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Welcome to Talk Tech with Rob Scott.
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Hello, everybody.
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Welcome to the show.
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I'm your host, Rob Scott, and today I have my good friend KP from Total with me.
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KP, welcome to the show.
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Thanks for having me, brother.
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So you have been burning the candle on both ends.
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I know.
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I have.
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Long week for you.
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But tell us what the experience has been for Total this week.
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It's been pretty good.
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You know, uh, it's always, you know, me, especially being a community guy.
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Um, I just love being able to see people that it maybe I don't see all the time, right?
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And some of these events are are very focused on, you know, this is a ConnectWise event.
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So only the people that use ConnectWise are at this event.
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You have the DatoCon event.
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It's only the people that are with Faseya now and DadoCon.
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So it's nice to be able to get out and see folks that maybe don't go to every show, but they're at this specific show.
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So get to see some people that maybe I don't see all the time, um, as well as the regulars like yourself, who I see quite a bit on the road.
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Um, it's been pretty good.
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I feel like sometimes these shows that are this size, you feel like you don't see everyone.
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And you have this people that have been at this show that I don't I just saw walk into the airport for the first time the whole entire trip, right?
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Because it's so spread out, everybody's so concentrated and focused and trying to do their thing.
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Um, so I think I do tend to lean more towards the smaller, more intimate, but at the same time, then who knows who you're missing that don't make it to those ones.
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But it's been a pretty good show.
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Um, lots of great conversations.
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Uh, you know, it's the end of the year, so everybody's getting wrapped up for the holidays and uh saying, hey, this might be the last last one before the year starts off.
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But it's been pretty good.
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Awesome.
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And and so overall 2025, first, how many shows did you do?
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Your that not not total, but just KP.
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How many, how many trade show events have you managed for total this year?
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Oof.
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Um, that's a good question.
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I'd have to say close to 50 if I yeah, you know, I don't think this is 47 for me.
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Somewhere in that range.
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Um it's been a variation of, you know, we did some of our own roadshows.
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Um, we did some of the smaller shows um that are in the space.
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And then, of course, there's the the Staples, PAX8 Beyond, Dattlecon, IT Nation, uh, Right A Boom.
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So there's those ones that kind of plug in, and then we just did some sprinklings of some shows in between there and trying some things out.
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Yeah, it's been a interestingly long year.
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Yes, I had a lot of fun.
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I feel the same way.
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Uh, for those of uh that might be listening that aren't familiar with Total, why don't you give the audience uh a high-level view of what Total does and what makes you guys unique?
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Yeah, absolutely.
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Uh is that we're supposed to talk about our secret sauce.
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Oh, yeah.
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We don't, you and I have that conversation about secret sauce, but anyway, um, yeah, so Total is a cybersecurity platform.
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So basically, what it does is it allows the MSPs to have a space where instead of having to go this tool sprawl-filled community that we have where there's just tools everywhere, they have one place to choose their solution.
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And then also, because we have seven solutions spread across this, our platform, they have the availability to understand we have customers that don't need all of that.
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And we allow them to do that.
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But the cool thing is it's one agent.
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So once they have the agent, they have the ability to use whatever they want through our solution.
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So it allows them if they have because you know customers that just need the remote protection, SASI, uh, sort of replace VPN, which we all know has been getting completely destroyed lately.
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Um, so having that, they can just pick SASE and they can choose that and have that for that that they have more complex solutions that they need.
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They can use our MXDR solution, um, they can get into our SIM.
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There's lots of tools.
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And then at the end of the day, these all tie together for the complete package of solution, the total solution.
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See, see what I did there?
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Yeah.
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Uh the total solution that allows you to basically cover all your bases and basic, and then at the end of the day, you'll be able to tie this all into our GRC solution that we now have for your governance, risk, and compliance.
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And the cool thing is that our tools are already doing all that work, so we have a sim, it's bringing that data in.
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Well, now that data can automatically be put into your GRC and actually check those boxes off that you normally would have to do manually.
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That's really cool.
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So single agent multi-service modular you can add on to it, but you don't need a new agent.
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And when you get it fully deployed and working and get your sim collecting data, now you can go straight to a GRC solution and start and start offering uh compliance management for customers.
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Yep.
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That's a really neat stack.
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So tell me a little bit more about uh your origin story.
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Where did you grow up?
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How did you wind up?
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How long is this route?
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You're the last guess.
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So we go.
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Um, I mean, I I yeah, I didn't uh I didn't have your typical route like most people did.
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Uh, you know, I was a project kid.
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Um, I thought that uh I learned early the wrong way.
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I learned that you scam your way through life, right?
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You know, that's just what you do.
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You do everything it takes to get by.
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So, you know, I wasn't going to college, I wasn't, I faked my way through high school to the point where I was literally telling the people at school that I was doing one job, but I really was doing another just so I could get paid more doing the job.
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And I was doing this for a while, and I was actually my wife who pushed me in another direction and said, This job's going newer.
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I was working at a Ford dealership at the time, and my wife just said, Oh, by the way, we're going to your new school.
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I'm not even lying.
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She, my wife, enrolled me in school without telling me, and I went back to school just randomly.
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So I flipped everything upside down, I went back to school.
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And even when I went back to school, I was like, What am I, you know, what am I learning here?
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Like, I'm I was pulling stuff down, I was getting electronics, and then I went to a computer class and started picking up computer stuff.
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So everybody else knew computers.
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My whole, even my younger brother knew what a computer was before me, and everybody knew it.
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And then uh I got this job at Fidelity Investments of Hall Places one day a week, intern, and all of a sudden the lights clicked on, and I just started realizing I understood this stuff and learned it very quick and picked it up fast and started to really like just everything started, it was a beautiful mind moment.
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It was crazy how much it clicked.
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And I started to learn Microsoft before they started taking off.
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So before uh Microsoft took Novell out with Small Business Server and all that stuff, I was reloading Windows 95 machines before they were around.
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And in fact, Fidelity had a rule if we find a Windows 95 machine in your office, you're fired.
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That's how early on it was.
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They didn't want any of that stuff on their network, they were all Novell.
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I had four Windows 95 machines on my desk practicing, playing around with it.
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So when I got out of uh my experience in Fidelity, um, I got picked up by an IT company that where we were that my wife happened to be friends with.
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My wife just plugs into everything, apparently.
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Um, and I ended up talking to these guys, and I didn't really know a lot about the business still.
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I knew about the technology and I was starting to get it.
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And I went to this place to make a long story short, because it's already getting long.
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Um, I ended up getting in that place as an in just a basic intern starting out.
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In six months, I was service manager, and in a year I was in a partner.
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So it's just this weird, crazy amount of things that happened.
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Microsoft tried to hire me, and then these guys got nervous, so they made me a partner, and it was just crazy how fast it all happened.
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But I just understood the technology, I couldn't not understand it.
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And I was doing things with Microsoft before Microsoft started to take off, where I was moving, I moved our whole entire company from Novella to Microsoft without them knowing.
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And then one day one of the owners came up to me and said, Hey, uh, did you do something with the network?
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And I thought I was gonna be in trouble, and it turns out he's like, No, everything's faster.
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So I switched everything over because we were they we also had a development side of the business doing Fox Pro, so it worked better on Microsoft.
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Um, so I did that.
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I've been I was in the MSP space for a while.
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We I actually, um, after I became a partner of that company, we went from being an IT provider to the it was the beginning of the MSP side of things.
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We started to do MSP like things, we blew up, we started to get things done very well, um, and then we sold.
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And then I just liked it so much that I wanted to go help other MSPs.
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So I went to a team logic IT in Massachusetts, and I grew them to be the largest team logic IT in the in the country.
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And we just had great success.
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And I really wanted to keep doing that.
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It was just one.
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So I was talking to Pax 8 quite a bit, and PAX8 was like, why don't you just come work for us?
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And we were back and forth for for a while, some funny stories around that.
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And um, John Street flew to Massachusetts, and me, John Street, and Nick Hetty had a conversation, and I don't know, I was five minutes into the conversation.
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John Street got up to get breakfast, and Nick Hetty looked at me and I'm like, I'm in.
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He's like, he didn't even say anything yet.
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I'm like, I'm in.
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So I joined PAX 8, as you know, and uh PAX 8, my time at PAX 8, I built their community.
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I did a lot of the educational stuff.
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So when I started there, we had 3,000 partners.
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When I left, we had 12,000.
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So in that four-year span, uh, we really blew it up well.
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And then I wanted to do it again.
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I just uh PAX 8 was getting really large as they are now, still growing and getting so large.
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And I wanted to just do it again.
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So I broke away.
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Um, I had a small stint at another company that you know and helped them get more eyeballs on them, and it just wasn't working out as far as keeping me there.
