We are located in the San Antonio Hill Country. Monroy IT Services was established in 2004 in Houston, TX. I moved the company in 2010.
How long have you been a member of The 20?
It will be four years in August 2020.
Why did your MSP originally look to partner with The 20?
The company was not growing and it was a do or die decision. I spoke with Tim and he opened my eyes to why I was having a hard time growing. He hit the nail on the head.
Tell us about the biggest change in your business since joining The 20.
I was able to scale quickly like I could not in the past. I was also introduced to managed Google Adwords and that helped with lead gen. Then I was able to sell with some training from Tim.
What do you like most about being a member of The 20?
I love the Support Desk and the tight knit family of being in the same boat with other owners.
What do you think is the most important quality necessary for success?
An open mind and a willingness to execute.
What are your biggest business challenges?
Currently it is selling during Covid. We have gained one client so I am not complaining but it is definitely much slower growth than I had planned this year.
What are your areas of focus for 2020?
Close a co-managed It deal and move forward with a sales plan for more co-managed IT. We currently have one co-managed IT client.
What advice would you share with an MSP looking to scale their business?
This is easy. Join The 20 so you can focus on lead gen and sales. The 20 will handle the scale.
What book are you currently reading?
I am currently finishing up Gap Selling by Keenan, Then it may be Fix This Next by Mike Michalowicz.
Favorite blogs / podcasts
My favorite podcast is The Joe Rogan Experience for the breadth and depth of the topics that are covered
Interested in becoming a member like Monroy IT Services? Click here for more information!
Meet Donna Pebworth, Financial Controller
Today we turn the spotlight on Donna Pebworth. Donna quickly became a tremendous asset to the entire team at The 20. Read below to find out more about Donna!
What do you do here at The 20?
I’m the Financial Controller and also handle HR & Payroll.
Describe The 20 in three words…
Innovative, Challenging, & Rewarding.
As a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
A Photographer.
What’s the most challenging thing about your job?
Trying to make processes and procedures so things run better, faster, and smarter.
What do you consider your greatest achievement?
Going back to college later in life to finish my Associates, then on to my Bachelor’s, and then my Master’s, all while working full time and throughout the process, paying my own way.
What do you think is the most important quality necessary for success?
I have two, you must be driven and self-reliant.
What do you like most about The 20?
The challenges I face daily and how these challenges help me grow as a person and as an employee of The 20.
What do you like to do in your spare time? / What are your hobbies?
In my spare time, I like hanging out with good friends and my four legged babies, going to dinner, and relaxing poolside. My hobbies are yard work/gardening, I love to have a beautiful lawn. It gives me a sense of pride.
Where are you going on your next vacation?
Depending on the COVID19 situation, maybe Hot Springs, or the beach, or if nothing else, my backyard pool!
Founded in 2002, PacketLogix has worked with organizations of all different sizes and in a broad spectrum of market sectors. In the early days of PacketLogix, we focused exclusively on the corporate enterprise marketplace assisting large organizations and agencies mainly with network security and wireless design. As cyberthreats became more omni-present, we have invested significantly in our capability of helping better protect both clients’ networks, but also their end points and servers. For the past fifteen years, we have been working with the United States federal government through our own GSA blanket contract. We have worked on national classified networks at various intelligence agencies, trained network technicians in Baghdad, Iraq, and even worked with the US Secret Service, US House of Represtatives, and the US Senate. In recent years, PacketLogix has taken a focus closer to home in Rhode Island helping the small to medium business community.
How long have you been a member of The 20?
Since January 2020.
Why did your MSP originally look to partner with The 20?
The model, the Support Desk and tools were clearly first class and what we needed to get to our next level.
Tell us about the biggest change in your business since joining The 20.
The biggest change I have had since joining The 20 was the realization and action I have taken in seeking our larger clients that I can now handle with the support of The 20 Support Desk and community of like-minded partners.
What do you like most about being a member of The 20?
Hands down – the other members. Their generosity and honest desire to help me grow my business has been so overwhelming. I hope when I get on my feet I’ll be able to repay it forward with other members.
What do you think is the most important quality necessary for success?
Never, ever, ever give up. You can screw up 7 ways til Sunday, but don’t ever give up.
What are your biggest business challenges?
Sales and marketing. Getting new clients.
What are your areas of focus for 2020?
New client acquisition and bringing our operations in line with the best practices of The 20 and its members.
