Podcasts about SMB

A popular startup belief says your VP of Sales should “carry a bag” and close deals when they start.The logic sounds reasonable: if they can't sell, how can they lead a sales team? But that idea misunderstands what a real VP of Sales is actually hired to do.In this episode, Ray breaks down why asking a VP to carry a quota creates a direct conflict of incentives, attracts the wrong candidates, and is usually a sign the company isn't actually ready for a VP of Sales yet.If you're a founder or CEO thinking about hiring your first VP of Sales, this episode will help you avoid a costly mistake and understand what problem you actually need to solve first.What You'll Learn in This Episode• Why legitimate VP of Sales candidates won't accept roles that require them to carry a quota• The incentive conflict that happens when a VP is asked to sell while building a team• How needing a quota-carrying VP is usually a signal your company isn't ready for one yet//Welcome to The Ray J. Green Show, your destination for tips on sales, strategy, and self-mastery from an operator, not a guru.About Ray:→ Former Managing Director of National Small & Midsize Business at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, where he doubled revenue per sale in fundraising, led the first increase in SMB membership, co-built a national Mid-Market sales channel, and more.→ Former CEO operator for several investor groups where he led turnarounds of recently acquired small businesses.→ Current founder of MSP Sales Partners, where we currently help IT companies scale sales: www.MSPSalesPartners.com→ Current Sales & Sales Management Expert in Residence at the world's largest IT business mastermind.→ Current Managing Partner of Repeatable Revenue Ventures, where we scale B2B companies we have equity in: www.RayJGreen.com//Follow Ray on:YouTube | LinkedIn | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Most MSP leaders wildly underestimate how long it takes a new sales rep to actually produce.On a recent coaching call with 15 MSPs, someone asked me a simple question: How long should it really take to ramp a full-cycle outside sales rep? The common answers—“six months,” “nine months,” “once they learn the product”—all miss the point.In this episode, I break down a rule of thumb I've used for years: your real ramp time is 2.5–3× your average sales cycle. That ratio captures the hidden work most leaders forget—learning the company, building pipeline, and then actually running deals through your process.If you're hiring sales reps, planning headcount, or trying to figure out whether a new rep is actually behind—or just on a realistic timeline—this framework will change how you think about ramp time.What You'll Learn in This EpisodeWhy the real ramp time for a sales rep is 2.5–3× your average sales cycleThe three phases of ramp most companies underestimate: learning the company, building pipeline, and running dealsWhy using a fixed ramp number like “nine months” creates bad expectations for leadership and reps//Welcome to The Ray J. Green Show, your destination for tips on sales, strategy, and self-mastery from an operator, not a guru.About Ray:→ Former Managing Director of National Small & Midsize Business at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, where he doubled revenue per sale in fundraising, led the first increase in SMB membership, co-built a national Mid-Market sales channel, and more.→ Former CEO operator for several investor groups where he led turnarounds of recently acquired small businesses.→ Current founder of MSP Sales Partners, where we currently help IT companies scale sales: www.MSPSalesPartners.com→ Current Sales & Sales Management Expert in Residence at the world's largest IT business mastermind.→ Current Managing Partner of Repeatable Revenue Ventures, where we scale B2B companies we have equity in: www.RayJGreen.com//Follow Ray on:YouTube | LinkedIn | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Brand decisions don't have to be personal. The best rebrand leaders know how to take the emotion out and replace it with clear criteria. ✅In this episode of The Debrief, Focus Lab CEO Bill Kenney sits down with Beth Forester — now CEO of Animoto, and VP of Marketing during their rebrand — to explore how intentional process and clear decision-making can be the difference between a brand project that stalls and one that actually succeeds.Animoto was shifting its market position from consumer to SMB, carrying four iterations of their old brand across their product experience, and accumulating brand debt fast. What followed was one of the most structured, stakeholder-savvy approaches to a rebrand we've seen.In this episode, Bill and Beth cover:Building internal alignment before agency engagement ever beginsUsing the RACI framework to manage input and keep decisions movingNavigating the logo phase before opinions start to outweigh criteriaDefining success metrics early to keep brand decisions objectiveIf you're a B2B marketing or brand leader heading into a rebrand — or trying to figure out how to get your organization aligned before one — this episode offers a practical, grounded look at how to lead the process with clarity and confidence.---Episode ResourcesLearn More about AnimotoThe RACI Matrix---Focus Lab is an established B2B brand agency that believes, without question, that the most successful companies are the ones who invest in branding. Focus Lab creates transformative B2B brands that resonate with their customers and stand out as industry leaders. Through a proven process and a shared commitment to create unforgettable experiences, we develop true partnerships that help B2B brands become their boldest, most original selves.---STAY IN TOUCH:Subscribe to our newsletterFollow us on LinkedInSubscribe to our YouTube ChannelFollow Us on InstagramLooking for a brand agency? We would love to hear from you. Email us: hello@focuslab.agency

I started noticing something while I was shopping for hair loss pills — Hims, Keeps, Roman, all of them — and every single one had the exact same rule: you can only buy in five or six month blocks. No one-month trial, no cancel anytime. And once I figured out why, I realized it was one of the smartest business moves I'd ever seen. In this episode, I break down why most companies are optimizing for the sale when the really smart ones are optimizing for what happens after it, why short commitments are quietly destroying retention, and why the easiest growth strategy most businesses ignore is simply stopping the bleeding on churn.//Welcome to The Ray J. Green Show, your destination for tips on sales, strategy, and self-mastery from an operator, not a guru.About Ray:→ Former Managing Director of National Small & Midsize Business at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, where he doubled revenue per sale in fundraising, led the first increase in SMB membership, co-built a national Mid-Market sales channel, and more.→ Former CEO operator for several investor groups where he led turnarounds of recently acquired small businesses.→ Current founder of MSP Sales Partners, where we currently help IT companies scale sales: www.MSPSalesPartners.com→ Current Sales & Sales Management Expert in Residence at the world's largest IT business mastermind.→ Current Managing Partner of Repeatable Revenue Ventures, where we scale B2B companies we have equity in: www.RayJGreen.com//Follow Ray on:YouTube | LinkedIn | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Complaints from employees can be intimidating for any leader, but especially in an SMB where you don't have HR or anyone in HR with this kind of depth. This episode breaks down the immediate steps you must take when an employee brings forward an alarming complaint to avoid legal issues and protect your organization. You need to know which kinds of complaints come with legal obligations and which don't and then how to avoid making the situation worse. Key Takeaways: 5️⃣ 5 steps during the initial complaint meeting.

After Megan McGee pivoted her search fund to a self-funded approach, she bought a business where she wanted to settle.Register for the webinars:  From Owner to Owner: Business Transition Lessons - Thu March 12 - https://bit.ly/4ctCJCwTopics in Megan's interview:Family background in pest controlInternship with previous guest Edward McDonnellStarting out in traditional searchInvestors declined to support a deal she lovedPivoting to self-funded searchDeciding not to buy her dad's businessBuying Virginia Guesthouses without an SBA loanBuying from a young sellerManaging 75 propertiesHer profitable first yearReferences and how to contact Megan:LinkedInTato Corcoran's recap episode: How to 4x a Small ManufacturerEdward McDonnell on Acquiring Minds: Taking a Single-City Acquisition NationwideMatt Orley on Acquiring Minds: Buying for Brand (Then Growing 4x)GuesthousesGet a free review of your books & financial ops from System Six (a $500 value):Book a call with Tim or hello@systemsix.com and mention Acquiring MindsDownload the New CEO's Guide to Human Resources from Aspen HR:From this page or contact jenny@aspenhr.comGet complimentary due diligence on your acquisition's insurance & benefits program:Oberle Risk Strategies - Search Fund TeamConnect with Acquiring Minds:See past + future interviews on the YouTube channelConnect with host Will Smith on LinkedInFollow Will on TwitterEdited by Anton RohozovProduced by Pam Cameron

SummaryOn this episode of the Startup Junkies podcast, Alex Kruchten, co-founder of Hemut, joins Caleb Talley and Harrison Kitson to share his journey from adventurous student to tech entrepreneur and how Hemut is revolutionizing the trucking industry.Alex unpacks the founding story of Hemut, a venture born from the resourcefulness of his co-founder, who overcame extraordinary odds and built a multimillion-dollar trucking operation in his teens. Together, their team identified a major problem: trucking companies rely on outdated systems, with most current Transportation Management Systems (TMS) dating back to the ‘90s or early 2000s. Hemut's mission is to modernize these processes, eliminating unnecessary middlemen, and finally giving trucking companies the automation and workflow efficiency they deserve.The conversation highlights Hemut's unique approach, including co-locating their development team within client offices to ensure rapid iteration based on real-time user feedback. Alex also explains how programs like Y Combinator and Arkansas's Fuel Accelerator expanded their network, opening doors to communities geared toward supporting high-growth tech businesses.Beyond the business, Alex emphasizes the power of genuine relationships, taking risks, and the value of authentic connection. To sum up, this episode isn't just about tech innovation; it's a powerful story of resilience, teamwork, and the importance of community—one that every entrepreneur will find both insightful and inspiring. Tune in today!Show Notes(00:00) Introduction(05:56) Reluctance to Full Commitment(06:35) Modernizing Transportation Management Systems(09:52) User-Centered Software Development Strategy(13:16) The Impact of Fuel Accelerator(16:27) Big-City Perks in Arkansas(20:32) Hemut's Scaling and Expansion Plan(25:07) Consumer Interest Over Transactionality(30:15) Embrace Risks for Growth(31:38) Closing ThoughtsLinksCaleb TalleyHarrison KitsonStartup JunkieStartup Junkie YouTubeAlex KruchtenHemut

The episode centers on D&H's strategic approach to vendor selection, AI program development, and partner enablement within the evolving landscape for MSPs and IT solution providers. Colin Blair, Executive Vice President for cybersecurity at D&H, details a governance-driven process for curating vendor relationships, with emphasis on aligning with Gartner quadrant leaders, peer insight metrics, and channel-partner readiness. D&H's focus remains on SMB and mid-market segments where complexity is increasing, especially around compliance, data governance, and cybersecurity. Supporting this curated model, Colin Blair notes that D&H maintains onboarding rigor but rarely offboards vendors within its advanced solutions group, citing ongoing hyper-growth and the need to continuously add value for partners. The vendor evaluation emphasizes data-driven benchmarks and sustained relationship-building at industry events. The company is prioritizing supply chain strength for MSPs, driven by measurable factors such as profitability, cultural compatibility, and proven channel strategies. The conversation also highlights the expansion of the Go Big AI program, which aims to increase AI literacy among both partners and end customers. Training initiatives reached over 5,000 partners, focusing on foundational applications like Microsoft Copilot and AI PCs, while acknowledging that project success is heavily dependent on data quality and governance. Use cases where implementations see traction are typically well-defined, such as Vision AI for video analytics in healthcare and security verticals. The need for tailored, consultative conversations is cited as significant, as end customers and partners often lack clarity on automation priorities or AI readiness. The implications for MSPs and IT leaders are pragmatic: sustainable advantage is less about technology adoption and more about managing operational complexity, ensuring data governance, and enhancing cybersecurity postures. Decision-makers are cautioned to assess both the maturity and applicability of AI solutions, invest in targeted literacy and consultation, and anchor their vendor relationships in measurable business value. The focus should be on careful risk management, transparent partnership evaluation, and supporting clients through consultative, outcome-driven initiatives rather than broad or speculative technology bets.

If you have ever walked into a doctor's office with real perimenopause symptoms and been told you are too young, this conversation will feel validating.In this episode, Madge Rumman, co-founder of Blair Health, shares how women can access specialist-level menopause care without waiting months for referrals or feeling dismissed in primary care. We talk about why menopause is diagnosed based on symptoms rather than blood tests, what often gets missed in traditional healthcare, and how to trust what your body is telling you.Madge also explains how Blair Health combines licensed providers with structured digital assessments and responsible AI to deliver personalized menopause treatment plans in a regulated, clinically grounded way. Beyond individual care, we explore how midlife health affects career progression, leadership pipelines, and why employers should be paying attention.This is a conversation about access, validation, and action. Whether you are navigating menopause yourself, supporting women in your workplace, or building in women's health tech, you will walk away with clarity on what to look for and what to do next.Chapters:

Jonathan Taylor has quickly grown revenue 40% at his acquisition through digitization, process improvement, and sales.Topics in Jonathan's interview:Searching while working full-timeHis “now or never” moment approaching 40Restricting his search to Los AngelesOver-equitizing the dealStructuring a forgivable seller noteAccepting 60% ownershipFinding long-term hold investorsBuying from a non-retiring sellerChristian stewardship principlesGrowing revenue 40%References and how to contact Jonathan:LinkedInAEK TechnologyPhil Koller on Acquiring Minds: Comfortable Concentration for a $800k SDE BusinessShaun Stimpson on Acquiring Minds: Started Mid-Career, Grew to $38m in 3 YearsLearn more about Walker Deibel's done-with-you buy-side advisory:The Acquisition LabGet complimentary due diligence on your acquisition's insurance & benefits program:Oberle Risk Strategies - Search Fund TeamGet a free review of your books & financial ops from System Six (a $500 value):Book a call with Tim or hello@systemsix.com and mention Acquiring MindsConnect with Acquiring Minds:See past + future interviews on the YouTube channelConnect with host Will Smith on LinkedInFollow Will on TwitterEdited by Anton RohozovProduced by Pam Cameron

