MSP Mindset with Damien Stevens

Oct 8, 2026

AI Is Changing the MSP Business Model

Ready to break free from limited vendor connectors? Check out the MSP Skills Repo and connect your entire stack:➡️ https://compoundingteams.com/youtube In this episode, Sumeet returns for his third appearance to unpack what AI means for the future of MSPs. The conversation goes beyond AI tools and automation to explore how MSPs need to rethink the value they deliver, why CEOs (not just CTOs) need to lead AI adoption, and why vertical expertise and clean, accessible data are becoming critical MSP competencies. The big shift? Clients don't actually want AI. They want outcomes. And that affects h

Aug 6, 2026

This MSP Built an AI Marketing Department

Ready to break free from limited vendor connectors? Check out the MSP Skills Repo and connect your entire stack to agentic AI: ➡️ https://compoundingteams.com/youtube In this week's episode, Damien sits down with Mike Bramm to explore an AI-driven marketing engine that combines AI agents, automated outreach, content creation, lead enrichment, SEO monitoring, and workflow automation into one operating system. Mike isn't a developer or marketer—he's an MSP owner who solved a business problem by creating an AI team that helps him generate visibility, scale marketing, and spend more time growing t

Jul 23, 2026

Stop Reselling AI. Start Solving Business Problems.

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Jul 16, 2026

The MSP of the Future, According to the Guy Building It

Ready to break free from limited vendor connectors? Check out the MSP Skills Repo and connect your entire stack to agentic AI: ➡️ https://compoundingteams.com/youtube In this week's episode, Ryan Barton, CIO at New Charter, shares what the MSP of the future actually looks like. After building and exiting his own MSP, Ryan founded an AI lab that was acquired by New Charter, where he now leads AI strategy across 35 operating companies and 1,500 employees. He breaks down why MSP economics are still 85-90% labor, how his lab built AI tooling years before the market caught up, and why the biggest b

Jul 9, 2026

Treat AI Like a Coworker, Not a Tool

Ready to break free from limited vendor connectors? Check out the MSP Skills Repo and connect your entire stack to agentic AI: ➡️ https://compoundingteams.com/youtube In this week's episode, Luis Alvarez shares about what it means to treat AI like a coworker, not a tool. He breaks down how his MSP is using an AI agent named Fred to assist with tickets, client communication, Microsoft Teams support, dispatch workflows, documentation, and technician enablement. We also explore the cultural side of AI adoption, why clients still value human relationships, and how AI may force MSPs to rethink pric

Jul 2, 2026

The MSP 3.0 Shift Is Here

Ready to break free from limited vendor connectors? Check out the MSP Skills Repo and connect your entire stack to agentic AI: ➡️ https://compoundingteams.com/youtube The MSP industry is entering a new era. MSP 3.0 is no longer about keeping servers patched, lights blinking, and tickets closed — it is about using AI, automation, and business intelligence to help clients drive real outcomes. In this week's episode, Gerry Miller, CEO of Cloudticity, comes on to unpack what the MSP 3.0 shift really means. He shares how Cloudticity moved from traditional managed services into an AI-powered operati

Jun 25, 2026

From 37 to 24 Staff... And Revenue Doubled

Ready to break free from limited vendor connectors? Check out the MSP Skills Repo and connect your entire stack to agentic AI: ➡️ https://compoundingteams.com Most MSP owners believe growth requires more technicians, more managers, and more overhead. But what if the opposite were true? In this episode, Bryon Beilman (CEO of Iuvo) shares how his company achieved something almost unheard of in the MSP industry: reducing headcount from 37 employees to 24 while doubling revenue. Even more surprising, the team now has more capacity, less stress, and more freedom to focus on strategic work than ever

Jun 18, 2026

He Built an AI Business From His MSP

Ready to break free from limited vendor connectors? Check out the MSP Skills Repo and connect your entire stack to agentic AI: ➡️ https://compoundingteams.com/youtube In this week's episode, Shane Naugher, CEO of Innovative Automations, joins the show to unpack how he transformed his MSP experience into a new AI and automation business. He shares the hard lessons learned behind selling AI services, why project-based automation can destroy margins, how scope creep led to a 20x budget overrun, and why MSPs need to think beyond simply reselling vendor AI tools. We also dive into AI governance, re