What advice would you share with an MSP looking to scale their business?
Sales and marketing is everything. Yes, you need great operations, but without sales and marketing excellence, you won’t have anyone to support.
Interested in becoming a member like PacketLogix? Click here for more information!
Well, that’s a wrap on our first Virtual Quarterly!
Spring Quarterly was held on Zoom on May 28th and 29th and we had an incredible time with all of you! We look forward to these events every year, and while this one was a little different, it was every bit as fun and informative as its always been.
Our first day was entirely dedicated to in–depth training sessions by 3i International, Deep Instinct, BLOKWORX, and TruGrid. We then wrapped the day up with a Q&A session with Kris Blackmon of Informa, talking about the MSP 501.
Our CEO Tim Conkle kicked off day 2 with hammering on the importance of marketing and building pipeline. This was followed by a presentation from Danny Astin of Ciardi, Ciardi & Astin. We also held 3 insightful panel sessions: “How to Get the Most out of The 20” featuring several of our Elite members, “Growing is Not Magic” with Tim Conkle, Crystal McFerran and Mark Elliott, and a Support Desk/NOC Q&A with our CIO Jeff Griffin.
Last, but certainly not least, Nerdio and Crayon joined us to talk in-depth about Azure and Microsoft year-end incentives.
Everyone is adjusting within their businesses and we are glad to have had theopportunity to bring Quarterly to you during these ever-changing times!
So much was learned, and so much fun was had— we hope to see you at our next Quarterly!
If you have any questions about future Quarterly events, or would just like to learn more about The 20, please contact us today!
Meet Michael Winward, NOC Manager
Today we turn the spotlight on Michael Winward. Michael quickly became a tremendous asset to the team at The 20.
What do you do here at The 20?
I manage the NOC which is responsible for monitoring and responding to system-generated alerts from our partner’s client environments as well as ensuring our core services and tools are properly implemented and functioning effectively. In addition to the NOC, I manage Professional Services (a.k.a Project Services) for The 20. Need help with an upcoming project? We’ve got your back!
Describe The 20 in three words…
Innovative, Driven, Community.
As a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
A political consultant or lobbyist… yeah, I was a weird kid.
What’s the most challenging thing about your job?
Time. There is so much I want to accomplish, but the finite nature of time is a constant source of frustration.
What do you consider your greatest achievement?
Personal? Either teaching my dog how to patiently balance a treat on his snout until just the right moment, or cultivating a loving, trusting, respecting and fun relationship with my wife… both took a lot of work!
Professionally? Cultivating a team with similar attributes. Loving may be going a bit far, but certainly mutual trust, respect, fun and hard work… all things you need to work effectively together. The continuous forward progress of the team I lead every day, for me is the best gauge of my personal success.
What do you think is the most important quality necessary for success?
Integrity. If you start with integrity, every other quality necessary becomes a part of the equation.
What do you like most about The 20?
The people. I am working with the most brilliant and interesting characters of my professional career, which is fantastically satisfying. It makes going to work every day (back when we used to go to work) easy and enjoyable.
What do you like to do in your spare time? / What are your hobbies?
Happiness for me comes easily — a trip to the dog park with my wife and clinically insane Jack Russell is my idea of a good time. As a hobby, I enjoy brewing beer. Coming up next? A green chili and mango gose, and a carrot cake cream ale!
Where are you going on your next vacation?
Anywhere! I can’t wait for this lockdown to end! But it’s hard to make plans before it does. First thing though is probably to visit my family in New Mexico that I haven’t seen in a while due to social distancing.
What’s your top life hack?
For life incoming: Don’t sweat the small stuff that does or does not come at you. You’ll be happier for it.
For life outgoing: Remember the details. It is often small actions and statements that result in big impressions. They will really appreciate that you took the time to regard them.
Meet Lou Ernst, Senior Sales Development Representative
Today we turn the spotlight on Lou Ernst. Lou quickly became a tremendous asset to the team at The 20.
What do you do here at The 20?
I am a Senior SDR here at The 20. My job is to discover, create, qualify and reach out to potential clients for our MSPs in the Marketing Program. My goal is to educate companies of all the benefits to having a managed IT department and putting them in touch with the right MSPs.
Describe The 20 in three words…
Fun, Innovative and the Best!
As a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I wanted to be an astronaut!
What’s the most challenging thing about your job?
The most challenging aspect of my job is probably handling potential clients in every single industry.