Market segmentation driven by rising memory costs is actively restructuring the endpoint device landscape, leading to margin redistribution across the technology stack. Apple exemplified this bifurcation strategy by launching an entry-level MacBook Neo at $599 built on the A18 Pro iPhone chip, while simultaneously increasing prices on other MacBook Air and Pro models by $100 to $400 in response to global memory shortages. This deliberate move separates high-margin premium hardware from low-cost devices, effectively diminishing the traditional mid-tier device segment where most SMB and MSP standards have typically been positioned. Supporting data highlights the broader industry impact: 62% of small businesses report ongoing supply chain disruption, affecting pricing, timing, and availability, according to recent NFIB survey data. Component suppliers such as Broadcom are capturing upstream value, with a reported 29% year-over-year revenue increase driven by concentrated AI infrastructure demand. Omnia's forecast anticipates a significant smartphone shipment decline in 2026, primarily attributed to rising memory costs and uneven impact, disproportionately squeezing entry-level devices while preserving premium margins. A parallel challenge emerges within organizational governance and service delivery. The Logicalis Global CIO Report 2026 found over half of CIOs believe AI adoption is outpacing their management capabilities, with 90% of organizations lacking internal technical expertise yet 72% planning further AI investment. This gap between ambition and readiness, combined with traditional ticket-based operating models, means unmanaged risk increases as businesses prioritize speed over structured governance. Internal IT builds are increasingly abandoned, with 71% of IT and security leaders reporting failure to meet on-time and budget targets, signaling that velocity and accountability, not just ticket closure, are becoming core client expectations. Implications for MSPs and IT service providers are immediate and operational. Service models must account for hardware segmentation by incorporating differentiated support structures for entry-level versus premium devices. Increased complexity and support demands from constrained hardware will compress margins unless properly priced and standardized. MSPs are positioned closest to liability accumulation as clients face both hardware refresh and AI adoption without sufficient internal expertise. Advisory frameworks should address total cost of ownership, memory shortage context, and governance gaps, productizing assessments and redesigning service delivery for speed with explicit controls to manage risk. Three things to know today 00:00 Memory Costs Squeeze Entry-Level Hardware as Suppliers Capture Margin Upstream 02:24 Apple's $599 MacBook Neo Signals a Split Hardware Strategy, Not a Budget Play 04:22 IT Service Models Built on Approvals Are Losing to Speed-First Competitors 06:57 Why Do We Care?  Supported by:

I've been listening to a lot of sales coaching calls this week, and I keep hearing the same blind spot from managers over and over again. There are two distinct things you have to address when you're coaching someone — the person and the process — and most coaches are only doing one. In this episode, I break down why the process-only coach runs an informational boot camp that nobody acts on, and why the people-only coach just gets their team fired up to execute the wrong things with maximum enthusiasm. The real skill isn't just knowing both levers — it's knowing which one to pull with the right person at the right moment.//Welcome to The Ray J. Green Show, your destination for tips on sales, strategy, and self-mastery from an operator, not a guru.About Ray:→ Former Managing Director of National Small & Midsize Business at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, where he doubled revenue per sale in fundraising, led the first increase in SMB membership, co-built a national Mid-Market sales channel, and more.→ Former CEO operator for several investor groups where he led turnarounds of recently acquired small businesses.→ Current founder of MSP Sales Partners, where we currently help IT companies scale sales: www.MSPSalesPartners.com→ Current Sales & Sales Management Expert in Residence at the world's largest IT business mastermind.→ Current Managing Partner of Repeatable Revenue Ventures, where we scale B2B companies we have equity in: www.RayJGreen.com//Follow Ray on:YouTube | LinkedIn | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Learn about scoliosis rehab with Lauren Ferrante, PT, DPT, OCS. Explore home exercises, manual therapies, and AT tools for scoliosis. Q: What are the most important home exercises for scoliosis? A: Key home exercises focus on spinal mobility, especially for those who sit frequently. Cat-cows and thoracic rotation are crucial. Depending on comfort level, core activation exercises like supine marches or dead-bug isometrics are beneficial. When supine, tactile cues help maintain spinal symmetry. Bridges or modified side planks are good starting points, with progression as needed. Q: Which scoliosis treatment method is best for high school age, considering the Schroth Method helps the 10-15 age group? A: The Schroth Method can be used for older populations, but it is generally less effective for high school age individuals compared to younger ones. For this age group, focusing on functional core strengthening can also be beneficial. Q: Are Pilates or yoga safe and recommended for young athletes with scoliosis? A: Yes, Pilates and yoga are highly recommended for individuals with scoliosis, including young athletes. These activities promote continued mobility and strength, which are vital for managing scoliosis. The most important aspect is to find an activity they enjoy and consistently engage in it. Q: What manual therapies are effective for scoliosis, and is dry needling helpful? A: Effective manual therapies include thoracic gapping and rib mobilizations, particularly in a side-lying position to encourage rib expansion. The specific therapy depends on the patient’s individual needs and curve patterns. Dry needling is not frequently utilized for scoliosis treatment according to the provided information. Q: How often are lordotic curves seen in individuals with thoracic scoliosis? A: Lordotic curves are quite common in individuals with thoracic scoliosis. If a person has a mid-thoracic curve, their body often adjusts by developing a compensatory lordotic curve. Therefore, this presentation is observed frequently. Q: How do current trends, such as phone and gaming use, contribute to setbacks or overcorrection in scoliosis? A: The impact of phone and gaming trends on scoliosis setbacks depends on individual patient motivation and activity levels. For athletes, it’s often less of an issue, as it’s unrealistic to maintain one position for extended periods. For minimally active individuals, parental encouragement to move around every hour, regardless of the activity, is important. Q: How often are active populations braced for scoliosis? A: Braces for scoliosis are typically prescribed by pediatric orthopedic specialists. For junior high and high school-aged children, as they mature, the need for braces often decreases, and they may not be in them very much. Q: What are the three most important practical tools for Athletic Trainers (ATs) regarding scoliosis? A: The three most important practical tools for Athletic Trainers when addressing scoliosis are observation for signs of scoliosis, implementing exercises on a mat or table, and utilizing a wall for exercises with minimal equipment. Contact Us Jeremy Jackson Benjamin Stephenson Layci Harrison Mark Knoblauch Ashlyne Elliott Leslie Bennett Sponsor List Frio Hydration – Superior Hydration products. Xothrm – Best heating pad available – Use “SMB” or email info@xothrm.com and mention the Sports Medicine Broadcast. Donate and get some swag (like Patreon but for the school) HOIST – No matter your reason for dehydration, DRINK HOIST MedBridge Education – Use “TheSMB” to save some money, be entered in a drawing for a second year free, and support the podcast. Marc Pro – Use “THESMB” to recover better. Athletic Dry Needling – Save up to $100 when registering through our link.

I came across a clip of Alex Hormozi responding to a roofer at one of his workshops — a guy doing $6 million a year who wants to get to $100 million without losing time with his family — and what Alex said applies to basically every business owner I know. In this episode, I break down why wanting it all isn't a hard formula, it's a losing one. Aggressive growth, fat margins, and maximum family time are all worthy goals, but each one has a real cost, and those costs compete with each other. Most people refuse to pick, and that's exactly why they feel stuck, guilty, and frustrated all the time. There are two paths out, and I want to walk you through both of them.//Welcome to The Ray J. Green Show, your destination for tips on sales, strategy, and self-mastery from an operator, not a guru.About Ray:→ Former Managing Director of National Small & Midsize Business at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, where he doubled revenue per sale in fundraising, led the first increase in SMB membership, co-built a national Mid-Market sales channel, and more.→ Former CEO operator for several investor groups where he led turnarounds of recently acquired small businesses.→ Current founder of MSP Sales Partners, where we currently help IT companies scale sales: www.MSPSalesPartners.com→ Current Sales & Sales Management Expert in Residence at the world's largest IT business mastermind.→ Current Managing Partner of Repeatable Revenue Ventures, where we scale B2B companies we have equity in: www.RayJGreen.com//Follow Ray on:YouTube | LinkedIn | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

The hosts preview an upcoming Patreon episode about self-hosted, locally run AI for clients who want AI-powered editing without sending sensitive content to cloud services like ChatGPT, Gemini, or Claude. Jerry describes setting up a local AI system for a client to refresh medically based academic writings while keeping privacy, noting most of the solution was free aside from the computer, and contrasts this with internet-connected autonomous AI bots that require credentials and could be influenced by other bots online. The conversation broadens into Patreon topics about business operations, client attrition and return, and discussing sensitive client situations more freely.   They discuss hardware and product preferences, including choosing iPhone models (with repeated recommendations for an iPhone Pro), interest in a MacBook with built-in cellular to avoid carrier hotspot throttling, and debates about MacBook Pro battery life versus MacBook Air. Sam explains he switched work email to Outlook on Mac and iPhone due to Apple Mail reliability issues and to better separate work from personal notifications, while others compare Apple Mail smart mailboxes to Outlook's saved searches and discuss organizing workflows with smart folders and flags.   Sam recounts testing whether an iPad could serve as a second travel workstation for a client who relies on an on-prem Mac server (SMB file sharing and FileMaker Server). They run into clunky SMB workflows in iPad Files/Word, inability to favorite deep SMB paths, OneDrive-first behavior in Word, and a FileMaker version mismatch where an older iPad (limited to iOS 16) can't connect to the newer FileMaker server. They consider shortcuts like web clips but conclude a second MacBook would be simpler.   The episode also covers a bug on iOS/macOS 26 where Microsoft 365 accounts in Apple's native Internet Accounts setup appear authenticated but don't actually work, leading them to use Outlook as a workaround and consider resetting MFA/credentials. They close with a story about extending the usability of a 10-year-old MacBook Pro by installing Firefox ESR, and discuss typical Mac lifespan expectations and guidance for clients on replacement timelines.   00:00 Self‑Hosted AI Teaser: Keeping Client Content Private 02:20 Wild West AI Agents: Credentials, Bot Networks & Security Risks 03:34 On‑Prem vs Cloud (and Why VPN Matters) 05:19 Patreon Plug: Business Ops, Client Attrition & "Juicy Stories" 08:16 iPhone Upgrade Debate: Pro vs Air, Foldables & Pro Cameras 09:04 Dream MacBook Features: Built‑In Cellular, OLED & Battery Life 15:42 Switching Mail Clients: Outlook for Work, Sanity on iPhone 18:28 Email Overload & Smart Mailboxes: Apple Mail vs Outlook Searches 26:56 iPad as a Work Device? Real‑World Client Scenarios 29:02 Why the On‑Prem Mac Server Can't Be Easily Replaced (SMB, Screen Sharing, FileMaker) 29:52 iPad + SMB Shares: VPN Access Works, But Favorites and Navigation Don't 31:38 Editing Word Docs from a Server: Share Sheet Confusion & Save Behavior 32:25 OneDrive Defaults, Hazel Watch-Folder Ideas, and the "Just Use a MacBook Air" Moment 34:21 Shortcut Hack: Using Web Clips to Jump Straight to Deep Server Folders 36:13 The Dealbreaker: Old iPadOS vs New FileMaker Server Compatibility 37:43 Remote Setup via MDM + VPN Profile (and the Keyboard/Mouse Reality Check) 39:11 Multitasking Limits on iPadOS 16: Split View vs Modern Windowed Apps 41:32 Microsoft 365 Login Bug on iOS/macOS 26: No Password Prompt, Account Weirdness 46:04 Workarounds and Client Perception: "Just Use Outlook" (and Why That Stings) 47:53 Wrapping Up: Keeping Old Macs Alive (Firefox ESR) and How Long Apple Silicon Will Last 52:50 Final Thoughts & Sign-Off

I was coaching an MSP seller recently, and she kept asking me the same question — when I hear a problem, why wouldn't I just address it right then? It's a fair instinct, but it's also exactly what's killing deals. In this episode, I use a trial lawyer analogy to explain why the best sellers treat discovery like cross-examination — pulling information, staying patient, and never mixing the case-building with the closing argument. If you're pitching solutions mid-discovery, you're leaving facts on the table and signaling that you're there to sell, not to understand. Discovery is where you build the case. Closing is where you present it.//Welcome to The Ray J. Green Show, your destination for tips on sales, strategy, and self-mastery from an operator, not a guru.About Ray:→ Former Managing Director of National Small & Midsize Business at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, where he doubled revenue per sale in fundraising, led the first increase in SMB membership, co-built a national Mid-Market sales channel, and more.→ Former CEO operator for several investor groups where he led turnarounds of recently acquired small businesses.→ Current founder of MSP Sales Partners, where we currently help IT companies scale sales: www.MSPSalesPartners.com→ Current Sales & Sales Management Expert in Residence at the world's largest IT business mastermind.→ Current Managing Partner of Repeatable Revenue Ventures, where we scale B2B companies we have equity in: www.RayJGreen.com//Follow Ray on:YouTube | LinkedIn | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

