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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Nov. 11, 2026

What Lemhi's PitchIT Win Means for MSPs (EP 1098)

Show Notes
Guest Profile

Heather Simek spent 14 years helping run an MSP, retired, and then got pulled right back into the channel. She joined me live to talk about Lemhi, the managed AI services platform that just won PitchIT at IT Nation Connect, and why she openly admits her own MSP sold AI agents without knowing how to walk alongside clients and actually deploy them.

We also get into why "trusted advisor" is an overused label, my one-new-tool-a-year rule and the TCO formula behind it, why vendor relationships matter more than vendor swaps, the swag that survived my IT Nation booth test, TechCon Unplugged's final year, the free Central Mafia User Group, and why Movember and men's health deserve real attention this month.

=== Support Movember and Donate: https://us.movember.com/mospace/15531195

=== Uncle Marv's Unhealthy Podcast: https://www.unhealthypodcast.com/

=== Chapters

00:47 Welcome Back Heather Simek
02:45 Lemhi Wins PitchIT at IT Nation Connect
07:25 How MSPs Can Deliver AI as a Managed Service
12:24 Why the Trusted Advisor Model Falls Short
16:48 Tip of the Week: One New Tool a Year and Real TCO
21:50 Stack Reviews and Vendor Relationships
24:01 IT Nation Swag Review
30:32 Life on the Vendor Side
40:06 TechCon Unplugged and MSP Communities
1:04:52 The One Habit Every MSP Owner Should Change

=== Guest: Heather Simek

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heather-simek-343231b3

=== People Mentioned

John Harden, Lemhi: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-harden
Ben Botti, Lemhi: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bbotti
Sean Lardo, ConnectWise IT Nation: https://www.linkedin.com/in/seanlardo
Peter Kujawa: https://www.itbusinesspodcast.com/guests/peter-kujawa/
Paco Lebron, MSP Unplugged: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pacolebron
Larry Meador, MSP Well: https://www.linkedin.com/in/larrymeador

=== Products Mentioned

Lemhi Platform: https://www.lemhi.com/platform/
ConnectWise PSA: https://www.connectwise.com/platform/psa
Microsoft Copilot: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/copilot
Domotz: https://www.domotz.com/
Druva: https://www.druva.com/
MSP Process: https://mspprocess.com/
Mailprotector: https://www.mailprotector.com/
Slide: https://slide.tech/
MSPCFO: https://www.mspcfo.com/

=== Resources / Books / Podcasts / Apps

Lemhi General Availability Press Release: https://www.lemhi.com/press/lemhi-launches-general-availability-at-it-nation-connect/
PitchIT by ConnectWise: https://itnation.connectwise.com/pitchit
IT Nation Connect Global: https://itnation.connectwise.com/connect-global
IT Nation Evolve Peer Groups: https://itnation.connectwise.com/evolve/join-evolve
EOS (Entrepreneurial Operating System): https://www.eosworldwide.com/
Central Mafia User Group: https://centralmafiaug.com/
TechCon Unplugged: https://techconunplugged.com/
MSP Unplugged Podcast: https://www.mspunplugged.com/
GTIA: https://gtia.org/
GTIA ChannelCon: https://channelcon.gtia.org/
Pax8 Beyond: https://www.pax8.com/en-us/pax8-events/pax8-beyond/
XChange Events: https://www.thechannelco.com/xchange
MSPGeekCon: https://mspgeekcon.com/
ScaleCon: https://scalecon.com/
ASCII Edge: https://events.ascii.com/
CyberFOX SecureIT Summit: https://www.cyberfox.com/company/summit/
ThreatLocker Zero Trust World: https://www.threatlocker.com/ztw26
Kaseya Connect: https://www.kaseya.com/blog/kaseya-connect-2026-highlights/
MSPMeet: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mspmeet
MSP Well: https://mspwell.com/the-people/
The Huntley Dairy Mart: https://www.facebook.com/TheHuntleyDairyMart/
Buc-ee's: https://buc-ees.com/

=== SPONSORS:

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.

Heather Simek is a dynamic leader with over three decades of experience in information technology and business development. Renowned for her expertise in the Managed Service Provider (MSP) industry, Heather recently concluded a 14-year tenure as Vice President and COO at RJ2 Technologies, where she was instrumental in building high-performing teams and delivering innovative IT solutions. Her leadership style is marked by a passion for empowering teams, fostering inclusive cultures, and exceeding client expectations.

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