We find company names and how they were arrived at to be fascinating.
Amazon for example was originally “Cadabra,” intended as a reference to the word “abracadabra.” But CEO Jeff Bezos’ first lawyer pointed out that the reference was too obscure and that, “when you were on the phone, people sometimes heard ‘Cadaver’ instead.” So, Bezos started paging through the “A” section of the dictionary. At the time, website listings were alphabetized, so he wanted a word that started with “A.” When he landed on the word “Amazon,” the name of the largest river on the planet, he decided that was the perfect name for what would become the world’s largest bookstore.
As for our members, we thought we would go around the horn and ask how some of them landed upon their company names. We got some really great answers, so please enjoy! Perhaps if you’re looking to start your own business, some of these will serve to get the creative juices flowing!
We started over a decade ago as I was working as a systems admin at an education service center. In Texas, there are 20 education service centers that provide various services to school districts. During this time, I started working with smaller school districts outside of my normal job as a side gig. Eventually, I had so much side work that I decided to leave the education service center and pursue my own company full time. I really liked the idea of “synergy.” I also wanted to incorporate ISD (Independent School District) into the title, so ‘SynergISDic’ really seem to make sense.
My advice? Always find the domain first, THEN name the company. I wanted a name that sounded corporate, ‘techy,’ and represented what we do. I’ve also always loved the Art Deco era of exploration: graceful and bold design, rich textures and materials, a massive explosion of technology and communication, and adventure. After all, that’s whenRaiders of the Lost Arktakes place. Who doesn’t love that? ‘Stratoliner’ and ‘stratofortress’ were coined in the Art Deco era. ‘Strato’ is latin, relating to ‘layers,’ ‘spreading,’ and ‘cloud.’ ‘Cent’ literally means 100, but it is also heard in words like ‘magnificent’ and ‘luminescent.’ In Latin, ‘ent’ is applied to adjectives to make them into nouns or verbs. For me, adding ‘cent’ to the end was to imply knowledge, and the word put together was intended to mean ‘cloud knowledge’ — but I also love the alternate meanings of 100 layers and spreading knowledge. It all works perfectly.
We were formed over 33 years ago, and so in the dial-up days, there was no email or web. The Yellow Pageswere big. We were selling Computer Aided Design software (CAD), and so ‘B’ comes before ‘Computers,’ ‘CAD’ or ‘Consulting’ in the Yellow Pages. I liked ‘bolder’ because it represented ‘new,’ ‘innovative,’ and ‘different.’ And we were at the top of the listings.
I launched my business at a full sprint and was very busy before I even retired from the Navy. Windows 95 was such a flurry of business. One thing I noticed was that there was a real struggle with adopting Windows 95 and LAN technology and a lot of “computer guys” were sloppy and did shoddy work. Often times I was sent in after someone else and would do something in 30-45 minutes that the last guy took 4 hours to do, and it wasn’t even done right! This pattern seemed to continue and I had a knack for getting things done right the first time. So, I came up with ‘Just Right’ because a lot of these businesses absolutely hated it when they would have to get work redone.
‘Managed IT Systems’ just fit. While working in a break-fix role for another company, I knew there had to be a better way. I heard rumblings of managed networks and thought it sounded like a great idea for IT. In 2004, I learned I wasn’t alone and there was a movement starting. I wanted to offer managed IT to my clients and luckily the name was available.
It honestly was a slip of the tongue. I was looking at doing wireless connectivity for hotels and a friend of mine trying to say ‘concierge’ said ‘com-cierge’ instead. Thus, it was born. ‘Com’ also being for ‘computers,’ ‘communications,’ and ‘common sense.’
In our service area there was a lot of slow providers. When we started, business people still used phonebooks a lot to find providers. We wanted to be the first one listed. So how do you promote faster service and have a top listing in alphabetical order? You brainstorm. If it weren’t for old marketing ideas and a client-based need to market for, we would have a different name.
We had left a franchise with a catchy name and wanted to make sure that the new name stuck as well. After many weeks of soul searching, conference calls, and narrowing down ideas, we finally came up with something catchy and created our tagline, “We manage your technology so your business doesn’t croak.” Also, as some may know, ‘frog’ stands for ‘Fully Rely On God,’ which ‘Works’ for us.
