A common refrain in technology (heck any area) is the need to both stay current and lean forward to remain relevant. Like you, I can remember pivoting from the sad demise of Novell NetWare to Window Server (remember NT?) leading up to the granddaddy of all migrations: the end-of-life (EOL) *and* and of service of Windows Small Business Server (SBS) to whatever (cloud et. al.). Do you realize that all happened in 2014 - ten years ago. This was the same timeframe as the Windows XP (EOL). Another example of voluntary (for some of you it was involuntary) professional evolution from break-fix to the Managed Service Provider (MSP) business model based on monthly recurring revenue (MRR) (invented by the telcos IMHO)
Here We Grow Again - Looking Around the Corner into 2025
I recently attended a keynote at the Mindset Reset conference
in San Antonio TX hosted by MSP community leader and influencer Chris Wiser who had an acclaimed keynote speaker author Dan Martell who’s book “Buy Back Your Time” had two core messages: (1) scale and (2) stop doing shit that’s not working. It impacted me and created an opportunity to engage in something of a personal and professional portfolio review as we turn the mid-decade corner into 2025. What emerged from the look in the mirror is “what’s next?”).
What’s Next?
As many of your know, I like variety and a diversified business portfolio with a few things going on (ADHD is my secret weapon). I pride myself on networking (MSPs and Geeks should do more of this - see our Geek Holiday Party on December 4th - a great networking opportunity) . So I made an inquiry into my junior high/high school buddy from Alaska Curtis Shuck from the Well Done Foundation (WDF) in the oil field services business and asked what’s going on. After a career in the oil industry, Shuck stated that WDF is part of the solution, not the problem by capping abandoned oil wells (there are 3.5 million of these bad boys spewing methane like Texas cattle).
So Shuck and I started a one-call dialog that ended with an opportunity to start working for the WDF the following week! I happily joined the team to DO GOOD. It’s the same feel-good moment as the early days of SBS in the late 1990s when we were all out to SAVE THE WORLD. My role is twofold:
- Help develop it’s supply chain compliance software platform “Well Intel” that, by analogy, is akin to the seed-to-sale software stack used in the cannabis technology space that is heavily regulated and has significant compliance requirements (ditto for the energy sector)
- My other contribution is in business and technology and marketing areas where we’ll increasingly bring the Well Intel software platform to other stakeholders with a Go-To-Market (GTM) motion via campaigns (branding and awareness). I’m also ready to help scale this operation by attracting optimistic participants including donors (I’ll be reaching out to you in 2025 - don’t lose a minute of sleep y’all) and execution (my early thoughts is we could land and expand thinking (SCALE) like to Peace Corps to attracts idealistic Go Green individuals who, again, want to be part of the solution and not the problem.
A month in, my plate is already stuffed attending dev meetings and implementing Microsoft Dynamics CRM (thank goodness SMB Nation has used this CRM solution for 15-years after a mis-fire with the very expensive NetSuite). This isn’t a migration (Thank God) but rather an opportunity for a freshie install and implementation!
FULL CIRCLE
Joining Shuck’s dream team at the WDF is a FULL CIRCLE moment in my life. I started my career in oil working on the Trans-Alaska Pipeline (yeah kids won’t get that) that continued in different ways until I completed my assignment on the Exxon Valdez project and promptly moved to Seattle for the immersive technology ecosystem experience that has defined my reason for being (raison d’etere with limited time on Planet Earth (that we’re now trying to save the world one abandoned well at a time). Shuck and I were ski racers in Alaska (he was alpine and I was Nordic/cross country) but hey - can’t we all just get along. The new opportunity combines my background in both petroleum and tech opportunities that combines the best of both worlds. It’s time and to GO and GROW on Team Shuck (an appropriate moniker given Shuck’s decades long volunteer effort as a downhill ski coach that sent kids onward and upward with a few participating in the vaunted and coveted US Ski team. This guy knows how to herd cats (shout out to Maggie - a cat I inherited in 2024 LOL). It’s an honor and a pleasure to serve Shuck who leads by example as a player/coach. That philosophy instills confidence that I can “learn by doing” as I get my sea legs at the WDF!
We’ll Keep the Lights On at SMB Nation!!!
With Shuck’s permission, SMB Nation is evolving as well and will now look different moving forward. We’ll be using more mercenaries to help continue to community movement where we bring new opportunities to YOU. You’ll see Curtis and myself attending industry events where we can geek out on the Well Intel platform and spread the good word about the good work that the WDF is doing all day, every day (I wouldn’t be surprised to see Shuck on the big stage at major tech conferences in 2025)
Permission to Change
As we like to say on the West Coast, you have my permission to change (but only after you complete your pumpkin spiced latte you just got in the Starbucks drive-thru lane LOL). For some of you, it’s a chance to think outside the oil well (errr…think outside the box). The WDF (we’d love your help in a variety of ways wink-wink) provides that new thinking. But how about some MSP partner examples? Long-time and successful mid-west US MSP Susan Krautbauer, CITAD pivoted form the day-to-day of competing service tickets in her PSA to evolving as an executive at Digitunity, a not-for-profit that accumulates used technology assets that are refurbished and distributed to underserved communities such as low income students without a laptop or PC trying to make it in a remote learning world (spoiler alert - learning will most likely be hybrid moving forward where snow days are now remote learning days). I have supported Digitunity for years and encourage you to do the same as your passion project.
Another MSP-related evolution example is well-respected tech journalist and analyst Joe Panettieri. After starting, owing and operating and exiting a couple media properties (remember VAR guy?) to recreating himself as an angel investor in the SMB tech space. As part of his go giver philosophy, Panettieri also supports the Sustainable Tech Partner community. “We empower technology partners & their customers to achieve & maintain their sustainability goals.’ Panettieri shared. Dets HERE .
So what’s the Venn diagram here? Folks you and I know in the tech space are evolving to do good and make good trouble.
So as you look in the mirror - it’s not such much as reinventing yourself but finding your calling with your next passion project. I’m an email away if you’d like to discuss. And take a deep breathe and have fun (see Karl Palachuk’s messaging on taking care of YOU with his Relax, Focus and Succeed site and newsletter! As Martell says - time to find what lights you up!
First Steps?
Join me in taking first steps to evolve. The low hanging fruit is to use airline miles and hotel points to attend our 2nd Annual Geek Holiday Party to get to the Ausitn-area by 5pm-ish on December 4th. Details to discover and sign-up are HERE. AI is here but I consider in-person networking a time tested success factor yesterday, today and tomorrow.
The Final Word - living in the Austin Texas area now, I fit in both the oil industry and the technology sector and love leveraging the compatibility and culture goodness of fit this opportunity brings to the table.
Resources
View, Watch and Learn:
- The Well Done Foundation site: Well Done Foundation (WDF)
- Harry's mug shot (LOL)
- 4+ min vid Methane Hunters
- Featured on "How They Fixed That" documentary on cable (see below - was produced by the Smithsonian Channel!
- 44-min segment on Paramount+
- Same 44-minute segment on AppleTV