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So um, total, funny enough, tried to get me the minute I left the other uh PAX 8.
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They just weren't ready, and we both knew it, so we just stayed in touch, and then they finally reached out and just said, Hey, I think we're ready now.
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And they the the 50 million that they got didn't hurt either.
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Um, and they wanted to invest in community and really invest in community.
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I think you know I'm I'm not that I I really do believe in this almost in a corny way.
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I believe in community so much I just can't represent companies that don't have that full community feel.
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So, what does it mean to be a community-focused company?
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Like if you're looking at company A and company B, what is and company A is a community-focused company and company B is not, what are the characteristics of Company A that you look for?
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Yeah, so I mean, in its simplest terms, companies that think that their customers are their community, not a fit.
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For me.
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And listen, they all have their reasons, they're all, you know, they all have their so I'm not putting it down, but if you really want to be community focused, your customers are not your community until you make it so.
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And the thing about community is community is not just about belonging to something, community is about belonging to something that makes belonging matter.
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And that's the difference.
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When you get those people that are your customers or partners, whatever you want to call them, if you get them stark, raving fans of what you do and they totally believe in what you do, that's community.
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Like what PAX8, what we did at PAX8 was incredible.
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Those people, if someone said something bad about PAX8 on social media, they get ripped apart by all the partners.
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It was just that tight because we were truly trying to educate and enable them, and they got that.
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So they wanted to be able to build us up and make that work too.
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And it's the same at total.
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You know, our CEO truly believes in community, he wants to protect and help these MSPs help protect themselves and the customers that they serve.
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And for me, that's the buy-in for it because you have to truly believe what community really is.
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Because unfortunately, a lot of companies throw the word community around like it's candy now, right?
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It's just like everybody's community, you're a manager, you're a community manager.
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When I broke into this space, there wasn't a single job title called community.
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I created that when I went to PACS8 director of community, it was the first time that that was used because I meant it to be about what real community is.
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Unfortunately, sometimes that term doesn't get completely understood.
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I feel like it's gotten a lot better now.
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There are some great companies out there that have some great people diving into community and trying to make it about the actual MSPs and what they do to help them.
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So it's getting better.
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But I really think we can do so much more to make this more about them and not about us as the vendors.
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Wow, that was amazing.
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Uh, very well said.
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Um, in terms of this director of community role that you've created, and I've had several guests on my show that are in community roles, and uh, I talked to a consultant who said to me, Rob, you don't need to hire any consultants.
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You need to find the best community manager you can find.
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You want to be a billionaire when you sell Manger, get the best community manager you can find.
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Why has that now, since you're the pioneer of this, you're the OG, why do you think that is now the advice that uh experts are giving to guys like me?
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Well, I mean, it's pretty straightforward.
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If you if you make your customers better, they make you better.
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And it's a very simple formula.
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I mean, Datto started this way back in the Rob Ray and Datto really started this way back in the day.
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It was one of the things that lured me to Rob when he was at level platforms.
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But then going to Datto and taking a really solid solution that Austin had, but and then directing it from a community standpoint, it changed, it really did change things.
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So if you can make your customers better, they're gonna buy better, they're gonna buy more.
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It's a natural progression.
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It's not my whole thing is I hate the term sales.
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We all have to do it, we understand that, but why is it that we have to sell for what we do, especially what MSPs do?
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They need to be more like a doctor, they need to be more prescriptive.
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And the problem is, myself included, when I came into MSP space, I was a techie.
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I just wanted to fix stuff.
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And we don't know about operations, sales, you know, marketing, finance, all the things that we're supposed to know about.
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And then somehow we're supposed to snap overnight and become experts and all that.
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Well, if you're if you're a vendor in the space and you have that experience, why not educate and enable your MSPs, your partners, on how to do that better and do it for free?
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Why do you have to charge them for it?
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Why do we have to build these crazy things?
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If you do that for free for your people, you're gonna make them better.
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And it's been proven people that went to those educational events that I created back in the day, 30, 60, 90, 120 days out, they were doing more.
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And by the way, you can still educate them on your product because I guarantee you your sales folks are doing the best they can, but they're not telling them everything that you do all the time.
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We've we found it every time I go to events someone go, Ken, I didn't know you guys did that.
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Yes, I understand that.
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But when you're educating them, enabling to get to that point, and they know how to do it, it just makes everything better.
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So, of course, it seems smart to me that people should start making that advice because if you have someone out there that's for the people and understands their flight and what they're going through and their struggles, but then in turn educates and enables them and plugs them in, whether it helps your company or not, it helps your company.
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Yeah, I think that there's a prevailing wisdom, whether you refer to it as success or community or a combination, helping your customers win is the magic.
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Right.
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Doesn't matter if they do it with your tools or not your tools.
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If your customer comes to you and says, Hey, can I need this and that and you solve it for them, that's a win for everyone.
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Yep, I agree.
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And that was the biggest thing I learned when I transitioned from traditional legal services to SaaS.
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Right.
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I remember being on the phone with a guy who's been in MSP, runs a trade group, runs his own MSP, was a client of Scott and Scott.
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Yes.
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And he's getting on Monster, he's got his agreements, and back then we were, you know, giving people homework for onboarding.
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We don't do that anymore.
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But he had his homework and he was late on his own work, so I was calling him.
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I was like, I just wanted to let you know we're waiting on you to go to the next level to complete your onboarding.
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And uh he said, Yeah, I'm really sorry, and it dawned on me like this guy paid me in advance.
00:16:39.279 --> 00:16:40.799
I had his money.
00:16:41.200 --> 00:16:54.879
And I'm calling him to help him, not because I need money, not because the ball's in my court and he'll be mad at me if I don't call him, but because as a SaaS business, it doesn't matter about fall.
00:16:55.279 --> 00:16:55.440
Right.
00:16:55.679 --> 00:16:58.159
He either wins or he loses.
00:16:58.480 --> 00:17:01.840
And if he wins, I win, and if he loses, I lose.
00:17:02.080 --> 00:17:10.000
And that was the biggest mindset shift from being the managing partner of a traditional legal service to launching a cloud-based.
00:17:10.400 --> 00:17:13.440
Right, and they're always gonna remember when you help them.
00:17:13.680 --> 00:17:14.880
They're always gonna remember that.
00:17:14.960 --> 00:17:17.440
That's that stark raving fan of what you do.
00:17:17.519 --> 00:17:23.759
It's like, wait, you're gonna help me even though it has nothing to do with your solution, or well, yeah, of course I'm gonna help you.
00:17:23.839 --> 00:17:24.880
I'm gonna make you better.
00:17:25.119 --> 00:17:32.640
So, I mean, I used to always say from an MSP perspective, as MSPs, they should do the same thing for their customers.
00:17:32.799 --> 00:17:35.920
Stop selling them tech, stop, be prescriptive, help them.
00:17:36.000 --> 00:17:40.960
But if your MSP got better because you used EOS, that's awesome, right?
00:17:41.039 --> 00:17:42.240
Because EOS is amazing.
00:17:42.640 --> 00:17:44.319
We can do a whole show on EOS.
00:17:44.559 --> 00:17:52.319
But if your MSP got better by that, why are you not talking to your customers about that that are having trouble with their efficiencies and not and struggling?
00:17:52.559 --> 00:17:59.519
First of all, you're gonna game change their business, but when you do that, they're gonna say, wait, this has nothing to do with your tech.
00:17:59.599 --> 00:18:02.880
This has nothing to do, this is just sound advice that you're giving me.
00:18:02.960 --> 00:18:07.200
Now you've got that connection because you're actually helping them do something beyond the tech.
00:18:07.519 --> 00:18:08.079
It's interesting.
00:18:08.160 --> 00:18:12.319
You know, we had a guest on the show a little while ago who's acquiring businesses.
00:18:12.480 --> 00:18:19.359
You know, he's got a really well-funded MSP that he sold, and now they want him to go out and roll up a bunch of things.
00:18:19.440 --> 00:18:22.960
And one of the things that he says they're buying is EOS integrators.
00:18:23.119 --> 00:18:23.759
Yes.
00:18:24.480 --> 00:18:28.240
EOS is is was instrumental in my in, you know, my thing.
00:18:28.319 --> 00:18:32.079
I thought I was the best, you know, you always think it we're the best boss in the world.
00:18:32.160 --> 00:18:33.279
We could possibly be wrong.
00:18:33.359 --> 00:18:39.279
And then you find out you're not as efficient, your people aren't as happy as you think they are, you got them in wrong seats.
00:18:39.440 --> 00:18:44.079
And my integrator literally said to me, We're gonna take you on board, you're gonna lose two people.
00:18:44.160 --> 00:18:45.519
And I'm like, No, I'm not.
