Uncle Marv's IT Business Podcast (Products, stories, and tips for the MSP and IT Professional)

Marvin Bee

The IT Business Podcast is a show for MSPs (Managed Service Providers) and IT Professionals providing business network support and managed services. Each episode delivers products, stories, and tips that help the MSP and IT Pro run the business better, smarter, and faster, covering everything from pricing and packaging to operations, tools, and service delivery. You’ll hear candid conversations with working MSP owners, system admins, vendors, and industry leaders who share what’s actually working in the field, including hard lessons, success stories, and the occasional “what not to do.” Topics regularly include managed services best practices, cybersecurity and compliance, Microsoft 365 and cloud, automation and documentation, vendor selection and stack building, plus the day-to-day realities of running a modern IT business. Hosted by longtime IT business owner and podcaster Marvin “Uncle Marv” Bee, the show blends real talk, practical advice, and a lighthearted tone so the MSP and IT Pro behind the network can learn, laugh, and get better every week.

  1. -18 h

    Hope Is Not a Sales Strategy (EP 1074)

    Chris Miller did not come into the MSP industry as a lifelong technologist. He came from telecom sales, thought he knew computers because he knew how to use them, and then got a quick education when he had to explain firewalls, switches, and backups to business owners. What I appreciated about Chris is that he did not pretend to know what he did not know. He sat down with an engineer, asked questions, learned the environment piece by piece, and then figured out how to translate technology into business value. We also get practical about MSP growth. Chris helped grow one MSP from about $800,000 to $4 million, then joined ATB Technologies in 2018 when it was around $2 million and helped it reach $10 million, all organically. The conversation comes back to having a repeatable sales process, defining an ideal client profile, and recognizing that the strategy needed at $1 million is not necessarily the one needed at $10 million. Chris also shares why culture, customer relationships, and the willingness to learn outside your natural skill set matter just as much as the numbers on a revenue chart. === Chapters 00:22 Meet Chris Miller of ATB Technologies 01:32 From Telecom Sales to the MSP Industry 05:21 ATB Technologies’ Growth From $2M to $10M 07:52 Why MSP Sales Requires Technical Understanding 09:48 Building a Repeatable MSP Sales Process 12:01 Managed Services, Cybersecurity, and AI Strategy 13:35 Breaking Through MSP Growth Plateaus With ICP 18:40 Leadership Structure and Scaling Beyond $10M 22:08 Organic Growth, Client Expansion, and Culture === Guest: Christopher Miller, ATB Technologies Website: https://atb-tech.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/millerchristopher === Resources / Companies / Products / Books / Podcasts IT Nation Evolve: https://itnation.connectwise.com/evolve ezCater: https://www.ezcater.com/ Microsoft SharePoint: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/sharepoint/collaboration Microsoft Dynamics 365: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/dynamics-365 Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/dynamics-365/products/business-central === Events TechCon Unplugged: https://techconunplugged.com Discount Code: TCUMarvin === SPONSORS:  Technology Partner, NetAlly: https://www.itbusinesspodcast.com/netally/ Technology Partner: Bvoip: https://www.itbusinesspodcast.com/bvoip Travel Partner: TruGrid: https://www.itbusinesspodcast.com/trugrid Digital Partner, Designer Ready: http://itbusinesspodcast.com/designerready === SHOW MUSIC:  Item Title: Upbeat & Fun Sports Rock Logo  Item URL: https://elements.envato.com/upbeat-fun-sports-rock-logo-CSR3UET Author Username: AlexanderRufire  Item License Code: 7X9F52DNML === Connect with Uncle Marv 🌐 Website: https://www.itbusinesspodcast.com/🎙 Host: Marvin Bee🛒 Uncle Marv’s Amazon Store (gear & tools I recommend): https://amzn.to/3EiyKoZ☕ Support the show: https://ko-fi.com/itbusinesspodcast If you found value in this episode, share it with another MSP, IT provider, or tech entrepreneur. Your support helps keep practical, no-nonsense IT business conversations coming every week.

