The BMK Vision Podcast

#80 – What Do You Want? Defining Direction Beyond Revenue | BMK Vision Roundtable

Most MSPs don’t get stuck because they lack skill, tools, or effort. They get stuck because they’ve never clearly answered one foundational question:
 
What do you actually want?
 
In this episode of the BMK Vision Podcast, Josh Peterson (CEO, Bering McKinley) and Gary Boyle (Partner, Bering McKinley) continue the conversation about why MSPs stall—and go deeper into the question that unlocks real strategy, alignment, and momentum.
 
They discuss why revenue and valuation alone are often insufficient goals, why many owners are uncomfortable naming a number, and how the most effective strategies start with goals you can feel in daily life—time, control, optionality, family, and impact.
 
The conversation also explores how a lack of clear direction shows up inside teams as “poor communication,” why accountability and culture are not opposites, and how simple operating rhythms (like daily huddles) can dramatically improve clarity, alignment, and morale.
 
If your MSP feels busy but directionless—or your team is quietly asking, “what are we even doing?”—this episode will help you reset the conversation and define a target worth executing toward.
🔍 Topics Covered
 
• Why revenue is a tool, not the goal
• What a sufficient answer to “what do you want?” really looks like
• Why valuation goals drift—but purpose-driven goals don’t
• Time, control, and optionality as strategic anchors
• The culture fallacy: accountability vs. “good culture”
• Why teams feel lost when direction isn’t clear
• Using daily huddles to build clarity and community
• Aligning personal goals with company strategy
👥 Hosts
 
Josh Peterson – CEO, Bering McKinley
https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshdpeterson/
 
Gary Boyle – Partner, Bering McKinley
https://www.linkedin.com/in/garyboyle/
🚀 Learn More
 
Learn more about the BMK Vision Operating System:
https://beringmckinley.com/vision
 
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#79 – Why MSPs Get Stuck at $2M | BMK Vision Roundtable

Most MSPs don’t get stuck because they lack technical skill. They get stuck because the business reaches a point where brute force stops working — and the owner hasn’t made the shift from operator to CEO.
In this weekly BMK Vision Roundtable, Josh Peterson (CEO, Bering McKinley) is joined by Gary Boyle (Partner, Bering McKinley) and Ryan Alter (Former MSP Owner) to break down why so many MSPs plateau around the $2M mark and what actually needs to change to move beyond it.
This episode goes deeper than sales tactics or tools. The conversation focuses on mindset, leadership, strategy, and the hardest work most MSP owners avoid: clearly defining what they want from the business and building a plan to get there.
If your MSP feels busy, successful on paper, but somehow stalled, this episode will help you understand why — and what needs to change to get unstuck.
🔍 Topics Covered
• Why $2M has become the “new $1M” ceiling for MSPs• The operator vs. CEO mindset shift• Why touching tickets creates trust issues at scale• Sales vs. strategy — what really drives growth• The accidental entrepreneur trap• Why most owners struggle to define what they want• Peer groups, advisors, and escaping the MSP echo chamber• Turning strategy into execution (objectives → milestones → actions)• Building an MSP that’s an asset, not just a job
👥 Hosts
Josh Peterson – CEO, Bering McKinleyhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/joshdpeterson/
Gary Boyle – Partner, Bering McKinleyhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/garyboyle/
Ryan Alter – Former MSP Owner / Operatorhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-alter-896a5b11/
🚀 Learn More
Learn more about the BMK Vision Operating System:https://beringmckinley.com/vision
Apply to be a guest on the podcast:https://beringmckinley.com/blog#speaker-form

#78 – From the Trenches: The R&D Tax Credit Most Business Owners Miss (Val Majewski – American Incentive Advisors)

Most business owners assume the R&D tax credit is only for labs, scientists, or massive corporations. In reality, many MSPs and service-based businesses qualify every year without realizing it.
In this episode of the BMK Vision Podcast, Josh Peterson sits down with Val Majewski, Partner at American Incentive Advisors, to break down what the R&D tax credit really is, why most companies self-censor themselves out of qualifying, and how innovation in everyday business processes can translate into real tax savings.
Val explains how MSPs, IT firms, and professional services businesses often meet the IRS requirements through process improvement, software development, automation, and service innovation. The conversation also covers recent tax law changes that reopened credits for 2022, 2023, and 2024, common audit misconceptions, and how proper documentation protects business owners.
This episode is especially relevant for MSP owners and leaders investing time and money into improving operations and wondering how innovation can reduce tax liability.
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🎙 What We Cover in This Episode
• What actually qualifies as R&D for service businesses• Why MSPs frequently miss the R&D tax credit• The IRS four-part test for R&D qualification• Retroactive credits for tax years 2022–2024• Why most CPAs do not proactively bring this up• Audit fears versus real-world risk• Real recovery ranges from small businesses to large firms• How discipline from professional sports applies to business success
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👤 Guest Links
Guest LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/valmajewski/Company Website: https://thinkabx.com
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#77 – From the Trenches: Fractional Tech Leadership and the Consultative MSP Shift (Steve Brickner – Kraken Technology Solutions)