00:18:45.680 --> 00:18:46.480
What are you talking about?
00:18:46.640 --> 00:18:46.960
Yeah.
00:18:47.200 --> 00:18:49.039
Four months in, two people out.
00:18:49.200 --> 00:18:51.359
And when it happened, they knew it.
00:18:51.680 --> 00:18:54.960
The the people who were being let go actually knew that it was coming.
00:18:55.039 --> 00:19:00.559
And then I started, I had to start waking up and saying, Oh my, like, I'm not as plugged into this as I think I am, right?
00:19:00.799 --> 00:19:07.039
And being able to let go of the things that they let help you let go and do all the things you do, yeah, it's a it's a game changer.
00:19:07.119 --> 00:19:13.519
So I guess just pause right there for a second because I want to give everyone this opportunity.
00:19:13.680 --> 00:19:17.680
If you're not familiar with EOS, it's based on the book called Traction.
00:19:17.839 --> 00:19:21.039
And if you haven't read the book Traction, I highly recommend it.
00:19:21.200 --> 00:19:31.359
But it's evolved and grown into something that you know most uh successful businesses are running a variation of it, gives you some playbooks for meetings for accountability.
00:19:31.599 --> 00:19:34.880
We have our executive leadership meetings every Wednesday.
00:19:35.039 --> 00:19:44.960
Then we drop into our uh uh team meetings, and by the end of the day on Wednesday, everybody's on the same page, 100% aligned, fully informed.
00:19:45.119 --> 00:19:49.519
Everybody gets to hear it from the horse's mouth on whatever it is that's going on.
00:19:49.759 --> 00:20:03.519
Role ambiguity goes away, um, accountability increases, problem solving increases, and uh as your business grows, what I saw is as Mondra was smaller, it wasn't a problem.
00:20:03.680 --> 00:20:06.319
I could talk to everybody every day or once a week.
00:20:06.480 --> 00:20:15.519
As Mondra started getting bigger, like things I would say would get twisted, and and I'd you come back to me, I'd be like, well, why is it?
00:20:15.759 --> 00:20:27.680
And so misunderstandings, communication execution becomes enabled by an operating system, and that's what entrepreneur operating system is what EOS stands for.
00:20:27.759 --> 00:20:29.680
It's based on the book called Traction.
00:20:30.240 --> 00:20:31.359
There's a few different ones too.
00:20:31.440 --> 00:20:33.839
There's traction and there's patterns, which I'm not affiliated.
00:20:34.079 --> 00:20:36.400
I wish I was, I wish I was getting some checks from that, but I'm not.
00:20:36.720 --> 00:20:38.000
Yeah, there's Patterson as well.
00:20:38.079 --> 00:20:42.240
There's a couple different ones that you variations of EOS, but it's traction is the most popular.
00:20:42.480 --> 00:20:42.880
Yeah, yeah.
00:20:42.960 --> 00:20:48.319
And and in in SaaS Academy, they've created a SaaS version of EOS.
00:20:49.039 --> 00:20:58.640
Slightly different terminology, but where we have our ROCs we call OKRs, and they're OKRs around you know, SaaS metrics.
00:20:58.720 --> 00:21:18.720
Uh, but it's been a huge uh a huge thing for us, something we're you know, early in our journey on, but um uh we're getting really good feedback from our team and our executives about how well things are working, how problems are getting solved, right, how new issues are being uh raised in a productive and and and non-uh threatening way.
00:21:18.880 --> 00:21:19.119
Right.
00:21:19.279 --> 00:21:21.359
And uh it's been a really amazing thing.
00:21:21.599 --> 00:21:24.160
So you're the OG.
00:21:25.279 --> 00:21:28.000
So what happens next for KP?
00:21:28.079 --> 00:21:31.440
What are you looking forward to personally for 2026?
00:21:31.759 --> 00:21:43.279
I'm just looking to it, I'm looking forward to the growth side of things, you know, getting these the MSPs um in general just to a better place.
00:21:43.359 --> 00:21:44.559
And it's so hard.
00:21:44.640 --> 00:21:51.759
I mean, imagine being an industry where it changes so fast all the time, and people are giving you advice that's maybe not all correct.
00:21:51.839 --> 00:21:54.640
You know, there's the folks out there that say, do this or you're done.
00:21:54.799 --> 00:21:56.880
You know, it's it's so it's such a crazy industry.
00:21:56.960 --> 00:22:17.599
And so for me, it's getting Reaching and getting to more MSPs to help them get better and be better and understand that look, if you're not ready for some of the security stuff that's going on, cool, but make sure you have the right security, you know, you have security in place that's at least protecting your cell, your business first and then your customers' businesses, right?
00:22:17.759 --> 00:22:18.640
That's important.
00:22:18.799 --> 00:22:20.400
And it goes the same for AI.
00:22:20.559 --> 00:22:24.559
If you're not ready to jump into AI, that's okay, but you should be doing something with it.
00:22:24.640 --> 00:22:26.559
You should be learning and understanding how it works.
00:22:26.640 --> 00:22:28.160
Don't just bury your head in the sand.
00:22:28.319 --> 00:22:28.960
We all do that.
00:22:29.039 --> 00:22:31.359
We get stuck in the weeds and we're like, nope, I'm focusing here.
00:22:31.440 --> 00:22:32.720
I can't get it that.
00:22:32.799 --> 00:22:34.079
And then don't do the opposite.
00:22:34.160 --> 00:22:38.000
Don't go all in and throw everything into it without having a better understanding of it.
00:22:38.079 --> 00:22:41.599
So I think next year's gonna be, it's it's like anything else.
00:22:41.759 --> 00:22:48.079
We have all this awesome technology, but it's gonna be scary because there's a lot of security issues that happen with this as well.
00:22:48.240 --> 00:22:51.839
So just do your due diligence.
00:22:53.039 --> 00:22:57.680
Talk to the folks that are doing the things that it's working for them and get what works for you.
00:22:57.920 --> 00:23:05.039
Don't listen to all the so-called experts that are telling you that if you're not doing it their way, it's wrong because there's so many different ways to do what we do.
00:23:05.599 --> 00:23:14.240
As long as you're doing it ethically and securely, and you know you're doing it in that way, the right that you're doing the right things, I think it'll be fine.
00:23:14.559 --> 00:23:19.599
But I think things are gonna be accelerated again in the next year for all of this.
00:23:19.839 --> 00:23:24.240
And I don't know if it's possible, but I'm just waiting for the next keyword beyond AI.
00:23:24.400 --> 00:23:28.079
Because what all we're hearing is the word AI, and we understand it, it's been around for a while.
00:23:28.240 --> 00:23:33.440
It is kind of cool that AI is the first thing that the end users started using before us.
00:23:33.680 --> 00:23:35.920
That's a kind of a cool different flip.
00:23:36.160 --> 00:23:39.200
That's a whole different flip because they're already in there buried in it.
00:23:39.279 --> 00:23:46.319
And you would think, you know, we would think that's cool because if they were doing backup before we were selling backups back in the day, so easy so much easier to sell.
00:23:46.480 --> 00:23:46.720
Yeah.
00:23:46.880 --> 00:23:52.160
This is a little different because they're getting so involved in it that now you have to think about how you're gonna secure it.
00:23:52.799 --> 00:23:54.640
And that's a whole different thing.
00:23:54.720 --> 00:23:59.359
I think next year everything's gonna be about identity and data.
00:23:59.759 --> 00:24:01.200
Because now it's everywhere.
00:24:01.359 --> 00:24:08.640
And if you're pulling your stuff into these AI apps and it's not secure and it's not safe, what's someone gonna do with your identity and your data?
00:24:09.200 --> 00:24:09.759
Bad thing.
00:24:09.920 --> 00:24:12.480
It's gonna be a crazy time, but it's also gonna be a fun time.
00:24:12.559 --> 00:24:16.079
I think we're just gonna try to educate and keep people on the right track.
00:24:16.319 --> 00:24:26.480
One of the things that I admire most about you as a Gen X guy is that you I see you all the time hugging Gen Z people, hugging millennial people.
00:24:26.799 --> 00:24:30.079
You have the ability to connect with people of all ages.
00:24:30.400 --> 00:24:39.680
Doesn't matter if male, female, you have a way of just loving everyone and and and bringing the whole community up.
00:24:40.160 --> 00:24:51.920
As you um lead in your organization at Total, um, what are some of the things that you're doing to be effective as a leader in this world where we grew up a different way?
00:24:52.000 --> 00:24:53.039
Let's just be honest, right?
00:24:53.359 --> 00:24:53.599
Sweet.
00:24:54.160 --> 00:24:56.480
And I know Paige has been on my show.
00:24:56.640 --> 00:25:00.960
She's in her 20s, you have you know different age people on your team.
