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EP274 - Inside the MSP Growth Hub - Insights from January 2026 Client Intensive Event

IT Experts Podcast with Ian Luckett

Release Date: 03/01/2026

EP298 - Why Your Summer Holiday is the Ultimate MSP Leadership Test with Ian Luckett show art EP298 - Why Your Summer Holiday is the Ultimate MSP Leadership Test with Ian Luckett

IT Experts Podcast with Ian Luckett

In this episode of The IT Experts Podcast, I explain why your summer holiday is the ultimate MSP leadership test. It is that time of year again, when the sun is out, the diary clears a little, and MSP owners either head off on holiday or spend the whole time thinking about it. This episode is not really about holidays at all. It is about what happens to your business when you step away from it, and what that reveals about the leadership you have built.    I ask a simple question early on. Can you truly switch off when you go away, or are you still checking emails by the pool...

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EP297 - How to Use Vendor MDF for MSPs so Everyone Wins with Gemma Telford and Ian Luckett show art EP297 - How to Use Vendor MDF for MSPs so Everyone Wins with Gemma Telford and Ian Luckett

IT Experts Podcast with Ian Luckett

In this episode of The IT Experts Podcast, I sit down with Gemma Telford from the Archer Agency to unpack one of the most underused resources available to growing MSPs, vendor Marketing Development Funds, or MDF. With two decades of experience across tech marketing, including roles at Ingram Micro, Sage and Palo Alto Networks, Gemma Telford brings a rare view from both sides of the channel, having worked with vendors, distributors and partners alike.    We open with a wider discussion on why so many MSP owners struggle to embrace marketing in the first place. Many...

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EP296 - Beyond the Money, What Wealth Really Means for MSP Business Owners with Ian Luckett show art EP296 - Beyond the Money, What Wealth Really Means for MSP Business Owners with Ian Luckett

IT Experts Podcast with Ian Luckett

In this episode of The IT Experts Podcast, I take a step back from the usual growth tactics and invite you into a conversation about what wealth really means for MSP owners. We are past the midpoint of 2026, and rather than waiting until year end to reflect, I wanted to offer a checkup from the neck up right now, while there is still time to make the second half count.     I talk through the MSP journey many of us recognise. You start in survive, move into drive, then into thrive, and eventually reach arrive, the point where the business works for you rather than the...

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EP295 - How Smashing Down Invisible Ceilings in Your MSP Can Help Your Culture Grow with Yvonne Matzk and Ian Luckett show art EP295 - How Smashing Down Invisible Ceilings in Your MSP Can Help Your Culture Grow with Yvonne Matzk and Ian Luckett

IT Experts Podcast with Ian Luckett

In this episode of The IT Experts Podcast, I sit down with Yvonne Matzk to explore a subject I rarely get the chance to talk about on this show, the invisible ceilings that hold back talent, culture, and growth inside our businesses. Yvonne Matzk is the founder of Coachere, a coaching and consulting practice supporting leaders and the next generation of talent in the IT industry, and also the founder of the Channel Community, a free network built to help emerging talent find mentoring in a safe and inclusive environment. I loved hearing the story behind her book, Smashing the Class...

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EP294 - The Real Reason your MSP Marketing Didn't Work with Ian Luckett show art EP294 - The Real Reason your MSP Marketing Didn't Work with Ian Luckett

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In this episode of The IT Experts Podcast, I tackle one of the most common frustrations I hear from MSP owners every single week, the belief that MSP marketing simply does not work. I hear it constantly. Someone has tried an agency, a friend who knows social media, some pay per click, or a few Facebook ads, and each time the results fell flat. The real issue, as I explain, is not the tactic itself. It is the absence of a system that connects every activity back to booked calls and revenue.    I open by challenging you to interrogate your marketing agency with one question,...