    Hope Is Not a Sales Strategy (EP 1074)

  2. -1 dia

    When Your Vendor Changes Direction (EP 1073)

    Brian Weiss from iTech joined me for a real MSP owner conversation, the kind we need more of. We started with what happens when a vendor changes its roadmap and you are suddenly left having to rethink part of your own business. Brian shared how Pax8 winding down its business applications services affected his support plan for Microsoft Dynamics Business Central. The important lesson is bigger than one vendor: every MSP has dependencies, and standardizing your stack does not remove risk if too much operational knowledge or support capability lives outside your control. We also got into AI, shadow IT, and why clients often bring us in after they have already started using a tool. Brian made a strong point that employees using AI are not necessarily the problem. They may be the champions your client needs, but they need to be brought under proper company licensing, governance, and data protection. We talked about resisting FOMO around the growing pile of AI vendors, reviewing overlapping tools, and remembering that automation often needs to come before AI. If you run an MSP, this conversation is a reminder to stay flexible, know where your single points of failure are, and make decisions based on the business you want to build, not the noise around you. === Chapters 00:48 Introduction to Uncle Marv’s IT Business Podcast 01:02 Meet Brian Weiss of iTech Solutions 02:34 NetAlly Tip: Adding the Fluke LinkIQ Duo 10:49 Pax8 Business Apps Changes and the Dynamics Roadmap 23:07 Vendor Dependency and MSP Single Points of Failure 30:57 Client Expectations, Shadow IT, and AI Adoption 41:25 AI Governance, Legal Risk, and Data Retention 48:59 AI Vendor Overload and Avoiding FOMO 55:09 Simplifying the Stack and Managing Vendor Relationships 58:56 Sponsors and TechCon Unplugged === Guests Brian J. Weiss, ITECH Solutions  Website: https://itech-solutions.com  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianjweiss  === Shout-outs Kristen Pittman, CyLutions  Website: https://www.itbusinesspodcast.com/guests/kristen-pittman/  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristenpittman  === Conferences TechCon Unplugged Website: https://techconunplugged.com/  Discount Code: TCUMarvin  === Resources / Companies / Products / Books / Podcasts  Fluke Networks LinkIQ Duo: https://amzn.to/3U7EKx9  Pax8: https://www.pax8.com/en-us/ Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/dynamics365/business-central/  MX Save Email Continuity: https://www.mxsave.com/index.html  Mailprotector: https://mailprotector.com/  Zoom: https://zoom.us/  LexisNexis: https://www.lexisnexis.com/ T homson Reuters: https://www.thomsonreuters.com/  Intermedia: https://www.intermedia.com/ === SPONSORS:  Technology Partner, NetAlly: https://www.itbusinesspodcast.com/netally/ Technology Partner: Bvoip: https://www.itbusinesspodcast.com/bvoip Travel Partner: TruGrid: https://www.itbusinesspodcast.com/trugrid Digital Partner, Designer Ready: http://itbusinesspodcast.com/designerready === SHOW MUSIC:  Item Title: Upbeat & Fun Sports Rock Logo  Item URL: https://elements.envato.com/upbeat-fun-sports-rock-logo-CSR3UET Author Username: AlexanderRufire  Item License Code: 7X9F52DNML === Connect with Uncle Marv 🌐 Website: https://www.itbusinesspodcast.com/🎙 Host: Marvin Bee🛒 Uncle Marv’s Amazon Store (gear & tools I recommend): https://amzn.to/3EiyKoZ☕ Support the show: https://ko-fi.com/itbusinesspodcast If you found value in this episode, share it with another MSP, IT provider, or tech entrepreneur. Your support helps keep practical, no-nonsense IT business conversations coming every week.

