TubbTalk: The Podcast for Managed Service Providers

[189] The Final TubbTalk: Saying Goodbye to Tubblog

As Richard hangs up his headphones on TubbTalk, the podcast for managed service providers, he shares his final thoughts on his experiences of almost 20 years of running Tubblog, the hub for MSPs. In this short solo show, he talks about the evolution of Tubblog and how it’s been a journey of consistency. He shares what the blog became and what it’s done for him, both personally and professionally. He celebrates his friends and mentors, shares what’s next and how you can stay up to date with his plans. He also shares his three words for 2025 and how they’ve inspired him, and gives his final thoughts. Mentioned in This Episode * Personal website: Richard Tubb [https://richardtubb.co.uk/] * GoodReads author page: Richard Tubb [https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7383328.Richard_Tubb] * Connect with Richard on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardtubb/]

[188] MSP Exits Uncovered: Everything You Wanted to Know (But Didn't Ask)

In this episode, Richard talks to Laura Cook. She’s a strategic advisor who helps expert business owners earning between 250k and £3 million break free from the trap of being tied to the day-to-day business. She works with founders who feel stretched thin and want to scale the business without losing quality or burning out. She positions them for freedom for growth and even multimillion pound exits. Laura has helped numerous business owners to triple their valuations, slash their working hours and build businesses that thrive without them. Richard asks Laura what business owners should do if they don’t think they need an exit strategy or think the company can’t run without them. She shares her advice for preparing for unexpected time off, setting up processes for others to follow and how to strategically prepare your MSP for sale. Laura talks through how to make yourself a good financial acquisition and why the specific vendors in your stack matter less than the tools you offer. She talks honestly about how to sell a family or close-knit business and what to do if you think your exiting would rock the boat. Laura explains that you don’t have to transition all in one go, and touches on both the emotional side of a business exit, having the right mindset and how to deal with a sense of loss once you do leave. And if you’re feeling burnt out, why you shouldn’t just jump ship. Richard asks Laura to talk about some of the practicalities, too. She addresses how to assess the value of your MSP and why having a niche can make your MSP more valuable. She also explains why you should plan your exit even if you change your mind later. Mentioned in This Episode * Laura Cook website [https://laura-cook.com/] * PSA/RMM tool: SuperOps [https://tubblog.co.uk/vendor/superops/] * IT management software: ConnectWise [https://www.connectwise.com/] * PSA software: Autotask [https://www.datto.com/products/autotask-psa/] * Book: Michael Gerber: The E-Myth Revisited [https://www.amazon.co.uk/Myth-Revisited-Small-Businesses-About/dp/0887307280/] * Personal brand expert: Laura Pearman [https://laurapearman.com/] * Personality test: Gallup StrengthsFinder [https://www.gallup.com/cliftonstrengths/en/254033/strengthsfinder.aspx]

[187] Smarter MSPs, Microsoft 365 & The Future of Managed Services

In this episode of TubbTalk, Richard talks to Scott Riley. He’s the founder of Inside Agent, a platform that makes complex M365 security an absolute breeze for managed service providers. His journey has taken him from being Chief Strategy Officer at one of the UK's largest MSPs, then running his own successful cloud solution provider business, to building this platform that helps MSPs work smarter, not harder. Scott talks about how he got into the industry and explains what Cloud Nexus (his other company) does. He shares why he started Inside Agent and how they’re leveraging AI. Richard asks Scott how the platform keeps client data safe, how to use it for prospecting and how it helps with scalability and consistency. They discuss the pricing and contract setup and how to deploy Inside Agent for the first time. Scott shares his learnings from past challenges, why you need to value your people, who his mentors and inspirations are, and who he is outside of work. And he also shares a long-held belief he’s changed his opinion about. Mentioned in This Episode * Inside Agent [https://insideagent365.com/] * Cloud Nexus [https://cloudnexus.co.uk/] * AI tool: ChatGPT [https://chatgpt.com/] * AI workflow automation: n8n [https://n8n.io/] * Automation platform: Zapier [https://zapier.com/] * Speaker and author: Karl Palachuk [https://karlpalachuk.com/] * MSP expert: Erick Simpson [https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericksimpson/] * AI tool: Claude [https://claude.ai/] * Documentation Software: IT Glue [https://www.itglue.com/] * Microsoft Secure Score [https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/security/business/microsoft-secure-score] * Bearded 365 Guy: Inside Agent video demo [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jrLZwR3ceN8] * MSP community: The Tech Tribe [https://tubblog.co.uk/techtribe/] * IT expert: Lyle Kirschenbaum [https://www.linkedin.com/in/wired-lylekirshenbaum/] * IT expert: Dan Baird [https://www.linkedin.com/in/djbaird/]

