Growing as an MSP Owner Through Mindfulness
▶️ Watch: Growing Through Mindfulness for MSPs
Prefer to read? The key ideas from the video are expanded below.
At NodeWise CPA, one of our core values is growth. And growth isn’t just about the size of your business — it’s about you too. If we’re constantly focused on our teams, our clients, and the business without putting any time into our own growth, eventually that catches up with us.
One practice that’s been transformational for me is mindfulness. Just ten minutes a day can change how you lead, how you think, and how you show up.
Why Mindfulness Matters for MSP Owners
I first got interested in this after hearing Dr. Amishi Jha on Brené Brown’s podcast. She wrote a book called Peak Mind that looks at the science of attention and focus, including how attention performs under pressure.
That caught my attention because MSP owners operate under pressure too. The stakes are different from those faced by trauma surgeons or soldiers, of course, but the pattern of constant demands, interruptions, and high-consequence decisions is familiar.
For MSP owners, that can look like constant notifications, client escalations, and the feeling that you’re always on call. Over time, that takes a toll.
That is one reason mindfulness has become valuable to me. It gives me a deliberate way to slow down, notice where my attention is going, and create a little space before reacting.
Think about Simone Biles at the Olympics. She was the favorite to win gold across the board, and yet she pulled herself out because she got what gymnasts call “the twisties.” She knew that if she pushed through, she could hurt herself. It was a reminder that elite performance is not just physical. The mental side matters too.
Or take LeBron James. My son loves his series of meditations on the Calm app. LeBron talks about visualization and the mental side of preparing for high-pressure moments.
If that mental preparation matters to world-class athletes, it certainly matters to knowledge workers too. For MSP owners, so much of the job depends on judgment, attention, decision-making, and how we respond under pressure.
How I Make Mindfulness Practical
For me, the Calm app has been the easiest way to make mindfulness practical.
I started with Jeff Warren’s 30-Day Learn How to Meditate series, and that’s still what I recommend to someone who is brand new. It walks you through the practice step by step without assuming you already know what you’re doing.
I also like Daily Trip with Jeff. His voice and style just click with me. If you’re starting out, I’d try a few guides until you find one you connect with.
I often use background sounds too. My favorite is Lake Jasper — birds, water, really natural and calming — and I’ll use noise-canceling headphones so I can focus without distraction.
The real investment is in making the time and sticking with it.
For me, mornings are best. Ten minutes at the start of the day gives me a reset before the chaos hits.
If You Say You Don’t Have Ten Minutes
Let me be direct here. In advisory work, my clients pay me a lot of money to tell them things they don’t want to hear. So here’s one for free: if you say you don’t have ten minutes a day for mindfulness, you’re fooling yourself.
As an entrepreneur, no one owns your schedule but you. It may cost you something, yes. But if you want to grow, you absolutely have the ability to make space for this.
And if you’ve struggled to make routines stick, pick up James Clear’s Atomic Habits. It’s one of the best guides I know for turning intentions into lasting habits.
The Compound Effect of Ten Minutes a Day
Now imagine a year from now and you’ve done this practice 300 mornings. What’s changed?
Maybe you’re better at noticing when your attention is scattered. Maybe you pause before reacting to a difficult client or employee issue. Maybe you recover a little faster when things don’t go your way.
That’s the compound effect I’m interested in.
Just like we build systems in a business so it doesn’t collapse under its own weight, mindfulness builds structure into your life so you don’t collapse under the weight of leadership.
Calm is what worked for me, but the app is not really the point. Find a practice you can stick with and give yourself ten minutes a day. It’s one of the simplest investments you can make in how you lead, how you think, and how you show up for the people around you.
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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