In this episode, Richard Tubb talks to Dean Watmough, an expert on MSP people. He’s the CEO and cofounder of Humnize, a UK based business that is focused on empowering MSPs to build, develop, and retain highly skilled teams.

He and Richard talk about how Humnize came about, how they help their MSP clients to leverage people power and how they find the right candidates for their MSP clients.

They chat specifically about recruitment: where MSPs go wrong with their approach to it, why traditional recruitment companies don’t work for MSPs and the aspects of recruitment that Humnize want to change.

Dean explains why his team work remotely and why it’s important to build connections in hybrid workforces. He also shares what he thinks modern HR looks like for MSPs, and why Humnize offer a free HR health check to all MSP clients.

They also discuss mental wellbeing in the workplace, Dean’s suggestions for improving mental health, and what the future holds for Humnize.

Mentioned in This Episode

• Humnize
• Indeed
• Glassdoor
• Richard Branson

In this bonus interview, Richard speaks to Mostyn Thomas, the Senior Director of Security at Pax8 and an expert in cybersecurity. The conversation was recorded live at the Cloud and Cybersecurity Expo in London in March 2024.

Mostyn is responsible for overseeing the company’s channel security operations, empowering Pax8 partners to reduce risk, improve efficiency, and ultimately grow their business.

Richard asks Mostyn to explain the surprising cybersecurity lesson from a deadly fire, which Mostyn referred to in his presentation at the Expo, and how attitudes towards cybersecurity are changing amongst SMB owners.

They talked about why education is key to making MSP clients cyber aware, Mostyn’s experiences of transitioning from MSP owner to vendor and what’s next for Pax8. Mostyn also gives his advice on dealing with objections from rural businesses.

Mentioned in This Episode

• The Cloud and Cybersecurity Expo
• Richard's first podcast interview with Mostyn
• The Pax8 cybersecurity masterclass

Time for another Team Tubb Travelogue!

Lenka Koppova catches up with Richard Tubb, Stephen McCormick and special guest Tom Welton of Pax8, who are in London for the huge Cloud & Cybersecurity Expo 2024!

Grab a cup of your favourite tea or coffee, relax and join them for a fun conversation about the highlights from this big event.

There are shout-outs to old and new friends, a story about smoke jumpers, and a chat about the impact of Artificial Intelligence on cybersecurity and our lives as a whole.

Plus... the Team Tubb Travelogue Quiz is back! Can Richard, Stephen and Tom answer Lenka's cybersecurity themed questions?

Did you know...

The Cloud & Cybersecurity Expo is part of the Tech Show London.

Tech Show London is an award-winning event featuring an unparalleled line-up of world-renowned speakers and exhibitors.

They come together to present the most cutting-edge cloud technologies and high-quality services, setting the stage for innovative digital transformation strategies.

Tech Show London events include Cloud Expo Europe, DevOps Live, Big Data & AI World, and Data Centre World.

This year both events took place at the Excel Centre, London on the 6th and 7th March 2024.

Were you at the Cloud & Cybersecurity Expo events too? Send us a voice recording with your highlights, and we will add your comments to our next Team Tubb Travelogue!

In this episode, Richard Tubb speaks to Nancy Henriquez, Head of Community at SuperOps. They offer an AI-powered PSA-RMM solution for MSPs of all sizes. Nancy tells Richard how she went from MSP owner to community leader.

Nancy tells Richard why she changed career, what SuperOps do and why they’re playing down the AI aspect of their offerings. Plus, she picks her favourite of the latest tools that SuperOps are developing.

She describes a typical day as Head of Community and why MSP communities are so important. Richard and Nancy then talk more specifically about women in tech: what they can contribute to the industry and how their role might evolve.

Richard asks Nancy what the biggest barriers are that women experience in the tech sector and how leaders can better support women in the industry, and highlights some organisations who are already working to bring about change

Nancy’s advice to any young women who want to get into IT and practical steps that companies and individuals can take to create a more welcoming and a more inclusive environment specifically for women in tech.  

Mentioned in This Episode

• Podcast: Richard's previous interview with Nancy
• Book: Bob Burg: The Go-Giver
• Peer group: CompTIA
• Peer group: The Tech Tribe
• Young women in STEM group: Nerdy Girl Success
• Business strategy: Channel Futures
• Women's STEAM organisation: Women in Tech
• Channel marketer: Kris Blackmon
• CEO of Proda Technology: Marissa Maldonado
• Echelon Computer Technologies: Justine Anderson
• Lionguard CEO: Michelle Accardi
• Channel chief: Michelle Ragusa-McBain
• CEO of 3rd Element Consulting: Dawn Sizer
• Founder of Bluebird Leaders: Rebecca Woods
• Sales Development Representative at SuperOps: Nicole James
• Women in Tech ebook

In this episode, Richard Tubb speaks to Michael Lawson, who has over

15 years of experience in working with MSPs. A seasoned startup founder, he’s recently built an exciting new platform for MSPs. Movebot is designed to make data migration easier, particularly at scale.

