Twins Talk Tech Leadership

Episode 67: PitchIT Accelerator Program

The application window for PitchIT 2024 is still open. The annual PitchIT Accelerator Program is now in its 5th year, and we are thrilled to partner again with Sean Lardo, ConnectWise and the IT Nation community.Sean Lardo, Head Evangelist and a true voice for the partner joins us once again to talk about IT Nation and the upcoming PitchIT Accelerator Program. PitchIT is a worldwide ‘Shark Tank’ like competition that invites organizations to highlight their innovative solutions, be discovered and to learn from the community. 26 vendors are chosen to be a part of this amazing 16-week incubator program, led by industry experts, covering sales, marketing, branding, messaging, product security, and more. From that cohort group, 3 will become Finalists and present live at IT Nation Connect. Additional highlights include:PitchIT winning prize of $70,000.ConnectWise marketplace.The 3 Finalists alone have generated over $3M in ARR.To learn more about the Accelerator program and to become a participant:https://www.connectwise.com/theitnation/pitchit

Episode 66: Practices of Successful Leaders

Tech leaders must develop a mindset and integrate strategies to support the continued demand from their organizations and the market. How can they become more effective and efficient with their time? Who are some of the leaders that you should emulate? What are some of their best practices?Let’s dive into 10 observations of successful tech leaders. Perhaps some of these will support you and your drive to be excellent. Be the ModelPrioritizing self awareness and self developmentOrganize your scheduleHave growth goalsPractice curiosityDon’t just close tickets, learn from themRefine your nicheLeverage strategic partnerships and alliancesAutomate and delegateCelebrateTo learn more about our coaching and training programs, visit appmeetup.comAppMeetup: Microsoft's 2024 Supplier to Supplier Collaboration Partner. Thank you for your continued support of our Podcast.

Episode 65: Stress Management Translates into Success

Whether you like it or not, stress and stressful experiences are a part of life. Stress can be compounded and even triggered by various factors, including personal challenges, health concerns, work pressure, or even global events. The key is learning how to manage stress. This ability can significantly impact our overall wellbeing and professional success.Dat Tran, Leadership coach, Speaker and Founder of Dat Purpose shares his journey and insight into helping leaders and organizations with this area of stress management. Highlights include:Discovered his purpose and how he helps leaders align with their own purpose.We can have 'saboteurs', thought patterns that can hold us back from being our bestDefining what positive intelligence is and the importance of training our mind.Creating a psychological safe place for our people to be at their best.His Stress Management Framework: Bury. Release & Process.Importance of leadership to model the framework.We also dive into strategies for releasing stress, including exercise, breathing and meditation. Understand the language of stress and how to communicate what you are feeling. Don’t bury stress; instead, release and process to ensure continued growth, provide security and nurture an environment for greater success. To learn more about Dat, connect with him on LinkedIn and visit datpurpose.com/

Episode 64: Humanize Technology Framework (a Replay)

We are working on a couple of projects and wanted to give a shoutout to one of our program sponsors. This is a special replay of an episode with Adam Walter, President of Humanize IT. Humanize IT provides a framework for Managed Service Providers to humanize aka simplify the approach to client interaction and communication. Demonstrate your value and increase opportunities by leveraging this software. You will also learn about Adam's experience as a ConnectWise PitchIT Participant and Winner of The 'Most Innovative Solution' award. Give a listen to Adam’s Humanize IT podcast and learn more about Humanize IT by visiting humanizeit.biz/Leverage content like this program to elevate your game and voice. Thank you Adam and Humanize IT for sponsoring our program. For more information and to become a sponsor, visit AppMeetup.com

Episode 63: Unstoppable Rhythm of Execution

The benefits of the OKR goal-setting process are apparent and core to the success of some of the world’s leading organizations. The Objective and Key Results (OKR) model, when properly implemented, helps to guide the company toward the desired stated mission and vision. Scott Levy, Founder and CEO of Result Maps shares how organizations can shape culture, elevate communication and increase engagement. Result Maps is a leading Strategy Execution Software, providing CEOs and leaders of organizations visibility into how their strategy is being executed and the ability to help drive accountability. Some of the highlights include:Illustration of music and how in the absence of rhythm, there is nothing but noise and not true harmony.4 out of 5 don’t understand the direction given by leadership.Insight into how to get the best from your teams. Organizational culture of clear vision and being able to learn and fail quickly.Connect with Scott on LinkedIn and visit Resultmaps.com to learn more about how you can increase the effectiveness of your organization. Scott is also providing a Free-Trial as well as insight into their Vision Course www.resultmaps.com/how-to-build-a-vision-that-sticks

