👀 I’ve been interviewing large, fast-growing MSPs, but what about those who want to keep it small? The truth is, success isn’t about headcount or revenue milestones—it’s about building an MSP that fits your life.

That’s exactly what Marvin B. (aka Uncle Marv) has done with MB Systems and Uncle Marv’s IT Business Podcast. Instead of chasing non-stop growth, Marv designed his business intentionally—one that gives him time freedom, financial stability, and the ability to work with clients he actually enjoys.

Here are several powerful takeaways from my conversation with Marv about defining success on your own terms:

✅ Success Isn’t About Size—It’s About Alignment
✅ Small Doesn’t Mean Struggling
✅ Work With Clients, Not Against Them
✅ Define YOUR Version of Success

Chapters:
0:00 - Intro
1:07 - Staying small by design
11:08 - His niche
16:05 - How do you set boundaries?
19:54 - Advice for those who want to stay small
24:29 - Starting Uncle Marv's IT Business Podcast
30:25 - Lessons learned from hundreds of podcast interviews
33:56 - What is he looking forward to?
40:17 - Resources for those wanting a small MSP
43:40 - Conclusion

👉 CONNECT MORE WITH:
Damien: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dstevens
Marvin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marvinbee/

📺 Watch on YT: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbzzyR7yX9l9XQaZCBp0v0g

#msp #managedservices #managedserviceprovider

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👀 What if you lost half your support team in one year? For Luke Downing, that wasn’t just a hypothetical—it was his reality. But instead of accepting constant turnover as the norm, he built one of the best places to work in Virginia and turned his MSP into one of the most profitable in the Taylor Business Group.

Luke didn’t just fix his hiring problem—he transformed his MSP. Here are five major takeaways from our conversation:

✅ Retention Problems Are Expensive—Solve Them First – High turnover isn’t just a hassle—it’s a profit killer.
✅ Leadership is Harder Than Technology – Managing servers is easy—managing people is where the real challenge lies.
✅ Hire for Values, Train for Skills – The best hires aren’t always the most experienced.
✅ You Can’t Deliver World-Class Service on Budget Pricing – Luke had to rethink pricing and charge what his MSP was truly worth.
✅ Work-Life Balance Attracts (and Keeps) Top Talent

00:00 Intro – What if you lost half your team in a year?
01:45 - Starting an MSP and figuring out how to fix people problems.
30:12 - How he learned to attract the right people that fit their culture
37:23 - What Luke attributes to his company's growth: Peer Groups, improving pricing, and caring for people.
51:52 - What's the biggest challenge he's faced?
58:21 - MSP Titan Questions

👉 CONNECT MORE WITH:
Damien: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dstevens
Luke: https://www.linkedin.com/in/luke-downing-01b9955/

🎙 Listen on audio:
Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/msp-mindset-with-damien-stevens/id1669572779
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5B1k3Z8qXBGBSCJeSScjBE?si=c5d185c306064520

#msp #managedservices #managedserviceprovider

Scaling an MSP is tough, but scaling without losing your best people is even harder. In this episode, Peter Melby, CEO of New Charter Technologies, shares how he built a $20M MSP by prioritizing empathy at scale and a culture that thrives through growth. He reveals the biggest mistakes MSP leaders make, why focusing too much on struggling employees can drive away top performers, and how to build a company culture that scales. If you want to grow your MSP without sacrificing relationships, culture, or your sanity, this episode is a must-listen!

Chapters:
0:00 - Intro
1:37 - Peter's growth story, from college dropout to MSP CEO
12:28 - Predictions can be tricky + how relationships were crucial to their growth
22:57 - How he built his MSP to $20M in revenue + moving on from it to being CEO of New Charter Technologies
52:30 - Why is New Charter a platform
1:02:35 - Why can MSPs be hard to scale? Other people businesses (lawyers) have huge companies that scale.
1:06:02 - What is his view on M&A?

✅ Not sure about full support, we’re giving away our process for you to check out for yourself: https://bit.ly/4hCw4Wi

🤝 Connect with Peter: https://www.linkedin.com/in/petermelby/
🤝 Connect with Damien: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dstevens

📺 Watch on YT: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbzzyR7yX9l9XQaZCBp0v0g

#msp #managedservices #managedserviceprovider