Advertise on podcast: The $10 Million MSP Podcast

Can your MSP scale without you? Take the free MSP Maturity Assessment. brianhoppe.com/assessment Trey Miller started his MSP after being laid off, then spent years building the business before merging with another local provider. The combined company grew to more than $10 million in revenue and 70 employees before Trey and his partners sold it to Thrive. Trey joins Brian to share how a major client’s RFP became a turning point, why the partners began preparing for a sale years in advance, and how they structured a merger that worked for everyone involved. He also talks about life after the sale, including his sabbatical and the process of figuring out what he wanted to do next. Along the way, Trey reflects on leadership, peer groups, saying no to the wrong opportunities, and knowing what “enough” looks like. In this episode: - Why MSP owners should prepare for a sale before one is imminent - How Trey’s MSP grew from a small team into a company with more than 70 employees - What made Trey’s merger with another MSP work - How a major client’s RFP influenced the decision to sell - What to consider about life after selling your business - Why MSP owners should know what “enough” looks like For MSP owners thinking about a merger, a future sale, or what comes after running the business, Trey’s story offers a candid look at the decisions behind each transition. Key Moments 0:00 - Introduction 1:07 - Meet Trey Miller 1:26 - Why MSP owners wait too long to plan for a sale 5:18 - Trey’s path from layoff to MSP ownership 8:26 - Why Trey merged with another MSP 10:51 - How a major client’s RFP led the partners to consider a sale 15:08 - What came after selling the business 19:41 - Identity and purpose after an exit 26:04 - The reality of taking a sabbatical 37:09 - Advice for MSPs considering a merger 44:15 - How Trey and his partners structured their partnership 52:37 - The leadership mistake that taught Trey to say no 55:28 - Knowing what “enough” looks like 57:46 - Rapid-fire questions 1:01:37 - Where to connect with Trey Miller 1:02:31 - Episode wrap-up Connect Brian Hoppe: https://brianhoppe.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianhoppe/ Trey Miller: https://adaliaadvisors.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/trey-miller

Can your MSP scale without you? Take the free MSP Maturity Assessment. brianhoppe.com/assessment Giving up control is uncomfortable for most MSP owners. For Bruce Nelson, it became one of the biggest drivers of growth. Bruce, President of Vertilocity, joins Brian Hoppe to explain how the business grew from roughly $7 million in revenue to nearly $29 million, with a $35 million target ahead. They discuss joining a larger CPA firm, using acquisitions to add new capabilities, and building a leadership team that could run the day-to-day without everything flowing through Bruce. Bruce also shares why culture remains his responsibility, how Vertilocity evaluates potential acquisitions, and why AI could significantly change the skills, pricing models, and services MSPs need over the next several years. In this episode: Why giving up control can accelerate MSP growthGrowing from roughly $7 million to nearly $29 millionWhat Vertilocity looks for when acquiring another MSPHow joining a larger organization changed Bruce’s roleBuilding leaders who can solve problems without the ownerWhy culture is one responsibility Bruce will not delegateHow AI could reshape the MSP business model Key Moments 0:00 - Introduction 1:07 - Meet Bruce Nelson 2:01 - Why giving up control matters 4:01 - Building the original MSP 8:15 - Joining HBK and accelerating growth 13:21 - Vertilocity’s acquisition strategy 22:20 - Growing inside a larger organization 30:28 - Building a remote company and leadership team 37:27 - Getting Bruce out of the day-to-day 42:06 - Why culture stays with the leader 50:38 - How AI could reshape MSPs 54:36 - Bruce’s biggest leadership mistake 56:37 - Rapid-fire questions Connect Brian Hoppe: https://brianhoppe.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianhoppe/ Bruce Nelson: https://vertilocity.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/brucenelsonvs/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/brucenelsonvs/