Episode 62: What About the Cloud? Add Value and Learn

What About the Cloud? Add Value and LearnWhat should you know about the Cloud and how can aligning with the right partnerships lead to greater success?Joseph Landes, CRO & CoFounder of Nerdio shares his leadership journey and what he has learned about building a leading and successful organization. Nerdio is a leading software solution provider that empowers MSPs and Technology firms to best deploy, manage, and cost-optimize native Microsoft Cloud technologies.Some of the key highlights include:A core belief of ‘Educate First, Sell Second’ leading to their 80/20 and Training Camps.Find great people, nurture them and then ‘let them rip’; let them lead.Nerdiocon 2024 and why a destination conference.Joseph also shares steps that he has taken to help make Nerdio more successful. They include learning from other influential leaders, time management (70% with partners and customers), depth of partnerships with key distributors, and the importance of healthy working relationships such as the one he has with his Co-Founder Vadim Vladimirskiy.To learn more about Joseph, connect with him on LinkedIn and visit getnerdio.com

Episode 61: Engagement is Key to Success

Organizations understand that engaged employees are crucial to success. Engaged not only with existing clients, but also within the community. How do you engage your circles of influence and how can you help your teams achieve higher levels of engagement? Matthew Donald Lucas, Solutions Architect with CBE IT Solutions shares his leadership journey and dives into why engagement is key for achieving favorable outcomes. How you engage and communicate matters. Some of the highlights include:Importance of keeping clients informed and educated through webinars, workshops, QBRs and using strategically designed roadmaps.Developing a culture of continuous learning and hand on training.Their apprenticeship program, celebrating their growth and success,Trends and what clients are looking for.Connect with Matt on LinkedIn and visit cbeits.com/

Episode 60: Communication Tips for Technical Founders

If you desire to create a successful startup or if you are looking to strengthen your startup, what should you keep in mind? Start with a solution that a customer would want or need, build around amazing people and clarify your message. Speaking of that message, what are some communication tips that every technical founder and leader should keep in mind? What are those tips that can help articulate the value you provide?Tips include: Know your Audience,A Compelling Story.Practice, Practice, Practice.Body Language.Feedback.These 5 tips are invaluable no matter the stage of your startup. Focus on these and watch how improved communication skills can directly impact your organization. These are incredibly beneficial for every technical leader. To learn more about our training and coaching programs, connect with us on LinkedIn and visit appmeetup.com/Keep speaking! Thank you for your continued support.

Episode 59: A Voice within the Sector

A great voice is one that is born of experience and from having a keen awareness of both need and a willingness to speak out. David Sobel is the Host of The Business of Tech Podcast, an IT services focused news platform. Dave has been a fixture and we are fortunate to work alongside him to elevate leadership voices and trends within this space. Highlights include:Be a good listener and stay focused on being a learner. His Diversity Report update. It is not getting any better; not getting more diverse. 2 basic ideas of diversifying to sell to your customer base, and to 'make the pie bigger.Need to build an excellent culture and have great retention of talent.Invest in keeping in touch with people and delivering continuous value.His passion for slow cooking and smoking meats. Connect with Dave on LinkedIn and follow his work by visiting businessof.tech/

Episode 58: Community, Culture and Defining Moments

How you build matters. Building upon a foundation of family, community and commitment can lead to amazing results. Marissa Maldonado, CEO & Majority Owner of Proda Technology, a managed IT services and consulting firm shares her story of determination and commitment to building an organization of impact.Some of the highlights include:Integrating coaching, peer groups and impacting communities.Core values, EOS model and scaling past $2M and $5M.Embracing vulnerability as a leader.Promoting diversity, inclusion and supporting women in technology.Work-life balance and playing with your children.Connect with Marissa on LinkedIn and visit prodatechnology.com/