The BMK Vision Podcast

In this BMK Quick Takes episode, Josh Peterson teaches the most important—and most misunderstood—sales principle in the MSP industry: the correct order of selling. Josh explains why selling yourself first, your company second, and your services last leads to stronger trust and better outcomes. He also breaks down the four essential components of a First-Time Appointment: budget, timeframe, next steps, and referral confidence.

• Why emotional trust drives nearly every buying decision

• How to structure curiosity-driven discovery

• The true order of selling for MSPs

• Establishing budget using revenue-based benchmarks

• Helping prospects commit to a realistic timeframe

• Securing next meetings professionally and consistently

• Making referral requests feel natural and confident

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Vision Operating System: https://beringmckinley.com/vision

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Leaving a stable role to launch your own MSP is exciting—and brutally hard. In this episode, Josh Peterson talks with Chris Hart, founder of Hart CTO Inc and longtime IT executive, about what his first 90+ days back in the MSP saddle have really looked like: slow leads, pricing pressure, doubts about size, and the surprising lifelines that are keeping the business moving. 

Guest Introduction

Chris Hart is the founder of Hart CTO Inc, a Florida-based fractional CTO and consulting firm serving law firms and professional services organizations. With more than two decades leading MSP teams and technology operations, Chris has supported thousands of end users, built cybersecurity practices, and guided firms through complex infrastructure and cloud transitions. In this conversation, he and Josh explore the realities of starting a new MSP in a saturated, acquisition-heavy market—and how fractional CTO work, assessments, and subcontract projects can bridge the early-stage gap. 

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Leaving a stable executive role to relaunch as an MSP owner

Why the first 90 days were tougher and slower than expected

Handling “you’re too small” objections with 75–200 user prospects

Pricing realities around $85–$100 per user and why “full freight” is hard

Using subcontract projects and residential work to keep cash flowing

Building a referral “army” of part-time sales partners and ISPs

Selling paid assessments into companies that already have MSPs

Positioning fractional CTO services for legal and professional firms

How consolidation and acquisitions change the local MSP opportunity

Mindset, activity levels, and the long game of building a durable MSP

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Guest LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-hart863/ 

Company Website: https://hartcto.com 

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YouTube (Video Podcast):

https://www.youtube.com/@beringmckinleyvision?sub_confirmation=1

Learn More About the Vision Platform:

https://beringmckinley.com/vision

Apply to Be a Guest:

https://beringmckinley.com/bering-mckinley-podcast-blog

Growing an MSP from “computer guy” to a multi-technician, acquisition-ready business isn’t about hacks or hype—it’s about talking to more people, building real systems, and avoiding the wrong hires at the wrong time. In this episode, Josh Peterson is joined by Chad Kempt, founder and president of Fast Computers, an Ontario-based MSP that’s been serving clients since 1998 and recently merged with another provider to expand its footprint.

Chad and Josh unpack why most sub-$1M MSPs don’t need a salesperson—they need the owner to step up—and how dispatch and service management can either unlock growth or destroy margins if you get the structure wrong. They also dig into realistic targets, ASCII-level peer community involvement, and the discipline required to use data without drowning in dashboards.

🎙 What We Cover in This Episode

• Chad’s 27-plus-year journey from solo “computer guy” to MSP founder

• Why owner-led sales usually beat early sales hires for small MSPs

• The shift from 5–25 seat SBS clients to 50–150 seat cloud-first organizations

• How Fast Computers approached M&A and the operational load that comes with it

• Dispatch vs. service management: who owns hours, schedules, and tickets

• When to hire an admin/dispatcher and when to hold off on a service manager

• The danger of saying “yes” to every client request and shrinking your margins

• Picking a few meaningful PSA metrics instead of chasing every chart

• How ASCII community involvement helped Chad refine his model and mindset

👤 Guest Links

Guest LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chadkempt/

Company Website: https://fastcomputers.ca/

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Learn More About the Vision Platform:

https://beringmckinley.com/vision

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https://beringmckinley.com/bering-mckinley-podcast-blog

What happens when a long-time MSP owner finally admits he can’t keep being the only salesperson—and decides to build a truly accountable, automation-ready organization? In this episode, Josh Peterson talks with Charles Swihart, Founder & CEO of Preactive IT Solutions, about implementing EOS, scaling sales beyond the owner, and preparing for the next wave of AI and automation in the MSP world.

