Once more unto the breach
Almost a year ago I wrote a post titled On Broken Promises that I closed out with a simple statement:
So I need to build something that will allow me to find purpose. I have an idea of what it can be. I'm still fleshing it out, but it's the first thing in some time that really excites me, and if successful it will allow me to leverage specific skills that I haven't really had a chance to use in many years. So I'm starting. I'll announce it here when I'm ready for the world to see. This time feels different.
It was a good plan! I’m happy to report that I failed at it! Just not in the way you might expect.
The original idea didn’t die, it split. What began as one concept turned into two businesses, tightly connected but distinct, both going live now. After nearly fifteen years in the managed IT services world, I kept running into the same quiet truth: we can do IT better. Even in leadership roles, I wasn’t fully in control of the vision. Now I am.
So, allow me to introduce Athencia and MSP Ascent.
Athencia
Athencia started as a thought experiment and became something very different: a new breed of technical services firm.
I’ve built and scaled multiple MSPs, but Athencia isn’t “another MSP.” It’s built for business growth, not ticket volume. It’s cloud-first, security-driven, and AI-enabled from day one. Over a long planning cycle I stepped back and asked what small businesses actually need from modern IT. Then I built the tooling, processes, and architecture — some bought, some written by me — to support secure, smart operations delivered by a small senior team.
If you want to follow what we’re building, you can subscribe to Athencia Insights here.
MSP Ascent
MSP Ascent is the second half of the equation, created to help MSPs — including Athencia — build order, discipline, and predictability into their operations.
Right now it offers fractional service delivery management and operations consulting. Between now and the end of 2026, it will expand into near-shore and rural-shore staffing, go-to-market planning, and outsourced bookkeeping, all designed specifically for MSPs.
I’m also my own first customer, on purpose. Most MSP founders are deeply technical, which is fantastic for clients but disastrous for growth. The business side gets ignored until it becomes expensive; MSP Ascent exists to fix that. We teach technical founders how to run a business, and we provide the systems and services they don’t have time to build.
If you want to follow along as we build this out, you can subscribe to Ticket to Growth, the MSP Ascent newsletter, here.
It's a common refrain that owning and operating a small business is akin to chewing glass. Having done this before I can verify that's correct, if a little toned down compared to reality. In my opinion it's more like chewing glass while trying to skip across a lava flow while naked and being chased by wasps. That said, I'm doing it again.
If you're interested in learning more about what I'm doing, drop me a note via email or DM me on X.