Uncle Marv's IT Business Podcast (Products, stories, and tips for the MSP and IT Professional)

Brook Lee and I catch up in Salt Lake City and dig into why she joined Rev.io, how the company evolved from telco billing into an AI-first PSA platform, and what “good leadership” actually looks like from the vendor side. We talk about why most PSAs are still glorified ticketing systems, how that hurts sales, marketing, and finance, and why a modern platform has to be something the entire MSP can actually use without a 600-dollar-an-hour consultant.

We also get into Brook’s unapologetically spicy guidebook on leveraging vendor relationships, why vendors should be doing a lot more than handing out MDF, and how MSPs can demand real training, better support, and useful assets instead of shelfware. Then we lighten it up with a surprisingly serious breakdown of swag strategy, from good pens and koozies to the worst throwaway giveaways on the expo floor and some “super secret” Rev.io dice.

=== Chapters

=== Guest: Brook Lee

=== Companies / Vendors / Products / Books

=== Connect with Uncle Marv

🌐 Website: https://www.itbusinesspodcast.com/
🎙 Host: Marvin Bee
🛒 Uncle Marv’s Amazon Store (gear & tools I recommend): https://amzn.to/3EiyKoZ
☕ Support the show: https://ko-fi.com/itbusinesspodcast

If you found value in this episode, share it with another MSP, IT provider, or tech entrepreneur. Your support helps keep practical, no-nonsense IT business conversations coming every week.

Synology has been a go‑to for a lot of us because of price, reliability, and that rich app ecosystem, but the recent changes around Active Insight, drive “compatibility,” and DSM 7.4’s storage efficiency are raising serious questions for MSPs. In this episode, I share what I’m seeing in production, how client quotes balloon when you go “all Synology,” and why these policy decisions feel less like engineering and more like a cash grab that erodes trust with partners.

From there, I pivot into some nuts‑and‑bolts network talk: why I insist on managed switches almost everywhere, how to use port statistics to find bad cabling and terminations, and where tools like the Fluke LinkIQ Duo actually fit compared to NetAlly devices. I walk through real testing examples, pricing comparisons, and when it makes sense to spend three to four grand on a network tester versus just leaning harder on managed infrastructure and monitoring.

=== Chapters

=== Shout-outs

=== TechCon Unplugged: https://www.mspunplugged.com/techcon-unplugged/

=== Companies / Vendors / Products / Books

=== SPONSORS: 

=== SHOW MUSIC: 

=== Connect with Uncle Marv

🌐 Website: https://www.itbusinesspodcast.com/
🎙 Host: Marvin Bee
🛒 Uncle Marv’s Amazon Store (gear & tools I recommend): https://amzn.to/3EiyKoZ
☕ Support the show: https://ko-fi.com/itbusinesspodcast

If you found value in this episode, share it with another MSP, IT provider, or tech entrepreneur. Your support helps keep practical, no-nonsense IT business conversations coming every week.

I’m live at Pax8 Beyond 2026 in Salt Lake City with Acronis Channel Chief Officer Alex Ruslyakov, breaking down how Acronis is protecting GenAI, simplifying MSP operations, and helping partners scale smarter. We talk AI security, automation, CyberFrame, and a new partner program that bakes business growth tools right into the Acronis platform.

From there, we zoom out to the bigger Acronis platform strategy: automation, agentic AI, third‑party integrations, and a unified console designed to cut tool overload while reducing operational overhead. Alex also walks through Partner Program 2.0, baked directly into the platform, along with CyberFrame virtual infrastructure, integrated endpoint protection, backup, disaster recovery, and even automated social media marketing to help MSPs actually find and close new business.

=== Chapters

=== Guest: Alex Ruslyakov

=== Shout-outs

=== Companies / Vendors / Products / Events

=== SPONSORS: 

=== SHOW MUSIC: 

=== Connect with Uncle Marv

🌐 Website: https://www.itbusinesspodcast.com/
🎙 Host: Marvin Bee
🛒 Uncle Marv’s Amazon Store (gear & tools I recommend): https://amzn.to/3EiyKoZ
☕ Support the show: https://ko-fi.com/itbusinesspodcast

If you found value in this episode, share it with another MSP, IT provider, or tech entrepreneur. Your support helps keep practical, no-nonsense IT business conversations coming every week.

I caught up with David Meister from Check Point live at Pax8 Beyond to dig into what they’ve really been building for MSPs the last few years. You probably know them from Avanan on the email side, but David walks me through how Check Point has pulled together Avanan, Perimeter 81, Cyberint, and the Lakera AI security acquisition into a single, multi‑tenant MSP platform with consumption‑based billing, no minimums, and no lock‑ins.