Michael tells Richard how he came up with the idea for Movebot, the tools it integrates with and the tech requirements for MSPs to run it effectively for themselves and their clients.

Richard asks Michael to explain the types of data Movebot migrates and how to use it for data merges, as well as giving some examples of how real-life MSP use the tool in their businesses.

Michael also talks through how Movebot transfers live data and how Movebot helps its global MSP clients to stay data compliant and up to date with legislation changes in their home countries.

Richard asks Michael what Movebot’s tech support and outsourcing offerings look like, the pricing structure, and his plans for Couchdrop and Movebot in 2024 and beyond.

Mentioned in This Episode

• Movebot's parent company and SFTP solution: Couchdrop
• Cloud storage solution: Dropbox
• Multi-tier storage: Apache Ignite
• Microsoft collaboration tool: SharePoint
• Microsoft's online communication suite: Office 365
• Google's online communication suite: Workspace
• Cloud-based client portal: Huddle
• Project management tool: BIM 360
• Amazon cloud storage: S3
• Cloud storage: Wasabi
• Cloud storage and backup tool: Backblaze
• UK data protection legislation: GDPR
• US health legislation: HIPAA
• Californian consumer legislation: CCPA
• Privacy experts: Keepabl
• Online collaboration tool: Slack
• MSP peer group: IT Nation
• Online chat forums: Discord
• Movebot's Discord channel

In this episode, Richard Tubb speaks to Dan Adams. Dan is the chairman of New England Network Solutions, a Massachusetts-based MSP, and he's also the founder of Up-skill, a media and e-learning service for IT professionals.

Dan is also the author of "The Tech Nerd's Guide to Career Success: Seven Proven Lessons to Unlock Your Growth in an IT Services Company". He explains why he was inspired to write a book and who it's for.

Dan shares the story of his career in the IT space and how he set up and grew his MSP, as well as what inspired him to write his new book, who it’s aimed at and how it can help engineers as well as business owners.

Richard and Dan discuss the disconnects between the roles an MSP owner has, how engineers think versus how MSPs think and Dan’s four success quadrants for MSP owners.

They also talk about the lessons in the book around measuring competence and success, how MSP owners can encourage their engineers to learn from the book’s advice, and how it can be beneficial to those in both nimble and larger-sized MSPs.

Dan also shares who his mentors are, what the MSP community means to him both professionally and personally, and the book he’s gifted most often to employees and colleagues.

Mentioned in This Episode

• Operating system: Unix
• Operating system: Windows for Workgroups
• Operating system: Windows NT
• Operating system: Novell NetWare
• Communication tool: AppleTalk
• Microcomputer networking system: ARCNET
• Software company: cc:Mail
• Word processing tool: WordPerfect
• Spreadsheet programme: Lotus123
• MSP peer group: HTG Evolve
• Interview with Erik Thorsell: Why are You Building an MSP Business, Really?
• Dan’s book: The Tech Nerd's Guide to Career Success. Seven Proven Lessons to Unlock Your Growth in an IT Services Company
• Book: Bob Burg: The Go Giver
• Brian O'Connell from Service Leadership
• Interview with Dan Scott of IT Nation: How to Grow Your Business in an MSP Community Like IT Nation
• Ted Halsey of Snap Tech IT
• MSP peer group: The Tech Tribe
• MSP peer group: CompTIA
• MSP peer group: IT Nation
• Book: Michael Gerber: The E-Myth Revisited

In a unique bonus episode of TubbTalk, Richard Tubb discusses why he wants to do an audio version of his popular MSP Insights newsletter.

Richard explains that many MSPs prefer to listen rather than read. If you're busy or commuting, it's easier to have audio on in the background.

Plus, Richard hopes that this will help him reach a bigger audience, who may not know about him already.

And as recording audio content is time-consuming and draining for him, Richard prefers to write an update instead, as he explains in this episode.

Except it's not Richard speaking at all. What you'll hear is a synthesised version of his voice, created with an AI tool called Descript.

What do you think? Revolutionary or world-destroying? Would you use it in your own business? Would you enjoy listening to a recording knowing it wasn't really the person you follow?

Mentioned in This Episode

Video and audio editing and AI Tool: Descript

In this episode, Richard Tubb speaks to Nigel Moore, the illustrious founder of The Tech Tribe. It’s community for forward-thinking MSPs looking to network, collaborate and learn from their peers. Its members have access to marketing, training, expert panel discussions and more.

This is a bumper episode, so get a flask of tea, a packet of biscuits and settle in to learn from Nigel and Richard! Nigel explains how The Tech Tribe came about, why people join and why it attracts industry experts.

He also shares his advice on running a successful MSP without working long hours, how to grow a strong team culture and how they deal with disagreements in The Tech Tribe community forums.

Nigel talks openly about how he overcame addiction to grow a successful business and how this led to meditation and journalling practices.

