Uncle Marv's IT Business Podcast (Real Talk for IT Pros & MSPs)

Uncle Marv welcomes Annie Mosbacher and Kristin Spiotto, co-founders of Decoded Strategies, to discuss their unique approach to marketing for MSPs. The conversation kicks off with a lighthearted chat about recent movies, setting the stage for a deeper dive into storytelling in marketing.  Annie and Kristin explain how their company differs from traditional marketing agencies by focusing on story-b...

Uncle Marv kicks off the show by addressing the devastating impact of Hurricane Helene, particularly in the Western Carolina and Eastern Tennessee areas. The storm caused significant damage, with at least 162 deaths reported and 1.3 million customers still without power across several states.  The conversation then shifts to disaster recovery planning, with Jason and Justine sharing their thoughts...

Uncle Marv kicks off the episode by apologizing for not addressing Hurricane Helene earlier in the week. He provides an update on the hurricane's impact, mentioning its landfall as a Category 4 storm near Perry, with winds reaching 140 mph and affecting millions of residents. He then shares his go-to hurricane tracking apps:  Hurricane Tracker (paid version for faster alerts) Windy (for detailed w...

Uncle Marv kicks off the show with exciting news about Eric Torres joining Pax8 as the vice president of channel and community engagement. He then introduces his guest, John Boden from Questing Hound Technology Partners, a Florida-based MSP. John shares the unique story behind his company's name, which originates from a John Masefield poem and his family's sailing adventures. The conversation shif...

Uncle Marv kicks off the show by thanking the organizers of TechCon Unplugged, praising the strong sense of community at the event. He announces ESET as the winner of the best conference swag, highlighting their useful battery chargers and other items.  Marv then dives into a personal story about his ongoing struggles with AmeriGas, a propane delivery service. He uses this experience to emphasize...

Uncle Marv begins by acknowledging the significance of September 11th and its impact on the nation. He then introduces Brian Weiss, diving into Brian's background in the IT industry.  Brian recounts his early career, starting with his passion for video games and LAN parties, which led to his first job at a computer store called Computer Stuff. He describes how he identified the need to separate bu...

Uncle Marv explores Cork's evolution with Dan Candee, the new CEO, and Carlson Choi, co-founder and Chief Product Technology Officer. They discuss Cork's meteoric rise in the MSP space, attributing it to their ability to listen to and implement partner feedback.  The conversation covers Cork's unique approach to cybersecurity, including their agentless platform that integrates with nearly 40 diffe...

Uncle Marv delves into the complexities of transitioning clients between MSPs, emphasizing the need for professionalism and clear communication. He recounts a recent experience where he was offboarding a client to a larger MSP, highlighting the challenges and misunderstandings that arose during the process. Marv stresses the importance of respecting existing contracts, maintaining open communicati...

Uncle Marv kicks off the episode by discussing a recent Canalys report highlighting the growth in cybersecurity services and the increasing trend of customers suing their cybersecurity providers. Brad Gross, a seasoned attorney specializing in IT law, offers his expert insights on this developing legal landscape. The discussion covers several notable court cases, including:  The CrowdStrike event...

Marnie Stockman shares her recent experiences, including a leadership training program for military personnel from partner countries. The discussion then moves to recap their previous interview, focusing on core values, leadership philosophy, and customer success. Marnie emphasizes the importance of personal leadership and how it applies to everyone in an organization, not just those in management...

Dustin Puryear, a former MSP owner, explains how Giant Rocketship was born out of the need to solve SLA problems and reduce "dead time" on tickets. Unlike traditional ticket management systems that rely on dashboards and human intervention, Giant Rocketship uses AI to automatically assign, schedule, and manage tickets, allowing service managers to focus on edge cases and strategic tasks.  The plat...

We dive deep into the world of IT management with Marnie Stockman, an experienced IT professional. Marnie shares invaluable insights on overcoming challenges in the IT industry, emphasizing the importance of communication, leadership, and adaptability in today's rapidly evolving technological landscape. Marnie Stockman discusses her journey in IT, highlighting the significance of building relation...