You drop into an iMessage quick tip and quickly branch into a whole toolkit for running your Apple life smarter. You learn faster ways to edit messages, how Slack's up-arrow muscle memory carries over, and why platforms limit your edit window. From there, the show rolls into clever NFC and QR workflows for appliance manuals, Time Machine fixes over SMB on Synology, and a deep dive on spam and email hygiene: Fastmail's undelete safety net, SaneBox's smart filtering, Apple Mail's categories, plus when to reach for SpamSieve or even your own chatbot to watch junk folders so you Don't Get Caught losing important mail. The crew also compares real‑world email providers, DNS setups (Cloudflare, Google, Quad9), and router‑level changes that stabilize your network. You get a reality check on legacy cruft—Trip Mode, MacFUSE, ancient launch agents—still loading after years of Migration Assistant, and how tools like Lingon and CleanMyMac help you audit what's secretly running. On the fun-and-productivity side, you hear honest impressions of Apple Vision Pro: tabletop-style multiplayer games like Demeo, surprisingly usable virtual desktops, the importance of dual straps and decent cases, and when to skip hotel Wi‑Fi in favor of hotspots or a UniFi travel router so your Macs, iPads, and headsets all “think” they're at home. 00:00:00 Mac Geek Gab 1131 for Monday, March 2nd, 2026 March 2nd: National Banana Cream Pie Day MGG Monthly Giveaway – Enter to win a copy of SoundSource from Rogue Amoeba! Congrats to February's winners! The MGG Merch Store is Live! Quick Tips 00:00:01 Fernando-QT-Command+E lets you edit your most recent iMessage on the Mac 00:07:39 Ian-QT-Put NFC Tags or QR Codes on your tools with links to user manuals iFixIt Repair Guides and Manuals 00:11:03 That's not Multitasking, That's Cheating 00:13:16 Ben-QT-Select & Move Junk Mail Without Displaying its Content Private Internet Access hides you from spammers 00:15:03 Ernesto-How do you deal with spam email? SaneBox 00:25:20 Fastmail DOES offer a restore-from-backup option 00:27:13 Build domain-specific rules to filter spam SpamSieve 00:31:34 David-Which email provider do you use? Dave – Fastmail and Gmail Adam – Gmail/Google and iCloud Pete – Bluehost and iCloud 00:34:42 Migrating mail to a new provider Sponsors 00:38:24 SPONSOR: Gusto. Get three months free when you run your first payroll when you start at gusto.com/MGG 00:39:54 SPONSOR: BBEdit, the power tool for text from Bare Bones Software; now with integrated Notebooks and extended language support. Audit your apps, Login Items, and Launch Agents 00:41:22 Pilot Pete-QT-MacOS 26 How I Fixed My Time Machine Backups on Synology after Tahoe 00:44:53 Tanel-DGC-Be aware of what you installed years ago MacFUSE CleanMyMac Lingon 00:54:10 Will-QT-DNS Adjustment fixes Hinky Internet (That's a Technical Term!) Cloudflare DNS: 1.1.1.1 Google DNS: 8.8.8.8 Quad9: 9.9.9.9 OpenDNS What do you use for Wi-Fi in Hotel Rooms? 01:00:13 UniFi Travel Router 01:02:15 Tethering to your iPhone Your Questions Answered and Tips Shared! 01:06:40 Rob-How do you like your Apple Vision Pro? How do you use it? Demeo on Apple Vision Pro, Meta Quest, and more Syntech Apple Vision Pro Case Belkin Case for Apple Vision Pro 01:22:06 MGG 1131 Outtro MGG Monthly Giveaway Bandwidth Provided by CacheFly Pilot Pete's Aviation Podcast: So There I Was (for Aviation Enthusiasts) The Debut Film Podcast – Adam's new podcast! Dave's Business Brain (for Entrepreneurs) and Gig Gab (for Working Musicians) Podcasts MGG Merch is Available! Mac Geek Gab YouTube Page Mac Geek Gab Live Calendar This Week's MGG Premium Contributors MGG Apple Podcasts Reviews feedback@macgeekgab.com 224-888-GEEK Active MGG Sponsors and Coupon Codes List BackBeat Media Podcast Network

After his first ownership experience ended badly, Joe Springsteen bought a $3.2m maintenance business that is thriving.Topics in Joe's interview:Background in law and operationsDivorce as a catalyst for changeAcquiring a biohazard cleanup businessDoing cleanup himselfHis original growth thesis failedSelling the cleanup businessHis “Codie Sanchez phase”Prioritizing geography in his searchAcquiring an exterior cleaning businessBuilding competitive advantageReferences and how to contact Joe:LinkedInjoe@mallardsystems.comMallard SystemsSam Rosati on Acquiring Minds: Shortening Your Search: Big 3 Little 2Work with an SBA loan team focused exclusively on helping entrepreneurs buy businesses:Pioneer Capital AdvisoryGet a complimentary IT audit of your target business:Email Nick Akers at nick@inzotechnologies.com, and tell him you're a searcherDownload the New CEO's Guide to Human Resources from Aspen HR:From this page or contact jenny@aspenhr.comConnect with Acquiring Minds:See past + future interviews on the YouTube channelConnect with host Will Smith on LinkedInFollow Will on TwitterEdited by Anton RohozovProduced by Pam Cameron

SummaryThe latest episode of the Startup Junkies podcast shines a spotlight on the enduring legacy and forward-thinking strategies of ACC Capital (formerly Arkansas Capital Corporation). Host Caleb Talley, joined by Jeff Amerine, welcomes Sam Walls, who shares the rich history and impact of ACC in Arkansas's entrepreneurial ecosystem.From its inception in the 1950s, ACC played a pivotal role in driving economic development and entrepreneurship in a state once plagued by poverty and limited capital. Sam details how ACC, born out of the vision of leaders like Winthrop Rockefeller, became a “third leg” in supporting capital needs, working alongside the state and private sector to bring manufacturing to Arkansas. Over the decades, ACC expanded its services, from pioneering SBA and USDA-guaranteed lending to launching Arkansas's first in-state SBIC venture capital fund and leading initiatives like the Governor's Cup business plan competition.Additionally, the episode highlights ACC's bold leap into the federal EB-5 immigrant investor program, which contributed nearly six hundred million dollars to transformative projects like Big River Steel in Mississippi County. For those passionate about economic development, this episode is an inspiring look at how steady vision and adaptability can create lasting impact. To learn more about ACC Capital or the Governor's Cup, listen to the full conversation!Show Notes(00:00) Introduction(05:58) Diverse Economic Development Initiatives(08:18) Arkansas Capital's Foundational Impact(16:03) Collaborating with an Abundance Mindset(21:20) EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program(25:13) Perseverance Amid Financial Struggles(29:30) Congressional Testimony on Job Creation(37:46) Balancing Capital and People(45:45) National Presence and AccessibilityLinksCaleb TalleyDaniel KoonceStartup JunkieStartup Junkie YouTubeSam WallsACC Capital

I've been parting ways with service providers left and right lately, and it all comes down to the same thing — AI slop. In this episode, I break down why the vendors using AI to do the same old work faster are actually accelerating their own irrelevance, and I use a simple analogy to explain it: the hay delivery guy who got a Model T and thought he was winning. There's a fork in the road right now for every knowledge worker, and most people are picking the wrong path without even realizing it. I want to talk about what separates the people who will thrive from the ones who won't see it coming.//Welcome to The Ray J. Green Show, your destination for tips on sales, strategy, and self-mastery from an operator, not a guru.About Ray:→ Former Managing Director of National Small & Midsize Business at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, where he doubled revenue per sale in fundraising, led the first increase in SMB membership, co-built a national Mid-Market sales channel, and more.→ Former CEO operator for several investor groups where he led turnarounds of recently acquired small businesses.→ Current founder of MSP Sales Partners, where we currently help IT companies scale sales: www.MSPSalesPartners.com→ Current Sales & Sales Management Expert in Residence at the world's largest IT business mastermind.→ Current Managing Partner of Repeatable Revenue Ventures, where we scale B2B companies we have equity in: www.RayJGreen.com//Follow Ray on:YouTube | LinkedIn | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Solve a real buyer problem. Build enterprise value. Exit on your terms.In this episode of the She Leads Podcast, Kelly Parker shares how she built Send Ribbon, a bootstrapped corporate gifting company acquired by UrbanStems, by focusing on one overlooked opportunity: solving real pain points for real buyers.With just $5,000 and no outside funding, Kelly launched her business at 27 after years inside high growth companies like Indeed, WeWork, and DoorDash. Instead of chasing luxury products or hype, she spoke directly with office managers, the true gatekeepers of corporate purchasing, and realized they did not need more options. They needed reliability, speed, and zero friction.That insight became her competitive advantage and ultimately positioned the company for acquisition.In this conversation, Kelly breaks down how relationship first thinking helped her win Fortune 500 clients, why visibility matters more than perfection when positioning for acquisition, and how staying close to your buyer builds long term enterprise value.She also challenges the pressure many women founders face to be “all in” at the expense of financial stability. From healthcare realities to diversified income strategies, Kelly shares practical advice for building sustainable companies that align with your life, not just your ambition.Today, through her advisory platform launchgrowexit, Kelly supports female founders who want to launch, grow, and eventually exit their companies with clarity and confidence.If you are building a business, thinking about long term value, or questioning the hustle culture narrative, this episode offers a grounded roadmap for turning customer insight into a high value company.Chapters: 00:56

Edward McDonnell bought a local services business via traditional search fund and grew it to 8 branches across 5 states.Register for the webinar: SMB Cybersecurity: Why Operators Need a Risk Assessment - TODAY!! - https://bit.ly/4u2GO7dTopics in Edward's interview:Mechanical engineering at HondaChoosing traditional search for budgetAcquiring an indoor plant/landscaping businessGoing in with no management experienceDigitizing the back officeConstantly repeating the company visionUsing EOS for efficient meetingsGrowing to 8 branches in 5 statesExiting and staying on as CEOSearching for his next business in VirginiaReferences and how to contact Edward:LinkedInBotanical Designsam@monroehillgp.comGet complimentary due diligence on your acquisition's insurance & benefits program:Oberle Risk Strategies - Search Fund TeamGet a free review of your books & financial ops from System Six (a $500 value):Book a call with Tim or hello@systemsix.com and mention Acquiring MindsGet a complimentary IT audit of your target business:Email Nick Akers at nick@inzotechnologies.com, and tell him you're a searcherConnect with Acquiring Minds:See past + future interviews on the YouTube channelConnect with host Will Smith on LinkedInFollow Will on TwitterEdited by Anton RohozovProduced by Pam Cameron

