Building a Smarter MSP with Rick Harber (986)
Rick Harber joins me to break down how his MSP uses automation, AI, and solid process to triage tickets in seconds, report real value to clients, and grow without constantly hiring more techs. We also swap real‑world stories about Liongard, DNS disasters, billing for Active Directory accounts, and how to turn tools into true IT solutions instead of just more noise in your stack.
If you’re buried in tickets, tools, and “urgent” alerts, this conversation with Rick Harber will feel like a lifeline. We unpack how he’s using automation, AI, and Liongard to triage tickets in six seconds, protect margins, and manage by exception instead of chaos.
- Learn how Rick’s team cut ticket triage from 10 minutes to about six seconds using automation and AI in ConnectWise.
- Get practical examples of “managing by exception” with dashboards and SLAs so you focus on the 5% of work that’s truly off the rails.
- Discover why process beats talent and how to standardize your MSP so growth doesn’t break your service delivery.
Chapters
- 00:58 Setting the Stage: Smarter, More Profitable MSPs
- 03:41 Conference Updates & Fort Lauderdale Invite
- 03:57 NetAlly LinkRunner 1500 Update & Honest Mini‑Review
- 10:05 Milestone Announcement – IT Business Podcast Show #1000
- 11:59 Guest Intro – Rick Harber of Decision Digital
- 13:45 Why Liongard Matters for MSPs (Alerts, Billing, Visibility)
- 20:09 Real‑World Liongard Stories: Firewall & DNS “Saves”
- 28:37 Process Beats Talent: Growing an MSP Without Hero Techs
- 45:12 Where MSPs Go Wrong with Automation and AI
- 52:42 “Bleeding Internally” – Why AI and Automation Can’t Wait
- 1:00:18 Managing by Exception – Focusing on Outliers, Not Every Ticket
- 1:05:03 Customer Experience, SLAs, and the One Ticket That Matters
- 1:05:35 Florida Man Stories & Respecting Florida Wildlife
- 1:09:23 Closing Thoughts, How to Reach Rick, and Upcoming Events
Guest: Rick Harber, Decision Digital
- Website: https://www.decisiondigital.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardharber
Florida Man
- Tourists haul dead alligator across Central Florida: https://linkly.link/2g4oo
- Teen arrested after videos allegedly show him kicking and swinging a baby alligator: https://linkly.link/2g4op
Shout-outs
- Michelle Accardi, Liongard: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelleaccardi/
- Joe Alapat, Liongard: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joealapat
- Peter Kujawa, Service Leadership / MSP industry leader: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peterkujawa
- Matt Rainey, Podnutz Pro alum
- Martin Obando, Podnutz Pro alum
- Jared Kasner, Blacksmith Infosec: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaredmcasner/
Companies / Vendors / Products Mentioned
- ConnectWise: https://www.connectwise.com
- WatchGuard (firewall referenced by name): https://www.watchguard.com
- HubSpot: https://www.hubspot.com
- IT Glue: https://www.itglue.com
- Hudu: https://hudu.com
- BrightGauge: https://www.brightgauge.com
- N-able Empower Conference: https://empower.n-able.com/event/2026/summary
- MSPGeekCon: https://mspgeekcon.com
- ChannelPro: https://www.channelpronetwork.com
- ACES Conference (Apple-focused ACES event): https://acesconf.com
- Podnutz Pro (original show name): https://podnutz.com
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Founder | CEO | ConnectWise Therapist
Rick Harber is a technology entrepreneur, strategist, and industry influencer with more than three decades of experience helping organizations turn complexity into clarity.
As the Founder and CEO of Decision Digital, Rick has spent his career challenging the status quo in IT services—building a company that doesn’t just support technology, but transforms how businesses think about it. Since founding the firm in 1997, he has grown Decision Digital from a basement startup into a globally respected, AI-powered consulting and managed services organization serving both end customers and technology providers.
Rick’s work sits at the intersection of technology, business strategy, and operational execution. He is widely recognized for his expertise in automation, ConnectWise optimization, and building scalable service models that drive measurable outcomes. Under his leadership, Decision Digital has become an award-winning, trusted advisor to MSPs and enterprises looking to modernize, automate, and grow with confidence.
Rick is also an active voice in the technology community, frequently speaking on topics such as managed services evolution, hyperautomation, and the future of AI in business. He is known for delivering candid, real-world insights that challenge conventional thinking and push organizations to move beyond theory into execution.
At his core, Rick believes technology should empower people—not overwhelm them. His mission is simple: help organizations become more capable, more efficient, and more confident in how they use technology to a…
