure.microsoft.com/en-gb/ (Azure) Michael Gerber – https://www.amazon.co.uk/Myth-Revisited-Small-Businesses-About/dp/0887307280/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1652268842&sr=1-1 (The EMyth Revisited) https://www.tubblog.co.uk/uptime-solutions/ (Uptime Solutions) https://www.linux.org/ (Linux ) Collaboration software: SharePoint M365 Masterclass https://www.tubblog.co.uk/techtribe/ (The Tech Tribe) https://halopsa.com/ (Halo PSA) https://www.datto.com/ (Datto) Accounting software: https://www.xero.com/uk/ (Xero) Heimdall via https://www.brigantia.com/ (Brigantia) https://www.tubblog.co.uk/pax8/ (Pax8) Documentation tool: https://itglue.com/ (IT Glue) Password sync: https://www.keepersecurity.com/en_GB/ (Keeper) Cybersecurity Awareness training: https://www.knowbe4.com/ (KnowBe4) https://www.usecure.io/en/ (usecure) https://cofense.com/ (Cofense) (formerly PhishMe) Third party web content filter: https://anydns-client.soft112.com/ (AnyDNS) Bit Defender https://www.sophos.com/en-us (Sophos) https://www.sophos.com/en-us/products/endpoint-antivirus (Intercept X) https://www.connectwise.com/ (ConnectWise) (formerly Continuum) Service desk: https://www.inbay.co.uk/ (InBay) MSP Coach: https://www.petematheson.com/ (Pete Matheson) https://www.microsoft.com/en-ww/microsoft-365/windows/windows-autopilot (Microsoft Autopilot) Cybersecurity: https://www.huntress.com/ (Huntress)
In this episode, Richard talks to Matt Jarett, the co-founder of DaMTech. They support small businesses in the North East of England. He describes them as a hybrid MSP, offering cloud, VoIP and software solutions. However, their SMB clients also need help with CCTV, cabling and other general tech advice. He and Richard discuss why DaMTech chose to partner with Giacom and the specific solutions they use, including M365 Secure. Matt also explains how using Vade email security and Acronis data backup save them time. Matt explains the Microsoft cloud offerings he likes, and why he uses them with the small businesses he supports. He and Richard also discuss how MSPs can secure client data in the cloud, and why VoIP services have been such a successful offering for DaMTech. Mentioned in This Episode https://www.tubblog.co.uk/giacom/ (Giacom) https://www.acronis.com/ (Acronis) https://www.vadesecure.com/en/ (Email security Vade) https://www.exclaimer.com/ (Exclaimer email signature)
In this episode, Richard is joined by Paul Croker, founder of 18IT. Paul describes his business as doing IT differently, with a cup of tea and some rock and roll. He aims to make the complex simple, and seeks to help small and medium sized enterprises protect what is important to them, and to their clients. They talk about Paul’s experience of transitioning from a large, corporate IT team to running his own MSP. Paul shares the tools he uses in the business and the kind of support he provides. They discuss partner relationships, and how Pax8 differs from other vendors. Paul explains the culture at Pax8, how they help him grow, and how he’s inspired by some of the key team members. Plus, Paul talks about the highs and lows of running a business, and why MSPs need to build better connections with vendors. Mentioned in This Episode ConnectWise https://www.datto.com/ (Datto) https://www.tubblog.co.uk/pax8/ (Pax8) https://www.tubblog.co.uk/techtribe/ (The TechTribe) https://heimdall.site/ (Hiemdall) https://azure.microsoft.com/en-gb/services/microsoft-sentinel/ (Sentinel) https://dropsuite.com/ (Dropsuite) https://www.nexgenltd.co.uk/ (Simon Rosemeyer) https://twitter.com/DigitalLeadTim (Timothy Hughes) https://www.andybounds.com/ (Andy Bounds)
Have you ever wondered which are the tools or solutions that help making your peers Managed Service Provider businesses profitable? Richard Tubb here, to let you know that the next season of TubbTalk, the podcast for IT consultants, is going to be focused on MSP tools. Now if you work in the IT Managed Service Provider space, then TubbTalk has always brought you interviews with the smartest, most successful people in our industry. Well, this season, we're interviewing your fellow MSP business owners to understand which platforms and solutions they use to either save them money or make them money. We'll be speaking for instance to MSP owners such as Paul Croker of 18IT, Scott Riley of Cloud Nexus and Shabad Chawla of Tech Sapiens, amongst many others, to hear the tools that they use to bring their businesses success. So our MSP tool season starts on Sunday, the eighth of May 2022. So make sure you subscribe to TubbTalk the podcast for IT consultants in your favourite podcast player, or visit tubb.co forward slash TubbTalk for all the details. I'll see you there!
Chloe Cameron is the Chief People Officer EMA at PAX8. She describes her current role at Pax8 as nothing short of enabling people to do the best work of their lives at the business. Chloe tells Richard how she defines culture and what it looks like within Pax8. She explains why you should be clear on your values and purpose, and how to encourage the right culture in your MSP. They also talk about what to do if someone isn’t the right fit for your business, the skills Chloe uses every day and what it’s like being a Woman in IT. Chloe also shares her advice for women joining the IT industry. From a business perspective, they explore how to encourage more women into IT and how to manage a hybrid workforce. Plus, they look at why women are less assertive than men and how we can start to break the bias in the workplace. They also talk about managing your energy levels and expectations as an introvert, and supporting good mental health in the workplace. Mentioned in This Episode https://www.amazon.co.uk/15-Commitments-Conscious-Leadership-Sustainable/dp/0990976904/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1W3E0LIDAN6RC&keywords=15+commitments+of+conscious+leadership&qid=1648640061&s=books&sprefix=15+commitments+of+conscious+leadership%2Cstripbooks%2C128&sr=1-1 (Jim Dethmer: The 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership)
In this episode, Richard talks to Shruti Ghatge. Shruti is the co-founder and CEO at Zomentum, a company that is redefining MSP sales. They describe themselves as the revenue centre of a technology partner business; customers use them to produce quotes, manage revenue and track client accounts. Shruti explains to Richard where the idea for the business came from and how it differs from other, more traditional revenue platforms. They talk about how Zomentum helps MSPs with the sales process and how you can reframe it to make it less scary for you and your clients. They also discuss how you can use the tool to assess where your clients are and what they might need, why we should move away from the QBR review model and how the Goolash acquisition will make it easier to manage licences and billing. Mentioned in This Episode https://www.quotewerks.com/ (QuoteWerks) https://www.zomentum.com/license-reconciliation (Goolash (now Zomentum Connect)) https://www.tubblog.co.uk/techtribe/ (The Tech Tribe)
In this episode, Richard speaks to Blair Lyon, VP of Cloud Experience for Linode. They accelerate innovation by making cloud computing simple, accessible, and affordable to all. Blair himself is a sales marketing and technology expert, with over 25 years’ experience building businesses and delivering award winning solutions for the Fortune 1000. They talk about what makes Linode different and why they have so many fans in the IT space. Blair explains what the alternative cloud is and how you can use it alongside another cloud solution. Richard and Blair discuss the Linode customer service model, how MSPs can use the alternative cloud for a competitive advantage, the cloud services Linode offer and how they manage cybersecurity internally. Blair also explains why MSPs might choose Linode and partner with them rather than the ‘big three’ cloud provider, and how you can get started with cloud computing. And he shares what the recent Akamai acquisition means for the company. Mentioned in This Episode https://aws.amazon.com/ (Amazon Web Services (AWS)) https://azure.microsoft.com/en-gb/ (Microsoft Azure) https://cloud.google.com/ (Google Cloud) https://kubernetes.io/ (Kubernetes) https://www.akamai.com/ (Akamai) https://www.ovhcloud.com/en-gb/ (OVH cloud) Cloud software: https://www.digitalocean.com/ (Digital Ocean) Code software tool: https://www.terraform.io/ (TerraForm) Ransomware protection: https://www.guardicore.com/ (Guardicore) ebook: https://www.tubblog.co.uk/blog/sales-and-marketing/msps-guide-to-modern-cloud/ (The MSP’s Guide to Modern Cloud Infrastructure) https://www.cloudflare.com/en-gb/ (CloudFlare) Don Norman: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Design-Everyday-Things-Revised-Expanded-ebook/dp/B06XCCZJ4L/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3C9EXHXQCU6W3&keywords=don+norman+the+design+of+everyday+things&qid=1645786392&s=books&sprefix=Don+no%2Cstripbooks%2C96&sr=1-1 (Design of Everyday Things) Dave Peterson: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Play-Bigger-Innovators-Categories-Dominate/dp/0349414645/ref=sr_1_2?crid=3KMI50L347ALG&keywords=dave+peterson+category&qid=1645786512&s=books&sprefix=dave+peterson+category%2Cstripbooks%2C69&sr=1-2 (Play Bigger) Inspirational speaker and author: https://simonsinek.com/ (Simon Sinek) https://www.salesforce.com/uk/products/marketing-cloud/email-marketing/ (ExactTarget (now SalesForce)) Infrastructure software: https://www.equinix.co.uk/ (Equinix) Sales & marketing expert and author: https://www.jaybaer.com/ (Jay Baer) Team workspace: https://slack.com/intl/en-gb/ (Slack) Team workspace: https://www.atlassian.com/software/confluence (Confluence)
In this episode, Richard talks to Ben Jenkins, Senior Solutions Engineer at ThreatLocker. ThreatLocker is an application whitelisting, ring-fencing and data storage control platform that protects businesses from malicious and misuse software. They talk about what ThreatLocker offers MSPs, what zero trust means, and how to deploy the software for better cybersecurity. Ben explains what elevation control and data storage control are, and the tools ThreatLocker integrates with. Richard and Ben discuss why MSPs shouldn’t rely solely on antivirus and how antivirus whitelisting works as well as usability vs security. They look at how ThreatLocker is licenced, the subscription options, partner programmes and why they don’t work with SMBs. Plus, Ben shares the resources he uses to stay up to date with the current situation in cybersecurity and the broader IT industry, and who inspires him in business and life. Mentioned in This Episode Slack:https://slack.com/intl/en-gb/ ( https://slack.com/intl/en-gb/) Splunk:https://www.splunk.com/ ( https://www.splunk.com/) AppBlock for Android:https://www.appblock.app/ ( https://www.appblock.app/) Freedom for iOS:https://freedom.to/freedom-for-ios ( https://freedom.to/freedom-for-ios) RSS Feed Reader: Pockethttps://getpocket.com/en/ ( https://getpocket.com/en/) Backup Tool: Veeamhttps://www.veeam.com/vm-backup-recovery-replication-software.html ( https://www.veeam.com/vm-backup-recovery-replication-software.html) Channel E2E:https://www.channele2e.com/ ( https://www.channele2e.com/) The Registerhttps://www.theregister.com/ ( https://www.theregister.com/) The Verge:https://www.theverge.com/ ( https://www.theverge.com/) The Bleeping Computer:https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/ ( https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/) MSP sub-Reddit:https://www.reddit.com/r/msp/ ( https://www.reddit.com/r/msp/)
If sales is important to your business, but you still find sales an uncomfortable or difficult process - then you will find my conversation with experienced IT sales professional Paul Lloyd of interest. In my chat with Paul, we discuss why so many MSP’s waste time chasing business they were never likely to win, how you can qualify business at each stage of the sales cycle, and we explore Paul’s system for minimising wasted time and maximising closed business.