    When Your Vendor Changes Direction (EP 1073)

  3. -3 dias

    Building an MSP People Trust (EP 1072)

    I sat down with Cameron Brister from SquarePlanIT to talk about the real-world decisions MSP owners are making right now. AI is changing fast, clients want to use new tools yesterday, and we still have to think about security, permissions, data, and supportability. Cameron makes a great point that we cannot become the department of no, but we also cannot pretend every shiny new tool is ready to roll out to clients. We also get into the less glamorous but very real work of running an IT business: migrating from Autotask to Halo, planning a move from Datto RMM to Ninja, dealing with relentless vendor outreach, and figuring out whether marketing is actually working. Cameron shares why he sees AI as a back-office helper for things like ticket triage and research, why community involvement builds long-term trust, and why saying no to the wrong client can be a sign of operational maturity instead of a missed opportunity. === Chapters 00:23 Meet Cameron Brister of SquarePlanIT 01:43 Democratizing Technology for Clients 04:04 AI Guardrails Without Becoming the Department of No 05:57 Microsoft Copilot and AI Implementation Challenges 08:38 PSA Migration: Autotask to Halo 11:13 RMM Changes and Avoiding Shiny-Object Decisions 16:08 Vendor Outreach, Privacy, and Call Screening 27:08 MSP Marketing, Community Visibility, and Networking 39:41 Qualifying Clients and Knowing When to Say No === Guest: Cameron Brister Website: https://squareplanit.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jcameronbrister/ === Resources / Companies / Products / Books / Podcasts HaloPSA: https://halopsa.com/ Autotask: https://www.datto.com/ Datto RMM: https://www.datto.com/ NinjaOne: https://www.ninjaone.com/ Avanan: https://www.checkpoint.com/harmony/email-security/ Clio: https://www.clio.com/ ZoomInfo: https://www.zoominfo.com/ Apple iOS: https://www.apple.com/ios/ National Society of IT Service Providers: https://nsitsp.org/ West Monroe-West Ouachita Chamber of Commerce: https://westmonroechamber.org/ === SPONSORS:  Technology Partner, NetAlly: https://www.itbusinesspodcast.com/netally/ Technology Partner: Bvoip: https://www.itbusinesspodcast.com/bvoip Travel Partner: TruGrid: https://www.itbusinesspodcast.com/trugrid Digital Partner, Designer Ready: http://itbusinesspodcast.com/designerready === SHOW MUSIC:  Item Title: Upbeat & Fun Sports Rock Logo  Item URL: https://elements.envato.com/upbeat-fun-sports-rock-logo-CSR3UET Author Username: AlexanderRufire  Item License Code: 7X9F52DNML === Connect with Uncle Marv 🌐 Website: https://www.itbusinesspodcast.com/🎙 Host: Marvin Bee🛒 Uncle Marv’s Amazon Store (gear & tools I recommend): https://amzn.to/3EiyKoZ☕ Support the show: https://ko-fi.com/itbusinesspodcast If you found value in this episode, share it with another MSP, IT provider, or tech entrepreneur. Your support helps keep practical, no-nonsense IT business conversations coming every week.

    Building an MSP People Trust (EP 1072)

  4. -4 dias

    Don’t Be the Single Point of Failure (EP 1071)