Can your MSP scale without you? Take the free MSP Maturity Assessment. brianhoppe.com/assessment Private equity is often treated like the enemy of MSP owners. Reed Wilson once saw it that way too. Reed, CEO of Courser, joins Brian Hoppe to explain how the right private equity partnership helped turn a $10 million MSP into a $175 million organization with approximately 650 employees and 25 acquisitions. They discuss why Courser keeps its local MSP brands, what changes after an acquisition, and why the skills needed to build an MSP are not always the same skills needed to scale one. Reed also breaks down Courser’s approach to organic growth, board management, leadership hiring, and using machine learning to identify at-risk clients before they churn. In this episode: What MSP owners misunderstand about private equityHow recurring revenue helped Reed’s MSP reach $10 millionWhy Courser preserves the local brands it acquiresHow Courser transforms a new MSP after an acquisitionWhat it takes to manage an MSP with 650 employeesHow machine learning reduced churn among at-risk clientsWhy builders are not always the right people to scale a company For MSP owners considering private equity, acquisitions, or their own role in the next stage of the business, this conversation offers a candid look at what changes when an MSP grows beyond the founder. Key Moments 0:00 - Introduction 1:07 - Meet Reed Wilson 1:25 - What MSP owners get wrong about private equity 5:20 - Building an MSP from the ground up 8:54 - Moving from project work to recurring revenue 12:29 - Why Reed finally considered private equity 15:33 - Scaling Courser to $175 million 19:40 - Transforming an MSP after an acquisition 27:15 - Learning to work with a board 30:10 - The difference between builders and scalers 37:03 - Building an organic growth engine 40:07 - Using machine learning to reduce client churn 46:24 - Reed’s biggest leadership mistakes 50:05 - Leadership lessons and rapid-fire questions 54:59 - Where to connect with Reed Wilson Connect Brian Hoppe: https://brianhoppe.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianhoppe/ Reed Wilson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sreedwilson https://www.gocourser.com/

Can your MSP scale without you? Take the free MSP Maturity Assessment. brianhoppe.com/assessment Hiring a second-in-command does not remove the owner bottleneck if every important decision still runs through the owner. Brian Hoppe sits down with Clay Harris, former CEO of WorkSmart and Certified EOS Implementer, to discuss the systems, leadership, and personal decisions behind growing an MSP from its earliest days to $22 million in revenue and more than 100 employees. WorkSmart began in 2001 with a group of recent college graduates selling IT services for $40 an hour. Over the next two decades, the company built recurring revenue, completed eight acquisitions, expanded into new markets, and eventually used EOS to break through a ceiling at roughly $5 million. Clay explains why founders often hold onto responsibilities long after the business has outgrown their involvement. In his case, he was still personally ordering millions of dollars in hardware while serving as CEO of an $18 million company. He also shares what it actually takes to empower an integrator, why handing someone a messy business is not delegation, and why a professionally managed MSP must give its leadership team real authority instead of forcing every decision back through the founder. In this episode: Why MSP owners create too much chaos or wait too long to actHow WorkSmart grew to $22 million through organic growth and acquisitionsWhy a well-run company is already being built to sellWhat founders must do before hiring professional managementWhy integrators fail when owners refuse to release controlHow EOS helped WorkSmart triple its monthly recurring revenueWhat MSP owners should consider before selling or stepping away If your MSP has outgrown the way you currently lead it, this conversation will help you create the clarity, accountability, and leadership structure required for the business to operate without everything depending on you. Key Moments 0:00 - Introduction 1:07 - Meet Clay Harris 1:59 - What MSP owners get wrong about growth 3:38 - Building WorkSmart from the ground up 7:48 - Growing the MSP to $22 million 10:28 - Organic growth and eight acquisitions 11:46 - Building an MSP to own or sell 14:52 - Preparing the business for professional management 17:19 - Why founders struggle to let go 19:53 - How Clay became his company’s bottleneck 21:22 - Delegating without taking the work back 22:33 - What a true integrator does 25:18 - Finding an identity beyond the MSP 27:48 - Why remaining an owner did not work for Clay 30:19 - Finding purpose after an exit 35:15 - A great life does not require selling the company 37:15 - How EOS changed WorkSmart 39:26 - Growing MRR from $340,000 to $1 million 42:08 - The three things every entrepreneur needs 44:16 - Clay’s biggest leadership mistake 47:47 - Where to connect with Clay Harris Connect Brian Hoppe: https://brianhoppe.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianhoppe/ Clay Harris: https://clayharris.com/ https://implementer.eosworldwide.com/clay-harris/

