MSP Mindset with Damien Stevens

Hosted by Damien Stevens

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176

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Jun 2026

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About the show

Host Damien Stevens (CEO of Servosity) gives a front-row seat to MSPs who refuse to play small. MSP Mindset dives deep into what truly elevates an MSP—not just technology, but leadership, mindset, and strategy. Through our mission to interview 100 of the world’s top-performing MSPs, we’re uncovering the habits, bold decisions, and mindset shifts that drive real growth—without burnout. No fluff. No theory. Just the stuff that works.

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60 recent

June 11, 202653 min

How a “Non‑Technical” Founder Built World‑Class Agent Tools — with Matt Van Horn

In this week's episode, Matt Van Horn, creator of Last 30 Days, CLI Printing Press, and Agent Cookie, joins the show to unpack how AI agents are changing what non-engineers can build. Matt shares how he went from sales and business development to creating world-class agent tools, why CLIs may be the missing bridge between AI and real business systems, and how MSPs can start using agents to move faster, automate deeper, and build workflows that were previously impossible. Connect with Damien and Matt: Damien - https://www.linkedin.com/in/dstevens/ Matt - https://x.com/mvanhorn 🎙 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 📺 Watch on YT: https://www.youtube.com/@mspmindset

June 4, 202653 min

The AI Layer Every MSP Is Missing

Every Thursday, I build AI agents in Claude Code with other MSP owners. It’s live, free, and on screen. Join our next build ➡️ https://compoundingteams.com In this episode, Damien talks with Laith Palawan, CEO of Orange Crew and founder of Bloom Logic, about why AI is becoming the next major differentiator for MSPs. Laith explains how every modern business is drowning in scattered data across email, tickets, phone calls, Teams, Zoom, CRM, QuickBooks, and documents — and why MSPs are uniquely positioned to help clients make sense of it all. Laith shares how he built an AI company alongside his MSP, what he learned from trying to bring AI into the SMB market early, and why the future MSP opportunity may not be just fixing infrastructure, but becoming the trusted partner who connects data, intelligence, and business outcomes. Chapters: 0:00 - Intro 2:22 - Getting started as an MSP 12:04 - Differentiating your MSP with AI 38:06 - Ways AI helps him understand business 45:00 - What is down the road? Connect more with Damien and Laith: Damien - https://www.linkedin.com/in/dstevens Laith - https://www.linkedin.com/in/laith-pahlawan-26b93a/ 📺 Watch on YT: https://www.youtube.com/@mspmindset

May 28, 202649 min

AI Agents Are Replacing MSP Busywork

Every Thursday, I build AI agents in Claude Code with other MSP owners. It’s live, free, and on screen. Join our next build ➡️ https://compoundingteams.com/ In this week's episode, Damien sits down with Robert Burke, CEO of Core12 and founder of Sobo, to discuss how AI agents are changing the future of MSP operations. He shares how Core12 grew 62% last year and is trending above 68% this year by using AI agents to handle repetitive internal work that once required manual effort. He shares their shift from traditional managed services to becoming a Managed Intelligence Provider — combining IT support, cybersecurity, compliance, and AI automation. For MSP owners who want better margins, less operational chaos, and a smarter way to scale, this episode shows where the industry is heading. Chapters: 0:00 - Intro 01:11 - Results with AI and Soho 10:02 - What is managed intelligence 23:48 - What does MIP mean to him 32:32 - Where do I start with AI? (Culture first) Connect more with Damien and Robert: Damien - https://www.linkedin.com/in/dstevens Robert - https://www.linkedin.com/in/robburkejr/ 📺 Watch on YT: https://www.youtube.com/@mspmindset

May 21, 202647 min

What 20 Years of AI Taught This MSP

Ready to build agents in your MSP? Join our build sessions todady ➡️ https://compoundingteams.com In this week's episode, Damien sits down with Jon Salisbury, CEO at Nexigen, to talk about what 20 years of AI experimentation has taught him as an MSP leader. Jon explains why MSPs should stop thinking only in terms of tools and start focusing on use cases, governance, literacy, data quality, and culture. He also breaks down why “locking down” AI is not enough, and why creating a safe “Golden Road” may be the best way to reduce shadow AI and help clients adopt AI responsibly. Chapters: 0:00 - Intro 1:41 - Getting started with AI 9:40 - Working on himself around AI 22:20 - How does this inform his MSP 29:53 - How do you help people with AI 36:10 - What he's excited about now 41:11 - How he leads his team Connect more with Damien and Ben: Damien - https://www.linkedin.com/in/dstevens Jon - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonsalisbury/ 📺 Watch on YT: https://www.youtube.com/@mspmindset

