Cameron Brister: Democratizing Technology for SMBs ( EP 946)
In this NSITSP Member Spotlight, Uncle Marv sits down with Cameron Brister of Square PlanIT, an MSP based in Monroe, Louisiana, to trace his journey from college intern and web developer to full-time MSP owner. Cameron shares how a long-running side hustle turned into a thriving managed services business, the role of automation in landing early clients, and why he believes in democratizing technology instead of just “saying no” as IT.
This NSITSP Member Spotlight dives into Cameron’s journey through higher education IT, a Fortune 500 manufacturing role, church AV/IT, and ultimately going all-in on his MSP in 2020. The conversation explores building recurring revenue from legacy software automation, setting financial and personal boundaries for leaving corporate, and elevating MSP professionalism so clients see you as a trusted strategic partner—not just the person who fixes printers.
Why listen:
- Learn how Cameron turned a nights-and-weekends web gig into a full MSP practice.
- Hear how early automation and SQL scripting work led directly to full IT management contracts.
- Get practical advice on when to leave corporate and what financial guardrails to have in place.
- Discover why “not all business is good business” and how to define a good-fit client.
- Understand Cameron’s view on democratizing technology instead of just blocking users.
- See how The Tech Tribe and peer groups shaped his growth and decision-making.
- Learn what NSITSP is doing to raise professionalism and give IT providers a voice with regulators.
Links from the show:
- Square PlanIT: https://squareplanetit.com
- National Society of IT Service Providers (NSITSP): https://nsitsp.org
- The Tech Tribe: https://thetechtribe.com
- Immybot: https://immy.bot
- ScaleCon: https://scalecon.com
- University of Louisiana at Monroe: https://ulm.edu
- Karl Palachuk: https://smallbizthoughts.com
- American Bar Association: https://americanbar.org
- David Phillips: https://dependableitservices.com/
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- Livestream Partner, ThreatLocker: https://www.itbusinesspodcast.com/threatlocker
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SHOW MUSIC:
- Item Title: Upbeat & Fun Sports Rock Logo
- Item URL: https://elements.envato.com/upbeat-fun-sports-rock-logo-CSR3UET
- Author Username: AlexanderRufire
- Item License Code: 7X9F52DNML
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- Website: https://www.itbusinesspodcast.com/
- Host: Marvin Bee
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