In this episode, I speak to Claire Jenks and Pascal Fintoni about content marketing for MSPs. Claire helps tech businesses, consultants and memberships reach their potential and make the biggest impact through design, content and business management. Pascal Fintoni is a digital marketeer, video marketing expert, speaker, trainer and webinar host who helps businesses build their online reputation. They talk about what content marketing is and why it’s so important; why MSPs should embrace it and how to get started. Plus, Claire shares the best type of content for MSPs. Pascal explains the three key phrases that all MSPs should know to leverage content successfully, how to upgrade and repurpose content, how to avoid overwhelm and when to outsource. Mentioned in This Episode https://clairejenks.co.uk/ (Claire Jenks Graphic Design) https://pascalfintoni.com/ (Pascal Fintoni Digital Marketing)
In this episode, Richard speaks to Michelle Ragusa-McBain, Global Lead and Channel Community Evangelist for MSP and XaaS at Cisco. And, Michelle is a former chair of CompTIA's Advancing Women in Technology community and a driving force in the industry. They talk about Cisco’s security stack, and their popular tools Meraki, Duo and Umbrella. Michelle explains how the company has evolved to be an MSP partner, and how they’re working to develop stronger relationships. She also explains how their offerings are suited to businesses around the world, and what Cisco partners sometimes overlook. Plus, Michelle explains what XaaS is and why it’s good for customers and businesses, what’s changed in the IT industry and how the changes have led to opportunities for MSPs. Richard asks Michelle about her experiences as a woman in tech, how we can get more women and girls interested in STEM, and what employers can do to mentor and inspire female employees. Mentioned in This Episode https://www.linkedin.com/sales/ssi (Find your SSI score) MSP marketing expert https://robinrobins.com/ (Robin Robins) https://www.trumethods.com/ (TruMethods) framework for MSPs https://www.comptia.org/home (CompTIA) CompTIA https://connect.comptia.org/connect/technology-interest-groups/advancing-women-in-technology-interest-group (Advancing Women in Technology)
In this bonus episode of TubbTalk, Richard speaks to Arvind Parthiban, co-founder and chief technology officer at Superops.ai. Arvind talks about their funding news, the new features they’re introducing and AI-based implicit alerting function. Plus, Arvind tells Richard about what SuperOps offers and how they’re different from a traditional RMM or PSA tool, how they built rapidly and with automation at the forefront of everything they do. They talk about the platform’s implicit alerting function and how it makes life easier for MSPs, what the newly-secured funding means for the company and their customers, future plans, and how SuperOps will maintain a user-friendly ethos. Mentioned in This Episode https://superops.ai/ (SuperOps.ai) https://www.additioncapital.com/ (Addition Capital) https://www.tanglinvp.com/ (Tanglin Venture Partners)
In this episode, Richard talks to Amanda Stewart. Amanda is the managing director of Edinburgh-based MSP Illuminate, which supports local businesses and charities. And the business has a very strong focus on putting customer service as their number one priority. She started the business when her daughter was six months old to give herself the flexibility her employer wouldn’t. Amanda says it’s been a lifestyle business so she can be available for her kids whenever they need her. Amanda tells Richard about the kind of businesses she works with, and how she spots people who won’t be a great fit. Customer service and relationships with clients are vital for Illuminate, and she explains how she prioritises that. Amanda and Richard also discuss Illuminate’s MSP stack, how to talk about cybersecurity with clients and the challenges of being a business owner. Plus, Amanda explains why she decided to become a GDPR consultant and how that’s helped her clients. She also reveals why she still works in the technical side of the business, her thoughts on the labels ‘techy’ and ‘geek’. And she and Richard discuss being a woman in a male-dominated industry and how schools and those in the MSP industry can encourage young people into the sector. Mentioned in This Episode https://www.usecure.io/en/ (usecure) https://b1g1.com/ (Business for Good) https://www.comptia.org/home (CompTIA) https://www.tubblog.co.uk/techtribe/ (The Tech Tribe) https://www.connectwise.com/theitnation/evolve (ConnectWise Evolve) https://www.fsb.org.uk/ (Federation of Small Businesses) https://www.britishchambers.org.uk/ (British Chambers of Commerce)
In this episode, Richard talks to Nancy Sabino, the VP of Sales and Marketing for Synetek Solutions. They’re an integrated, outsourced IT department in Texas. Previously, Nancy was CEO of SabinoCompTech. She tells Richard how the merger came about and how she and her business partner (also her husband) built the business with selling it in mind. She also talks about the tools she used in SabinoCompTech and why it’s a good idea to use a stack from one provider if possible. They discuss why Nancy uses the term ‘outsourced IT department’ and why niching is a good thing. Plus, she explains why their business decided to focus on providing compliance strategy support to local medical and care companies. Nancy talks openly about the best and worst bits of running an MSP and what it’s like running a business with her husband. She talks about her early experiences in the tech space and how to encourage more young women to consider STEM careers. Richard and Nancy also talk about branding, the business benefits Nancy’s podcast and videos have brought, and how she got the confidence to get started. And, she explains what she gets out of being part of peer communities. Mentioned in This Episode https://www.kaseya.com/ (Kaseya) https://thetechtribe.com/ (The Tech Tribe) https://www.amazon.co.uk/Good-Great-Jim-Collins/dp/0712676090/ref=sr_1_1?crid=25TM9SUJL4LXC&keywords=good+to+great+jim+collins&qid=1639681306&s=books&sprefix=good+to+grea%2Caps%2C184&sr=1-1 (Jim Collins: Good to Great) https://www.ascii.com/ (ASCII) https://www.channelfutures.com/msp-501 (Channel Futures) Podcast: https://it4whiskey.com/ (IT4Whiskey) https://www.channelpronetwork.com/ (ChannelPro Network) https://www.nerdygirlsuccess.com/ (Nerdy Girl Success) SabinoCompTech on YouTube
In this episode, Richard is joined by Diana Giles. Diana is the president and owner of Skyline IT Management. She’s also the founder of sensible cyber parenting, a free resource website to help parents protect their children online. She talks about her journey from teacher to owner of an IT company, the challenges of being a one-man-band and how she spots clients who won’t be a good fit. Diana tells Richard about the tools she uses in her business and why having an RMM, a PSA and an outsourced helpdesk make things run smoothly. She also talks about her relationship with Microsoft as an MSP. She talks openly about the challenges of running an MSP and being a mother and a business owner. Plus, she explains how her experiences of keeping her kids safe online led to her founding the Sensible Cyber Parenting website. Diana also shares what it’s like being a woman in a male-dominated industry and her advice for women wanting to join it, the importance of authenticity, and how those in the MSP industry can encourage more young people into tech. Mentioned in This Episode https://skylineitmgmt.com/ (Skyline IT Management) https://todo.microsoft.com/tasks/ (To Do) https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1523856270?tag=tubbweb&linkCode=ogi&th=1&psc=1 (The IT Business Owner's Survival Guide) https://www.comptia.org/home (CompTIA) https://thetechtribe.com/ (The Tech Tribe) https://www.pax8.com/en-uk/ (Pax8) https://sensiblecyberparenting.com/ (Sensible Cyber Parenting)
In this episode, Richard is joined by Maggie Philbin, OBE. She has worked in radio and television for over 30 years on a wide range of science, medical and technology programmes from Tomorrow's World to Bang Goes the Theory. In 2008, she co-founded TeenTech, an award-winning organisation which works across the UK getting young people innovating, creating building skills and preparing for a fast-changing future. Richard and Maggie talk about what the government can do to encourage more young people into STEM subjects, how young people view the IT and tech sectors, and how businesses can encourage more women into the industry. And, Maggie shares what she finds exciting about the tech space right now, how she started in TV and why she was attracted to a career in tech. Plus, she answers a series of quick-fire questions submitted by listeners of the show. Maggie also talks extensively about her time on Tomorrow’s World, the inventors she enjoyed meeting and the challenges of doing live TV. She explains why she set up the TeenTech initiative and how it helps young people find real opportunities for their futures. Mentioned in This Episode https://teentech.com/ (TeenTech) https://teentech.com/press-release-teentech-live-comes-to-the-north-east/ (The TeenTech Live Newcastle) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomorrow%27s_World (Tomorrow’s World) https://www.computerweekly.com/news/252507482/Computer-Weekly-announces-the-2021-Most-Influential-Women-in-UK-Tech (Computer Weekly Most Influential Women in Tech list) https://www.northernpowerwomen.com/ (Northern Power Women)
In this episode, Richard speaks to Jennifer Bleam of MSP Sales Revolution. She works with a small number of MSPs to scale the cybersecurity mountain. She helps them with pricing, packaging and a go-to market strategy. This includes sales and marketing, time management and financials. Jennifer and Richard talk about why you should use a compliance framework from NCSC or NIST to talk about cybersecurity with your clients, the one tool you should have in your stack, and assumptions that MSPs make about their clients. They also discuss how Jennifer helps her clients to close sales, her tips for successfulMSP marketing, and why you should consider using both video and webinars. Plus, they talk about cybersecurity insurance for your MSP clients, how to sell cybersecurity to clients who don’t see the risk and how you can help all your employees successfully sell your business. Mentioned in This Episode https://www.cyber.gov.au/acsc/view-all-content/essential-eight (Essential Eight) https://www.cisecurity.org/controls/ (CIS controls) https://www.nist.gov/ (NIST) https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/ (NCSC) https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/section/products-services/cyber-essentials (Cyber Essentials) Dan Sullivan: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Who-Not-How-Accelerating-Teamwork-ebook/dp/B0867ZJ151/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2KSCQUJD269QS&keywords=who+not+how+dan+sullivan&qid=1637086703&s=books&sprefix=Dan+sullivan+wh%2Caps%2C203&sr=1-1 (Who Not How: The Formula to Achieve Bigger Goals Through Accelerating Teamwork) Keenan: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Gap-Selling-Problem-Centric-Everything-Relationships-ebook/dp/B07L2J3JBQ/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=Keenan+gap+selling&qid=1637086773&s=books&sr=1-1 (Gap Selling)
In this episode, Richard talks to Vera Tucci. Vera is the co-founder and CEO of T-Consulting, an MSP and COMIT. They provide co-managed IT support to SMBs without an internal IT department and larger companies looking to improve their teams. She tells Richard how someone without a tech background ended up CEO of a tech company, what it’s like working with your husband, and why she kept the fact they were a couple a secret at first. They also talk about what a COMIT actually is, how an internal challenge led to the founding of a side company and how a separate, failed business attempt for Vera led to an inspirational TEDx talk. And, Vera shares her thoughts on how MSPs can keep their clients safe, what they need to stop doing when it comes to cybersecurity, the tools you should use and the tools to avoid, and why constant education is key. Mentioned in This Episode https://www.t-consulting.it/ (T-Consulting) https://www.globaldash.it/en/ (Globaldash) Vera's TEDx Talk: Tears and Tequila
In this episode Richard speaks to Olesia Klevchuk. Olesia is the Principal Product Marketing Manager for Email Security at Barracuda Networks. Barracuda are a cybersecurity company, providing security solutions for organisations all over the world. They offer email, network and application security as well as data protection, and are the partner of choice for businesses from North America, America and Europe who need to take security seriously. Richard and Olesia talk about current trends in email security and Barracuda’s solution, where cybercriminals focus to exploit email vulnerabilities and how MSPs can detect threats. They also talk about the mistakes MSPs make with keeping their clients safe, how to protect clients against ransomware, external resources you can use to protect your clients and the Barracuda Office 365 email threat scanner. Plus, Olesia shares why she chose a career in tech, who and what have been positive influences on her career and how to encourage more women and girls to work in the IT industry. Mentioned in This Episode e-book – https://barracudamsp.com/msp-resources/ebooks-whitepapers/email-threat-types/?setc=_kk&mrm=Website&mrmd=Web-2021-RS-Hub (13 Threat Types to Know Right Now) https://barracudamsp.com/msp-resources/on-demand/ (Webinar archive) https://smartermsp.com/ (Blogs)
In this episode, Richard talks to Grace Marshall, Productivity Ninja and award-winning author of four books, including the best-selling "How to be Really Productive”. please note, this interview contains several uses of a mild profanity She describes herself as naturally disorganised, but managed to start her business while raising two children. Her clients kept asking how she did it, so she decided to share her advice with them. They talk about why people struggle to get things done and how to take a step back when that happens. Grace explains how to spot signs of stress, and the difference between the fast and slow brains. And they discuss the importance of rest, no matter how scary it seems. Grace shares her top productivity tips for MSP owners, explains what ‘recharging’ is and why it’s important for high achievers, and she and Richard discuss how to achieve the seemingly impossible goal of inbox zero. Mentioned in This Episode Grace's new book, Struggle Grace's website https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ways-Manage-Stuff-that-Sucks/dp/1937944107/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=Grace+marshall&qid=1635176263&s=books&sr=1-2 (Grace Marshall: 21 Ways to Manage the Stuff That Sucks up Your Time) https://www.amazon.co.uk/How-REALLY-Productive-Achieving-Brilliant-ebook/dp/B017KR0SZC/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=Grace+marshall&qid=1635176387&s=books&sr=1-3 (Grace Marshall: How to be Really Productive) https://www.amazon.co.uk/Business-Owners-Survival-Guide-successful/dp/1523856270/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=Richard+Tubb&qid=1635176442&s=books&sr=1-1 (Richard Tubb: The IT Business Owner's Survival Guide) Daniel Kahneman Thinking, Fast and Slow https://www.amazon.co.uk/Getting-Things-Done-Stress-free-Productivity/dp/0349408947/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3T6CYP73DJP68&dchild=1&keywords=david+allen+getting+things+done&qid=1635176829&s=books&sprefix=david+all%2Cstripbooks%2C176&sr=1-1 (David Allen Getting Things Done) https://www.amazon.co.uk/How-Be-Productivity-Ninja-Achieve/dp/178578028X/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=graham+allcott&qid=1635176885&s=books&sr=1-1 (Graham Allcott Productivity Ninja) https://thinkproductive.co.uk/ (Think Productive)
In this interview, Richard speaks to Baroness Elizabeth Berridge, Minister for Women and Equalities for the UK within the department of International Trade in February 2020. She’s also a Minister in the Department for Education. Her role is varied, with no two days the same. She attends Parliament for questions and works across government. She assists the Home Office with its Violence Against Women and Girls strategy and with domestic abuse issues. She speaks to women in all kinds of roles to learn about their lived experiences and works to support young women into tech and STEM. They talk about how to encourage more women to join the tech industry, and why employers need to be a part of that, and they examine the idea that STEM subjects are only for boys. They also discuss new apprenticeship schemes and how these can help young people learn about technology, how the government’s ‘Build Back Better’ scheme offers opportunities for women, and how Baroness Berridge’s favourite proverb encourages her to ask for help and support. Mentioned in This Episode https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/apprenticeship-diversity-champions-network (Diversity Champions Network) https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-legislation-to-help-transform-opportunities-for-all (Skills and Post-19 Education Bill) https://homeofficemedia.blog.gov.uk/2019/11/05/tackling-violence-against-women-and-girls/ (Home Office Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy) https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/build-back-better-our-plan-for-growth (Build Back Better) http://www.baronessberridge.com/ (Baroness Berridge's website)
Richard Tubb here to let you know that the next season of TubbTalk - The Podcast for IT Consultants is going to be a very special one! For season 3 of TubbTalk, we're focusing on the amazing Women in Tech. If you work in the IT Managed Service Provider space, then TubbTalk has always brought you interviews with the smartest, most successful people in our industry. We've interviewed some amazing ladies on TubbTalk before, but I asked myself, what if we recorded an entire season focusing purely on amazing women in tech?
So, in season 3 of TubbTalk you can hear from the women who are blazing a trail in all aspects of technology.
For example, if you want to learn about email security, then we're speaking to Olesia Klevchuk about ransomware of how to protect your clients.
If you want to hear advice on overcoming struggle and finding the hidden opportunities in life, we're speaking to author Grace Marshall.
Plus, we'll be speaking to successful MSP owners from all across the world like Vera Tucci, Nancy Sabino and Diana Giles.
Our Amazing Women in Tech season starts on Sunday 31st October 2021, with a very special interview with Baroness Elizabeth Berridge where we explore what the UK Government is doing to help women get ahead in technology.
I'm very proud of this season of TubbTalk, and I think you'll be inspired by some of the Amazing Women in Tech I speak to.
So make sure to subscribe to TubbTalk - The Podcast for IT Consultants in your favourite podcast player or visit tubb.co/tubbtalk for all the details.