How to Fix Your Underperforming B2B SaaS Funnel for Quick Revenue Wins In the fast-paced world of B2B SaaS, the ability to go to market, iterate on feedback, and close deals rapidly is the ultimate competitive advantage. Unfortunately, many sales and marketing teams find themselves stalled by underperforming funnels that drain resources without delivering measurable results. When growth plateaus, the challenge lies in transforming these stagnant pipelines into high-velocity growth engines without requiring massive capital or long timelines. So, how can B2B SaaS teams identify the hidden leaks in their customer journey and unlock quick-win revenue through a strategic, data-driven approach? That's why we're talking to April Syed (CEO of Aperture Codex), who shares her expertise on fixing an underperforming B2B SaaS funnel for quick revenue wins. During our conversation, April discussed the importance of leveraging data to pinpoint “quick wins,” such as streamlining sales processes and eliminating high-friction points in user onboarding. She explained how to fix “conversion killers” like messaging misalignment and highlighted the necessity of aligning marketing and sales efforts to ensure a seamless experience. April also advocated for a culture of continuous testing, using small, incremental experiments to de-risk major strategic shifts. She emphasized the value of regular customer journey mapping to maintain a predictable, sustainable, and highly efficient path to profitable growth. https://youtu.be/VeeFMznhCfw Topics discussed in episode: [07:24] Why your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) must be a “living, breathing” document reviewed quarterly, not a static file sitting in a deck. [11:24] The critical mistake of treating marketing as a cost center rather than a revenue driver, and how it leads to “vanity metrics” over actual sales. [13:53] Why you should focus on small, incremental tests to “de-risk” big spends before committing to expensive strategies like rebrands. [18:05] The 5-Point Conversion Diagnostic: A framework to analyze time-to-value, messaging alignment, behavioral triggers, follow-up timing, and pricing friction. [23:07] A real-world example of how “pricing friction” (forcing an annual upgrade) caused a loyal promoter to churn to a competitor. [27:24] How to audit your funnel for “Quick Win” revenue opportunities in under 30 days by analyzing where deals stall in the CRM. [35:27] Why no marketing asset is ever “final”, and why high-traffic landing pages should be in a state of constant A/B testing. Companies and links mentioned: Apryl Syed on LinkedIn  Aperture Codex  Superhuman Notion  Motion Transcript Christian Klepp, Apryl Syed Apryl Syed  00:00 Brand for instance, doesn’t work itself into any metric, but it makes every metric better across the board. Sometimes we’re chasing these metrics and like the attribution of where a particular deal came from, or how did they find out about us, and we’re not thinking about all of the things that are outside in the flywheel that are, you know, causing that person to, yes, eventually convert. But were there seven or eight other things that kind of they interacted with. Christian Klepp  00:26 In the world of B2B SaaS speed is the name of the game. Get to market, quickly collect feedback, quickly iterate quickly and close deals quickly. But what happens if your sales and marketing teams get stuck with underperforming funnels that don’t generate the results you need? How can teams turn these funnels into growth machines without massive spend or long timelines? Welcome to this episode of the B2B Marketers on a Mission podcast, and I’m your host, Christian Klepp, today, I’ll be talking with Apryl Syed, who will be answering this question. She’s the CEO of ApertureCodex who gives founders the strategy and the psychology needed to jump into fast revenue gains. Let’s dive in. Okay, and away we go. Apryl Syed, welcome to the show. Apryl Syed  01:12 Thank you so much, Christian. I’m so excited to be here. Christian Klepp  01:15 Glad to have you on the show. I think we had such a great pre interview conversation. I kept telling myself I should have hit record, and I talked to you the first time, right? But, you know, two times is a charm or three times. But anyways, this is the second time we’re talking. So I’m really looking forward to this conversation Apryl, because we’re going to touch on a topic today that I think is not just relevant to sales teams. It’s really important to marketing teams as well. So I’m going to keep the audience in suspense just a little while longer while I set up this first question. Right? So you’re on a mission to help B2B SaaS teams turn underperforming funnels into growth machines without massive spend or lengthy timelines, and for people that didn’t hear that the first time, I think everybody wants something like that, right, quick results without spending massively, right? So for this conversation, I’d like to focus on the following topic and just unpack it from there, right? So how can SaaS teams leverage a quick win revenue approach for better and more predictable growth. And I mean, come on Apryl, who the heck doesn’t want that, right? Who doesn’t want predictable growth, right? So I want to kick off this conversation with two questions, and I’m happy to repeat them. So first one is, where do you see many SaaS teams struggle with revenue growth? And the second question is, what are some of the key causes of this? Apryl Syed  02:44 It’s really great, by the way. As a side note, I got turned down for a podcast this week because they said I talked too much about quick wins, and they felt that it conflicted with their policy. I won’t mention the name, they’re an agency out there, but they were all about big spend, and they felt that I conflicted with that. And this exactly ties in. This is probably why the subject that I talk about so. Christian Klepp  03:13 Well, I’m sorry for them. Apryl Syed  03:15 Yeah, that’s okay. That’s okay. We don’t, we don’t match. You know, I’m not for everyone. Well, I think that, like SaaS teams don’t realize that they’ve got data. And within their data really, really lies some of the tweaks, opportunities and things like that that can make them extra revenue that they might not be looking at today. And I think, you know, perhaps it’s in tweaking their sales process. Maybe they don’t have a sales process misalignment between sales and marketing. Marketing is talking about one thing, sales is selling another thing, or could be marketing is marketing to one type of industry and user, and sales is saying that’s not the right user. It’s something completely different, that misalignment in itself causes revenue conflict, revenue opportunities. And you know, sometimes it’s spending on expensive tools before you’ve actually broken down some of those points in the funnel. Or could be tools that you’re getting a lot of data from, or they’re not doing anything with the data on a regular basis. So I think, you know, those are where I see some of those, like, struggle with revenue because of some of those issues and and then I think your second question was kind of like, well, how to, how do they kind of avoid some of those scenarios? Right? Christian Klepp  04:40 It was more about the the key causes, but you but, but you did talk about that already, right?   Apryl Syed  04:44 So, right, right? That definitely is there. Well, I think, you know, it’s also could be, you know, where they’re chasing certain metrics and focused in, and we had this conversation earlier. It’s like brand, for instance, doesn’t work at. Yourself into any metric, but it makes every metric better across the board. So sometimes we’re chasing these metrics and like the attribution of where a particular deal came from, or how did they find out about us, and we’re not thinking about all of the things that are outside in the flywheel that are, you know, causing that person to, yes, eventually convert. But were there seven or eight other things that kind of they interacted with before they got to that point? And we had to get them ready? So, you know, can definitely be about just chasing those metrics too much, which means you avoid doing things that don’t give you that instant metric. And I think that is a big challenge and pitfall that that teams can can certainly fall into. I think also the the challenge of treating marketing as a cost center and not letting them be in charge of all of those metrics down to the sale that happen. And that might sound weird to some folks, but I’ve certainly been in enough teams and enough experiences across you know my background that I’ve seen that sometimes you can make a change in marketing. It produces a lot of leads, but those leads aren’t qualifying and they’re not turning into revenue, and yet, if the metric is producing leads, well then marketing can walk away the end of the day and meet their metrics and jobs, but if the metric is revenue, then they’ve got to go all the way to that end cycle and see that it’s a qualified opportunity. That, of course, goes back to my original point that if sales and marketing aren’t in lock sync with each other, and they don’t have a good relationship and dynamic, then it ends up in finger pointing when things aren’t going wrong, instead of both teams coming together, being on the same page and figuring out what’s going to work. And that’s that’s really the key. Christian Klepp  07:03 Absolutely, absolutely. And I think you might have brought it up, and maybe I didn’t catch it, and if not, I apologize. But like, one of the things that I didn’t notice, too, is, like, this misalignment of who, who the who the ICP (Ideal Customer Profile) is, like the assumptions that both sides have and then somehow they just cannot meet in the middle. Apryl Syed  07:24 Well, I kind of brought it up just slight when I said that marketing might be marketing to one person, and sales is selling to another, but if we just want to double click, you know, on on that, that agreement around the ICP, the reason why it’s so important, and I think it’s hard for some SaaS companies, because there’s, there could be a lot of ICPs. And I kind of have this philosophy that with an ICP, people usually maybe do these personas, as I call them, one time, maybe at a, you know, a planning session or whatever, where they’re kicking off, you know, and kind of like planning who those are, and then they leave them. They sit in a deck somewhere. They’re never looked at again. They’re never revised. I like a more fluid method with personas. I like personas to kind of be active, living and breathing in something that’s reviewed on a quarterly basis, I think is a better cadence. And the reason being is, like, we want to see how many deals we’ve closed in that particular area, how many so we should be looking at the metrics right by persona. We should also look at the messaging by persona to see how that’s working. And we should, you know, look at our team and how that flow has gone through into the sales process by persona. And kind of looking at this lens, we may figure out that one persona is working really, really well, or two or three might be working really well. And maybe there’s two or three that aren’t working really well. We might want to flush those out or put them in, what I would say is like a vault or a holding pattern. They might come back later if something’s happened, and we might want to add different ones. And the reason why quarterly is important is because, if you are selling business to business, for instance, in that business environment, there are different things that might be happening in the world, you know, geographically, politically, that might be impacting a certain persona. And it’s important to also look at that lens on a quarterly basis and say, Okay, what’s the mindset of this particular persona? What are they dealing with? What are some of their issues? What are their pressures? What is their emotional state, and then how do we want to message into that emotional state during this time? How do we want to change and revise our messaging for what’s going on in their world right now, this quarter, right you can’t keep you can’t keep messaging the same and messaging constant needs to be looked at. I would say, on a regular basis, one to check and make sure it’s working. If it’s working, keep it working at some time. At some point, though, it might stop working, and it’s important to catch that as you see those numbers trailing off, as you see that change, and not wait until too long has passed and just double down on the same persona for the sake of really work, working with it, because it was the original plan. Christian Klepp  10:27 Yeah, absolutely, absolutely these, um, these personas are, and I believe that too, they it’s not something that that’s written in stone, and then you, you to use that archaic expression, just keep it on the shelf, and then it collects dust, right? Apryl Syed  10:40 Yeah Christian Klepp  10:41 It’s something that should be monitored, as you said, because certain certain companies are working in industries where, for example, government regulation impacts them. Apryl Syed  10:51 Yes. Christian Klepp  10:52 If government regulation changes, then that perhaps also influences the way they make decisions, or decide to work with external vendors and partners and so forth, right? Apryl Syed  11:05 Absolutely. Christian Klepp  11:07 You brought you brought up a few already in the past couple of minutes. I’m just, I just want to go back to pitfall. So one of them, I think, was chasing this, chasing metrics. Right? This, this habit of constantly chasing metrics. What are some of these other pitfalls that you’d say marketing teams should avoid them. What should they be doing instead? Apryl Syed  11:24 Well, I think, you know, another pitfall that I’ve seen is kind of launching a big rebrand and expecting, you know, or that could also be a plot, a platform overhaul, software overhaul, and expecting that that’s going to move the needle faster when you could test that type of messaging out in really small ways before you go and do that big rebrand. And I’m a big fan of those, like small tests, verify and then go big. Like I’m not I’m not saying don’t ever go big. What I’m saying is like, test and measure before you go into a big cut, a big, fresh rebrand, because it’s expensive, and you want those big, expensive expenditures to be a little bit more of a sure thing than a risky thing. So de risk the big spends, riskier moves. Do small, incremental tests and say, how could we test this out on a small scale. How could we test or rebrand out? How could we test a platform change out before we do that in a small way? So I think that’s another one. I talked about a cost center. Treating marketing as a cost center is another one. So I think those are, like my big, my big three, I would say, in terms of pitfalls. Christian Klepp  12:41 Yeah, fantastic, fantastic. You, you hit on something there with your with your third point. And I want to go to that, because that’s a topic that, um, that as a marketer, personally, it riles me up a little bit, but, like, you know, but, but we have to look at this as professionals too, and say, okay, you know what? In the world of B2B, that type of pushback is almost expected, right? Because I’m not sure what your experience has been. But I also work with a lot of companies that have done either little or no marketing before, so it’s, it’s to a certain extent, it’s like Terra Australis incognita. It’s uncharted territory. They are not sure what to expect. So it’s only, it’s only normal that they, that they view it with some kind of, I wouldn’t go so far as to say, suspicion, but yeah. Like, how do you know it’s gonna work, right? So over to you. Like, what’s your experience been? How do you deal with companies that view marketing with that kind of suspicion or or have these doubts, like, Is this even going to work for us? Right? How do you deal with that? Apryl Syed  13:53 Well, I mean, from my perspective, I think again, I go back to the small tests, small wins in those beginning, like, let’s get our sea legs before we go and launch some big strategy. And I think that’s, you know, a big divide between, you know, maybe myself and yourself and some other you know, marketing agencies and firms out there is, I would rather get small, incremental wins to start. I’m not against big strategies and big spends. I think they’re both needed, but when you’re kind of coming into a team that’s either had little to no success with marketing, because maybe they’ve had some bad experiences with agencies that haven’t delivered, or they’ve tried ads, or they’ve tried this thing and they kind of have that bad taste in their mouth, right? Or they just have not done anything at all, and perhaps they’ve, they’ve grown despite that. So they’re kind of like, Hey, I’ve seen success without doing this. So why? Why do I need this? So I think an educational approach is important, kind of giving the here’s the industry benchmarks, here’s what we should. See, here’s how we are going to test. Here’s a recommended way that we do small, incremental tests. And then I also think a really, really important piece is, if it’s a company that’s been around long enough is to dive into that data I have. I have a customer that I would say sits in this category. They’ve grown tremendously. They’ve had a very successful business, and they’ve never marketed before. And if I were to come in there with some big rebrand strategy, big moves, look at me like you’re crazy. We don’t need that. I mean, in all honesty, what are they looking for? They’re looking for incremental revenue gains. So how am I going to produce incremental revenue gains? I’m going to look at their data and see where there’s holes in gaps today, where, yes, marketing, but marketing is a very, very broad term. Marketing can be brands, marketing could be emails, marketing can be social media. Marketing can be customer advocacy, customer emails churn, you know, upgrading customers into other models. So when I say I look at data, I look at what their customers are doing, and what I get from that is, where is my ideal customer, because it’s going to show me in their base. So who might I want to go after and experiment with? First, those are going to be my biggest areas for opportunity of wins, where, with their existing customer base, can I sell something more or different for them to increase revenue in that way? I think that’s another big and then I look at where there may be failures across the process in their data. If it’s a SaaS company, let’s look at their free the trial, trial, you know, to paid, paid to churn, and look at those numbers and say, are they hitting industry standard for their industry? Can I improve any of these metrics? Let me go look at all of the various different things that are going to change these metrics. Where can I start to experiment to get incremental change? That’s how you give success to a team. And they start feeling like, Okay, we should invest more here. We should do more here, because it’s working. Now, let’s double down. Let’s triple down. Let’s do more, then you can go after those bigger strategies. Christian Klepp  17:26 Yep, yep, no, absolutely, absolutely, no. I’m glad, I’m glad you brought those up, because that’s a great segue into the next question, which I think you’re all too familiar with, right? So I think when we first talked, right in our previous conversation you were talking, you mentioned something called a five point conversion diagnostic, which uncovers, I think you refer to them as conversion killers, right? You can cover these conversion killers without expensive tools or massive product like changes or revamps, right? So if you could please walk us through this five point approach and how teams can leverage that. Apryl Syed  18:05 Now this is particularly for SaaS, that trial to onboarding experience and the time that I the thing that I look for the most in there is time to value. How long does it take for the customer to experience value is going to be indicative of how long their trial has to be with that onboarding experience, and are they legitimately going to get into the point of buying early, even because they can’t wait to utilize this tool or buying, of course, the moment that the trial, the trial the trial ends. That is all about time to value. The second is about messaging alignment. So does the promise that we give, if it’s a landing page, whatever that experience is that someone comes through to then get to that product, does the promise of what we’re giving them match what the experience is going to be in the software, and how long does it take again, from that time to value, for them to get to that matched experience of what we promised that will also be a predictor of so if we were, you know, on a scale from zero to 10, 10 being like matched, it perfectly, zero being not matching at all, we’d want to rate our company on that scale, and kind of see for the time to value and for the misalignment, where are we? Then I would kind of go after like behavioral triggers, and I would try to figure out what actions correlate with conversion. So I would look at everybody that’s converted, and I would say, what parts of the software did they touch right? Are they looking at, are they experiencing, which then would predict, like, if people do these five things and the solution, then we know that they’re going to convert. And you can use either, like a Pender or you know, products like that that give you some of that analysis and data. Or maybe it’s, you know, sitting in your CRM, but that would tell you and inform you about your messaging as well. Like, what should we be messaging about? These are the key things that people want out of this solution, and that’s going to inform your next piece, which is, I would look at the follow up timing, the sequencing. How frequently do we talk? I often, I’m a big superhuman fan, and I talk about superhumans onboarding experience, which I think is awesome. And of course, they get a little bit of a leg up because they are an email solution, so they see when you’re in the tool. But I have found that, like the timely messages and the trickling of features that they give you right when you’re ready to use that feature has been so well thought out. And if you have, if you have not experienced it, and you’re a SaaS product owner, Founder, CEO, I highly encourage you to go through their onboarding experience, because that, to me, is like the pinnacle, or one of the pinnacles of what you should want your users to experience, like these just great aha moments right when they’re ready to receive them as part of that trial period before conversion. That make sure that we’re just touching them at the right moments. And then the last piece that I look at is pricing and packaging friction. And here’s, this is, you know, this is something that’s changing an awful lot right now. SaaS is under pressure to maybe look at not seeds, but maybe it’s volume, but then volume is not great, because people can’t predict it, and certainly can’t budget appropriately for it. So there is all kinds of pricing friction happening right now that needs to be figured out, but understanding where people are dropping off and where in that you know, how many clicks do they need to do before they buy? What is that whole buying process like? What is the upgrading process like? Put it through the pressure test. See how many steps it is. Challenge yourself. If you can reduce the steps, make it easier. I’ll give you an example. I was a big, big user of the motion app for a really long time. I probably sold, let’s say, 10 to 20 of these to other people, because I was such a promoter and such a fan of motion, they changed something in their solution related to how many credits, and what happened is it stopped recording my meetings for me automatically, which meant didn’t go into my notes anymore. Didn’t automatically create my tasks for me. That’s a pretty big feature, and obviously I so I went to upgrade, and the upgrade didn’t allow for me to choose a monthly it only allowed me to upgrade to choose an annual. Christian Klepp  23:06 Why? Apryl Syed  23:07 Yeah, which did what to me as the user. I then went into the shopping mode, essentially, and I said, Now I’m going to go shop and look at, well, what other tools are out there that can do the same functionality. Because now, if I have to commit to an annual plan, so much changing in AI this year, I’m not sure if I can commit to an annual plan. It had nothing to do with the amount of dollar spent. It had everything to do with commitment. And here I was a promoter of their solution. I ended up canceling and I went with notion, because I realized that notion had added a significant number of AI features at a much lower price, which I know a lot of people complain about notion being expensive, and it isn’t as good of a user experience now that I’m using motion and yet notion. Yet, I’m still on notion, and I left motion app, which is probably better, because they put me through this experience. And I say that as an example not to and I don’t know if they fix that, but we make these decisions all the time, sitting from our lens, looking at what we want the outcome to be, and we don’t think through what that user experience is going to be, and we’re killing conversions, in some cases, by these little levers and moves that we make, and sometimes we don’t even realize that. So I really encourage, encourage founders, encourage, you know, everyone at the company go back through and look at these tiny little things that each one of them on the loan alone could be costing you revenue, costing you conversions along the pathway. Christian Klepp  24:53 Absolutely, absolutely. And we’re working with a client that’s that’s an that’s in tech right now, and the thing that we keep. Talking about is you gotta, you know, yes, of course you’re excited if you start developing more features and what have you right? But look at this through the lens of the user, right? I mean, I can totally relate to your to your situation. I mean, even things like for example, and this is probably like oversimplifying it. But the last update that Instagram did is driving me absolutely crazy. Like, why would you update something your interface that has already been working for the users, and now? Why do you update it so and completely change where the buttons are on the layout so people have to waste time looking for worse, the send button. I mean, you know, it’s just beyond me, right? Apryl Syed  25:45 Yeah, and it’s funny, and they actually, Instagram, for a long while, did a lot of user testing before they would roll out features, and did these limited, I didn’t see any of that necessarily. With this last rollout. Christian Klepp  25:58 No. Apryl Syed  25:59 Apple did a very similar, like their latest update introduced many phone changes in terms of prioritization of, you know, messaging and all that sort of stuff. And it’s like a common we’re finding commonality saying, like, Oh man, I hate this latest I don’t know how many people have said I hate this latest update, and it’s because it’s created too much friction in the process. We need enough friction, but not too much friction. And that balance, in itself, unfortunately, is like the most difficult thing to figure out. And if you’re not talking to your customers, if you’re not talking to people, you will never figure it out, because you’ll be making an assumption. Christian Klepp  26:38 Exactly, exactly. Okay, so we talked about this at the beginning of the conversation, but you mentioned something called a quick win revenue framework. And I know from what you were telling me that that was a little bit controversial to somebody else you spoke to. Apryl Syed  26:55 Yeah. Christian Klepp  26:56 But you know what we are, we are all embracing in the show. You know. Apryl Syed  27:00 Thank you. Christian Klepp  27:00 Not not judgmental. But in fact, the focus here is to help B2B Marketers. In your case, B2B SaaS Marketers to become better and to improve. So if we’re going to focus on this quick win revenue framework, where would you identify low hanging revenue opportunities in under 30 days. So talk to us about that. Apryl Syed  27:24 Yes, well, it sits at this crossroads between marketing and sales, right? And that’s why you’ve got to have such a tight friendship relationship with you know, your sales leaders and your customer success leaders. I think it has to be like such a great ecosystem. So first thing I would do is pull CRM data. I would look at where deals are stalling, you know, I would map the current funnel with actual numbers of where you have people. I would overlay that with like the industry and kind of like the marketing messaging that is created those those types of deals. And kind of look at that from the lens of, okay, here’s what we’re creating, and here’s what sales is able to close easily. Here’s what’s really lagging and taking a long time in the funnel. And it’s not to say that, like, longer is better than shorter, because, like, an enterprise deal takes longer to close than a SMB (Small and Medium-sized Business) deal. So the answer isn’t always that the SMB deal is better, but looking at that and saying, Is there anything here that is that is giving me an indicator of something I can improve on? Can improve on. So that would be, you know, number one, go through that audit, take a look at the data, see what you’ve been producing from a marketing standpoint so far, and then say, is there anything that we should be testing to do differently better? You know, what are your hypotheses that you want to go out and you want to prove with some AB testing, two look at conversion killers, right? That’s either messaging, follow up, timing or onboarding friction, some sort of friction in the process. Friction could be a form fill too it could be, you know, too heavy, too long of landing page, I would look at every single detail and way that people are coming in through the funnel and say, are we doing anything to kill conversion and sometimes, and I’ve experienced this with one brand that I’m working with, and we have an agency that’s also in there that’s doing some ad performance, and they’re getting industry well above industry standard rates. And I asked the agency, because I’m sitting in kind of like my fractional executive role, and I said, Tell me out of your entire client, raw. Stair. Where does this client sit? And they said, Oh, at the top, best performing client we have, you know what that signaled to me? They’re comfortable. They’re getting great results. They’re not trying to improve anything. They’re just trying to hold the fort down and just keep getting these great results because they think that’s a place of safety. Christian Klepp  30:23 Stop rocking the boat Apryl. Apryl Syed  30:26 I know, I know, but I look at that and say, You’re not trying hard enough. You’re not examining right and going through the funnel and looking for all the tweaks and looking for. Christian Klepp  30:36 What can it improve? Apryl Syed  30:37 Can it be improved? You’re not trying to do any of that. And in fact, I’m adding that to you. I’m adding those things. I’m asking for those things, just because I come from that space and saying, like, Hey, we should be pushing here. We should be pushing here. We should be they don’t want to push. And they’re slow, slow, slow to react. And what’s going to happen is it’s going to earn them a change out in agency, right? Because they’re not pushing. Now, unfortunately, what I think is, if that was happening, obviously was happening before I was involved this customer, they thought they’re getting, they’re getting, like, six to one on their spend. That’s fantastic. We should be happy, right? And I’m like, no, no, no, I’ve pushed, I have pushed that envelope before. I’ve seen, you know, 14% conversion on landing pages. I’ve seen 49% conversion on landing pages. When you get it really right, you should always be pushing and pushing and pushing that envelope. So really diagnose and look, are there friction killers in those processes, and where can you be improved? And it is not like, I’m getting results good enough, so let me stop. It’s not stop because that might be one of your levers to really, really get quick wins, because you could tweak something and then even tip the scale further. And who doesn’t want a big win like that? The other thing is, like, I think there’s I look at I look at email sequences and messaging. I look at every single message that we’re sending a customer through the process, through their buying journey. You know, for one client, I basically call it a customer journey map, which a lot of people don’t do anymore, but my journey map is from the moment that they hear about you, all the way through buying, how do we touch them? What do we touch? And then from buying through that sales cycle, what is that like? And the reason why I map that out is because when you do and you put the different sections, you can kind of say, well, this is the process today. What would we like that process to be? And you will find in every single one of these customer journey maps that I’ve done, five to 10 areas where you’re like, instantly know, you instantly know the experience you could be providing better. I did this for one client, and we uncovered, like, the review process for their terms and conditions. On average took like, 10 days with an average back and forth between their lawyers and our lawyers, maybe 15 times that is that a desired customer experience? No, that’s a friction creator, which could be a deal killer, could be a deal staller. So what does that desired experience look like? What should we aim to get to? How are we going to do that? What should we test first? That’s just an example of one that might be in there. So look at everything. Then it becomes, you know, build exactly what you think you’re going to test, go and launch and measure those tests. And you don’t need this to be six months, right? Depending on how much data you’re getting through, it might only take you two weeks of data. It might take you a week of data on these experiments and levers that you’re going through so figure out how long you need to run the experiment for. Run that experiment, measure those changes, and then either permanently implement the change or make changes right and refresh and do another test. Christian Klepp  34:24 Wow, that was quite the list. And I’m sure you’ve, you’ve had, like, as you, as you’ve mentioned, you’ve had pushback for, you know, some of this, for this process, because it’s it. It makes teams uncomfortable, right? But I think the point is, you know, everybody says, right, change is uncomfortable. Improvement is uncomfortable. Uncovering ways to make things better should make you feel uncomfortable, right? Apryl Syed  34:53 So true, so true. And I always, I always think like, if you’re uncomfortable and you’re feeling like. A maybe, I don’t know all the answers here. It’s a really good place to be, and that’s where real growth happens. That’s where real change happens. Christian Klepp  35:06 Yeah. So I did have one follow up question for you, Apryl, like, you know, based on this framework that you’ve just proposed, like, How often would you recommend? And I know it depends, but how often would you recommend teams to continuously monitor some of these, some of these attributes and these factors that you’ve that you’ve brought up in the past couple of minutes. Apryl Syed  35:27 Gosh, I think it is very dependent on the data that’s coming through. If you were experiencing problem in an area, deep dive in there and uncover it. Kind of do that audit and analysis and create some tests that you could run to improve it. But as a measure, the customer journey map, for example, for existence, I think that’s a living, breathing document. I think we should look at it quarterly. We should update it with the experiments and the learnings and the new things that we’ve implemented permanently so that we can track how that experience is going and make sure that it’s our desired experience that we’re putting out there. Because I think a lot of times stuff just happens and it’s not our desired experience, but we kind of think like, oh, well, this is the process, the way it has to be, or, you know, so and so said that it has to be three days. So it’s three days, and it’s like giving you a moment to step back and be like, Why could we do it different? Could we do it better? Could we do it in two days? I don’t know. Could we do it in one and, you know, so I think as often as that customer journey, when updates happen, put those updates in their document. It, look at it, say, like, what’s next on the list should always be improving. When you get to the point where you don’t have any more insights in there, and you think it’s oiled up in the best that you could possibly do it, bring some customers in, bring some customers in to look at it and get their opinion. Ask them about it. It’s a great point to now be in survey mode and ask some questions about where you might have conflicts internally, or where you just aren’t sure where to go. So I think that when it comes to like email sequences, and remind you know like those provide provides, messaging, emails, one thing landing pages, like, I think your landing page just should be in a constant AB turnaround. Every time you have five to 10,000 people hitting a landing page, you should be trying to tweak that message to see if you can make it better. Message, layout, colors, all of the kind of industry standards there, you should be constantly trying to tweak that. If you’re not using landing pages and you’re sending stuff to a page, you should try landing pages so it’s just the constant improvement of those email sequences kind of, kind of, I feel, I feel they should be similar. I feel like you’ve got to examine those on a pretty regular basis, maybe it’s monthly, and kind of determine which messages are you going to trade out. I’m doing a pretty big switch out right now for, you know, an SMB app that’s, you know, selling to other businesses. So it’s a B2B, SaaS company, and we are revising all of their messaging, going through every single one, but trying to create, like a very purposeful journey now where there hasn’t been necessarily one before. And what I just said to one of the leaders yesterday is like, this is version one of what will be probably 10 before we’re done with this iteration. Because every single time we see the data and see how people are moving through the flow, we’re going to we’re going to see that those things that we didn’t consider, there’s going to be broken pieces. Like, don’t be in a position of thinking that any of your marketing is final ever. That’s a good position to be in. It’s never final. I think about this for websites as well. Like people like, oh, we go through our big website refresh, we get the website done, and then now we don’t have to touch the website. Oh, you should be, like, touching the website all the time. Experiment with the messaging on the homepage. Like to think that you got the messaging right the first time. I wish, I wish, and I’ve been in this industry for more than 25 years, I wish, and I’m considered, considering, considered a messaging, you know, wizard. Sometimes, it sometimes takes five or six tries before you get that like, nailed one, and that’s because persona, you know, it’s like how the person is feeling. It’s the emotional draw, and it’s the features, the problem of the pain and all of that coming into one like, I wish, I wish there was an AI tool that could get that right. But it’s not, they’re not. Christian Klepp  40:00 I haven’t found one yet. Apryl Syed  40:01 Yeah. You know, it’s only through really, really overworking that message and seeing the data come in that you kind of like, finally get to maybe a place that’s good, and then guess what? Your persona changes or something happens to so. So don’t ever think of it as, oh, to set it and forget it, it. It should be like it. And there’s also, like, Don’t tweak it too fast that you don’t have enough data coming through. Like, that’s also, I can, I can see that being a message, but have enough data, review that data on a regular basis, make some changes, test it. It’s like little incremental tests and learn. So that’s going to be kind of like it’s either in that category, which is like, test and learn, test and learn, test and learn constantly tweaking, or a quarterly or an annual kind of review. Christian Klepp  40:54 Fantastic, fantastic. Apryl. This was such a great conversation. Thank you so much for your time and for sharing your expertise and experience with the listeners. Um, please. Quick introduction to yourself and how folks out there can get in touch with you. Apryl Syed  41:07 Well, my company is Apeture Codex. Best way to get in touch with me is just Apryl Syed at LinkedIn. That’s where I’m most active, is on LinkedIn, and you can book an appointment with me right off of my LinkedIn. And so that’s like the best, best way to find me out there. Christian Klepp  41:27 Fantastic, fantastic. And we’ll be sure to drop those links in the show notes once the episode goes live. So Apryl, once again, thanks so much for your time. Take care, stay safe and talk to you soon. Apryl Syed  41:38 All right. Thank you so much, Christian. Christian Klepp  41:40 Okay, Bye, for now. Apryl Syed  41:41 Bye.