I had 14 hours from when I was first informed my services would no longer be needed at my former company to the next morning when I needed to have an email and a ‘real’ company name for the benefit of three clients I might be taking on. Being the really expressive and creative type, I came up with ‘Peterson Technology Group’ in about an hour, using my last name and knowing we would work with ‘technology.’ I added ‘Group’ so I didn’t look small, even though it was me and one sub-contractor.
There are many businesses with names that specify their area of expertise with “works” appended to it… much like the ‘Water Works’ property in the Monopoly game. I was teaching at the local technical school in 2014, and a local computer shop decided to close after more than 15 years in business. The stars aligned: it presented a very low financial risk, and I had a student ready and willing to run the shop (she had previously worked there for a long time). Knowing that I didn’t want my own name in the business name, it really just popped in my head on the way to work one morning: ‘Tifton Tech Works.’ At the time, it was perfect — it didn’t limit us to anything specific. If it’s tech, we make it work.
When we started in 2007, I kept getting referred to as ‘computer geek’ or ‘computer nerd’ and it drove me crazy. Mainly, it was because people had this negative connotation of what tech people were like: nerdy, geeky, ill-mannered, unkempt. I knew this was far from the truth. I wanted a name that my staff and I could adopt that described who we were but was still fun and a little tongue-in-cheek. We handled more than just ‘computer repair.’ We were IT specialists. We worked with personal computers, phones, networks, audio visual, home automation, business environments, security, and so much more. Basically, anything tech-related we gravitated toward. We were techies, tech enthusiasts, we’re… ‘tech junkies.’ The name stuck.
So there you have it! A little insight into how our members came up with their identity!
Are you interested in becoming a Member of The 20? Click here for more information!
Employee Spotlight: Matt Mariaux, Support Desk Team Lead
What do you do here at The 20?
I am a Support Desk Team Lead, which makes me a bit of a catch-all. I try to provide auxiliary support in a variety of ways like acting as a resource, investigating service delivery issues with Zach, monitoring call and ticket flow, as well as tracking data for optimizing efficiency. I help out where I can.
Describe The 20 in three words…
People who help computer.
You know, I think I biffed that one…
As a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
A Private Investigator. I grew up loving the Sherlock Holmes stories. I used to set up “crime scenes” around the house and question my whole family while writing down notes in my composition book. I was the best fake crime solver in the neighborhood.
What’s the most challenging thing about your job?
Sometimes you have to have tough conversations with people. I want to challenge techs when a ticket didn’t quite go as well as we’d like to see. That’s not always an easy chat, but it’s necessary to keep everyone at their best. Fortunately, they don’t hear all the quiet cursing coming from my desk beforehand. Or maybe they do. I don’t know.
What do you consider your greatest achievement?
Probably ‘Doctor of the Peggle Arts’on Xbox 360. It took a long time.
What do you think is the most important quality necessary for success?
Success is sort of a moving target, isn’t it? I prefer to focus on goals. If you want to achieve something, you have to put in on paper. You don’t truly know or understand anything unless you can write it down. So do that.
What do you like most about The 20?
I’ve really enjoyed seeing the growth and the changes that come with that growth. It’s nice to look back every once in a while and think, ‘I remember when…’
What do you like to do in your spare time? / What are your hobbies?
I’m an actor part-time, though I haven’t worked much lately. I’m also a bit of a film buff and have a totally not unhealthy love of video games.
Where are you going on your next vacation?
I was thinking I might find a small town somewhere I can drive to. I’d interview people and research the town’s history and quirks so that I could write a profile on the place. I might not even try to sell it. It’d really just be to unwind while focusing on a new challenge.
What’s your top life hack?
Did you know you can get blood out of clothing if you soak it in Hydrogen Peroxide? That probably makes me sound like a serial killer, but I just learned it recently and I thought it was cool!
MSP Spotlight: Meet Bill Whelden, President and CEO of Rx-IT
Tell us a little about your MSP…
Rx-IT started in 1999 with one client; just barely large enough for me to make a go of it. That was a 35-seat law firm — they owned me and they knew it. It was a really good feeling to get enough clients so they didn’t own me anymore. I was highly motivated! It was a better feeling bringing on the first hire so I didn’t have to do everything for everyone all the time. Up until then, I used to joke that my girlfriends name was ‘Palm Treo.’
How long have you been a member of The 20?
We’ve been in The 20 just over 3 years now.
Why did your MSP originally look to partner with The 20?
