Empowering Your MSP to Thrive, In Business & Beyond
Learning how to run your I.T. Business is easier than you think! Our weekly podcast introduces you to experts that have been where you are or can support you with the ins and outs of running your business.
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Recent Episodes
319
Nov. 13, 2026
4th Quarter Living: Clients and Pricing | MSP Unplugged
In part 2 of our 4th Quarter Living series, Paco Lebron, Rick Smith, and Nancy Henriquez get into the clients you keep and the prices you charge. After last week's inventory of the year, they talk about how to rank your book of business, why the client who pays you the most is not always your most profitable, and how to plan an annual increase without surprising people you signed mid-year.
Rick walks through his September ranking and October increase letters. Nancy goes a layer deeper than marg
Rick walks through his September ranking and October increase letters. Nancy goes a layer deeper than marg
318
Nov. 12, 2026
From Security Tools to Security Outcomes | Dor Eisner, Guardz
Dor Eisner is back on MSP Unplugged. Paco Lebron welcomes back returning guest Dor Eisner, Co-founder and CEO of Guardz, to talk about why growing MSPs don't have a security tool problem, they have an operational one. Dor has spent about 25 years in cybersecurity. Before Guardz, his previous company built a threat intelligence and dark web monitoring platform, where he watched "attack as a service" take off. Guardz launched about three and a half years ago to give MSPs a unified, automated way
317
Nov. 5, 2026
4th Quarter Living: Score the Year, Set Up the Next | MSP Unplugged
Before you plan 2027, score 2026. In the first chapter of our 4th Quarter Living series, Paco Lebron welcomes Rick Smith and Nancy Henriquez as co-hosts for the rest of 2026 and into 2027. Together they take inventory of the year: the wins, the plays they would not run again, how AI changed the way they work, and how each of them plans to unplug before the new year. Nancy shares what she is learning from her first acquisition, Rick talks about starting a new company from scratch, and Paco opens
316
Nov. 4, 2026
Cutting the Vendor Tax with OpenFrame | Michael Assraf, Flamingo
In this episode of MSP Unplugged, Paco Lebron talks with Michael Assraf, Founder and CEO of Flamingo, about tool sprawl, the vendor tax, and how an open-source foundation plus AI agents can change the economics for growing MSPs. Michael has spent 20 years in tech, mostly in startups. At his previous company, Vicarius, a vulnerability remediation platform, most of the traction came from MSPs, and he saw them keep adding tools and losing margin. He and Paco cover: Why tool sprawl and add-on pric
TechCon Unplugged
MSPs are evolving from reactive IT support to strategic business enablers, leveraging AI, automation, and data analytics to deliver proactive, high-value services.
Small businesses are seeking stability and innovation amid economic uncertainty, regulatory shifts, and global market volatility. They’re turning to trusted communities and partners to navigate these challenges.
Our annual TechCon Unplugged event is an opportunity to bring together our listeners, colleagues and partners. We are currently planning for our 2026 TechCon Unplugged event!
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About the Hosts
Paco Lebron
Paco Lebron is the Founder and CEO of ProdigyTeks Inc., an award-winning managed IT and cybersecurity firm serving employment law firms, construction, and manufacturing businesses across Chicagoland. He's also CEO of the MSP Owners Group, which brings independent MSPs together under a shared umbrella to help owners scale profitably, protect their culture and legacy, and get ready for what he calls MSP 5.0. Paco was named ChannelPro Network's 2023 Peer of the Year, ProdigyTeks made MSP Summit's 2026 MSPs to Watch list, and he was featured in Negocios Now's "Who's Who in Hispanic Business" (2022). He also serves as a trustee of the Humboldt Park Health Foundation.
Rick Smith
Rick Smith is the Founder and CEO of Renactus Technology, an IT service provider based in Union, New Jersey. With a background in economics and years of hands-on experience in the technology business, Rick has built Renactus into a trusted partner for companies that need reliable, comprehensive IT. On MSP Unplugged, he brings a practical, numbers-minded view to managed services, consulting, customer service, and the business practices that keep an IT company healthy.
Nancy Henriquez
Nancy Henriquez is a two-time MSP founder who started her first IT business at 22 and grew it from a break-fix shop into SabinoCompTech, an award-winning, cybersecurity-focused MSP in Katy, Texas, before a successful exit. She is now CEO of Dr. Backup, a Hosvara company serving MSP partners across the U.S. and Canada, and Head of Community at MSP Unplugged. A graduate of Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses and Babson's WIN Lab, Nancy is the author of Break-Fix to Breakthrough and a sought-after speaker on leadership and growth for MSP owners. She has been featured in Forbes, CRN, Channel Partners, ChannelPro, and more.