In this interview, Richard speaks to Chris Tate, global strategic alliance director at MYKI. The company offers a two-factor authentication and password management solution specifically designed for MSPs, MSSPs and VARs. Chris worked in multiple MSP businesses as a service manager, a technical director, and a Director of Product Strategy. He also founded the Totally MSP website and worked as the former Business Development Director at Datto. He’s also a long-time member of CompTIA, the UK channel community, and currently serves on the Executive Council. In 2020, he was the CompTIA UK Spotlight award winner. They talk about how MYKI works, why they don’t store any passwords anywhere, even in the cloud and which platforms it works on. Chris also explains the consequences of bad password management. Chris also talks through deploying the tool to multiple client sites, reconfiguring MYKI to protect your data, the MFA and Guard features, and why all managed service providers should use a password manager themselves. Mentioned in This Episode https://www.dattocon.com/ (DattoCon) https://www.lastpass.com/ (Last Pass) https://keepass.info/ (KeePass) https://www.n-able.com/ (N-able RMM) Google Authenticator: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.apps.authenticator2&hl=en_GB&gl=US (Android) and https://apps.apple.com/us/app/google-authenticator/id388497605 (iOS) https://authy.com/ (Authy) https://support.myki.com/en/ (MYKI resources) https://myki.com/free-tools/password-generator (MYKI Password Generator) https://myki.com/free-tools/was-i-hacked (MYKI Hack Checker) https://www.tubblog.co.uk/techtribe/ (The Tech Tribe)
In this episode, Richard talks to Todd Kane, an MSP consultant who helps businesses in the IT space to grow and scale. Todd was the VP of Operations for Fully Managed and served in the lead technology teams for several of the largest and high growth companies in Western Canada. He knows everything there is to know about KPIs for MSPs. Richard and Todd talk about the typical challenges MSPs face when they come to Todd for help, what to do if the issue in a business is the owner not the tools, and why customer service is vital. They also discuss the KPIs every MSP should track and how many to monitor at any one time. Todd shares his favourite tools for tracking, and he also explains which financial metrics to keep an eye on. He also talks through ticketing and how to resolve issues, and using CSAT in your MSP. Mentioned in This Episode https://www.tubblog.co.uk/techtribe/ (The Tech Tribe) https://powerbi.microsoft.com/en-gb/ (Power BI) Cognition 360 https://www.tubblog.co.uk/pax8/ (Pax8) https://www.sellmymsp.com/ (Sell My MSP) Bright Gauge https://www.connectwise.com/theitnation/evolve/peer-groups (ConnectWise Evolve) Paul Dippell TubbTalk 31 with Paul Dippell https://www.tubblog.co.uk/smileback/ (SmileBack) https://www.tubblog.co.uk/events/leverage-feedback-drive-growth/ (SmileBack Webinar - Leveraging Feedback to Drive Growth) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wsjXF8KQRWs (SmileBack Webinar - How to use NPS to Improve Your Business) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tlFTdnoNWpk (Running Smarter NPS Campaigns with SmileBack) https://gettingthingsdone.com/ (David Allen GTD) https://www.tubblog.co.uk/podcasts/productivity-healthy-habits-and-getting-things-done-tubbtalk-50/ (TubbTalk 50 with Dave Allen)
In this interview, Richard talks to Robert Gibbons, business development manager of Cara Technology, a Macclesfield based MSP and a leading provider of support solutions to businesses in the North West of England. Robert is the former partner area lead or PAL for the Microsoft Small Business Specialist Community and he's also the group lead for The Tech Tribe Northwest England peer group. They chat about how to use social media for MSPs and why it’s important to be yourself. They discuss how to be original and humorous online, and how this can help you build a strong personal brand. Robert also explains why he’s a big fan of peer communities, and how they’ve helped him over the years. He also talks about the importance of having good relationships with vendors, and tells Richard about some of the latest tech developments to look out for. Mentioned in This Episode https://www.zensoftware.co.uk/ (Zen Software) https://thetechtribe.com/ (Tech Tribe) https://www.comptia.org/home (CompTIA UK) https://www.comptia.org/certifications/a (CompTIA A Plus) https://www.pax8.com/en-us/ (Pax8) https://cloudmarket.com/ (Giacom) https://www.qbssoftware.com/ (QBS)
In this episode, Richard talks to Fabian Wosar, Chief Technology Officer of Emsisoft. Emsisoft provide premium internet security software for the home and business user and is a leading supplier of behaviour analysis technology. Fabian has helped develop the anti-malware technologies and ransomware decryptors for Emsisoft and leads their ransomware recovery service. He's been described by the BBC as the best ransomware expert out there. They discuss what Fabian really thinks about cybercriminals and the relationships he has with them – they often contact him for advice. He shares how he stays positive in the face of so many challenging situations, and he talks openly about how he keeps himself safe offline. Richard and Fabian also look at what ransomware actually is and how easy it is to deploy, and why so many MSPs are choosing Emsisoft products to keep themselves and their clients safe. And they talk about security, education and the implications of suffering a ransomware attack as the MSP. Mentioned in This Episode Emsisoft https://www.cobaltstrike.com/ (Cobalt Strike) https://www.nomoreransom.org/en/index.html (No More Ransom Project) https://www.gov.scot/publications/cyber-resilience-framework/ (Scottish Government Cyber Resilience Framework) https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/ (National Cyber Security Centre)
In this episode of TubbTalk, Richard talks to Ian Thornton-Trump, expert in cybersecurity and chief security officer of Cyjax, a threat intelligence and cyber security company. They discuss how MSPs can keep their clients, and why many MSPs fail at security before an attack even happens – and what to do about that. Ian explains the concept of trusted advisor as a service and the importance of keeping up to date with technology. They also talk about why you need to communicate the importance of security to clients, and what to do if they won’t help themselves. Ian discusses the merits of being agile and resilient, and shares what’s in his current security stack for personal use. Mentioned in This Episode https://www.ibm.com/security/security-intelligence/qradar (QRadar) https://www.threatq.com/ (ThreatQ) https://banduracyber.com/ (Bandura) https://www.lastpass.com/ (LastPass) https://www.privatise.com/ (Privatise) https://syncromsp.com/ (Syncro) https://www.kaspersky.com (Kaspersky) https://www.blackfog.com/blackfog-msp/ (BlackFog) https://www.todyl.com/ (Todyl) https://www.servicenow.com/ (ServiceNow) https://www.bmc.com/it-solutions/it-security.html (BMC) https://buckets.grayhatwarfare.com/ (GrayhatWarfare) https://connect.comptia.org/membership/comptia-isao (CompTIA ISAO)
In this bonus episode, Richard speaks to Oshri Moyal, co-founder and chief technology officer of Atera. They talk about the company's recent success in acquiring funding and what that means for the business and its clients. They also discuss AI, service desks and Atera's features to help MSPs.
In this episode, I talk to Jason Kemsley, co-founder and Technical Director at Uptime Solutions. Uptime offer outsourced NOC, SOC and helpdesk to MSPs, saving them time and allowing them to concentrate on serving their clients better and growing their business. This was a live TubbTalk episode, and Jason answered questions from the audience. We talked about when it’s the right time to outsource, barriers to doing so, and when not to outsource. We also discuss how the pod model allows Uptime to provide personalised support to clients, overcoming objections to outsourcing, and how to take the first steps to getting support. Mentioned in This Episode https://www.iso.org/certification.html (ISO accreditation) https://halopsa.com/ (Halo) https://www.tubblog.co.uk/techtribe/ (Tech Tribe) Gino Wickman: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Get-Grip-Entrepreneurial-Journey-Results-ebook/dp/B009K44DQY/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=gino+wickman+get+a+grip&qid=1630058071&s=books&sr=1-1 (Get a Grip)
In this episode, I was joined by Andrew Morgan, founder at The Cyber Nation, and Rachel Rovegno, sales business development manager at Cisco. The Cyber Nation is a community built specifically for MSPs and MSSPs. Andrew is a cybersecurity focused solution strategist who has worked previously at ConnectWise, Logic Monitor and TruMethods. Rachel is responsible for leading the global orchestration and execution of Cisco's partner managed services and security go to market strategy. We talked about the current cybersecurity market for MSPs, and the two types of MSP Andrew has identified. Rachel explained how Cisco work to keep their clients safe, and the importance of community. We also discussed the way cybersecurity has changed in recent years, the questions MSPs should ask their vendor partners, and what opportunities cybersecurity presents to MSPs. Mentioned in This Episode https://www.thecybernation.com/feed (The Cyber Nation) https://www.cisco.com/ (Cisco) The CyberCall https://www.thecybercast.com/ (The CyberCast) https://www.crowdcast.io/e/threat-modeling-workshop (Threat Modeling Workshop) https://wildwesthackinfest.com/antisyphon// (Black Hills Information Security Training) https://www.linkedin.com/in/wesspencer/ (Wes Spencer) https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanweeks/ (Ryan Weeks) https://www.linkedin.com/in/phyllis-lee-21b58a1a4/ (Phyllis Lee) https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelvintegelaar/ (Kelvin Tigelaar) https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnhammond010/ (John Hammond)
In this episode, Richard speaks to Ben Spector, ex Managed Service Provider owner turned Product Manager for Zomentum. It’s a sales acceleration platform built exclusively for managed service providers. It combines a pipeline management, proposal, quote and build sales automation. Ben explains exactly how Zomentum works and the gap in the market it fills for MSPs. He tells the surprising story of how he came to work at the company, and describes a typical day. They also discuss what an MSP sales process usually looks like, which tools Zomentum integrates with and how automation can not only improve that process but increase the value of a sale. Mentioned in This Episode HubSpot https://www.quotewerks.com/ (QuoteWerks) Autotask ConnectWise https://www.harmonypsa.com/ (Harmony PSA) https://syncromsp.com/ (Syncro) https://www.kaseya.com/products/bms/ (Kaseya BMS) https://halopsa.com/ (Halo PSA) https://keap.com/ (Infusionsoft) https://www.activecampaign.com/ (Active Campaign) https://quickbooks.intuit.com/global/ (QuickBooks)
Find out more about Zomentum on their https://www.zomentum.com/ (website) or follow them on https://twitter.com/zomentum (Twitter). Email Ben directly, or alternatively, you can connect with him on https://www.linkedin.com/in/benspector1/ (LinkedIn).
In this episode, Richard talks to Scott Riley, founder of Cloud Nexus. They’re a UK based consultancy that provides advice and strategy on technology solutions for small and medium sized businesses. They chat about what Cloud Nexus offers, why they decided to niche down into providing Office 365 and Azure solutions, and how the business has had exceptional growth in the last two years. They talk about the Cloud Nexus sales process and the mistakes MSPs (managed service providers) make when selling their services. Scott explains the power of niching and the benefits of collaborating, and the future of RMM and of vendors. They also explore why MSPs should give away helpful information for free, how to use social media to generate leads and why YouTube is a great resource to tap into. And Scott reveals the industries where cloud storage isn’t the answer. Scott also shares the people who’ve influenced him, from authors and content marketers to other IT experts and business coaches. And he explains why having an apprentice allowed him to grow Cloud Nexus and be consistent with content creation. Mentioned in This Episode Pax8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NVSw5ZYgQzw (video tour) with Tom Welton Book: Bob Burg – https://www.amazon.co.uk/Go-Giver-Little-Story-Powerful-Business/dp/0241976278/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=bob+burg&qid=1626799176&s=books&sr=1-2 (The Go Giver) Podcast interview with https://www.tubblog.co.uk/podcasts/how-an-msp-can-thrive-in-the-security-niche-tubbtalk-33/ (Norb Doeberlein) of Netzbahn IT Business Coach https://www.petematheson.co.uk/ (Pete Matheson) Soft skills training: https://helpdeskhabits.com/ (Helpdesk Habits) Book: Michael E Gerber: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Myth-Revisited-Small-Businesses-About-ebook/dp/B000RO9VJK/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=the+emyth&qid=1626799296&s=books&sr=1-1 (The Emyth Revisited) Book: Gene Kim: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Phoenix-Project-DevOps-Helping-Business-ebook/dp/B078Y98RG8/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2DTI96AMARBI6&dchild=1&keywords=the+phoenix+project&qid=1626799318&s=books&sprefix=the+phoenix%2Cstripbooks%2C257&sr=1-1 (The Phoenix Project) Book: Marcus Sheridan: https://www.amazon.co.uk/They-Ask-You-Answer-Revolutionary-ebook/dp/B07VVH94ZF/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1QC3I5ED7ZMIT&dchild=1&keywords=marcus+sheridan+they+ask+you+answer+book&qid=1626799347&s=books&sprefix=marcus+sheridan%2Cstripbooks%2C205&sr=1-1 (They Ask , You Answer) Personal inspiration: Ade Cheatham at https://cooperparry.com/ (Cooper Parry) Accountants
Visit the Cloud Nexus website or email Scott directly: scottr@cloudnexus.co.uk You can also find the https://www.linkedin.com/company/cloudnexus/ (business )and Scott on LinkedIn. And you can also check out the videos on YouTube.
In this episode, Richard talks to Jon Littlechild, co-founder and Chief Technical Officer at Recursyv. Recursyv is a fully managed integration service that ensures data is visible and usable in all of your apps be they cloud or on-premise – think data where you want it. Jon explains exactly what Recursyv do, how they got into the MSP (managed service provider) space and gives some real-life examples of how they help businesses. They also discuss how the solution is deployed, and how vendors can partner with the company. Jon explains the possibilities for MSPs to offer Recursyv as a product to their own clients, and reassures Richard that they take security extremely seriously. Mentioned in this episode: Hubspot https://www.piesync.com/ (Piesync) https://app.asana.com/ (Asana) https://azure.microsoft.com/en-gb/ (Azure) Storage https://calendly.com/ (Calendly) https://www.freshbooks.com/ (Freshbooks) https://freshdesk.com/ (Freshdesk) https://www.harmonypsa.com/ (Harmony PSA) https://keap.com/ (Keap) (formerly Infusionsoft)
Visit http://www.recursyv.com (www.recursyv.com) for more information, and check out the 50 tools they integrate with here http://www.recursyv.com/our-connectors (www.recursyv.com/our-connectors). You can email Jon directly at jon.littlechild@recursyv.com or connect with him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonlittlechild/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonlittlechild/)
In this episode, Richard is joined by Marc Inderhees, As a Service Lead, and Sayuri Sato, EMEA Managed Service Go to Market and Strategy Leader in the Partner Managed Team at Cisco, a global software and cloud solutions company. They discuss how Cisco have evolved over the last 15 years to offer a wider range of solutions and to support MSPs in the SMB space, how they view the MSP space and why collaboration is important. They also explore some of Cisco’s most popular solutions – the cloud-based full stack monitoring tool Meraki, Umbrella DNS and the Duo MFA. Marc also explains how Cisco’s threat intelligence tool is second only to that used by the US government, and Sayuri suggests MSPs reach out to distributors as well as vendors. Mentioned in This Episode https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/solutions/small-business/resource-center/msp-forrester-report.html (Forrester Report) on MSP Businesses Cisco Network Solutions: http://www.meraki.cisco.com (Meraki) Cisco DNS Solution: http://www.umbrella.cisco.com (Umbrella) Cisco MFA: https://duo.com/ (Duo) Business Software Solutions: http://www.connectwise.com (ConnectWise) ConnectWise Peer Group: https://www.connectwise.com/theitnation/evolve (IT Nation Evolve)
In this episode, I speak to Steve Petryschuk, Network Management Expert and Technology Advocate at Auvik Networks about their recent survey of IT professionals, the challenges they face and how to resolve them. We also discuss why IT managers are spending more time being reactive instead of proactive, how automation can save time, the importance of documentation and why device configuration backups are an opportunity for MSPs. Free report download: http://www.auvik.com/networkfield21 (www.auvik.com/networkfield21) Auvik: http://www.auvik.com (www.auvik.com) Frankly IT Podcast: https://www.auvik.com/franklyit/podcast/ (https://www.auvik.com/franklyit/podcast/) Steve on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevepetryschuk/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevepetryschuk/)
In this special episode, Richard talks to three people he believes best represent a new breed of customer-focused vendors: Andrew Wallace, Managing Director and Chief Product Officer of SmileBack; Jason Kemsley, Technical Director of UpTime Solutions; Tim Swainson, Sales Manager at Kemp Technology. They talk about how SmileBack don’t rely solely on automation to make decisions about clients, how UpTime stand out from the competition by making the customer the focus, and how Kemp radically overhauled licencing to suit their MSP clients’ needs. They also touch on the importance of empowering staff and improving customer relationships, why you should be flexible with the contracts you ask people to sign up to, and how working from home actually makes learning easier for engineers. Find out more about the guests: SmileBack: https://smileback.com/ (https://smileback.com/) Email Andrew: andrew@smileback.com Email help: help@smileback.com Email sales: sales@smileback.com UpTime: https://www.uptimesolutions.tech/ (https://www.uptimesolutions.tech/) Kemp: https://kemptechnologies.com/ (https://kemptechnologies.com/) Email Tim: timswainson@kemptech.ax
TubbTalk - The Podcast for I.T. Consultants. In this episode, Richard talks to JB Fowler, Chief Products Officer for Domotz, a SaaS monitoring solution, which has offices worldwide and monitors and manages network infrastructure devices for MSP users. They talk about how JB got started in the industry and how he came to work for Domotz. JB explains how the tool differs from traditional RMM (remote monitoring and management) solutions and its ease of deployment. They also discuss how it can offer opportunities for business growth, how to use it with new clients and how the Domotz leverages SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol). And JB explains their simple and transparent pricing structure and the support Domotz provides all customers. In this episode, Richard and JB mention the following: https://www.control4.com/ (Control4 home automation) https://ubuntu.com/ (Ubuntu open source operating system) https://www.zabbix.com/ (Zabbix open source monitoring tool) https://www.paessler.com/prtg (PRTG network monitoring)
In this episode, Richard talks to Erik Thorsell, owner of Minneapolis-based managed service provider Success Computer Consulting. He has been on the MSP journey since 1992, and has experienced the highs and lows of running an IT business. They talk about Erik’s business challenges and how he tackled them, why self-awareness is important and how to deal with overwhelm. They also talk about the real reason Erik is in business, and why that’s a good question to ask yourself. They also discuss Erik’s approach to business culture, the change he brought about when he appointed a president for his company, and how he spends his time now he’s no longer on the frontline of his MSP. In this conversation, Richard and Erik mentioned the following organisations: https://successcomputerconsulting.com/ (Success Computer Consulting) https://www.hbs.net/home (Heartlands Technology Group) https://www.connectwise.com/theitnation/evolve/peer-groups (ConnectWise Evolve) https://thetechtribe.com/ (The Tech Tribe)
In this episode, Richard talks to Andrew Wallace, Managing Director and Chief Product Officer of SmileBack, a customer satisfaction platform for managed service providers and rated the number one integration on ConnectWise. They talk about how SmileBack’s offerings have evolved since Andrew came on board, how the tool’s simple rating system increases customer engagement, and how MSPs can use the data it produces to make positive changes in their business. They also talk about supporting staff and customers during times of uncertainty, who’s inspired Andrew in business, and dig into what exactly CSAT and NPS are, and why they matter. Richard and Andrew mentioned the following companies during their conversation: http://www.connectwise.com (ConnectWise) http://www.autotask.com (Autotask) https://www.zendesk.co.uk/ (Zendesk) https://slack.com (Slack) https://zapier.com (Zapier) http://www.brightgauge.com (Brightgauge) https://freshdesk.com/ (Freshdesk) https://captainschairit.com/ (Captain’s Chair) https://blog.smileback.com/remoteconnect/ (Remote Connect) virtual conference https://miro.com/ (Miro) https://www.amazon.co.uk/Art-Learning-Journey-Optimal-Performance/dp/0743277465/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=the+art+of+learning&qid=1602750051&s=books&sr=1-1 (The Art of Learning) by Josh Waitzkin
You can find out more about SmileBack on their website: http://www.smileback.com (www.smileback.com) and arrange a demo, contact the sales team: help@smileback.com, or reach out to Andrew directly: andrew@smileback.com. He loves to talk about all things SmileBack.