Can your MSP scale without you? Take the free MSP Maturity Assessment. brianhoppe.com/assessment Reaching $10 million once can be momentum. Reaching it again after falling back forces you to build an MSP that can actually hold its ground. Brian Hoppe sits down with John Snyder, CEO of Net Friends, to unpack the company’s journey to $10 million and the mistakes that made its first attempt unsustainable. Net Friends grew quickly, but growth without enough management, financial discipline, or strategic focus created a business that was difficult to control. The company pursued too many markets, offices, and service models at once, leaving leadership stretched thin and the core managed services business without a clear direction. John explains how Net Friends returned to $10 million as a focused, pure-play MSP with stronger management, clearer systems, and a much better understanding of what drives profitability. He also shares his unusual path from the company’s fourth employee to owner and CEO, how a company split unlocked four consecutive years of 40% growth, and why Net Friends replaced its dependence on sales “rock stars” with a repeatable system that helped convert 24 new clients in 2025. In this episode: - Why MSPs repeatedly stall around $1 million, $3 million, and $5 million - How competing business lines consume leadership headspace - John’s transition from field technician to owner and CEO - How Net Friends rebuilt its sales and marketing engine - Why budgeting and profitability are leadership responsibilities If your MSP is growing but becoming harder to manage, this conversation will help you identify the systems, leadership depth, and financial discipline required to scale with stability. Key Moments 0:00 - Introduction 2:23 - Growth ceilings and the missing management layer 5:12 - Why Net Friends had to reach $10 million twice 9:54 - Leadership headspace and the cost of divided focus 17:16 - John’s journey from employee to owner 27:15 - How focus produced four years of 40% growth 33:26 - Preparing an MSP for ownership transition 39:45 - Choosing the right business partner 44:34 - Rebuilding sales around a repeatable system 49:35 - How cold calling and marketing worked together 54:05 - The profitability target for a $10 million MSP 1:01:37 - John’s biggest leadership mistake 1:07:31 - Where to connect with John Snyder Connect Brian Hoppe: https://brianhoppe.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianhoppe/ John Snyder: https://www.netfriends.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnsnyder-netfriends/

Can your MSP scale without you? Take the free MSP Maturity Assessment. brianhoppe.com/assessment AI is not another tool MSPs can simply buy and roll out. It is a fundamental shift in what a small team can accomplish. Brian Hoppe sits down with Damien Stevens, founder and CEO of Servosity and host of MSP Mindset, to explore how agentic AI is already changing the way MSPs operate. Damien’s journey started with a personal crisis. When his daughter experienced serious health issues, he needed to reclaim time without slowing down the business. That forced him to stop experimenting with AI at the surface level and start rebuilding real workflows around agents. The result was roughly 20 hours saved every week, a support team producing significantly more without additional hires, and a company-wide shift in how people think about their work. But this conversation is not really about technology. It is about leadership. Damien explains why MSP owners need to get involved personally, how to create a culture where employees are comfortable automating parts of their jobs, and why the best leaders will reinvest that new capacity instead of simply cutting headcount. The larger opportunity is helping clients do the same. MSPs can move beyond keeping systems running and begin helping businesses increase revenue, improve margins, accelerate workflows, and accomplish things that were previously impossible. In this episode: Why MSP leaders cannot delegate AI entirely to the CTODamien’s three-step process for introducing agentic AIHow one employee automated roughly six hours of daily workWhy revenue per employee and employee satisfaction can rise togetherHow MSPs can turn internal AI experience into a new client offering If you lead an MSP and want to turn AI from hype into operational leverage, this conversation offers a practical place to begin. Key Moments 0:00 - Welcome to the $10 Million MSP 1:08 - Why this AI conversation is different 3:26 - The personal crisis that forced Damien to find leverage 7:20 - Why MSPs cannot afford to sit out the AI shift 10:08 - Moving from IT cost center to business growth partner 16:39 - Damien’s three-step process for adopting agentic AI 20:04 - Helping employees automate their own repetitive work 25:07 - Redesigning the company around new capabilities 30:58 - The leadership and cultural side of AI adoption 42:47 - Connecting agents to real MSP business systems 47:11 - Automating mechanical work while preserving human judgment 58:08 - How MSP leaders can get started Connect Brian Hoppe: https://brianhoppe.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianhoppe/ Damien Stevens: https://servosity.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/dstevens/

