Come to Frankly MSP Live 2020 for inspiring keynotes, practical sessions, hands-on vendor sessions, plentiful networking opportunities, and opportunities for you and your business to recharge!
See your MSP business in a new light
Frankly MSP Live 2020
2020A new content and networking experience for growth-minded managed service providers
Jan 13-15, 2020 - Santa Barbara, CA
Learn from keynote speaker Mike Michalowicz
Former MSP now bestselling author of The Toilet-Paper Entrepreneur, The Pumpkin Plan, Profit First, and more
Enjoy hard-hitting content from a kicking roster of speakers
Go 1:1 in the Frankly MSP Brain Trust Lounge
We're lining up 10 of the brightest minds in the MSP industry for a networking session like no other. Sign up for 1:1 quick-fire sessions with these experts and ask them anything you want about the industry or your business.
Meet the Brain Trust
Talk shop with the Auvik product team
Have a product idea that’ll make your Auvik experience even better? Want to weigh in our product roadmap and influence future enhancements? Sign up for a 1:1 Product Talk with an Auvik product manager and be a changemaker.
Will you take the plunge?
Kick off your Frankly MSP Live experience with a swim in the bracing January temperatures of the Pacific Ocean! Swimmers earn a custom t-shirt and towel—and full bragging rights.
Mike Michalowicz
Bestselling author, Profit First
By his 35th birthday, Mike Michalowicz had founded and sold two multi-million dollar companies. Confident he had the formula to success, he became an angel investor…and proceeded to lose his entire fortune. Then he started all over again, driven to find better ways to grow healthy, strong companies. Among other innovative strategies, Mike created the “Profit First Formula”, a way for businesses to ensure profitability from their very next deposit forward. Mike is now running his third million-dollar venture and is the former MSNBC business make-over expert. He is the author of Profit First, Surge, The Pumpkin Plan and The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur.
OPENING KEYNOTE
Profit First: How to be Profitable by Your Very Next Deposit
Tiffani Bova
Bestselling author, Growth IQ
Growth & Innovation Evangelist, Salesforce
Tiffani Bova is the growth and innovation evangelist at Salesforce, a bestselling author, and host of the popular podcast, What's Next! with Tiffani Bova. Over the past two decades, she has led large revenue-producing divisions at businesses ranging from startups to Fortune 500 companies. She spent 10 years at Gartner, a top IT research and advisory firm. Bova’s cutting-edge insights have helped Microsoft, Cisco, IBM, VMWare, Amazon-AWS, and other technology companies expand their market share and grow their revenues. Tiffani is considered one of the early pioneers of cloud-based sales strategies, and completely reinvented indirect go-to-market tactics for several hardware and services businesses.
KEYNOTE
Creating an Inspired Customer Experience
Nigel Moore
Founder, The Tech Tribe
Nigel is the founder and Chief Tribal Elder of the Tech Tribe, a community of hundreds of MSPs around the world. Nigel started in the IT support space back in 2003 and eventually sold his MSP in 2016. Nigel and the other Tribal Elders now mentor, train, and create resources for MSPs to better equip them to build, run, and grow a successful MSP.
CLOSING KEYNOTE
Mastering the MSP Mindset
Kris Blackmon
Senior Editor, Channel Futures
Kris Blackmon is a Content Director at Informa Tech and Senior Editor of both Channel Partners and Channel Futures. An award-winning journalist and veteran content producer for the B2B technology sector, Kris leads the prestigious annual MSP 501 initiative and is responsible for MSP community engagement strategies.
SESSION
What Makes a 501er?
MSPs are constantly faced with complex business decisions. How and what should I charge? What should the benchmark be for revenue per employee? What should I look for in a vendor program? How can I up my managed security game? In this session, Kris Blackmon of Channel Futures and the MSP 501 shares data-based best practices of the top 501 MSPs in the world. She’ll hit the highlights of the report and take questions from MSPs in the audience about what makes a 501 winner.
Mark Horstman
Co-founder, Manager Tools
Mark Horstman is co-founder of Manager Tools, a management consulting and training firm. He’s also co-host of the Manager Tools podcast, the #1 business podcast in the world, with over 2 million downloads a month. Virtually all of the Fortune 500 are clients of Manager Tools, including Apple, General Motors, Microsoft and Salesforce.com. The firm trains thousands of managers throughout the world every year. Mark is also the author of The Effective Manager, a bestseller on Amazon, and the soon to be published The Effective Hiring Manager. He’s a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point.
SESSION
The Single Most Important Management Tool: One on Ones
Mark Horstman will tell you why one on ones are the most important management tool in the manager's arsenal to achieve results and retention. Relationships and communications matter greatly to create a trusting, professional relationship between the manager and direct. Mark will discuss a simple and unique model, that if followed with moderate discipline, will actually buy back time in the manager’s busy schedule.