In this episode, Richard talks to Rafi Ozick, the new CEO of Privatise (best know for their Business VPN product) following a recent Management Buy-Out. Following a recent TubbTalk episode with Paul Rosenthal, the founder of Privatise VPN, Richard finds out what led to the Management Buy-Out and what the future plans are for Privatise. Rafi also shares what he sees as the main growth area in Cybersecurity for MSPs. You can find out more about Privatise on their website:https://www.uptimesolutions.tech/ ( )https://www.privatise.com/ (https://www.privatise.com/) or by emailing: contact@privatise.com
In this episode, Richard talks to Bradley Munday and Jason Kemsley, Managing Director and Technical Director for Uptime Solutions, a NOC, SOC and helpdesk provider based in the UK and New Zealand. They talk about how Uptime Solutions moved from being an MSP and into focusing on their three core offerings, who their typical clients are and how the company works. They also discuss objection handling, Uptime’s commitment to security and how their services can be customisable. They look at how their white-label services compare to a full-time technician, and their pod system for helpdesk support. Richard, Brad and Jason mentioned the following during their conversation: http://www.autotask.com/ (Autotask) http://www.connectwise.com/ (ConnectWise) http://www.atera.com/ (Atera) https://www.datto.com/ (Datto) Author Mark Copeman and his bookshttps://www.amazon.co.uk/Helpdesk-Habits-helpdesk-superhero-indispensable-ebook/dp/B07MM2JY73/ref=sr_1_2?crid=1GZXM074G9TB6&dchild=1&keywords=mark+copeman&qid=1596290651&sprefix=mark+copeman%2Caps%2C184&sr=8-2 ( Helpdesk Habits) andhttps://www.amazon.co.uk/MSP-Secrets-Revealed-inspiration-practical/dp/B0875Z2JLF/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1GZXM074G9TB6&dchild=1&keywords=mark+copeman&qid=1596290670&sprefix=mark+copeman%2Caps%2C184&sr=8-1 ( MSP Secrets Revealed) https://go.thetechtribe.com/ (The Tech Tribe)
You can find out more about Uptime on one of their websites:https://www.uptimesolutions.tech/ ( https://www.uptimesolutions.tech/) orhttp://www.uptimesolutions.co.uk ( www.uptimesolutions.co.uk), or email: partners@uptimesolutions.tech or partners@uptimesolutions.co.uk.
In this episode, Richard talks to Eamon Moore, who has built and sold an MSP business, set up a business intelligence company, won Microsoft’s Partner of the Year award, and serves as an advisory council member for Digital Business Ireland. They talk about how Eamon set up EMIT straight after university, his early experiences in the industry and how being flexible enabled him to partner successfully with Microsoft and Dell. They also discuss the power of partnerships and collaboration, how and why MSPs should approach others in their industry, and how to work with another MSP on cloud-based projects. Eamon also tells Richard about his plan to bring artificial intelligence machine learning to the music industry. You can find out more about EMIT here:http://www.emitsolutions.ie ( www.emitsolutions.ie) and Hikari Digital Solutions here:http://www.hikari.ie ( www.hikari.ie). To get in touch with Eamon directly, search for him on LinkedIn or on Twitter: @EamonMoore – he’s often on social media.
In this episode, Richard talks to Ray Downes, CEO of Kemp Technologies, the industry leader in advanced application delivery controllers and application-centric load balancing. They give their clients an ‘always on’ application experience, which led them to coin the term ‘AX’. They talk about what load balancing actually is and how it helps both MSPs and end users, Kemp’s predictive analytics tool, and how they ensure they’re up to date with customer needs. They also discuss how COVID19 has increased understanding of load balancing, Ray’s experiences as a CEO, and how Kemp manage employees in several countries and across multiple time zones. Richard and Ray mentioned the following companies during their conversation: Edgepoint:http://www.edgepointwealth.com ( www.edgepointwealth.com) Blackboard:http://www.blackboard.com ( www.blackboard.com) F5:http://www.f5.com ( www.f5.com) Net Promoter Score:http://www.netpromoter.com ( www.netpromoter.com) Gartner IT Symposium:http://www.gartner.com/symposium ( www.gartner.com/symposium) Kemp’s application experience book (Ben Hodge):https://kemptechnologies.com/ax-book/ ( https://kemptechnologies.com/ax-book/) Kevin N Lawrence: Your Oxygen Mask First:https://www.amazon.co.uk/Your-Oxygen-Mask-First-Leadership/dp/1619617838/ref=sr_1_4?dchild=1&keywords=kevin+lawrence&qid=1591865063&s=books&sr=1-4 ( https://www.amazon.co.uk/Your-Oxygen-Mask-First-Leadership/dp/1619617838/ref=sr_1_4?dchild=1&keywords=kevin+lawrence&qid=1591865063&s=books&sr=1-4)
You can find out more about Kemp Technologies executive team via their profiles onhttp://www.kemptechnologies.com ( www.kemptechnologies.com) and connect with Ray over on LinkedIn.
In this episode, Richard talks to Gil Pekelman, founder and CEO of cloud-based IT management platform Atera, which provides an all-in-one solution for MSPs and IT support personnel. They talk about how Atera started and why they’re different, the company culture and why Network Discovery is so important for MSPs. They also discuss the new Atera mobile app, lessons learned from being a CEO and why Gil is committed to supporting military veterans get back into work. Richard and Gil mentioned the following companies during their conversation: Acronis:http://www.acronis.com ( www.acronis.com) Webroot:https://www.webroot.com/gb/en ( https://www.webroot.com/gb/en) Bit Defender:http://www.bitdefender.co.uk/ ( www.bitdefender.co.uk/)
You can find out more about Atera via their website:http://www.atera.com ( www.atera.com), or reach out to Gil directly: Gil@Atera.com
Richard chats to James Ratcliff, Managing Director of London-based http://www.ratcliff.it/ (Ratcliff IT), a Managed Service Provider who works with Small and Medium-sized businesses in the London area. They discuss the impacts of Covid-19 on both an MSP business and their clients, the opportunities that have been uncovered within the crisis, and there is a big emphasis on positivity and the importance of human relationships. James also shares the tools and the resources he’s using within his MSP, to really help focus on the business in order to inform and help make those important decisions about the next steps and the future beyond.
TubbTalk - The Podcast for I.T. Consultants Richard chats to Paul Rosenthal, the CEO of Appstractor Corporation, the company behind Trusted Proxies and the Privatise VPN tool. Privatise is a managed VPN product built from the ground up for MSPs. They talk about how Paul came to create his two solutions, how to deploy Privatise VPN and the importance of using them in a corporate setting. They also talk about why a VPN is better than 4G, and why MSPs may not want to rely on the VPN in their existing offerings. Mentioned in This Episode https://www.trustedproxies.com/ (Trusted Proxies) https://www.privatise.com/?utm_campaign=Inbound%20Outbound&utm_source=Tubb (Privatise VPN) http://www.kqzyfj.com/click-9084709-13589698 (TunnelBear VPN) https://www.expressrefer.com/refer-friend?referrer_id=20469740&utm_campaign=referrals&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_source=referral_dashboard (Express VPN) http://www.connectwise.com (ConnectWise) https://www.kaseya.com/ (Kaseya) http://www.autotask.com (AutoTask )
Richard chats to Phylip Morgan, tech entrepreneur and influencer and one of PCR Magazine’s Top 50 UK Executives, and Ben Harding, Director of Fresh Events, the go-to events company for the tech industry, who provide everything you need in one place. Richard, Phylip and Ben discuss what hybrid events are and how the IT industry can embrace them, the tech you need to run an online event and why customer service and engagement is even more important. They also talk about what MSPs can do to support their customers during this tricky period and how to get more comfortable on camera. This episode was live-streamed, so there’s also a Q&A session where Phylip and Ben answered viewer questions during the interview. You can find out more about Ben by searching for him on LinkedIn, or go to:http://www.freshproductions.co.uk ( www.freshproductions.co.uk). Likewise, you can find Phylip Morgan on most platforms, so search for him on your preferred tool and he’s happy to answer questions. Mentioned in This Episode https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07193VHR3?tag=tubbweb&linkCode=ogi&th=1&psc=1 (Jabra) https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07193VHR3?tag=tubbweb&linkCode=ogi&th=1&psc=1 ( Evolve 75 UC Wireless Stereo On-Ear Headset – Unified Communications ) https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07193VHR3?tag=tubbweb&linkCode=ogi&th=1&psc=1 (Optimised Headphones With Long-Lasting Battery – USB Bluetooth Adapter –) https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07193VHR3?tag=tubbweb&linkCode=ogi&th=1&psc=1 ( Black) https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07QZZS7S1?tag=tubbweb&linkCode=ogi&th=1&psc=1 (Logitech) https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07QZZS7S1?tag=tubbweb&linkCode=ogi&th=1&psc=1 ( C920 HD Pro Webcam for Amazon, Full HD 1080p/30fps Video Calling, Clear) https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07QZZS7S1?tag=tubbweb&linkCode=ogi&th=1&psc=1 ( Stereo Audio, HD Light Correction, Works with Skype, Zoom, FaceTime, ) https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07QZZS7S1?tag=tubbweb&linkCode=ogi&th=1&psc=1 (Hangouts, PC/Mac/Laptop/Macbook/Tablet - Black) https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B002VA464S?tag=tubbweb&linkCode=ogi&th=1&psc=1 (Blue) https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B002VA464S?tag=tubbweb&linkCode=ogi&th=1&psc=1 ( Microphones Yeti Professional USB Microphone for Recording, Streaming, ) https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B002VA464S?tag=tubbweb&linkCode=ogi&th=1&psc=1 (Podcasting, Broadcasting, Gaming, Voiceovers, and More, Multi-Pattern, ) https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B002VA464S?tag=tubbweb&linkCode=ogi&th=1&psc=1 (Plug 'n Play on PC and Mac - Silver)
Shouldn’t customer service be intuitive? Perhaps, but it often isn’t. Luckily, today Richard is joined by help desk superhero, author, and all-round good guy Mark Copeland to talk about how to learn great customer service skills, one habit at a time. Mentioned in This Episode https://helpdeskhabits.com?ref=tubblog (Helpdesk Habits online training) https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07MM2JY73?tag=tubbweb&linkCode=ogi&th=1&psc=1 (Helpdesk Habits: Become a helpdesk superhero and make yourself indispensable.) https://helpdeskhabits.com/msp-secrets/ (MSP Secrets Revealed) https://www.tubblog.co.uk/techtribe/ (The Tech Tribe) https://www.customerthermometer.com/ (Customer Thermometer)
Richard speaks to Mike Michalowicz, an international speaker and author of multiple best selling books including Profit First, The Pumpkin Plan. They discuss his entrepreneurial business journey and the plans for his next book. Mentioned in This Episode Book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B002P8MEFE?tag=tubbweb&linkCode=ogi&th=1&psc=1 (The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur: The tell-it-like-it-is guide to cleaning up in business, even if you are at the end of your roll.) Book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01D1Q6N32?tag=tubbweb&linkCode=ogi&th=1&psc=1 (Surge: Time the Marketplace, Ride the Wave of Consumer Demand, and Become Your Industry's Big Kahuna) Book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0064VPS24?tag=tubbweb&linkCode=ogi&th=1&psc=1 (The Pumpkin Plan: A Simple Strategy to Grow a Remarkable Business in Any Field) Book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01HCGYTH4?tag=tubbweb&linkCode=ogi&th=1&psc=1 (Profit First: Transform Your Business from a Cash-Eating Monster to a Money-Making Machine) Book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B078GDX7BP?tag=tubbweb&linkCode=ogi&th=1&psc=1 (Clockwork: Design Your Business to Run Itself) Book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07SZQMH7Z?tag=tubbweb&linkCode=ogi&th=1&psc=1 (Fix This Next: Make the Vital Change That Will Level Up Your Business)
Richard talks to Jaya Baloo, Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) of Avast, who provide antivirus and security software to companies and individuals around the world. They talk about how MSPs can explain cybersecurity to their clients. They also discuss the key metrics MSPs need to focus on, the top cybersecurity threats to SMBs, and how they can stay compliant. You can find out more about Avast here: and follow Jaya on Twitter @JayaBaloo. Mentioned in This Episode Avast:https://www.avast.com/ ( https://www.avast.com/) Inspiring 50:https://inspiringfifty.org/ ( https://inspiringfifty.org/) Citrix:https://www.citrix.com/ ( https://www.citrix.com/) Have I Been Pwned:https://haveibeenpwned.com/ ( https://haveibeenpwned.com/) SpyCloud:https://spycloud.com/ ( https://spycloud.com/) Mitre Attack Framework:https://attack.mitre.org/ ( https://attack.mitre.org/) CompTIA:https://www.comptia.org/ ( https://www.comptia.org/) NextGen Sales Academy: https://www.nextgensalesacademy.com/a/17684/sKiEbkxP (www.nextgensalesacademy.com/)https://www.nextgensalesacademy.com/ ( )
Richard chats to Josh Weiss, the founder, president and CIO of LA Creative Technologies, a progressive MSP serving businesses in Los Angeles, California. They discuss how Josh chooses his clients, and the scoring tool he uses to assess them. They also talk about the tools LA Creatives use for themselves and their clients, the key to a good vendor relationship, and how Josh uses international virtual assistants to run his business. You can find out more about LA Creative Technologies here:http://www.lacreativetechnologies.com ( www.lacreativetechnologies.com) or email him: josh@lacreativetechnologies.com Follow Josh on Instagram: LA Creative Tech, or find his DJ page: DJ Gozar LA. Mentioned in This Episode Continuum:https://www.tubblog.co.uk/continuum/ (https://www.tubblog.co.uk/continuum/) Harry Brelsford:http://www.smbnation.com/ ( http://www.smbnation.com/) Managed Services Platform:https://www.managedservicesplatform.com/ ( https://www.managedservicesplatform.com/) TAG:https://www.tagconsulting.org/ ( https://www.tagconsulting.org/) HTG IT Nation Evolve:https://hub.htgpeergroups.com/home ( https://hub.htgpeergroups.com/home) ConnectWise:http://www.connectwise.com ( www.connectwise.com) Sea-Level Operations Coaching: https://www.sealevelops.com/ (https://www.sealevelops.com/) Auvik:https://www.auvik.com/ ( https://www.auvik.com/) Breach Secure Now/PII Protect:https://www.breachsecurenow.com ( https://www.breachsecurenow.com) ID Agent:https://www.idagent.com/ ( https://www.idagent.com/) https://www.instagram.com/lacreativetech/ (LA Creative on Instagram) WeTransfer:https://wetransfer.com/ ( https://wetransfer.com/) The Tech Tribe:https://www.tubblog.co.uk/TechTribe/ (http://www.tubblog.co.uk/TechTribe/) Sophos:https://www.sophos.com ( www.sophos.com) Virtual Staff Finder:https://www.virtualstafffinder.com/ ( https://www.virtualstafffinder.com/) Accenture:https://www.accenture.com/us-en ( https://www.accenture.com/us-en) Chris Ducker:https://www.chrisducker.com/ ( https://www.chrisducker.com/) [BOOK] Virtual Freedom:https://tubb.co/VirtualFreedomBook (http://tubb.co/VirtualFreedomBook) Social Bee:https://socialbee.io/ ( https://socialbee.io/)
Richard talks to Simon Raybould, http://www.presentationgenius.info/ (a presentations coach), based in the north east of England but delivering training around the country. They talk about the challenges MSPs face when it comes to giving presentations and what makes a presentation bad. They also discuss how to deal with the fear of public speaking, how to make your presentations sharper and some practical tips you can implement straight away to help you feel more confident. Most of Simon’s work is delivered in-house for corporate organisations, with only one or two open-access workshops per year. However, he also offers a 45-minute clinic to go through your slides. You can find out more him about here:http://www.presentationgenius.info/ ( www.presentationgenius.info) and find all of his blogs, videos and his book ‘Presentation Genius’. Drop him an email on Simon@presentationsgenius.info or get in touch on Twitter: @presentations. Alternatively, if you’d like to use a tool to help you put together your slides, visithttp://www.design.presentationgenius.info/ ( www.design.presentationgenius.info) and grab yourself a https://www.tubblog.co.uk/blog/tech-reviews/presentation-design-pack/ (Presentation Design Pack). Following the step by step instructions will help you create a really good presentation.