00:25:01.119 --> 00:25:01.440
Yeah.
00:25:01.680 --> 00:25:09.680
How do you lead this uh multi-generational sort of workforce with different views, priorities, and perceptions?
00:25:09.920 --> 00:25:11.599
How do you do it so well?
00:25:12.240 --> 00:25:21.920
Well, I don't know if the jury's still out if I'm doing it well, but um for me, it's it's the same thing that causes me to be able to connect with people in general.
00:25:22.079 --> 00:25:23.680
It's just be genuine.
00:25:23.920 --> 00:25:30.720
You know, if I'm not faking it and I don't have to think about what I'm gonna say and how I'm gonna say it, it may it flow easier.
00:25:30.799 --> 00:25:33.279
And I think that comes across when you're talking to people.
00:25:33.359 --> 00:25:39.279
If you're just genuinely trying to help and be nice to folks, I think everything else falls into place.
00:25:39.359 --> 00:25:43.279
And I try to teach that to these kids too, my just like I would my own kids.
00:25:43.440 --> 00:25:44.960
Be yourself, be genuine.
00:25:45.119 --> 00:25:46.400
There's no flaw in that.
00:25:46.559 --> 00:25:50.960
Yes, can you can you change can you change it up a little to be more professional in certain settings?
00:25:51.200 --> 00:25:51.599
Sure.
00:25:51.759 --> 00:25:58.880
I can reel myself in to be, you know, I'm a Boston guy, so you know sometimes I I can be a little gruff, so I have to reel that in sometimes a little bit.
00:25:59.039 --> 00:26:05.759
But at the same time, I'm never going to change who I am or be different for a group of people, whatever group it may be.
00:26:05.839 --> 00:26:07.759
And I feel like that that comes across.
00:26:08.000 --> 00:26:21.440
If people think, oh, this person genuinely gets my point of view and genuinely, you know, gets where I'm coming from, whether he agrees or not, I think that's that's where we have to start getting better at as a society as a whole, because we see this.
00:26:21.519 --> 00:26:29.279
You know, right now we're in a shutdown because you know, two political parties can't make a decision, they're both getting paid, but everybody else is you know affected by that.
00:26:29.440 --> 00:26:32.240
And I don't care what side you're on, none of that crap, right?
00:26:32.400 --> 00:26:37.839
The bottom line is why is it that uh two groups of people can't get together and make a decision?
00:26:38.160 --> 00:26:38.400
Right?
00:26:38.480 --> 00:26:41.279
I because I think that there's no genuineness on either side.
00:26:41.359 --> 00:26:41.519
Right.
00:26:41.680 --> 00:26:43.519
And for us here, that's what it has to be.
00:26:43.599 --> 00:26:45.519
If you're genuine, you're real.
00:26:45.759 --> 00:26:49.039
You're gonna you're gonna affect, you know, of course, not everybody likes me.
00:26:49.119 --> 00:26:57.200
I'm not everybody's cup of tea, but for the most part, I think 90% of the folks can relate to just being genuine, just being real.
00:26:57.279 --> 00:26:59.759
And I think that's where it comes, that's what works and comes across.
00:27:00.000 --> 00:27:07.039
Ladies and gentlemen, the OG of community, the first director of community in the channel, my good buddy KP.
00:27:07.119 --> 00:27:08.559
Thank you for being appreciated.
00:27:08.720 --> 00:27:09.839
Thanks for having me.
00:27:10.240 --> 00:27:15.519
You've been listening to Talk Tech with Rob Scott, brought to you by Monger.
00:27:15.920 --> 00:27:23.839
Monger is the first mover in providing contracts as a service solutions specifically designed for IT managed service providers.
00:27:24.000 --> 00:27:36.799
Their SaaS-enabled legal solution is based on industry leading templates, customized for each client, and periodically updated to ensure that MSPs always have the latest protections and are legally compliant.
00:27:37.200 --> 00:27:40.400
For more information, visit Logger.com.
00:27:40.640 --> 00:27:43.519
That's M L N J U R dot com.
00:00:03.120 --> 00:00:06.480
Welcome to Talk Tech with Rob Scott.
00:00:07.120 --> 00:00:08.240
Hello, everybody.
00:00:08.480 --> 00:00:09.359
Welcome to the show.
00:00:09.439 --> 00:00:16.640
I'm your host, Rob Scott, and today I have my good friend KP from Total with me.
00:00:16.879 --> 00:00:18.399
KP, welcome to the show.
00:00:18.559 --> 00:00:19.600
Thanks for having me, brother.
00:00:19.760 --> 00:00:22.480
So you have been burning the candle on both ends.
00:00:22.640 --> 00:00:23.120
I know.
00:00:23.359 --> 00:00:23.839
I have.
00:00:24.480 --> 00:00:25.839
Long week for you.
00:00:26.079 --> 00:00:29.359
But tell us what the experience has been for Total this week.
00:00:30.079 --> 00:00:31.199
It's been pretty good.
00:00:31.359 --> 00:00:35.600
You know, uh, it's always, you know, me, especially being a community guy.
00:00:35.759 --> 00:00:41.119
Um, I just love being able to see people that it maybe I don't see all the time, right?
00:00:41.280 --> 00:00:45.840
And some of these events are are very focused on, you know, this is a ConnectWise event.
00:00:46.000 --> 00:00:48.320
So only the people that use ConnectWise are at this event.
00:00:48.399 --> 00:00:49.600
You have the DatoCon event.
00:00:49.679 --> 00:00:52.399
It's only the people that are with Faseya now and DadoCon.
00:00:52.640 --> 00:00:59.359
So it's nice to be able to get out and see folks that maybe don't go to every show, but they're at this specific show.
00:00:59.520 --> 00:01:06.959
So get to see some people that maybe I don't see all the time, um, as well as the regulars like yourself, who I see quite a bit on the road.
00:01:07.359 --> 00:01:09.120
Um, it's been pretty good.
00:01:09.280 --> 00:01:14.799
I feel like sometimes these shows that are this size, you feel like you don't see everyone.
00:01:14.959 --> 00:01:20.560
And you have this people that have been at this show that I don't I just saw walk into the airport for the first time the whole entire trip, right?
00:01:20.640 --> 00:01:24.879
Because it's so spread out, everybody's so concentrated and focused and trying to do their thing.
00:01:25.120 --> 00:01:34.079
Um, so I think I do tend to lean more towards the smaller, more intimate, but at the same time, then who knows who you're missing that don't make it to those ones.
00:01:34.159 --> 00:01:35.519
But it's been a pretty good show.
00:01:35.760 --> 00:01:38.079
Um, lots of great conversations.
00:01:38.239 --> 00:01:46.319
Uh, you know, it's the end of the year, so everybody's getting wrapped up for the holidays and uh saying, hey, this might be the last last one before the year starts off.
00:01:46.400 --> 00:01:47.280
But it's been pretty good.
00:01:47.439 --> 00:01:47.920
Awesome.
00:01:48.000 --> 00:01:54.000
And and so overall 2025, first, how many shows did you do?
00:01:54.079 --> 00:01:57.040
Your that not not total, but just KP.
00:01:57.439 --> 00:02:01.599
How many, how many trade show events have you managed for total this year?
00:02:01.840 --> 00:02:02.319
Oof.
00:02:02.480 --> 00:02:04.079
Um, that's a good question.
00:02:04.239 --> 00:02:09.280
I'd have to say close to 50 if I yeah, you know, I don't think this is 47 for me.
00:02:09.840 --> 00:02:10.960
Somewhere in that range.
00:02:11.039 --> 00:02:14.960
Um it's been a variation of, you know, we did some of our own roadshows.
00:02:15.280 --> 00:02:18.719
Um, we did some of the smaller shows um that are in the space.
00:02:18.800 --> 00:02:25.680
And then, of course, there's the the Staples, PAX8 Beyond, Dattlecon, IT Nation, uh, Right A Boom.
00:02:25.840 --> 00:02:32.159
So there's those ones that kind of plug in, and then we just did some sprinklings of some shows in between there and trying some things out.
00:02:32.319 --> 00:02:35.680
Yeah, it's been a interestingly long year.
00:02:35.840 --> 00:02:37.120
Yes, I had a lot of fun.
00:02:37.360 --> 00:02:38.560
I feel the same way.
00:02:38.719 --> 00:02:49.919
Uh, for those of uh that might be listening that aren't familiar with Total, why don't you give the audience uh a high-level view of what Total does and what makes you guys unique?
00:02:50.159 --> 00:02:51.120
Yeah, absolutely.
00:02:51.280 --> 00:02:53.599
Uh is that we're supposed to talk about our secret sauce.
00:02:53.840 --> 00:02:54.560
Oh, yeah.
