In this From the Trenches episode of the BMK Vision Podcast, Josh Peterson sits down with Ray Stasieczko for an unfiltered conversation about the copier-dealer-to-MSP transition—and why so many businesses lose their way chasing relevance instead of building real value.

Ray shares hard-earned lessons from decades in the print and IT services space, challenging vendor-driven MSP models that promise easy growth but often lead to low margins, outsourced complexity, and stalled businesses. Together, Josh and Ray explore why most copier dealers only convert a small percentage of clients into managed IT customers, why outsourcing the help desk breaks the economics for many MSPs, and why clarity of intent (“why”) matters more than chasing the next trend.

This episode is a candid look at what actually works, what doesn’t, and what MSPs and copier dealers need to rethink as disruption accelerates.

• Why many MSPs get “lost on the way to relevance”

• The reality of the 3–5% copier-to-MSP conversion rate

• Vendor-driven strategy vs. business fundamentals

• Why outsourcing the front-line help desk hurts margins

• The difference between lifestyle MSPs and growth-focused firms

• Why fee-based assessments and consulting matter

• “Why comes first, how comes second” as an operating principle

• What mature MSPs do differently to protect value

Ray Stasieczko

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/raystasieczko/

YouTube (Video Podcast):

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Learn More About the Vision Operating System:

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At around $5M in revenue, many MSPs run into a leadership problem that has nothing to do with effort or intelligence—and everything to do with role fit. In this episode, the BMK Vision Podcast team breaks down a real client scenario where an owner is sitting in the sales seat but doesn’t truly want sales leadership.

Josh Peterson is joined by Gary Boyle and Ryan Alter to explore why ownership does not automatically mean seat fit, why delegating tasks is not the same as owning outcomes, and how avoiding hard role decisions quietly taxes the entire business. The conversation digs into the tension between partnerships, ego, accountability, and growth—and why sales leadership is a non-optional seat at this stage of maturity.

This episode is especially relevant for MSP owners navigating multi-partner dynamics, stalled growth, or the shift from tactics to strategy.

• Why ownership does not equal seat fit

• The difference between delegating tasks and owning accountability

• Why sales leadership becomes non-optional around $5M

• How misaligned seats create friction across sales and service

• When coaching turns into avoidance

• The real cost of delaying role-fit decisions

• How leaders can surface truth without confrontation

• The role of consultants in guiding difficult ownership conversations

Josh Peterson

CEO, Bering McKinley

https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshdpeterson/

Gary Boyle

Senior Partner, Bering McKinley

Ryan Alter

Founder, Silverstream AV

YouTube (Video Podcast):

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Learn more about the Vision Operating System:

https://beringmckinley.com/vision

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Many MSP owners reach a stage where progress slows, not because of a lack of effort—but because everything still depends on them.

In this BMK Roundtable, Josh Peterson, Gary Boyle, and Ryan unpack the real reasons founder dependence reappears as MSPs grow. From broken buy-in and stalled initiatives to internal projects replacing billable work, this conversation tackles the leadership and operational discipline required to scale without burning out.

If you’re an MSP owner or executive feeling stretched, frustrated, or stuck doing too much yourself, this episode will help you rethink priorities, delegation, and what it really takes to move the business forward.

Learn more about Vision:

https://beringmckinley.com/vision

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Most MSPs don’t get stuck because they lack skill, tools, or effort. They get stuck because they’ve never clearly answered one foundational question:

What do you actually want?

In this episode of the BMK Vision Podcast, Josh Peterson (CEO, Bering McKinley) and Gary Boyle (Partner, Bering McKinley) continue the conversation about why MSPs stall—and go deeper into the question that unlocks real strategy, alignment, and momentum.

They discuss why revenue and valuation alone are often insufficient goals, why many owners are uncomfortable naming a number, and how the most effective strategies start with goals you can feel in daily life—time, control, optionality, family, and impact.

The conversation also explores how a lack of clear direction shows up inside teams as “poor communication,” why accountability and culture are not opposites, and how simple operating rhythms (like daily huddles) can dramatically improve clarity, alignment, and morale.

If your MSP feels busy but directionless—or your team is quietly asking, “what are we even doing?”—this episode will help you reset the conversation and define a target worth executing toward.

• Why revenue is a tool, not the goal

• What a sufficient answer to “what do you want?” really looks like

• Why valuation goals drift—but purpose-driven goals don’t

• Time, control, and optionality as strategic anchors

• The culture fallacy: accountability vs. “good culture”

• Why teams feel lost when direction isn’t clear

• Using daily huddles to build clarity and community

• Aligning personal goals with company strategy

Josh Peterson – CEO, Bering McKinley

https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshdpeterson/

Gary Boyle – Partner, Bering McKinley

https://www.linkedin.com/in/garyboyle/

Learn more about the BMK Vision Operating System:

https://beringmckinley.com/vision

Apply to be a guest on the podcast:

https://beringmckinley.com/blog#speaker-form

Most MSPs don’t get stuck because they lack technical skill. They get stuck because the business reaches a point where brute force stops working — and the owner hasn’t made the shift from operator to CEO.