Can your MSP scale without you? Take the free MSP Maturity Assessment. brianhoppe.com/assessment Most MSPs do not have a sales problem because they hired the wrong personality. They have a sales problem because they never built a system. Brian Hoppe sits down with Brian Strong, CEO of TenHats and former founder of Vendor Registry, to break down the sales process behind growing an MSP from roughly $2 million to nearly $20 million in five years. Brian explains why marketing cannot close deals on its own, how outside sales helped the company move upmarket, and why owner-led sales eventually limits growth. The conversation also explores the center of influence strategy responsible for much of Brian’s success. He shares how to find the right relationships, stay top of mind, and generate stronger opportunities without relying on endless cold outreach. In this episode: - How TenHats grew from roughly $2 million to nearly $20 million - Why MSPs need a sales system that does not depend on the owner - How outside sales helped the company move upmarket - Why centers of influence drive most of Brian’s prospecting - How to build valuable COI relationships through existing clients - The leadership shift required to become a true CEO If you’re an MSP owner trying to build a repeatable sales engine, move beyond owner-led growth, or generate better opportunities through strategic relationships, this is the conversation. Key Moments 0:00 - Welcome to The $10 Million MSP 1:07 - Meet Brian Strong 2:23 - What MSP owners get wrong about sales 6:25 - Selling more than $100,000 in new MRR 10:38 - From SaaS founder back to the MSP industry 14:47 - Growing an MSP from $2 million to nearly $20 million 18:48 - Moving beyond owner-led sales 23:37 - Building an upmarket sales team 29:21 - Centers of influence as a growth strategy 36:44 - Building and managing COI relationships 45:40 - Starting with existing clients 49:31 - Asking for referrals the right way 53:10 - Why COI strategies fail 58:12 - Should sales or operations come first? 1:00:32 - Brian’s biggest leadership lessons 1:04:14 - Rapid-fire questions 1:09:10 - Where to connect with Brian Strong Connect Brian Hoppe: https://brianhoppe.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianhoppe/ Brian Strong: https://tenhats.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-strong/