00:02:54.800 --> 00:03:02.479
We don't, you and I have that conversation about secret sauce, but anyway, um, yeah, so Total is a cybersecurity platform.
00:03:02.639 --> 00:03:17.919
So basically, what it does is it allows the MSPs to have a space where instead of having to go this tool sprawl-filled community that we have where there's just tools everywhere, they have one place to choose their solution.
00:03:18.080 --> 00:03:28.159
And then also, because we have seven solutions spread across this, our platform, they have the availability to understand we have customers that don't need all of that.
00:03:28.240 --> 00:03:29.520
And we allow them to do that.
00:03:29.599 --> 00:03:31.520
But the cool thing is it's one agent.
00:03:31.680 --> 00:03:36.080
So once they have the agent, they have the ability to use whatever they want through our solution.
00:03:36.240 --> 00:03:46.319
So it allows them if they have because you know customers that just need the remote protection, SASI, uh, sort of replace VPN, which we all know has been getting completely destroyed lately.
00:03:46.400 --> 00:03:52.960
Um, so having that, they can just pick SASE and they can choose that and have that for that that they have more complex solutions that they need.
00:03:53.039 --> 00:03:56.960
They can use our MXDR solution, um, they can get into our SIM.
00:03:57.360 --> 00:03:58.560
There's lots of tools.
00:03:58.639 --> 00:04:04.560
And then at the end of the day, these all tie together for the complete package of solution, the total solution.
00:04:04.639 --> 00:04:05.599
See, see what I did there?
00:04:05.680 --> 00:04:05.919
Yeah.
00:04:06.000 --> 00:04:19.040
Uh the total solution that allows you to basically cover all your bases and basic, and then at the end of the day, you'll be able to tie this all into our GRC solution that we now have for your governance, risk, and compliance.
00:04:19.199 --> 00:04:24.399
And the cool thing is that our tools are already doing all that work, so we have a sim, it's bringing that data in.
00:04:24.480 --> 00:04:31.439
Well, now that data can automatically be put into your GRC and actually check those boxes off that you normally would have to do manually.
00:04:31.680 --> 00:04:32.560
That's really cool.
00:04:32.639 --> 00:04:41.040
So single agent multi-service modular you can add on to it, but you don't need a new agent.
00:04:41.199 --> 00:04:54.000
And when you get it fully deployed and working and get your sim collecting data, now you can go straight to a GRC solution and start and start offering uh compliance management for customers.
00:04:54.240 --> 00:04:54.639
Yep.
00:04:54.800 --> 00:04:56.720
That's a really neat stack.
00:04:56.959 --> 00:05:02.560
So tell me a little bit more about uh your origin story.
00:05:02.720 --> 00:05:03.839
Where did you grow up?
00:05:04.000 --> 00:05:04.800
How did you wind up?
00:05:05.120 --> 00:05:06.319
How long is this route?
00:05:07.360 --> 00:05:08.319
You're the last guess.
00:05:08.399 --> 00:05:08.800
So we go.
00:05:10.399 --> 00:05:15.199
Um, I mean, I I yeah, I didn't uh I didn't have your typical route like most people did.
00:05:15.360 --> 00:05:17.279
Uh, you know, I was a project kid.
00:05:17.360 --> 00:05:21.519
Um, I thought that uh I learned early the wrong way.
00:05:21.600 --> 00:05:23.680
I learned that you scam your way through life, right?
00:05:23.920 --> 00:05:24.800
You know, that's just what you do.
00:05:24.879 --> 00:05:26.240
You do everything it takes to get by.
00:05:26.399 --> 00:05:38.480
So, you know, I wasn't going to college, I wasn't, I faked my way through high school to the point where I was literally telling the people at school that I was doing one job, but I really was doing another just so I could get paid more doing the job.
00:05:38.720 --> 00:05:45.839
And I was doing this for a while, and I was actually my wife who pushed me in another direction and said, This job's going newer.
00:05:46.079 --> 00:05:52.560
I was working at a Ford dealership at the time, and my wife just said, Oh, by the way, we're going to your new school.
00:05:52.720 --> 00:05:53.600
I'm not even lying.
00:05:53.680 --> 00:05:59.680
She, my wife, enrolled me in school without telling me, and I went back to school just randomly.
00:05:59.920 --> 00:06:02.959
So I flipped everything upside down, I went back to school.
00:06:03.120 --> 00:06:07.759
And even when I went back to school, I was like, What am I, you know, what am I learning here?
00:06:07.920 --> 00:06:15.199
Like, I'm I was pulling stuff down, I was getting electronics, and then I went to a computer class and started picking up computer stuff.
00:06:15.279 --> 00:06:16.720
So everybody else knew computers.
00:06:16.879 --> 00:06:21.360
My whole, even my younger brother knew what a computer was before me, and everybody knew it.
00:06:21.600 --> 00:06:39.199
And then uh I got this job at Fidelity Investments of Hall Places one day a week, intern, and all of a sudden the lights clicked on, and I just started realizing I understood this stuff and learned it very quick and picked it up fast and started to really like just everything started, it was a beautiful mind moment.
00:06:39.279 --> 00:06:41.519
It was crazy how much it clicked.
00:06:41.680 --> 00:06:44.560
And I started to learn Microsoft before they started taking off.
00:06:44.720 --> 00:06:53.120
So before uh Microsoft took Novell out with Small Business Server and all that stuff, I was reloading Windows 95 machines before they were around.
00:06:53.199 --> 00:06:58.879
And in fact, Fidelity had a rule if we find a Windows 95 machine in your office, you're fired.
00:06:59.040 --> 00:07:00.240
That's how early on it was.
00:07:00.319 --> 00:07:03.040
They didn't want any of that stuff on their network, they were all Novell.
00:07:03.439 --> 00:07:08.079
I had four Windows 95 machines on my desk practicing, playing around with it.
00:07:08.319 --> 00:07:17.439
So when I got out of uh my experience in Fidelity, um, I got picked up by an IT company that where we were that my wife happened to be friends with.
00:07:17.680 --> 00:07:19.680
My wife just plugs into everything, apparently.
00:07:19.839 --> 00:07:25.600
Um, and I ended up talking to these guys, and I didn't really know a lot about the business still.
00:07:25.680 --> 00:07:28.560
I knew about the technology and I was starting to get it.
00:07:28.800 --> 00:07:32.639
And I went to this place to make a long story short, because it's already getting long.
00:07:32.879 --> 00:07:38.319
Um, I ended up getting in that place as an in just a basic intern starting out.
00:07:38.399 --> 00:07:42.079
In six months, I was service manager, and in a year I was in a partner.
00:07:42.319 --> 00:07:46.480
So it's just this weird, crazy amount of things that happened.
00:07:46.639 --> 00:07:53.519
Microsoft tried to hire me, and then these guys got nervous, so they made me a partner, and it was just crazy how fast it all happened.
00:07:53.680 --> 00:07:56.800
But I just understood the technology, I couldn't not understand it.
00:07:56.959 --> 00:08:04.639
And I was doing things with Microsoft before Microsoft started to take off, where I was moving, I moved our whole entire company from Novella to Microsoft without them knowing.
00:08:04.800 --> 00:08:09.680
And then one day one of the owners came up to me and said, Hey, uh, did you do something with the network?
00:08:09.759 --> 00:08:13.040
And I thought I was gonna be in trouble, and it turns out he's like, No, everything's faster.
00:08:13.199 --> 00:08:19.279
So I switched everything over because we were they we also had a development side of the business doing Fox Pro, so it worked better on Microsoft.
00:08:19.920 --> 00:08:21.519
Um, so I did that.
00:08:21.600 --> 00:08:23.680
I've been I was in the MSP space for a while.
00:08:23.759 --> 00:08:31.279
We I actually, um, after I became a partner of that company, we went from being an IT provider to the it was the beginning of the MSP side of things.
00:08:31.439 --> 00:08:37.200
We started to do MSP like things, we blew up, we started to get things done very well, um, and then we sold.
00:08:37.360 --> 00:08:42.000
And then I just liked it so much that I wanted to go help other MSPs.
00:08:42.080 --> 00:08:49.759
So I went to a team logic IT in Massachusetts, and I grew them to be the largest team logic IT in the in the country.
00:08:49.919 --> 00:08:51.679
And we just had great success.
00:08:51.840 --> 00:08:53.279
And I really wanted to keep doing that.
00:08:53.360 --> 00:08:54.240
It was just one.
00:08:54.399 --> 00:08:58.639
So I was talking to Pax 8 quite a bit, and PAX8 was like, why don't you just come work for us?
00:08:58.720 --> 00:09:02.480
And we were back and forth for for a while, some funny stories around that.
