Twins Talk Tech Leadership

Episode 177: 2025 Insights & What to Expect in 2026

In this special, we reflect on insights from 2025 and what leaders should prepare for in 2026. From the realities behind last year’s AI hype, to the need for emphasizing execution, data quality, culture, and leadership.  We also touch on experiences gained from producing over 400 podcast episodes.  We also look ahead to 2026 as the focus shifts to responsible and agentic AI moving from theory into practice, and to AI integration across business functions.  We even lay out some of our commitments for the year ahead—tying AI to measurable business outcomes, investing in learning frameworks, and taking more calculated risks—while reinforcing a core belief: technology adoption without mindset and culture change will not stick. 
 
Key HighlightsAI in 2025 was all the rage and yet execution and data quality were true differentiators.Action beats indecision, and sustainability beats speed.Growth comes from focus, not endless expansion.Culture and mindset must lead technology adoption.2026 will emphasize Responsible AI, agentic workflows, and outcome-driven benchmarks.Continued commitment to provide resources, including our AI simulation, courses and books. Be intentional, stay informed, and be bold as you build for the future.Become a sponsor, Patreon member and pick up our latest book entitled, Identically Opposite: Find Your Voice and SPEAK.
Timestamps:
Leverage AI 6:02
Identically Opposite SPEAK framework 9:12
Responsible AI 23:22

Episode 176: Your 2025 Leadership Review

As 2025 comes to a close, let’s press pause before pushing ahead into the New Year. We want to make the case that a deliberate year-end leadership review is not optional—it is essential. Too many leaders roll straight into the year with ‘bigger’ goals but carry over the same habits, skipping the hard reflection that drives real progress. A proper review goes beyond listing accomplishments; it asks whether your leadership actually mattered, where it created value, and how it impacted people and results. When treated as a growth conversation rather than an administrative exercise, a year-end review becomes the foundation for clarity, trust, and momentum.Highlights:Why effective leadership reviews must be reflective, celebratory, and strategic.Three core dimensions of a 2025 leadership review: value delivered, performance under pressure, and accountabilityHow avoidance and slipping standards quietly undermine results.Turning reflection into action by setting one clear leadership theme and one defining outcome for 2026.
Be 'intentional' and leverage technology and resources including ours.
 
Why focus, discipline, and accountability are the keys to truly “crushing” your goals next year.
Thank you for your continued support. Visit AppMeetup.com for more learning and development resources, including our books, journals and training programs. 
 
Timestamps:
Review 3 Aspects 6:40
3 Review Dimensions 10:03
A Performance Multiplier 19:10

Episode 175: Channel Pull and End-User Push

How is AI reshaping channel go-to-market strategies—especially for SMBs?  Demand Generation Manager for Channext and producer/host of the Partnerships Unraveled Podcast, Efe Senel shares how successful channel communities are built on trust, reputation, and deep partner understanding.Key Highlights:Efe’s unconventional journey from music into technology.Common mistakes in scaling partner ecosystems include distance, lack of connection, and trust erosion.Channext’s approach to “channel pull and end-user push” with their channel marketing automation platform.Lessons learned from podcasting (surpassed 200 episodes), mentorship, and building reputation-first channel strategies.Follow Efe on LinkedIn, follow the Partnerships Unraveled Podcast program and visit Channext.com to learn more about their partner marketing platform, and how embedding AI into channel programs, balancing automation with human connection, and scaling partnerships is a perfect mix for success.
 
Timestamps:
Importance of Trust & Connection 7:20
AI & Strategy 10:15
Marketing for Partners 25:01

Episode 174: Under-Promise and Over-Deliver

A timely conversation on the power of community as a growth engine with Tracie Orisko, Worldwide Senior Director of Sales Development and Community at Huntress.  Tracie credits relationships who have supported her success journey, as well as her deep rooted leadership principle of “under-promise and over-deliver.”Highlights include:Why trust must be earned—not assumed—and how intentionality, consistency, and cultural awareness are essential to creating communities that last.Emerging trends shaping 2026, and why everything at Huntress is community-driven—from supporting leaders to navigating AI responsibly.Recent announcement of their first distributor-partnership with Sherweb and upcoming product launches around posture management.Common mistakes leaders make when trying to “buy” community instead of earning it.From global partner engagement to aligning sales development with authentic relationships, this discussion reinforces why community remains the true differentiator in the IT channel.Connect with Tracie on LinkedIn and visit huntress.com/ to stay involved with the community and to learn more about their 2 upcoming product launches around posture management.
 
