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 8, 2026

MSP Marketing for Real Growth (EP 1003)

In this episode, I kick off our Money, Marketing & Growth Month with a candid conversation with Laura Johns, founder of The Business Growers and host of the “Get More MSP Leads” podcast. We get real about why so many MSPs keep throwing money at random tactics—Google Ads, canned social, cold-calling vendors—without ever building a true growth engine underneath.

Show Notes
Guest Profile

Laura walks me through her “Know, Grow, Scale” framework and how most MSPs are trying to jump straight to lead gen while their business is still “root bound” at the foundation level. We talk about diagnostics, digital health, differentiation, and why your website, offers, and content have to actually say something meaningful before you ever expect your marketing to convert.

We also get into mindset: the difference between a 500K MSP and a 5M+ MSP, and what it really means to be “growth ready” as an owner. Laura shares some spicy takes on overhyped Google Ads, what “AI searchable” really means for MSPs, why you should talk about pricing, and how to move forward if you’ve already been burned by a marketing agency.

Chapters

00:00 MSP Marketing for Real Growth: Month kickoff
01:00 Why I brought Laura Johns on to talk real MSP growth
02:30 Laura’s journey from telecom and MSPs to The Business Growers
05:20 What actually makes this MSP marketing approach different
07:50 The “health score” and the Know–Grow–Scale framework
11:20 Why “set it and forget it” marketing fails most MSPs
13:20 Cold calling myths and the 3–5% ready‑to‑buy reality
14:35 Who this works for: from 500K MSPs to 25M providers
17:10 2x vs 10x mindset: how serious are you about growth?
19:40 Spicy take: why Google Ads won’t save a broken strategy
22:30 What being “AI searchable” really looks like for MSPs
23:50 Talking price, filtering bad leads, and better-fit clients
26:30 Burned by a previous marketing agency? How to reset
29:10 Competition, geography, and why differentiation wins
36:00 Doing what works in your market vs staying stuck
38:00 Laura’s final advice: get a real diagnostic before you scale

Guest: Laura Johns, The Business Growers

Website – https://thebusinessgrowers.com
LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurapickardjohns
Get More MSP Leads (podcast): https://open.spotify.com/show/1Awr19JiyZz3UBJxXlPNg7

Shout-outs

Lydia Walker,: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lydiaawalker

Companies / Vendors / Products / Books

Get More MSP Leads (podcast): https://open.spotify.com/show/1Awr19JiyZz3UBJxXlPNg7
Endless Customers (Marcus Sheridan): https://amzn.to/42WJbvG
They Ask, You Answer (Marcus Sheridan): https://amzn.to/4dw7ExZ
10X Is Easier Than 2X (Dan Sullivan): https://amzn.to/42ixXBA

=== SPONSORS:

Livestream Partner, ThreatLocker: https://www.itbusinesspodcast.com/threatlocker
Technology Partner, NetAlly: https://www.itbusinesspodcast.com/netally/
Technology Partner: Bvoip: https://www.itbusinesspodcast.com/bvoip
Travel Partner: TruGrid: https://www.itbusinesspodcast.com/trugrid
Digital Partner, Designer Ready: http://itbusinesspodcast.com/designerready

=== 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

=== 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.

Laura Johns is the founder and CEO of The Business Growers, a marketing agency focused on helping MSPs and IT service providers build real, repeatable growth systems instead of one-off campaigns. With a background as a marketing leader and fractional CMO, she specializes in full-funnel strategy—combining positioning, content, websites, and lead-generation programs tailored to technical businesses. Laura also hosts the “Get More MSP Leads” podcast, where she shares practical, no-fluff advice on turning referrals into predictable pipelines and scaling marketing in a way that supports sustainable business growth.

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