Running an MSP is hard. Running one while you can’t delegate, can’t disconnect, and can’t let go of control is even harder. In this episode, Manny Anguiano of Convergent Networks shares how he built a voice and cabling company, walked away from a third of it, rebuilt around VoIP and managed services, and ultimately handed the reins to his son — without destroying their family in the process.

Guest Introduction

Manny Anguiano is the founder of Convergent Networks, a Southern California MSP that blends VoIP, low-voltage cabling, IP cameras, access control, and managed services into a recurring-revenue model. In this conversation, we explore his journey from USC baseball player to stressed-out business owner, and how therapy, EOS, and his son’s leadership helped turn a “helter-skelter” operation into a disciplined, growing company.

• Leaving a successful voice company to pursue VoIP and MSP services

• Early VoIP pain: bad networks, packet loss, and losing clients

• Adding IP cameras and access control — and turning them into MRR

• Joining TAG (Technology Assurance Group) and learning from peers

• Bringing his son Adam into the business and eventually into ownership

• How process, logistics, and project controls changed profitability

• People-pleasing, delegation, and why Manny couldn’t let go at first

• The impact of stress on marriage, family, and being “present” at home

• Using therapy and EOS coaching to separate dad vs. business-partner roles

• Building a business his son actually wants to run in the future

Plus: How D1 athletics, discipline, and “finishing the job” mindset still shape the way Manny leads today.

Guest LinkedIn: (search “Manny Anguiano Convergent Networks” on LinkedIn)

Company Website: https://convergent-networks.com

YouTube (Video Podcast):

https://www.youtube.com/@beringmckinleyvision?sub_confirmation=1

Learn More About the Vision Platform:

https://beringmckinley.com/vision

Apply to Be a Guest:

https://beringmckinley.com/bering-mckinley-podcast-blog

From E-1 seaman to Navy Commander to GovCon cyber CEO. In this episode, Josh Peterson talks with Erica Dobbs, founder and CEO of Dobbs Defense Solutions, about what it really looks like to leave a long military career, enter entrepreneurship, and build a cleared cybersecurity and IT company serving high-stakes federal missions.

Erica is a retired U.S. Navy Commander (O-5) and the founder and CEO of Dobbs Defense Solutions (D2S), a service-disabled veteran-owned and women-owned firm specializing in cyber, enterprise IT, and analytics for federal, state, local, and commercial clients. She joins Josh to unpack the realities of government contracting, margins, leadership, and mission-driven entrepreneurship from a veteran’s perspective.

In this conversation, they explore how Erica went from E-1 to Navy Chief to O-5 Commander, her experience running IT operations on aircraft carriers, and how military leadership translates into business ownership. She shares what it was like to transition from being the decision-maker to becoming a salesperson, how cleared contracts work, what LPTA and best-value really mean, and how shutdowns and policy turbulence impact small businesses. Erica also discusses her rookie pricing mistake, navigating prime and subcontractor relationships, and the “stretch project” that unexpectedly turned into a major win.

Guest Links

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erica-dobbs

Website: https://thinkd2s.com

Subscribe to the BMK Vision Podcast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@beringmckinleyvision?sub_confirmation=1

Learn more about the BMK Vision Operating System: https://beringmckinley.com/vision

Apply to be a guest: https://beringmckinley.com/bering-mckinley-podcast-blog

In this From the Trenches episode, Josh Peterson sits down with Alexis Villamizar and Mariana Arrieta, co-founders of My PC Friends, an MSP serving Central Florida. Their story begins in Venezuela, where they ran a break/fix business before immigrating to the United States in search of stability, opportunity, and a new life for their family.

After years of learning a new culture, navigating immigration systems, and rebuilding from scratch, Alexis and Mariana discovered the MSP model at a conference they attended when they were nearly broke. That moment changed everything. They shifted from residential repair to true managed services, began serving primarily Latin American business owners, grew to 25 recurring clients, and now stand right at the threshold of $500k+ in service revenue.

In this conversation, they share the challenges and breakthroughs of entrepreneurship as immigrants, how cultural differences influence IT buying behavior, why bilingual communication became their competitive advantage, and what it takes to move from referral-based growth to intentional sales, account management, and QBR-style engagements.

If you want to hear the real side of building an MSP—family, hardship, language barriers, community support, resilience, and relentless learning—this episode will inspire you.

• Moving from Venezuela to the U.S. and restarting their IT business

• Why their “retiree IT support” concept failed and how an MSP event transformed their model

• Serving Latin-owned small businesses that often have no IT or cybersecurity foundation

• Turning Spanish and a strong accent into a business advantage

• Growing to ~25 recurring clients and multiple employees

• Maintaining a profitable family business through personal hardships

• Using appreciation visits and informal conversations as pre-QBR touchpoints

• The mindset shift required to reach $1M+ in revenue

• Building consistency in prospecting, door-knocking, and event-based outreach

• How the MSP community helped accelerate their growth

My PC Friends

Website: https://mypcfriends.com

Location: Kissimmee, Florida

YouTube (Video Podcast):

https://www.youtube.com/@beringmckinleyvision?sub_confirmation=1

Learn More About the Vision Operating System:

https://beringmckinley.com/vision

Apply to Be a Guest:

https://beringmckinley.com/bering-mckinley-podcast-blog