The primary discussion in the episode centers on the increasing risk to data privacy posed by the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) applications within SMB environments. Panelists highlighted the challenge of educating clients on how AI systems may access, process, and transmit sensitive information, sometimes integrating client data into broader training datasets owned by third parties. Specific emphasis was placed on the operational reality that data, once shared with AI models, may no longer be under the original owner's control. This development directly affects both regulatory compliance and client trust, especially for service providers tasked with protecting client environments. Supporting details referenced both technical and procedural countermeasures available to MSPs. Tools such as browser-based security assessments (e.g., Atacama), network analysis at the firewall, and Microsoft 365's built-in security features (Defender and Cloud App Security) were identified as practical resources for monitoring data flow and enforcing restrictions on AI integration. The approach recommended focuses on assessment-driven education—using tangible network data to demonstrate risks and capabilities, supporting MSPs in facilitating more accountable, informed decision-making among clients. Adjacent topics included a workforce transition in the MSP sector, driven by compliance and security requirements. The discussion referenced an industry demographic shift, with a substantive proportion of MSP owners above the age of 55, and many considering mergers or exits rather than evolving to meet new consulting, compliance, and productivity challenges introduced by AI. Additional coverage addressed the impact of AI and data center expansion on community resources (e.g., demands on electrical grids and water supply), as well as divergent organizational responses to emerging consumer technologies such as smart glasses.   Evolve or Exit -  Many MSP's are facing this reality https://mspglobal.com/blog/exit-or-evolve-msp-reinvention-cycle/ Browser based security assessment tool http://www.atakama.com   States moving to require AI to pay for its own electricity. https://www.perplexity.ai/page/states-move-to-shield-ratepaye-0_4v24YTRWGbech52eWGZw   Airforce ban meta glasses while army adopts them.  https://www.perplexity.ai/page/air-force-bans-meta-ai-glasses-KTBzW6_tQom3lJ6XuWNcZg Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Coming up in the news: A man enters pleas to a charge of idle and disorderly conduct after allegingly nude flashing a member of the public along SMB ….and as Cayman prepares for major immigration reforms, officials promise fairness for those already in the system. The details are coming up. He spent decades running toward danger — now the Fire Service celebrates his remarkable career of 35 years. The details on the career of Karl Pascal is minutes away! And Cayman Academy students gear up for their third annual anti‑drug march — and they're hoping for their biggest turnout yet. … All that and more in our 6 PM News