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EP293 - Intelligent MSP Operations – AI, Automation and Observability at Scale – The MSP Insights Panel Discussion show art EP293 - Intelligent MSP Operations – AI, Automation and Observability at Scale – The MSP Insights Panel Discussion

IT Experts Podcast with Ian Luckett

In this episode of The IT Experts Podcast, I hosted an MSP Insights Roundtable on AI, automation, and observability at scale, bringing together three brilliant guests, Joe Burns, Fiona Challis, and Nick Horner. What struck me straight away was how all three agreed on one thing before we even got into the detail. AI, automation, and observability only work when you understand your own processes first. Joe walked us through how his MSP, Reformed, built its operational maturity by identifying repetitive tasks, spotting where human error crept in, and asking his team what...

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EP292 - Inside The MSP Growth Hub - May 2026 Intensive Roundup with Stuart Warwick, Julie Hutchison, Peter Williamson and Ian Luckett show art EP292 - Inside The MSP Growth Hub - May 2026 Intensive Roundup with Stuart Warwick, Julie Hutchison, Peter Williamson and Ian Luckett

IT Experts Podcast with Ian Luckett

In this episode of The IT Experts Podcast, we take you inside The MSP Growth Hub for a look at what happened during the May 2026 Intensive event. Ian Luckett is joined by his business partner Stuart Warwick and coaches Julie Hutchison and Peter Williamson, each sharing what unfolded across two days dedicated to helping MSP owners build stronger, more capable teams. At the heart of the conversation is MSP team alignment, and why it sits right at the centre of scaling a business with confidence.     Stuart opens by explaining the theory behind the Intensive itself. The MSP...

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EP291 - The Real Lessons Learned from a £500k MSP Ransomware Attack with Ken Roulston & Ian Luckett show art EP291 - The Real Lessons Learned from a £500k MSP Ransomware Attack with Ken Roulston & Ian Luckett

IT Experts Podcast with Ian Luckett

In this episode of The IT Experts Podcast, we share one of the most honest and eye-opening conversations we have ever had about a ransomware attack and the devastating impact it can have on an MSP. Ken Roulston joins me to openly discuss the events that led to a real world cyber incident which ultimately cost more than £500,000, challenged every part of the business, and tested the resilience of the leadership team in ways few business owners ever experience.     This conversation is not designed to create fear. It is designed to create...

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EP290 - The Impact of Self-Awareness on You, Your Team, and Your Business with Mark Stevens, Julie Hutchison, and Ian Luckett show art EP290 - The Impact of Self-Awareness on You, Your Team, and Your Business with Mark Stevens, Julie Hutchison, and Ian Luckett

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In this episode of The IT Experts Podcast, we explore one of the most powerful leadership skills any MSP owner can develop: self-awareness. While many business conversations focus on strategy, sales, systems, and growth, this discussion takes a different path. I am joined by leadership coach Julie Hutchison and Managing Director of Mark1 IT Mark Stevens to unpack how self-awareness impacts you, your team, and ultimately the success of your business.     The conversation begins with Mark sharing his own leadership journey and the challenges...

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EP289 -  Having a Stand vs Mastering the Show – Why Most MSPs Get Events Wrong with Steve Lloyd and Ian Luckett show art EP289 - Having a Stand vs Mastering the Show – Why Most MSPs Get Events Wrong with Steve Lloyd and Ian Luckett

IT Experts Podcast with Ian Luckett

In this episode of the IT Experts Podcast, we explore one of the most overlooked opportunities for MSP growth: exhibitions and events. If you have ever invested time and money into a trade show, only to come away wondering whether it was worth it, this conversation with Steve Lloyd is essential listening.     Many MSP owners know they need to get out into the market, meet potential clients, build relationships, and generate fresh opportunities. The challenge is that exhibitions can often feel uncomfortable, especially for technical founders who are far more...

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In this episode of The IT Experts Podcast, we take you inside our Client Intensive Event and lift the lid on what really happens when ambitious MSP owners come together to build better businesses. 

  

This was our January 2026 Client Intensive Event, and it was the biggest room we have ever had. Over 60 MSP owners and team members gathered for two full days of structured thinking, planning, challenge, and collaboration. It was not a sit back and listen type of event. It was designed to stretch thinking, raise standards, and help every single business owner leave with clarity and a refreshed 16-week plan. 

