Twins Talk Tech Leadership

Described by an attendee as the 'Super Bowl for MSPs', IT Nation Connect did not fail to deliver. Events and communities like IT Nation are vital to ensuring you are fitted with necessary tools and resources to meet the demands for greater protection, support and growth. This is why over 7,000 attended IT Nation Evolve, Summit and Connect in-person or virtually. The week was filled with incredible workshops, activities, coaching, performances and speakers from all over the world, including Tony Hawk and Bob Burg.  You've made it through an amazing conference; now what? It's time to make sure you've made the most of your conference experience. Did you hit your goals? Are your next steps clearly outlined? Gregg Lalle, SVP & GM of IT Nation shares how TSPs and leaders can build from the momentum of the week.Highlights include:  Amazing growth of ConnectWise and IT Nation, including 3,500+ in-person attendees with 150+ solutions partners.Some of his key takeaways from IT Nation Evolve, Channel Summit and Connect.Benefits of joining a peer group. An unashamed recognition of others making an impact within the community. Opening Keynote as well as the handoff from Jason Magee to Manny Rivelo.3 Pillars of IT Nation: Community of Communities, Partner-Centric Ecosystem, Education First. Slogan of "Wise Together. Rise Together"The live event may be over, but you can still register for a FREE virtual pass and access 100+ on-demand sessions and 6 Keynotes through February 8th.Follow Gregg on LinkedIn and visit connectwise.com/theitnation to learn more about IT Nation.  

The attack landscape continues to evolve and threat actors are going beyond the office to creatively attack where your employees and team members are. Chris Cleveland, Founder of PIXM joins us to share how organizations can prevent phishing scams and enhance threat detection with 'eyes in the browser.’Highlights include:Leadership journey and why start PIXM.Ally of AI computer vision to identify new phishing attacks, and providing added protection at the browser level.Phishing is not just an email security challenge, but an issue across all social platforms including the use of QR Codes and text messaging.Making it easy to work with the community and the impact being made in the educational market.Growing with the IT Nation Community.Follow Chris on LinkedIn and visit pixmsecurity.com/partners/signup/ to learn more about becoming a channel partner.  

Empowering the Managed Service Providers (MSPs) community involves equipping them with the necessary tools, resources, and support to drive growth, improve service delivery and strengthen client relationships. Dor Eisner, CEO and Co-Founder of Guardz, a cybersecurity company focused on protecting small and medium-sized businesses shares how they are addressing the unique challenges SMBs face, such as limited budgets and IT resources, by providing a unified, easy-to-use platform that integrates security and compliance tools.Highlights include:Background from being a commander in the Intelligence force.Meeting with cyber insurance carriers to better understand the type of attacks they are dealing with to develop their framework.The importance of education and partnerships, like their collaboration with SentinelOne, to stay ahead of emerging threats.Encouraging SMBs to prioritize cybersecurity through basic protections and trusted solutions. Hiring the best talent to stay ahead of the competition and threats.Building and strengthening partnerships within IT Nation.Follow Dor on LinkedIn and visit guardz.com/ to learn more about their unified platform for threat detection and response across identities, emails, devices and data.

Being a champion for diversity and women in the tech sector involves actively promoting, supporting, and driving efforts to ensure greater representation, inclusion, and equity for women and underrepresented groups in the technology industry. Michelle Ragusa-McBain, Global Channel Chief at SonicWall, is one such champion.Highlights include:Michelle stated that we are her favorite twins.Ties husband Jay McBain for the most appearances on our programs.Love of travel and taking her children along. The beauty of exposure and perspective.Michelle’s passion for elevating women and leaders of diversity within tech; to be seen and heard.Key moments from IT Nation, including discussions on the evolving challenges of cybersecurity and the importance of empowering the MSP community.A glimpse into SonicWall’s future, emphasizing investments in partner-focused strategies, innovative solutions, and advancements in automation and AI to strengthen cybersecurity efforts.Follow Michelle on LinkedIn and visit sonicwall.com to learn more about their cybersecurity products, services and network of partners. 

The challenges of cyber attacks and threat actors place immense pressure on Managed Service Providers, who serve as the guardians of countless businesses. But MSPs don’t have to face these battles alone. Aaron Torres, Cisco’s Business Development Leader for MSSPs shares insights on building strategic security partnerships that empower MSPs & MSSPs to create robust defenses. Highlights include:Being driven for personal growth and organization success.Leveraging partnerships to tackle modern cybersecurity challenges.Cisco MSSP Program & Ecosystem partners.What in addition to profitability should be considered when choosing partnerships.Why MSPs & MSSPs should invest more into their clients. Leading a Panel Discussion at IT Nation Connect.Follow Aaron on LinkedIn, visit Cisco.com to learn more about their Partner program, and grab your favorite snack or candy.