    I had a great conversation with Mike Glasman, president of Vitalpoints IT Services in Los Angeles, because he came into the MSP world from a path many of us did not take. Mike spent years in channel and enterprise technology sales, working around major vendors and large solution providers before he became an MSP owner. That background taught him how to get in front of customers, ask better questions, evaluate vendors, and build credibility around difficult technical problems, even though he does not position himself as the person who has to fix every ticket. What really stood out to me was Mike’s insistence that the owner cannot be the single point of failure. He outsourced help desk work from the beginning, built a bench of people he could call on for specialized projects, and trained clients to use the support process instead of calling him directly. We also get into the realities of growing on the side, the high cost of client acquisition, one-year agreements, avoiding unnecessary tool commitments, and why your standard stack still needs room for exceptions when a client has an unusual backup, Wi-Fi, Mac, or large-data problem === Chapters 00:33 Meet Mike Glasman of Vitalpoints IT Services 01:44 From Technology Sales to MSP Ownership 03:06 Why Mike Skipped the MSP Franchise Model 05:56 Growing an MSP While Keeping a Day Job 09:26 Vitalpoints Services and Enterprise Sales Experience 11:16 Wi-Fi Expertise and Solving Difficult Client Environments 15:55 Vendor Management and Avoiding Trade Show Follow-Up 19:00 24/7 Support, Outsourcing, and MSP Contracts 23:02 Going Full Time and the Cost of Client Acquisition 30:22 Backup Strategy for Large Data Environments 36:06 Building an MSP That Does Not Depend on You 40:49 Why the Owner Cannot Be the Single Point of Failure === Guests: Mike Glasman Website: https://www.vitalpoints.net/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelglasman === Resources / Companies / Products / Books / Podcasts Datto ALTO: https://www.datto.com/products/alto/ Druva: https://www.druva.com/ Veeam Backup & Replication: https://www.veeam.com/products/veeam-data-platform/backup-recovery.html Dell PowerProtect Data Domain: https://www.dell.com/en-us/shop/storage-servers-and-networking-for-business/sf/powerprotect-data-domain Pax8: https://www.pax8.com/ RUCKUS Networks: https://www.ruckusnetworks.com/ Cisco: https://www.cisco.com/ Aruba Networking Website: https://www.arubanetworks.com/ APC by Schneider Electric: https://www.apc.com/ Autotask: https://www.kaseya.com/products/autotask-psa/ Kaseya: https://www.kaseya.com/ CDW: https://www.cdw.com/ SHI International: https://www.shi.com/ Insight: https://www.insight.com/ === SPONSORS:  Technology Partner, NetAlly: https://www.itbusinesspodcast.com/netally/ Technology Partner: Bvoip: https://www.itbusinesspodcast.com/bvoip Travel Partner: TruGrid: https://www.itbusinesspodcast.com/trugrid Digital Partner, Designer Ready: http://itbusinesspodcast.com/designerready === SHOW MUSIC:  Item Title: Upbeat & Fun Sports Rock Logo Item URL: https://elements.envato.com/upbeat-fun-sports-rock-logo-CSR3UET Author Username: AlexanderRufire Item License Code: 7X9F52DNML === Connect with Uncle Marv 🌐 Website: https://www.itbusinesspodcast.com/🎙 Host: Marvin Bee🛒 Uncle Marv’s Amazon Store (gear & tools I recommend): https://amzn.to/3EiyKoZ☕ Support the show: https://ko-fi.com/itbusinesspodcast If you found value in this episode, share it with another MSP, IT provider, or tech entrepreneur. Your support helps keep practical, no-nonsense IT business conversations coming every week.

    Don’t Be the Single Point of Failure (EP 1071)

  5. 13/08

    Scaling an MSP With Automation with Matt Forman (EP 1070)

    Matt Forman from The Local Circuit and I sit down for a good old-fashioned MSP catch-up, covering his steady growth, a changing vendor stack, and why automation is helping his team do more without hiring faster than they need to. We also get into practical AI guardrails, ticket triage, and the tools that save real time in the field. We talk through some decisions MSP owners deal with every day: changing cloud-distribution partners because of payment-processing costs, moving from Synchro to Halo and NinjaOne, and putting Huntress to work for endpoint and Microsoft 365 identity protection. Matt also explains how his internal AI tools are helping triage tickets, improve ticket subjects, produce technical suggestions, automate onboarding and offboarding, and reduce the little repetitive tasks that steal time from the day. === Chapters 01:01 Show Intro and Guest Reunion 03:57 Switching MSP Platforms 07:05 Recognition and Business Growth 09:34 Team Expansion and Leadership 12:06 Exploring AI Operations 16:34 AI Ticket Triage 19:03 NetAlly Tools That Save Trips 27:05 Pitch It and TechCon Updates 31:05 RMM Stack and Security Choices 35:02 Huntress Protection Deep Dive 38:56 AI Adoption and Automation 42:10 Practical AI for Podcasting === Events TechCon Unplugged: https://techconunplugged.com Discount Code: TCUMarvin === SPONSORS:  Technology Partner, NetAlly: https://www.itbusinesspodcast.com/netally/ Technology Partner: Bvoip: https://www.itbusinesspodcast.com/bvoip Travel Partner: TruGrid: https://www.itbusinesspodcast.com/trugrid Digital Partner, Designer Ready: http://itbusinesspodcast.com/designerready === SHOW MUSIC:  Item Title: Upbeat & Fun Sports Rock Logo Item URL: https://elements.envato.com/upbeat-fun-sports-rock-logo-CSR3UET Author Username: AlexanderRufire Item License Code: 7X9F52DNML === Commercial Music  Item Title: Powerful Stomping Sport Rock Item URL: https://app.envato.com/item/11641b84-e388-471c-bc92-e1187141d2ad Author Username: Loka_music Item License Code: RJ3B2NGXVT === Connect with Uncle Marv 🌐 Website: https://www.itbusinesspodcast.com/🎙 Host: Marvin Bee🛒 Uncle Marv’s Amazon Store (gear & tools I recommend): https://amzn.to/3EiyKoZ☕ Support the show: https://ko-fi.com/itbusinesspodcast If you found value in this episode, share it with another MSP, IT provider, or tech entrepreneur. Your support helps keep practical, no-nonsense IT business conversations coming every week.

