[188] MSP Exits Uncovered: Everything You Wanted to Know (But Didn't Ask)
In this episode, Richard talks to Laura Cook. She’s a strategic advisor who helps expert business owners earning between 250k and £3 million break free from the trap of being tied to the day-to-day business. She works with founders who feel stretched thin and want to scale the business without losing quality or burning out. She positions them for freedom for growth and even multimillion pound exits. Laura has helped numerous business owners to triple their valuations, slash their working hours and build businesses that thrive without them.Richard asks Laura what business owners should do if they don’t think they need an exit strategy or think the company can’t run without them. She shares her advice for preparing for unexpected time off, setting up processes for others to follow and how to strategically prepare your MSP for sale. Laura talks through how to make yourself a good financial acquisition and why the specific vendors in your stack matter less than the tools you offer. She talks honestly about how to sell a family or close-knit business and what to do if you think your exiting would rock the boat.Laura explains that you don’t have to transition all in one go, and touches on both the emotional side of a business exit, having the right mindset and how to deal with a sense of loss once you do leave. And if you’re feeling burnt out, why you shouldn’t just jump ship.Richard asks Laura to talk about some of the practicalities, too. She addresses how to assess the value of your MSP and why having a niche can make your MSP more valuable. She also explains why you should plan your exit even if you change your mind later.Mentioned in This EpisodeLaura Cook websitePSA/RMM tool: SuperOpsIT management software: ConnectWisePSA software: AutotaskBook: Michael Gerber: The E-Myth RevisitedPersonal brand expert: Laura PearmanPersonality test: Gallup StrengthsFinder
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1:18:22
[187] Smarter MSPs, Microsoft 365 & The Future of Managed Services
In this episode of TubbTalk, Richard talks to Scott Riley. He’s the founder of Inside Agent, a platform that makes complex M365 security an absolute breeze for managed service providers. His journey has taken him from being Chief Strategy Officer at one of the UK's largest MSPs, then running his own successful cloud solution provider business, to building this platform that helps MSPs work smarter, not harder.Scott talks about how he got into the industry and explains what Cloud Nexus (his other company) does. He shares why he started Inside Agent and how they’re leveraging AI. Richard asks Scott how the platform keeps client data safe, how to use it for prospecting and how it helps with scalability and consistency. They discuss the pricing and contract setup and how to deploy Inside Agent for the first time.Scott shares his learnings from past challenges, why you need to value your people, who his mentors and inspirations are, and who he is outside of work. And he also shares a long-held belief he’s changed his opinion about.Mentioned in This EpisodeInside AgentCloud NexusAI tool: ChatGPTAI workflow automation: n8nAutomation platform: ZapierSpeaker and author: Karl PalachukMSP expert: Erick SimpsonAI tool: ClaudeDocumentation Software: IT GlueMicrosoft Secure ScoreBearded 365 Guy: Inside Agent video demoMSP community: The Tech TribeIT expert: Lyle KirschenbaumIT expert: Dan Baird
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1:20:51
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1:20:51
[186] Better MSP Sales: No Hard Sell, Just More Confidence
In this interview, Richard Tubb talks to Kristian Walker. He’s an Account Executive - New Business at Huntress. Huntress are one of the world’s leading cybersecurity organisations. Kristian has been making waves sharing some great advice on MSP sales through his online videos.Kristian talks about his journey in the IT sector and what a typical day looks like for him. Richard asks him to share why many MSPs struggle with sales and his view on sales. Kristian talks through how to demonstrate the real value in MSP services, why your approach to client sales has to change and the biggest mistake he sees MSPs make with sales, as well as why engineers should get involved in sales chats.Richard asks Kristian for his top tips for better sales conversations, as well as the single thing you can do to have more sales in the rest of 2025. Kristian also explains the Neighbourhood Watch solution from Huntress, what MSPs want (and don’t want) from vendors and what to look for in partner relationships.Richard asks Kristian how he started making videos for LinkedIn and how it feels to put yourself out there. He shares why a mindset shift will give you more confidence to do video, why you don’t need fancy kit to get started, and the responses he’s had to what he puts out. Finally, Richard asks what’s the best part of Kristian’s job, what the job has taught him about himself and who he is outside of work. He also shares who inspires him in and out of the MSP world. Mentioned in This EpisodeHuntressIT solutions: DattoAuthor and speaker: Karl PalachukMSP community: GTIASales development leader at Huntress: Tracie OriskoVP Ecosystem Evangelism at ConnectWise: Arlin SorensenSales engineer at Huntress: Sasha RoshanMSP community: The Tech TribeVideo platform: Bonjoro