Richard talks to George Bardissi of BVOIP, which provides VoIP services which MSPs can supply to customers. They discuss how George evolved BVOIP from Bardissi Enterprises, why MSPs are moving into the vendor space and how to successfully add VoIP to your MSP portfolio. They also talk about how MSPs can integrate BVOIP with their other tools and the importance of being aware of security when implementing and maintaining VoIP systems for clients. You can find out more about BVoIP’s services here:http://www.bvoip.com/contact ( www.bvoip.com/contact) andhttp://www.bvoip.com/1stream ( www.bvoip.com/1stream), or find him on Instagram (search for GBardissi) or on Twitter: @bvoipllc. Mentioned in This Episode George’s company, BVoIP:https://www.bvoip.com/ ( https://www.bvoip.com/) BrightGauge:http://www.brightgauge.com ( www.brightgauge.com) IT Glue:https://itglue.com/ ( https://itglue.com/) IT Boost:https://www.itboost.com/ ( https://www.itboost.com/) Wise Sync:https://www.wise-sync.com/ ( https://www.wise-sync.com/) ConnectBooster:https://www.connectbooster.com/ ( https://www.connectbooster.com/)
In this episode, New York Times bestselling author and keynote speaker Chris Brogan speaks candidly about depression and mental health for MSP owners. Mentioned in This Episode Website: https://chrisbrogan.com/ (ChrisBrogan.com) https://www.amazon.co.uk/Self-Esteem-4th-Cognitive-Techniques-Maintaining/dp/1626253935/ref=sr_1_1?adgrpid=56217709587&gclid=CjwKCAiA3abwBRBqEiwAKwICA7eChK9qw19MSaJqCvxqfOcq9M1c7VJfuXmmHHeDiSzbUGMEjwh0OhoC-Y0QAvD_BwE&hvadid=259208217097&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=1006938&hvnetw=g&hvpos=1t1&hvqmt=b&hvrand=14659599958725684003&hvtargid=aud-613527132211%3Akwd-303908076897&hydadcr=10572_1789546&keywords=self+esteem+matthew+mckay&qid=1577709450&sr=8-1 (Matthew McKay: Self Esteem)
Richard speaks to Mark Matthews, owner and CEO of ATG IT, to discuss the benefits of collaboration and outsourcing, and what their partner relationship with Continuum looks like.
In this episode, Richard speaks to Adam Porteous, Google AdWords expert at Pronto Marketing. They talk about Google AdWords and specifically how MSP's can use Google AdWords to grow their business and to thrive. Mentioned in This Episode https://www.tubblog.co.uk/pronto-marketing/ (Pronto Marketing) https://ads.google.com/intl/en_uk/home/tools/keyword-planner/ (Google Keyword Planner) https://www.wordstream.com/ (Wordstream)
In this episode, Richard talks to Tracy Pound. Tracy is the Managing Director at Maximity. She also works on the board of directors at CompTIA. They talk about how to advance women in IT and how Tracy got started in the industry. Mentioned in This Episode https://www.comptia.org/ (CompTIA.org) https://maximity.co.uk/ (Maximity)
Richard speaks to Datto executives Ryan Weeks, Emily Glass, Mark Simon and Christian Nagele, live from DattoCon19 in Paris. Mentioned in This Episode https://www.datto.com/uk/ (Datto) https://www.dattocon.com/ (DattoCon19) https://centrastage.net/csm/ (Centrastage) https://www.cisco.com/c/en_uk/index.html?dtid=pseggl000183&oid=0&cccc000870&gclid=Cj0KCQiAk7TuBRDQARIsAMRrfUa8Ow9zHaW_d7dwXcyYTphx0QnxxcWEpe4cXKq-ExRCycg_zNU9YaAaAlG6EALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds (Cisco) https://www.draytek.co.uk/ (Draytek)
Tim Weller, CEO of Datto, shares his experiences of his first 12 months in the role. Mentioned in This Episode https://www.datto.com/uk/ (Datto) https://www.dattocon.com/ (DattoCon) https://www.fifosys.com/ (Fifosys) https://www.office.com/ (Office 365) https://teams.microsoft.com/start (Microsoft Teams)
Richard speaks to channel sales expert Fiona Challis about how MSPs can go from zero to hero with their sales process. Mentioned in This Episode https://www.nextgensalesacademy.com/a/17684/sKiEbkxP (Next Gen Sales Academy) https://events.channelweb.co.uk/msp (CRN Conference) https://tdhpe.techdata.eu/nl/Toolkit/The-Mentori-Program/ (Mentori Program)
Join Richard as he talks to Mark Banfield, Chief Revenue Officer of LogicMonitor, a SaaS platform that provides automated hybrid infrastructure monitoring and analytics. Mark talks about the role of performance monitoring for MSPs who want to grow their business, increase efficiency and improve all-round customer experience. Mentioned in This Episode http://www.logicmonitor.com/ (LogicMonitor) https://www.connectwise.com/ (ConnectWise) https://www.autotask.com/ (Autotask) https://www.servicenow.com (ServiceNow) https://aws.amazon.com/ (AWS) https://azure.microsoft.com/ (Microsoft Azure) https://cloud.google.com/ (Google Cloud)
Richard speaks with Peter Melby, CEO of Greystone Technology, a globally-recoginsed MSP focused on deep client engagement, security and consulting. Despite being a highly technical organisation, Greystone's growth is catalysed by innovation in people, accountabilty and the true definition of a succesful culture. Mentioned in This Episode https://greystonetec.co.za/ (Greystone) https://www.bossorbabysitter.com (Bossorbabysitter.com)
Richard speaks to Robert Baugh, CEO and founder of Keepabl, a compliance-as-a-service solution for MSPs. Richard speaks to Robert Baugh, CEO and founder of Keepabl, a compliance-as-a-service solution for MSPs. Mentioned in This Episode https://keepabl.com/ (Keepabl) https://www.totallymsp.com/ (Totally MSP) https://loopup.com/en/ (LoopUp) https://www.thepower50.com/ (FinTech Power 50) https://www.beachheadsolutions.com/ (Beachhead Solutions) https://www.wiggin.co.uk/ (Wiggan Law Firm) https://www.datto.com/uk/ (Datto) https://tresorit.com/ (Tresorit) https://techsapiens.com/ (Techsapiens) https://www.zedsphere.com/ (ZedSphere) https://www.dattocon.com/ (DattoCon) https://www.reply.com/en/ (Reply)
In this episode, prolific author, speaker, business coach and MSP expert Karl Palachuk shares his story. Mentioned in This Episode Karl’s site: https://www.smallbizthoughts.com/ (Small Biz Thoughts) https://www.amazon.co.uk/Myth-Revisited-Small-Businesses-About/dp/0887307280/ref=sr_1_1?adgrpid=56881269727&gclid=Cj0KCQjww7HsBRDkARIsAARsIT5GmBRA1onSCDrZzAXgOScTQCR16pgoYOPZ5_Sd2Y6SlYgSYETLpXoaAreXEALw_wcB&hvadid=259040757045&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=1007325&hvnetw=g&hvpos=1t2&hvqmt=e&hvrand=7197052984689337595&hvtargid=aud-614677023258%3Akwd-299123453926&hydadcr=28145_1752631&keywords=the+e-myth&qid=1569567025&s=gateway&sr=8-1 (The E-Myth) http://www.smbnation.com/ (SMB Nation) https://www.datto.com/uk/ (Datto) https://info.connectwise.co.uk/ (ConnectWise) https://www.solarwinds.com/ (Solarwinds) https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-killing-it-podcast/id1463295432 (Killing IT podcast) https://dotcomsecrets.com/ (DotComSecrets) https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=good+to+great+book&adgrpid=51273886497&gclid=Cj0KCQjww7HsBRDkARIsAARsIT4AIDEm1FckaVkPo_v4MmfjxPeT_0fhgsGj_gudtyds0IxsaL9of1AaAus_EALw_wcB&hvadid=259055103515&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=1007325&hvnetw=g&hvpos=1t1&hvqmt=e&hvrand=2030943347021838505&hvtargid=aud-614677023258%3Akwd-298061702575&hydadcr=24404_1748884&tag=googhydr-21&ref=pd_sl_89z2cjgapl_e (Good to Great) https://www.amazon.co.uk/Great-Choice-Uncertainty-Thrive-Despite-ebook/dp/B005VB99GE/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=great+by+choice&qid=1569567110&s=gateway&sr=8-2 (Great by Choice) https://www.burrus.com/ (Daniel Burrus)
Richard Tubb, a leader and keynote speaker in the MSP community, brings interviews and updates on products, services and success stories in the Managed Service Provider world. In this episode, Richard talks to Chris Timm. Chris ran a successful managed service provider (MSP) business in London until he was headhunted by one of the major MSP vendors – https://www.datto.com/integrations (AutoTask)– to help them establish what is now a thriving and successful UK office. In 2006 he branched out on his own as https://www.sondelaconsulting.com/ (Sondela Consulting) and offers training and consulting services to MSPs to help them to get the best out of their PSA tools. Mentioned in This Episode https://www.sondelaconsulting.com (Sondela Consulting) Chris on Twitter: https://twitter.com/tegwin (@Tegwin) or https://twitter.com/sondelaconsult (@sondelaconsult) Chris on https://www.facebook.com/sondelaconsulting (Facebook) Chris on https://www.linkedin.com/company/sondelaconsultinglimited/ (LinkedIn) https://www.atera.com/ (Atera) https://www.autotask.com/ (AutoTask) https://www.avast.com/ (Avast) https://page.continuum.net/ (Continuum) https://info.connectwise.co.uk/ (ConnectWise) https://www.datto.com/uk/ (Datto) https://go.ninjarmm.com/ (Ninja RMM) https://www.solarwindsmsp.com/ (SolarWinds) https://zapier.com/ (Zapier)
Richard Tubb, a leader and keynote speaker in the MSP community, brings interviews and updates on products, services and success stories in the Managed Service Provider world. In this episode, Richard talks to John Espirian, technical copywriter and https://www.linkedin.com/ (LinkedIn) expert about how to make the most of your LinkedIn presence. What should you post? How often? Should you accept those random generic connection requests? Let’s find out. Mentioned in This Episode John’s https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnespirian/ (LinkedIn profile) John’s https://espirian.co.uk (website) John’s https://espirian.co.uk/linkedin-starter-guide/ (LinkedIn starter Guide) John’s https://espirian.co.uk/linkedin-starter-guide/ (How to Improve LinkedIn Engagement guide) https://www.linkedin.com/elevate/guest?referrerPath=%2Fleap%2Fcontracts%3Fredirect%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fwww.linkedin.com%252Fleap (LinkedIn Elevate) https://search.google.com/search-console/about (Google Search Console)
Richard Tubb, a leader and keynote speaker in the MSP community, brings interviews and updates on products, services and success stories in the Managed Service Provider world. In this episode Richard interviews Managing Director of https://www.fifosys.com/ (Fifosys), the London-based IT services firm, which is renowned for being right on the cutting edge when it comes to the managed services model. Richard talks to Managing Director, Mitesh Patel, about how he’s grown the business over the last 18 years, and where he’s going next. Mentioned in This Episod Mitesh’s https://www.linkedin.com/in/miteshrpatel1/ (LinkedIn profile) Fifosys https://www.fifosys.com/ (website) https://www.mrisoftware.com/uk/products/mri-engage/info/ (Engage Property Technology) https://www.datto.com/uk/ (Datto) https://azure.microsoft.com/en-gb/free/search/?&ef_id=CjwKCAjwtuLrBRAlEiwAPVcZBklYk7m5_ISkMTHkLojoV4MAtxjLmDt71vBBi3RyWota2-VredvESRoCc9MQAvD_BwE:G:s&OCID=AID2000125_SEM_hICrOuLF&MarinID=hICrOuLF_324561059275_azure_e_c__62389748374_aud-394034018570:kwd-49508422&lnkd=Google_Azure_Brand&dclid=CjgKEAjwtuLrBRCoya6KuPb-lE8SJACCLqJPuAyh-rMi_aAeMYjF0goUMjCK_08TodUrXLq7nhe_s_D_BwE (Azure ) https://aws.amazon.com/ (AWS) https://gsuite.google.com/ (G-Suite)
Richard Tubb, a leader and keynote speaker in the MSP community, brings interviews and updates on products, services and success stories in the Managed Service Provider world. In this episode, Richard interviews Nigel Moore, founder of https://go.thetechtribe.com/join-the-tribe/ (The Tech Tribe). Nigel always seems to have a fresh perspective and a knack for making teachings sound like something completely new so he’s made a huge impact on the wider MSP community in recent years. His knowledge and his confidence, however, have been hard won. Around 12-13 years ago he found himself the proud owner of a ‘half-baked’ (his words!) MSP. It was a real baptism by fire and Nigel had to very quickly find his feet in the business world if he wanted his MSP to grow. And like so many of us, he says he made a ‘bajillion’ mistakes along the way. Mentioned in This Episode The Tech Tribe (https://www.tubblog.co.uk/techtribe/ (click this link) to get a free copy of my latest book when you join!) Nigel on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nigelgmoore (https://www.facebook.com/nigelgmoore) Nigel on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nigelgmoore/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/nigelgmoore/) https://www.auvik.com/ (Auvik) https://franklymsplive.com/ (Frankly MSP Live) https://tdhpe.techdata.eu/nl/Toolkit/The-Mentori-Program/ (Mentori Live Event) https://www.office.com/ (Office 365) https://gsuite.google.com/ (G Suite) Book: https://www.amazon.com/Alter-Ego-Effect-Defeat-Kicking/dp/B07J1LB6H8/ref=sr_1_1?crid=256ZQ0EF24MXH&keywords=the+alter+ego+effect+by+todd+herman&qid=1569264086&s=books&sprefix=the+alter+ego%2Cstripbooks-intl-ship%2C280&sr=1-1 (The Alter Ego Effect) Book: https://www.amazon.com/Gift-Creative-Spirit-Transforms-World/dp/1841959936 (The Gift)
Welcome to TubbTalk, a weekly show for IT Consultants, IT Solution Providers and Managed Service Providers (MSPs).
