Twins Talk Tech Leadership

How you view leadership impacts everything. Leadership is more than just possessing a set of skills. Leadership is a mindset and as Michael Crean, CEO of Solutions Granted puts it; it is a privilege. Solutions Granted is a leading MSSP solution firm, partnering and supporting IT service providers and the MSP Channel.You will be inspired by Michael’s use of analogies and stories. Some key takeaways include:The foundation of how his leadership perspective was built and defining what ‘leadership being a privilege’ means.  Leadership principles that he sees as vital for the IT community including, 'Never above, never below; always beside.'Clarifying MSP vs MSSP and the role manufacturers may have in shaping that. An analogy Michael used, “Every surgeon is a doctor but not every doctor is a surgeon.”Their collaborative approach to partnerships and supporting MSPs.Leaders must be like an eagle. The digital frontier has turned into a battlefield. Why not attack this landscape with the right partner. Choose a partner who embraces responsibility and who will fight for you. To learn more about Michael and Solutions Granted, visit solutionsgranted.com/

Being able to keep up with a rapidly changing technology landscape is crucial and MSPs are on the front line. They are being tasked to do more than ever before, which is why being aligned with the right partnerships are key to providing that vital depth of support needed for their clients. Their partnerships must themselves stay on a path of innovation and continuous learning. CyberQP’s Co-Founder and COO Jim Jessup along with Cynthia Schreiner, Director of Community & Events speak about the importance of bringing that depth of value to the Managed Service Providers that they support. CyberQP is a leading provider of privileged access management and helpdesk security automation for MSPs.Key points from Jim and Cynthia include:The growth of CyberQP including the evolution and rebrand from QuickPass.Depth and development of the CyberQP family; now with 75 EE in 3 Countries including Canada, Mexico and The US. Their dedication to the MSP community.CyberQP focus for the remainder of 2023 and into Q1Follow Jim Jessup and Cynthia Schreiner on LinkedIn. Learn more about CyberQP’s QGuard and strategies for securing access to administrative accounts by visiting Cyberqp.com

Much like their namesake, this leading threat detection firm goes on the offensive by hunting and detecting potential threats and vulnerabilities. With a focus on serving SMBs, Huntress empowers both MSPs & IT Departments through their platform, along with education and resources to address cybersecurity risks and challenges.Kyle Hanslovan, CEO Huntress shares about the incredible growth of Huntress and about some of the challenges that SMBs face when it comes to addressing their cybersecurity needs. Some of the highlights from this amazing conversation include:Kyle’s elevator pitch and his emphasis on tailoring that introduction to the audience.Correlation between hacking and the game of chess.“Can I make this chess piece do something it can't do?”How to overcome the ‘no resources, no money’ defense. “Understand your risks by learning your environment.”Managed Service Provider (MSP) compared to a Managed Security Service Provider (MSSP)The significance of their Huntress logoWe also briefly dive into what we can expect from Huntress. This includes as Kyle puts it, ''preparing for readiness”; preparing to go public. To learn more about Kyle and Huntress, visit www.huntress.com

Could this be the best endpoint protection platform (EPP) in the market? How can a strong corporate culture increase key performance metrics? Why is communication so vital for success? Danny Jenkins, CEO of ThreatLocker touches on the importance of public speaking and on their approach to delivering endpoint security solutions. Danny believes in empowering his team by embracing the concept of ‘urgency’ and the need to provide solutions as soon as they possibly can. Speaking of culture, recently at a Conference, the ThreatLocker team appeared in their ‘Men in Black’, black suits with blue ThreatLocker shirts underneath. This uniformity reflects their professionalism and dedication to protect their clients. What makes an effective speaker? Danny believes that 'passion' and 'storytelling' goes a long way to impacting success. He states that:People may not be passionate when they speak, because they aren't passionate about their product.If you're not passionate about your product, change your product or make it better.To learn more Danny, ThreatLocker and their Zero Trust platform, visit www.threatlocker.com/

Don’t go it alone. The right partnership could ensure that you are getting the most out of your investment. Most don’t buy or sell a home without working with a real estate agent or broker. Many won’t consider an investment portfolio or a retirement plan without working with a financial wealth advisor. Approach maximizing the value of your MSP or Tech firm with the same mindset. Reed Warren, CEO of iT Valuations speaks about how partnering with them can mean the difference between settling and getting the most out of your investment. iT Valuations works to ensure IT services and tech firms understand the value of their business. They also facilitate M&A (Mergers and acquisitions) activity. He stated that, 'the fastest way to change the value of your business is to improve your profitability.'  At iT Valutions, they've nicknamed 2023 as the year of the Merger. The question to ask is do you know Your worth?  To learn more about Reed or to have his team help you navigate an exit strategy, obtain a true assessment and valuation of your organization, visit itvaluations.com/

