In this episode, Arlin Sorenson joins Damien to break down a harsh reality: most MSP owners are building jobs—not businesses. Drawing from decades of experience, scaling a $17M MSP, and working with thousands of owners through peer groups, Arlin explains why profitability, leadership, and mindset—not effort—determine whether you’ll ever get paid for your company.

Chapters:
0:00 - Intro
1:27 - Are you prepared for your exit?
13:58 - Growing his MSP
22:05 - Starting Peer Groups
25:23 - How farm life affected his business
31:40 - Bringing faith to work
49:50 - Advice to younger MSP owners
1:00:42 - Conclusion

Connect with Damien and Arlin:
Damien - https://www.linkedin.com/in/dstevens/
Arlin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/asorensen/

📺 Watch on YT: https://www.youtube.com/@mspmindset

In this episode, Dan breaks down exactly how he went from $1M to $55M in revenue, what actually changed at each stage of growth, and the hard decisions that made it possible—from firing clients to merging companies to bringing on private equity.

If you’re serious about scaling your MSP, this is a real-world blueprint. You’ll learn how to increase profitability, pay yourself properly, avoid burnout, and build a company that doesn’t depend entirely on you.

Chapters:
0:00 - Intro
1:24 - When burnout hit him
9:34 - Three way merger
42:53 - Prioritizing family
51:22 - Reaching 35% EBITDA at PC Miracles
1:15:18 - MSP Titan Questions

Connect more with Damien and Dan:
Damien - https://www.linkedin.com/in/dstevens/
Dan - https://www.linkedin.com/in/danizydorek/

📺 Watch on YT: https://www.youtube.com/@mspmindset

On this week's episode, Scott Breitman, President of Dymin Solutions, shares the brutal truth behind scaling an MSP: you can’t grow if you’re still the hero. From losing his entire team to rebuilding with stronger culture and systems, Scott reveals how stepping out of operations, enforcing core values, and making tough leadership decisions helped grow his MSP to $7M+.

Chapters:
0:00 - Intro
1:34 - Starting his business
10:40 - Transitioning to an MSP
22:48 - How they standardize
48:40 - What he'd do differently in business
57:57 - You gotta be all in
1:15:07 - MSP Titan Questions

Connect with Damien and Scott:
Damien - https://www.linkedin.com/in/dstevens
Scott - https://www.linkedin.com/in/scott-breitman-b38a524/

📺 Watch on YT: https://www.youtube.com/@mspmindset

What would you do if your business collapsed overnight… and your family was in danger?

In this week's episode, Roland shares how he went from running a 150-person tech company in Zimbabwe to fleeing political violence, rebuilding from scratch in the U.S., and ultimately scaling a successful MSP. From near-death experiences to closing deals in the ICU, his story of resilience and faith shows what it really takes to survive—and win—in business.

Chapters:
0:00 - Intro
1:17 - Losing everything and starting over in America
44:46 - Where he's at now
1:06:07 - MSP Titan Questions

Connect more with Damien and Roland:
Damien: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dstevens
Roland: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rolandparker/

📺 Watch on YT: https://www.youtube.com/@mspmindset

Running an MSP can feel exhausting when every client treats IT like a commodity. But when you find the right clients, something surprising happens: joy.

In this episode, Macr Mansfield, founder of Celera Networks, talks about a topic most MSP owners rarely discuss: the joy that comes from working with the right clients.

After more than two decades building and scaling his MSP, he explains how alignment with clients transforms the relationship from “the IT company” into a true strategic partner. Instead of chasing every referral, he shares how defining the right industries, understanding their technology depth, and creating strategic conversations helps MSPs find clients who truly value their expertise.

Chapters:
0:00 - Intro
1:35 - Finding the right fit customer
16:24 - Getting more of the right fit customers
29:11 - Strategic advisor for AI
42:15 - How to provide strategy for your clients
50:25 - MSP Titan Questions

Connect more with Damien and Marc:
Damien - https://www.linkedin.com/in/dstevens
Marc - https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcmansfield/

📺 Watch on YT: https://www.youtube.com/@mspmindset

In this episode, Damien sits down with Kevin, founder of ITPartners+ to unpack one of the most dramatic culture turnarounds in the MSP industry.

Kevin realized the culture inside his company had become toxic — so toxic that the only way forward was to fire every single employee and rebuild from scratch. That decision forced him to rethink leadership, hiring, culture, and what kind of company he wanted to build.

The result? Explosive growth from $3.5M to $14M, a mission-driven company culture, and a bold goal to invest $1 million per year into community impact.

Kevin also shares hard-earned lessons about escaping owner-led sales, building a real sales team, using acquisitions to scale faster, and why MSP owners must learn to get out of their own way.

Chapters:
0:00 - Intro
1:12 - Moving from break fix to MSP
4:35 - Learning his why/culture
17:00 - Setting larger goals
28:35 - How culture affects talent recruiting
31:21 - The biggest surprise from his culture turnaround
35:31 - How he's grown so quickly
44:22 - How they handle acquisitions
1:07:51 - MSP Titan Questions

Connect with Damien and Kevin:
Damien: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dstevens
Kevin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevin-damghani/

📺 Watch on YT: https://www.youtube.com/@mspmindset

Never recover alone at your MSP - Servosity co-managed backup and recovery ►► https://bit.ly/4lh8HUv

Scott (CEO of Fidelis Northwest, Seattle) shares how he’s built uncommon employee retention (median tenure ~8.6 years) by hiring “diamonds in the rough,” designing a culture that protects time, and implementing a four-day (4x9) schedule without sacrificing service delivery. You’ll hear the practical hiring filters, scheduling mechanics, and leadership mindset that make it sustainable—plus Scott’s take on AI and what it means for the future of MSP talent pipelines.

Chapters:
0:00 - Intro
1:28 - Why he hires differently
21:17 - Culture and working 4 days a week
37:16 - the Marines and what that taught him about leadership
42:06 - Not letting business define you
53:19 - Scott's thoughts on AI
1:02:00 - MSP Titan Questions

Connect more with Damien and Scott:
Damien: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dstevens
Scott: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scott-wittstock/

📺 Watch on YT: https://www.youtube.com/@mspmindset

Never recover alone at your MSP - Servosity co-managed backup and recovery ►► https://bit.ly/4lh8HUv

In this episode, Atul shares how bringing in a COO, implementing real SOPs, and redefining culture completely changed his MSP. From being lost in the weeds to building operational maturity, firing misaligned clients, and creating a team that runs without him, Atul shares what you can be doing now at your MSP to get yourself out of the weeks.

Chapters:
0:00 - Intro
1:17 - Starting his MSP and why niching was important
9:07 - Why MSPs aren't in competition
18:26 - Keeping talent in a competitive market
30:40 - Why getting a COO is important
35:16 - Starting Tech Degenerates and why it matters
54:11 - MSP Titan Questions

👉 Connect more with:
Damien - https://www.linkedin.com/in/dstevens
Atul - https://www.linkedin.com/in/abhagat/

🎙 Listen on audio:
Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/msp-mindset-with-damien-stevens/id1669572779
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5B1k3Z8qXBGBSCJeSScjBE?si=c5d185c306064520

#msp #managedservices #managedserviceprovider