That kind of growth does not happen because the founder works harder. It happens because the business becomes more valuable, less owner-dependent, and built for scale.

Brian Hoppe sits down with Kevin Cook, Chief Strategy Officer at Ntiva and former CEO of The Purple Guys, to unpack what it really takes to move from founder-led MSP to private-equity-backed platform.

This conversation gets into enterprise value, acquisitions, leadership development, AI, and the hard decisions owners face when they want the business to outgrow them.

In this episode:

• Why owner dependence is one of the biggest value killers in an MSP
• How Kevin went from a $13M MSP to a $60M platform through PE and acquisitions
• What acquirers actually look for beyond EBITDA
• Why culture fit can make or break an acquisition
• How AI is changing the timing and strategy behind MSP exits

If you’re thinking about how to build a business that can scale, sell, or survive beyond you, this is the conversation.

If you want to go deeper on the levers behind growth and valuation, you can get the Value Creation Blueprint here:

https://brianhoppe.com/blueprint/

Key Moments

0:00 - Welcome to The $10 Million MSP Podcast

1:07 - Kevin Cook joins the show

5:29 - Taking on private equity and becoming The Purple Guys

13:36 - What creates enterprise value in an MSP

24:23 - How AI is changing the MSP landscape

32:22 - What changes after outside investment

37:20 - Why leadership development becomes critical

51:15 - Kevin’s biggest leadership mistake

Connect

Brian Hoppe:

https://brianhoppe.com/

Kevin Cook:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevin-cook-ntiva/

https://www.ntiva.com/

Most MSP growth stories focus on founder vision, aggressive sales, or rolling up other companies. This one is different. Brian Hoppe sits down with Shane Groniger, CEO of GCS Technologies, to unpack what it looks like to step into the CEO seat of a company he didn’t found and help move it past the $10M plateau.

This is a conversation about discipline, focus, leadership maturity, and building a durable business without blindly following the standard MSP playbook.

In this episode:

- What it takes to lead an MSP you didn’t found

- How GCS moved from an $8M-$9M plateau to nearly $15M

- Why discipline, focus, and “addition through subtraction” became key growth drivers

- How fixed-fee security packaging changed the business model

- Why margin by client and agreement matters more than top-line revenue

- The hard leadership lessons that come with putting people in the right seats

- How Shane thinks about AI, automation, and the next curve jump for MSPs

If you’re thinking about what has to change inside the business before the next stage of growth can happen, this is the conversation.

If you want to go deeper on the levers behind growth and valuation, you can get the Value Creation Blueprint here:

https://brianhoppe.com/blueprint/

Key Moments

1:06 – Shane Groniger joins the show

1:41 – Leading a company he didn’t found

3:01 – GCS Technologies’ journey to nearly $15M

6:29 – Breaking through the $8M-$9M plateau

7:28 – Revenue per employee, margin discipline, and EBITDA

8:50 – Moving into packaged cybersecurity services

10:54 – GCS’ ideal client profile

13:05 – Founder identity vs. non-founder CEO identity

19:03 – What had to change to get past $10M

21:54 – Building a lean leadership team

24:09 – What breaks between $8M and $15M

26:48 – The hard lesson of right people, wrong seats

31:19 – Growth plans from $15M to $20M

38:51 – Building a durable asset instead of chasing an exit

41:45 – Borrowing from EOS, peer groups, and industry benchmarks

44:42 – The metrics Shane watches most closely

49:02 – Why account management and retention matter more at scale

50:52 – Shane’s biggest leadership mistake

55:15 – Delegating decisions, not just tasks

56:35 – Lightning round

59:39 – Books and ideas that shaped Shane’s leadership

Connect

Brian Hoppe

https://brianhoppe.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianhoppe

Shane Gronniger

GCS Technologies https://www.gcstechnologies.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/shanegroniger/

Most MSP owners assume scale requires geography, talent density, or luck. This conversation challenges that.

