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/

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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/

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

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

This episode dives deep into one of the most important conversations in the MSP industry today: the decision every owner must make—transform or exit.

Josh Peterson is joined by James Davis, a strategy advisor and fractional CSO helping APAC technology companies modernize their business models and unlock new growth.

James breaks down why MSPs remain stuck at the $1–2M ceiling, how mindset and identity prevent owners from scaling, and why advisory services, automation, and rethinking your value streams represent the biggest Blue Ocean opportunity the industry has ever seen.

• Why most MSPs plateau and how to break free

• The real difference between tactical and strategic MSPs

• Why lifestyle businesses are not a negative—and how to be intentional

• How to uncover an owner’s true motivation and purpose

• Future revenue streams: automation, advisory, and AI

• How to forecast realistically and identify risky revenue

• What Blue Ocean offerings look like for MSPs

• Why now is the most dangerous time to “wait and see”

Guest LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesdavis-strategy

Guest Website: (none listed publicly; LinkedIn primary profile)

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What happens when an MSP owner takes dispatch seriously, insists on real-time time entry, and uses data instead of gut feel to run the business? In this episode, Luis M. Alvarez, President & CEO of Alvarez Technology Group, sits down with Josh Peterson to walk through 25 years of lessons building a security-focused MSP on the California Central Coast.

Luis shares how he moved from break-fix to managed services, why agreement gross profit (AGP) became a non-negotiable metric, and how tools like ConnectWise and Cognition360 help his team decide which clients to grow and which ones to fire. Along the way, he explains why dispatch owns the tickets, the day, and the hours—and how a strong dispatcher protects both profit and client experience.

🎙 What We Cover in This Episode

• Luis’ journey from Air Force linguist to MSP CEO

• Building Alvarez Technology Group from 2-person shop to leading regional MSP

• The transition from time-and-materials to flat-fee managed services

• Hosted vs on-prem PSA/RMM and the real cost of switching tools

• Why AGP, utilization, and pull-through revenue matter more than MRR alone

• Using Cognition360, Power BI, and ConnectWise data to run the business

• Dispatch as the control tower for tickets, tech time, and client expectations

• Guardrails for scope creep and protecting project margins

• Becoming a security-focused MSP and making the stack non-negotiable

• How EOS, KPIs, and weekly rhythms keep a 25-person MSP aligned

👤 Guest Links

• Guest Website: https://www.alvareztg.com/

• Guest LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/luismalvarez

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Operational truth. Financial clarity. The real future of MSPs.

In this episode, Josh Peterson and Mordy (Morty) Hackel explore the foundations and philosophies that determine whether an MSP thrives, stagnates, or collapses under complexity. Morty brings more than two decades of New York–based MSP experience, blending technical depth with strategic insight.

Morty Hackel is Partner at KJ Technology, an MSP serving financial, professional services, and family-office clients across the New York region. In this conversation, Morty shares his journey from finance to technology, and breaks down the operational DNA required to run a resilient service organization today.

• Why gross margin is the truest measure of MSP health

• How time entry affects every financial report

• Why “hours are a perishable good” inside a services business

• The real purpose of dispatching (and how most MSPs misuse it)

• AI, automation & the next phase of MSP operations

• Sales reality: relationship sourcing vs. pipeline engineering

• How MSPs can grow beyond break/fix thinking

• The psychological journey of the aging MSP owner

• Building advisory-level relationships with clients

• What MSPs must learn before 2026 arrives

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

Company Website: https://kjtechnology.com

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What really happens after the deal closes? In this episode of the BMK Vision Podcast – From the Trenches, Josh Peterson sits down with David Spire, Chief Transformation Officer at Entech, to talk about scaling through M&A, re-signing legacy clients, and building a sales engine that actually supports enterprise value—rather than just buying your way to a number.

David shares his journey from MSP founder to merger with Entech, a Florida-based platform MSP backed by private equity. He explains how he moved from owner to CRO and now Chief Transformation Officer, where he leads M&A integration, sales structure, and cross-functional change projects that keep growth disciplined instead of chaotic.

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• Why David sold and merged his MSP into Entech—and why he’s still there years later

• The emotional and practical challenges of moving from owner to partner

• How effective hourly rate and agreement gross profit became non-negotiable metrics

• Why Entech forces 3–5-year-old contracts back to the table for re-signing

• Using “dirty invoices” and floors-with-no-ceilings to fix underpriced agreements

• Hiring philosophy: junior sellers + strong system vs “hero” senior sales reps

• How acquisition integration runs on a 6-month, 30/60/90 project plan

• Why buying a company too close to your size often creates “sibling rivalry”

• The role of organic sales in building real enterprise value before and after PE capital

• Lessons from dozens of re-signs and multiple acquisitions MSPs can apply today

Plus: David’s perspective on culture, leadership, and why predictability in systems matters more than personality in sales.

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Guest LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/entech-david/

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

⸻

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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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What happens when a high-performing Xerox rep in the late ‘80s turns copier success into a 25-year growth story—and then decides to go all-in on MSP? In this episode of the BMK Vision Podcast – From the Trenches, Dan Strull, Founder & CEO of GoodSuite, joins Josh Peterson to unpack his journey from analog copiers to managed IT, the cash-flow scars that shaped him, and why he thinks 10X growth is more realistic than 2X.

Guest Introduction

Dan Strull leads GoodSuite, a California-based provider of critical business systems that now combines managed IT, cybersecurity, managed print, VoIP, and AV solutions for hundreds of customers across the region. Starting from humble copier-dealer roots, Dan has grown the company through multiple acquisitions and a deliberate shift into MSP services—while keeping culture, community, and “living is giving” at the center of the brand. He’s also co-author of “10x Happiness,” a book on building a more intentional and joyful life.

• Moving from Xerox sales in the late ‘80s into entrepreneurship

• Launching a copier dealership and discovering cash-flow the hard way

• How Dan’s wife became CFO and helped scale past $10–12M revenue

• Transitioning from imaging-led to IT-led: ConnectWise, e-automate & CEO Juice

• Applying copier financial models to MSP agreements and gross margin

• Building a revenue team and “technology integrator” role to unify sales

• Why AV and physical security are natural extensions for copier/MSP hybrids

• 10X vs 2X thinking and the goal to grow from $13M to $25M on the same infrastructure

• The story behind 10x Happiness and decades of reading, accountability, and goal-setting

• How joy, generosity, and culture show up in GoodSuite’s day-to-day leadership

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

Company Website (GoodSuite): https://goodsuite.com

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