#8 – From the Trenches - From Dentists to CPAs - Jordan’s MSP Playbook (Jordan Hetrick)

A candid, numbers-first conversation with Jordan—an MSP owner out of Phoenix—on how to grow sanely, specialize smartly, and stop tool sprawl. If you lead an MSP and want practical moves that improve margins without burning out your team, this one’s for you. ✅ Enjoyed this episode?  Like, subscribe, and share your biggest takeaway below.  https://beringmckinley.com/bering-mckinley-podcast-blog Guest: Jordan, Owner of a Phoenix-based MSP serving CPA firms In this episode, Josh digs into Jordan’s 15+ years of lessons building a calm, predictable MSP. You’ll hear how COVID pressure-tested his book of business (and why he pivoted away from dentist offices), the case for going deep on one vertical, and the mindset of being “professionally lazy” by automating the right things. We also unpack the rising tug-of-war with cyber insurers, what to do with tool bloat, and why gross profit beats topline bravado. 👉 Diversify wisely: why some verticals (e.g., dentists) are fragile—and how Jordan refocused on CPA firms 👉 Verticalization playbook: walk clients’ workflows, speak their language, and build repeatable offers 👉 Tool sprawl to discipline: consolidate logins, commit to fewer platforms, and set adoption checkpoints 👉 Cyber insurance encroachment: protect client experience and compliance against “bundled IT” pressures 👉 KPIs that matter: service salary-to-revenue ratio, gross profit first, and clean, timely financials You’ll also hear rapid-fire takes on ConnectWise vs. alternatives, underrated automations, commissionable internet as “free margin,” and how to groom future owners without selling to PE. Visit https://beringmckinley.com for more MSP resources. 🔗 Resources & Links • Jordan Hetrick PK Tech: https://pktech.net • Bering McKinley MSP Consulting: https://beringmckinley.com ⏱️ Chapters • 00:00 – Meet Jordan (Phoenix heat, AC woes, and format) • 01:30 – Early IT roots & first paid gig at 15 • 03:20 – From chaos to calm: lessons learned over 15 years • 04:32 – COVID shock, flexible credits, and retention • 07:05 – Vertical risk: moving away from dentists • 08:38 – Saying no: pricing big asks and non-fit deals • 10:38 – Market watch: cyber insurers acting like MSPs • 12:42 – Tool discipline: consolidate and adopt with intent • 15:14 – Quoting platform journey (to Quoter/ScalePad) • 16:49 – If starting today: go deep on one vertical (CPAs) • 19:48 – Myths: no, clients shouldn’t text your cell for support • 22:48 – Never-sell mindset & training next-gen owners • 25:37 – Defining success: right-sized growth & succession • 27:27 – Where to invest $100k: sales, marketing, AdWords • 29:00 – Advice for $1M MSPs: know your numbers first • 33:28 – Rapid fire: PSAs, automations, BDR, Roost, EOS • 36:06 – Expensive mistakes & must-track KPIs • 39:00 – Work styles, Windows 11 gripe, and sign-off 🔍 Primary Keywords msp growth, vertical specialization, connectwise, cyber insurance, gross profit, service salary to revenue ratio, msp kpis, tool consolidation 🔍 Secondary Keywords phoenix msp, cpa firm it support, eos traction, time entry hygiene, ticketing best practices, roost automation, quoting tools, scalepad quoter #️⃣ Hashtags #beringmckinley, #bmkvisionpodcast, #msp, #managedservices, #connectwise, #mspprofitability, #operations, #ticketing, #timeentry, #verticalization, #cyberinsurance, #grossprofit, #toolconsolidation, #cpa, #eos, #itconsulting