Charles has been leading Preactive IT Solutions, a Houston-based MSP specializing in construction and engineering firms, since 2003. Under his leadership, the company has grown through disciplined financials, strong account management, and a relentless focus on KPIs and standards. 

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• Why 80% of self-implementing EOS attempts fail—and why Charles hired a coach

• How EOS “future casting” forced him to replace himself in the sales seat

• Lessons from an early failed sales hire and what he changed about the process

• Building a KPI culture: response time, resolution time, and time entry on tickets

• Setting 80–90% time-on-ticket targets for help desk and project teams

• Using AI tools for ticket triage and internal efficiency—what’s working today

• Why RPA / automation vendors often over-promise and under-deliver

• Planning an internal automation pod focused on business process improvement

• The role of account management and QBRs in driving project and security revenue

• Age, exits, and why many MSPs sell too early instead of adapting to the next wave

Plus: How to talk to clients about AI and automation in terms of business outcomes—not just cheaper IT.

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Guest: Charles Swihart – Founder & CEO, Preactive IT Solutions

Guest LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charlesswihart

Company Website: https://www.preactiveit.com

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Host: Josh Peterson – CEO, Bering McKinley

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshdpeterson/

Learn more about the BMK Vision Operating System for MSPs:

https://beringmckinley.com/vision

Apply to be a guest on the BMK Vision Podcast:

https://beringmckinley.com/bering-mckinley-podcast-blog 

YouTube (Video Podcast):

https://www.youtube.com/@beringmckinleyvision?sub_confirmation=1

What does it really look like to build a mountain of cash between your MSP and the next crisis? In this episode of the BMK Vision Podcast, Josh Peterson sits down with Bryan Currier, Founder & CEO of Advantage Technologies, to unpack the systems, disciplines, and mindset that took his dental-focused MSP from a near cash disaster during the Great Recession to a multi-state, Hassle Free IT platform serving 800+ healthcare clients. 

Bryan explains how he uses dedicated reserve buckets (annual expenses, taxes, bonuses, and true emergencies), weekly sweeps into Treasuries, and strict account separation to protect against fraud, maintain liquidity, and sleep at night—without starving growth. He and Josh then zoom out into strategic planning, vertical focus, and what the “next-gen MSP” might look like as advisory, automation, and AI become table stakes.

• How a Great Recession cash crunch forced Bryan to rethink risk and reserves

• Designing primary, operations, and reserve accounts to cap fraud exposure

• Using weekly cash sweeps and U.S. Treasuries to fund annual and seasonal expenses

• Why he built an emergency reserve big enough to cover multiple payrolls

• The “Moving the Mountain” campaign and getting the whole team aligned

• Meeting Monday, Task Tuesday, Wide View Wednesday, Tactical Thursday, Freedom Friday

• Naming what you really want as an owner (freedom, wealth, impact) and mapping milestones

• Vertical focus in dental IT—and why he’d add complementary verticals today

• Turning internal SharePoint + Copilot projects into advisory and automation services

• Partnering with specialists vs hiring W2 for next-gen capabilities

Guest LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bcurrier01 

Company Website (Advantage Technologies): https://www.adv-tech.com/ 

Bryan Currier is the Founder and CEO of Advantage Technologies, an MSP and dental IT specialist he started from his parents’ basement in 2000. Today Advantage Technologies provides “Hassle Free IT” that is simple, secure, stable, and supported for more than 800 clients across multiple states, with a deep focus on dental and healthcare practices. 

Josh Peterson is the CEO of Bering McKinley and host of the BMK Vision Podcast. With nearly two decades in the MSP industry and experience working with hundreds of owners worldwide, Josh helps leaders build operational maturity, financial clarity, and growth-focused leadership using the BMK Vision Operating System. 