Brian Hoppe sits down with Ed Knott, who built Applied Connective Technologies from 2 people to 68 employees, to unpack what actually drives growth beyond $10M.

This is not a conversation about tactics. It’s about the shift most owners struggle to make.

In this episode:

- What really changes between a $5M and $10M MSP owner

- How to build and retain a team in a constrained market

- Why client experience and retention become the primary growth engine

- The transition from founder-led hustle to leadership-driven scale

- What “financial maturity” actually looks like inside an MSP If you’re thinking about what it takes to build a business that scales beyond you, this is the conversation.

If you want to go deeper on the levers behind growth and valuation, you can get the Value Creation Blueprint here: https://brianhoppe.com/blueprint/

Key Moments

1:06 – The real difference between $5M and $10M MSP owners

7:32 – Building in a rural market and why geography didn’t matter

12:24 – Hiring and retaining talent when your market is constrained

19:05 – The moment an owner has to let go

25:11 – How sales evolves as the business scales

32:58 – Retention as a strategic growth driver

36:35 – Using leading indicators to run the business

45:42 – The biggest mistake Ed made as a leader

Connect

Brian Hoppe

https://brianhoppe.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianhoppe

Ed Knott

Applied Connective Technologies https://appliedconnective.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/ed-knott-a218535/

Most MSP owners assume growth breaks because of sales, marketing, or market size. This conversation challenges that.

Brian Hoppe sits down with Shawn Torres, CEO of In-Telecom, to unpack how the company grew from an $8M telecom and networking business into a fast-scaling MSP with offices across Louisiana, Texas, Georgia, and Tennessee.

This is not a conversation about chasing top-line growth. It’s about the discipline, financial maturity, leadership development, and internal infrastructure required to scale without losing control.

In this episode:

- How Shawn grew In-Telecom from $8M to $47M after launching managed services

- Why aggressive targets only work when they are backed by budget, data, and accountability

- How a real CFO changes the way an owner thinks about growth, cash, debt, and forecasting

- What MSP owners underestimate about acquisitions, integration, and culture fit

- Why leadership development, middle management, and internal operations become critical at scale

If you’re trying to build an MSP that can grow past founder-driven hustle, this is the conversation. If you want to go deeper on the levers behind growth and valuation, you can get the Value Creation Blueprint here:

https://brianhoppe.com/blueprint/

Key Moments

1:48 – The leadership lesson Shawn had to learn as the business scaled

7:36 – Why In-Telecom added managed services after building telecom, voice, and networking

11:11 – How EOS, discipline, and target-setting changed the company’s growth path

18:38 – The financial mechanics behind growing from $31M to $47M

23:53 – Building the sales, BDR, client success, and marketing engine

28:09 – Why a real CFO becomes critical around the $8M mark

32:19 – What Shawn learned from acquisitions, integration, and culture fit

38:56 – The non-obvious infrastructure required beyond $30M

44:43 – Why every new stage of growth forces the owner to level up

52:05 – Why coaching and people development matter beyond the leadership team

54:54 – Shawn’s biggest mistakes as a leader

58:39 – Lightning round: work from home, AI, the gym, hunting, and making deposits

Connect

Brian Hoppe

https://brianhoppe.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianhoppe

Shawn Torres

https://www.linkedin.com/in/shawn-torres/

https://www.in-telecom.com/

Most MSPs are still trying to figure out where AI fits. Nabil believes the opportunity is already here. Brian Hoppe sits down with Nabil Aitoumeziane, president of FSI Strategy, to unpack what it means to build a Microsoft-first MSP, modernize clients for the AI era, and move beyond the old model of tools, tickets, and reactive support.

This is a conversation about process, people, delegation, trust, and why MSPs need to start having bigger business conversations with their clients.