Can your MSP scale without you? Take the free MSP Maturity Assessment. brianhoppe.com/assessment Organic growth becomes much more predictable when sales stops depending on the owner and starts operating like a system. Brian Hoppe sits down with Billy Adams, president of ACS, to unpack how he helped grow the family-owned MSP from roughly $3.5 million to nearly $14 million in revenue without acquisitions, private equity, or outside investors. Billy breaks down the sales engine behind that growth, including how ACS built a team of SDRs and BDRs, created clear activity targets, developed talent internally, and generated enough pipeline to recover after unexpectedly losing $150,000 in monthly recurring revenue. The conversation also explores ACS’s move into managed AI. Billy explains why MSPs need to help clients establish AI governance before chasing automation, how ACS is turning that guidance into recurring revenue, and why every AI initiative should begin with a valuable business outcome. Billy also shares his plans to keep ACS independent, potentially transition the company to a third generation, and continue building toward $30 million while protecting the culture and relationships that made the business successful. In this episode: How ACS grew from $3.5 million to nearly $14 million without M&AWhy MSPs need a repeatable sales engine instead of one salespersonHow ACS generates 8 to 10 new sales appointments each weekWhy peer groups and EOS became critical to Billy’s growthHow AI governance can become a new managed serviceWhy AI projects should begin with business outcomes, not toolsHow Billy is thinking about independence and family successionWhat leading with emotion taught Billy about people and leadership If you’re an MSP owner trying to create predictable organic growth, move beyond owner-led sales, or find a practical way to bring AI services to your clients, this is the conversation. Key Moments 0:00 - Introduction 1:06 - Meet Billy Adams 2:00 - What MSP owners misunderstand about organic growth 5:35 - Growing ACS from $3.5M to nearly $14M 7:07 - Replacing $150K in lost monthly recurring revenue 11:35 - Building a repeatable MSP sales engine 18:00 - Investing in salespeople and developing talent internally 23:00 - The activity and metrics behind the pipeline 25:29 - EOS, leadership layers, and the fractional integrator 29:51 - Building an AI practice inside an MSP 32:28 - AI security, governance, and acceptable-use policies 38:24 - Connecting AI to meaningful business outcomes 41:00 - Turning managed AI into recurring revenue 49:50 - Staying independent and planning the future of ACS 55:09 - Billy’s biggest leadership mistakes 58:23 - Rapid-fire questions and closing thoughts 1:02:15 - Where to connect with Billy Connect Brian Hoppe: https://brianhoppe.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianhoppe/ Billy Adams: https://acs.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/williamadamsjr/

Can your MSP scale without you? Take the free MSP Maturity Assessment. brianhoppe.com/assessment The people who help you get to one stage of growth are not always the people who can help you scale to the next one. As MSPs grow, the business changes. The owner can’t be the hero. The best tech can’t be the only person clients call. And the team cannot keep relying on individual effort instead of process, structure, and leadership. Brian Hoppe sits down with Willis Cantey, founder of Cantey Tech, to unpack how he grew a two-person IT support company into a roughly $27 million MSP with around 120 employees. This conversation gets into the real work of scaling an MSP, from getting out into the community and building trust, to hiring salespeople, investing in management before the payoff shows up, and moving away from the “Superman cape” model that keeps small MSPs stuck. Willis also shares what he has learned through acquisitions, organic growth, leadership development, vertical focus, private equity, and the hard people decisions that come with building a more mature company. In this episode: - Why MSP owners need to get out from behind the desk to grow - How Cantey Tech scaled through relationships, sales, and referrals - Why investing in management can shrink margins before it improves the business - How to move beyond the “hero tech” model and build a process-driven company - Why holding onto the wrong people too long can cost clients, culture, and growth - What Willis learned from acquisitions, integration, and protecting culture - How to develop leaders without forcing great techs into management roles If you’re an MSP owner trying to grow beyond founder-led chaos, build a stronger leadership team, and create a company that can scale without depending on superheroes, this is the conversation. Key Moments 0:00 - Introduction 1:07 - Meet Willis Cantey 1:29 - Growing from $5M to $10M 3:23 - Buying and building Cantey Tech 8:33 - Scaling to $27M and 120 employees 11:25 - Investing in management before the payoff 19:42 - Moving beyond the “Superman cape” model 24:22 - The cost of holding onto the wrong people 27:30 - Decisions that created disproportionate growth 30:39 - Vertical focus, markets, and specialization 39:43 - Acquisitions, culture, and integration 45:14 - Organic growth and sales strategy 48:01 - Developing leaders inside the company 58:03 - The role of the CEO at scale 1:01:52 - Willis’ biggest leadership mistake 1:03:31 - Rapid-fire questions and closing thoughts 1:06:16 - Where to connect with Willis Connect Brian Hoppe: https://brianhoppe.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianhoppe/ Willis Cantey: https://canteytech.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/williscantey/

