Building an MSP People Trust (EP 1072)
Not every new tool deserves a migration, and not every prospect is the right client. Cameron shares how SquarePlanIT is weighing AI, PSA and RMM changes, community marketing, and client fit without losing focus on what already works.
I sat down with Cameron Brister from SquarePlanIT to talk about the real-world decisions MSP owners are making right now. AI is changing fast, clients want to use new tools yesterday, and we still have to think about security, permissions, data, and supportability. Cameron makes a great point that we cannot become the department of no, but we also cannot pretend every shiny new tool is ready to roll out to clients.
We also get into the less glamorous but very real work of running an IT business: migrating from Autotask to Halo, planning a move from Datto RMM to Ninja, dealing with relentless vendor outreach, and figuring out whether marketing is actually working. Cameron shares why he sees AI as a back-office helper for things like ticket triage and research, why community involvement builds long-term trust, and why saying no to the wrong client can be a sign of operational maturity instead of a missed opportunity.
=== Chapters
- 00:23 Meet Cameron Brister of SquarePlanIT
- 01:43 Democratizing Technology for Clients
- 04:04 AI Guardrails Without Becoming the Department of No
- 05:57 Microsoft Copilot and AI Implementation Challenges
- 08:38 PSA Migration: Autotask to Halo
- 11:13 RMM Changes and Avoiding Shiny-Object Decisions
- 16:08 Vendor Outreach, Privacy, and Call Screening
- 27:08 MSP Marketing, Community Visibility, and Networking
- 39:41 Qualifying Clients and Knowing When to Say No
=== Guest: Cameron Brister
- Website: https://squareplanit.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jcameronbrister/
=== Resources / Companies / Products / Books / Podcasts
- HaloPSA: https://halopsa.com/
- Autotask: https://www.datto.com/
- Datto RMM: https://www.datto.com/
- NinjaOne: https://www.ninjaone.com/
- Avanan: https://www.checkpoint.com/harmony/email-security/
- Clio: https://www.clio.com/
- ZoomInfo: https://www.zoominfo.com/
- Apple iOS: https://www.apple.com/ios/
- National Society of IT Service Providers: https://nsitsp.org/
- West Monroe-West Ouachita Chamber of Commerce: https://westmonroechamber.org/
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