Dietmar walked into a company president's office unannounced, pitched himself on the spot, and walked out having been offered a bigger role than the one he applied for. That same boldness is what he says most sellers are missing, not in their pitch, but in their follow-up. The Sales Director for North America at Trimble, where he leads 23 reps across SMB, mid-market, and enterprise, Dietmar has spent over 15 years climbing every level of the sales ladder from technical engineer to director. Along the way he's developed a follow-up philosophy rooted in one simple truth: if prospects aren't looking forward to hearing from you, you're doing it wrong. He breaks down what he calls the 90% rule, the data-backed reality that after 30 days, 90% of SMB deals will never close and shares the exercise he runs with every seller on his team to calculate exactly how much a stalled opportunity is costing them in real dollars. Dietmar also opens up about the personal moments that shaped him most, from waiting too long to ask out the woman who became his wife, to the leadership lessons that nearly derailed his career before a VP pulled him into his office and told him his words now carry more weight than he realizes. Whether you're a sales rep struggling to get callbacks, a manager trying to build a team that shows up when it matters, or a leader looking to earn the kind of trust that makes people go the extra mile, this conversation will change how you think about follow-up forever.   In this episode you will: Understand why email is not a communication tool and what to use it for instead Learn how to deliver so much value in your follow-up that prospects actually look forward to hearing from you Discover the Dear John letter strategy and when it's time to cut ties with a deal that isn't moving Recognize what it takes to become the right person at every stage of the sales ascension path Apply the "how much are you worth per hour" exercise to protect your most valuable asset — your time  

In her first-ever podcast interview ever, Audacy CEO Kelli Turner discusses the company's content-first strategy and how it will help a radio company remain relevant to digitally-obsessed local advertisers. She also describes how different Audacy might look like a decade from now. With Corey on vacation, Gordon is joined by guest co-host Shannon Kinney, an SMB marketing expert weighs in on how advertisers might view Audacy's gameplan. Stay in the loop with all things Borrell when you join our Research Alert Lists. As always, thank you for listening. If you like the episode, leave us a review!  Want to join the conversation? Share your comments at borrellassociates.com/podcast.

In this insightful episode of MSP Unplugged, host Paco Lebron welcomes Degly Mendez, CEO of Avanzar IT Systems (South Pasadena, CA) and Vice Chair of the GTIA ISAO Advisory Group. Degly shares his journey into MSP leadership, his focus on cybersecurity for small/mid-sized businesses, and practical ways to make education a real defensive layer. Key takeaways include: Building ongoing cybersecurity awareness for non-tech-savvy SMB clients (beyond one-offs like "Be Cyber Aware" sessions) — challenges, retention tips, and scaling methods (webinars, tools, gamified scenarios) Metrics and stories showing when education truly reduces incidents "Secure your own house first": Fortifying Avanzar internally (team training, processes, tough investments) to avoid being the weak link Common MSP pitfalls on internal security (vendor risks, tool sprawl, early practice drops) and how to fix them Using the "Run, Protect, Grow" IT budgeting framework to prioritize Protect (including people education) without it feeling like a cost sink Evolving programs for AI-driven threats/opportunities — recent changes to stay ahead Best advice for resource-constrained MSPs: Scaling education without burnout or client overload, plus one non-negotiable step to fortify your own business now Rapid-fire: Underrated resource/habit for scaling efforts, biggest "aha" on internal ops, and the one cyber education practice he'd mandate industry-wide Perfect for MSP owners, cybersecurity pros, and IT leaders focused on proactive defense, people-powered security, and leading by example in a resource-tight world. Tune in weekly on YouTube.com/MSPUnplugged for more actionable MSP advice. Like, subscribe, and hit notifications! Also available on your favorite podcast app. Don't forget tickets for TechConUnplugged at TechConunplugged.com. #MSP #Cybersecurity #CyberEducation #MSPsecurity #RunProtectGrow #SMBcyber #ITLeadership

Scott Crosby weathered the challenges that come with buying a 4.5-employee services business, and Year 2 is looking up.Register for the webinars: Common Legal Diligence Issues (and How to Handle Them) - TOMORROW!! - https://bit.ly/3OQhm4lSMB Cybersecurity: Why Operators Need a Risk Assessment - Thu, Feb 26 - https://bit.ly/4bY1KWeTopics in Scott's interview:His 2 major career-defining moments20-hour days in film productionRisks of buying from younger ownersEconomic development resource centers: a hidden gemLooking for business-buyer fitUsing an analysis tool he found on TikTokFirst-time buyer mistakesReplacing nearly the entire staffUnderestimating the stress of ownershipModernizing dusty operationsReferences and how to contact Scott:LinkedInscottallencrosby@gmail.comAmerican Services St. LouisScott's interview prep sheetBuy the deal analyzer spreadsheetDownload the New CEO's Guide to Human Resources from Aspen HR:From this page or contact jenny@aspenhr.comGet a complimentary IT audit of your target business:Email Nick Akers at nick@inzotechnologies.com, and tell him you're a searcherLearn more about Walker Deibel's done-with-you buy-side advisory:The Acquisition LabConnect with Acquiring Minds:See past + future interviews on the YouTube channelConnect with host Will Smith on LinkedInFollow Will on TwitterEdited by Anton RohozovProduced by Pam Cameron

SummaryOn this episode of Startup Junkies, hosts Caleb Talley and Daniel Konnce sit down with Louis Diesel, director of Startup Junkie Asia. Based in Seoul, South Korea, Louis shares the journey of connecting Korean startups to the US market, emphasizing Korea's powerhouse status in public and private investment for entrepreneurial growth.What began in 2019 as an idea to build on the Fuel Accelerator's success resulted in a dedicated program helping Korean tech companies find a foothold in America. Over time, the initiative expanded to include consumer brands and media ventures, reflecting the evolving interests of the US market.The episode recounts Startup Junkie's partnerships with organizations like the Korea International Trade Association and the Korea Venture Business Association, and details the structure of their cross-border accelerators. Notably, Louis highlights the significance of Northwest Arkansas as a launchpad, thanks to its concentration of enterprise giants like Walmart, Tyson, and J.B. Hunt. Listeners also hear about the program's presence at CES 2024, where Korean startups dominated the international floor. With continued momentum and expansion beyond Korea, the team is uniquely positioned to foster groundbreaking collaborations between Asia and America. Listen today!Show Notes(00:00) Introduction(06:26) Korean Tech and Consumer Brands(13:20) Establishing a Korean Presence at Global Events(15:12) Startup Junkies Support Position(20:32) Northwest Arkansas's Unique Opportunities(26:37) Cross-Border Success Stories(31:18) Closing ThoughtsLinksCaleb TalleyDaniel KoonceStartup JunkieStartup Junkie YouTubeLouis Diesel

Here is a short, first-person podcast description based on your transcript:Episode Description:Are your MSP prospects ghosting you after you present their network assessment? It's probably because you're treating that assessment like a discovery call—and skipping the most fundamental part of the consultative sales process.In this episode, I'm breaking down a massive mistake I see IT sellers making: presenting problems instead of uncovering pain. A network assessment gives you facts and technical vulnerabilities, but facts don't motivate buyers—feelings and business impact do. People don't pay to fix problems that aren't causing them pain.Tune in to hear why all roads lead back to discovery, and learn how to properly structure your sales process so you can stop getting ghosted and start closing at a best-in-class rate.//Welcome to The Ray J. Green Show, your destination for tips on sales, strategy, and self-mastery from an operator, not a guru.About Ray:→ Former Managing Director of National Small & Midsize Business at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, where he doubled revenue per sale in fundraising, led the first increase in SMB membership, co-built a national Mid-Market sales channel, and more.→ Former CEO operator for several investor groups where he led turnarounds of recently acquired small businesses.→ Current founder of MSP Sales Partners, where we currently help IT companies scale sales: www.MSPSalesPartners.com→ Current Sales & Sales Management Expert in Residence at the world's largest IT business mastermind.→ Current Managing Partner of Repeatable Revenue Ventures, where we scale B2B companies we have equity in: www.RayJGreen.com//Follow Ray on:YouTube | LinkedIn | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

In this episode of the CPQ Podcast, we sit down with Dustin Anglen, Strategic Partnerships Manager at PandaDoc, to discuss how PandaDoc CPQ supports faster quoting for SMB teams (roughly 5–500 employees). PandaDoc is widely known for proposals and eSignature, and Dustin explains why CPQ is a natural extension—especially for organizations that want a practical, easy-to-administer approach without heavy configuration overhead. We cover where PandaDoc CPQ fits best (including SaaS, software & technology, professional services, and education) and how customers typically use it alongside their CRM. Dustin outlines PandaDoc's API-forward SaaSapproach and its key integrations with HubSpot, Pipedrive, and Salesforce. We also discuss what's available today—and what's still evolving—such as ERP connectivity (currently not a standard integration, with MVP work underway) and common customer expectations around implementation, which is often 8–12 weeks. On the capability side, Dustin shares the top requests he sees from the market: product configuration, contract-based pricing, and CRM integration. We talk about product structure support (including bundles), pricing flexibility across segments and regions, usage-based pricing, and how PandaDoc positions its CPQ as a rules engine that is largely no-code (with options for more advanced logic when needed). We also dig into PandaDoc's AI direction—template generation, OCR and document intelligence, metadata-driven automation, and an admin-focused AI feature for helping set up product and pricing rules (currently in testing, with broader availability expected later this year). You'll also hear a few personal moments from Dustin—from his early career in the Salesforce ecosystem (including starting at Apttus in 2014), to an unexpected chapter running a beekeeping business in Santa Barbara, to his passion for freediving near San Diego. A PandaDoc CPQ free trial is available on PandaDoc's website.

