About This Episode

One of the better-known names in the MSP community, MJ Shoer benefits from years of experience in many different areas of the industry. In this episode of MSP Business School, MJ shares some of his own experiences and the many benefits of belonging to a trade organization like CompTIA.

1:27 – MJ briefly shares his background, from founding his own MSP in 1997 to heading up CompTIA ISAO.

3:38 – Brian asks MJ to walk listeners through his M&A experience. MJ shares how it was an unplanned and somewhat unconventional process, highlighting that he was fortunate that he had grown a very strong team and had developed good relationships with other MSP owners.

11:03 – MJ goes into the downside of the second acquisition his company experienced. He and the hosts discuss the various quirks and differences of a larger, PE-backed acquisition and how to navigate those challenges as an owner.

15:35 – Tim asks MJ about his transition from being a consultant to running ISAO. MJ shares the benefits of working within a non-profit, vendor-neutral organization after trying to run ISAO through a traditional company.

19:50 – MJ dives into what ISAO stands for and the important work they do in the realm of cyber threat intelligence. He explains how their reports and threat alerts help MSPs, especially smaller ones who don’t have cyber analysts on staff, and explains that he sees their job as bringing context to tools and technology.

26:52 – MJ and the hosts discuss how MSPs now have a massive opportunity to shift into the role of advisor and educator for their clients, stressing that MSPs can’t just throw tools at problems anymore.

29:27 – MJ shares how MSPs can benefit from becoming a member of CompTIA, highlighting and diving into the resources, education, communities, research, and events that members have access to.