TimeStamps:
Under-Promise, Over-Deliver 11:31
Building 'Both Sides of the House' 19:49
2026 Shifts / Trends  22:31

Episode 173: Do the Right Thing

'Doing the right thing' in business is crucial for long-term success, fostering trust with customers, employees, and strategic partners.  Leading with this focus helps enhance brand reputation, increase profitability through efficiency, and build a healthy organizational culture, as ethical practices drive loyalty and better performance.  What does doing the right thing actually look like in business? Chris Allen, VP of Sales at Augmentt, provides insight into his leadership and shares how his leadership mantra—“Do the right thing”—continues to shape his approach to building high-performing sales cultures rooted in hope, accountability, and authenticity. 
 
Highlights include:
Augmentt’s platform and innovative approach to supporting their strategic partnerships. 
Intune Management, deeper AI integration through their new AI Policy Analyzer, and how partner feedback is actively shaping their 2026 roadmap.
“Chaos tends to breed opportunities” and elevate leadership.  
Chris's core values are to be hopeful, be accountable and be real.
How MSPs are leveraging Augmentt to increase MRR and enrich security offerings.
 
Be sure to follow Chis on LinkedIn and visit augmentt.com/ to learn more about their Microsoft-centric SaaS Security Management platform.
 
Timestamps:
'Do the right thing' 10:35
Working with Augmentt 15:29
Strategic relationship with Microsoft 23:07
Quickfire questions 26:22
 

Episode 172: Plan for a Successful TSP & Conference Journey

Planning for a successful TSP and conference journey begins with one essential principle: make every client and every attendee feel as though the message was crafted specifically for them. In this special IT Nation Connect Global edition, we sit down with Syed Fraz, CEO of ITMSC, and Amanda Young, Sr. Director of Global Events at ConnectWise, to explore how personalization, preparation, and community-driven experiences shape stronger outcomes for both MSPs and major industry conferences. 
 
We get a glimpse of Syed's entrepreneurial mindset and appetite for growth. Syed shares how MSPs can embrace AI, foster open conversations, empower their technicians, and cultivate relationships where “everyone is a friend.” Amanda takes us behind the curtain of a world-class event—revealing the six-month planning window, the five pillars guiding IT Nation’s design, and how her team balances tradition with innovation in an era where technology and attendee expectations evolve rapidly.  Her goal, 'it's about a connected experience' and one that is community-centric.
 
Learn more by visiting syncgoose.com, itmsc.net/ and itnation.connectwise.com/
See you at the next ITNation Conference & Tech event
 
Timestamps:
01:14 – Marker Part 1: Syed Fraz  27:36 – Marker Part 2: Amanda Y_PGM 

Episode 171: What's the Mission?

At IT Nation Connect Global, a clear theme emerged from our conversations with two industry leaders: understand and embrace the mission. Whether guiding teams or building global programs, Adam Slutskin, Co-Founder, Chief Revenue Officer, and Chief Strategy Officer at CyberFox; and Ben Bitterman, VP Global MSP at Arctic Wolf, emphasized that leadership begins with clarity of purpose.
Adam shares how a great culture, clear perspective, and authentic MSP DNA can fuel real organizational growth. He highlights CyberFox’s commitment to consistent pricing, meaningful problem-solving, and the power of simple, repeated communication. From military leadership to driving growth in the MSP and IT channel ecosystem, he reveals nuggets of wisdom including the adage of “say few things, say it often”.  He is offering a free resource for our listeners, visit https://tinyurl.com/cyberfoxE-book
Ben breaks down Arctic Wolf’s global MSP strategy, their concierge delivery model, and why MSPs must focus on the business outcomes their security solutions truly solve. He urged MSPs to assess what problems they truly solve, where they create value, and how to evolve through global pressures, regional compliance, and emerging technologies. His humorous promise — “I will Pinky and the Brain with you” — captured the spirit of partnership that both leaders believe is essential.
 
