Building Resilient MSPs with David Steele (EP 812)

[Uncle Marv]
Hello friends, Uncle Marv here, continuing day two at ASCII Edge in Orlando, doing some ASCII member podcasts, ASCII non-member podcasts, vendor podcasts, all those sorts of things. And I have with me a relatively new member to ASCII and attending his first event, David Steele with Intrada Technologies. And actually, David, first of all, thank you for coming.

[David Steele]
You bet, thank you.

[Uncle Marv]
And of course, I'm going to ask, you're from Pennsylvania. What made you pick Florida as your first ASCII event to come to?

[David Steele]
Well, it was the first one that I could get to that was easy. Easy?

[Uncle Marv]
Okay.

[David Steele]
Easy, yes. Florida is not hard to get to from Pennsylvania, so it's an easy flight. Nice, nice.

[Uncle Marv]
You've been an MSP for a while. We chatted just real quick here. You've been in business 25 years.

August will be 25 years, yes. All right. Now, did you start out, you know, solo, break-fixed, or did you jump right into having a business?

[David Steele]
Well, me and another partner, we were network managers for an international company, manufacturing company. And we went through the Y2K bug when we had to fix everything because the world was coming to an end. And we saw the Internet was where things were moving, websites, online activity, interactivity.

So we started doing a lot of work on the side of our day jobs. And then in August, we decided to quit our day jobs and start the company. We mainly started on the development side because both of us were strong developers, but we were also getting called to fix networks all the time.

And that was actually paying the bills because you fix the network, you got paid, you do a large development or web project, you get paid at the end, usually. So it helped with cash flow. And around 2008, we got tired of the break-fixed model and invested in managed services.

And it's been growing more than expected ever since.

[Uncle Marv]
Nice, very nice. Let me ask you about the development stuff, because back in those days, it almost seemed like it was very specific development projects. It wasn't just wide open, you can do whatever.

So what types of development projects were you doing?

[David Steele]
Well, when we started off, the other partner, Paul Boyer and I, he mainly managed the applications at the manufacturing. And he had a strong backend experience. And I had a stronger frontend experience.

So we actually split the projects. So we were doing a lot of websites. We were building a lot of them from scratch.

There were some content managers back then, but they were not as easy to deal with. So we were building a lot of custom database systems, membership systems, ERP systems. We were filling a lot of gaps between systems that maybe didn't provide all the resources to the manufacturing, and we were able to fill that gap.

It's all different now. I haven't coded in 10 years. We have people that code now.

I was part of the table age, and you don't use tables now. So we've both stepped out of that. And we're both more on the project management and project scope side.

But the programming languages have changed a lot. And we've allowed now the development team to move that technology forward with what they feel. But it's a unique blend in the MSP world, because it used to be that coding was considered separate, and the networking was separate.

But now with all of the cloud integrations and all the power apps, having coders on staff has allowed us to do some really unique projects for clients. And also putting a coder with a network guy when they're rebuilding SharePoint or rebuilding their network into the cloud is very helpful in organizing content to deliver a better result. So that has been a blessing.

And it's allowed us to compete in an arena that we wouldn't have been able to by ourselves. Right.

[Uncle Marv]
Okay. Now let me transition, I guess, to the ASCII part of this. You just joined late last year.

This is your first event. So most of the time when people realize that they've been in business for a while and come across ASCII, either it's for the very first time, never heard of it, or yeah, they've heard of it, but didn't find any value to it. How did that work from your perspective?

[David Steele]
Well, actually, I was attending a totally different event in Florida. And it was a company that was pitching marketing services to MSPs. So we had staff that were at the ConnectWise IT Nation.

And he says, Oh, we got invited to this for free. I thought, well, I'll go check it out since we do marketing and programming. I want to see what they were pitching to see if we were doing it the best to market our own company.

So I actually went to that event with the whole thought, I want to see what they're selling and see what they're doing and see how they're pitching, growing an MSP to see if we're on track and doing all the same stuff. That's when I met Lynn. They asked, he was actually one of the vendors there.

And she started to introduce me to people and, and it turned into a totally different experience for me. And that's what encouraged me to get involved. So I started looking into the group more and got signed up.

And I'm trying now just to learn more about all the back end things that you could read the website all day long until you're at an event, you're not going to really get a full taste of what's going on. Absolutely.

[Uncle Marv]
So if I were to translate that, Lynn hounded you until you joined? Yes. She's, she's, she's a bit aggressive in a good way.