Luis Alvarez
President & CEO, Alvarez Technology Group
Since founding Alvarez Technology Group, Inc. (ATG) in 2001, president and CEO Luis Alvarez has helped the company grow from a two-person consultancy to a premier technology solutions provider in California, delivering security, Internet of Things (IoT), and IT services to more than 200 companies throughout the state. An expert in business process flow, Luis designed iTeamSM, ATG’s service delivery system. He has received numerous accolades and awards, most notably landing on the MSPMentor 250 list as well as leading the company to an appearance on the Inc. 5000 Fastest-Growing Private Companies five years in a row.
SESSION
IoT Monitoring and Management: The Next Big Thing in Managed Services
Monitoring and managing Internet of Things (IoT) environments is a real opportunity for managed services providers who’ve been focused on traditional IT. Smart infrastructure, which is really what IoT is all about, is growing at an exponential rate, and companies are struggling to manage what they already have much less what’s coming down the road. In this session, MSP veteran Luis Alvarez will discuss how he built an IoT business, then pivoted to launch a separate business for the company’s IoT offerings, giving him a leg up on the competition.
Amy Babinchak
Owner, Sell My MSP
Amy is the owner of three IT-related businesses—Harbor Computer Services, Third Tier, and Sell My MSP—and has been working in the IT field for more than 20 years. Amy values technology for what it does for people and the success it brings to business. Although she’s very technical, her focus has always been on the success of the business and understanding that technology has no purpose other than to make businesses great. Amy has been a Microsoft MVP for 14 years, has received numerous leadership awards, and is a valued member of various boards guiding business growth, acquisitions, and partnerships.
SESSION
Positioning Your MSP for Growth
We all know that there’s been a big shift in the market from on-premises infrastructure to cloud. But many MSPs haven’t changed the services they provide to position their company for growth in this new reality. Amy has completely shifted her MSP’s toolset to practices that bring more value to her clients after they make the move to the cloud. The results have been astounding: Amy’s 19-year-old MSP doubled in size within 18 months. In this session, she’ll show you where the market is headed and how you can make the same shift, resulting in growth for your company and a great valuation too.
Rob Rae
VP, Business Development, Datto
As VP of Business Development at Datto, Rob oversees many of the company’s programs including community, events, vendor management, and the partner advisory board, all with the goal of helping MSPs grow. Rob has 25 years of sales experience, all of it with 100% channel-focused organizations. His extensive awards and recognition within the channel include being Datto’s CRN Channel Chief every year since joining Datto.
SESSION
State of the MSP Channel
The MSP channel continues to grow exponentially. What’s driving that growth? What are the additional opportunities we should all be looking at? Where is this all going? The goal of this session is to not only cover these questions but also prepare the channel for what we’re not thinking about. As we scale and get bigger and better, we’re getting a lot of bad actors’ attention. What can and should we be doing to prepare for that?
Josh Weiss
Founder and president L.A. Creative Technologies
Josh Weiss is the founder and president of L.A. Creative Technologies, an LA-based MSP. He has over a decade of experience in the technology and entrepreneurial worlds, with a deep understanding of the creative sector. Over the last decade he’s created products that offer a human-centered approach to digital infrastructure implementation. His company is at the forefront of IT innovation and is known for its creative tools and services designed to boost productivity, enhance revenues, and allow their clients to have more time to go to yoga and or watch Game of Thrones. Josh is also an accomplished DJ and will be spinning tunes for Tuesday night’s Vision Party.
SESSION
Solutions for Scalability: Tools, Automation, and Outsourcing for the Lean MSP
Digital tools, automation, and outsourcing are three essential aspects of holistic modern tech infrastructures. They can save time and money, and—most importantly—help deliver better customer service and products. Learn how virtual team members along with the right process and tech tools can encourage dynamic leadership within your organization, deliver a stellar experience to your clients, multiply the efficiency of your staff, and enforce industry best practices among your team.
Erick Simpson
Founder & CEO ErickSimpson.com
Co-founder of one of the first pure-play MSPs in the industry, Erick Simpson is an IT and managed services business improvement and transformation expert. Erick is experienced in improving top- and bottom-line business performance by increasing operational efficiencies, boosting marketing and lead generation outcomes, accelerating sales velocity, shortening sales cycles, and maximizing service delivery efficiencies. Erick is the creator of the MSP Mastered® methodology for managed services business performance improvement and the Vendor Channel Maturity Level Index™ that identifies IT channel program maturation for strategic growth.
SESSION
Sell 40% More Services and Solutions to Existing Clients Using a Technology Roadmap
How much of your top-line revenue depends on your success at closing business with new logos? During this session, Erick Simpson reveals a step-by-step strategic process to methodically market to, present, and close business with your existing clients and keep your pipeline full, quarter after quarter. Erick’s Strategic Technology Road-Mapping and QBR Techniques are proven, effective techniques you can leverage to boost existing client sales by 40% or more. Session attendees receive a Client Technology Roadmap and QBR Agenda Template.