What does it take to create a $100K consulting offer for corporate clients? Let's once and for all move on from trading time for dollars. In this episode, Jessica Fearnley and I talk about what it truly takes to structure a high-value $100K consulting offer for corporate clients, without overcomplicating your services or building a massive team or charging an hourly rate.But this conversation goes beyond pricing.We talk about what happens after you leave corporate, recover from burnout, and rebuild your confidence. We unpack the emotional and strategic transition many experienced women consultants face when they hit six figures and begin asking what's next.Jessica shares how she moved from project management into building a multi-six-figure B2B consulting business rooted in high-value advisory retainers. We explore:What a $100K advisory retainer actually includesHow to package your consulting services inside the budgets corporate already invests inWhy trying to “educate” buyers slows down the saleThe recovery phase after corporate trauma, and why many women underprice themselves during itHow to position yourself as a trusted strategic advisor instead of a service providerWhy “the more they pay, the less they get” can be true at premium levelsIf you want to move from hourly work or project-based consulting into high-value B2B advisory retainers, this episode gives you both the strategic framework and the mindset shift required to do it.This is about packaging expertise, reclaiming authority, and building a consulting business that aligns with your life, not just your revenue goals.Chapters:00:56

Tato Corcoran returns with updates on her ownership of a sink maker that had just $400k in revenue when she bought it.Register for the webinar: Red Flags That Kill or Reshape Deals - TODAY!! - https://bit.ly/4rsjvlaTopics in Tato's interview:Growing her top line revenueFinding a mentor at StarbucksCreating an employee handbookReconfiguring the factory with new equipmentHow she implements extreme ownershipProfit First accountingBeing tied to the real estate marketGoals for her real estate portfolioBeing a woman in manufacturingWhen she may be open to sellingReferences and how to contact Tato:LinkedInBrandt Molded MarbleTato's first interview: When You Buy a Glorified Job, Not a BusinessExtreme Ownership by Jocko Willink and Leif BabinProfit First by Mike MichalowiczGet a complimentary IT audit of your target business:Email Nick Akers at nick@inzotechnologies.com, and tell him you're a searcherLearn more about Walker Deibel's done-with-you buy-side advisory:The Acquisition LabWork with an SBA loan team focused exclusively on helping entrepreneurs buy businesses:Pioneer Capital AdvisoryConnect with Acquiring Minds:See past + future interviews on the YouTube channelConnect with host Will Smith on LinkedInFollow Will on TwitterEdited by Anton RohozovProduced by Pam Cameron

SummaryOn this episode of Startup Junkies, hosts Caleb Talley and Jeff Amerine sit down with Katherine Andrews, director of the Arkansas Office of Outdoor Recreation, to explore the dynamic growth of outdoor recreation in Arkansas. Established in 2021, the Office of Outdoor Recreation was created to amplify the state's natural assets while fostering entrepreneurial opportunities and economic development. Katherine explains the office's mission to leverage state resources for both industry and communities, collaborating with entrepreneurs and agencies to position Arkansas as an outdoor haven.The conversation delves into Arkansas's seven billion dollar outdoor recreation economy, which has become a bigger generator than farming activities, encompassing everything from manufacturing products to services like guiding and hospitality. Katherine illustrates how the state is not only a destination for hunting and fishing but also a hotspot for activities like mountain biking, gravel cycling, climbing, and kayaking.A highlight of the episode is the discussion about the Governor's Conference on Tourism and Outdoor Economy Summit, a collaborative event bringing together industry stakeholders, entrepreneurs, and public agencies. This year features the inaugural Arkansas Outdoor Pitch Night, where startups and innovators will have the chance to showcase their ideas in areas such as hospitality, recreation tech, and product development.For those interested in Arkansas's rapidly evolving outdoor sector, this episode provides a wealth of insight and inspiration!Show Notes(00:00) Introduction(06:39) Outdoor Recreation Expansion Opportunities(08:22) How Outdoor Rec Boosts Local Economies(15:50) Arkansas's Inaugural Outdoor Pitch Night(18:40) The Governor's Conference on Tourism and Outdoor Recreation(19:26) Closing ThoughtsLinksCaleb TalleyJeff AmerineStartup JunkieStartup Junkie YouTubeKatherine AndrewsOffice of Outdoor Recreation52nd Annual Arkansas Governor's Conference on Tourism

In episode #354, Ben shares the results from his 7th Annual SaaS Tech Stack Survey and reveals the top accounting solutions used by software, SaaS, and AI companies today. With participation across 22 software categories, this year's survey highlights both the consistent market leaders and the rise of newer, AI-first ERP platforms. While legacy players continue to dominate, new entrants are gaining meaningful traction. Ben breaks down the “Power Six” accounting platforms and what their market concentration tells us about the current state of financial systems in tech companies. Resources Mentioned 7th Annual SaaS Tech Stack Survey: https://www.thesaascfo.com/surveys/finance-accounting-tech-stack-survey/ Light, sponsor of the core accounting category: https://light.inc/ What You'll Learn The top accounting and ERP systems used by SaaS and AI companies How the “Power Six” now dominate the accounting stack landscape Which newer AI-first ERP platforms are gaining traction How concentrated is the accounting software market among SaaS companies Why accounting system selection matters as companies scale ARR Why It Matters Your accounting system is the foundation of your financial reporting, SaaS metrics, and KPI tracking Poor financial systems limit your ability to calculate ARR, revenue retention, and other recurring revenue metrics As revenue grows, moving from SMB accounting tools to more robust ERP and financial systems becomes critical Investors and auditors expect scalable accounting infrastructure as companies mature Understanding market trends helps founders and CFOs evaluate whether their current financial systems can support growth

In this episode, I'm challenging the popular advice that you should "only do what you love" by exploring why friction is often a necessary data point rather than a signal to quit. While finding your flow is the ultimate destination, I've found that the path to success—whether you're a NASA engineer or a founder—inevitably requires grinding through tasks that drain your energy just to reach the next level. I break down how to distinguish between high-value flow and simple dopamine-seeking avoidance, offering a three-question framework to help you decide when to delegate, when to drop a task entirely, and when you just need to embrace the "mouse fart" course corrections required to get your business off the ground.Chris Walker podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/5eEzaXy4hUSqlvzD9ROqrz?si=09ac9ae5cfde4157Dave Rendall YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/drendallDave Rendall Website: www.drendall.comJustin Welsh Website: https://www.justinwelsh.me///Welcome to The Ray J. Green Show, your destination for tips on sales, strategy, and self-mastery from an operator, not a guru.About Ray:→ Former Managing Director of National Small & Midsize Business at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, where he doubled revenue per sale in fundraising, led the first increase in SMB membership, co-built a national Mid-Market sales channel, and more.→ Former CEO operator for several investor groups where he led turnarounds of recently acquired small businesses.→ Current founder of MSP Sales Partners, where we currently help IT companies scale sales: www.MSPSalesPartners.com→ Current Sales & Sales Management Expert in Residence at the world's largest IT business mastermind.→ Current Managing Partner of Repeatable Revenue Ventures, where we scale B2B companies we have equity in: www.RayJGreen.com//Follow Ray on:YouTube | LinkedIn | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Product led growth isn't about generating more leads - it's about deciding who deserves a conversation. In this episode, we unpack how Navan approaches lifetime value optimization, balances CAC to LTV, and uses product qualified leads to increase sales efficiency while scaling sales teams intelligently. The real challenge in modern B2B selling isn't demand - it's focus. In this episode of the B2B Sales Trends Podcast, Harry Kendlbacher sits down with Amit Shalev, VP of Growth at Navan, to explore how product signals, data, and human judgment work together in a high-volume product led growth model.

Before his first cup of coffee, Alex Melamud opens Slack—not to scan revenue charts first, but to read customer feedback. “The first one that may surprise you as a CFO that I look at is actually NPS,” he tells us. At Engine, every survey drops into a shared channel so “every executive can see” what customers said, he tells us.That habit fits a finance leader who didn't grow up in the CFO seat. Melamud started in investment banking and then spent 16 years in private equity, learning to build theses, chase signal, and “sell… the product of private equity,” he tells us. Sitting on boards, he watched the CFO role evolve from “corporate governance accounting” into “executive first and maybe CFO second,” he tells us—someone who can talk like product, sales, or operations and earn board trust.Engine became the moment he stepped inside. After leading the company's round “18 months ago,” joining the board, and helping with a CFO search, he looked at founder “Eli” and asked, “what if I joined you as CFO?” he tells us. The draw was a focused mission: serving SMB travel, where customers book “like a consumer” and lose corporate rates and visibility, he tells us.Now his investor lens shows up in the unglamorous work. During annual planning, he dug into the “top 50 costs” outside headcount and pushed leaders to treat each contract “as a brand new relationship,” he tells us—an inspection that produced “10, 15%” savings and “tens of millions of dollars,” he tells us.

ACL Reconstruction, Repair or Regrowth…which is right for you? Chris Antonelli has worked with a lot of BEAR implant patients for several years. Thank you, Miach Orthopedics, for pushing progress. Chris Share your AT Story?   Purdue for undergrad Baseball injuries led me to discover sports medicine Worked with a bunch of sports in college  During undergrad   Offer outreach AT services Bare bones: What is BEAR, and why should an athlete choose it? It is not a reconstruction; it is a repair technique. Decreased pain Less swelling Earlier function Feel better earlier The Ben version: Is skeletal maturity a strict requirement? How does it look in adolescents? It is now approved for skeletally immature Exercises? Any differences in 0-6weeks? First 4 weeks, they are partially weight-bearing instead of full weight-bearing The ligament is weaker at first Limit the flexion range of motion They will be braced for 6 weeks, and then a functional brace Does it affect quad inhibition? They feel really good, really early. Quads are fantastic, really on. What does the evidence say about timelines and re-tear compared to autografts? After the first 12 weeks, it is pretty much the same as others, with a 9-12 month full return to participation. Slower, more conservative. BFR and NMES for the first 8 weeks Once they have a good ROM, load them with an open kinetic chain. LAQ with BFR. 12 weeks, I do some isometric testing Patient education –  Educate and measure swelling Unable to get to full TKE It looks like meet boiled spaghetti, but we want it to become unboiled What about 5-10 years out? We still need more cases and research,h but it looks good with what we have What research is lacking that we should keep an eye on? Specific ACL autograft techniques vs BEAR Is BEAR becoming more accessible? Does insurance affect who can get it? No insurance issues with BEAR implants It is being sought out by a lot of people, and until recently, it was not available for high school students. More surgeons are learning the technique and process. Contact: Chris Antonelli cantonelli42@gmail.com Miach Ortho –  Ben Stephenson Jeremy These people LOVE Athletic Trainers and help support the podcast: Frio Hydration – Superior Hydration products. Xothrm – Best heating pad available – Use “SMB” or email info@xothrm.com and mention the Sports Medicine Broadcast Donate and get some swag (like Patreon but for the school) HOIST – No matter your reason for dehydration DRINK HOIST MedBridge Education – Use “TheSMB” to save some money, be entered in a drawing for a second year free, and support the podcast. Marc Pro – Use “THESMB” to recover better. Athletic Dry Needling – Save up to $100 when registering through our link.

I made the biggest hire in my business this week—and the numbers today didn't justify it. I did it anyway. Not out of gut instinct, but because a big bet is a forcing function. The moment I committed, every meeting and every project on my calendar had to justify its existence. Waiting for the safe moment feels smart, but it just gives you permission to drift. Here's what I see with businesses that plateau: early on, every entrepreneur makes bold bets because the math is simple—huge upside, little to lose. But once momentum builds, the internal math quietly flips from "what do I have to gain" to "what do I have to lose." You still say you want to scale, but the decisions tell a different story. You lose the forcing function, you lose the focus, and you stall. If you've been sitting at the same revenue number for a while, ask yourself: when's the last time you made a commitment that actually scared you?//Welcome to The Ray J. Green Show, your destination for tips on sales, strategy, and self-mastery from an operator, not a guru.About Ray:→ Former Managing Director of National Small & Midsize Business at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, where he doubled revenue per sale in fundraising, led the first increase in SMB membership, co-built a national Mid-Market sales channel, and more.→ Former CEO operator for several investor groups where he led turnarounds of recently acquired small businesses.→ Current founder of MSP Sales Partners, where we currently help IT companies scale sales: www.MSPSalesPartners.com→ Current Sales & Sales Management Expert in Residence at the world's largest IT business mastermind.→ Current Managing Partner of Repeatable Revenue Ventures, where we scale B2B companies we have equity in: www.RayJGreen.com//Follow Ray on:YouTube | LinkedIn | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

One of my coaching clients said something on a discovery call that took serious guts: "From my selfish standpoint of wanting to sell you services, I can absolutely bring you a proposal. But I don't think you're going to be ready to buy. I'm not seeing a big enough problem for us to solve." That one candid line completely changed the dynamics of the deal. The prospect opened up, revealed the CIO's days were numbered, that he was spending $340K a year across three internal IT people, and that the CIO had been slow to respond despite the owner pushing the initiative. All roads lead to discovery—and this is what I mean by that. Every question I get from sellers about stalled deals, pricing objections, unexpected decision makers, or lack of urgency can be traced back to what we didn't learn in discovery. Most sellers stop at the surface level. They ask their scripted questions, get standard answers, and move on to the next checkbox. They never pull on the thread. This episode breaks down why digging deeper in discovery requires emotional intelligence and courage that most sellers never develop, how being candid and challenging a prospect who gives surface-level answers can completely reframe the problem you're solving—from IT issues to a fundamental business problem worth hundreds of thousands—and why the seller who gets to the real pain differentiates themselves from everyone else competing for the same deal. If you don't know the real problem you're solving, your prescription won't be credible. Keep digging.//Welcome to The Ray J. Green Show, your destination for tips on sales, strategy, and self-mastery from an operator, not a guru.About Ray:→ Former Managing Director of National Small & Midsize Business at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, where he doubled revenue per sale in fundraising, led the first increase in SMB membership, co-built a national Mid-Market sales channel, and more.→ Former CEO operator for several investor groups where he led turnarounds of recently acquired small businesses.→ Current founder of MSP Sales Partners, where we currently help IT companies scale sales: www.MSPSalesPartners.com→ Current Sales & Sales Management Expert in Residence at the world's largest IT business mastermind.→ Current Managing Partner of Repeatable Revenue Ventures, where we scale B2B companies we have equity in: www.RayJGreen.com//Follow Ray on:YouTube | LinkedIn | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Don Grigg reflects on the different outcomes for 2 businesses he bought in his 30s, one of which became his life's work.Register for the webinar: Red Flags That Kill or Reshape Deals - Feb 19th - https://bit.ly/468vw6WTopics in Don's interview:Discovering his passion for manufacturingSearching for “small, broken companies” to acquireClosing on 2 businesses within 6 monthsHow plastics recycling worksScaling his plastics recycling businessPrivate equity is a poor fit for small business Exiting his business felt like losing familyHis son and daughter's acquisitionValue of family businessesEntrepreneurship through acquisition as your life's workReferences and how to contact Don:LinkedInNative WatercraftBonafide Kayaks Enough by John C. BogleGet a free review of your books & financial ops from System Six (a $500 value):Book a call with Tim or hello@systemsix.com and mention Acquiring MindsDownload the New CEO's Guide to Human Resources from Aspen HR:From this page or contact jenny@aspenhr.comGet complimentary due diligence on your acquisition's insurance & benefits program:Oberle Risk Strategies - Search Fund TeamConnect with Acquiring Minds:See past + future interviews on the YouTube channelConnect with host Will Smith on LinkedInFollow Will on TwitterEdited by Anton RohozovProduced by Pam Cameron

