MSP Heroes Podcast by Growth Generators

In this episode of the MSP Heroes Podcast, Harrison Baron sits down in person with Greg Bilazarian from NextGen Growth Partners, a private equity firm that buys and grows lower middle market IT and managed service businesses. They get into the real stuff around selling your MSP, including what buyers actually look for, how EBITDA multiples work, what key man risk does to your valuation, and why taking the biggest check is not always the right move. Harrison also opens up about his journey from volunteer firefighter and Eagle Scout to MSP founder, published author, and YouTube educator, and why he believes the relationships you build with clients matter more than the exit number. If you are building an MSP right now and wondering if or when you should sell, this conversation will give you the most honest and practical breakdown you have heard yet. If you want to connect with Greg or learn more about what NextGen Growth Partners is looking for, reach out directly. And if you are ready to grow your own MSP, head over to growthgenerators.com to see how MSP Heroes can help you get there.

Google My Business says verification takes 5 days. Mine took 6 weeks. In this video I walk you through the entire process of getting Google My Business approved for my MSP, Secure Wealth IT, and show you exactly what I did so you can avoid the headaches I went through.I cover the signage you need inside your office and outside on the building, the video verification process through their web portal, tips on what Google is actually looking for in that footage, and the small details that will get you approved or rejected. I also share the mistakes I made and what I would have done differently if I could start over.If you are building an MSP and want to get found locally, this is one of the first things you need to set up. Do not wait until you need it because the process takes way longer than you think.Want to learn more about marketing your MSP and generating leads? Head over to https://growth-generators.com and grab a copy of The MSP Growth Playbook.

Shadow IT has been a problem for years, but Shadow AI is the new threat that most MSPs are not even looking for yet. In this conversation, I sit down with Francis Rombaut from Lansweeper to talk about what the best MSPs are actually doing differently, how to move clients away from break fix, and why AI governance is quickly becoming one of the biggest MSP sales opportunities out there. Francis works directly with MSPs on product marketing and pricing at Lansweeper and has a front row seat to what separates MSPs that are winning from those that are stuck. We talk about the maturity scale he sees across the MSP space and what it actually looks like when an MSP is operating at the highest level. The answer might surprise you because it has less to do with the tools and more to do with how they think about their clients' full technology environment. We also get into how MSPs are using AI internally and for their clients, where the real risks are, what hallucination means for your managed services work, and why an AI agent with too much access is genuinely terrifying. Francis shares how Lansweeper is building toward MCP server integration and what that means for MSPs who want to stay ahead. If you are thinking about how to position your MSP for the next few years, this conversation is worth your full attention.

Most people start an MSP by picking a name and figuring out the rest later. That's backwards.In this video, I'm pulling back the curtain on how I started Secure Wealth IT, a real MSP I launched in Charlotte, NC targeting financial advisors, RIAs, and broker dealers. This is episode one of a weekly series where I share exactly what I'm doing, what's working, and what I've seen other MSPs get wrong.Before I did anything else, I validated the market. I used ChatGPT to find my niche, figure out who had the most potential clients in my area, and narrow it down to a group I could actually win with. I'll show you the exact process I used so you can do the same thing no matter where you live or what industry you go after.From there I had to find the right business partner. I knew my strengths were sales and marketing, so I needed someone who could own the technical and operational side. I'll walk you through how I found that person, what I looked for, and why it made all the difference.Then came the name. Secure Wealth IT did not come from some brilliant creative moment. I'll tell you exactly how we landed on it and why it works for the market we serve.This is not theory. This is what we actually did, step by step, from scratch.If you are starting an MSP or thinking about it, start here. New episode every week.