00:09:02.720 --> 00:09:11.200
And um, John Street flew to Massachusetts, and me, John Street, and Nick Hetty had a conversation, and I don't know, I was five minutes into the conversation.
00:09:11.279 --> 00:09:14.159
John Street got up to get breakfast, and Nick Hetty looked at me and I'm like, I'm in.
00:09:14.240 --> 00:09:15.679
He's like, he didn't even say anything yet.
00:09:15.759 --> 00:09:16.879
I'm like, I'm in.
00:09:17.120 --> 00:09:23.679
So I joined PAX 8, as you know, and uh PAX 8, my time at PAX 8, I built their community.
00:09:23.840 --> 00:09:25.360
I did a lot of the educational stuff.
00:09:25.440 --> 00:09:28.000
So when I started there, we had 3,000 partners.
00:09:28.159 --> 00:09:29.759
When I left, we had 12,000.
00:09:29.919 --> 00:09:33.200
So in that four-year span, uh, we really blew it up well.
00:09:33.279 --> 00:09:35.120
And then I wanted to do it again.
00:09:35.200 --> 00:09:40.639
I just uh PAX 8 was getting really large as they are now, still growing and getting so large.
00:09:40.799 --> 00:09:42.000
And I wanted to just do it again.
00:09:42.080 --> 00:09:43.200
So I broke away.
00:09:43.279 --> 00:09:51.600
Um, I had a small stint at another company that you know and helped them get more eyeballs on them, and it just wasn't working out as far as keeping me there.
00:09:51.759 --> 00:09:57.360
So um, total, funny enough, tried to get me the minute I left the other uh PAX 8.
00:09:57.840 --> 00:10:05.200
They just weren't ready, and we both knew it, so we just stayed in touch, and then they finally reached out and just said, Hey, I think we're ready now.
00:10:05.360 --> 00:10:08.480
And they the the 50 million that they got didn't hurt either.
00:10:08.639 --> 00:10:12.159
Um, and they wanted to invest in community and really invest in community.
00:10:12.240 --> 00:10:16.559
I think you know I'm I'm not that I I really do believe in this almost in a corny way.
00:10:16.720 --> 00:10:22.240
I believe in community so much I just can't represent companies that don't have that full community feel.
00:10:22.559 --> 00:10:28.720
So, what does it mean to be a community-focused company?
00:10:28.799 --> 00:10:40.399
Like if you're looking at company A and company B, what is and company A is a community-focused company and company B is not, what are the characteristics of Company A that you look for?
00:10:40.720 --> 00:10:50.000
Yeah, so I mean, in its simplest terms, companies that think that their customers are their community, not a fit.
00:10:50.320 --> 00:10:50.799
For me.
00:10:51.039 --> 00:11:01.679
And listen, they all have their reasons, they're all, you know, they all have their so I'm not putting it down, but if you really want to be community focused, your customers are not your community until you make it so.
00:11:01.919 --> 00:11:09.440
And the thing about community is community is not just about belonging to something, community is about belonging to something that makes belonging matter.
00:11:09.679 --> 00:11:11.039
And that's the difference.
00:11:11.200 --> 00:11:23.360
When you get those people that are your customers or partners, whatever you want to call them, if you get them stark, raving fans of what you do and they totally believe in what you do, that's community.
00:11:23.440 --> 00:11:26.399
Like what PAX8, what we did at PAX8 was incredible.
00:11:26.559 --> 00:11:31.279
Those people, if someone said something bad about PAX8 on social media, they get ripped apart by all the partners.
00:11:31.440 --> 00:11:38.000
It was just that tight because we were truly trying to educate and enable them, and they got that.
00:11:38.080 --> 00:11:41.279
So they wanted to be able to build us up and make that work too.
00:11:41.360 --> 00:11:42.799
And it's the same at total.
00:11:43.360 --> 00:11:53.360
You know, our CEO truly believes in community, he wants to protect and help these MSPs help protect themselves and the customers that they serve.
00:11:53.519 --> 00:11:58.159
And for me, that's the buy-in for it because you have to truly believe what community really is.
00:11:58.399 --> 00:12:03.840
Because unfortunately, a lot of companies throw the word community around like it's candy now, right?
00:12:03.919 --> 00:12:06.639
It's just like everybody's community, you're a manager, you're a community manager.
00:12:06.799 --> 00:12:10.000
When I broke into this space, there wasn't a single job title called community.
00:12:10.159 --> 00:12:18.480
I created that when I went to PACS8 director of community, it was the first time that that was used because I meant it to be about what real community is.
00:12:18.639 --> 00:12:23.279
Unfortunately, sometimes that term doesn't get completely understood.
00:12:23.440 --> 00:12:25.039
I feel like it's gotten a lot better now.
00:12:25.200 --> 00:12:34.320
There are some great companies out there that have some great people diving into community and trying to make it about the actual MSPs and what they do to help them.
00:12:34.559 --> 00:12:35.759
So it's getting better.
00:12:35.919 --> 00:12:41.600
But I really think we can do so much more to make this more about them and not about us as the vendors.
00:12:42.559 --> 00:12:44.000
Wow, that was amazing.
00:12:44.080 --> 00:12:45.440
Uh, very well said.
00:12:45.679 --> 00:13:02.399
Um, in terms of this director of community role that you've created, and I've had several guests on my show that are in community roles, and uh, I talked to a consultant who said to me, Rob, you don't need to hire any consultants.
00:13:02.639 --> 00:13:05.679
You need to find the best community manager you can find.
00:13:06.080 --> 00:13:11.600
You want to be a billionaire when you sell Manger, get the best community manager you can find.
00:13:11.759 --> 00:13:21.840
Why has that now, since you're the pioneer of this, you're the OG, why do you think that is now the advice that uh experts are giving to guys like me?
00:13:22.080 --> 00:13:23.840
Well, I mean, it's pretty straightforward.
00:13:24.000 --> 00:13:28.480
If you if you make your customers better, they make you better.
00:13:28.720 --> 00:13:30.080
And it's a very simple formula.
00:13:30.159 --> 00:13:35.279
I mean, Datto started this way back in the Rob Ray and Datto really started this way back in the day.
00:13:35.519 --> 00:13:39.440
It was one of the things that lured me to Rob when he was at level platforms.
00:13:39.519 --> 00:13:50.159
But then going to Datto and taking a really solid solution that Austin had, but and then directing it from a community standpoint, it changed, it really did change things.
00:13:50.480 --> 00:13:56.240
So if you can make your customers better, they're gonna buy better, they're gonna buy more.
00:13:56.320 --> 00:13:57.440
It's a natural progression.
00:13:57.519 --> 00:14:00.720
It's not my whole thing is I hate the term sales.
00:14:01.120 --> 00:14:07.840
We all have to do it, we understand that, but why is it that we have to sell for what we do, especially what MSPs do?
00:14:08.240 --> 00:14:11.279
They need to be more like a doctor, they need to be more prescriptive.
00:14:11.759 --> 00:14:17.039
And the problem is, myself included, when I came into MSP space, I was a techie.
00:14:17.200 --> 00:14:18.240
I just wanted to fix stuff.
00:14:18.799 --> 00:14:25.679
And we don't know about operations, sales, you know, marketing, finance, all the things that we're supposed to know about.
00:14:26.000 --> 00:14:29.679
And then somehow we're supposed to snap overnight and become experts and all that.
00:14:29.919 --> 00:14:40.720
Well, if you're if you're a vendor in the space and you have that experience, why not educate and enable your MSPs, your partners, on how to do that better and do it for free?
00:14:40.879 --> 00:14:42.159
Why do you have to charge them for it?
00:14:42.240 --> 00:14:44.000
Why do we have to build these crazy things?
00:14:44.159 --> 00:14:47.360
If you do that for free for your people, you're gonna make them better.
00:14:47.440 --> 00:14:55.759
And it's been proven people that went to those educational events that I created back in the day, 30, 60, 90, 120 days out, they were doing more.
00:14:56.639 --> 00:15:04.480
And by the way, you can still educate them on your product because I guarantee you your sales folks are doing the best they can, but they're not telling them everything that you do all the time.
00:15:04.960 --> 00:15:08.639
We've we found it every time I go to events someone go, Ken, I didn't know you guys did that.
00:15:09.519 --> 00:15:11.120
Yes, I understand that.
00:15:11.360 --> 00:15:17.519
But when you're educating them, enabling to get to that point, and they know how to do it, it just makes everything better.
00:15:17.679 --> 00:15:35.679
So, of course, it seems smart to me that people should start making that advice because if you have someone out there that's for the people and understands their flight and what they're going through and their struggles, but then in turn educates and enables them and plugs them in, whether it helps your company or not, it helps your company.
