Show Notes
In this episode, my guest is Tim Thompson, founder of CyberTrends. He helps MSP owners build the foundations they need to grow and scale their businesses. After building his own MSP to $7 million, Tim launched CyberTrends to share what he learned and help technical founders become stronger business owners. We discuss how MSP owners can move from working in the business to leading it, and how technology can help create the time and structure to make that shift. Tim shares his approach to operational maturity, building better processes and playbooks, and using AI and automation to eliminate low-value work. The conversation also explores why relationships still matter in an increasingly digital world, how leaders can help their teams embrace AI, and what to do with the time technology gives back. Learn more about Tim and CyberTrends:CyberTrends
Thank you to our sponsors: EO Calgary 2C Media
More from Beyond Technology
What happens to leadership when your org chart includes both people and AI agents? In this episode of the Beyond Technology podcast, Brent, co-founder of BigGeo ("the spatial cloud"), explains how his team turned deep tech from the University of Calgary into a platform that delivers any slice of the world's spatial data in seconds. Brent talks about using AI marketing systems to reach industries from healthcare to mining. He shares why he sees today's workforce as humans and agents working together, with people moving into governance roles. He also explains why technology is making leadership harder, not easier. He covers flattening org structures so team members own whole domains, the LinkedIn-fuelled FOMO behind "why aren't we doing that?", and why he still brings a pen and notebook to every in-person meeting.
In this episode, my guest is Musap (Moose) Abdel, founder of QA Enterprises, an artificial intelligence firm focused on helping small and medium-sized businesses improve their technology through automation, custom software, AI agents, and AI governance. Moose has spent much of his career in technology, working across IT and corporate environments before launching QA Enterprises with a focus on bringing different tools and systems together in a way that actually works for businesses. We discuss why businesses need to start with strategy before jumping into AI, how to determine whether technology is actually the right solution to a problem, and why AI literacy and responsible governance are becoming increasingly important. Moose shares his perspective on the hype surrounding AI, the risks of implementing new tools without understanding them, and how leaders can modernize their technology while keeping people at the centre of the process. We also get into automation, cybersecurity, disconnected data, and the importance of understanding what AI can and cannot do.
In this episode my guest is Gavin Harrison, co-founder of Level 52, a leadership development company helping organizations build stronger leaders through training, executive coaching, and customized leadership programs. An entrepreneur from an early age, Gavin has spent his career building businesses and teams and now brings that experience to helping leaders and organizations deepen their impact. We discuss how technology can amplify a leader’s impact without replacing human ownership and judgment. Gavin shares how he built a custom AI tool to overcome a personal challenge with dyslexia, why some technology can create more work than it saves, and how Level 52 encourages experimentation as part of its culture. We also explore the risk of getting distracted by constantly changing technology, the importance of putting guardrails around experimentation, and how leaders can stay focused on where their time and attention will have the greatest impact. Learn more about Gavin and Level 52: https://www.level52.ca
In this episode, my guest is Jordan Ramey, PhD, co-founder of Burwood Distillery, a Calgary-based craft distillery creating unique Alberta spirits and experiences. Before entering the beverage industry, Jordan earned his PhD in microbiology, immunology, and molecular genetics and worked as a researcher in cancer and anthrax studies. His career eventually took him into brewing education and consulting before he co-founded Burwood Distillery in 2016. We discuss how technology can take busy work off your team’s plate and give people more time to focus on what they do best. Jordan shares how specialized distilling software took an audit process from six months to one day, how AI is helping his team manage restaurant costs and inventory, and why he has started building his own tools when existing software falls short. The conversation also explores why some processes still work better on paper, the risks of trusting AI without verifying its answers, and the challenges of introducing new technology across a team with different levels of digital experience. Learn more about Jordan and Burwood Distillery: https://burwooddistillery.ca/distillery/
In this episode my guest is Brad Williamson, founder and CEO of Catch Digital, a digital marketing agency that helps businesses build measurable customer acquisition systems through paid media, automation, conversion optimization, and AI powered workflows. Catch Digital works with organizations across Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia to improve marketing performance by focusing on what matters most: return on investment. We discuss why marketing should be measured by business outcomes rather than tactics, how technology can improve every stage of the customer journey, and why AI should raise the quality of work instead of replacing people. Brad shares how Catch Digital built proprietary attribution technology, why integrated systems are becoming the future of business, and how leaders can avoid becoming overwhelmed by having access to too much information. Learn more about Brad and Catch Digital: https://www.catchdigital.io/