Rob Scott, a legal expert in the IT services industry, shares his insights on the use of AI in contract generation. While acknowledging AI's transformative potential, Scott emphasizes that it should be viewed as a tool to enhance legal services rather than a replacement for lawyers. He highlights the significant gaps between AI-generated contracts and those crafted by experienced attorneys, partic...

Marnie Stockman's journey from high school math teacher to CEO of Lifecycle Insights is a testament to her adaptability and problem-solving skills. She explains how her experience in education led her to customer success in the ed-tech world, eventually culminating in the creation of Lifecycle Insights, a company focused on improving quarterly business reviews (QBRs) for MSPs.  The conversation sh...

Steve Copeland introduces Rythmz as a carrier-agnostic solution that combines up to seven SIM cards to create a bonded aggregate network. This approach offers both increased bandwidth and redundancy, making it suitable for various applications including disaster recovery, business continuity, and event support. The technology acts as an SD-WAN for 5G and startups, providing a versatile internet so...

Danny Jenkins provides insights into ThreatLocker 's zero-trust framework and how it helps businesses implement the principle of least privilege. He explains the company's unified bundle, which combines allow listing, network controls, threat detection, and managed response services. Jenkins emphasizes the importance of shifting the security paradigm from default allow to default deny and educatin...

Uncle Marv introduces TechCon Unplugged, an annual conference for IT business owners and managed service providers, scheduled for September 12-14 in Hanover, Maryland. The conference, now in its fifth year, originated from a desire to create a more inclusive and supportive environment for smaller IT professionals.  ** Need a discount code for Techcon Unplugged? Use MSP75 for $75 bucks off. Joe Kne...

In this episode of the IT Business Podcast, host Uncle Marv sits down with Damien Stevens, founder and CEO of Servosity , to discuss the challenges and opportunities in the managed service provider (MSP) industry. Damien shares insights from his MSP Mindset podcast, which features interviews with successful entrepreneurs, authors, and coaches.  The conversation covers the importance of transitioni...

Nick Scozzaro discusses the inception and evolution of ShadowHQ , a platform initially built to address cyber threats but now also used for other scenarios like natural disasters. Drawing from his background in secure communications at BlackBerry, Nick emphasizes the need for a digitized approach to incident response. ShadowHQ offers a comprehensive solution by providing a secure environment for m...

Uncle Marv kicks off the episode by introducing Anup Ghosh and ThreatMate , a company focused on improving cybersecurity for IT networks. Anup shares insights into the company's approach to attack surface management, emphasizing the importance of viewing security through an adversarial lens. Unlike traditional vulnerability management tools, ThreatMate identifies "security exposures," which includ...

Uncle Marv and Shanna Utgard kick off the episode with a lively exchange, reminiscing about Shanna's journey from nearly falling victim to a ransom attack to becoming a respected figure in cybersecurity. The discussion quickly shifts to a pressing news story involving a dispute between Microsoft, CrowdStrike, and Delta Airlines. Delta has accused these tech giants of contributing to a recent IT ou...

Marvin and Chris kick off the discussion by exploring the core functionalities of the MSP Process platform. Chris explains how the platform helps MSPs verify the identity of end-users and technicians, thereby preventing unauthorized access and AI voice phishing attacks. The platform's unique technician verification feature is particularly emphasized as a critical tool to thwart malicious actors. ...

In this engaging episode, Uncle Marv and MacKenzie Brown explore the critical role of threat intelligence in modern cybersecurity. MacKenzie explains the dual nature of her role at Blackpoint Cyber , balancing threat research with enabling their SOC team to respond effectively to cyber threats. She emphasizes the importance of understanding both academic and real-world threat intelligence and how...

Rob Rae, known as the "godfather of the channel," shares insights from his extensive experience in the MSP industry. He discusses the significance of building relationships and fostering community within the IT sector, emphasizing how these factors contribute to long-term business success. Rae reflects on his early experiences with ASCII events and how they shaped his understanding of the MSP comm...

In this episode, Ted and Woody explain the functionality of Uncompromized, which provides identity theft protection, dark web monitoring, and internet privacy for individuals. They detail how the service allows MSPs to invite clients to subscribe easily, offering them immediate monitoring and protection against identity theft. The discussion also touches on the significance of scrubbing personal i...