[189] The Final TubbTalk: Saying Goodbye to Tubblog

Speaker A: Hey, Team Richard here. This episode is brought to you thanks to my new book, Business Networking for Geeks. Now, if you're an MSP or IT business owner who dreads networking and I'm not talking Cat 6 cabling and switches here, then I've got you covered. My new book, Business Networking for Geeks, is packed with practical tips to help you build valuable relationships without the awkward small talk. Grab your copy now on Amazon or at Tub Co Bookstore. Start networking the smart way. Now back to the show. Hey Team Richard, Tubb here with the final episode of Tub Talk, the podcast for managed service providers. That's right, this is our last episode and this is goodbye. Now, uh, it was in December 2006. I sat down at my computer in Birmingham, um, and wrote the very first tablog post. At the time I was the owner of a small IT managed service provider business and I wanted to share my thoughts on running an MSP business as a record of my journey and to help my peers in the MSP community. Now, 2006 was the year, uh, that Twitter was launched, Google bought YouTube for $1.6 billion, and both the Nintendo Wii and Sony PlayStation 3 were launched. What I didn't know when I started writing was that uh, over the next 20 years, Tablog would grow into a global hub for MSPs. So now, after more than two decades in the managed service industry and almost 20 years running Tablog, the time has come for this chapter to end. On Friday, September 26, 2025, one day after my 49th birthday, we'll be ending the production of new content for Tablog, the hub for MSPs. And um, we'll be closing the Mezia business. This has been a journey measured in years and consistency. Since 2003, I've been immersed in the world of managed services. Along the way, Tublob has become a place where I've shared over 2,500 blog posts, 200 long form podcast episodes, 1,000 plus videos and four published books for it business owners. I'm proud of that consistency. It didn't come from motivation, it came from doing a little often for a very long time. And as the self professed world's biggest procrastinator, consistently creating content is something that I can look back on with pride and gratitude. This podcast especially has become a great source of inspiration for me. When I started TubTalk, the podcast for MSPs with its long form interviews, some people said that with attention spans dropping, nobody would make time for hour plus long conversation with MSP leaders. Yet the podcast has built an incredibly strong and loyal following and it's even spawned its own spin off show this year, 2025, as my dear friends Lenka Kapova and Vera Tucci launched Tub Talk Wired for Connection, a podcast focused on sharing underrepresented human stories from the IT and MSP industry. None of these milestones would have been possible without the team who supported me, so. So a huge shout out to my teamtub colleagues in Lenka Kerbova, Gudrun Laret, Mark Orr, James Eade, and former colleagues and friends such as Pascal Fintoni, Stephen McCormack, Corinna Barrett, Holly Honeyford, Michelle Lucciarini, Judith Burt and so many other colleagues who allowed me to get out of, uh, my own way and focus on doing what I enjoy. Connecting with people in the MSP community. Um, and what started as a simple blog in my spare time quickly became something bigger. I began Tub Blog, or Richard Tubbs Blog as it was known way back then, as a way to journal my experiences running an MSP business. Then in 2010, when my father, George Tubb passed away, I made the decision to sell my MSP business. But what I didn't realise was that tablog had turned into a trusted resource, a place where MSPs could learn, share and know they weren't alone. So, encouraged by the feedback from the community, including the huge honor of my peers electing me as the first chairman of the new CompTIA UK channel community, now known as GTIA, I continued writing about managed services. And over time, tablog became part of the fabric of the managed service landscape. It became a community hub where ideas and friendships were sparked. I never imagined tablog would leave a legacy, but I hope it will be remembered as a place that helped MSPs build better businesses and better lives. And Tublog didn't just help MSPs grow, it helped me to grow. Running Tublog pushed me so far outside my comfort zone. Speaking on stages around the world, writing and publishing books, hosting this podcast and video series that reached thousands, tens of thousands of people. Each step terrified me at first, but each became a milestone that I'll treasure. Tublog has helped me discover not just who I am professionally, but who I am personally. One of the areas I'm most proud of is speaking openly about my struggles with my mental health. Now, uh, I've struggled with depression since I was very young. And while this journey hasn't been easy in the later stages of my career, thanks to the support of my wonderful wife Claire, and amazing friends, such as Gemma Talford, Polly Brennan and Dave Algeo, I felt it was important to speak up. I'm especially grateful to CompTIA, or GTIA, as they're now called, who gave me the opportunity to go on stage at UH ChannelCon in Las Vegas in 2023 and openly share about my mental health journey, including speaking honestly on some very tough topics, such as suicide and burnout. And if by sharing my story I've helped even one MSP owner feel less alone or encouraged someone to see, then I think it's been worth it. I believe we've started moving the conversation forward in the IT industry around mental health, and that's something I'll continue to champion. Now, what really matters to me is the connections I've made along the way. I've had the privilege of serving an industry I absolutely love, and in return, I've gained lifelong friendships, countless stories, and the joy of being part of an amazing global community. So, to every MSP vendor, client, partner, podcast guest, event organizer, listener, viewer or reader who's been a part of this journey, thank you. You've given me more than I ever could have imagined. And of course, none of this would have been possible without mentors. I've been blessed to learn from the smartest, most generous people in the IT industry. They gave freely of their time, advice and experience, and I've always tried to pass that same generosity along. There are way too many people to mention, but I'd like to give a special thanks to Arlen Sorenson, Eric Simpson, Carl Palachuk, Nigel Moore, Pascal Fintoni, Philip Morgan, Raja Pagadala, Rob Hatch, and Tiana Wilson Bayes, all of whom have been incredible friends and have helped me enormously, both personally and professionally. If tublog has helped you in any way, then the legacy belongs as much to those people, to those mentors I've mentioned, as much as it does to me. I, uh, may be stepping back, but the need for connection within the managed service industry doesn't go away. In fact, I believe it will only grow stronger. So this is simply the closing of one chapter so another can begin. Tabblog will remain online as an archive, a resource for the managed service provider community, but we won't be publishing any new content beyond this point. As for me, I'm still going to be a part of the managed service industry, but in a new way. I'll be focused on working behind the scenes to provide mentorship and strategy for vendors with a very small number of non executive director and advisory roles, the first of which I'm excited. I'll be announcing shortly. I'll continue to share ideas, stories and conversations beyond the managed service provider industry over on my personal website, richardtub.co.uk, and if you enjoy tech recommendations, leadership insights, personal development ideas, I'd encourage you to sign up for my email updates there. I'm also going to continue writing books on non MSP topics, with my fifth book due to be published soon. So keep an eye on my Richard Tub website or on my Goodreads Author page for more details. Writing, podcasting and speaking are, uh, still very much in my blood and I'm excited about what comes next and inspired by my great friend Chris Brogan. Each year I choose three words to guide me and for 2025 those words were Pareto, Lighten, and Broadcast. Pareto means focusing on what truly matters, the 20% that brings 80% of the results. Lighten it means, uh, for me, removing burdens and creating more space for peace of mind and broadcast, continuing to share ideas, insights and conversations in ways that reach and inspire others. These words remind me that this decision isn't about stopping, it's about creating space for the next evolution of my work and my life. Nearly 20 years ago, I set out with one goal to help MSPs run better businesses and build better lives. And looking back now, I feel I've achieved what I set out to do and so much more. If you have any memories on our journey together, please do get in touch. I'd love to hear from you. From the bottom of my heart. Thank you for reading, listening, watching and walking this journey with me. Here's to the next chapter. Cheer.