Download the framework I use with $10M–$100M MSP owners: https://brianhoppe.com/blueprint/ A cybersecurity practice that actually sells. Not because the stack is better, but because the client finally understands the risk. Most MSPs know they need to mature their security offering. The harder part is getting clients to care, getting the team aligned, and turning cybersecurity into a strategic revenue engine instead of another set of tools. Brian Hoppe sits down with Jesse Miller, founder of Power PSA Consulting and creator of the Power Gryd vCISO system, to unpack what it really takes to build a cybersecurity practice inside an MSP. This conversation gets into the shift from selling controls to selling risk management, why paid assessments change the entire client conversation, and how strategic advisory can increase client lifetime value. Jesse also shares lessons from scaling an MSP from 5 people to 75, building a cyber program the hard way, navigating internal friction, and why vertical focus will matter even more as AI changes the industry. In this episode: Why cybersecurity practices fail when MSPs lead with tools instead of riskHow paid risk assessments create better buyers and stronger relationshipsWhy vCSO and vCISO should be treated as real advisory services, not bundled extrasHow to align sales, service, and leadership before launching a new practiceWhy specialization, vertical focus, and strategic consulting are becoming harder to avoid If you’re an MSP owner trying to move beyond reactive IT, build stronger client relationships, and create a more valuable advisory-led business, this is the conversation. Key Moments 0:00 - Introduction 1:06 - Meet Jesse Miller 2:06 - Why MSP growth is simple, but not easy 4:09 - Jesse’s path from telecom to MSP cybersecurity 10:34 - Selling risk management instead of security tools 18:18 - Why every client needs a paid risk assessment 23:49 - Building true vCISO and vCSO advisory services 33:09 - Leadership lessons from launching a cyber practice 42:35 - Letting go, building smarter teams, and avoiding shiny object decisions 47:49 - AI, specialization, and the future of MSP strategy 56:00 - Jesse’s biggest leadership mistake 57:45 - Rapid-fire questions and closing thoughts 1:01:08 - Where to connect with Jesse Connect Brian Hoppe: https://brianhoppe.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianhoppe/ Jesse Miller: https://www.linkedin.com/in/secopswarrior/ https://powerpsa.com/

Download the framework I use with $10M–$100M MSP owners: https://brianhoppe.com/blueprint/ A $100M operator’s view of what actually makes an MSP valuable. Most MSPs do not stall because they lack effort. They stall because brute force stops working. Brian Hoppe sits down with Steve Torres, President of CFO for IT, to unpack the operational disciplines that separate MSPs that scale from the ones that stay trapped in founder-led chaos. Steve has helped scale multiple IT services companies beyond $100M, worked through roughly 20 acquisitions, and now helps MSPs build the financial and operational maturity needed to increase enterprise value. This conversation is not about tools, tactics, or chasing growth for growth’s sake. It’s about the systems, discipline, metrics, and decision-making habits that create a more valuable business. In this episode: Why “brute force execution” quietly destroys enterprise valueThe 6 disciplines Steve sees in MSPs that scale past $100MWhy strategy frameworks create clarity, alignment, and accountabilityThe metrics MSP owners should actually care aboutHow CRM discipline exposes the real bottlenecks in sales and marketingWhy standardized offerings improve margins, sales cycles, and deliveryHow budgeting and rolling forecasts create better decisionsThe leadership danger of hiring purely for intelligence If you’re trying to build an MSP that can scale without breaking, this is the conversation. Key Moments 0:00 - Welcome to The $10 Million MSP Podcast 1:07 - Brian introduces Steve Torres 1:41 - The blind spot hurting MSP enterprise value 6:22 - The 6 attributes of MSPs that scale past $100M 10:37 - Why strategy frameworks create clarity and alignment 15:13 - The metrics MSP owners should actually track 23:51 - Why CRM discipline is non-negotiable 28:06 - The cost of customized offerings 39:04 - Decisiveness, agile velocity, and failing forward 43:43 - Why budgeting discipline drives maturity 51:52 - Steve’s biggest leadership mistake 57:52 - Where to connect with Steve Connect Brian Hoppe: https://brianhoppe.com/ Steve Torres https://www.linkedin.com/in/cfoforit/ https://cfoforit.com/

