In this last episode of our ChannelCon series, I have the opportunity to wrap up with MJ Shoer, the Chief Community Officer at GTIA. MJ’s role is pivotal as GTIA executes on it’s mission around community and innovation in technology.

As someone deeply embedded in the fabric of GTIA, MJ provides unique insights into the organization’s current strides and future directions. Our conversation spans a wide array of topics, from the vibrancy of recent GTIA events to strategic preparations for the next generation of industry leaders. MJ’s reflections highlight a community-driven approach that integrates philanthropic efforts and engages both seasoned and upcoming professionals in the technology sector.

The interview offers valuable insights for business executives and partnership leaders aiming to harness community engagement as a means to drive organizational growth and foster sustainable innovation. This conversation is also a testament to GTIA’s commitment to evolving and adapting in a rapidly changing technology landscape.

Here are the top 5 lessons I learned from MJ Shoer about fostering an engaged community at GTIA:

How do great companies thrive in the midst of massive industry and technology changes? What sort of leadership is required to energize employees and your customers? In this episode with Jennifer Roy, CEO of Nucleus Networks, we dive into the secrets of leadership in the rapidly evolving tech industry. Jennifer, who took over as CEO in January 2024, reflects on her leadership journey from her earlier role as COO starting in 2021.

Based in Vancouver, Nucleus Networks strategically serves medium-sized businesses across various verticals including non-profit, architecture, engineering, and mining. Recorded live at ChannelCon, Jennifer shares her experiences and perspectives on effective leadership, operational efficiencies, and the transformative power of technology like AI.

Her insights, particularly on fostering a people-first approach and her involvement in mentorship programs, provide valuable guidance for business executives and partnership leaders looking to thrive amidst industry changes.

Here are the top 5 lessons learned from my discussion with Jennifer:

In one of my many conversations at ChannelCon, I had the opportunity to interview Chris Day, the co-founder and CEO of ScalePad. Chris offered a unique perspective into the evolving Managed Service Provider (MSP) landscape and shared his journey from the inception of his business to spearheading massive growth through strategic integration and technological advancements.

With a history of scaling businesses and making strategic acquisitions, Chris provides invaluable insights into the challenges and triumphs of navigating the rapidly-changing technology landscape. As Chris re-emerged as CEO, he emphasized the importance of collaboration, innovation, and leveraging technology—especially artificial intelligence (AI)—in crafting seamless business processes and enhancing customer relationships.

Chris’ insights offer a comprehensive guide for MSP business executives seeking to navigate growth, integration, and technological advancement with confidence. Listen in and hear the intricacies and potential of the MSP space, offering guidance and inspiration to business executives and partnership leaders aiming to thrive in this dynamic industry.

If you’ve been listening to the series of Channel Journeys podcasts recorded at ChannelCon, you’ll know that there was a lot of conversation around AI.  One of the most important and valuable discussions for partners and partner managers was around leveraging AI for partner success.

At the forefront of innovation around this topic stands Jessica Baker, the Chief Innovation Officer at AchieveUnite. I had the great pleasure of sitting down with Jessica and learning all about the work she is doing to learn as much as she can about AI and it’s ability to increase productivity and profitability in the partnering world.

This episode explores her unique perspective on leveraging AI to drive partner success and business innovation. Jessica’s role as an innovator involves applying existing technologies in novel ways to enhance business processes.

Highlighting her participation at Channel Con, Jessica shares how AI is reshaping how businesses operate, interact, and innovate. You’re going to hear about the transformative potential of generative AI, its integration into workflows, and the crucial role of prompt engineering.

Jessica’s perspective offers invaluable insights for business executives and partnership leaders eager to harness AI’s potential to enhance operational efficiency and strengthen partnerships.

Here are 5 lessons learned from Jessica Baker on enhancing partner success through AI:

Strategic Partner Empowerment: By focusing on empowering partners rather than just enabling them, Jessica advocates for providing partners with tools and skills to transform their business practices. This empowerment goes beyond transactional relationships, fostering deeper trust and collaboration, ultimately leading to more resilient and innovative partnerships.

Are MSPs at a major inflection point of opportunity? According to a new report by Pax8, that’s exactly where they are at and it’s driven by AI. In this latest episode of our ChannelCon series, I have the pleasure of chatting with Ryan Walsh, a previous Channel Journeys guest and distinguished leader in the IT sector as the Channel Chief and Chief Strategy Officer at Pax8.

Ryan brings a wealth of experience and insights into the transformative journey from being a Managed Service Provider (MSP) to evolving into a Managed Infrastructure Provider (MIP). Our discussion navigates Ryan’s strategic expertise and some of the key findings of the Pax8 Agentic Inflection Point research paper. Throughout our conversation, Ryan emphasizes the importance of adaptability and innovation as essential traits for any business looking to thrive in the rapidly-changing technology landscape driven by agentic AI. 