May 14, 20261 hr 6 min

Customer Zero: Why this MSP Dogfoods AI Before Selling It

Ready to build agents in your MSP? Join our build sessions today ➡️ https://compoundingteams.com In this episode of MSP Mindset, we're joined by Ben Smoker, CEO of Sota, a top 10 MSP in the UK, about why Sota chose to dogfood AI internally before selling it to customers. Instead of leading with tools or rushing a new offer to market, Sota spent months testing AI across finance, HR, compliance, sales, service, and back-office workflows to understand what actually saves time, where governance matters, and how MSPs can create meaningful client outcomes with AI. Chapters: 0:00 - Intro 2:43 - How they're thinking about AI 30:03 - AI shaming 44:58 - Culture around AI Connect more with Damien and Ben: Damien - https://www.linkedin.com/in/dstevens Ben - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-smoker-a01b6389/ 📺 Watch on YT: https://www.youtube.com/@mspmindset

May 7, 20261 hr 18 min

He Used AI to Close 20% More Deals + Get Clients Excited for QBRs

Ready to build agents in your MSP? Join our build sessions today ➡️ https://compoundingteams.com In this week's episode, Damien sits down with John Snyder, CEO of Net Friends, to unpack how he used AI to improve client reporting, reduce wasted scoping time, and increase project win rates from 47% to 65%. He shares how his team moved from reports nobody read to QBR-style insights that got clients responding within minutes, asking better questions, and requesting follow-up meetings. Chapters: 0:00 - Intro 1:38 - What they're doing with AI currently 14:04 - His AI QBR reports that get real results 43:27 - AI and Security Connect with Damien and John: Damien - https://www.linkedin.com/in/dstevens John - https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnsnyder-netfriends/ 📺 Watch on YT: https://www.youtube.com/@mspmindset

April 30, 20261 hr 13 min

AI + Automation = 10X Capacity for Your MSP

What happens when an MSP goes all-in on automation first—and then layers in AI the right way? In this episode, Brian Luckey (CIO of Integris) reveals how his team scaled capacity exponentially, saving tens of thousands of hours, increasing profitability, and transforming how work gets done across the organization. If you’re still relying on traditional service models, this conversation will show you why the future belongs to MSPs who combine automation, clean data, and AI-driven workflows to do more with less. Chapters: 0:00 - Intro 0:56 - Saving 35,000 hours 17:55 - Changes to the L1, L2, L3 model 29:22 - Why we need to be the enablers with AI 38:33 - Fear around AI 42:17 - Start with yourself first 52:28 - Future business models 57:15 - How do I move the needle? 59:37 - Where would he start today? 1:04:55 - Where is this going? Connect with Damien and Brian: Damien - https://www.linkedin.com/in/dstevens Brian - https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-luckey/ 📺 Watch on YT: https://www.youtube.com/@mspmindset #msp #managedservices #managedserviceprovider

April 16, 20261 hr 11 min

Why Hard Work Won’t Save Your MSP

In this episode, Arlin Sorenson joins Damien to break down a harsh reality: most MSP owners are building jobs—not businesses. Drawing from decades of experience, scaling a $17M MSP, and working with thousands of owners through peer groups, Arlin explains why profitability, leadership, and mindset—not effort—determine whether you’ll ever get paid for your company. Chapters: 0:00 - Intro 1:27 - Are you prepared for your exit? 13:58 - Growing his MSP 22:05 - Starting Peer Groups 25:23 - How farm life affected his business 31:40 - Bringing faith to work 49:50 - Advice to younger MSP owners 1:00:42 - Conclusion Connect with Damien and Arlin: Damien - https://www.linkedin.com/in/dstevens/ Arlin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/asorensen/ 📺 Watch on YT: https://www.youtube.com/@mspmindset

April 9, 20261 hr 29 min

From $1M to $55M MSP and How You Can Do It Too

In this episode, Dan breaks down exactly how he went from $1M to $55M in revenue, what actually changed at each stage of growth, and the hard decisions that made it possible—from firing clients to merging companies to bringing on private equity. If you’re serious about scaling your MSP, this is a real-world blueprint. You’ll learn how to increase profitability, pay yourself properly, avoid burnout, and build a company that doesn’t depend entirely on you. Chapters: 0:00 - Intro 1:24 - When burnout hit him 9:34 - Three way merger 42:53 - Prioritizing family 51:22 - Reaching 35% EBITDA at PC Miracles 1:15:18 - MSP Titan Questions Connect more with Damien and Dan: Damien - https://www.linkedin.com/in/dstevens/ Dan - https://www.linkedin.com/in/danizydorek/ 📺 Watch on YT: https://www.youtube.com/@mspmindset

April 2, 20261 hr 29 min

Why Letting Go Grew This MSP to $7M+

On this week's episode, Scott Breitman, President of Dymin Solutions, shares the brutal truth behind scaling an MSP: you can’t grow if you’re still the hero. From losing his entire team to rebuilding with stronger culture and systems, Scott reveals how stepping out of operations, enforcing core values, and making tough leadership decisions helped grow his MSP to $7M+. Chapters: 0:00 - Intro 1:34 - Starting his business 10:40 - Transitioning to an MSP 22:48 - How they standardize 48:40 - What he'd do differently in business 57:57 - You gotta be all in 1:15:07 - MSP Titan Questions Connect with Damien and Scott: Damien - https://www.linkedin.com/in/dstevens Scott - https://www.linkedin.com/in/scott-breitman-b38a524/ 📺 Watch on YT: https://www.youtube.com/@mspmindset