    Scaling an MSP With Automation with Matt Forman (EP 1070)

  6. 12/08

    How Spotto Helps MSPs Scale Azure (EP 1069)

    Shaun Webber, Co-founder & CEO of Spotto, joins the IT Business Podcast to discuss an AI cloud-operations platform built to help MSPs manage and optimize Microsoft Azure environments at scale. Spotto surfaces actionable cost, performance, security, and reliability recommendations, with controlled remediation and automation designed to help providers reduce operational toil and identify service opportunities. Guest: Shaun Webber Website: https://www.spotto.ai LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shaunwebber/ === Chapters 00:24 PitchIT 2026 and the Summer of Lardo introduction 01:54 Meet Shaun Webber and Spotto 03:11 The cloud-operations scaling problem for MSPs 05:22 Azure optimization, operational efficiency, and service opportunities 06:52 Measuring cloud-cost savings and optimization impact 08:25 Spotto as an operations and revenue-identification tool 09:42 Shaun Webber’s MSP and cloud-services background 11:56 Where Spotto fits in the MSP technology stack 13:19 AI-assisted operations, adoption, and remediation controls 18:18 Roadmap: automation, outcomes, and MSP growth opportunities === SPONSORS:  Technology Partner, NetAlly: https://www.itbusinesspodcast.com/netally/ Technology Partner: Bvoip: https://www.itbusinesspodcast.com/bvoip Travel Partner: TruGrid: https://www.itbusinesspodcast.com/trugrid Digital Partner, Designer Ready: http://itbusinesspodcast.com/designerready === SHOW MUSIC:  Item Title: Upbeat & Fun Sports Rock Logo  Item URL: https://elements.envato.com/upbeat-fun-sports-rock-logo-CSR3UET Author Username: AlexanderRufire  Item License Code: 7X9F52DNML === Connect with Uncle Marv 🌐 Website: https://www.itbusinesspodcast.com/🎙 Host: Marvin Bee🛒 Uncle Marv’s Amazon Store (gear & tools I recommend): https://amzn.to/3EiyKoZ☕ Support the show: https://ko-fi.com/itbusinesspodcast If you found value in this episode, share it with another MSP, IT provider, or tech entrepreneur. Your support helps keep practical, no-nonsense IT business conversations coming every week.

    How Spotto Helps MSPs Scale Azure (EP 1069)

  7. 12/08

    Attack Surface Management with TRaViS (EP 1068)

