What does it really take to build an MSP from scratch in the middle of a recession — with no technical background, two kids watching, and absolutely no Plan B?

In this candid and energizing episode of My First Million, Doug Bates shares the unlikely origin story behind CMIT Solutions of the Atlanta Southern Crescent. Doug didn’t come up through the help desk. He didn’t code. He didn’t “start fixing computers for friends and realize it could be a business.” In fact, his degree was in business and speech communication, and he once worked for LEGO. Yes — actual LEGO.

But when corporate life demanded another move and his daughter tearfully reminded him of a promise he’d made — that the family was done uprooting — Doug decided to bet on himself. He launched his MSP on April Fool’s Day 2009, during the economic collapse… and committed to one core principle:

“We will fail doing this business right before I succeed doing it wrong.”

What follows is a story of discipline, humility, extreme ownership, and the deeply human side of entrepreneurship — including:

• The family sacrifices required to build a business that lasts.
• Why being the non-technical owner was actually a strategic advantage.
• The customer experience move that completely transformed their retention.
• How slow, steady, relationship-driven growth took them from break/fix projects to multi-location MSP stability.
• The simple mindset shift that separates those who cross $1M from those who stall out.

Doug doesn’t romanticize the grind — he tells the truth about it. The pressure. The doubt. The beans-and-weenies years. The moments where you either lean forward or quit.

And he offers one final piece of advice for any MSP stuck under $1M:
 If you’re not all in, don’t expect all out results.

This episode is sharp, honest, occasionally funny, and deeply motivating — especially if you’re in the thick of building something that matters.

Watch it. You’ll walk away thinking differently — about your business and yourself.

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