TubbTalk: Wired for Connection

[11] Wired for Connection: Equality, Diversity and Strong Leadership for Successful Modern MSPs

In this episode, Vera and Lenka are joined by Ben Spector. He’s Head of Solutions at Zomentum, he leads partnerships at inforcer, and he also co-chairs the GTIA UK and Ireland DEI interest group.  He also has experience as a former MSP owner turned SaaS consultant. Ben is very passionate about building inclusive spaces in the tech industry and supporting underrepresented voices, especially through community-led initiatives.  Ben shares what it means to be part of the MSP community, how he got into the industry and how his role has changed. He also shares his own take on DEI initiatives and why they matter more than ever. Ben explains why it’s important to acknowledge your own shortcomings, why we need to help people to tell their own experiences and the challenges of growing an MSP on your own.  Vera asks what Ben loves about the industry, what he would change about it and a key piece of advice he’d like to share with modern MSPs. Mentioned in This Episode In this episode, Vera and Lenka are joined by Ben Spector. He’s Head of Solutions at Zomentum, he leads partnerships at inforcer, and he also co-chairs the GTIA UK and Ireland DEI interest group.  He also has experience as a former MSP owner turned SaaS consultant. Ben is very passionate about building inclusive spaces in the tech industry and supporting underrepresented voices, especially through community-led initiatives.  Ben shares what it means to be part of the MSP community, how he got into the industry and how his role has changed. He also shares his own take on DEI initiatives and why they matter more than ever. Ben explains why it’s important to acknowledge your own shortcomings, why we need to help people to tell their own experiences and the challenges of growing an MSP on your own.  Vera asks what Ben loves about the industry, what he would change about it and a key piece of advice he’d like to share with modern MSPs. In this episode, Vera and Lenka are joined by Ben Spector. He’s Head of Solutions at Zomentum, he leads partnerships at inforcer, and he also co-chairs the GTIA UK and Ireland DEI interest group.  He also has experience as a former MSP owner turned SaaS consultant. Ben is very passionate about building inclusive spaces in the tech industry and supporting underrepresented voices, especially through community-led initiatives.  Ben shares what it means to be part of the MSP community, how he got into the industry and how his role has changed. He also shares his own take on DEI initiatives and why they matter more than ever. Ben explains why it’s important to acknowledge your own shortcomings, why we need to help people to tell their own experiences and the challenges of growing an MSP on your own.  Vera asks what Ben loves about the industry, what he would change about it and a key piece of advice he’d like to share with modern MSPs. Mentioned in This Episode * Zomentum [https://www.zomentum.com/] * MSP community: GTIA [https://gtia.org/]

[10] Wired for Connection: How Positive Thinking Makes you a Better Leader

Hannah Lloyd is the Chief Revenue Officer at Enhanced.io. She’s worked with hundreds of MSPs to launch, sell and scale cybersecurity services. She knows exactly what makes go to market strategies succeed and where they tend to stall. Hannah has held several leadership roles and her impact has already been widely recognised. She was the youngest-ever GTIA Member of the Year, receiving the GTIA UK Advancing Women in Technology Spotlight award. Hannah tells Vera and Lenka how she got into the industry and shares two little-known facts about herself. She talks about the importance of loving what you do and the power of positive thinking. Vera asks Hannah how she copes with work stress and who her mentors and inspiration are. She also shares one thing she loves and one thing she dislikes about the IT industry, as well as one key piece of advice. Mentioned in This Episode * Enhanced.io [https://enhanced.io/] * MSP Community: GTIA [https://gtia.org/] * MSP Community: IT Nation [https://itnation.connectwise.com/] * IT management software: ConnectWise [https://www.connectwise.com/] * Cybersecurity and IT management software: N-able [https://www.n-able.com/]

[9] Wired for Connection: Be Grateful, Make Human Connections & Avoid Burnout

In this episode, Lenka and Vera are joined by Amy Luby. She transforms service delivery with Agentic AI and is a GTM Strategist – Advisor. She helps MSPs scale smarter and vendors build channel engagement that converts with battle-tested strategy, operational clarity, and fearless execution. She’s spent her entire career in the MSP channel – as an MSP founder with a successful exit, a distribution leader building global NOC, Help Desk, and managed Services and a CRN Channel Chief. Amy has shaped the MSP channel itself. She's a community builder who's helped define what managed services look like on a global scale. Amy shares how she got into the industry, how her nursing career influenced how she works today, why there’s more than one way into business and how to get perspective on where you’re at. Vera asks Amy how to have more human connections and who she turns to for support. Amy shares why being out in nature is restorative and why burnout isn’t a good thing. She shares one change she’d like to see in the industry, one thing she loves about it and why we create community if we can’t find one. Finally, she shares how to be authentic in business. Mentioned in This Episode * xyntra.ai [https://xyntra.ai/] * Agentic AI [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agentic_AI]

[8] Wired for Connection: Diversity, Leadership & Being a Strong Woman in Tech

In this episode, Vera and Lenka are joined by Olivia Donnell. She’s the Director of Channel Sales for EMEA at 1Password. She's built an incredible career driving growth, inclusion and collaboration in the channel space. And she's done it all while staying true to herself. She tells them how she got started in the industry and why women can succeed in tech roles. She shares the challenge of explaining to people new to the industry what it used to be like, and why we need to keep talking about diversity. Olivia shares how she’s dealt with challenges in her work but also what she loves about the IT industry. She and Vera discuss reasons why young people prefer to work from home, and she shares one piece of advice that everyone should hear. Mentioned in This Episode * 1Password [https://1password.com/] * MSP comunity: GTIA [https://gtia.org/]

[7] Wired for Connection: Empathy and Sounding Boards: How to Deliver Partner Care

In this episode, Vera and Lenka are joined by Jessica Holmes. She’s the Senior Manager of Partner Care at ConnectWise. She leads a global team dedicated to turning complex partner challenges into solutions - and with nearly a decade in the MSP world, she knows what it takes to support people through the tough stuff and help them thrive. Her own career path took a big turn when a leader saw her potential and encouraged her to step into something new - a reminder of just how powerful it can be when someone believes in you. But Jessica’s story doesn’t stop at tech. She helps run a UK-registered dog rescue charity and also volunteers with a therapy dog organisation - work that keeps her grounded in compassion and reminds her daily of the importance of care, whether for people or pets. Jessica shares her journey into the tech industry before going into specifics about her work in partner care. She talks about how she de-escalates difficult situations and how often she’s a sounding board for people. She tells Lenka and Vera why she thinks we all need empathy training and why keynote speakers should use more positive reinforcement in their talks. She shares who’s in her support group and how she deals with frustrations. Vera asks Jessica to share her best and worst days in business, one things she’d change about the industry and what she loves about it. Mentioned in This Episode * ConnectWise [https://www.connectwise.com/] * MSP Community: The IT Nation [https://itnation.connectwise.com/]