In this episode of From the Trenches on the BMK Vision Podcast, Josh Peterson sits down with Steve Brickner, Founder/CEO of Kraken Technology Solutions, for a grounded conversation about where MSPs are headed next—and why the market is rewarding leadership more than ticket throughput.
 
Steve shares his path from construction into IT, why early-stage MSPs need the ability to pivot quickly, and how “fractional technology leadership” is becoming the new wedge for trust, retention, and higher-value client relationships.
 
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🎙 What We Cover in This Episode
Reframing MSP value: from tickets to technology leadership
Fractional leadership and the consultative MSP model
Why cybersecurity became table-stakes—and what comes after
IT as a growth driver (not just a cost center)
Translating security and tech decisions into CFO-ready ROI language
Relationship-first prospecting: community, chambers, and content
Webinars vs podcasts in 2026: attention, intent, and repurposing
Podcast production stack ideas (Riverside + automated switching)
 
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👤 Guest Links
Guest LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevebrickner981ba9242 
Company Website: https://krakentechnology.io/ 
 
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#76 - BMK Quick Take - Why Every MSP Needs a Dispatcher Even If You Think You Don’t

Most MSPs delay hiring a dispatcher because they believe it will slow response times or distance clients from technical help. In reality, the lack of dispatch is one of the biggest reasons MSPs struggle with inconsistent service, forgotten tickets, poor utilization, and burned-out technicians.
 
In this episode of the BMK Vision Podcast, Josh Peterson breaks down why dispatch is not administrative overhead—it’s the control system that protects client experience and operational health. Drawing on nearly two decades of experience working with thousands of MSPs, Josh explains why technicians should not be responsible for prioritization, follow-ups, or workload decisions, and how a well-designed dispatch model changes everything.
🎙 What We Cover in This Episode
 
• Why dispatch is widely misunderstood in MSPs
• The hidden cost of technician self-dispatch
• How dispatch eliminates forgotten tickets and aging backlogs
• The three things every dispatcher must own: tickets, time, and the day
• Why utilization fails without centralized control
• When to hire your first dispatcher (even as a small MSP)
• Priority-based vs centralized dispatch models
👤 Host
 
Josh Peterson is the CEO of Bering McKinley and host of the BMK Vision Podcast. He helps MSP owners bring structure to chaos through operational clarity, financial discipline, and scalable leadership systems.
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YouTube (Video Podcast):
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#75 – From the Trenches: Copier-to-MSP Scale, AI Ops & Family-Business Leadership (Jocelyn Gorman – DSI)

In #75 of From the Trenches on the BMK Vision Podcast, Josh Peterson talks with Jocelyn Gorman (President, DSI) about building an MSP inside a copier-dealer ecosystem—and why the real advantage isn’t the client list, it’s credibility, infrastructure, and a willingness to take smart risks. 
 
They cover the “big contract first” origin story, why large accounts can fund growth without delivering profitability, how sales teams must evolve from generalists to specialists, and how Jocelyn is using Lean Six Sigma + practical AI to reduce admin work and focus the team on higher-value outcomes.
 
Guest: Jocelyn Gorman (DSI) 
Company site: https://www.dsinm.com 
Guest LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jocelyn-gorman-09b47422 
 
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#74 – Don’t Be That Guy: Your Business Is Awesome (Gary Boyle & Ryan Alter)

Your MSP business is doing more right than you think—but the industry rarely pauses to say it. In this episode, Josh Peterson is joined by Gary Boyle and Ryan Alter for a “Don’t Be That Guy” conversation that flips the script: why the MSP business model is awesome, why it’s often more resilient (and sellable) than other SMB categories, and what owners must do to protect margin as the market tightens.
 
They unpack how high retention can quietly create a comfort plateau, why price increases get delayed (even when everyone knows they should happen), and why the only metric that really tells the truth—regardless of MRR, per-seat, or hourly billing—is effective hourly rate. If you want a healthier team, better clients, and a business that can actually fund your life and your future, this one is a mindset reset.
 
