4th Quarter Living: Score the Year, Set Up the Next | MSP Unplugged

Before you plan 2027, score 2026. In the first chapter of our 4th Quarter Living series, Paco Lebron welcomes Rick Smith and Nancy Henriquez as co-hosts for the rest of 2026 and into 2027. Together they take inventory of the year: the wins, the plays they would not run again, how AI changed the way they work, and how each of them plans to unplug before the new year.

Nancy shares what she is learning from her first acquisition, Rick talks about starting a new company from scratch, and Paco opens up about standardizing systems across an MSP roll-up. They cover:

• Why spending your first 30, 60, or 90 days on product learning instead of execution can slow you down
• How to plan without overplanning, and why perfectionism is a mask for procrastination
• Why profit is the heartbeat of your business and how cash flow makes or breaks you
• How Rick and Nancy are using AI this year, from research and admin help to an AI digital twin that checks processes against agreements
• Why getting more out of your existing client relationships beats always chasing new leads
• How to unplug, take time off, and build a business that does not own you

Hosts: Paco Lebron, Rick Smith, Nancy Henriquez

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MSP Unplugged is the weekly podcast for growing MSP owners, under $1M with 10 or fewer techs.