Jun 11, 2026

How a “Non‑Technical” Founder Built World‑Class Agent Tools — with Matt Van Horn

In this week's episode, Matt Van Horn, creator of Last 30 Days, CLI Printing Press, and Agent Cookie, joins the show to unpack how AI agents are changing what non-engineers can build. Matt shares how he went from sales and business development to creating world-class agent tools, why CLIs may be the missing bridge between AI and real business systems, and how MSPs can start using agents to move faster, automate deeper, and build workflows that were previously impossible. Connect with Damien and Matt: Damien - https://www.linkedin.com/in/dstevens/ Matt - https://x.com/mvanhorn 🎙 Listen on audi

Jun 4, 2026

The AI Layer Every MSP Is Missing

Every Thursday, I build AI agents in Claude Code with other MSP owners. It’s live, free, and on screen. Join our next build ➡️ https://compoundingteams.com In this episode, Damien talks with Laith Palawan, CEO of Orange Crew and founder of Bloom Logic, about why AI is becoming the next major differentiator for MSPs. Laith explains how every modern business is drowning in scattered data across email, tickets, phone calls, Teams, Zoom, CRM, QuickBooks, and documents — and why MSPs are uniquely positioned to help clients make sense of it all. Laith shares how he built an AI company alongside his

May 28, 2026

AI Agents Are Replacing MSP Busywork

Every Thursday, I build AI agents in Claude Code with other MSP owners. It’s live, free, and on screen. Join our next build ➡️ https://compoundingteams.com/ In this week's episode, Damien sits down with Robert Burke, CEO of Core12 and founder of Sobo, to discuss how AI agents are changing the future of MSP operations. He shares how Core12 grew 62% last year and is trending above 68% this year by using AI agents to handle repetitive internal work that once required manual effort. He shares their shift from traditional managed services to becoming a Managed Intelligence Provider — combining IT s

May 21, 2026

What 20 Years of AI Taught This MSP

Ready to build agents in your MSP? Join our build sessions todady ➡️ https://compoundingteams.com In this week's episode, Damien sits down with Jon Salisbury, CEO at Nexigen, to talk about what 20 years of AI experimentation has taught him as an MSP leader. Jon explains why MSPs should stop thinking only in terms of tools and start focusing on use cases, governance, literacy, data quality, and culture. He also breaks down why “locking down” AI is not enough, and why creating a safe “Golden Road” may be the best way to reduce shadow AI and help clients adopt AI responsibly. Chapters: 0:00 - Int

May 14, 2026

Customer Zero: Why this MSP Dogfoods AI Before Selling It

Ready to build agents in your MSP? Join our build sessions today ➡️ https://compoundingteams.com In this episode of MSP Mindset, we're joined by Ben Smoker, CEO of Sota, a top 10 MSP in the UK, about why Sota chose to dogfood AI internally before selling it to customers. Instead of leading with tools or rushing a new offer to market, Sota spent months testing AI across finance, HR, compliance, sales, service, and back-office workflows to understand what actually saves time, where governance matters, and how MSPs can create meaningful client outcomes with AI. Chapters: 0:00 - Intro 2:43 - How t

May 7, 2026

He Used AI to Close 20% More Deals + Get Clients Excited for QBRs

Ready to build agents in your MSP? Join our build sessions today ➡️ https://compoundingteams.com In this week's episode, Damien sits down with John Snyder, CEO of Net Friends, to unpack how he used AI to improve client reporting, reduce wasted scoping time, and increase project win rates from 47% to 65%. He shares how his team moved from reports nobody read to QBR-style insights that got clients responding within minutes, asking better questions, and requesting follow-up meetings. Chapters: 0:00 - Intro 1:38 - What they're doing with AI currently 14:04 - His AI QBR reports that get real result

Apr 30, 2026

AI + Automation = 10X Capacity for Your MSP

What happens when an MSP goes all-in on automation first—and then layers in AI the right way? In this episode, Brian Luckey (CIO of Integris) reveals how his team scaled capacity exponentially, saving tens of thousands of hours, increasing profitability, and transforming how work gets done across the organization. If you’re still relying on traditional service models, this conversation will show you why the future belongs to MSPs who combine automation, clean data, and AI-driven workflows to do more with less. Chapters: 0:00 - Intro 0:56 - Saving 35,000 hours 17:55 - Changes to the L1, L2, L3

Apr 16, 2026

Why Hard Work Won’t Save Your MSP

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

Apr 9, 2026

From $1M to $55M MSP and How You Can Do It Too

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 Mira

Apr 2, 2026

Why Letting Go Grew This MSP to $7M+

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

Mar 26, 2026

He Lost Everything… Then Built a Successful MSP

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 Da

Mar 19, 2026

The Joy In Finding the Right Clients

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