SMB Community Podcast

Overview: In this episode of the SMB Community Podcast, hosts James and Amy discuss their Memorial Day experiences before diving into a deep discussion about the future of Managed Service Providers (MSPs) and the impact of AI on the industry. They examine predictions for 2026, including the staggering forecast that 75% of MSP services will be delivered by AI within the next few years. They emphasi...

Overview: In this episode of the SMB Community Podcast, hosts James and Amy discuss the viability of selling small MSP practices, emphasize the growing market for small MSP sales, and suggest dual strategies for business growth through acquisitions and marketing. The conversation covers Berkshire Hathaway CEO Warren Buffett's step down and the impact of AI on the job market. They also highlight up...

Overview: In this episode of the SMB Community Podcast, host James Kernan interviews industry guru Rich Freeman of Channelholic. Rich discusses his background in covering the SMB channel and managed services, along with his insights on current industry trends. They delve into the impacts of supply chain uncertainties, AI adoption and its implications for MSPs, and the trend of larger MSPs acquirin...

Overview: In this episode of the SMB Community Podcast, hosts Amy & James dive into the concept of a four-day work week for IT professionals. They explore the pros and cons, including staggering staff schedules and focusing on productivity. The hosts also discuss how the current economic climate might impact tech spending and business operations. Additionally, Amy and James share their top recomme...

Overview: Join hosts Amy and James in this episode of the SMB Community Podcast as they delve into the best practices for selling your Managed Service Provider (MSP) business. Learn about the emotional and financial facets of selling an MSP, the importance of having a clear exit strategy, and ensuring a good fit with potential buyers. The hosts also discuss the recent technical issues with Zoom an...

Overview: In this week's episode of the SMB Community Podcast, hosts James and Amy are back to discuss various aspects of running a successful MSP. They start by diving into the MSP question of the week about creating an org charts for small teams. Both hosts emphasize the importance of delineating responsibilities and using the EOS accountability chart for better team structure. They also talk ab...

Overview: In this episode of the SMB Community Podcast, hosts Amy and James are back! The main topic revolves around the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) and its benefits for small to mid-sized MSPs, particularly those with five or more employees. James shares his expertise and insights into how EOS can improve business structure, accountability, and goal setting. The conversation also touch...

Overview: In this episode of the SMB Community Podcast, hosts James and Amy are back to discuss a range of topics relevant to IT professionals. They start with a question about leadership for entry-level tech employees, emphasizing that leadership can be demonstrated at any level. The conversation then shifts to cybersecurity, highlighting an insurance industry report that identifies firewalls, VP...

Overview: In this episode of the SMB Community Podcast, hosts Amy and James discuss a variety of news and trends that affect the MSP community. Key topics include Google's acquisition of cybersecurity firm Wiz for $32 billion, the impact of tariffs on tech prices, and how MSPs can use this information to their advantage. They also delve into Gartner's study on the overuse of cybersecurity tools an...

Overview: In this episode of the SMB Community Podcast, host James Kernan from Kernan Consulting interviews Zulfiya Forsythe, CEO and founder of Omadli Group, about the transformative power of AI in the workplace. Forsythe shares her unique journey from accounting to tech, highlighting the development of data analytics and AI solutions that help businesses streamline administrative tasks and gain...

Overview: In this episode of the SMB Community Podcast, James Kernan interviews MJ Shoer of GTIA, formerly known as CompTIA. MJ shares his extensive background in the IT industry, having transitioned from an MSP owner to a key figure at CompTIA and now GTIA. They discuss the reasons behind the rebranding to GTIA and the organization's continued focus on member benefits, global expansion, and impac...

Overview: In this episode of the SMB Community Podcast, hosts Amy Babinchak and James Kernan dive into how IT professionals can leverage the end-of-life schedules of Microsoft Windows 10 to generate new business. This week, they emphasize the importance of planning and maintaining a regular upgrade schedule for client systems to avoid issues and ensure security. The conversation also touches on th...

In this Thursday episode of the SMB Community Podcast, hosts James Kernan and Amy Babinchak discuss recent events and trends in the IT and business world. Amy details her recent speaking engagement at the M365 Community Days event, highlighting the importance for MSPs to network with internal IT professionals. The hosts dig into the question of whether MSPs are finding success with offshore resour...