In this weekly BMK Vision Roundtable, Josh Peterson (CEO, Bering McKinley) is joined by Gary Boyle (Partner, Bering McKinley) and Ryan Alter (Former MSP Owner) to break down why so many MSPs plateau around the $2M mark and what actually needs to change to move beyond it.

This episode goes deeper than sales tactics or tools. The conversation focuses on mindset, leadership, strategy, and the hardest work most MSP owners avoid: clearly defining what they want from the business and building a plan to get there.

If your MSP feels busy, successful on paper, but somehow stalled, this episode will help you understand why — and what needs to change to get unstuck.

• Why $2M has become the “new $1M” ceiling for MSPs • The operator vs. CEO mindset shift • Why touching tickets creates trust issues at scale • Sales vs. strategy — what really drives growth • The accidental entrepreneur trap • Why most owners struggle to define what they want • Peer groups, advisors, and escaping the MSP echo chamber • Turning strategy into execution (objectives → milestones → actions) • Building an MSP that’s an asset, not just a job

Josh Peterson – CEO, Bering McKinley https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshdpeterson/

Gary Boyle – Partner, Bering McKinley https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-alter-896a5b11/

Learn more about the BMK Vision Operating System: https://beringmckinley.com/vision

Apply to be a guest on the podcast: https://beringmckinley.com/blog#speaker-form

Most business owners assume the R&D tax credit is only for labs, scientists, or massive corporations. In reality, many MSPs and service-based businesses qualify every year without realizing it.

In this episode of the BMK Vision Podcast, Josh Peterson sits down with Val Majewski, Partner at American Incentive Advisors, to break down what the R&D tax credit really is, why most companies self-censor themselves out of qualifying, and how innovation in everyday business processes can translate into real tax savings.

Val explains how MSPs, IT firms, and professional services businesses often meet the IRS requirements through process improvement, software development, automation, and service innovation. The conversation also covers recent tax law changes that reopened credits for 2022, 2023, and 2024, common audit misconceptions, and how proper documentation protects business owners.

This episode is especially relevant for MSP owners and leaders investing time and money into improving operations and wondering how innovation can reduce tax liability.

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🎙 What We Cover in This Episode

• What actually qualifies as R&D for service businesses • Why MSPs frequently miss the R&D tax credit • The IRS four-part test for R&D qualification • Retroactive credits for tax years 2022–2024 • Why most CPAs do not proactively bring this up • Audit fears versus real-world risk • Real recovery ranges from small businesses to large firms • How discipline from professional sports applies to business success

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👤 Guest Links

Guest LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/valmajewski/ Company Website: https://thinkabx.com

⸻

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Learn More About the Vision Platform: https://beringmckinley.com/vision

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In this episode of From the Trenches on the BMK Vision Podcast, Josh Peterson sits down with Steve Brickner, Founder/CEO of Kraken Technology Solutions, for a grounded conversation about where MSPs are headed next—and why the market is rewarding leadership more than ticket throughput.

Steve shares his path from construction into IT, why early-stage MSPs need the ability to pivot quickly, and how “fractional technology leadership” is becoming the new wedge for trust, retention, and higher-value client relationships.

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🎙 What We Cover in This Episode

• Reframing MSP value: from tickets to technology leadership

• Fractional leadership and the consultative MSP model

• Why cybersecurity became table-stakes—and what comes after

• IT as a growth driver (not just a cost center)

• Translating security and tech decisions into CFO-ready ROI language

• Relationship-first prospecting: community, chambers, and content

• Webinars vs podcasts in 2026: attention, intent, and repurposing

• Podcast production stack ideas (Riverside + automated switching)

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👤 Guest Links

Guest LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevebrickner981ba9242

Company Website: https://krakentechnology.io/

⸻

🚀 Subscribe & Follow BMK Vision

YouTube (Video Podcast):

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Learn More About the Vision Platform:

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Most MSPs delay hiring a dispatcher because they believe it will slow response times or distance clients from technical help. In reality, the lack of dispatch is one of the biggest reasons MSPs struggle with inconsistent service, forgotten tickets, poor utilization, and burned-out technicians.

In this episode of the BMK Vision Podcast, Josh Peterson breaks down why dispatch is not administrative overhead—it’s the control system that protects client experience and operational health. Drawing on nearly two decades of experience working with thousands of MSPs, Josh explains why technicians should not be responsible for prioritization, follow-ups, or workload decisions, and how a well-designed dispatch model changes everything.

• Why dispatch is widely misunderstood in MSPs

• The hidden cost of technician self-dispatch

• How dispatch eliminates forgotten tickets and aging backlogs

• The three things every dispatcher must own: tickets, time, and the day

• Why utilization fails without centralized control

• When to hire your first dispatcher (even as a small MSP)

• Priority-based vs centralized dispatch models

Josh Peterson is the CEO of Bering McKinley and host of the BMK Vision Podcast. He helps MSP owners bring structure to chaos through operational clarity, financial discipline, and scalable leadership systems.

YouTube (Video Podcast):

https://www.youtube.com/@beringmckinleyvision?sub_confirmation=1

Learn More About the Vision Platform:

https://beringmckinley.com/vision

Apply to Be a Guest:

https://beringmckinley.com/blog#speaker-form