Alex Hoff
Co-founder and Chief Product Officer, Auvik Networks
As co-founder and Chief Product Officer at Auvik Networks, Alex Hoff heads up product development for the company’s network management software. Prior to co-founding Auvik, Alex was a senior product manager at Sandvine, a publicly traded company that sells networking solutions to some of the biggest telecom companies in the world to help them manage their network resources more efficiently. Alex has a degree in computer science and an MBA.
SESSION
You Had Me at Hello: How to Build Company Culture and Bring It to Life
Building a vibrant culture from the ground up isn’t easy—it takes consistency, care, and thoughtfulness. And once you build it, how do you maintain culture through growth? Alex Hoff shares how the founders of Auvik built its famous culture, how they maintain it, and the challenges that lay ahead.
Ryan Denehy
CEO, Electric AI, Inc.
Ryan is a three-time entrepreneur whose previous technology companies were successfully acquired by USA TODAY and Groupon. Now as the founder and CEO of Electric, Ryan is leveraging data and automation to deliver enterprise-grade IT services to small and midsize companies all over the US. Since its founding in 2016, Electric has raised $39 million and currently employs a team of 150 full-time employees across four offices in the US and abroad.
SESSION
Reinventing IT And Your Bottom Line With Automation
Automation is a hot topic these days. But what's real and will automation really help your MSP business? In this session, Ryan Denehy of Electric will debunk the myths, and highlight the pros and cons of automation in modern IT services. He'll also share practical tips to increase your MSP business margins while making clients happier.
Luis Alvarez
President & CEO, Alvarez Technology Group
Since founding Alvarez Technology Group, Inc. (ATG) in 2001, Luis Alvarez has helped the company grow from a two-person consultancy to a premier technology solutions provider in California, delivering security, Internet of Things (IoT), and IT services to more than 200 companies throughout the state. An expert in business process flow, Luis designed iTeamSM, ATG’s service delivery system. He has received numerous accolades and awards, most notably landing on the MSPMentor 250 list as well as leading the company to an appearance on the Inc. 5000 Fastest-Growing Private Companies five years in a row.
You may want to ask Luis about:
- Developing an IoT service offering
- Improving your business processes, in particular around the EOS system
- The importance of continuous customer feedback, like CSAT and NPS
- Becoming a managed security service provider (MSSP)
- Adding video surveillance as a service
Rayanne Buchianico
Owner, ABC Solutions
Rayanne Buchianico, EA is the owner of ABC Solutions, LLC in Clearwater, Florida, providing accounting, business, and tax consulting services to IT professionals in the United States and abroad. She’s a Certified QuickBooks Professional Advisor and regularly offers courses and blogs tips on QuickBooks. Rayanne is also a partner with Sell My MSP, a listing service helping buyers and sellers of IT firms find each other. With expertise in managed service providers, Sell My MSP provides unique guidance through the merger and acquisition process including business valuation services. Rayanne holds an accounting degree and is enrolled to practice before the Internal Revenue Service.
You may want to ask Rayanne about:
- Managing business finance, profitability, key performance indicators, and financial metrics
- Developing and calculating business valuation
- Building a profitable business for growth, scalability, or sale
- Structuring creative financing for a sale or merger
- Structuring, implementing, and managing PSA tools and automation
Corey Kirkendoll
President & CEO, 5K Technical Services
Corey Kirkendoll is a visionary and the driving force behind 5K Technical Services, a multi-award-winning IT service company serving SMB clients throughout the North Texas area. He’s been an entrepreneur for 13 years and has over 27 years of experience in the information services and technology sector, working for IBM, Cisco Systems, Dell, EMC, and VMware. A recognized leader in the channel, Corey represents his peers on the CompTIA Managed Services Community Executive Council. He has influenced the growth of many MSPs across the country.
You may want to ask Corey about:
- Establishing long-term client relationships
- Working collaboratively with vendors
- Leveraging Auvik to grow your business
- Developing and enforcing consistent processes in your MSP
- Building and leading a high-performance team
Richard Tubb
IT consultant
Richard Tubb is one of the best-known experts within the global IT managed service provider (MSP) community. He launched and sold his own MSP business before creating a leading MSP media and consultancy practice. Richard helps IT business owner’s take back control by freeing up their time and building a business that can run without them. He’s the author of the book The IT Business Owner’s Survival Guide and writer of the award-winning blog www.tubblog.co.uk
You may want to ask Richard about:
- Ways to become a better leader
- How to become your vendor’s favorite MSP partner
- Business networking for geeks
- How MSPs can do social media right
- Outsourcing your way to MSP success
Karl Palachuk
IT consultant
Karl W. Palachuk has been an IT consultant since 1995 and is one of the pioneers of the managed services business model. Karl is the founder of the Small Biz Thoughts Community and maintains four blogs, including Small Biz Thoughts and Relax Focus Succeed. He has owned several small businesses, including two very successful managed service companies. He was an active, hands-on systems engineer until January 2017. Karl now provides coaching and consulting services to IT professionals of all sizes. He’s the author of 20 books, most of which are also available as audio books.
