Garret Peaslee, How to Adapt Excel and Exit as Technology Changes

Garret Peaslee joins us and tells the story of a person that has seen it all in the IT services space. Starting in 1986 before the internet, Garret has show the ability to adapt to change and grow a business and expand.

1:17 –  Robb, Tim, and Brian recount their trip to CompTIA ChannelCon and share a story about the "Ducky Derby".

2:47 – Garret starts the conversation sharing his background which starts with him starting operations in 1986, pre-internet, pre-networking, as a desktop publishing service provider.  This launched a career of adjusting and adapting to meet the evolving technologies.

7:38 – Garret shares how as the internet began to explode he and his team invested $5M and built a data center.  This opportunity drove Garret into the world of MRR.  He and Brian share war stories from the data center.

13:03 – The call shifts to his sale of his company.  Once they hit $18-$20M in revenue they enlisted a broker to support the sale.  It was a successful exit and it keep the majority of the team remaining employed post-transaction. A big concern of him and his partners was to find them a safe landing.

16:56 – Tim starts a discussion of how not only was Garret the CEO of Secant, but he also led the sales team. A rare occurrence in the Managed Services industry for a mature MSP.  Garret then shares how it was a passion of his and that is why he kept the controls.

20:09 - They close the episode with a deep dive into the selection process for and M&A broker.  This includes the consulting that broker provided to help drive the sale, the handling of the legal process with a high-end attorney, and leading the marketing process.