In this episode:

- Why FSI chose to become a Microsoft-first MSP

- How Nabil thinks about modernization, security, and AI readiness

- Why process becomes non-negotiable as an MSP grows

- How to delegate without losing visibility or control

- Why MSP owners need to find what they are uniquely good at

- How AI and Copilot are changing internal operations and client strategy

- Why AI agents may become a new managed service opportunity

- The importance of going back to basics with customer relationships

If you’re thinking about how AI changes the role of the MSP, this conversation is a helpful look at where the market is heading and how to prepare for it. If you want to go deeper on the levers behind growth and valuation, you can get the Value Creation Blueprint here:

https://brianhoppe.com/blueprint/

Key Moments

1:07 – Nabil Aitoumeziane joins the show

1:49 – FSI Strategy’s Microsoft-first MSP model

3:22 – Growing FSI to nearly $12M

4:30 – Becoming a Microsoft managed service provider

5:27 – Building modernization into client contracts

6:23 – The biggest leadership lessons Nabil has learned

8:01 – Learning to delegate as the business grows

11:46 – Building leaders internally

13:10 – Finding what you are truly good at as a leader

15:33 – Discipline, peer groups, and asking for help

17:43 – Focusing on Microsoft relationships and customer growth

18:22 – Why MSPs need to be more selective with tools

21:27 – Finding your zone of genius

25:00 – The mistake of doing the same thing over and over

28:40 – Going back to basics with customer service

32:40 – Pushing decision-making down into the organization

36:36 – How AI is helping FSI improve process

41:13 – How FSI uses Copilot internally

42:58 – Why MSPs need to implement AI internally first

44:09 – Data governance, security, and Copilot readiness

46:27 – How MSPs can monetize AI

47:02 – Why AI agents could become a managed service

49:09 – Building and supporting agents for clients

55:36 – Why clients will look elsewhere if MSPs ignore AI

56:39 – AI as a business conversation, not a technical one

58:04 – MSPs becoming strategic consultants

1:01:57 – Nabil’s biggest leadership mistake

1:04:31 – Lightning round

1:09:13 – The book that shaped Nabil’s thinking

Connect

Brian Hoppe

https://brianhoppe.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianhoppe

Nabil Aitoumeziane

https://www.fsistrategies.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/nabilaitoumeziane/

This conversation challenges that.Brian Hoppe sits down with Kevin Blake, former CEO of TechMD and current President of Integris, to unpack what it really takes to grow from a founder-led MSP into a private equity-backed platform.

This is not a conversation about growth for growth’s sake. It’s about leadership layers, financial maturity, culture, integration, and the hard decisions owners have to make before the business can scale beyond them.

In this episode:

- Why the leadership team that gets you to $10M may not get you to $50M

- How Kevin used acquisitions to grow from $12M to roughly $65M

- Why full integration creates pain upfront but unlocks value later

- What private equity changes about the CEO’s role, reporting, and decision-making

- Why ICP discipline, clean data, and hard people decisions matter before an exit

If you’re trying to build an MSP that can scale beyond the founder and become more valuable to a future buyer, this is the conversation.If you want to go deeper on the levers behind growth and valuation, you can get the Value Creation Blueprint here:

https://brianhoppe.com/blueprint/

Key Moments

1:31 - What MSP owners misunderstand about growing from $10M to $50M

5:43 - Kevin’s path from early employee to CEO of TechMD

8:30 - The first acquisition and why Kevin needed an M&A playbook

12:57 - Selling 80% of the business to private equity in March 2020

18:10 - Joining Integris and becoming part of a $250M national MSP

21:37 - Why clean data and a true CFO become critical at scale

31:57 - The complexity of merging cultures and managing a board

43:43 - Why culture becomes harder and more important as the company scales

48:25 - What an $8M to $10M MSP should fix before a future exit

57:01 - Kevin’s biggest mistake as a leader

Connect

Brian Hoppe

https://brianhoppe.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianhoppe

Kevin Blake

Integrishttps://integrisit.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevin-blake-2b526a3/

https://brianhoppe.com/blueprint/

In this episode of the $10 Million MSP Podcast, Brian Hoppe sits down with Dave Cava (co-founder of Proactive Technologies and now a partner at Encore Strategic) to unpack what actually separates MSPs that scale cleanly from the ones that stay stuck.