He shares his tips on how to tackle difficult conversations and why he thinks AI might help us better understand ourselves.

Richard asks Nigel why he invests in businesses, and not necessarily those in the IT industry, his current favourite apps and a fact about himself that always surprises people when they learn it.

Finally, they discuss who Nigel’s mentors and inspirations are on his life and work, which book Nigel has gifted more than any other, and why he doesn’t like receiving presents himself.

Mentioned in This Episode

• Nigel's previous appearance on TubbTalk
• Author and business expert Karl Palachuk
• MSP Community: CompTIA
• MSP Community: ConnectWise Evolve
• MSP Community: TruPeer
• MSP Community: ASCII
• Marketing and sales tool: Growably
• MSP Community (Australia): SMBiT
• MSP marketing expert: Paul Green
• MSP coach: Andrew Moon
• MSP sales expert: Jennifer Bleam
• IT coach: Pete Matheson
• MSP Sales Whisperer: Paul Lloyd
• Jamie Warner at Invarosoft
• List of MSP peer groups
• Online coach: James Schramko
• Book: James Schramko: Work Less, Make More: The Counter-Intuitive Approach to Building a Profitable Business, and a Life You Actually Love
• CIA Ops by Robert Crane
• The Strategic Coach: Dan Sullivan
• Collaboration tool: ClickUp
• Health research: Zoe
• Online therapy: BetterHelp
• Awareness day (Australia): Are You OK Day
• Disabled Surfers Association
• Great example of doing video marketing, via John Fisher
• Taki Moore: Million Dollar Coach
• Business expert: Marcus Lemonis
• Book: Ray Dalio: Principles: Life and Work
• Asset management firm: Bridgewater Associates
• Book: Michael Gerber: The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don't Work and What to Do About It
• Book: Geno Wickman: Traction: Get a Grip on Your Business
• Birmingham homeless charity: Networkfour

This episode was originally recorded live as a chat between Richard Tubb, Dray Agha and Joe Burns on the topic of cybersecurity. Dray is UK Manager for Threat Operations for Huntress, a managed cybersecurity platform.

Joe is the owner of Reformed IT, an MSP based in the East Midlands. He’s also a Huntress customer, using their outsourced NOC services. They both generously gave up their time for this TubbTalk Live show.

Richard asked Joe to explain why he chose to partner with Huntress rather than doing his own cybersecurity and the experience of integrating Huntress tools into his tech stack.

Richard also asks Dray about Huntress: how they find the right employees and their approach to 24/7 cybersecurity support. Richard asks Joe how to assess cybersecurity systems and Dray how Huntress support their clients to do cybersecurity better.

He also asks Joe to explain session hijacking and Dray about the importance of conditional access policies. Finally, he asks them both for their thoughts on government involvement in regulating MSP cybersecurity.

Mentioned in This Episode

• Tech Tribe
• Security testing: Red Team and Blue Team
• Security qualification: Certified Ethical Hacker
• Cybersecurity best practices framework: CIS Controls
• Defence licences: Huntress Neighbourhood Watch
• MSP conference: Managed Services Summit
• MSP peer group: SBCS Northwest
• MSP business expert: Karl Palachuk
• Microsoft 365 Business Premium
• Cybersecurity certification (UK): Cyber Essentials
• Cybersecurity certification (UK): Cyber Essentials+
• Cyber advisor
• Cybersecurity compliance: CompTIA Trustmark
• Cybersecurity certification (USA): CISA
• Information security standard: ISO 27001
• Cybersecurity awareness platform: Curricula 

This is another Team Tubb Travelogue!

Steve McCormick catches up with Richard Tubb and Pascal Fintoni who are in London for two different yet complementary international events: the B2B Marketing Expo and the Call & Contact Centre Expo.

Grab a cup of your favourite tea or coffee, relax and join them for a fun conversation about the tech highlights from each expo.

There are shout-outs to old and new friends and a chat about the impact of AI on all our marketing and customer service practices.

Plus lessons about preparing for trade shows, and... the Team Tubb Travelogue Quiz is back!

Richard and Pascal share their reactions and new findings from the two international events, the inevitable travel mishaps, food reviews and together they tackle one important question:

Is knickerbocker glory better than sticky toffee pudding?

Did you know...

The B2B Marketing Expo showcases cutting-edge developments in marketing and features high-quality exhibitors and interactive sessions, making it a must-attend event for marketing professionals seeking the latest trends and innovations in the industry.

The Call & Contact Centre Expo has become Europe's major event showcasing the latest technologies and strategies for customer engagement, and inviting organisations to transform their Help Desk experience through engaging conversations and reimagining processes.

This year both events took place at the Excel Centre, London on the 29th and 30th of November 2023.

Were you at the 'B2B Marketing Expo' or 'Call & Contact Centre Expo' events too? Send us a voice recording with your highlights and we will add your comments to our next Team Tubb Travelogue.