Uncle Marv’s IT Business Podcast: Practical Business Advice for MSPs and IT Professionals
Uncle Marv’s IT Business Podcast: Practical Business Advice…
Running a managed service provider (MSP) or IT services business takes more than technical expertise. You need to win customers, grow revenue, protect profitability, manage vendors, deliver great service, and keep up with a changing IT industry. That’s where Uncle Marv comes in.

Hosted by longtime IT business owner Marvin Bee, aka Uncle Marv, the IT Business Podcast delivers practical business advice, real-world lessons, candid conversations, and industry insights to help MSP owners, IT service providers, IT consultants, system administrators, and technology professionals run their businesses better, smarter, and faster.

Topics include MSP business growth, pricing and profitability, sales and marketing, managed services operations, cybersecurity, compliance, Microsoft 365, cloud services, automation, service desk efficiency, vendor management, technology stack decisions, and customer relationships.

Hear from experienced MSP owners, IT business leaders, industry experts, and technology vendors about what works, what doesn’t, and what it takes to build a stronger IT business. Get an honest look at industry trends, vendor claims, emerging technologies, and the decisions that affect your customers, your team, and your bottom line.

Whether you’re starting an MSP, growing an established IT services company, managing client networks, or looking for better tools and smarter ways to work, Uncle Marv brings the conversation back to what matters: practical knowledge you can put to work.

Run your business better, smarter, and faster.
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May 18, 2026

Live at ACES with Brian Best (EP 1006)

Live at ACES with Brian Best (EP 1006)
Uncle Marv’s IT Business Podcast: Practical Business Advice for MSPs and IT Professionals
Live at ACES with Brian Best (EP 1006)

Live from the ACES Conference in Minneapolis, I sit down with longtime friend and Apple MSP veteran Brian Best to dig into what makes this business‑focused Apple event so different from the typical tech show. We talk real‑world lessons from twelve years of ACES, scaling a Mac‑centric MSP, and how Windows and Apple shops can actually win together instead of avoiding each other’s worlds.

ACES Conference 2026

Recorded on‑site at the Elliott Park Hotel during ACES 2026, this conversation kicks off with a quick behind‑the‑scenes look at the venue, the vibe, and why this Apple‑centric event cares more about P&L than power users. I walk through how ACES is structured as a business‑first conference for Apple IT providers, covering topics like pricing, marketing, HR, scaling, and work‑life balance, with zero tool pitches from the stage and everything bundled into a focused two‑day experience.

Then I catch up with Brian Best from Best Mac, who has attended and spoken at all twelve ACES events, and we get into the real talk about running a Mac‑focused MSP in a Windows‑dominated world. Brian shares how the Apple side of the channel is mostly small to mid‑sized MSPs, how his own M&A experience with LogicNow and SolarWinds reshaped his business, and why co‑managed Apple support is a powerful play for Windows‑first MSPs serving mixed environments.

Chapters

  • 00:17 ACES Conference Intro
  • 02:01 What ACES Is
  • 04:37 Conference Venue Tour
  • 06:50 Reconnecting With Brian Best
  • 08:22 Why ACES Matters
  • 12:00 SolarWinds Deal Backstory
  • 14:54 Windows And Mac Blend
  • 15:54 Getting Mac Help

=== Guest: Brian Best

=== Shout-outs

=== Companies / Vendors / Products / Books

=== SPONSORS:

=== SHOW MUSIC:

=== Connect with Uncle Marv

🌐 Website: https://www.itbusinesspodcast.com/
🎙 Host: Marvin Bee
🛒 Uncle Marv’s Amazon Store (gear & tools I recommend): https://amzn.to/3EiyKoZ
☕ Support the show: https://ko-fi.com/itbusinesspodcast

If you found value in this episode, share it with another MSP, IT provider, or tech entrepreneur. Your support helps keep practical, no-nonsense IT business conversations coming every week.

Brian Best Profile Photo
Brian Best

Brian Best is the founder and president of BestMacs, an Apple‑focused MSP that helps businesses run reliably on Mac, iPad, and other Apple platforms. For more than two decades he’s built, scaled, and supported Apple environments for organizations ranging from small creative shops to larger mixed Mac/Windows teams, with a focus on stability, security, and predictable managed services.

He’s also a long‑time leader in the Apple IT community and the only person to have spoken at every ACES Conference, where he regularly shares real‑world lessons on pricing, automation, and building a sustainable service business. Drawing on his experience creating and later exiting a popular Mac maintenance tool to LogicNow/SolarWinds, Brian now spends his time growing BestMacs and partnering with Windows‑first MSPs on co‑managed Apple support so they can confidently serve mixed environments without stretching their teams too thin.

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