EP250 – Milestones that Matter after 250 Episodes with Ian Luckett & Stuart Warwick

In this special episode Stuart and I take time to reflect on the milestones that have shaped our partnership, our clients, and the Growth Hub as a whole. We start right at the beginning when we first met. It was late in the Covid period and what started as a one-to-one conversation quickly turned into something much bigger. We realised that our values aligned, that our different personalities and skills would complement each other, and that together we could help more people, change more lives, and have a greater impact. That first milestone of recognising the power of working together has been the bedrock of what we do today.  We talk about how important it is for MSP owners to think about partnerships in their own business. Whether you are bringing in a shareholder, working with a potential acquisition partner, or developing your senior leadership team, you need both shared values and complementary skills. Stuart and I are very different in pace, approach, and thinking, but those differences have made the Growth Hub stronger. For MSPs the lesson is clear. Build a team where everyone brings something different to the table but is pulling in the same direction.  Another milestone was the integration of our frameworks, models, and clients. We both had our own ways of working and separate groups of clients when we joined forces. Instead of keeping things divided we decided to combine everything. We pulled together our systems, refined the content, and aligned everything around one shared approach. That was when the Scale with Confidence system really began to evolve. We also brought all our clients together, regardless of what they were paying at the time, and focused purely on delivering massive value. For MSP owners this mirrors what happens when you go through M&A or team integration. The milestone is not only in joining the businesses together but in aligning values, streamlining systems, and creating a single powerful client journey.  We also highlight the milestones in our marketing journey. Marketing to MSPs is not easy because you are busy, your world is changing quickly, and you are bombarded with content every day. What has made the difference for us is listening to what you tell us. Whether it is in coaching calls, events, or informal conversations, we listen to the problems MSP owners share and we turn those into practical content. That has led to a marketing machine that attracts the right people at the right time and makes sure we are having conversations that matter. The lesson here for MSPs is not to overcomplicate marketing. Think about how your clients want to be communicated with, meet them where they are in their journey, and build the right content to help them take the next step.  One of the most powerful milestones we discuss is the importance of future vision. Every MSP business will be sold one day. Whether you plan for it or not, whether it is to employees, family, or an external buyer, the day will come. The milestone is realising that you need to be building a saleable business today if you want to maximise value tomorrow. That means strong systems, predictable recurring revenue, clear leadership, and transferable value. Many MSP owners put this off until it is too late. The shift comes when you deliberately start to build a business that has value beyond you as the owner.  In this episode Stuart and I also share how our vision goes beyond the Growth Hub. We both have personal connections to supporting people with special needs and we are building towards creating a supported living initiative as part of our long-term legacy. That north star keeps us focused and reminds us that the work we do with MSPs is not only about revenue growth and EBITDA multiples. It is about creating businesses that enable owners to live their lives with purpose and choice.  250 episodes in, we are still as energised and committed as ever. The milestones so far have been significant, from our first meeting, to building the Growth Hub, to refining our frameworks, to helping dozens of ambitious MSPs scale with confidence. The future milestones are even bigger. Whether that is supporting more MSPs to reach the one million mark, helping those already there to accelerate to five million, or preparing owners for successful exits, our focus is clear.  We finish this episode by raising a glass to you, our listeners, clients, and supporters. Thank you for being part of this journey and for sharing your feedback, ideas, and encouragement. This podcast would not exist without you. Here is to the next 250 episodes, to more milestones that matter, and to helping even more MSP owners build businesses that give them freedom, impact, and fun.  Make sure to check out our Ultimate MSP Growth Guide, a free guide that walks you through a proven process to take your MSP from stuck to scalable, without working even more hours. It’s 44 pages rammed with advice, insights and inspiration to help you decide what support is available to you now if you want to grow and scale your business. Click HERE to get your copy.  Connect on LinkedIn HERE with Ian and also with Stuart by clicking this LINK  And when you’re ready to take the next step in growing your MSP, come and take the Scale with Confidence MSP Mastery Quiz. In just three minutes, you’ll get a 360-degree scan of your MSP and identify the one or two tactics that could help you find more time, engage & align your people and generate more leads.  OR   To join our amazing Facebook Group of over 400 MSPs where we are helping you Scale Up with Confidence, then click HERE  Until next time, look after yourself and I’ll catch up with you soon!