[186] Better MSP Sales: No Hard Sell, Just More Confidence

In this interview, Richard Tubb talks to Kristian Walker. He’s an Account Executive - New Business at Huntress. Huntress are one of the world’s leading cybersecurity organisations. Kristian has been making waves sharing some great advice on MSP sales through his online videos. Kristian talks about his journey in the IT sector and what a typical day looks like for him. Richard asks him to share why many MSPs struggle with sales and his view on sales. Kristian talks through how to demonstrate the real value in MSP services, why your approach to client sales has to change and the biggest mistake he sees MSPs make with sales, as well as why engineers should get involved in sales chats. Richard asks Kristian for his top tips for better sales conversations, as well as the single thing you can do to have more sales in the rest of 2025. Kristian also explains the  Neighbourhood Watch solution from Huntress, what MSPs want (and don’t want) from vendors and what to look for in partner relationships. Richard asks Kristian how he started making videos for LinkedIn and how it feels to put yourself out there. He shares why a mindset shift will give you more confidence to do video, why you don’t need fancy kit to get started, and the responses he’s had to what he puts out.  Finally, Richard asks what’s the best part of Kristian’s job, what the job has taught him about himself and who he is outside of work. He also shares who inspires him in and out of the MSP world. Mentioned in This Episode * Huntress [https://tubblog.co.uk/vendor/huntress/] * IT solutions: Datto [https://www.datto.com/] * Author and speaker: Karl Palachuk [https://karlpalachuk.com/] * MSP community: GTIA [https://gtia.org/] * Sales development leader at Huntress: Tracie Orisko [https://www.linkedin.com/in/tracie-orisko/] * VP Ecosystem Evangelism at ConnectWise: Arlin Sorensen [https://www.linkedin.com/in/asorensen/] * Sales engineer at Huntress: Sasha Roshan [https://www.linkedin.com/in/sasha-roshan-48a5a7152/] * MSP community: The Tech Tribe [https://tubblog.co.uk/techtribe/] * Video platform: Bonjoro [https://www.bonjoro.com/]

[185] How NetSec Became Emerging MSP of the Year

In this episode, Richard talks to Myles Peart. He's the Technical Director of NetSec, a UK-based managed service provider. The company recently won a prestigious MSP award from SuperOps and were named Emerging MSP of the Year. Myles talks about the experience of entering awards and what it’s like being a winner. He shares his journey in the MSP space, how he set NetSec up, their current tool stack and how his wife came to join the company. Richard asks Myles to explain why he encourages platform unification for SMBs and how his clients find using M365 almost exclusively. They discuss why a focus on cybersecurity is a good idea and the value in forming strategic business alliances. Myles shares the NetSec approach to customer relationships and why the company focused on successful project delivery in their early days. He talks about how he keeps up with the pace of tech changes and his experiences working with coaches for business and health.  Mentioned in This Episode * NetSec [https://netsec.org.uk/] * PSA/RMM platform: SuperOps [https://tubblog.co.uk/vendor/superops/] * SuperOps MSP awards [https://superops.com/msp-awards/2024] * Cybersecurity tool: Heimdal Security [https://heimdalsecurity.com/] * Password manager: Keeper Security [https://www.keepersecurity.com/] * Cloud backup: N-able Cove [https://www.n-able.com/products/cove-data-protection/backup] * Email signature software: Exclaimer [https://exclaimer.com/] * Certification: Cyber Essentials [https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/cyberessentials/overview] * Microsoft automation tool: Power Automate [https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/power-platform/products/power-automate] * Scott Riley [https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottriley76/] of Inside Agent * News site: Legal News Wales [https://www.legalnewswales.com/] * Tech careers for young people CyberFirst [https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/cyberfirst/overview] * UK government security centre: NCSC [https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/] * David Brereton [https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidbrereton/] of MysonPages * Automation platform: Zapier [https://zapier.com/] * Business event: Ideas Fest [https://ideasfest.uk/] * Entrepreneur seminar: James Sinclair Business Master Class [https://www.jamessinclair.net/business-masterclass-2025]