Growing as an MSP Owner Through Learning
▶️ Watch: Growing Through Learning for MSPs
Prefer to read? The key ideas from the video are expanded below.
One of the ways we live out our core value of Growth at NodeWise CPA is through learning. For me, that mostly looks like reading and listening — books and podcasts that keep giving me new ways to think about the business and my role in it.
The resources I keep coming back to tend to have something in common: they’re about building a business that lasts. Not a quick flip or a flashy startup meant to burn bright and fast, but something meaningful, steady, and enduring. That’s what most of our clients are building too.
I see this with managed service providers all the time. You can build something very steady, but the complexity ramps up fast if you don’t keep growing as a leader along with the business.
Start by Creating the Time to Learn
I’d start with Buy Back Your Time by Dan Martell, because this is the book that helps free you up to even have the time and space to grow.
As your business scales, it’s easy to feel stuck — too many demands, not enough time. Martell gives very practical, specific tools for clawing back hours so you can actually work on your business instead of being buried in it.
If you’re an MSP owner, this is especially true when you’re the default escalation point and your calendar gets hijacked by fires.
Once you buy back some of that time, you can start investing in the bigger-picture learning the other books are about.
Books That Help You Build a Business That Lasts
Good to Great by Jim Collins is a classic. I like it because it is focused on what creates longevity in a business and the discipline it takes to build something that lasts.
And I’ll say this about all of these books: they layer together. They’re not saying the exact same thing, but they rhyme. They reinforce each other.
Unreasonable Hospitality by Will Guidara comes from the restaurant world, but the lessons apply to any business. It’s entertaining — funny, heartwarming, and full of great stories — while still pushing you to think about how you keep getting better for your clients.
The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni is one I’d recommend to anyone leading a team. It gives you a useful way to think about where trust and collaboration start to break down.
Then there’s Traction by Gino Wickman. This book introduces EOS, the Entrepreneurial Operating System, which is the system we follow at NodeWise CPA. Many of our clients use at least parts of it too.
For MSPs, EOS can be a game changer once you’ve got a growing help desk, project work, and multiple people owning client relationships.
If Good to Great and Unreasonable Hospitality inspire you with the “why,” Traction gives you the “how.” Weekly Level 10 meetings, clear accountability, long-term vision — those are the nuts and bolts that help keep a growing company aligned.
Choose Podcasts for Influence, Not Just Information
Podcasts are a little different. They’re not just about information — they’re about influence.
Yes, you’ll pick up new ideas, but the bigger benefit is being regularly influenced by the right voices. When you listen to someone every week, their tone and energy become part of your environment.
For example, I listen to one CPA who is upbeat, positive, and very progressive technologically. He’s got great ideas, but honestly, I listen just as much for the encouragement. He makes things seem doable, and that rubs off on me.
So when you’re choosing podcasts, don’t just think about the topic — think about the influence.
Do I need more seriousness? More encouragement? More practical how-tos?
Pick hosts whose voices help you become the kind of leader you want to be.
Pick One and Make Learning Part of Your Rhythm
So that’s my short list: Buy Back Your Time, Good to Great, Unreasonable Hospitality, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, and Traction.
You don’t need to tackle all of them at once. Pick one. Maybe start with Buy Back Your Time to free up some capacity.
Then be just as intentional about the voices you listen to every week. Pick a podcast or two that gives you the kind of ideas, encouragement, or practical help you need.
The point is to make learning part of your normal rhythm, not something you get to only when everything else is finished.
This article is for educational purposes only and is not tax or legal advice. Every business is different, and you should talk with your own professional about what makes sense for your situation.
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