Richard speaks to David Allen, author, speaker and coach and creator of 'Getting Things Done', a tool to improve productivity and overcome procrastination, how he came up with GTD, and how to make the most of the system. Mentioned in This Episode David’s website: https://gettingthingsdone.com/ (Getting Things Done) Useful tools from https://www.office.com (Microsoft) Note-taking tool: https://www.evernote.com (Evernote) Screen capture tool: https://www.techsmith.com/screen-capture.html (Snagit) David’s https://www.amazon.co.uk/David-Allen/e/B001ILIG4C/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1543947886&sr=1-1 (Amazon page) Intelligent note-taking and file management: https://www.thebrain.com/ (TheBrain) https://gettingthingsdone.com/ (The GTD Summit)
Richard speaks to Chad Savoy and Daniel Camara of Spanning Backup, a SaaS data protection company. Richard speaks to Chad Savoy and Daniel Camara of Spanning Backup, a SaaS data protection company. Mentioned in This Episode https://spanning.com/ (Spanning Backup) https://www.office.com (Office 365) https://gsuite.google.co.uk/intl/en_uk/ (G-Suite) https://www.salesforce.com/ (Salesforce) https://www.dell.com/ (Dell) https://www.kaseya.com/ (Kaseya) Tech firm http://www.cdw.com (CDW) Tech firm http://www.shi.com (SHI)
Richard speaks to Fred Voccola, CEO of Kaseya, an IT management and software solutions platform. Mentioned in This Episode https://www.kaseya.com/ (Kaseya) Hybrid Cloud Monitoring: https://www.traverse-monitoring.com/ (Traverse) Management Software: https://www.vorex.com/ (Vorex) IT Assessment: https://www.rapidfiretools.com/ (RapidFire Tools) Data protection: https://spanning.com/ (Spanning Backup) Backup: https://www.unitrends.com/ (Unitrends) MSP Software Provider: http://www.connectwise.com (ConnectWise) Business Management System: http://www.autotask.com (Autotask) Documentation Platform: https://itglue.com/ (IT Glue) https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb (Microsoft) https://www.google.co.uk (Google) https://www.adobe.com/uk/ (Adobe) Book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Leadership-Self-Deception-Getting-out-Box/dp/0141030062/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1540833198&sr=1-1&keywords=Leadership+and+Self-Deception (Leadership and Self-Deception) by The Arbinger Institute Book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Five-Dysfunctions-Team-Leadership-Lencioni/dp/0787960756/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1540833270&sr=1-1&keywords=The+Five+Dysfunctions+of+a+Team (The Five Dysfunctions of a Team) by Patrick Lencioni Book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Five-Temptations-CEO-Leadership-Anniversary/dp/0470267585/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1540833324&sr=1-1&keywords=The+Five+Temptations+of+a+CEO (The Five Temptations of a CEO) by Patrick Lencioni
Richard speaks to Kevin Lancaster, CEO of ID Agents, based in Maryland, who make Dark Web and identity monitoring systems that protect organisations and employees. Mentioned in This Episode https://www.idagent.com/ (ID Agent) Business software solutions: http://www.connectwise.com (ConnectWise) Document sharing tool: https://www.dropbox.com (Dropbox) IT business management software: http://www.autotask.com (Autotask) IT Management Software Solutions: https://www.kaseya.com/ (Kaseya) Business continuity and management: https://www.datto.com/ (Datto)
Richard speaks to Christian Nagele & Ian Van Reenen of Datto, a business continuity and management platform. Mentioned in This Episode https://www.datto.com/ (Datto) http://www.autotask.com (Autotask) https://aws.amazon.com/ (Amazon Web Services) (AWS) Blog Post – https://amitpro.wordpress.com/2009/07/15/vitis-pr-centrastage-amitpro/ (Centrastage at AMITPRO) (July 15th, 2009)
Richard speaks with Matt Richards, Chief Marketing Officer, Pete Jaworski, Product Manager, and Adam Stewart, Senior Vice President of Engineering at Datto, which provides business continuity and management. Mentioned in This Episode https://www.datto.com/ (Datto) IT business management software: Autotask http://www.autotask.com (www.autotask.com) Marketing and sales software: https://www.hubspot.com (HubSpot) Reporting tool: http://www.brightgauge.com (Brightgauge) Documentation platform: https://itglue.com/ (ITGlue) Business software solutions: http://www.connectwise.com (ConnectWise)
Richard hosts a panel session with CompTIA members who own or work with IT businesses about the future of the MSP. https://www.comptia.org/ (CompTIA) https://www.met.co.uk/ (Managed Enterprise Technologies) https://www.linkedin.com/in/janetm-o-sullivan/ (Janet O’Sullivan) of https://www.storagecraft.com/ (StorageCraft) https://www.linkedin.com/in/maximity/ (Tracy Pound) of https://maximity.co.uk/ (Maximity) https://www.linkedin.com/in/perryashby/ (Perry Ashby) of https://www.urbannetwork.co.uk/ (Urban Network) https://www.linkedin.com/in/cmmward/ (Chris Ward) of https://www.vermont.co.uk/ (Vermont Systems Ltd) https://www.linkedin.com/in/ivickers/ (Ian Vickers) of https://www.met.co.uk/ (MET) http://www.autotask.com (Autotask) http://www.connectwise.com (ConnectWise) https://www.solarwindsmsp.com/ (Solarwinds) https://www.upstreamworks.com/ (Upstream) https://www.office.com (Office365) https://azure.microsoft.com/en-gb/ (Azure)
In this episode, Richard talks to Bob Burg, author and keynote speaker, about his books, The Go-Giver philosophy and dealing with difficult situations. Book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0241976278?tag=tubbweb&linkCode=ogi&th=1&psc=1 (The Go-Giver: A Little Story About a Powerful Business Idea) Book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B074LV8RC9?tag=tubbweb&linkCode=ogi&th=1&psc=1 (The Go-Giver Influencer: A Little Story About a Most Persuasive Idea (Go-Giver, Book 3)) Book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B006QA724U?tag=tubbweb&linkCode=ogi&th=1&psc=1 (Endless Referrals, Third Edition) Book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00OICLVBI?tag=tubbweb&linkCode=ogi&th=1&psc=1 (The 5 Love Languages: The Secret to Love that Lasts) Bob’s http://www.thegogiver.com (website)
Richard speaks to Michael George CEO, Bob Kocis CRO and Fielder Hiss, VP of Product, all at Continuum, who support MSPs with a range of tools to help them grow their businesses. Mentioned in This Episode Bob’s https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/hypergrowth-2018-business-leadership-through-eyes-navy-robert-kocis?articleId=6444527685627572224#comments-6444527685627572224&trk=prof-post (article) on Jocko Willink https://www.continuum.net/blog/continuum-acquires-managed-security-leader-carvir-bringing-new-security-products-to-all-msps (Continuum Acquires Managed Security Leader CARVIR) Endpoint security software: https://www.sentinelone.com/ (SentinelOne) Security Intelligence: https://www.eventtracker.com/ (EventTracker) https://azure.microsoft.com/en-gb/ (Microsoft Azure) https://aws.amazon.com/ (Amazon Web Services) (AWS) Strategic support company https://thomabravo.com/ (Thoma Bravo) https://www.xerox.co.uk/ (Xerox) http://www.sharp-world.com/index.html (Sharp) https://www.apple.com (Apple) https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb (Microsoft)
In this episode, Richard talks to Daniel Welling, of Welling MSP, based in Marlowe, London. Mentioned in This Episode IT Trade Association: https://www.comptia.org/ (CompTIA) Peer Group: http://www.nbg.co.uk (The Network Group) Documentation Service: https://itglue.com/ (IT Glue) Daniel’s Business: http://www.wellingmsp.com (Welling MSP) https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-welling-54659715/ (Daniel Welling on LinkedIn)
Richard speaks to Ted Stone, Chief Executive of Customer First UK, based in Doncaster and owner of the 'putting the customer first' standard. Mentioned in This Episode Website: http://www.customerfirst.org (Customer First UK) Twitter: https://twitter.com/CustomerFirstUK (@CustomerFirstUK) LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/customer-first-uk/ (Customer First UK)
Richard talks to Paul Green of MSP Marketing Edge, in Milton Keynes, which supports IT providers and MSPs with their marketing. Mentioned in This Episode https://www.continuum.net/ (Continuum) https://itglue.com (IT Glue) https://www.mspmarketingedge.com/uk/tubblog/ (MSP Marketing Edge) Encryption software: https://www.bitdefender.com/ (Bitdefender) Book: https://amzn.to/2S470vX (The E-Myth Revisited) by Michael Gerber Cloud-based mailshot tool: http://www.docmail.co.uk (Docmail) Cloud-based mailshot tool: http://stannp.com (Stannp) Cloud-based mailshot tool: https://mailshotmaker.royalmail.com/ (MailshotMaker) Paul’s book: https://www.itsupportmarketing.co.uk/tubb (Updating Servers Doesn’t Grow Your Business)
Richard talks to Leigh Wood, Director of Node IT Solutions, based in Biggleswade. https://www.solarwindsmsp.com/ (SolarWinds) http://www.connectwise.com (ConnectWise) https://itglue.com/ (IT Glue) https://www.continuum.net/ (Continuum) https://www.helpdesk.com/ (Helpdesk) https://www.auvik.com/ (Auvik) https://www.skykick.com/ (SkyKick) https://www.bittitan.com/ (BitTitan) https://cloudm.co/ (CloudMigrator) https://www.fortinet.com/products/next-generation-firewall.html (FortiGate) https://www.watchguard.com/uk/ (WatchGuard) https://www.sonicwall.com/en-us/home (SonicWall) https://www.paessler.com/prtg (PRTG) https://www.cisco.com (Cisco) https://products.office.com/en-us/microsoft-teams/group-chat-software (Microsoft Teams) https://slack.com (Slack) https://gsuite.google.co.uk/intl/en_uk/ (Google Apps) https://tubb.co/TubblogNimbleCRM (Nimble) https://www.datto.com/ (Datto) https://identityexperts.co.uk/ (Identity Experts) https://azure.microsoft.com/en-gb/ (Azure) https://uk.sageone.com/accounts/ (Sage) https://www.xero.com/uk/ (Xero) http://www.nbg.co.uk (The Network Group) https://www.comptia.org/ (CompTIA) https://www.gfi.com/ (GFI) Book: https://amzn.to/2NQIfAh (Traction) by Gino Wickman Book: https://amzn.to/2NTbySw (The Go-Giver) by Bob Burg and John-David Mann
Richard talks to Geoff Nicholson, performance coach specialising in the field of high performance, resilience and stress management, based in Newcastle upon Tyne. Mentioned in This Episode Business and life strategist: https://www.tonyrobbins.com/ (Tony Robbins) Trainer and speaker: http://jackcanfield.com/ (Jack Canfield) App – https://www.headspace.com/ (Headspace) Journal – https://amzn.to/2yRqNWB (Five Minute Journal) or search the app store App – http://dayoneapp.com/ (Day One) Online Journal – https://journey.cloud/ (Journey) Journal – https://bestself.co/products/self-journal (Best Self Journal) Note-taking tool – https://evernote.com/ (Evernote) Collaboration tool – https://trello.com/ (Trello) Collaboration tool – https://asana.com/ (Asana) Subscription software – https://briefcasehq.com/ (Briefcase by AppSumo) Subscription software – http://setapp.com (SetApp) (MAC only) Audiobooks – https://www.audible.co.uk/ (Audible) Audiobooks – https://www.scribd.com/ (Scribd) Podcast – http://www.geoffnicholson.uk/podcast (The Success IQ) Business Coach – http://www.stu.me/ (Stu McLaren) Listmaking site – https://www.wishlist.com/ (WishList) Business Coach – https://www.chrisducker.com/ (Chris Ducker) Geoff’s http://www.geoffnicholson.uk (Website)
Richard talks to Jon Honeyball, Contributing Editor to PCPro Magazine and owner of Woodleyside IT in Cambridgeshire. Mentioned in This Episode https://subscribe.pcpro.co.uk/ (PCPro Magazine) http://www.woodleyside.com/ (Woodleyside IT) https://www.solarwindsmsp.com/ (SolarWinds) https://www.kaseya.com/ (Kaseya) https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb (Microsoft) https://www.google.com (Google) https://www.amazon.co.uk (Amazon) https://meraki.cisco.com/ (Cisco Meraki) http://www.manfood.com (Man Food)
Richard speaks to Tiana Wilson-Buys, owner of Talking Business, a coaching and consultancy business in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. Mentioned in This Episode Book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Referral-Harvester-Tiana-Wilson-Buys/dp/1524629987/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1531410542&sr=1-1 (The Referral Harvester) Book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Eat-That-Frog-Important-Things/dp/1444765426/ref=sr_1_1_twi_pap_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1531410573&sr=1-1&keywords=eat+that+frog+brian+tracy (Eat That Frog) Book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Tomorrow-Other-Secrets-Time-Management/dp/0340909129/ref=sr_1_1_twi_pap_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1531410702&sr=1-1&keywords=do+it+tomorrow (Do it Tomorrow) Book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Winners-Bible-Dr-Kerry-Spackman/dp/1869509692/ref=sr_1_1_twi_pap_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1531410725&sr=1-1&keywords=the+winners+bible (The Winner’s Bible) Tool: https://evernote.com/ (Evernote) Tiana’s Business Website: http://www.talkingbusiness.biz (Talking Business)
Richard talks to Steve Duckworth, CEO of Harmony PSA, about how their automation software can help IT businesses and the four different ways that MSPs can use it to sell. Mentioned in This Episode https://www.datalogic.com (Datalogic) http://www.solarsoft.com (Solarsoft) https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us (Microsoft Culture) https://www.salesforce.com/ (Salesforce) https://www.solarwindsmsp.com/ (SolarWinds MSP) https://ninjarmm.com/ (Ninja) https://home.bluesnap.com (BlueSnap) https://zapier.com (Zapier)
Richard speaks to Norb Doeberlein, CEO of Netzbahn, about successfully running an IT company in a niche and the challenges of managing client security requirements. Mentioned in This Episode http://www.autotask.com (AutoTask) http://www.connectwise.com (ConnectWise) http://www.commitcrm.com/ (CommitCRM) https://www.netzbahn.com/ (Netzbahn) https://aws.amazon.com/compliance/fedramp/ (Amazon FedRAMP) https://azure.microsoft.com/en-gb/ (Azure) http://www.efolder.net/products/anchor/ (Anchor) https://slack.com (Slack) https://www.teamwork.com/ (Teamwork)
Richard talks to Mostyn Thomas about how he deals with the challenges of providing IT solutions in a small area and the tools he uses to make his Managed Service Provider (MSP) Astrix a success. Mentioned in This Episode https://www.continuum.net/ (Continuum ) https://www.ubnt.com/ (Ubiquity ) http://www.autotask.com (Autotask) http://www.nbg.co.uk (The Network Group) https://www.comptia.org/ (CompTIA) http://www.channelfutures.com/mspmentor (MSP Mentor) Author https://marksanborn.com (Mark Sanborn) https://www.datto.com/ (Datto) https://www.myassays.com/ (Assay) Computer virus:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CryptoLocker ( CryptoLocker) https://www.linx.net/ (London Internet Exchange) https://www.ripe.net/ (RIPE)
Richard talks with Paul Dippell of Service Leadership about his recent research into master MSP use and the surprising results he found. Mentioned in This Episode https://www.service-leadership.com/ (Service Leadership) https://www.continuum.net/ (Continuum) https://www.higcapital.com/ (H.I.G. Capital) https://www.eci.com/ (Eze Castle) https://azure.microsoft.com/en-gb/ (Microsoft Azure) https://aws.amazon.com/ (Amazon Web Services (AWS)) https://www.continuum.net/platform/service-leadership-index (Research Report) https://page.continuum.net/resources/downloadables/white-paper/bf/financial-performance-of-msps (Continuum/Service Leadership White Paper)