SummaryOn this episode of Startup Junkies, hosts Daniel Koonce and Caleb Talley sit down with Phil Pesek, founder of the Law Office of Philip A. Pesek, to unravel the mysteries of business law and compliance for entrepreneurs and startups.With over thirty years of legal experience spanning big-name companies like Dillard's, Walmart, and Home Depot, Phil's journey is packed with stories, insight, and a passion for making the law accessible. After retiring just before the pandemic, Phil discovered his true calling in education—teaching contract law at the University of Arkansas and advising startup founders as a fractional general counsel.Throughout the episode, Phil stresses the importance of compliance, structure, and knowing the “why” behind decisions like forming an LLC or electing S corporation status. He offers a unique, relationship-driven approach by providing a flat fee that includes a fully prepared compliance binder and unlimited access for questions. For new founders, he warns of the traps of DIY legal work from the internet and offers a free initial consultation to make the first steps less daunting.Listeners will find both practical advice and inspiration in Phil's stories—from sobering lessons about the stakes of compliance to encouraging tales of effective contract negotiation. Ultimately, this episode champions seeking out trustworthy legal guidance early and building relationships that will serve your business well as it grows. Tune in today!Show Notes(00:00) Introduction(05:22) S Corps vs LLCs Explained(08:14) Passion for Small Business Ownership(13:02) Demystifying Business Structure Choices(17:22) Separating Personal and Business Assets(22:35) Negotiation Tips for People Pleasers(26:20) Pitfalls of Cutting Legal Corners(31:55) Legal Costs and Quality Concerns(36:54) Closing Thoughts LinksDaniel KoonceCaleb TalleyStartup JunkieStartup Junkie YouTubePhil PesekLaw Office of Phillip A. Pesek

I introduce my daily podcast for operators and founders who need sharper thinking around decisions that don't come with playbooks. As an investor, operator, and founder of MSP Sales Partners and Repeatable Revenue Ventures, I explain why this show focuses on how to think before deciding what to do. I challenge the common pattern of jumping straight to tactics without examining the underlying assumptions that shape every business decision. This episode establishes the show's core premise: that getting the frame right makes the decision easier, and that real-world business requires context, not just guru advice. I outline what listeners can expect from the daily format and who will benefit most from this approach to thinking through sales, strategy, hiring, leadership, and the moments when you're the only one willing to acknowledge something isn't working.//Welcome to The Ray J. Green Show, your destination for tips on sales, strategy, and self-mastery from an operator, not a guru.About Ray:→ Former Managing Director of National Small & Midsize Business at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, where he doubled revenue per sale in fundraising, led the first increase in SMB membership, co-built a national Mid-Market sales channel, and more.→ Former CEO operator for several investor groups where he led turnarounds of recently acquired small businesses.→ Current founder of MSP Sales Partners, where we currently help IT companies scale sales: www.MSPSalesPartners.com→ Current Sales & Sales Management Expert in Residence at the world's largest IT business mastermind.→ Current Managing Partner of Repeatable Revenue Ventures, where we scale B2B companies we have equity in: www.RayJGreen.com//Follow Ray on:YouTube | LinkedIn | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

In addition to buying his own business, Evan DiLeonardi trades buy-side services for equity in other SMB acquisitions.Topics in Evan's interview:Entering the Airbnb spaceJoining Ben Kelly's acquisition groupBuying a commercial cleaning businessBeing a remote “workaholic”Realizing he bought a business in distressFirst year in survival modeGetting a team of great managers in placeHis “Equity in Kind” partner modelEnjoying search more than operationsBuilding a holding companyReferences and how to contact Evan:LinkedInQuality Cleaning ServiceGail Hamilton Azodo on Acquiring Minds: Buying to $4m Across 7 Sites in 3 YearsMeridian Peak CapitalWork with an SBA loan team focused exclusively on helping entrepreneurs buy businesses:Pioneer Capital AdvisoryGet a complimentary IT audit of your target business:Email Nick Akers at nick@inzotechnologies.com, and tell him you're a searcherGet a free review of your books & financial ops from System Six (a $500 value):Book a call with Tim or hello@systemsix.com and mention Acquiring MindsConnect with Acquiring Minds:See past + future interviews on the YouTube channelConnect with host Will Smith on LinkedInFollow Will on TwitterEdited by Anton RohozovProduced by Pam Cameron

Ty Wang, cofounder and CEO of Angle Health, breaks down what it means to give back through public service, then shows how that same mindset drives his mission to modernize healthcare for small and midsize businesses. We get into why legacy health plans feel opaque and painful, what an AI native health plan actually changes behind the scenes, and how better data and workflows can create real cost stability for employers.Ty shares his path from a federal scholarship and national service work to Palantir, and why he chose one of the most regulated, least glamorous industries to build in. If you have ever wondered why healthcare feels impossible to navigate, or why renewals can blindside a company, this conversation will give you a clear mental model of the problem and a practical view of what modernization looks like when it actually ships. Key TakeawaysHealthcare feels broken because the infrastructure is fragmented, data is siloed, and even basic questions become hard to answer across inconsistent systemsModernizing healthcare is not just about a new app, it is about rebuilding the operational core so workflows, claims, underwriting, and member experience can run on integrated dataSmall and midsize businesses are hit hardest by cost volatility because they lack transparency, predictability, and negotiating leverage, yet health insurance is often a top line item after payrollA strong approach to regulated markets is collaborative, treat regulators as partners in consumer protection, not obstacles to work aroundMission and impact can be a recruiting advantage, especially when the technical problems are genuinely hard and the outcomes touch real people fastTimestamped Highlights00:40 What Angle Health is, and what AI native means in a real health plan02:05 The scholarship path that pulled Ty into public service and set his trajectory04:06 The personal story behind the mission, the American dream, and why access matters09:38 Why healthcare infrastructure is so complex, and how siloed systems create bad experiences11:33 Why SMBs get squeezed, and how manual administration blocks customization at scale13:20 The real pain point for employers, cost volatility and zero predictability before renewal16:55 Why the tech can expand beyond SMBs, but why the SMB market is already massive19:51 Lessons from building in a regulated industry, and why credibility and funding matter22:26 Hiring for high agency, mission driven talent in a world full of AI companiesA line that sticks“Unless you are lucky enough to work for a big company, these modern healthcare services are still largely inaccessible to the vast majority of Americans.”Pro Tips for tech operators and buildersIf you are modernizing a legacy industry, start with the infrastructure layer, fix the data model, integrate the systems, then automate workflowsIn regulated markets, build relationships early, show how your product improves consumer outcomes, and make compliance a design constraint, not a bolt onWhen selling into SMBs, predictability beats perfection, give customers a clear breakdown of what drives costs and what they can controlWhat's next:If this episode helped you see healthcare and legacy modernization more clearly, follow the show on Apple Podcasts or Spotify and subscribe so you do not miss the next conversation. Also, share it with one operator or builder who is trying to modernize a messy industry.

Warehouse operations often highlight the gap between business strategy and execution, particularly as small and mid-sized companies grow. Challenges like fulfillment pressure, inventory inaccuracies, and manual workarounds can turn warehouses into bottlenecks that hinder organizational efficiency. When teams lose confidence in their data, scaling becomes more difficult, leaving leadership reactive instead of proactive.In this episode of Supply Chain Now, Scott W. Luton speaks with Kurt Heusner, CEO of Endpoint Automation Solutions, about warehouse execution in the SMB market. Kurt discusses his experience with growth-focused businesses and emphasizes the importance of time-to-value, adoption, and simplicity over complexity. He explains how trust in systems affects team performance and why warehouses often reveal operational challenges first.The conversation also addresses ERP warehouse modules versus standalone WMS solutions as complexity grows, modular implementation approaches, the ongoing significance of barcoding, and how newer technologies fit into modernization strategies. The episode concludes with insights into Endpoint's peer communities and grant programs designed to enhance warehouse execution without disrupting daily operations.Jump into the conversation:(00:00) Intro(01:36) Meet Kurt Heusner: career and insights(02:52) Kurt Heusner's passion for music explained(04:58) Kurt's journey in SMB technology industry(06:22) Warehouse automation: SMBs' needs and insights(10:46) Cultural impact on technology implementation(11:31) Serving SMBs: key challenges uncovered(14:56) Evolution of endpoint automation solutions explained(17:16) Modular approach to WMS for success(19:30) Final thoughts on SMB problem-solving(23:56) Experience and continuous learning in tech(24:36) The history and evolution of barcoding(26:05) Barcoding's role in modern supply chains(29:06) Integrating technologies with barcoding in operations(31:39) Signs your ERP system needs upgrading(34:05) Building trust in tech and teams(39:33) Peer communities and learning program value(43:00) Grant programs for small manufacturers explainedAdditional Links & Resources:Connect with Kurt Heusner: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kurtheusner/Learn more about Endpoint Automation Solutions: https://endpointas.com/Learn more about Supply Chain Now: https://supplychainnow.comLearn more about our hosts: https://supplychainnow.com/aboutWatch and listen to more Supply Chain Now episodes here: https://supplychainnow.com/program/supply-chain-nowSubscribe to Supply Chain Now on your favorite platform:

He started by buying a small flooring business in 2000. Today Paul Lajoie takes home $1m a year and works how he wants.Register for the webinar:Why Deal Flow Isn't Your Biggest Problem - TOMORROW! - https://bit.ly/4ah8L1ETopics in Paul's interview:Background in Big Six accountingBuying the first business he looked atPartnering with his brotherDownsizing his lifestyle in the beginningUnderestimating working capital needsDetailed partnership agreementsYou are not smarter than the sellerPivoting to remodeling after 2008 crashAcquisition vs startup success ratesHis BizBuyPro communityReferences and how to contact Paul:LinkedInpaul@bizbuypro.comKiplinger Today NewsletterConfessions of a MillionaireGobundanceLearn more about Walker Deibel's done-with-you buy-side advisory:The Acquisition LabGet complimentary due diligence on your acquisition's insurance & benefits program:Oberle Risk Strategies - Search Fund TeamDownload the New CEO's Guide to Human Resources from Aspen HR:From this page or contact jenny@aspenhr.comConnect with Acquiring Minds:See past + future interviews on the YouTube channelConnect with host Will Smith on LinkedInFollow Will on TwitterEdited by Anton RohozovProduced by Pam Cameron

For years, we've heard about AI transforming software development. But what if that same level of agentic, AI-driven collaboration could be applied not just to writing code, but to writing your entire go-to-market playbook? Agility requires that your go-to-market teams operate at the speed of insight, not at the speed of manual data entry and fragmented workflows. This means empowering them with tools that don't just provide data, but automate action based on strategic intent. Today, we're going to talk about the concept of an 'agentic' go-to-market platform, where AI doesn't just assist, but actively collaborates with sales and marketing teams to automate entire workflows, from strategy to execution. To help me discuss this topic, I'd like to welcome, Marcio Arnecke, Chief Marketing Officer at Apollo.io. About Marcio Arnecke As Apollo.io's Chief Marketing Officer, Marcio Arnecke brings a visionary approach to scaling high-growth B2B SaaS marketing in the AI-driven sales landscape. With over two decades of experience driving revenue acceleration across global markets, he has consistently transformed early-stage technology companies into market-defining brands. Hisexpertise in AI-powered go-to-market strategies uniquely positions him to accelerate Apollo's mission of empowering sales teams through intelligent data and automation. Previously, he played a pivotal role in scaling marketing functions at SaaS giants like Intercom and Zendesk, where he drove remarkable growth from $40M to $1.7B, culminating in a successful IPO that raised $100 million in 2014. Leveraging his comprehensive background in demand generation, product marketing, and strategic storytelling, Marcio is focused on positioning Apollo as the go-to AI sales platform for SMB and mid-market teams. His approach combines data-driven insights with targeted narrative strategies, translating Apollo's technological capabilities into practical business value. Drawing from his global experience across Silicon Valley and international markets, Marcio aims to expand Apollo's brand and demonstrate how AI can meaningfully improve sales engagement for growing businesses. Marcio holds advanced degrees from Stanford University's Graduate School of Business and Golden Gate University, complemented by a BS in Business Administration from Universidade Feevale in Brazil. Marcio Arnecke on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcioarnecke/ Resources Apollo.io: https://www.apollo.io Take your personal data back with Incogni! Use code AGILE at the link below and get 60% off an annual plan: https://incogni.com/agile  The Agile Brand podcast is brought to you by TEKsystems. Learn more here: https://www.teksystems.com/versionnextnow Catch the future of e-commerce at eTail Palm Springs, Feb 23-26 in Palm Springs, CA. Go here for more details: https://etailwest.wbresearch.com/ Drive your customers to new horizons at the premier retail event of the year for Retail and Brand marketers. Learn more at CRMC 2026, June 1-3. https://www.thecrmc.com/ Enjoyed the show? Tell us more at and give us a rating so others can find the show at: https://ratethispodcast.com/agile Connect with Greg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregkihlstrom Don't miss a thing: get the latest episodes, sign up for our newsletter and more: https://www.theagilebrand.show Check out The Agile Brand Guide website with articles, insights, and Martechipedia, the wiki for marketing technology: https://www.agilebrandguide.com The Agile Brand is produced by Missing Link—a Latina-owned strategy-driven, creatively fueled production co-op. From ideation to creation, they craft human connections through intelligent, engaging and informative content. https://www.missinglink.company