From High School to MSP – and Three Key Lessons Along The Way
Many of us fell in love with computers at a young age while doing schoolwork, playing video games, or surfing the Internet. While it may have sparked our interest in technology, it didn’t give us a career at the time. But it did for Greg Browning, who began his IT career in high school – and never looked back.
I heard Greg’s amazing story on Sunny’s Silver Linings podcast. He’s the CEO of SinglePoint Global (SPG), an Ashburn, VA-based MSP that’s in the top 10 in our channel. He was hired by an IT firm while in high school and did so well that, when he was 18, was sent to Atlanta, GA, to help open a remote location. He bought his first home when he was only 19 years old!
He traveled internationally, learning from colleagues, and eventually decided to open his own MSP in 2007. Since he was a tech guy, he learned the business side along the way, growing his company via referrals. He didn’t hire his first salesperson until 2018!
While on his incredible entrepreneurial journey, Greg learned three key lessons from which we all can benefit:
Don’t be afraid to ask for help – Greg recommended joining a peer group outside of your market where you can reach out to peers and grow and learn together. “I wish I had done this eight years earlier,” Greg said.
Don’t be afraid to try new things – Greg added new product lines and saw how doing so promotes growth. Not all will work out, of course, but the ones that do provide fresh avenues of revenue for your business.
Do what you have to do to retain employees – It’s imperative to keep your top talent. Greg recommends creating a strong culture for employee engagement, listen to your employees, help them grow in their careers, and act on their feedback.
Not bad for an MSP owner who began his journey in high school, huh? Listen to the full podcast here to get the full details from Greg’s story.
