Insights as a Service

The thing that makes a business great doesn't always scale. How do you hold on to your formula for success as head count and business complexity grows? This week Nick and Brendan talk through that, along with how the French do business, learning from rejection, and matching business hours to customer availability.

Greg Sharp sold Base2 to Kordia in 2021 for a 10x multiple, so he knows a thing or two about orchestrating a high value exit. He has also founded a number of other businesses, the latest of which is ZenContract, a SaaS play aimed at helping MSPs build value in their own businesses through simplifying scale. He joins Brendan this week to talk about what drives bigger multiples, where the MSP indust...

Swearing in the workplace is up by 60%. Is this acceptable, and if yes, by whom and in which context?  The secondary job market has always existed, and most companies were turning a blind eye. Now with the tight labour market we are experiencing, companies are actively seeking workers who can take on a second job. How do you integrate them into your work culture, are they getting enough sleep...

Here's how to avoid profitability issues in your business. What's your end game? And how can you work back from that definition to create the required building blocks for success? Adrien Nisbet works with businesses under stress to turn them around and/or to help execute owner exits. In this episode, he talks through the ways to define your end game, the data to track, the need for tangible assets...

Matt Bristow, GM of ONGC, joins Brendan and Nick to talk about starting up a security operations centre (SOC) and how his business implemented a cost effective entry into the security space. The guys also discuss whether "guys" is a gender neutral term, how fibre build times are blowing out, and why a 20 mile march matters.

Will Slappey's business (IT Voice) had bought 8 business in the two years leading up to his chat with Brendan. That conversation was recorded 4 weeks ago, since then he has acquired two more. In short, he knows a thing or two about acquiring business in the ICT market. Check out this episode to hear his views on M&A during a recession, valuation methodologies, retaining key staff, and much mo...

Kaseya's CEO says his company has no position on any social issue, is this the right approach? And how much value is lost when there is no cultural alignment in an acquisition? Nick and Brendan cover these questions, and a bunch of other industry talking points, in this episode filmed in Lightwire's Gold Coast office.

Zero Trust is a term increasingly used in cyber security circles, but it means different things to different people, and it feels like each brand has a different take on it. So how to make sense of what Zero Trust really means? Masaki Takeda, Network Delivery Manager at The Instillery, joins Brendan to get to the bottom of it.

So much of the value on offer at conferences comes down to the connections you can make, but it can be hard to come out of your shell and feel confident approaching strangers.  What should you lead with? How to get out of the chat if it's not going well? And what events are even worthwhile?  Harriet Mellor from Your Sales Co. joins Nick and Brendan to talk networking strategies, what def...

MSPs need a Customer Success process that is scalable, repeatable, documentable, and efficient… with metrics and a system to ensure the customer feels heard. When you concentrate on the people, programs, processes, and products that make a positive impact for your customers, their success guarantees your MSP’s success. Marnie Stockman wrote the book on customer success for MSPs... literally, and t...

Depending on who you talk to, a recession is either looming or is already here. But does that present opportunity in the tech sector? And for MSPs, could it ease the pressure caused by current the shortage of skilled workers? Nick and Brendan dive into all that, discussing the wasted money on digital ads and the razor-thin margins in the B2C telco space complicating Telstra's plan to bring suppor...

Brendan and Jeremy Nees (Chief Operations Officer at The Instillery) woke up early to watch the Zscaler’s Zenith Live, so you don’t have to. Cyber security is one of the biggest opportunities for MSPs to add value, and this episode will offer you a glimpse into the future of cyber security. From the highlights to frictionless user experience AND cyber security to the possible end of SD-WAN, tune i...

Good people are hard to find, so why limit your reach to people with industry specific experience? And have you thought about how to better attract women to your business? This week Catherine Dearlove joins Brendan to share her story of coming into a tech role for the first time, how to get more women applying for positions in your organisation, and the challenges faced by women in this male domin...

Is Elon Musk a giant tool?  Can a 4 day work week work in the tech sector? Will Spain pass a law to force telcos to answer all calls within 3 minutes? Brendan and Nick tackle the big issues while enjoying some quality Lightwire gin.

NZ's UFB fibre rollout has set a standard that Australia's NBN is miles from even getting close to. This week Richard Riley, Chief Customer Officer for NZ's 2nd biggest fibre carrier, Tuatahi First Fibre, joins Brendan to talk about where NBN went wrong, how 5G is impacting fibre uptake, and what TFF is doing to deliver on digital equity.

The DHT, or dickhead test, is an important part of any interview process. People buy from people, and you need to make sure your people will rep your brand as you would. Nick and Brendan dive into that and also talk through how a recession, if that's what we're heading for, will affect MSPs, and why Brendan is such a marketing fanboy.

Just because you have developers ready to work on new products or features doesn’t mean they should. Adding more products or features doesn’t equate to better business results. Creating solutions clients want starts with getting the basics right. Join Brendan and Nick in this back to basics episode on how you can partner with customers and internal teams for continuous (product) improvements, how...

With skills shortages biting, it’s never been more critical for businesses to create pathways for emerging leaders. But what makes an effective leader? And how can we nurture those traits? This week Brendan is talking to leadership coach Amanda Russo, a subject matter expert who works with businesses to get the best from existing leaders and create the next generation of highly effective leaders.

In this period of rampant inflation, your margins will inevitably be eroded if you don’t raise your prices. Efficiency within your sales team and company are key to thrive in a high inflation environment. Brendan and Nick are here to help MSPs like you to adjust pricing without losing your credibility, how to drive efficiencies in your sales team and company, and much more.

Harriet Mellor runs Your Sales Co, a sales training company that works extensively in the tech sector. This week she joined Brendan to talk all things related to sales success, both for individuals and organisations. Topics include team structure, the importance of personal branding and aligning it with your company positioning, what metrics to look for when using Social Media, vendor management,...

How can the nimble MSPs compete with the big companies when it comes to recruitment? And how does your company culture play an essential role in attracting, and retaining, top talent? Highly skilled people aren't the only thing in short supply - The current shortage of hardware is adding to the pressure MSPs are feeling... Brendan and Nick discuss these key issues facing MSPs in this week's episod...

Enable complete utilisation of the cloud by taking the breaks off your client WANs. Kurt Rodgers, Network Strategy Manager for Chorus, NZ's largest fibre carrier, joins us to talk Hyperfibre, the 10Gbps access FttP service that is low cost and takes the complexity out of hyperscale connectivity.

Not sure whether Teams Phone is the fit for your clients? Wondering how to scope it? In this episode, Brendan & Nick walk through the features, breaking each section into small digestible bits with just a hint of DJ horn.

This is part 2 of the in-depth conversation between Brendan and Nigel from The Tech Tribe. Nigel shares his MSP Sales and Marketing experience from helping more than 3000 MSPs around the world. How to differentiate your brand in a commoditized market and where Voice fits in a service offering, along with privacy and security matters.

This week Brendan had a chat with Nigel Moore from The Tech Tribe! He has worked in a MSPs, owned one himself, and of course, now has this community that's empowering MSPs to grow, scale and operate more effectively. This episode is Part One of their conversation.