=== Chapters

=== Guest: David Meister, Check Point Software

=== Shout-outs

=== Companies / Vendors / Products / Events / Places

=== SPONSORS: 

=== SHOW MUSIC: 

=== Connect with Uncle Marv

🌐 Website: https://www.itbusinesspodcast.com/
🎙 Host: Marvin Bee
🛒 Uncle Marv’s Amazon Store (gear & tools I recommend): https://amzn.to/3EiyKoZ
☕ Support the show: https://ko-fi.com/itbusinesspodcast

If you found value in this episode, share it with another MSP, IT provider, or tech entrepreneur. Your support helps keep practical, no-nonsense IT business conversations coming every week.

ConnectWise has been talking platform for years, but David Raissipour explains what’s actually changed in the last 18 months and why MSPs should care now. We dig into how the former ASIO stack has been refocused and rebranded as the ConnectWise platform, with a single data layer, unified services, and an AI and automation layer that sits across PSA, RMM, ScreenConnect, documentation, and security.

David breaks down how ConnectWise approached their agentic platform, why they quietly rolled out a 15‑minute SLA for their managed SIEM and EDR before talking about it on stage, and what it took to hit 100% on that SLA before they felt comfortable putting their names on it. We get real about the “heavy” reputation ConnectWise had, what partner migration looks like now, and how an outsider to the MSP world thinks about listening to partners without needing to “have been an MSP” to build the right tools.

=== Chapters

=== Guest: David Raissipour

=== Shout-outs

=== Companies / Vendors / Products / Books

=== SPONSORS: 

=== SHOW MUSIC: 

=== Connect with Uncle Marv

🌐 Website: https://www.itbusinesspodcast.com/
🎙 Host: Marvin Bee
🛒 Uncle Marv’s Amazon Store (gear & tools I recommend): https://amzn.to/3EiyKoZ
☕ Support the show: https://ko-fi.com/itbusinesspodcast

If you found value in this episode, share it with another MSP, IT provider, or tech entrepreneur. Your support helps keep practical, no-nonsense IT business conversations coming every week.

Megan shares her journey from running a 30-person agency to shifting into Pisces Growth Consulting after a cancer diagnosis forced her to rethink what kind of business and life she actually wanted. She talks candidly about the difference between building a business versus just monetizing a skill, the trap of being an “accidental business owner,” and why many MSPs are trying to replace themselves in all the wrong places.

We get into the “lead gen fallacy” and why “I just need more leads” is usually code for deeper problems around positioning, offer, pricing, sales process, and client fit. Megan walks through how she helps MSPs score client quality beyond MRR, clean up bad-fit clients, and stop underpricing services so they can focus on profit, happiness, and building a business they’d actually buy themselves.

=== Chapters

=== Guest: Megan Killion, Pisces Growth Consulting

=== Companies / Vendors / Products / Books

=== SPONSORS: 

=== SHOW MUSIC: 

=== Connect with Uncle Marv

🌐 Website: https://www.itbusinesspodcast.com/
🎙 Host: Marvin Bee
🛒 Uncle Marv’s Amazon Store (gear & tools I recommend): https://amzn.to/3EiyKoZ
☕ Support the show: https://ko-fi.com/itbusinesspodcast

If you found value in this episode, share it with another MSP, IT provider, or tech entrepreneur. Your support helps keep practical, no-nonsense IT business conversations coming every week.

Nick Ross joins me live from Pax8 Beyond in Salt Lake City to walk through how Cloud Capsule is changing the way MSPs handle Microsoft 365 security and compliance. We get into the pain of running traditional assessments, chasing Secure Score, and trying to map CIS and other frameworks across hundreds or even thousands of tenants without burning out your team or living in PowerShell all day. Nick explains how Cloud Capsule was born from those real MSP struggles, and how they’re now scanning tenants in about a minute and turning that data into practical guidance MSPs can actually act on.

We also talk about Cloud Capsule’s new remediation capabilities, how they’re avoiding the “one-click chaos” trap, and why they’re focusing on proactive security instead of just reacting to alerts. Nick breaks down their capsule concept for bundling policies by client type, their support for frameworks like CIS, UK Cyber Essentials, Essential 8, and SMB 1001, and how MSPs can use the platform to standardize security without ignoring the nuances and exceptions every client inevitably has. We wrap up with how his T-Minus 365 channel feeds awareness and leads, and why he’s doubling down on content for the MSP community.