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54:47
[185] How NetSec Became Emerging MSP of the Year
In this episode, Richard talks to Myles Peart. He's the Technical Director of NetSec, a UK-based managed service provider. The company recently won a prestigious MSP award from SuperOps and were named Emerging MSP of the Year.Myles talks about the experience of entering awards and what it’s like being a winner. He shares his journey in the MSP space, how he set NetSec up, their current tool stack and how his wife came to join the company.Richard asks Myles to explain why he encourages platform unification for SMBs and how his clients find using M365 almost exclusively. They discuss why a focus on cybersecurity is a good idea and the value in forming strategic business alliances.Myles shares the NetSec approach to customer relationships and why the company focused on successful project delivery in their early days. He talks about how he keeps up with the pace of tech changes and his experiences working with coaches for business and health. Mentioned in This EpisodeNetSecPSA/RMM platform: SuperOpsSuperOps MSP awardsCybersecurity tool: Heimdal SecurityPassword manager: Keeper SecurityCloud backup: N-able CoveEmail signature software: ExclaimerCertification: Cyber EssentialsMicrosoft automation tool: Power AutomateScott Riley of Inside AgentNews site: Legal News WalesTech careers for young people CyberFirstUK government security centre: NCSCDavid Brereton of MysonPagesAutomation platform: ZapierBusiness event: Ideas FestEntrepreneur seminar: James Sinclair Business Master Class
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[184] The MSP’s Guide to LinkedIn Growth: Expert Tips from John Espirian
In this interview, Richard Tubb speaks to John Espirian, a technical copywriter for many years. Having seen success on LinkedIn, he now works exclusively as a LinkedIn consultant.He has a private community to help people get their businesses seen online, and is the co-founder and co-host of Uplift Live, a LinkedIn-focused annual conference.Richard asks John about AI-generated posts and responses on LinkedIn and how to find a happy medium. They discuss using company pages, Sales Navigator and the premium version of the platform.John shares a ton of helpful advice on how to be relentlessly helpful and create content your audience will value, how to use LinkedIn to grow your business and what you should do if you feel like you’re being left behind.Richard asks John about some dos and don’ts when using the platform, including third-party tools, sending DMs and connection requests, the benefits of getting recommendations and how to use LinkedIn Ads.John explains what’s working well on LinkedIn right now and how to stand out. He shares some quick wins to improve your personal profile and why consistency is the key to success.Mentioned in This EpisodeEspirianConnect with John on LinkedInJoin Espresso+Richard's previous interview with JohnLinkedIn Conference: UpLift LiveLinkedIn Company Pages expert: Michelle RaymondLLM/AI company: OpenAIContent expert: Juma BannisterLinkedIn expert: Louise BroganBook: John Espirian: Content DNABook: Bob Burg: The Go-GiverContent marketing expert: Mark SchaeferLunchtime LinkedIn event: UpLift Live Nano
About TubbTalk: The Podcast for Managed Service Providers
Richard Tubb has been a leader and keynote speaker in the MSP community for the last two decades. At the helm of media company and MSP advisory business Tubblog, Richard loves to showcase tech companies disrupting the industry, as well as shining a light on new tools you might not be aware of.
His long-running and successful interview-style show, TubbTalk, features fireside style chats with the CEOs and CTOs of these businesses, to dig deep into how they got started in the industry, what inspired them to start something new and what their advice would be to anyone who wants to do the same.
But it's not all tech focused! As a former MSP owner himself, Richard knows that there are many facets to being a business owner, which is why his guests reflect that too.
Previous topics include mental health, sales, marketing, business growth, productivity, customer service and more. Wondering why you should listen? Well, as one fan put it: "It's like eavesdropping on a conversation between two friends, who are sharing their knowledge and wisdom with each other. You learn while you're being entertained."
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