They get into the uncomfortable truth behind growth plateaus, why the “hub-and-spoke owner” model eventually breaks, and what it really takes to build a business that doesn’t depend on the owner to function. Dave also shares how vertical focus helped his team build a $10M MSP, how premium pricing becomes possible when MSPs stop selling commodity IT, and why the best companies treat hiring like building an army, not plugging a leak.

If you’re trying to grow past the messy middle, this conversation will challenge how you think about leadership, org structure, and what the owner’s role should be as the company gets bigger.

Episode Highlights

0:00 - Introduction

0:45 - The difference between MSPs that scale vs. ones that stall

2:38 - Big industry plateaus

6:06 - Dave’s background

15:08 - Diving deeper into the business and Dave’s sale

19:10 - Success and choosing a vertical

23:10 - Charging almost $400 per user

29:50 - Not ‘playing the same game’ as other MSPs

32:54 - MSP success relies on the skills of the leadership team

38:19 - The ‘people’ aspect of things for MSP growth

47:20 - Most MSP leaders are in uncharted territory

49:50 - Increasing retention and crafting an identity

54:21 - Scaling and shifting responsibilities away from smaller tasks

1:00:38 - Dave’s biggest mistake(s)

1:03:39 - Rapid fire round

1:10:59 - Wrap-up, where you can find Dave

Connect with Brian Hoppe

https://brianhoppe.com/

linkedin.com/in/brianhoppe

Like Our Guest? Check out more on Dave Cava

https://www.linkedin.com/in/dave-cava-peoplesharp/

https://brianhoppe.com/blueprint/

Welcome back to the $10 Million MSP Podcast!

In this episode, Brian Hoppe sits down with Serge Bukhar, founder and CEO of Atlas Technica, to break down what really drives scale in an MSP.

Serge shares how Atlas grew from zero to a global team without acquisitions or outside capital, why people and service are the real “secret sauce,” and how vertical focus, process discipline, and reputation-led growth shaped the business. They also get into building a culture that retains talent, why most MSPs struggle with churn, and what Serge sees coming next for the industry.

Episode Highlights:

(0:00) - Introduction

(1:09) - Episode open

(1:35) - What most MSP misunderstand about scaling

(3:56) - Serge’s journey and background

(6:01) - Verticalization, is it the secret to success?

(9:49) - Pricing services

(12:39) - Obsessing over your people

(15:49) - Growing within vs. hiring from the outside

(19:18) - What makes Atlas Technica different

(25:55) - Retaining your culture

(27:33) - Diving into the sales engine

34:35 - Being ‘process-driven’

41:03 - “What matters is what is written”

43:37 - The real trouble with creating a system

45:14 - Big shifts Serge made as a leader

51:30 - What’s coming in the next 5 years

55:26 - The biggest mistake Serge made as a leader

57:12 - What every MSP should know

58:41 - Wrap-up

Connect with Brian Hoppe

https://brianhoppe.com/

linkedin.com/in/brianhoppe

Like Our Guest? Check out more on Serge Bukhar

https://www.atlastechnica.com/

linkedin.com/in/sbukhar

https://brianhoppe.com/blueprint

Private equity is one of the biggest flashpoints in the MSP world: some welcome it, others dread it.

Today’s guest offers a perspective that’s less emotional and more practical. Brian sits down with Jake Levine, CEO of Robo, an MSP that’s grown from nearly $10M in revenue at acquisition to an expected $23M this year.

Jake has worked with private equity his entire career, first getting hooked on the challenge in grad school, then joining NextGen Growth Partners and never looking back.

Jake shares how he first got introduced to the MSP space, what truly sparked his interest in PE, and the real differences between running a founder-led company and a private equity–backed one. From discipline and execution to leadership traits and inevitable tradeoffs, this conversation lays out the pros, cons, and misconceptions so you can decide what actually fits your business.