Most MSP owners wait too long to hire their first technician. In this video, Harrison Baron from Growth Generators breaks down exactly when the right time is, what role you should actually be hiring for, and where to find the right people. You will learn why your first hire should be a technician and not a salesperson, what soft skills to prioritize over technical certifications, and how to think about culture fit for a small team. Harrison covers where to find great candidates including referrals, Reddit, LinkedIn, Indeed, local schools, and your own network. He also walks through how to approach the interview process even if you have never done it before, how to think about compensation based on your market and business size, and why onboarding matters just as much for employees as it does for clients. The biggest takeaway is that once you make that first hire, you have to actually let go of the work you hired them to do. That free time is what allows you to get back to sales, marketing, and building relationships that grow your MSP. If you are running an MSP and doing everything yourself, this video will help you figure out when and how to make that first hire the right way.

Most MSP business reviews are terrible. Clients sit through a boring ticket recap, zone out, and start wondering if they even need you. That is exactly how you lose clients. In this video, I break down how to build a bulletproof QBR, ABR, or semiannual business review that keeps your clients around for 7 to 20 years. I cover who needs to be in the room, what to prep before you walk in, the exact agenda to follow, how to upsell without being pushy, and what to send after the meeting so nothing falls through the cracks. This is not about fancy graphs or long PowerPoints. It is about showing up as a true advisor and partner so your clients never question your value. If you are an MSP owner who wants to stop losing clients and start growing your recurring revenue, this video is for you. Check out the MSP Growth Playbook on Amazon and Audible. Try the free MSP pricing calculator or join MSP Heroes for the full paid version with proposals, onboarding calculators, sales comp tools, and more. Links below.

Most business owners have no idea what an MSP actually does. Many think we are just the IT person they call when something breaks. But managed service providers do far more than that. In this video, I show you exactly how to explain what an MSP does in simple language that business owners understand. If you cannot clearly explain your services, it becomes almost impossible to market or sell them. I break down how to describe managed IT services, how to explain the value of proactive IT support, and how to help potential clients understand why an MSP matters to their business. If you run an MSP or work in managed services, this will help you communicate your value better, close more deals, and make your marketing far more effective.

Most MSPs are selling cybersecurity completely wrong. Some overwhelm clients with dozens of tools and technical jargon, while others sell the bare minimum and still call it security. Both approaches lead to confused clients and weak protection. In this video, Harrison Baron breaks down what MSPs should actually include in a cybersecurity stack and what should not be sold as security. Instead of focusing on tools like EDR, DNS filtering, or conditional access, you will learn how to focus on what clients actually care about. They want to avoid getting hacked, losing data, or getting fined or shut down. Harrison explains the five core areas every MSP security offering should cover: identity protection, endpoint security, email security, backup and recovery, and monitoring and response. He also covers common mistakes MSPs make when building their security packages and how to explain cybersecurity in simple terms that business owners understand. If you want to simplify your cybersecurity offering, sell with more confidence, and build a stronger MSP security stack, this video will help you do exactly that.

Did you know there are six types of MSP business owners? After thousands of conversations with managed service providers, I started noticing patterns. Most MSPs are not stuck because of the market or competition. They are stuck because of the type of business owner they are operating as. In this video I break down the six most common MSP owner types including the technician owner, the dreamer, the comfortable MSP, the overwhelmed MSP, the marketing avoider, and the growth focused MSP. You will learn the strengths and weaknesses of each type and what steps you can take to grow your business faster. If you want to move from technician to real business owner and build a predictable MSP that generates consistent recurring revenue, this video will help you identify where you are today and how to move forward.If you want help growing your MSP through better sales and marketing systems, check out Growth Generators where we teach MSP owners how to consistently attract clients and grow their recurring revenue.