A $13M MSP turned into a $60M platform in four years. That kind of growth does not happen because the founder works harder. It happens because the business becomes more valuable, less owner-dependent, and built for scale. Brian Hoppe sits down with Kevin Cook, Chief Strategy Officer at Ntiva and former CEO of The Purple Guys, to unpack what it really takes to move from founder-led MSP to private-equity-backed platform. This conversation gets into enterprise value, acquisitions, leadership development, AI, and the hard decisions owners face when they want the business to outgrow them. In this episode: Why owner dependence is one of the biggest value killers in an MSPHow Kevin went from a $13M MSP to a $60M platform through PE and acquisitionsWhat acquirers actually look for beyond EBITDAWhy culture fit can make or break an acquisitionHow AI is changing the timing and strategy behind MSP exits If you’re thinking about how to build a business that can scale, sell, or survive beyond you, this is the conversation. If you want to go deeper on the levers behind growth and valuation, you can get the Value Creation Blueprint here: https://brianhoppe.com/blueprint/ Key Moments 0:00 - Welcome to The $10 Million MSP Podcast 1:07 - Kevin Cook joins the show 5:29 - Taking on private equity and becoming The Purple Guys 13:36 - What creates enterprise value in an MSP 24:23 - How AI is changing the MSP landscape 32:22 - What changes after outside investment 37:20 - Why leadership development becomes critical 51:15 - Kevin’s biggest leadership mistake Connect Brian Hoppe: https://brianhoppe.com/ Kevin Cook: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevin-cook-ntiva/ https://www.ntiva.com/

A nearly $15M MSP in Austin. No acquisitions. No private equity. No traditional outbound sales machine. Most MSP growth stories focus on founder vision, aggressive sales, or rolling up other companies. This one is different. Brian Hoppe sits down with Shane Groniger, CEO of GCS Technologies, to unpack what it looks like to step into the CEO seat of a company he didn’t found and help move it past the $10M plateau. This is a conversation about discipline, focus, leadership maturity, and building a durable business without blindly following the standard MSP playbook. In this episode: - What it takes to lead an MSP you didn’t found - How GCS moved from an $8M-$9M plateau to nearly $15M - Why discipline, focus, and “addition through subtraction” became key growth drivers - How fixed-fee security packaging changed the business model - Why margin by client and agreement matters more than top-line revenue - The hard leadership lessons that come with putting people in the right seats - How Shane thinks about AI, automation, and the next curve jump for MSPs If you’re thinking about what has to change inside the business before the next stage of growth can happen, this is the conversation. If you want to go deeper on the levers behind growth and valuation, you can get the Value Creation Blueprint here: https://brianhoppe.com/blueprint/ Key Moments 1:06 – Shane Groniger joins the show 1:41 – Leading a company he didn’t found 3:01 – GCS Technologies’ journey to nearly $15M 6:29 – Breaking through the $8M-$9M plateau 7:28 – Revenue per employee, margin discipline, and EBITDA 8:50 – Moving into packaged cybersecurity services 10:54 – GCS’ ideal client profile 13:05 – Founder identity vs. non-founder CEO identity 19:03 – What had to change to get past $10M 21:54 – Building a lean leadership team 24:09 – What breaks between $8M and $15M 26:48 – The hard lesson of right people, wrong seats 31:19 – Growth plans from $15M to $20M 38:51 – Building a durable asset instead of chasing an exit 41:45 – Borrowing from EOS, peer groups, and industry benchmarks 44:42 – The metrics Shane watches most closely 49:02 – Why account management and retention matter more at scale 50:52 – Shane’s biggest leadership mistake 55:15 – Delegating decisions, not just tasks 56:35 – Lightning round 59:39 – Books and ideas that shaped Shane’s leadership Connect Brian Hoppe https://brianhoppe.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianhoppe Shane Gronniger GCS Technologies https://www.gcstechnologies.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/shanegroniger/