In this episode, Richard speaks to Doug Hazelman, Vice President of Technical Marketing at CloudBerry Lab in Florida, who provide built-for-cloud backup software. Mentioned in This Episode https://www.cloudberrylab.com/tubblog (CloudBerry Lab) https://aws.amazon.com/s3/ (Amazon S3 ) https://aws.amazon.com/ec2/ (Amazon EC2) https://azure.microsoft.com/en-gb/ (Azure) https://www.google.com (Google) https://www.backblaze.com/b2/cloud-storage.html (Backblaze B2) https://wasabi.com/ (Wasabi) http://www.connectwise.com (ConnectWise) https://www.kaseya.com/ (Kaseya) https://ninjarmm.com/ (Ninja RMM) http://www.autotask.com (Autotask) https://aws.amazon.com/glacier/ (Amazon Glacier ) https://www.spiceworks.com/ (Spiceworks) https://www.reddit.com/ (Reddit) https://twitter.com/VMDoug (@VMDoug on Twitter)
In this episode, Richard speaks to Arlin Sorensen, founder of a wildly-successful USA-based MSP as well as Heartland Technology Group, a peer mentoring network. Mentioned in This Episode http://www.htgpeergroups.com/ (Heartland Technology Group (HTG)) https://michaelhyatt.com/ (Michael Hyatt) https://patersoncenter.com/ (The Paterson Centre) Book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B005JZD3B4?tag=tubbweb&linkCode=ogi&th=1&psc=1 (Start With Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone To Take Action) Book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0712676090?tag=tubbweb&linkCode=ogi&th=1&psc=1 (Good To Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap... and Others Don't) Book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B006ORWT3Y?tag=tubbweb&linkCode=ogi&th=1&psc=1 (The Advantage: Why Organizational Health Trumps Everything Else In Business (J-B Lencioni Series)) Book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B003AYZBJI?tag=tubbweb&linkCode=ogi&th=1&psc=1 (The Go-Giver: A Little Story About a Powerful Business Idea) and https://thegogiver.com/podcast/ (podcast) Book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0792XDBKP?tag=tubbweb&linkCode=ogi&th=1&psc=1 (Make a Difference: In the Lives of Those You Love, Live With, and Lead) Book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B000RO9VJK?tag=tubbweb&linkCode=ogi&th=1&psc=1 (The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don't Work and What to Do About It)
In this episode, Richard speaks to John Jantsch, author, speaker and expert in marketing and the founder of the Duct Tape Marketing System. Mentioned in This Episode http://www.ducttapemarketing.com (Ducttape Marketing) Book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1595554653?tag=tubbweb&linkCode=ogi&th=1&psc=1 (Duct Tape Marketing: The World's Most Practical Small Business Marketing Guide) Book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B007X636ZK?tag=tubbweb&linkCode=ogi&th=1&psc=1 (The Commitment Engine: Making Work Worth It) Book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1591843111?tag=tubbweb&linkCode=ogi&th=1&psc=1 (Referral Engine: Teaching Your Business to Market Itself) Book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1591846331?tag=tubbweb&linkCode=ogi&th=1&psc=1 (Duct Tape Selling: Think Like a Marketer-Sell Like a Superstar) https://goo.gl/mdFH3p (Missinglettr) https://www.tripit.com/ (TripIt)
In this episode, Richard speaks with Melissa Saar, Partner Success Manager at IT Glue, a SaaS-based documentation platform. Mentioned in This Episode Autotask: http://www.autotask.com (www.autotask.com) Kaseya: https://www.kaseya.com/ (https://www.kaseya.com/) Continuum: https://www.continuum.net/ (https://www.continuum.net/) ProDrive: https://www.prodriveit.co.uk (https://www.prodriveit.co.uk)
In this episode, Richard speaks to Rob Rae, Vice President of Business Development at Datto, about the merger between Datto and Autotask and what this means for MSPs worldwide. Mentioned in This Episode Autotask http://www.autotask.com (www.autotask.com) Datto https://www.datto.com/ (https://www.datto.com/) Vista Equity Partners: http://www.vistaequitypartners.com (www.vistaequitypartners.com) Open Mesh: http://www.openmesh.com (www.openmesh.com)
In this episode, Richard speaks to Adam Nash, Sales Manager EMEA of Webroot, a next-generation, cloud-based cyber security company. Mentioned in This Episode AutoTask: http://www.autotask.com (www.autotask.com) ConnectWise: http://www.connectwise.com (www.connectwise.com) Kaseya: https://www.kaseya.com/ (https://www.kaseya.com/) Continuum: http://www.connectwise.com (www.connectwise.com) Ninja: https://ninjarmm.com/ (https://ninjarmm.com/) Atera: https://www.atera.com (https://www.atera.com) Cisco: https://www.cisco.com (www.cisco.com) Palo Alto: https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/ (https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/) F5: http://www.f5it.com (www.f5it.com) LogRhythm: https://logrhythm.com/ (https://logrhythm.com/)
In this episode, Richard and Rick talk about how Zedsphere came about, how they help MSPs (managed service providers) and how they differ from the more traditional distributor model. Mentioned in This Episode Tool: https://ninjarmm.com/ (Ninja RMM) Tool: https://www.webroot.com/gb/en (Webroot) Tool: https://www.teamviewer.com/en/ (TeamViewer) Tool: https://www.untangle.com/ (Untangle) Book: https://amzn.to/2kIhqlz (Richard Templar – The Rules of People)
In this episode, Richard talks to James Kimbley of Kimbley IT about Google's latest developments for its range of online tools. Mentioned in This Episode Business: http://www.kimbley.com (Kimbley IT) Tool – https://x.ai/ (x.ai) Tool: http://www.prosperworks.com (ProsperWorks) Tool: http://www.ringcentral.co.uk (RingCentral) Tool: http://www.dialpad.com (Dialpad)
In this episode, Richard talks to Craig Fulton, Chief Product Officer at ConnectWise, about their integrated suite of products and getting your customer services right. Mentioned in This Episode Business: https://www.cisco.com (Cisco) Business: http://www.thefinalstep.co.uk (The Final Step) Tool: https://www.hubspot.com (HubSpot) Tool: https://buffer.com (Buffer) Tool: https://smarterqueue.com (SmarterQueue) Tool: https://workflow.is (Workflow)
In this episode, Richard speaks to Arnie Bellini, CEO of ConnectWise, a community-driven software company which helps MSPs manage their businesses more effectively. Mentioned in This Episode ConnectWise: http://www.connectwise.com (www.connectwise.com) or email: arnie@connectwise.com Book: https://amzn.to/2HfkSwZ (Jim Collins – Great by Choice)
In this episode, Richard speaks with Bob Kocis, Chief Revenue Officer of Continuum, an outsourced Network Operations Centre (NOC) provider. Mentioned in This Episode Learn more about Continuum: http://www.continuum.net (https://www.continuum.net/) Follow them on Twitter: https://twitter.com/FollowContinuum (@FollowContinuum) Find Continuum on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/continuum-managed-services-llc/ (https://www.linkedin.com/company/continuum-managed-services-llc) Connect with https://www.linkedin.com/in/robert-kocis-1b0072a/ (Bob Kocis on LinkedIn) Email Bob: bob.kocis@continuum.net
In this episode, Richard speaks with Michael George, the CEO of Continuum, an outsourced Network Operations Centre (NOC) provider for MSPs. Mentioned in This Episode Continuum:http://www.continuum.net ( www.continuum.net) Autotask: http://www.autotask.com (www.autotask.com) ConnectWise: http://www.connectwise.com (www.connectwise.com) Kaseya: https://www.kaseya.com (www.kaseya.com)
In this episode, Richard speaks to Brad Benner, founder of Berlin-based SmileBack on how MSPs can improve their customer feedback. Mentioned in This Episode SmileBack:http://www.smileback.io ( www.smileback.io) Zapier: https://zapier.com (https://zapier.com) ConnectWise: http://www.connectwise.com (www.connectwise.com) Dropbox: https://www.dropbox.com (www.dropbox.com) Autotask: http://www.autotask.com (www.autotask.com) Slack: https://slack.com (https://slack.com)
In this special episode, Craig Sharp delivers a presentation on "How to be a Remarkable MSP" at the Continuum Partner Event in London.
In this episode, learn more about CompTIA. The Computing Technology Industry Association is a not-for-profit trade association and a peer community. At their EMEA (European, Middle Eastern and Asian) Conference in London, the biggest event outside of the USA, I spoke to four attendees to find out why they think CompTIA membership is a must for IT companies and Managed Service Providers (MSPs) who want to grow their businesses.
In this episode, Richard talks to Phylip Morgan of The Networking Group: http://www.nbg.co.uk (www.nbg.co.uk). They discuss how the group supports the members, whether they’re Managed Service Providers (MSPs), retailers or vendors. They also discuss the idea of Managed Service Retailers, giving customers an all-in-one solution for all their technology needs, and how this can work to benefit the businesses too. They mentioned Nest, a home automation provider (find out more here: https://nest.com/uk/ (https://nest.com/uk/)), and the Internet of Things (click here for more information: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_of_things (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_of_things)) Mentioned in This Episode The Network Group – http://www.nbg.co.uk (www.nbg.co.uk) Nest – https://nest.com/uk/ (https://nest.com/uk/) The Internet of Things – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_of_things (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_of_things) Network Group on Twitter – https://twitter.com/nbgltd (https://twitter.com/nbgltd) Network Group on Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/NetworkGroupUK/ (https://www.facebook.com/NetworkGroupUK/) Network Group on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/company/959383/ (https://www.linkedin.com/company/959383/)) Phylip Morgan on Twitter – https://twitter.com/phylipm (https://twitter.com/phylipm) https://nbg.co.uk/team_member/mostyn-thomas-b2b-director/ (Mostyn Thomas) – Managing Director ofhttps://www.astrix.co.uk/ ( Astrix Integrated Systems Ltd) http://www.chrisducker.com/ (Chris Ducker)
In this episode, Richard talks to George Bardissi, CEO of Bardissi Enterprises and BVoIP. They discuss the challenges MSPs face, as well as how George got started in the IT industry. Mentioned in This Episode Bardissi Enterprises – https://www.bardissi.net/ (www.bardissi.net) BVoIP – https://www.bvoip.com/ (www.bvoip.com) Rackspace – http://www.rackspace.com (www.rackspace.com) Autotask – http://www.autotask.com (www.autotask.com) ConnectWise – http://www.connectwise.com (www.connectwise.com) Salesforce – http://www.salesforce.com (www.salesforce.com) ZenDesk – https://www.zendesk.com (www.zendesk.com) FreshDesk – http://www.freshdesk.com (www.freshdesk.com) Tigerpaw – http://www.tigerpaw.com (www.tigerpaw.com) OpenStack – https://www.openstack.org (www.openstack.org) A full list of BVoIP integrations – https://www.bvoip.com/integrations (www.bvoip.com/integrations) George Bardissi on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgebardissi/ (www.linkedin.com/in/georgebardissi/) George Bardissi on Twitter – https://twitter.com/gbardissi (twitter.com/gbardissi)
In this episode, Richard speaks with Paul MacNeill, MD of Australian-based MSP Virage and co-founder of Wise-Sync. Paul and I discuss:- What is upside down accounting? How is Cloud accounting changing the way companies do business? Why are some accountants resistant to Cloud accounting? How can Cloud accounting reduce both licensing and staffing costs? Paul's experience of partnering with Xero and Xero integration with 3rd party tools The nightmare of managing US sales tax codes The opportunity of Cloud Accounting for IT companies How to reduce the admin burden for IT companies in taking payments from their clients Maximising the value of your IT business prior to exit How peer communities and accountability groups have helped Paul's businesses grow The work involved in migrating to a Cloud accounting package The Wise-Sync brand journey and transparent pricing Developing thought leadership and helping businesses understand how to be more successful The book that Paul has read that has impacted him the most Overcoming the challenges of synchronisation between a Professional Service Automation (PSA) tool and an accounting tool The most successful people that Paul admires Paul's advice for any MSPs using Desktop accounting packages and manual processes
Mentioned in This Episode http://www.virageit.com.au/ (Virage IT) https://www.wise-sync.com/ (Wise-Sync) https://tubb.co/1ku4GgC (MSP Metrics That Matter – An Interview with Eric Dosal) http://www.connectwise.com/ (ConnectWise) https://www.sageone.com/ (Sage Accounting) https://www.quickbooks.co.uk/ (QuickBooks Online) https://www.xero.com (Xero) https://bit.ly/l6Qp17 (Kashflow) http://www.connectwise.com/services/community (ConnectWise Partner Community) https://www.wise-sync.com/partner-stories/partner-story-powernet-it-consultants/ (Powernet IT Consultants Wise-Sync Story) http://www.connectwise.com/solutions/procurement (ConnectWise Procurement & Inventory modules) http://www.quosal.com/ (Quosal) http://htgmembers.com/ (HTG (Heartland Technology Group)) http://www.flyingfoxit.com (Flying Fox IT) https://www.xero.com/uk/xerocon/london/ (Xerocon) http://theitnation.com/ (ConnectWise IT Nation) https://www.wise-sync.com/payments/ (Wise-Pay) http://myob.com.au/ (MYOB) https://www.authorize.net/ (Authorize.net) https://www.braintreepayments.com/ (Braintree) https://stripe.com (Stripe) https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasutherland (Jamie Sutherland, Xero GM) http://www.deskdirector.com/ (DeskDirector) http://www.itglue.com/ (IT Glue) http://www.service-leadership.com/products/peer-groups.asp (SLI (Service Leadership Index)) TubbTalk #02 – http://tubblog.co.uk/2014/08/19/3-best-msp-tools-autotask-community-live-2014-tubbtalk02/ (Interview with Phill Claxton of Desk Director) TubbTalk #10 – https://tubb.co/1ku4tK4 (The importance of IT documentation. An interview with Chris Day of IT Glue) https://help.xero.com/uk/TrainingCourses (Xero Certification for Partners) Book – https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0141049553?tag=tubbweb&linkCode=ogi&th=1&psc=1 (The Go-Giver: A Little Story About a Powerful Business Idea) Book – https://tubb.co/tubblog-emyth (The E-Myth by Michael Gerber) Book – https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0349408947?tag=tubbweb&linkCode=ogi&th=1&psc=1 (Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-free Productivity) https://marketplace.connectwise.com/ (ConnectWise Marketplace) http://www.fullymanaged.com/ (Fully Managed) https://www.linkedin.com/in/arniebellini (Arnie Bellini, ConnectWise CEO) https://uk.linkedin.com/in/bellinidavid (David Bellini, ConnectWise MD International)
In episode 12 of TubbTalk, I speak with Andy Pope, a former MSP owner and the Managing Director of The Consort Group about hiring the right staff and delivering profitable Managed Service support. Andy and I discuss: Why Andy refers to Break/Fix as "Sweeney Support" Who are the Consort Group? What have been the major changes in the MSP market? Tackling the IT Skills Shortage - Hiring vs Outsourcing Understanding Digital Natives and Digital Migrants What should IT employers look for in new hires? How McDonald's demonstrate consistency through processes How to deliver profitable client support services The value in standardisation for Managed Services If Andy were to start an MSP again today, what would he do differently? Why becoming a trusted advisor is more profitable than being a techie The value in sticking to what you're good at The power in IT companies collaborating over competing Who is the better super-hero, Superman or Spider-Man?