00:15:35.919 --> 00:15:47.360
Yeah, I think that there's a prevailing wisdom, whether you refer to it as success or community or a combination, helping your customers win is the magic.
00:15:47.519 --> 00:15:47.679
Right.
00:15:47.919 --> 00:15:52.159
Doesn't matter if they do it with your tools or not your tools.
00:15:52.399 --> 00:15:58.320
If your customer comes to you and says, Hey, can I need this and that and you solve it for them, that's a win for everyone.
00:15:58.480 --> 00:15:59.600
Yep, I agree.
00:15:59.759 --> 00:16:05.679
And that was the biggest thing I learned when I transitioned from traditional legal services to SaaS.
00:16:05.840 --> 00:16:06.080
Right.
00:16:06.240 --> 00:16:14.639
I remember being on the phone with a guy who's been in MSP, runs a trade group, runs his own MSP, was a client of Scott and Scott.
00:16:14.720 --> 00:16:15.200
Yes.
00:16:15.440 --> 00:16:22.000
And he's getting on Monster, he's got his agreements, and back then we were, you know, giving people homework for onboarding.
00:16:22.080 --> 00:16:23.440
We don't do that anymore.
00:16:23.679 --> 00:16:27.519
But he had his homework and he was late on his own work, so I was calling him.
00:16:27.759 --> 00:16:33.519
I was like, I just wanted to let you know we're waiting on you to go to the next level to complete your onboarding.
00:16:33.759 --> 00:16:39.039
And uh he said, Yeah, I'm really sorry, and it dawned on me like this guy paid me in advance.
00:16:39.279 --> 00:16:40.799
I had his money.
00:16:41.200 --> 00:16:54.879
And I'm calling him to help him, not because I need money, not because the ball's in my court and he'll be mad at me if I don't call him, but because as a SaaS business, it doesn't matter about fall.
00:16:55.279 --> 00:16:55.440
Right.
00:16:55.679 --> 00:16:58.159
He either wins or he loses.
00:16:58.480 --> 00:17:01.840
And if he wins, I win, and if he loses, I lose.
00:17:02.080 --> 00:17:10.000
And that was the biggest mindset shift from being the managing partner of a traditional legal service to launching a cloud-based.
00:17:10.400 --> 00:17:13.440
Right, and they're always gonna remember when you help them.
00:17:13.680 --> 00:17:14.880
They're always gonna remember that.
00:17:14.960 --> 00:17:17.440
That's that stark raving fan of what you do.
00:17:17.519 --> 00:17:23.759
It's like, wait, you're gonna help me even though it has nothing to do with your solution, or well, yeah, of course I'm gonna help you.
00:17:23.839 --> 00:17:24.880
I'm gonna make you better.
00:17:25.119 --> 00:17:32.640
So, I mean, I used to always say from an MSP perspective, as MSPs, they should do the same thing for their customers.
00:17:32.799 --> 00:17:35.920
Stop selling them tech, stop, be prescriptive, help them.
00:17:36.000 --> 00:17:40.960
But if your MSP got better because you used EOS, that's awesome, right?
00:17:41.039 --> 00:17:42.240
Because EOS is amazing.
00:17:42.640 --> 00:17:44.319
We can do a whole show on EOS.
00:17:44.559 --> 00:17:52.319
But if your MSP got better by that, why are you not talking to your customers about that that are having trouble with their efficiencies and not and struggling?
00:17:52.559 --> 00:17:59.519
First of all, you're gonna game change their business, but when you do that, they're gonna say, wait, this has nothing to do with your tech.
00:17:59.599 --> 00:18:02.880
This has nothing to do, this is just sound advice that you're giving me.
00:18:02.960 --> 00:18:07.200
Now you've got that connection because you're actually helping them do something beyond the tech.
00:18:07.519 --> 00:18:08.079
It's interesting.
00:18:08.160 --> 00:18:12.319
You know, we had a guest on the show a little while ago who's acquiring businesses.
00:18:12.480 --> 00:18:19.359
You know, he's got a really well-funded MSP that he sold, and now they want him to go out and roll up a bunch of things.
00:18:19.440 --> 00:18:22.960
And one of the things that he says they're buying is EOS integrators.
00:18:23.119 --> 00:18:23.759
Yes.
00:18:24.480 --> 00:18:28.240
EOS is is was instrumental in my in, you know, my thing.
00:18:28.319 --> 00:18:32.079
I thought I was the best, you know, you always think it we're the best boss in the world.
00:18:32.160 --> 00:18:33.279
We could possibly be wrong.
00:18:33.359 --> 00:18:39.279
And then you find out you're not as efficient, your people aren't as happy as you think they are, you got them in wrong seats.
00:18:39.440 --> 00:18:44.079
And my integrator literally said to me, We're gonna take you on board, you're gonna lose two people.
00:18:44.160 --> 00:18:45.519
And I'm like, No, I'm not.
00:18:45.680 --> 00:18:46.480
What are you talking about?
00:18:46.640 --> 00:18:46.960
Yeah.
00:18:47.200 --> 00:18:49.039
Four months in, two people out.
00:18:49.200 --> 00:18:51.359
And when it happened, they knew it.
00:18:51.680 --> 00:18:54.960
The the people who were being let go actually knew that it was coming.
00:18:55.039 --> 00:19:00.559
And then I started, I had to start waking up and saying, Oh my, like, I'm not as plugged into this as I think I am, right?
00:19:00.799 --> 00:19:07.039
And being able to let go of the things that they let help you let go and do all the things you do, yeah, it's a it's a game changer.
00:19:07.119 --> 00:19:13.519
So I guess just pause right there for a second because I want to give everyone this opportunity.
00:19:13.680 --> 00:19:17.680
If you're not familiar with EOS, it's based on the book called Traction.
00:19:17.839 --> 00:19:21.039
And if you haven't read the book Traction, I highly recommend it.
00:19:21.200 --> 00:19:31.359
But it's evolved and grown into something that you know most uh successful businesses are running a variation of it, gives you some playbooks for meetings for accountability.
00:19:31.599 --> 00:19:34.880
We have our executive leadership meetings every Wednesday.
00:19:35.039 --> 00:19:44.960
Then we drop into our uh uh team meetings, and by the end of the day on Wednesday, everybody's on the same page, 100% aligned, fully informed.
00:19:45.119 --> 00:19:49.519
Everybody gets to hear it from the horse's mouth on whatever it is that's going on.
00:19:49.759 --> 00:20:03.519
Role ambiguity goes away, um, accountability increases, problem solving increases, and uh as your business grows, what I saw is as Mondra was smaller, it wasn't a problem.
00:20:03.680 --> 00:20:06.319
I could talk to everybody every day or once a week.
00:20:06.480 --> 00:20:15.519
As Mondra started getting bigger, like things I would say would get twisted, and and I'd you come back to me, I'd be like, well, why is it?
00:20:15.759 --> 00:20:27.680
And so misunderstandings, communication execution becomes enabled by an operating system, and that's what entrepreneur operating system is what EOS stands for.
00:20:27.759 --> 00:20:29.680
It's based on the book called Traction.
00:20:30.240 --> 00:20:31.359
There's a few different ones too.
00:20:31.440 --> 00:20:33.839
There's traction and there's patterns, which I'm not affiliated.
00:20:34.079 --> 00:20:36.400
I wish I was, I wish I was getting some checks from that, but I'm not.
00:20:36.720 --> 00:20:38.000
Yeah, there's Patterson as well.
00:20:38.079 --> 00:20:42.240
There's a couple different ones that you variations of EOS, but it's traction is the most popular.
00:20:42.480 --> 00:20:42.880
Yeah, yeah.
00:20:42.960 --> 00:20:48.319
And and in in SaaS Academy, they've created a SaaS version of EOS.
00:20:49.039 --> 00:20:58.640
Slightly different terminology, but where we have our ROCs we call OKRs, and they're OKRs around you know, SaaS metrics.
00:20:58.720 --> 00:21:18.720
Uh, but it's been a huge uh a huge thing for us, something we're you know, early in our journey on, but um uh we're getting really good feedback from our team and our executives about how well things are working, how problems are getting solved, right, how new issues are being uh raised in a productive and and and non-uh threatening way.
00:21:18.880 --> 00:21:19.119
Right.
00:21:19.279 --> 00:21:21.359
And uh it's been a really amazing thing.
00:21:21.599 --> 00:21:24.160
So you're the OG.
00:21:25.279 --> 00:21:28.000
So what happens next for KP?
00:21:28.079 --> 00:21:31.440
What are you looking forward to personally for 2026?
00:21:31.759 --> 00:21:43.279
I'm just looking to it, I'm looking forward to the growth side of things, you know, getting these the MSPs um in general just to a better place.
00:21:43.359 --> 00:21:44.559
And it's so hard.