Are you building a business you love—or flying a plane with no destination?

In this Don’t Be That Guy episode of the BMK Vision Podcast, Josh Peterson and former MSP owner Ryan Alter dig into one of the hardest questions in ownership: Should you sell your MSP or keep running it—and on what terms? Together they explore burnout, lifestyle businesses, valuations, and what it really takes to land the plane where you actually want to end up.

Guest Introduction

Ryan Alter is the former owner and CEO of Alter Enterprise, a Missoula, Montana–based MSP he grew from a one-man shop into a 25-person team before selling to Fisher’s Technology in 2023.  Drawing on nearly two decades in IT services, Ryan now mentors MSP owners on financial clarity, operational maturity, and exit strategy—helping them decide whether to double-down on growth or intentionally plan a sale that protects clients, staff, and sanity.

• The exact moment Ryan realized he was “done” and ready to sell

• How COVID-era exhaustion and a $2M plateau pushed a critical decision

• Lifestyle business vs. growth business: honest definitions (without judgment)

• Why many MSPs slowly go out of business while still “looking successful”

• What buyers actually value: recurring revenue, margins, and clean data

• How project-heavy revenue and weak AGP drag your multiple down

• The next generation of MSPs: advisory, AI, and deep business-process work

• How to run your MSP as if you’ll sell tomorrow—even if you never do

• Practical advice for employees when their company is getting sold

• How to “name your airport” and set a clear financial landing target

Plus: why being brutally honest about your own goals is the most important KPI you’ll ever track.

Guest LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-alter-896a5b11 

Company / Exit Story: https://www.fisherstech.com/alter-enterprise/ 

YouTube (Video Podcast):

https://www.youtube.com/@beringmckinleyvision?sub_confirmation=1

Learn More About the Vision Platform:

https://beringmckinley.com/vision

Apply to Be a Guest:

https://beringmckinley.com/bering-mckinley-podcast-blog

In this BMK Quick Takes episode, Josh Peterson explains why most MSP goals fail before they ever begin. Goals are not dreams, affirmations, or intentions—they are math.

Josh walks through how purpose statements create clarity, how SMART objectives actually work in real businesses, and how revenue targets must be reverse-engineered into proposals, meetings, prospecting activity, and daily behavior. This episode is a direct challenge to MSP owners who avoid committing to outcomes out of fear, uncertainty, or self-protection.

If you’ve ever said “I just want to get a few clients first” or “I’m not ready to sell yet,” this Quick Take will reframe how you think about growth.

Learn more about the Vision Platform:

https://beringmckinley.com/vision

Subscribe on YouTube:

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https://beringmckinley.com/blog#speaker-form

In this episode of the BMK Vision Podcast, Josh Peterson talks with Stephanie Peace, founder of Goldroot Strategies, about what it really takes to build a marketing engine that feels human in an AI-driven world. From grassroots outreach and “smarketing” alignment to data hygiene and social content, they walk through how MSPs can stop spraying and praying—and start building real relationships that convert.

Guest Introduction

Stephanie Peace is the founder of Goldroot Strategies, a marketing and brand strategy firm that helps MSPs and small businesses clarify their message, clean up their CRM data, and turn long-form content into daily, authentic visibility. After years of leading sales, training, and coaching in B2C environments, she shifted into the MSP space, supporting executive recruiting and then building personal brands and thought leadership for AI and managed services leaders.

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• Moving from canned, generic content to human, voice-driven marketing

• Why grassroots outreach (donuts, door-knocking, local presence) still works

• How to align sales and marketing into one “smarketing” motion

• Cleaning up HubSpot/CRM data so your journeys actually work

• Using webinars and podcasts as a content engine, not one-off events

• Repurposing long-form video into short clips, posts, and articles

• Why social media presence now feeds AI search and discoverability

• Human-first AI: agentic workflows, prompt engineering, and what’s next

• Choosing the right person (internal or external) to “own” your marketing

• Building a purpose-centered career and legacy around people and community

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Guest LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/%F0%9F%92%A5stephanie-peace-james%F0%9F%92%A5-b2558940