=== Chapters

=== Guest: Nick Ross

=== Companies / Vendors / Products / Books

=== SPONSORS: 

=== SHOW MUSIC: 

=== Connect with Uncle Marv

🌐 Website: https://www.itbusinesspodcast.com/
🎙 Host: Marvin Bee
🛒 Uncle Marv’s Amazon Store (gear & tools I recommend): https://amzn.to/3EiyKoZ
☕ Support the show: https://ko-fi.com/itbusinesspodcast

If you found value in this episode, share it with another MSP, IT provider, or tech entrepreneur. Your support helps keep practical, no-nonsense IT business conversations coming every week.

The pace of change in the AI market continues to accelerate, and few people have a better view of the MSP ecosystem than Rob Rae. During our conversation at Pax8 Beyond 2026, we discussed how AI has evolved from strategy discussions into implementation, execution, and measurable business outcomes.

Rob shared his thoughts on MSPs creating their own AI solutions, the importance of governance and compliance, and why the industry is still in the early stages of figuring out what works. We also revisited some of Pax8's challenges from the previous year and talked about how organizations grow through change while maintaining trust with partners.

=== Chapters

=== Guest: Rob Rae, Pax8

=== Shout-outs

=== Companies / Vendors / Products / Books

=== SPONSORS: 

=== SHOW MUSIC: 

=== Connect with Uncle Marv

🌐 Website: https://www.itbusinesspodcast.com/
🎙 Host: Marvin Bee
🛒 Uncle Marv’s Amazon Store (gear & tools I recommend): https://amzn.to/3EiyKoZ
☕ Support the show: https://ko-fi.com/itbusinesspodcast

If you found value in this episode, share it with another MSP, IT provider, or tech entrepreneur. Your support helps keep practical, no-nonsense IT business conversations coming every week.

Pax8 is planting a flag around the “managed intelligence provider” idea, and this episode unpacks how that changes the story you tell clients about AI, data, and business outcomes. I walk through what I heard in Salt Lake City, from the new AI agent store and marketplace updates to how Pax8 wants to help you go from playing with AI internally to delivering real, billable outcomes for customers.

I also have some fun with conference life: a honest rundown of the swag that worked, the swag that absolutely didn’t, and why vendors should care if their Bluetooth speaker won’t even turn off. From clever hats to custom-engraved keychains, it’s a practical look at what actually keeps your brand in an MSP’s bag instead of their hotel trash can. On top of that, I revisit my EnGenius network test, explain what went wrong, and show you how to use tools like NetAlly, iPerf3, and even simple ping and traceroute to validate your networks.

EnGenius Deep Dive Video: https://www.youtube.com/live/AWNasHLmI5E?si=hZ-c-epWWybPmPST

=== Chapters

=== Shout-outs

=== Companies / Products Mentioned

=== SPONSORS: 

=== SHOW MUSIC: 

=== Connect with Uncle Marv

🌐 Website: https://www.itbusinesspodcast.com/
🎙 Host: Marvin Bee
🛒 Uncle Marv’s Amazon Store (gear & tools I recommend): https://amzn.to/3EiyKoZ
☕ Support the show: https://ko-fi.com/itbusinesspodcast

If you found value in this episode, share it with another MSP, IT provider, or tech entrepreneur. Your support helps keep practical, no-nonsense IT business conversations coming every week.

Tim and I talk about a problem every MSP owner knows too well: ideas and insights piling up in notebooks, chats, and AI prompts that never actually turn into content, leads, or sales conversations. Tim walks through how he built a centralized “source of truth” for his learning, plugged in multiple AI models, and layered on workflows for agencies, MSPs, and solopreneurs to turn all that raw thinking into structured, publishable content.

We get into how Golden Iris helps you define your brand voice, create personas, and build repeatable approval workflows so you’re not relying on yet another random marketing tool your team will ignore. Tim shares how he’s using content harvesting, analytics, and human-in-the-loop governance to keep things safe, on-brand, and actually useful for both MSPs and the marketing agencies that support them.

=== Chapters

=== Guest: Tim Golden, Compliance Scorecard

=== Shout-outs

=== Companies / Vendors / Products / Books

=== SPONSORS: 

=== SHOW MUSIC: 

=== Connect with Uncle Marv

🌐 Website: https://www.itbusinesspodcast.com/
🎙 Host: Marvin Bee
🛒 Uncle Marv’s Amazon Store (gear & tools I recommend): https://amzn.to/3EiyKoZ
☕ Support the show: https://ko-fi.com/itbusinesspodcast

If you found value in this episode, share it with another MSP, IT provider, or tech entrepreneur. Your support helps keep practical, no-nonsense IT business conversations coming every week.