Mentioned in This Episode http://www.theemaillaundry.com/tubblog (The Email Laundry) http://tubblog.co.uk/2015/07/07/become-a-more-profitable-msp-raise-your-game-road-show/ (MSP Raise Your Game Road show) https://www.infrascale.com/ (Infrascale) http://free.avg.com/gb-en/homepage (AVG) https://www.epson.co.uk/ (Epson) http://www.tigerpawsoftware.com/ (Tigerpaw) http://www.manutd.com/en/Visit-Old-Trafford.aspx (Old Trafford, Manchester United Football Club) http://www.consort.it/ (The Consort Group) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sweeney (The Sweeney) http://www.comptia.org (CompTIA) http://www.integral-it.co.uk (Integral IT)
In episdode 11 of TubbTalk, I talk with Chris Marr, a Social Media and Marketing expert. Chris and I discuss:- Overcoming the common objection "We don't use Social Media because our customers don't use it" Why Social Media is worthwhile for local businesses The perils of not prioritising Social Media (or any type of Marketing) in Small Business Examples of Social Media opportunities for local businesses The mistake of using Social Media to sell to people Who your competition really is on Social Media Joining the dots - How the principles of off line networking successfully work in social networking How a small business can build a following on Social Media The power of Twitter lists Why should businesses seek out Twitter chats Details of The Content Marketing Academy event in Edinburgh
Mentioned in This Episode http://www.learning-everyday.co.uk/ (Learning Everyday) http://www.tcma-fb.co.uk (The Content Marketing Academy Facebook group) https://tubb.co/TCMATubb (The Content Marketing Academy Conference in Edinburgh, 3rd-4th September, 2015) https://www.twitter.com/ChrisMarr101 (@ChrisMarr101 on Twitter)
In this episode, Richard speaks with Chris Day of IT Glue, an IT documentation platform, and the CEO of one of Western Canada’s biggest MSP’s, Fully Managed. In our conversation, Chris and I discuss:- How an MSP can think globally rather than just locally The biggest challenge in being the CEO of not one, but two businesses How running a SaaS business is different to running an MSP Why IT documentation is so important to MSPs How to calculate the cost of poor IT documentation to an MSP business What the benefits of good IT documentation are to an MSP’s clients The best way to get started with IT documentation Mitigating the risk associated with bad or lack of documentation Which RMM tools will integrate with IT Glue The concept of Documentation-as-a-Service An IT Glue discount code for TubbTalk listeners
Mentioned in This Episode http://www.fullymanaged.com/ (Fully Managed) http://www.itglue.com/ (IT Glue) http://www.40underforty.ca/ (40 under 40 award) http://albertaventure.com/2013/06/best-workplaces-why-be-best/ (Alberta’s Best Workplace) http://sbbcawards.ca/award-categories/best-employer-award/ (British Columbia Small Business Best Employer) http://www.connectwise.com/services/community (ConnectWise Partner Community) https://www.htgmembers.com/ (HTG) https://www.service-leadership.com/products/peer-groups.asp (Service Leadership Index) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sioZd3AxmnE (Video: Simon Sinek: Start why why) https://tubb.co/MSPeBookAmazon (Book – Mistakes MSP’s Make – The Five Most Important Mistakes IT Managed Service Providers Make Which Cost Them Time and Money) http://mspbusinessmanagement.com/blog/creating-simple-operating-procedure (How to create a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP)) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ITIL (ITIL) http://www.autotask.com/ (Autotask) http://www.labtechsoftware.com/ (Labtech) http://www.autotask.com/solution/endpoint-management (Autotask Endpoint Management (AEM)) https://www.kaseya.com/ (Kaseya) http://www.n-able.com/ (N-Able) http://www.continuum.net/ (Continuum) http://www.itglue.com/demo/ (Request a demo of IT Glue) https://twitter.com/IT_Glue (IT Glue on Twitter) https://twitter.com/FullyManaged (Fully Managed on Twitter)
In this episode, Richard speaks with Marc Gadsdon of In-Tuition, a data and email hosting provider and software development company. InTuition are a business with several purpose designed locations in the UK and staff distributed across the world. In our conversation, Marc and I discuss:- Zimbra – one of the best kept secrets in solutions for IT Solution Providers and Managed Service Providers (MSP’s) Zimbra’s powerful integrating abilities, ease of use for file sharing, communicating and keeping your diary up to date What Zimbra can offer over Exchange and Office365 and what it can offer in terms of building value for your business Why Zimbra is very reliable at protecting and recovering your data WordPress Premium Hosting and how the right host can shave time off your website loading time The challenges of managing a remote team in Manchester, London and Canada when you’re based in Andorra Travel caching, Tim Ferriss style life-hacks and becoming better at planning when on the road Why great communication is key when you work remotely from your business
EasyPress is now known as Pendeo Press. Note: If you sign up for a site at www.getpendeo.com and drop an email to the Pendeo support team and let them know I sent you – they tell me they will make sure you get extra special treatment that may involve some free hosting. Mentioned in This Episode http://tubblog.co.uk/blog/2014/08/26/evolution-buying-groups-tubbtalk03/ (TubbTalk 03 ft Phylip Morgan of the Network Group) In-Tuition – http://www.in-tuition.net/ (Zimbra & WordPress hosting) https://www.zimbra.com/ (Zimbra) https://basecamp.com/ (Basecamp) https://www.voipfone.co.uk/free.php?free=86936 (Voice-Over-IP (VoIP)) https://www.pivotaltracker.com/ (Pivotal tracker)http://fourhourworkweek.com/2014/08/08/carryon-luggage/ (Tim Ferriss – How to Never Check Luggage Again) http://www.giro.ca/en/solutions/demand-responsive-transport (Giro) https://wordpress.org/about/ (WordPress) https://www.vmware.com/ (Vmware) https://twitter.com/Gadd0 (Marc Gadsdon on Twitter)
In this episode, Richard speaks with Derek Brown, the Managing Director of Pronto Marketing, who specialise in providing a flat-fee, all-you-can-eat web site service for MSPs and IT Service Providers. Mentioned in This Episode Pronto Marketing http://tubb.co/prontoMSP (http://tubb.co/prontoMSP) Derek Brown on LinkedIn - https://th.linkedin.com/in/derekbrn (https://th.linkedin.com/in/derekbrn) SMB Nation - http://www.smbnation.com/ (http://www.smbnation.com/) Google Analytics - http://www.google.com/analytics (http://www.google.com/analytics) Google Local Places - https://www.google.com/business/ (https://www.google.com/business/) What are the Benefits of Blogging? http://tubb.co/1Q3d6Wo (http://tubb.co/1Q3d6Wo) Pronto Marketing exclusive discount for listeners of TubbTalk: http://tubb.co/prontoMSP (http://tubb.co/prontoMSP)
In this episode, Richard speaks with public speaking coach and trainer http://www.twitter.com/AlanMatthews11 (Alan Matthews) on how to create a great mini marketing message. In our discussion Alan and I talk about: The BIG mistake nearly all business owners make when they talk about their businesses The key elements of a successful marketing message and a 60 second elevator pitch Why using labels switches people off How to use questions to grab attention How to differentiate yourself from the competition The importance of choosing, and addressing, a niche How to use your marketing message to get more referrals
Mentioned in This Episode http://www.alanmatthewstraining.com (Alan Matthews Training) Free eBook –http://alanmatthewstraining.com/60seconds/ ( The Sixty Second Pitch. How To Attract Clients By Talking About Your Business.) https://www.twitter.com/AlanMatthews11 (Alan Matthews on Twitter) https://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=6960642&authType=NAME_SEARCH&authToken=wjTa&locale=en_US&srchid=53346351426674597027&srchindex=1&srchtotal=199&trk=vsrp_people_res_name&trkInfo=VSRPsearchId%3A53346351426674597027%2CVSRPtargetId%3A6960642%2CVSRPcmpt%3Aprimary%2CVSRPnm%3A (Alan Matthews on LinkedIn)
In this episode, Richard speaks with 3 of the top MSP Vendors at the 2014 CompTIA EMEA Conference in London to understand how their tools can help IT Managed Service Providers (MSPs) help their clients and make more money. Mentioned in This Episode http://www.comptia.org/emea (CompTIA EMEA Member & Partner Conference) http://www.zensoftware.co.uk/ (Zen Software) https://sbscnorthwest.sharepoint.com/Pages/default.aspx (SBSC North-West User Group) https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/million-masks-march-2014-thousands-gather-for-anticapitalist-protest-in-london-9842407.html (Million Mask March 2014) http://tubblog.co.uk/blog/2014/08/19/3-best-msp-tools-autotask-community-live-2014-tubbtalk02/ (TubbTalk Episode 02 – The 3 Best MSP tools from Autotask Community Live 2014) http://www.getrummage.com/ (Rummage) – File search and organisation tool https://db.tt/34ZoYsD (Dropbox) https://www.google.com/drive/ (Google Drive) https://www.napo.net/press_room/organizing_statistics.pdf (Wall Street Journal statistics on time wasted on searching for lost documents) [PDF] https://twitter.com/GetRummage (@GetRummage on Twitter) https://www.facebook.com/GetRummage (Rummage on Facebook) http://www.benemen.uk/en-GB/ (Benemen UK) – cloud-based telephony https://products.office.com/en/lync/ (Microsoft Lync) http://www.pensar.co.uk/ (Pensar IT) Email Dave Clarke at Benemen UK https://twitter.com/DaveClarke (Dave Clarke on Twitter) http://www.bluesolutions.co.uk/ (Blue Solutions) http://www1.bluesolutions.co.uk/vendors/appriver.aspx (AppRiver) -email and web security services
In this episode, Richard speaks with Gemma Telford to discuss the biggest mistakes MSPs make when it comes to marketing, understanding why MSP marketing needs to be consistent, and looking at options to ensure effective marketing for MSPs. Mentioned in This Episode https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9brYjDZ1zYA (Zen Software Partner Meetup 2014 – Highlight Video) Zen Software Partner Meetup 2014 – https://youtu.be/XjvzeY2spSg (Presentation Video – “Marketing – Common Sense or Voodoo?”) by https://www.twitter.com/DobsonSi (Simon Dobson) http://uk.ingrammicro.com/corporate/corporate.jsp (Ingram Micro) http://www.theitmarketingagency.com/ (The IT Marketing Agency) http://www.bni.co.uk/ (BNI) http://www.mspmarketingacademy.co.uk/ (The MSP Marketing Academy) – Marketing as a Service http://info.mspmarketingacademy.co.uk/whats-included (MSP “Marketing Campaign in a Box”) https://uk.linkedin.com/in/gemmatelford (Gemma Telford on LinkedIn)
In this episode, Richard speaks with DK - a Social Media speaker and advisor who has consulted with some of the worlds top businesses on how to effectively use Social Media. DK is also the organiser of the TEDx Wellington event and a man who raises some interesting questions on what Social Media is and how it can be used. For instance, have you ever considered how Einstein may have used Social Media if he were alive today? Mentioned in This Episode http://tedxwellington.com/ (TEDxWellington) http://www.tedxwarwick.com/ (TEDxWarwick) http://mediasnackers.com/2010/08/the-golden-rule-of-social-media/ (The Golden Rule of Social Media) http://justadandak.com/different-types-of-social-media-users-connectors-learners-aggregators-marketeers-clamrl/ (Different Types of Social Media Users) http://justadandak.com/social-media-day-presentation-hootupwlg (Social Media Day Presentation) http://justadandak.com/imagine-if-social-media-was-not-just-used-as-a-marketing-tool/ (Imagine If… Social Media Was Not Just Used as a Marketing Tool) http://tubblog.co.uk/blog/2010/10/22/what-are-the-benefits-of-blogging/ (Seth Godin and Tom Peters on blogging) http://hatchexperience.org/ (Hatch Festival) http://justadandak.com/ (DK’s website)
In this episode, Richard talks with Phylip Morgan of the Network Group. With close links to some of the worlds most prestigeous IT vendors, the Network Group has been able to leverage its buying power to benefit its members - IT businesses - and their clients. In this interview Richard talks with Phylip Morgan, Managing Director of the Network Group and discusses its origins, its membership and its goals for the future. Details of the Network Group can be found at http://www.nbg.co.uk (http://www.nbg.co.uk) Mentioned in This Episode https://www.microsoft.com (Microsoft) https://www.symantec.com (Symantec) B2B – Business to Business B2C – Business to Consumer https://www.fujitsu.com (Fujitsu) http://www.lenovo.com (Lenovo) What is a https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cooperative (Cooperative)? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bring_your_own_device (Bring Your Own Device (BYOD)) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Managed_Print_Services (Managed Print Services (MPS)) http://www.nbg.co.uk (Network Group Website) https://www.facebook.com/NetworkGroupUK (Network Group Facebook Page) https://twitter.com/nbgltd (Network Group on Twitter) https://twitter.com/@phylipm (Phylip Morgan on Twitter)
In this episode, Richard gives his thoughts on all the news from Autotask Community Live 2014 in Miami and interviews 3 of the top MSP tool Vendors at #ACL2014 Mentioned in This Episode http://www.autotask.com/ (Autotask) – IT Business Management solution http://www.autotaskcommunitylive.com/ (Autotask Community Live Conference) http://www.vistaequitypartners.com/ (Vista Equity Partners) http://www.autotask.com/about-us/press-room/details/2014/06/10/autotask-designs-new-user-interface-for-the-way-customers-work (Press Release – Autotask new User Interface) http://www.deskdirector.com/ (Desk Director) – Client experience Platform Phill Claxton – phill@deskdirector.com https://www.wufoo.com/ (WuFoo) – Online Form Builder https://www.opendns.com/home/ (OpenDNS) – Cloud delivered network security service Dima Kumets – dima@opendns.com http://www.brightgauge.com/ (BrightGauge) – Dashboards and reporting for MSP’s Eric Dosal – edosal@brightgauge.com
In this episode, Richard speaks to Tim Brewer of Evolve Leadership. Tim is a successful entrepreneur and an acknowledged leader within the IT and Managed Service world. Richard talks with Tim about his experiences and some of the key lessons he's learned along the way. Mentioned in This Episode http://www.evolveleadership.com.au/ (Evolve Leadership Group) http://www.deskdirector.com/ (Desk Director) – Client experience platform http://www.chartec.net/ (CharTec) – Hardware as a Service http://www.anittel.com.au/ (Annitel) – Australian IT & Telecommunications company http://www.redmeetsblue.com.au/ (RedMeetsBlue) – Australian creative brand agency Book – http://www.buildgreatbrands.com.au/ (Build Great Brands by John Cinquina) http://www.timbrewer.com.au (www.timbrewer.com.au)