Company Website:

https://goldrootstrategies.com

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YouTube (Video Podcast):

https://www.youtube.com/@beringmckinleyvision?sub_confirmation=1

Learn More About the Vision Platform:

https://beringmckinley.com/vision

Apply to Be a Guest:

https://beringmckinley.com/bering-mckinley-podcast-blog

Most small-business and MSP owners know hiring is mission-critical, yet still rely on gut feelings, rushed interviews, and contingency recruiters whose incentives don’t align with quality. In this episode, Josh Peterson talks with Fletcher Wimbush, CEO of Discovered, about how to replace guesswork with a proven, science-based hiring process that consistently produces A-players.

Guest Introduction

Fletcher Wimbush is the CEO and founder of Discovered, an AI-enabled performance hiring and applicant tracking system designed to help growing companies build better teams with less risk. Drawing on decades of experience, thousands of interviews, and validated assessment tools, Fletcher has developed FACTS-driven hiring systems that improve candidate quality, reduce turnover, and create high-performing teams across industries. 

In this conversation, Josh and Fletcher dig into why traditional recruiting fails, how integrity and attitude must be measured early, and what a modern hiring funnel should really look like for MSPs and other small businesses.

Exposing the broken incentives in contingency recruiting

Defining “good” in a role: job analysis and performance-based job descriptions

Why personality tools like DISC have limited value in hiring decisions

Using integrity, attitude, and cognitive assessments without bias or shortcuts

Structured interviews focused on significant accomplishments and hard evidence

How to run reference checks that actually tell you the truth

Generational myths vs. real hiring-process problems

Designing working interviews and job tryouts that de-risk new hires

Discovered’s flat-fee, de-risked recruiting model for small businesses

Guest LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fletcher-wimbush

Company Website: https://www.discoveredats.com/

YouTube (Video Podcast):

https://www.youtube.com/@beringmckinleyvision?sub_confirmation=1

Learn More About the Vision Platform:

https://beringmckinley.com/vision

Apply to Be a Guest:

https://beringmckinley.com/bering-mckinley-podcast-blog

James Sanford, President and founder of Teamspring Technologies in North Georgia, joins Josh Peterson to talk about what the next evolution of MSP work really looks like when automation and AI are at the center. From his beginnings as a software engineer to building a family-run MSP serving Atlanta-area SMBs and nonprofits, James explains how recurring revenue, advisory work, and automation are reshaping his business.

[Guest Introduction]

James Sanford leads Teamspring Technologies, an MSP based in Sugar Hill, Georgia that has been supporting local businesses since 1999 with managed IT, cybersecurity, cloud, and VoIP services. In this conversation, James and Josh explore how MSP owners can turn repetitive work into automation, how AI will change service delivery and staffing, and why owners must decide whether to stay lifestyle-focused or intentionally scale toward generational wealth and leadership impact.

Tracing James’ journey from software engineer to MSP owner and local IT partner

Why recurring revenue—and not one-off projects—changed how he built Teamspring

Real automation examples: CRM data enrichment, prospect research, and scoring

Streamlining M365 onboarding/offboarding and documentation with forms and scripts

How AI assistants and tools are already changing Level 1 and Level 2 support

The emerging role of a dedicated automation engineer inside MSPs

Choosing between a lifestyle MSP and building a scalable, multi-million-dollar firm

Generational wealth, working with adult children, and developing leadership skills

Using books, peer groups, and coaching to fuel the next stage of owner growth

Guest LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jksanford 

Company Website: https://www.teamspring.us/ 

YouTube (Video Podcast):

https://www.youtube.com/@beringmckinleyvision?sub_confirmation=1

Learn More About the Vision Platform:

https://beringmckinley.com/vision

Apply to Be a Guest:

https://beringmckinley.com/bering-mckinley-podcast-blog

Host LinkedIn (Josh): https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshdpeterson/

Company LinkedIn (Bering McKinley): https://www.linkedin.com/company/bering-mckinley/