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🎙 What We Cover in This Episode
Reframing MSPs as a resilient, sellable SMB model
Working on the business vs in the business (and escaping burnout)
Why 90%+ retention can cause growth stagnation
Margin erosion and the annual price-increase discipline
“Good / Better / Best” client segmentation to create capacity
CAC: how to calculate it and where MSPs overspend
Recurring vs project work—and why EHR is the truth
How pricing affects service quality, talent, and client behavior
 
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👤 Guest Links
 
Gary Boyle (LinkedIn): https://www.linkedin.com/in/garyboyle/ 
Ryan Alter (LinkedIn): https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-alter-896a5b11/
Josh Peterson (LinkedIn): https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshdpeterson/
 
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#73 – Don’t Be That Guy: You Suck at Hiring (Fletcher Wimbush – Discovered)

In this Don’t Be That Guy webinar episode of The BMK Vision Podcast, Josh Peterson sits down with Fletcher Wimbush of Discovered for a direct, no-nonsense conversation MSP owners need to hear: you suck at hiring—and it’s costing you more than you think.
 
Fletcher breaks down why most MSP hiring processes fail before the first interview even happens, how relying on “gut feel” leads to expensive mistakes, and why assessment-first hiring is the fastest way to reduce turnover and improve team performance. The discussion covers screener questions, integrity and attitude assessments, reference checks that actually matter, and how to keep recruiting without misleading candidates or burning yourself out.
 
If you’re an MSP owner juggling growth, service delivery, and leadership—and still hiring reactively—this episode will challenge your assumptions and give you a clearer path forward.
 
Guest: Fletcher Wimbush
Founder of Discovered, Fletcher has spent more than a decade helping small and mid-sized businesses fix broken hiring processes. He specializes in recruitment automation, assessment-driven hiring, and reducing turnover by helping leaders make better decisions earlier in the process.
 
Host: Josh Peterson
Josh Peterson is CEO of Bering McKinley, a management consulting firm that helps MSPs scale through operational discipline, financial clarity, and leadership development. He is the host of The BMK Vision Podcast, where real-world conversations challenge MSP owners to think and operate differently.
 
Learn more about the Vision Operating System:
https://beringmckinley.com/vision
 
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Apply to be a guest on the podcast:
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Connect with Fletcher Wimbush on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/fletcher-wimbush/
 
Learn more about Discovered:
https://www.discoveredats.com/

#72 – From the Trenches: Mentor-Driven Growth, Halo Reporting, and AI in the MSP (Kevin Kahn – IntelliComp Technologies)

Kevin Kahn joins Josh Peterson to share the real story behind scaling an MSP through mentorship, relationship-driven growth, and operational discipline. Kevin explains how a pivotal early mentor changed his trajectory, how IntelliComp grew organically for years, and what shifts when you modernize your stack to get better visibility, reporting, and business control.
 
Guest Introduction
Kevin Kahn is the President of IntelliComp Technologies (Baltimore) and a longtime MSP leader. In this conversation, we explore scaling pains, pricing and efficiency, tool migrations (and the real cost of change), and how MSPs should think about AI and automation without losing the client relationship that keeps the business strong. 
 
What We Cover in This Episode
• Building an MSP on relationships (and what you sacrifice for it)
• Lessons from “almost going broke” moments and recovering stronger
• All-you-can-eat helpdesk billing: model first, pricing second
• Switching PSA/RMM: when it’s worth the pain (and when it’s not)
• Why modern reporting matters for running the business
• Hardware margins, leasing, and why MSPs struggle to operationalize it
• AI for MSPs: where efficiency gains are real (and where risk is real)
• Customer success, empathy, and why humans still matter
 
Guest Links
Guest LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevin-kahn/
Company Website: https://intellicomp.net/ 
 
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#71 – BMK Quick Takes: The Order of Selling Every MSP Must Know

In this BMK Quick Takes episode, Josh Peterson teaches the most important—and most misunderstood—sales principle in the MSP industry: the correct order of selling. Josh explains why selling yourself first, your company second, and your services last leads to stronger trust and better outcomes. He also breaks down the four essential components of a First-Time Appointment: budget, timeframe, next steps, and referral confidence.
What We Cover
 
• Why emotional trust drives nearly every buying decision
• How to structure curiosity-driven discovery
• The true order of selling for MSPs
• Establishing budget using revenue-based benchmarks
• Helping prospects commit to a realistic timeframe
• Securing next meetings professionally and consistently
• Making referral requests feel natural and confident
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