00:21:44.640 --> 00:21:51.759
I mean, imagine being an industry where it changes so fast all the time, and people are giving you advice that's maybe not all correct.
00:21:51.839 --> 00:21:54.640
You know, there's the folks out there that say, do this or you're done.
00:21:54.799 --> 00:21:56.880
You know, it's it's so it's such a crazy industry.
00:21:56.960 --> 00:22:17.599
And so for me, it's getting Reaching and getting to more MSPs to help them get better and be better and understand that look, if you're not ready for some of the security stuff that's going on, cool, but make sure you have the right security, you know, you have security in place that's at least protecting your cell, your business first and then your customers' businesses, right?
00:22:17.759 --> 00:22:18.640
That's important.
00:22:18.799 --> 00:22:20.400
And it goes the same for AI.
00:22:20.559 --> 00:22:24.559
If you're not ready to jump into AI, that's okay, but you should be doing something with it.
00:22:24.640 --> 00:22:26.559
You should be learning and understanding how it works.
00:22:26.640 --> 00:22:28.160
Don't just bury your head in the sand.
00:22:28.319 --> 00:22:28.960
We all do that.
00:22:29.039 --> 00:22:31.359
We get stuck in the weeds and we're like, nope, I'm focusing here.
00:22:31.440 --> 00:22:32.720
I can't get it that.
00:22:32.799 --> 00:22:34.079
And then don't do the opposite.
00:22:34.160 --> 00:22:38.000
Don't go all in and throw everything into it without having a better understanding of it.
00:22:38.079 --> 00:22:41.599
So I think next year's gonna be, it's it's like anything else.
00:22:41.759 --> 00:22:48.079
We have all this awesome technology, but it's gonna be scary because there's a lot of security issues that happen with this as well.
00:22:48.240 --> 00:22:51.839
So just do your due diligence.
00:22:53.039 --> 00:22:57.680
Talk to the folks that are doing the things that it's working for them and get what works for you.
00:22:57.920 --> 00:23:05.039
Don't listen to all the so-called experts that are telling you that if you're not doing it their way, it's wrong because there's so many different ways to do what we do.
00:23:05.599 --> 00:23:14.240
As long as you're doing it ethically and securely, and you know you're doing it in that way, the right that you're doing the right things, I think it'll be fine.
00:23:14.559 --> 00:23:19.599
But I think things are gonna be accelerated again in the next year for all of this.
00:23:19.839 --> 00:23:24.240
And I don't know if it's possible, but I'm just waiting for the next keyword beyond AI.
00:23:24.400 --> 00:23:28.079
Because what all we're hearing is the word AI, and we understand it, it's been around for a while.
00:23:28.240 --> 00:23:33.440
It is kind of cool that AI is the first thing that the end users started using before us.
00:23:33.680 --> 00:23:35.920
That's a kind of a cool different flip.
00:23:36.160 --> 00:23:39.200
That's a whole different flip because they're already in there buried in it.
00:23:39.279 --> 00:23:46.319
And you would think, you know, we would think that's cool because if they were doing backup before we were selling backups back in the day, so easy so much easier to sell.
00:23:46.480 --> 00:23:46.720
Yeah.
00:23:46.880 --> 00:23:52.160
This is a little different because they're getting so involved in it that now you have to think about how you're gonna secure it.
00:23:52.799 --> 00:23:54.640
And that's a whole different thing.
00:23:54.720 --> 00:23:59.359
I think next year everything's gonna be about identity and data.
00:23:59.759 --> 00:24:01.200
Because now it's everywhere.
00:24:01.359 --> 00:24:08.640
And if you're pulling your stuff into these AI apps and it's not secure and it's not safe, what's someone gonna do with your identity and your data?
00:24:09.200 --> 00:24:09.759
Bad thing.
00:24:09.920 --> 00:24:12.480
It's gonna be a crazy time, but it's also gonna be a fun time.
00:24:12.559 --> 00:24:16.079
I think we're just gonna try to educate and keep people on the right track.
00:24:16.319 --> 00:24:26.480
One of the things that I admire most about you as a Gen X guy is that you I see you all the time hugging Gen Z people, hugging millennial people.
00:24:26.799 --> 00:24:30.079
You have the ability to connect with people of all ages.
00:24:30.400 --> 00:24:39.680
Doesn't matter if male, female, you have a way of just loving everyone and and and bringing the whole community up.
00:24:40.160 --> 00:24:51.920
As you um lead in your organization at Total, um, what are some of the things that you're doing to be effective as a leader in this world where we grew up a different way?
00:24:52.000 --> 00:24:53.039
Let's just be honest, right?
00:24:53.359 --> 00:24:53.599
Sweet.
00:24:54.160 --> 00:24:56.480
And I know Paige has been on my show.
00:24:56.640 --> 00:25:00.960
She's in her 20s, you have you know different age people on your team.
00:25:01.119 --> 00:25:01.440
Yeah.
00:25:01.680 --> 00:25:09.680
How do you lead this uh multi-generational sort of workforce with different views, priorities, and perceptions?
00:25:09.920 --> 00:25:11.599
How do you do it so well?
00:25:12.240 --> 00:25:21.920
Well, I don't know if the jury's still out if I'm doing it well, but um for me, it's it's the same thing that causes me to be able to connect with people in general.
00:25:22.079 --> 00:25:23.680
It's just be genuine.
00:25:23.920 --> 00:25:30.720
You know, if I'm not faking it and I don't have to think about what I'm gonna say and how I'm gonna say it, it may it flow easier.
00:25:30.799 --> 00:25:33.279
And I think that comes across when you're talking to people.
00:25:33.359 --> 00:25:39.279
If you're just genuinely trying to help and be nice to folks, I think everything else falls into place.
00:25:39.359 --> 00:25:43.279
And I try to teach that to these kids too, my just like I would my own kids.
00:25:43.440 --> 00:25:44.960
Be yourself, be genuine.
00:25:45.119 --> 00:25:46.400
There's no flaw in that.
00:25:46.559 --> 00:25:50.960
Yes, can you can you change can you change it up a little to be more professional in certain settings?
00:25:51.200 --> 00:25:51.599
Sure.
00:25:51.759 --> 00:25:58.880
I can reel myself in to be, you know, I'm a Boston guy, so you know sometimes I I can be a little gruff, so I have to reel that in sometimes a little bit.
00:25:59.039 --> 00:26:05.759
But at the same time, I'm never going to change who I am or be different for a group of people, whatever group it may be.
00:26:05.839 --> 00:26:07.759
And I feel like that that comes across.
00:26:08.000 --> 00:26:21.440
If people think, oh, this person genuinely gets my point of view and genuinely, you know, gets where I'm coming from, whether he agrees or not, I think that's that's where we have to start getting better at as a society as a whole, because we see this.
00:26:21.519 --> 00:26:29.279
You know, right now we're in a shutdown because you know, two political parties can't make a decision, they're both getting paid, but everybody else is you know affected by that.
00:26:29.440 --> 00:26:32.240
And I don't care what side you're on, none of that crap, right?
00:26:32.400 --> 00:26:37.839
The bottom line is why is it that uh two groups of people can't get together and make a decision?
00:26:38.160 --> 00:26:38.400
Right?
00:26:38.480 --> 00:26:41.279
I because I think that there's no genuineness on either side.
00:26:41.359 --> 00:26:41.519
Right.
00:26:41.680 --> 00:26:43.519
And for us here, that's what it has to be.
00:26:43.599 --> 00:26:45.519
If you're genuine, you're real.
00:26:45.759 --> 00:26:49.039
You're gonna you're gonna affect, you know, of course, not everybody likes me.
00:26:49.119 --> 00:26:57.200
I'm not everybody's cup of tea, but for the most part, I think 90% of the folks can relate to just being genuine, just being real.
00:26:57.279 --> 00:26:59.759
And I think that's where it comes, that's what works and comes across.
00:27:00.000 --> 00:27:07.039
Ladies and gentlemen, the OG of community, the first director of community in the channel, my good buddy KP.
00:27:07.119 --> 00:27:08.559
Thank you for being appreciated.
00:27:08.720 --> 00:27:09.839
Thanks for having me.
00:27:10.240 --> 00:27:15.519
You've been listening to Talk Tech with Rob Scott, brought to you by Monger.
00:27:15.920 --> 00:27:23.839
Monger is the first mover in providing contracts as a service solutions specifically designed for IT managed service providers.
00:27:24.000 --> 00:27:36.799
Their SaaS-enabled legal solution is based on industry leading templates, customized for each client, and periodically updated to ensure that MSPs always have the latest protections and are legally compliant.
00:27:37.200 --> 00:27:40.400
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00:27:40.640 --> 00:27:43.519
That's M L N J U R dot com.