Yep. But she's good. Yeah, that's, that's great and fantastic.

Now, in terms of your MSP that you, you know, sought out the other event, where do you sit at in terms of your core services, your stack and stuff like that? You're, you're, you know, target client, I guess, do you have a niche or anything?

[David Steele]
Well, you know, I hear we're supposed to specialize. That's what we learned today. And but we, we have created, we do work from multiple different and that's also being diversified has helped us during COVID and so forth being diversified.

We do a lot in healthcare with retirement communities, assisted living communities. We do full management of a lot of those networks and their locations. We also do a lot in the nonprofit world, which during COVID, those companies got hit the hardest.

But with our manufacturing background, we've done a lot of work with manufacturing where we've come alongside IT teams there and help them fill gaps. Okay. And that's been neat.

But we've, we've, we've a lot with small business, but we're, we're trying to, we try to be careful there because small businesses change quickly, very fast. So I don't target small businesses, but I'll be glad to help them. But, you know, to go after the more doctors’ offices, the retirement communities, even in an economy downturn, they still are providing services.

[Uncle Marv]
Yeah.

[David Steele]
So we try to do there and, and, you know, the dentist offices and everything else there. It's, it's very, it's a very clean network usually. So it's easy.

[Uncle Marv]
Right.

[David Steele]
But the manufacturing is where we usually get involved in a lot of extra things. They'll have a lot of data that they're trying to manage, or they're trying to automate things. And there, they're trying to connect old machinery.

Yeah. So that, that there is where I think we're niche into where we can come in with a manufacturing background, being in manufacturing for several years before starting the company. We've been out on the floor with the guys that are trying to get it done.

And we go back out on the floor with them to figure out, you know, they just want it to work. They don't care how. Nice.

And that's been, that's been fun. On the development side, the marketing, we've done that for, we do not work with competitors. So like if we work with a certain company, we're doing marketing communications, we don't work with them.

Okay. You know, in that same region, we think that's kind of a conflict of interest. But we've done, it's allowed us to do some custom work there that has actually led customers back to where then we end up managing our 365 environment, because we're already handling all of their other public stuff.

So it's, it's gone back and forth. And that's been kind of neat to see those relationships cross over and build.

[Uncle Marv]
Very nice. Very nice. What about things like cybersecurity, AI, you jumped in any of those yet?

[David Steele]
Well, we got AI everywhere. So like the programmers are using chat GPT to help with programming. Our office, we have a senior team, and we have two guys that think the cloud is the greatest thing in the world.

And me and Paul are looking at it like, we wish we could retire and not have to deal with any of it. But it's part of it's part of the animal. Yeah, it is.

So it's interesting to see how that younger generation is quick to want to implement it. And we're always saying, Okay, timeout, tell me how you're going to do this. Because, you know, just putting all the greatest bells and whistles out there isn't always the right solution.

So we're doing cloud on the creative side, we're using actually called Jasper AI. And we use a lot of that for writing and content. We have another AI source that actually will take our content and create content with current keyword targets for SEO.

And then we're using Copilot in the office. So we're trying them all out to make sure we're familiar with them. And we're starting to roll out Copilot within the organizations because of that.

And we have other clients that are on Google. So they're working with Gemini. And that one's probably the one we've released comfortable with.

Okay.

[Uncle Marv]
I was going to say all those platforms, they all have a little different twist on them.

[David Steele]
Yep. And it's a pain because I don't like that. But yet, I mean, you have to, we have to have so we actually have certain team members that have been signed to become certified in Google.

And then we have other ones that have been certified to become in Copilot. And then the Jasper is just a tool and the programmers use and just chat just as their internal tool for coding. So they all have, they've all picked something.

And it's interesting to see them all get together because they all get together every day, nine o'clock and talk about what's going on. And you'll hear them cross over and say, hey, I can help with that. And you know, going back and forth, or I need a script that will help roll this out.

And the coders will come along, well, I can get that for you or whatever the case is. Okay.

[Uncle Marv]
All right. Well, let's go ahead now transition to we're coming close to the end of day two, your first ASCII event. Thoughts so far?

[David Steele]
I didn't know what to expect. It's been interesting. There's a lot of content for the small MSPs and getting things started.