This episode offers invaluable insights for MSP business executives and partnership leaders aiming to stay ahead of the curve and significantly reshape their strategic plan for growth.

Here are 5 things I learned from Ryan about the MSP to MIP transition:

Back in April, on episode 162, I spoke with MJ Shoer, the Chief Community Officer, about the new Global Technology Industry Association (GTIA) and how it was formed by the spin-off of CompTIA. At the time, they were searching for a CEO. In today’s episode, you are going to hear all about the future direction of GTIA, the Global Technology Industry Association, directly from their newly appointed CEO, Dan Wensley. 

I had the pleasure of meeting and speaking with Dan at GTIA’s annual ChannelCon event where we recorded this interview. I learned that Dan is well known in the MSP world and appears to be a great choice as GTIA’s new leader. There was certainly a very positive vibe of new beginnings at the show. 

Dan shares insights from his first 101 days in the role, his plans for GTIA moving forward and how can all of us benefit from this global organization.  He passionately discusses his vision, the rebranding of GTIA, and the initial goals he set for the organization. 

Here are 5 things I learned about Dan and his plans for GTIA:

This episode is a must-listen for anyone who’s job or business will be impacted by AI. In other words, this is for just about everyone.

My conversation is with Noelle Russell, a trailblazer in artificial intelligence (AI) and founder of the AI Leadership Institute. I met Noelle at ChannelCon where she gave a keynote presentation on Scaling AI Responsibly based on her new book.

Noelle shares her journey through the early days of AI during her career at big name companies and how these experiences shaped her insights into responsible AI application.

Most importantly, you’re going to hear practical strategies for leveraging AI in business, highlighting the immense potential and challenges of integrating AI into your business management and strategy.

Get ready for a very fun and insightful conversation!

Here are 5 things I learned from Nicolle on scaling AI responsibly for business growth:

In this episode of Channel Journeys, we welcome back Michelle Hodges, now SVP Global Channels & Alliances at Barracuda, after her impactful tenure at GitLab. I had the good fortune of speaking with Michelle at Channel Con 2025.

Michelle shares her unique journey of building foundational channel programs at GitLab from the ground up, leading to a successful IPO. She discusses her new role at Barracuda, where she is thrilled about the company’s MSP-focused approach and innovative use of AI technology in their offerings.

Our conversation delves into the influence of AI in cybersecurity, her leadership evolution over the years, and her strategic priorities in her first 90 days at Barracuda. Key lessons include the importance of automation, co-sell opportunities, engagement strategies, and fostering team success.

You’ll also hear how you can help steer the future direction of Channel Journeys.

Here are the top lessons learned in my conversation with Michelle on evolving channel strategies:

Last week I had the pleasure of visiting Nashville to attend the first Channel Con hosted by GTIA, the new organization created upon the sale of CompTIA. GTIA invited about 10 podcasters to sit on Podcast Row, including Channel Journeys. 

This episode is the first of 10 interviews Recorded at Channel Con. I’m speaking with Heather Margolis, a seasoned entrepreneur and three-time guest on the show. This 15-minute interview dives into Heather’s journey of selling and then reacquiring Channel Maven Consulting and her vision for empowering partners to up their marketing game using AI. Heather shares practical tips on successful channel marketing strategies, emphasizing how AI is transforming the landscape for IT vendors, MSPs, and solution providers.

You’ll also hear my plans for the future direction of Channel Journeys.

Here are Heather’s top 3 tips for partner marketing with AI

In this episode of Channel Journeys, we welcome back Jeff McCullough, who is now Vice President of North American Sales at NetAlly. Jeff shares his extensive experience transitioning from a channel leader to a sales leadership role while maintaining a strong emphasis on channel partnerships.

You’ll hear how Jeff is mastering sales leadership in a 100% channel sales model, in the face of massive changes in technology, buyer trends, and the political landscape. 

Here are the top lessons learned from Jeff’s journey and insights on leading through change:

01:20 Jeff’s Career Journey

03:24 NetAlly’s Mission and Products

05:24 Sales Strategy and Partner Dependence

06:38 Industry Trends and Technological Shifts

10:26 Federal Sales and Government Challenges

17:15 Adapting Sales Strategies

23:22 Cybersecurity Innovations

27:31 The Role of AI in Network Infrastructure

29:20 Leadership and Sales Strategy at NetAlly

31:14 Challenges and Benefits of a Channel-Exclusive Model

34:38 Personal Motivations and Ethical Leadership

42:53 Midwestern Values and Career Reflections

45:33 Future Challenges and Customer Budget Concerns

49:05 Conclusion and Contact Information