You may want to ask Karl about:
- Rebuilding your culture as your company grows
- Hiring good techs when the market is crazy hot
- Work-life balance in an IT business
- Practical tips for making money with all this “new” technology
- Insurance and ransomware
Nigel Moore
Founder, The Tech Tribe
Nigel is the founder and Chief Tribal Elder of the Tech Tribe, a community of hundreds of MSPs around the world. Nigel started in the IT support space back in 2003 and eventually sold his MSP in 2016. Nigel and the other Tribal Elders now mentor, train, and create resources for MSPs to better equip them to build, run, and grow a successful MSP.
You may want to ask Nigel about:
- Increasing your personal productivity and managing your mindset
- Strategies to grow your MSP with better sales and marketing
- Getting the best possible deal structure in an M&A deal
- Systemizing the bejeepers out of your MSP with documentation and SOPs
- Finding, attracting, and keeping great team members
Greg Sharp
Managing Director, Base 2
Greg Sharp founded and sold two successful technology companies before founding Base 2 in 2008, an MSP that now boasts 40 staff and annual revenue of more than $8 million. The company has won four MSP 501 awards and eight New Zealand industry awards. Base 2 has successfully acquired three other companies and has created a formula to follow when buying and integrating new teams. Under Greg’s leadership, Base 2 also created and launched an MSP software product called ZenContract. Greg was the first CISSP in New Zealand, and is a regular speaker across Australia and New Zealand on high-performance team culture.
You may want to ask Greg about:
- Building a customer-obsessed team culture
- Running an effective due diligence process for acquiring an MSP
- Acquiring and integrating new MSP companies into the fold
- Commercializing your MSP secret sauce in the MSP industry
- Using a customer advisory board to drive product delivery
Jennifer Bleam
CEO, MSP Sales Revolution
Jennifer Bleam is an award-winning speaker and a respected leader in the IT channel. She has coached nearly 1,000 MSPs on marketing and sales best practices, based on real life success as an MSP business owner. Jennifer also grew a channel-only cybersecurity software firm from startup to acquisition in less than 2 years. Part of her role included coaching MSPs on how to sell cybersecurity to small and medium-sized companies. She founded MSP Sales Revolution to help MSPs master the art of cybersecurity sales quickly, easily, and profitably.
You may want to ask Jennifer about:
- The best ways to sell cybersecurity to your existing client base
- A framework for analyzing cybersecurity vendors
- Which sales and marketing metrics to track
- How to position your company as a cybersecurity expert
- Conquering the fear and doubt that hold you back from making the leap into cybersecurity
Barbara Paluszkiewicz
CEO, CDN Technologies
Barbara Paluszkiewicz, CDN Technologies CEO, is the author of IT Scams: How To Avoid Being Ripped Off and talk show host of KNOW Tech Talk. Over the course of her 20 year career in IT, she has been known for her ability to present highly technical information in a clear, easy to understand manner. A frequent expert guest on ABC, NBC, CBS, City TV & FOX TV news and talk shows, Barb speaks on the dangers of ransomware and tech developments that save companies big money on their IT systems and critical data security.
You may want to ask Barb about:
- What podcasting can do for your business
- How to build a culture of sales and service
- How to calculate your cost per endpoint
- Her MSP mistakes—and how you can avoid them
- What you must know before selling your IT company
Juan Fernandez
Vice President, Managed IT Services, ImageNet Consulting
Juan has been invested in improving business outcomes through technology his whole career. He’s been working in and developing the IT industry for over 26 years, with a technology, security and compliance vision for small business, government, education, healthcare, and finance. Juan is a frequent speaker at industry events, and won the 2018 Continuum MSP Shark Tank for best security and services presentation. He sits on the CompTIA Channel advisory board, Forbes Magazine Technology Council, Konica Minolta Global IT Services Council, Unitrends Partner Advisory board, HP DaaS Advisory Committee for Device as a Service, WatchGuard advisory board, and has worked with many other channel companies to develop the future of technology and XaaS models.
You may want to ask Juan about:
- XaaS and the new market place: How to package your services for the future
- Growing your MSP the right way and implementing a culture of winning
- The “diet plan” and how to help your customers adopt a digital transformation
- The layers of your offering and how to make them as good as a piece of cake
- An effective pitch and how to focus on what the customer wants through delivering outcomes