Most MSPs lose money when they onboard new clients, and many do not even realize it. One of the biggest reasons is improper onboarding pricing. Many managed service providers either roll onboarding into their monthly fee, undercharge for the work involved, or skip charging for it entirely. The reality is onboarding requires a significant amount of time and effort. From network discovery and documentation to deploying your security stack and standardizing systems, it is a large project that should be priced accordingly.In this video, we break down exactly how MSPs should be thinking about onboarding and how to price it the right way so you stop losing money on new clients. We walk through what work should actually be included during onboarding, why many MSPs underestimate the true cost of that work, and a simple rule you can use to price onboarding properly. We also discuss when it might make sense to increase onboarding pricing for complex environments and when it may be reasonable to waive it for a simple deal.A strong onboarding process does more than just get the client set up. It sets expectations, helps standardize the environment, improves security, and reduces support tickets long term. When done correctly, onboarding can dramatically improve profitability and create a better experience for both you and your client.If you want to grow a more profitable MSP and avoid the common mistakes many providers make with onboarding, this video will give you a clear framework to follow.

Most MSPs spend years building their tech stack but never build their legal stack.That is a huge mistake.In this video, I walk through the legal documents and policies every MSP should have to protect their business, including MSAs, SLAs, statements of work, security policies, incident response plans, and more.If you run a managed service provider, these contracts help protect your revenue, set expectations with clients, and reduce risk.Important: I am not a lawyer and this is not legal advice. Always have an attorney review your contracts.

Most MSPs and cybersecurity professionals struggle to sell security the right way. They either lead with fear or overwhelm prospects with tools like MFA, EDR, and SOC. That is why deals stall, price becomes the issue, and the conversation feels awkward. In this video, Harrison Baron breaks down the real secrets to selling cybersecurity that actually close deals. You will learn why fear based selling shuts prospects down, how to tie cybersecurity to real business outcomes, how to use industry pressure to your advantage, and why cyber insurance is one of the strongest closers in today’s market. He also explains how to position security as non negotiable, bundle it the right way, and use real assessments and scans to show gaps instead of just talking about them. If you are an MSP, IT provider, or cybersecurity company that wants to close more deals and stop feeling uncomfortable asking for money, this video will change the way you sell security. Grab the free MSP Pricing Calculator under the Resources tab at growth-generators.com and customize it to fit your cybersecurity stack. If this helps, like the video, subscribe to the channel, and drop a comment with the objections you are hearing when selling security.

Most MSPs are guessing when it comes to pricing. They look at competitors, pick a random per user number, and hope the margins work out. That is not a strategy. In this video, I break down the simple math every MSP owner needs to understand before setting prices. We walk through technician cost, tool stack cost, gross margin targets, and what your per user rate actually needs to be if you want to grow. I also show you a free MSP pricing calculator I built to help you run your own numbers in minutes. If you are under 1 million in revenue and want predictable profit instead of stress, this will help you see exactly where you stand. Download the free tool, run your numbers, and stop guessing your pricing.

This one is different.I sat down with my friend Greg Bilzerian for a long-form, real conversation about MSPs, private equity, growth, exits, and what business owners are actually thinking.Greg has a unique background. He started in TV journalism, moved into consulting and AWS, and now works with a private equity group focused on acquiring and growing businesses. He talks to business owners every single day. That perspective is powerful.We break down:What private equity actually looks for in MSPsWhy recurring revenue makes MSPs so attractiveThe biggest mistakes MSP owners make before sellingWhat happens after you sellWhy some acquisitions go wrongThe ethics of PE and innovationHow MSPs can become true strategic partnersThis is longer than my normal content. It is meant to feel like you are sitting at the table with us.Heads up: the camera overheated near the end. I was running it on a dummy battery and I am still learning. The video cuts out, but I saved the full audio through my mixer.The complete episode is available on the MSP Heroes Podcast. If you want the full conversation, grab the audio version in the link below.If you are an MSP owner thinking about growth, exit, or long-term strategy, this is worth your time.Enjoy the show.

How long does it really take to close your first MSP client? The answer is not what most people want to hear. In this video, I break down the real factors that decide whether you land your first managed services client in 30 to 90 days or struggle for a year or more. We talk about target market clarity, pricing confidence, your website, your offer, prospecting activity, sales skills, and consistency. If you are starting an MSP or trying to get your first managed IT contract, this will help you figure out what is actually slowing you down and what to fix right now.