I went to some channel event back in early 2016. As I recall, someone invited me to a party. There was a man there. He talked and cussed a lot. Some called him ‘MSP Holy Man’ others called him ‘IT Prophet.’ He said to me, ‘Come, eat, be at peace and drink Tito’s.’ The next morning I woke on the sofa in the lobby of the hotel. I had a signed contract with The 20 and a one dollar bill stapled to my shirt collar.
Seriously, we spent a good number of years bumping our heads on the ceiling, we just couldn’t grow past a certain point. I was getting tired, really tired; burned out you might say. We were looking for a way to scale and grow the business. We knew we needed a good help desk but we also knew that peer guidance and a wider knowledge base were just as important. When we found The 20, it seemed to fit like a comfortable shoe.
Tell us about the biggest change in your business since joining The 20.
We’ve almost tripled our revenue in just over 36 months!
What do you like most about being a member of The 20?
The community. There are many communities within the channel but nothing quite like this.
What do you think is the most important quality necessary for success?
Motivation.
What are your biggest business challenges?
Our biggest challenge right now is learning how to better prioritize and keep what’s truly important in front and center. It’s amazing to me that I will find myself mindlessly organizing my sock drawer when there are so many other things to do, so many opportunities in front of us. Motivation and organization are things we always strive to keep in focus.
What are your areas of focus for 2019?
Profitability and growth.
What advice would you share with an MSP looking to scale their business?
Interested in becoming a Partner? Click here for more information!
by Joseph Landes
Businesses of all sizes are looking to move their IT infrastructure to the cloud and the most important choice to make when doing so is finding a great IT provider who will have your best interests in mind on this journey. Promises will be made about capabilities and expertise, but it is important to keep your eye on three important things to ensure your Managed Services Provider is committed to helping you transform your IT infrastructure to the cloud.
Recommending Best in Class Products
Nothing else matters if a vendor’s product is not best-in-class and it is why so many vendors lose business in the competitive cloud ecosystem. There are too many other competitive solutions combined with somewhat low switching costs to settle for something that is not phenomenal and brings massive value to your business. When moving to the cloud, does the technology provider have a strong track record of performance? Do they have the infrastructure to scale with you as your company grows? A good sign that it is time to look elsewhere is if the product your partner is offering can’t pass a basic Proof of Concept or is just feature-poor relative to other comparable solutions. This is why I strongly recommend Microsoft Office 365 and Microsoft Azure as the core building blocks for any company’s initial foray into the cloud. No other company has invested so much into empowering businesses of all sizes to do more than Microsoft.
Adding Value to Your Business
My former CEO of Microsoft, Satya Nadella, often says that a company’s past success does not define or predict their future. That each day your partner needs to come in and continue to win your business anew. This lesson holds great relevance in the burgeoning cloud ecosystem with so many vendors, replacement options, and new technologies emerging daily. The day your partner started working with you is the day the clock started ticking on their need to constantly create value that accrues to your business. The technologies they choose must help position you as a thought leader in front of your customers. They need a clear Conditions of Satisfaction that defines their relationship with you and there needs to be regular check-ins to make sure your business is growing as result of the relationship.
Driving Down Your Cost
The cloud ecosystem is a competitive space. New technologies continue to emerge with even more powerful functionality than in months prior. Startups are being born by the hundred and thousands in the cloud and the need to maintain on-premises hardware in your office is a thing of the past. One would think that while the technology gets better, it would be more expensive to move the cloud. But it is quite the opposite! Business have increasingly been able to take advantage of economies of scale the large cloud providers like Microsoft has achieved in order to drive their costs down dramatically. In the past, a company would have to shell out many thousands of dollars to buy a server and amortize that cost over time. Now the model is consumption-based, and you only need to pay for what you use just like the electricity in your home. Moving to the cloud has a number of benefits for your business—and one significant one is driving down the cost of IT.
Moving one’s IT infrastructure to the cloud should be a near-term goal of every business. Putting off the decision to digitally transform your business could be costing you customers and making you less competitive. The time to move is now and we look forward to partnering with you on this exciting journey.
Joseph Landes is the Chief Revenue Officer of Nerdio — an exciting cloud startup in Chicago that helps Managed Service Providers build cloud practices in Microsoft Azure. Prior to joining Nerdio, he spent 23 years at Microsoft leading high-performing international sales and marketing teams and helping businesses of all sizes move to the cloud. He has travelled to 108 countries and is attempting to read every NY Times Notable Book ever published.