Together, these conversations offer compelling insights into leadership, culture, and the future of security operations, delivering the perfect blend of strategy, storytelling, and mission-driven guidance for today’s tech leaders. For more about their mission, visit cyberfox.com and arcticwolf.com/
 
Timestamps:
00:01:14 — Part 1: Adam Slutskin
00:22:13 — Part 2: Ben Bitterman

Episode 170: Crack the Code to Efficiency & Safety

We explore the adage “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail” with two leaders who are redefining how organizations safeguard their clients and scale strategic services. Jesse Miller—Founder of PowerPSA Consulting and creator of the PowerGRYD vCISO System—shares how “cracking the code” starts with asking the right questions, learning from your best customers, and building value pillars that simplify focus and accelerate growth. His message is clear: you don’t need to sell, you need to provide value, and the next best thing to “yes” is a fast “no.”We then shift to cyber crisis readiness with Noam Morginstin, CEO & Co-Founder of Exigence, who emphasizes that incident response cannot live in a static document. Leaders must plan, practice, and continuously evolve their ability to prevail when breaches occur. From automated runbooks to GenAI-powered response agents, Noam outlines the importance of helping teams and organizations prepare for the inevitable and confidently navigate high-pressure situations.Highlights include:Build two buckets of value pillars to scale your vCISO services effectively.“Focus is your friend”—eliminate complexity and create clarity.Incident response must move beyond Word docs to a dynamic, actionable SaaS system.“Plan, Practice, Prevail”—a three-step mindset for crisis and cyber-incident readiness.Leveraging GenAI agents to enhance prevention, detection, and coordinated response
 
Timestamps:
01:12- Part 1: Jesse Miller
30:25- Part 2: Noam Morginstin

Episode 169: Elevating the Partner Experience

In this special IT Nation Connect Global edition, we sit down with two respected leaders shaping the future of the channel: Rob Rae, Corporate Vice President of Community & Partner Experience at Pax8, and Eric Torres, Vice President of Channel & Community Engagement at Pax8. Together, they unpack what it truly means to elevate the partner experience—beginning with the simple but powerful act of listening. From understanding the partner’s universe to shaping a marketplace that reflects their needs, Rob and Eric illuminate how empathy, intentionality, and constant feedback fuel a thriving community.Highlights include:
Uncover and keep the voice of the partner central to design a better marketplace and event experience.
What a more “agentic" future means for service providers. 
Success stories within the Pax8 ecosystem and the importance of nurturing relationships that enable partners to grow. 
Rob emphasis on humility and service, "You're not the center of the MSP’s universe." 
Eric’s leadership principle: “Make time for conversations.” Listening and following up unlock community success.
 
Whether you’re a vendor, MSP, or channel leader, this episode delivers meaningful insights on strengthening connections and building a phenomenal partner journey.
Visit Pax8.com for insight into the community and to learn about Pax8 Beyond 2026 in Salt Lake City, Utah 
 
Timestamps
00:42— Part 1: Conversation with Rob Rae
33:12— Part 2: Conversation with Eric Torres

Episode 168: Lead the Conversation

Recorded during ITNation Connect Global, the theme of this episode is centered around the importance of leaders leading the conversation—especially when it comes to AI and emerging technologies shaping the MSP ecosystem. Nathanaëlle Denechere, CRO of Mizo and John Harden, Director of Strategy & Technology Evangelism at Auvik, lend their thoughts around embracing those moments as opportunities.  
Highlights from Part One with Nathanaëlle:
How their agentic service desk solution is redefining support by balancing automation with the irreplaceable human touch. 
Mizo’s powerful productivity gains—boosting output by 26% through intelligent resolution steps.
Reflected on the company’s excitement as a PitchIT Finalist.
 
Highlights from Part Two with John Harden:
Diving into his Conference presentation, “If You’re Not Leading AI Conversations, You’re Being Led Out.” 
Urging MSPs to embrace the monetization of AI. 
How the "Shadow AI is the new Shadow IT.”
 
 
Time Stamps:
00:50 – Part 1: Nathanaëlle Denechere24:20 – Part 2: John Harden