And then there's contacts that I made with, you know, we're in Pennsylvania and we have DandH, like in our backyard. And I actually got to talk to a DandH rep here about something that they're offering that I didn't even know about. So I got to making a connection 2000 miles away on something that's in my backyard.

Right next door. Yeah. So that was cool.

And just talking to the different ones, like we've been using sonic walls, that's kind of our go to, we support Cisco and, and Fortinet. But if we have a choice, we'll put in a sonic wall. And I got to spend, I got to spend time with two of those guys and hear about what they're doing, which is kind of neat.

And so that's, that's a positive thing. But also just to meet the people. There's several people running around here doing stuff like you that aren't ASCII employees.

And that's pretty cool. Yeah. So that's, that's neat to see that there's a value there that you wouldn't understand from the outside.

[Uncle Marv]
Right. Okay. Well, that's a great perspective.

Yeah, I'm not an ASCII employee. I'm just a regular member like everybody else, except I have a microphone and I help promote them from time to time. But it's really more to network with other MSPs, other peers and stuff.

[David Steele]
So it is interesting to sit down because I can sit at a table and I can find out the guys in Miami are charging this. Yeah. And you know, when you're back home and let's say you go to a local event or something, the other IT companies aren't talking.

They're actually trying to figure out how they can get your clients. Yeah. So it's neat to be able to get someplace and actually hear what other people are doing, how they're doing it, what they're running into.

And so many people open up about stuff that, you know, in most cases, you'd say, well, that's kind of, I don't want that. I don't want someone to know I was struggling with that. And, you know, it's, you'll hear it.

Yeah. And that's kind of neat to, to find that in people and that openness. And also in the buy sell, there was a guy I had dinner with last night and he's looking to sell out.

And I said, well, how'd you do that? Because, you know, eventually that's going to happen. And he's like, well, I put it out here on ASCII's website and I got like 16 offers or 16 contacts.

I started working through. And that'd be so much easier than all the emails I'm getting about the same thing.

[Uncle Marv]
Yes. Yes, it is. There's a lot there.

And I mean, you'll have fun the first year in ASCII. There'll be a lot of eye opening, a lot of people. And if you get to a couple more events, meet some other people, have the same experience, I imagine.

Do you plan to be at the ASCII cup, which is going to be in Philadelphia at the end of the year?

[David Steele]
So Philly, I plan to go to, and I also plan to attend Newark because it's driving.

[Uncle Marv]
Okay.

[David Steele]
So the ones that are easy to get to, or the ones that in areas that I go to, I didn't go to the California one because I, that just wouldn't fit. Or I probably won't go. I think there's one in Texas.

There was one in Dallas.

[Uncle Marv]
Yeah.

[David Steele]
Yeah. So it's like, I don't see myself going there because we have no coverage there. But well, you don't have to go to all.

[Uncle Marv]
No, that's the anti-ASCII. But I mean, I go to two or three.

[David Steele]
So yes, Philly is supposed to be big. And I actually invited a client that actually does IT services in the Harrisburg area to join me. And he was like, Oh, that'll be fun.

But I also was thinking about going to Newark just because it's right there. Yeah. And I was actually just thinking as I sent through some of the sessions, I should probably bring my sales guy to here.

Sales guy and have him sit through some of this and let them hear the same thing that people are running into. So they stop possibly doing it right.

[Uncle Marv]
All right. Well, David, I don't know that did you get a chance to ask a lot of questions? I know that there's a lot of content thrown at you.

But did you get a chance to actually ask stuff?

[David Steele]
Well, I'm the type that would rather observe. Okay. And then find out, you know, yeah, I'm kind of new.

So I'm just kind of watching. Okay.

[Uncle Marv]
Checking us out. Yeah. Judging us.

[David Steele]
I'm asking questions outside. But you know, I'm not going to raise my hand right now and stand up because people like, well, he didn't he hasn't been to a meeting.

[Uncle Marv]
So no worries. No worries. Well, David, it was nice to meet you.

And we will thank Lynn for Yes, thank you.

[David Steele]
Lynn gets you on our radar. Watch out. You're done.

You might as well just give in.

[Uncle Marv]
All right, David Steele, with Entrata Technologies out of Pennsylvania, and look forward to seeing you at the Cup. Well, thank you.

[David Steele]
Good to meet you.

[Uncle Marv]
All right, folks, that's going to do it for this interview. I think I've got one more coming up. But you'll hear all of these from ASCII Edge Orlando.

And then there'll be some other podcasts later. But until then, holla!