[169] Professional Musician to MSP Guru: the Amazing Luis Giraldo

TubbTalk: The Podcast for Managed Service Providers

In this episode, Richard Tubb speaks to Luis Giraldo, the Chief Evangelist for ScalePad, a company that offers a collection of applications to help MSPs launch their growth. In the IT space, he is something of an MSP guru.

He has also been an MSP, CEO, SaaS consultant and an active member of the CompTIA peer group. And in this interview, he tells Richard about his journey to his current role and his live podcast show.

He talks about his podcast, MSP Confidential, and his second career as a jazz musician, what he does in his down time and shares the books that have inspired him the most.

Richard asks Luis to talk in depth about ScalePad: how they help MSPs and the type of businesses they attract, and how to get started with the solution. Luis also shares the biggest misconception that MSPs have about vendors like ScalePad?

And on the vendor side, Richard asks Luis the number one thing they can do to improve the customer experience, as well as the one thing a typical vendor doesn’t appreciate about the life of an MSP?

They discuss what makes the MSP space unique, why you should attend industry events, and how to maintain your resilience in the face of a constantly shifting environment.

Luis also shares his experience of being Vice Chair at CompTIA and his thoughts on their recent acquisition. He explains Stoicism and how that’s changed his approach to life and business, and mentions his venture capital interests through Top Down Ventures.

Mentioned in This Episode

• Fully Managed by TELUS Business from Chris Blay
• Documentation solution: IT Glue
• IT management: N-able
• Luis Giraldo music
• Book: Ray Dalio: Principles: Life and Work
• ScalePad MSP survey
• Client management: Lifecycle Managers (ScalePad solution)
• GRC (governance, risk and compliance) tool: ControlMap (ScalePad solution)
• QBR tools: Lifecycle Insights (ScalePad solution)
• Backup monitoring: Backup Radar (ScalePad solution)
• BI tool: Cognition360 (ScalePad solution)
• Quoting software: Quoter (ScalePad solution)
• Matthew Bookspan of Blacktip IT
• MSP conference: IT Nation Connect
• MSP conference from N-able: Empower
• MSP peer group: ConnectWise Evolve
• Shawn Walsh and Dave Cava from Encore Strategic
• Cloud marketplace Pax8 peer groups
• Peer group: CompTIA
• Mark Cohen
• Peer group: The Tech Tribe
• Podcast interview with MJ Shoer, CompTIA’s Chief Community Officer
• Podcast interview with Dan Scott of IT Nation
• Podcast interview with Todd Thibodeaux, President and Chief Executive Officer of CompTIA
• Podcast interview with Arlin Sorensen of ConnectWise
• Book: Ryan Holliday: The Daily Stoic: 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of Living: Featuring new translations of Seneca, Epictetus, and Marcus Aurelius
• Investment company: Top Down Ventures
• Digital photo journal: Blipfoto
• Podcast interview with David Brereton of Myson Pages
• Book: Bob Burg: The Go-Giver: A Little Story About a Powerful Business Idea
• Luis and Bob live stream chat
• Book: Alan Weiss: Value-Based Fees: How to Charge - and Get - What You're Worth
• Podcast interview with Todd Kane of Evolved Management Consulting
• Author: Catherine Gray
• Book: Robert Wilburn and David Wilkeson: MSP Profit and Growth: Dragonboats, Catamarans and Superyachts
• Book: Shawn Walsh, Dave Cava et al: THE PUMPKIN PLAN FOR MANAGED SERVICE PROVIDERS: The Roadmap To MSP Prosperity: How The Right Focus Leads To Real Freedom