What is the formula for successful growth? Is there an equation or recipe that every leader and organization should follow? Nick Heddy, President and Chief Commerce Officer at Pax8, shares leadership insights on what has contributed to the success he has experienced.Highlights include:His incredible journey from being the eighth employee at Pax8 to leading its transformative growth.servant leadership, and fostering a culture of gratitude and collaboration.IQ, EQ & GQ with GQ (Grit Intelligence).Admiring leaders and his commitment to mentorship and coachingScaling a rapidly growing company while staying true to its mission and values with an emphasis on being agile.Growing powerful communities, including with the ConnectWise ecosystem.The future of cloud solutions and the launch of Pax8's Voyager Alliance Partner Program.Follow Nick on LinkedIn and visit pax8.com/en-us/ to learn more about the marketplace and community. 

Having a thorough understanding of your ideal target market, being able to develop an effective strategic marketing plan, and managing finances are just some of the various elements necessary for any small to medium-sized business looking to have consistent success and growth. Savvy business owners take every opportunity to maximize their potential for success.Maceik Szczesniak, Chief Growth & Strategy Officer with the B2SMB Institute talks about the importance of community to support and help organizations scale and succeed. With over 4,000 members, the B2SMB Institute bridges insights, partnerships, and resources to empower businesses serving the small-to-medium business (SMB) market.Highlights include: How the name Magic came about and his journey to B2SMB.The Institute’s mission of connecting brands and service providers with SMBs in impactful ways.Research reveals that SMBs are only half as productive when compared with larger organizations.When you should wear your ‘business owners hat' and not your ‘technology hat.'Reflecting on his experience at the IT Nation Connect Conference, his key takeaways, trends, and new partnerships that align with B2SMB’s goals.His excitement about partnering with Universities and higher education.Follow Magic on LinkedIn, send him an email at info@gowithmagic.com and visit b2smbi.com/ to learn more about their resources and the power of networking.

Cyber threats evolve rapidly, making it challenging for MSPs to stay ahead. How can we further empower MSPs to simplify security while scaling their businesses? That’s where Senteon Cybersecurity steps in, transforming endpoint security into a scalable, automated solution. Zach Kromkowski, Chief Customer Officer at Senteon and the winner of the PitchIT 2024 competition, shares his insights into revolutionizing cybersecurity for MSPs by focusing on endpoint hardening.Highlights include:Simplifying the process of hardening endpoints and automation to streamline compliance.Success stories from the MSP community.Embracing an adventurous RV lifestyleEducational webinar series.Having the mindset of expecting to win and the support needed for entrepreneurs and early stage organizations.Experience being a part of the PitchIT Accelerator Program and being named the Winner of PitchIT 2024.Follow Zach on LinkedIn and visit senteon.co/ to learn more about solutions to safeguard and optimize your endpoints.

As an MSP, there is another layer to the QBR you should have with your clients. Have that conversation surrounding the fear of uncertainty and doubt around insurance. Doug Kreitzberg, Founder and CEO of SeedPod Cyber, speaks to the importance of including a value equation that addresses the importance of protecting digital relationships.Some Highlights: Communicating risk via the common language of ‘dollars.’How much risk do you want to take vs mitigate vs transfer?Education is vital including how to have a conversation around the governance of risk. Training to promote ‘healthy digital behaviors.’Leverage resources including an AI driven tool to support with the risk assessment process, and an eBook, demonstrating how risk can be turned into revenue,Leadership lessons from theatre, including the concept of performance and being intentionally aware.Experience from being a PitchIT Accelerator Cohort and Finalist.  Follow Doug on LinkedIn and visit seedpodcyber.com/ to learn more about protecting your organization.

As an MSP, how can you bring added value for your clients? How can small changes in energy consumption make a big impact on savings and strengthen client relationships? Daniel Ellis, Founder of PC Powersave, a SaaS company revolutionizing energy efficiency in the IT industry shares insight into how MSPs can add value by including within their QBRs, a portion about monitoring and optimizing energy usage and leveraging rebates.  Highlights include:  Misconceptions about energy conservation, tangible cost and energy savings.Daniel’s unique pandemic pivot to creating face shields.  Looking ahead and envisioning a future where IT professionals play a more active role in facility management through smart technologies.  Being a Finalist in the 2024 ConnectWise PitchIt Accelerator program & competition.Take advantage of PC Powersave's year-end offer to start saving today! Follow Daniel Ellis on LinkedIn and visit pcpowersave.com to learn more.