    Aaron Birnbaum, co-founder of Seron Security’s TRaViS ASM, joins the show to discuss an AI-enhanced external attack surface management platform built for proactive cybersecurity. TRaViS helps MSPs identify exposed assets, vulnerabilities, leaked credentials, and shadow IT, then turn that visibility into an actionable security service for clients. Guest: Aaron Birnbaum Website: https://travisasm.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaron-s-birnbaum/ === Chapters 00:23 Introducing Aaron Birnbaum and TRaViS 01:47 What TRaViS ASM does for MSPs 03:15 Finding exposed assets and vulnerabilities 04:07 AI asset discovery and remediation guidance 06:20 What differentiates TRaViS from other platforms 08:25 Using an attacker’s perspective for defense 11:20 Shadow IT and a real-world exposure scenario 12:56 Packaging attack-surface monitoring as an MSP service 16:53 Why TRaViS was built and how it works as SaaS === SPONSORS:  Technology Partner, NetAlly: https://www.itbusinesspodcast.com/netally/ Technology Partner: Bvoip: https://www.itbusinesspodcast.com/bvoip Travel Partner: TruGrid: https://www.itbusinesspodcast.com/trugrid Digital Partner, Designer Ready: http://itbusinesspodcast.com/designerready === SHOW MUSIC:  Item Title: Upbeat & Fun Sports Rock Logo  Item URL: https://elements.envato.com/upbeat-fun-sports-rock-logo-CSR3UET Author Username: AlexanderRufire  Item License Code: 7X9F52DNML === Connect with Uncle Marv 🌐 Website: https://www.itbusinesspodcast.com/🎙 Host: Marvin Bee🛒 Uncle Marv’s Amazon Store (gear & tools I recommend): https://amzn.to/3EiyKoZ☕ Support the show: https://ko-fi.com/itbusinesspodcast If you found value in this episode, share it with another MSP, IT provider, or tech entrepreneur. Your support helps keep practical, no-nonsense IT business conversations coming every week.

    Attack Surface Management with TRaViS (EP 1068)

  8. 12/08

    Cyber Risk Management with Cyrisma (EP 1067)

    Mark Balovnev, CEO of Cyrisma, joins the IT Business Podcast’s PitchIT 2026 series to discuss helping MSPs turn cyber risk and compliance into scalable services. Cyrisma consolidates vulnerability management, asset and data discovery, secure configuration, compliance tracking, and remediation workflows so providers can reduce tool sprawl and better operationalize security services. Guest: Mark Balovnev Website: https://www.cyrisma.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mbalovnev/ === Chapters 00:00 Introducing Mark Balovnev and Cyrisma 02:21 Turning Risk Into Revenue 06:29 Defining Vulnerability Scope 08:58 Continuous Risk and Compliance 10:53 Consolidating the Security Stack 13:19 Mapping Compliance Frameworks 15:13 Why Cyrisma Drew Me In 17:08 Packaging Cyber Services 19:37 Closing the Pitch Session === SPONSORS:  Technology Partner, NetAlly: https://www.itbusinesspodcast.com/netally/ Technology Partner: Bvoip: https://www.itbusinesspodcast.com/bvoip Travel Partner: TruGrid: https://www.itbusinesspodcast.com/trugrid Digital Partner, Designer Ready: http://itbusinesspodcast.com/designerready === SHOW MUSIC:  Item Title: Upbeat & Fun Sports Rock Logo  Item URL: https://elements.envato.com/upbeat-fun-sports-rock-logo-CSR3UET Author Username: AlexanderRufire  Item License Code: 7X9F52DNML === Connect with Uncle Marv 🌐 Website: https://www.itbusinesspodcast.com/🎙 Host: Marvin Bee🛒 Uncle Marv’s Amazon Store (gear & tools I recommend): https://amzn.to/3EiyKoZ☕ Support the show: https://ko-fi.com/itbusinesspodcast If you found value in this episode, share it with another MSP, IT provider, or tech entrepreneur. Your support helps keep practical, no-nonsense IT business conversations coming every week.

    Cyber Risk Management with Cyrisma (EP 1067)
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Sobre

The IT Business Podcast is a show for MSPs (Managed Service Providers) and IT Professionals providing business network support and managed services. Each episode delivers products, stories, and tips that help the MSP and IT Pro run the business better, smarter, and faster, covering everything from pricing and packaging to operations, tools, and service delivery. You’ll hear candid conversations with working MSP owners, system admins, vendors, and industry leaders who share what’s actually working in the field, including hard lessons, success stories, and the occasional “what not to do.” Topics regularly include managed services best practices, cybersecurity and compliance, Microsoft 365 and cloud, automation and documentation, vendor selection and stack building, plus the day-to-day realities of running a modern IT business. Hosted by longtime IT business owner and podcaster Marvin “Uncle Marv” Bee, the show blends real talk, practical advice, and a lighthearted tone so the MSP and IT Pro behind the network can learn, laugh, and get better every week.

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