Whether you’re PE-backed, PE-curious, or firmly opposed, you’ll walk away with a clearer lens for what it takes to win under either model.

Episode Highlights:

0:00 - Introduction

1:06 - Episode open

1:33 - What it takes to run a PE-backed MSP

5:58 - The difference in decision-making

8:25 - Jake’s story

17:07 - Where is Robo at today?

20:05 - The reality of being a CEO

25:54 - Building credibility (w/ an already established team)

29:44 - Tensions between an owner and private equity

33:32 - “Healthy tension”

37:48 - “How has your leadership grown?”

41:37 - The ‘squishy’ concepts and replacing yourself

45:17 - Biggest mistake Jake has made as a CEO

50:04 - Rapid fire

56:23 - Episode wrap-up

Connect with Brian Hoppe

https://brianhoppe.com/

linkedin.com/in/brianhoppe

Like Our Guest? Check out more on Jake Levine

Jake@robo.net

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacob-levine-85999720/

https://brianhoppe.com/podcast/

Welcome back to the $10 Million MSP Podcast — in this episode, Brian sits down with Bill Tyndall, Founder & CEO of Tynrose and Techvera (and former co-founder of Electric AI, one of the earliest pioneers of IT-as-a-Service).

Bill brings a rare perspective across the MSP world: operator, acquirer, investor, and builder, shaped by hundreds of conversations with MSP owners and firsthand experience scaling companies with automation and systems.

Bill and Brian unpack what it takes to scale the right way, including:

1. The mindset and culture signals that tell you a founder “gets it”
2. Why internal cybersecurity is the MSP industry’s biggest blind spot
3. How “artificial capacity constraints” silently crush margins
4. Why your “best client” might actually be your worst and how gross margin by client reveals the truth
5. The leadership shifts required at scale: communication systems, accountability, and protecting your mental health as the org grows

Bill also shares the personal side of entrepreneurship, including the myth that money equals happiness, and why coaches, therapists, and boundaries aren’t optional if you want to build something big without burning out.

If you’re building toward $10M (or beyond) and want a behind-the-scenes look at growth, M&A, operational leverage, and where the industry is actually going, this episode will challenge the way you think.

0:00 - Introduction

1:17 - Episode open

1:39 - What Bill has learned about MSP owners

4:48 - Bill’s journey and how he got to this space

16:52 - Traits of savvy MSP owners

19:38 - What Bill looks for in owners

23:54 - Bill’s red flags

28:55 - Post-acquisition, what Bill looks to align or fix

33:44 - Bill’s biggest shift he’s made as a leader

37:19 - Mental-health, well-being and the power of coaches

42:40 - Where Bill sees the industry heading

46:31 - Rapid fire

51:04 - Episode wrap-up

Connect with Brian Hoppe

https://brianhoppe.com/

linkedin.com/in/brianhoppe

Like Our Guest? Check out more on Bill Tyndall

linkedin.com/in/bill-tyndall

https://brianhoppe.com/podcast/

In this episode of The $10 Million MSP Podcast, Brian sits down with Dave Sagraves — former MSP operator turned growth architect — for a straight-shooting conversation about what actually drives sustainable revenue growth in the MSP space.

Dave has lived the full evolution: from being the sales guy at a fast-growing MSP, to buying into ownership, scaling to $20M, navigating a private equity exit, and helping grow a larger platform to $143M. Today, he leads MSP Growth OS, where he and his team help MSPs build repeatable revenue engines built on discipline, consistency, and real-world sales execution — not gimmicks.

Brian and Dave unpack why so many MSPs stall once they hit the $8–$12M range, and why the “easy button” mindset keeps owners trapped in a loop of buying marketing, outsourcing prospecting, or hiring the wrong salespeople and hoping it magically works. Instead, Dave lays out a clear framework that owners can easily keep top-of-mind

You’ll also hear Dave’s candid perspective on the emotional side of an exit, why money doesn’t automatically create fulfillment, and the leadership shift required to scale.

