#57 – From the Trenches: Lifestyle Growth, Cyber Insurance & the 15-Year Exit (Brian Welch – Welch Technology Services)

What happens when an MSP owner decides that growth has to serve life—not the other way around? In this From the Trenches conversation, Josh Peterson talks with Brian Welch, founder and president of Welch Technology Services, LLC, about building a sustainable MSP in New Jersey, choosing the right clients, and setting a clear 15-year path to an eventual exit.

Brian shares how he left an acquired IT firm to start his own company, the emotional cost of hiring friends, and why he now values slow, deliberate growth that lets him be present as a father. They dive into cyber insurance questionnaires, Microsoft security defaults, and real-world ransomware stories that are finally waking small businesses up to cybersecurity risk. Along the way, Brian explains how The 20 and Robin Robins have shaped his pricing, marketing, and support model—and why documenting a real plan beats living from a never-ending to-do list.

🎙 What We Cover in This Episode

• Leaving an acquired IT company to start an MSP on your own

• How culture shifts after acquisition can push great people out

• Hiring friends vs. hiring family—and learning from painful lessons

• Choosing clients you actually like and protecting your time

• Designing a 15-year plan to sell the business and retire

• Cyber insurance questionnaires & small-business security reality

• Microsoft security defaults, MFA prompts and client education

• Using The 20 and Robin Robins to shape pricing and service delivery

• Networking via chambers vs. purchased lists and cold outreach

• Documenting goals, milestones and initiatives instead of “just a to-do list”

👤 Guest Links

Guest: Brian Welch – Welch Technology Services, LLC

🌐 Website: https://www.welchts.com/

🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-welch-16581979

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