A $15.5M MSP in rural Nebraska. No major market. No shortcuts. Most MSP owners assume scale requires geography, talent density, or luck. This conversation challenges that. Brian Hoppe sits down with Ed Knott, who built Applied Connective Technologies from 2 people to 68 employees, to unpack what actually drives growth beyond $10M. This is not a conversation about tactics. It’s about the shift most owners struggle to make. In this episode: - What really changes between a $5M and $10M MSP owner - How to build and retain a team in a constrained market - Why client experience and retention become the primary growth engine - The transition from founder-led hustle to leadership-driven scale - What “financial maturity” actually looks like inside an MSP If you’re thinking about what it takes to build a business that scales beyond you, this is the conversation. If you want to go deeper on the levers behind growth and valuation, you can get the Value Creation Blueprint here: https://brianhoppe.com/blueprint/ Key Moments 1:06 – The real difference between $5M and $10M MSP owners 7:32 – Building in a rural market and why geography didn’t matter 12:24 – Hiring and retaining talent when your market is constrained 19:05 – The moment an owner has to let go 25:11 – How sales evolves as the business scales 32:58 – Retention as a strategic growth driver 36:35 – Using leading indicators to run the business 45:42 – The biggest mistake Ed made as a leader Connect Brian Hoppe https://brianhoppe.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianhoppe Ed Knott Applied Connective Technologies https://appliedconnective.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/ed-knott-a218535/

A $47M MSP with 165 employees. Built from telecom consulting, VoIP, and a founder who had to learn the business as it scaled. Most MSP owners assume growth breaks because of sales, marketing, or market size. This conversation challenges that. Brian Hoppe sits down with Shawn Torres, CEO of In-Telecom, to unpack how the company grew from an $8M telecom and networking business into a fast-scaling MSP with offices across Louisiana, Texas, Georgia, and Tennessee. This is not a conversation about chasing top-line growth. It’s about the discipline, financial maturity, leadership development, and internal infrastructure required to scale without losing control. In this episode: - How Shawn grew In-Telecom from $8M to $47M after launching managed services - Why aggressive targets only work when they are backed by budget, data, and accountability - How a real CFO changes the way an owner thinks about growth, cash, debt, and forecasting - What MSP owners underestimate about acquisitions, integration, and culture fit - Why leadership development, middle management, and internal operations become critical at scale If you’re trying to build an MSP that can grow past founder-driven hustle, this is the conversation. If you want to go deeper on the levers behind growth and valuation, you can get the Value Creation Blueprint here: https://brianhoppe.com/blueprint/ Key Moments 1:48 – The leadership lesson Shawn had to learn as the business scaled 7:36 – Why In-Telecom added managed services after building telecom, voice, and networking 11:11 – How EOS, discipline, and target-setting changed the company’s growth path 18:38 – The financial mechanics behind growing from $31M to $47M 23:53 – Building the sales, BDR, client success, and marketing engine 28:09 – Why a real CFO becomes critical around the $8M mark 32:19 – What Shawn learned from acquisitions, integration, and culture fit 38:56 – The non-obvious infrastructure required beyond $30M 44:43 – Why every new stage of growth forces the owner to level up 52:05 – Why coaching and people development matter beyond the leadership team 54:54 – Shawn’s biggest mistakes as a leader 58:39 – Lightning round: work from home, AI, the gym, hunting, and making deposits Connect Brian Hoppe https://brianhoppe.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianhoppe Shawn Torres https://www.linkedin.com/in/shawn-torres/ https://www.in-telecom.com/