We are fortunate to have recorded this live during the Taylor Business Group BigBIG Conference in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Fantastic being able to catch up with Michael Slater, Head of Sales for Channel Marketplace at Sherweb. We get an update as to what Michael has been up to as well as some insight into the incredible growth of SherWeb. Michael stated how a big focus for Sherweb has been on 'AI readiness' and opportunities with automation. Readiness can be seen as the first stage in supporting organizations with their ability to deploy and use AI with automation.Michael also recently was recognized by CRN, a brand of The Channel Company, as he was named a 2023 Inclusive Channel Leader for his work in helping to create a more diverse and inclusive environment. Connect with Michael on LinkedIn and learn more about this cloud services and solutions provider by visiting sherweb.com/ 

While we prepare for an upcoming technology conference and a series of interviews, we wanted to treat you to a special replay of a popular episode from our Twins Talk it Up Program. In honor of that conference, you will love hearing from our friend and marketing leader John Rowa. John is a Partner at Lemonade Stand, a full-service Digital Marketing agency, helping to strengthen and spread the brands of their clients. In other words, they are helping them to get their 'lemonade' out there. While serving many industries, an area of specialty is the tech sector. To learn more about John and Lemonade Stand, visit lemonadestand.org/ and be sure to listen to their program entitled Lemonade Stand Stories Podcast.

What does work-life integration mean? How can you improve your work-life balance? The drive to succeed professionally can take precedence over everything else in your life, forcing you to set aside or sacrifice your own health and well-being. Discovering that harmonious balance or integration can lead to an improved sense of physical, emotional and mental health. This state of equilibrium can positively and dramatically impact your career.Christine Brown, Sr. PM, Microsoft Azure Commercial Marketplace Services shares her journey and tips for finding success by equally prioritizing the demands of her professional career and the demands of her personal life; the demands of being a mother to twins. She believes that it is vital that you stay present, show up as your best and to communicate clearly. Christine brings that same dedication and mindset of being a mother to her role in helping organizations create an MVP (Minimally Viable Product) and achieve success as a Microsoft Partner. She provides 3 Keys for favorable outcomes, and they include:1. Be in the marketplace (search ‘mastering the marketplace’)2. Have a clear description of the product/service that answers what 'problem' it will fix3. Make sure it is industry specific Learn more about Christine by connecting with her on LinkedIn. Also, join her as she will be the featured speaker for a special session by the Crancer Group. This event on the 18th of August is entitled, ‘Voice of the Microsoft Partner: Navigating the Azure Marketplace’. Register at https://bit.ly/AugustVOMP2023

While we are working on a special series, we wanted to bring you a special episode from our Twins Talk it Up program. This popular episode was a conversation with our friend and industry leader Dina Moskowitz, CEO and founder of PartnerOptimizer, Inc (by SaaSMAX). What's your ideal partner profile? Strengthen your strategic channel program and find your ideal channel partner by unlocking and leveraging the power of their Partner Ecosystem Intelligence Platform. Connect with Dina on LinkedIn and visit partneroptimizer.com/

Either disrupt or get disrupted. Become a disrupter and change the game. This is the mindset of influencer, investor, author and speaker Omi Shelly Bell. Omi is the CEO of Black Girl Ventures, an organization dedicated to creating access to capital for Black and Brown women entrepreneurs. Through BGV, they have already helped to fund over 450 women, added 3,000 jobs and generated over $10M in revenue.So many great gems from this conversation include:Embrace the power of entrepreneurship.Access to social capital, access to financial capital, access to capacity and access to community.Black Girl Ventures’ 3 Core Programs of Next Gen (Accelerator), Emerging Leaders Fellowship and BGV Pitch.Focus on “bridging” and not just on building bridges. Invest by putting “your dollars where you want your impact to be”.We also touch on her recently released book entitled, Originate, Motivate, Innovate: 7 Steps for Building a Billion Dollar Network. Never underestimate the value of networking and the power of just asking. Get a copy now on Amazon. To learn more about Omi and to support the vision and work of Black Girls Ventures, visit blackgirlventures.org. You can also give your pitch by joining them at one of their next stops, including the cities of Houston, Charlotte, DC, Miami and Atlanta.