Overview: In this episode of the SMB Community Podcast, hosts James and Amy discuss effective strategies for making the most out of attending industry events. They highlight the importance of sitting with different people at meals, asking questions during sessions, and breaking the ice in socially awkward situations. The conversation shifts to upcoming events, the challenges of event attendance, a...

Overview: In this episode of the SMB Community Podcast, hosts Amy Babinchak and James Kernan discuss various topics including the aftermath of the Super Bowl, the trends in mergers and acquisitions, and the effectiveness of Microsoft Action Pack programs. They explore the potential of AI in increasing productivity through a new book, 'AI Productivity Leap', and AI project management software. The...

Overview: In this episode of the SMB Community Podcast, hosts James Kernan and Amy Babinchak discuss the transformative impact of AI on MSP sales and efficiency, emphasizing AI's potential to double market size and help MSPs manage new applications. Amy announces the start of her new AI class. This episode also delves into recent tech industry news, including the U.S. Department of Justice's inter...

Overview: In this episode of the SMB Community Podcast, hosts Amy Babinchak and James Kernan discuss winter weather conditions across the Midwest, then transition into tech news, including rumors of a potential acquisition involving Intel. The conversation shifts to insights on compliance for managed service providers (MSPs), particularly around the new CMMC regulations. They also talk about TikTo...

In this episode of the SMB Community Podcast, hosts Amy and James discuss the dynamics of reselling computer hardware and software for MSPs, emphasizing the importance of building trust with clients. They highlight recent changes in market leadership among PSA and RMM tools, with Kaseya overtaking ConnectWise. The conversation also covers major developments in the tech industry, such as the prolif...

In today's episode of the SMB Community Podcast, hosts Amy Babinchik and James Kernan dive into the best AI tools for marketing and sales, including popular choices like ChatGPT and Gong. They discuss the latest news in the IT industry, such as Fred Voccola's abrupt resignation from Kaseya and the rebranding of CompTIA's nonprofit arm. The conversation also covers expectations from Apple's upcomin...

In this Thursday episode of the SMB Community Podcast, host James Kernan talks with Mike Anderson, Director of Global Channels for EZDMark. They discuss the importance of DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance) in improving email deliverability and protecting domains from spoofing. Mike shares his journey from the car business to technology, and explains how EasyDMARC'...

In today's episode of the SMB Community Podcast, host James Kernan interviews Mike Semel, a prominent expert in cybersecurity compliance. Mike shares his extensive background in the IT industry, dating back to the 1970s, and discusses his transition from being an MSP to becoming a top compliance consultant. They delve into the differences between cybersecurity and compliance, the significance of p...

1.) MSP Question of the week: What are your channel predictions for the new year of 2025? --- 2.) Notes on the News Microsoft is planning to invest about $80 billion in fiscal 2025 on developing data centers: https://edition.cnn.com/2025/01/03/tech/microsoft-ai-data-centers/index.html Last week, the DC Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously upheld the law, clearing the way for it to take effect on J...

To kick off the new year, hosts James and Amy discuss business plans & goals, this week's MSP question of the week, as well as year-end news. --- 1.) MSP Question of the week: When should a business update their business plan and goals? --- 2.) Notes on the News Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger has resigned as of December 1: https://www.cnn.com/2024/12/02/tech/intel-ceo-pat-gelsinger-resigns/index.html In...

In the final episode of the calendar year 2024, Amy and James sit down to discuss the final MSP Question of the week as well as current events and news. --- 1.) MSP Question of the week: How often should you and your business attend channel events? --- 2.) Notes on the News Tiktok will be banned from the U.S. starting on January 19, 2025. Will they be forced to sell or shut down? Cryptocurrency Bi...

To finish off the calendar year 2024, host James Kernan sits down with Karl Palachuk to discuss this year's hot topic: mergers & acquisitions. In this episode, James and Karl uncover the importance of timing and understanding when the ideal time to buy/sell a practice would be. Our upcoming events and more: Check out the link below for details on upcoming 2025 events: http://bit.ly/kernanmastermin...