If you’re serious about breaking through a growth plateau, building a real pipeline, and creating consistent new-logo momentum, this episode is a must-listen.

Episode Highlights:

0:00 - Introduction

1:11 - Episode open

1:32 - The biggest lie MSP owners believe

3:03 - Dave’s background

5:10 - Dave’s exit (and what he learned)

7:57 - Unlocking growth, what do most get wrong?

10:45 - Leading indicators, sales in MSPs

16:43 - “A” sellers, commission plans

20:16 - Developing sales people, leads

24:20 - Sales quotas

28:03 - Managing sales people, “hunting vs. farming”

33:02 - Jumpstarting growth

36:01 - 3 key ingredients to make growth sustainable

38:56 - Dave’s evolution as a leader

43:31 - Patterns Dave sees in leaders who fail

45:58 - “I’m an MSP owner and I want to grow, what do I do?”

47:36 - Rapid fire

51:14 - Episode wrap-up

Connect with Brian Hoppe

https://brianhoppe.com/

linkedin.com/in/brianhoppe

Like Our Guest? Check out more on Dave Sagraves

linkedin.com/in/dsagraves

https://savvycal.com/brianhoppe/MSP-mentoring?d=45&sid=9d786af9-9135-43e0-b7e5-0f8043ada48b

Welcome to the $10 Million MSP Podcast – the show where strategic coach Brian Hoppe dives into the real stories behind MSP leaders who’ve crossed $10M+ in revenue, built scalable teams and systems, and turned their businesses into true wealth-building assets.

For the very first episode, Brian sits down with Rashaad Bajwa, founder and former CEO of Integris and now Executive Chairman of the Integris Board of Directors. Rashaad built Domain Computer Services over two decades before helping Domain with Compudyne, ProviDyn, and MyITpros to form Integris in 2021 – then scaled it through multiple acquisitions into a national, future-ready MSP powerhouse.

Rashaad joins Brian to discuss

1. The leadership shift that unlocked scale: moving from “I have all the answers” to becoming coachable
2. Why it takes arrogance to start a company but humility to scale one
3. How to break out of the “cult of personality” trap and stop being the bottleneck
4. The key hires and outside support that matter at each stage of growth
5. Where MSPs are headed next with automation, AI, and verticalization

And much more!

If you’re building toward $10M (or beyond) and want the unfiltered inflection points that actually move the needle, this is your starting line!

Episode Highlights:

0:00 - Introduction

1:10 - Episode open

1:47 - Rashaad’s biggest leadership evolution

6:32 - Ego and entrepreneurship

8:13 - Rashaad’s journey

13:26 - Shifting from a small firm to a big one

17:31 - Hiring a coach

19:15 - “It became about people”

23:12 - Hiring outside help

30:28 - Rashaad’s strategy for mergers

34:15 - The importance of “vertical focus”

41:58 - The industry in the next 5 years

47:23 - Monetizing vs. selling

50:08 - Rashaad’s biggest mistake (as a leader)

51:22 - AI models, do we need them?

52:40 - Relaxing, Rashaad’s favorite book

54:02 - Episode wrap-up

Connect with Brian Hoppe

https://brianhoppe.com/

linkedin.com/in/brianhoppe

Like Our Guest? Check out more on Rashaad Bajwa

https://www.linkedin.com/in/rashaadbajwa/

Join Brian Hoppe, Strategic Coach to MSPs, as he sits down with leaders of $10M+ MSPs to unpack the inflection points that matter – From the personal stories of MSP leaders to key fundamentals like culture, operational maturity and driving profitability.

This isn’t another MSP podcast about tools and tech.

On The $10 Million MSP Podcast you’ll find behind the scenes conversations with leaders that have built thriving MSPs – their biggest wins, their toughest lessons and practical advice that you can use now.

If you’re an MSP owner who knows that growth starts from within, that mindset, leadership and strategy, align to create both wealth and meaning, then this show is for you.

New episodes are released every other week!