  

The Client Intensive Event is a core pillar of the MSP Scale System. Three times a year, our clients step away from their day-to-day operations and immerse themselves in focused work on the business. The structure is deliberate. We expand thinking through expert led sessions, then channel that insight into practical planning, peer discussion, and clear next steps. Every attendee leaves with an updated 16-week roadmap built around their own business priorities. 

  

The theme this time was business maturity. We explored three key areas that underpin sustainable growth. Structural maturity, team and people maturity, and operational maturity. These are not theoretical concepts. They are the foundations that determine whether your MSP can grow with confidence or remains fragile beneath the surface. 

  

On the structural side, we focused on governance and risk. Many MSP owners are strong technically and commercially, yet have never formally considered how governance protects value. We explored how to build a practical risk register, how to identify exposure across legal, supplier, regulatory and client concentration risks, and how to put simple mitigation in place. For several business owners, this created real light bulb moments. Scaling with confidence requires knowing your ducks are in a row. When you understand your risks, you make stronger decisions and protect long term value. 

  

On the people side, we explored what makes a cohesive team. It is not only about systems and processes. It is also about how people feel inside the business. Trust, accountability, the ability to have difficult conversations, and clarity of expectation all drive performance. When those elements are weak, leaders experience frustration, repeated questions, slow decision making, and high staff turnover. The Client Intensive Event created space for honest reflection. Several owners recognised that team dysfunction often starts with leadership behaviour. That awareness is powerful. When leaders change how they show up, teams respond. 

  

Operational maturity formed the third pillar. We examined how margin is often lost in operations rather than in finance. By connecting systems properly and using accurate data from sales, service, projects and finance, MSP owners gain visibility over efficiency and profitability. We drilled into practical examples around help desk structure and the dispatcher role, helping owners see where small operational refinements can unlock meaningful financial impact. For one new client, this approach has already uncovered significant hidden profit within their first 60 days. 

  

Beyond the structured content, what continues to define every Client Intensive Event is the community. Observational learning is a powerful force. When MSP owners hear peers tackling similar challenges, sharing openly and supporting one another, confidence rises quickly. Trust builds. Relationships deepen. Competitors become collaborators in the pursuit of higher standards. The energy in the room this time reflected a step change in maturity across the community. 

  

One of the most rewarding moments came when we stood at the front for a group photograph and realised how far the community has grown. What started with a simple vision to help more MSP owners scale with confidence has become a room full of experienced leaders committed to doing business better. That growth is not measured only in revenue. It is measured in confidence, clarity and ambition. 

  

The Client Intensive Event always concludes with a rebuild of each owner’s 16-week plan. Ideas are distilled. Priorities are clarified. Actions are documented. This discipline ensures that inspiration turns into implementation. It prevents overwhelm and replaces it with focused progress. 

  

If you are serious about building a business that works for you rather than you for it, stepping into a structured environment like a Client Intensive Event can transform the way you think about growth. Business maturity is not accidental. It is developed deliberately, one focused cycle at a time. 

  

At The MSP Growth Hub, our mission remains simple. Help MSP owners accelerate success and scale with confidence. The Client Intensive Event is one of the most powerful ways we do that. 

 

Make sure to check out our Ultimate MSP Growth Guide, a free guide that walks you through a proven process to take your MSP from stuck to scalable, without working even more hours. It’s 44 pages rammed with advice, insights and inspiration to help you decide what support is available to you now if you want to grow and scale your business. Click HERE to get your copy. 

 

Connect on LinkedIn HERE with Ian and also with Stuart by clicking this LINK 

 

And when you’re ready to take the next step in growing your MSP, come and take the Scale with Confidence MSP Mastery QuizIn just three minutes, you’ll get a 360-degree scan of your MSP and identify the one or two tactics that could help you find more time, engage & align your people and generate more leads. 

OR  

To join our amazing Facebook Group of over 400 MSPs where we are helping you Scale Up with Confidence, then click HERE 

Until next time, look after yourself and I’ll catch up with you soon!