Empath

??? #SpicyMonday take: "You're so smitten with certifications, you've friend-zoned soft skills!" Let’s face it, #MSPs: we love our tools, our certifications, and our technical wizardry. And sure, they’re essential. But here’s a hard truth: soft skills are what make or break your business, and most of us are dropping the ball when it comes to prioritizing them. Consider this: ?? LinkedIn reports 92% of hiring pros say soft skills are more important than technical ones. ?? Harvard research found 85% of job success stems from soft skills, while technical skills? Just 15%. ??Meanwhile, most MSPs dump 70% or more of their training budgets into tech know-how, leaving soft skills to fend for themselves. Why does this matter? Because your clients don’t remember the firewall you configured perfectly. They remember how you handled the call when their server crashed, their boss was yelling, and their entire team couldn’t work. That’s soft skills at play. Here’s why soft skills should matter to you: ?? Empathy during a meltdown wins clients for life. Tech fixes are replaceable—strong relationships aren’t. ?? Poor communication turns your service desk into a battleground. Want faster resolutions? Teach your team how to talk to each other. ?? You can’t upsell a client if you can’t even read the room during a meeting. Soft skills = business growth. MSPs preach accountability, yet we fail to hold ourselves accountable for the soft skills gap. Training isn’t just plugging people into technical bootcamps—it’s teaching them how to listen, negotiate, and say, “I hear you, and we’ll fix it.” And since it’s Thanksgiving season, let me say this: Gratitude is the ultimate soft skill. Showing appreciation to your clients and your team takes zero effort but delivers infinite ROI. Your clients need to feel valued. Your team needs to feel seen. So, this Thanksgiving, don’t just give thanks—show it. Invest in the soft skills that make your team unstoppable. They’ll thank you, your clients will thank you, and hey, your bottom line will too. What’s one soft skill you think the MSP industry is seriously lacking? Let’s talk about it below. ?? ---------------------------------------------------- ?? Fun Fact: The most viewed courses on Empath right now? They’re all about soft skills. Yup, things like communication, leadership, and negotiation. Why? Because MSPs are finally waking up to this truth: you can’t just fix things; you have to connect with people.

?????? Who’s got the bright ideas? Let’s bring 'em forward! Listen up, meme enthusiasts and MSP masterminds! You know that friend with THE BEST talk idea—the one who rants at lunch like they’re already on stage? Or maybe that colleague who drops brilliance in Slack and then shrugs it off like it’s NBD? Tag them. Right now. ?? At RejectionCon, we’re giving the “unheard geniuses” their moment in the spotlight. No gatekeeping. No rejection emails. Just pure, unfiltered knowledge bombs being dropped left, right, and center. BOOM ?? ?? Got a buddy who’s always dropping ?? takes? Tag 'em. ?? Know someone with a killer talk that got rejected? Tag 'em. ?? Or maybe it’s you? No shame—tag YOURSELF. ?? We want YOU to share that brilliance! Let’s make sure those amazing talks don’t stay hidden in Google Docs or the Notes app. The community needs them! ?? Submit rejected talks here: https://hubs.la/Q02Z9q8c0

?? Ever watched an Empath Live Stream and thought, "Wow, John REALLY needs to see this—it’s exactly what he was asking about last week!" Well, now you can make it happen! We're happy to announce the ability for managers to assign Live Streams directly to their team’s Learning Pathways. Whether it’s an episode of The Elephant in the Room with Alex Farling & Kyle Christensen or a deep dive into Cybersecurity and vCIO with Wes Spencer in one of his AMAs, you can ensure your team doesn’t miss a beat—while keeping them equipped and entertained! This isn’t just about learning; it’s about creating those “Aha!” moments that drive growth and boost confidence across your team. How to make the most of it? 1?? Spot an episode that sparks ideas. 2?? Assign it to the team member or group who NEEDS it. 3?? Watch them thrive, learn, and bring that knowledge back to work! Ready to keep your team at the top of their game? Try the new feature today and keep your team learning, laughing, and leveling up. Log in now at https://hubs.la/Q02Zc3gh0

?? Episode 9 dropping TODAY! Join us for Service Manager Cohort's episode TODAY as we explore the Service Manager Career Ladder with hosts Todd Kane and Kyle Christensen and special guest Jennifer Roy of Nucleus Networks. ? Time: 12PM - 1PM ET ?? https://hubs.la/Q02YJMyP0 Is it your time to step up from Manager to Director? Director to Officer? Let's find out together! #ServiceManagerCohort

??Your client’s internet is down vs. a server issue impacting multiple clients. Which do you handle first? Is this really urgent, or just loud? In this clip from the course "The Foundations of MSP Dispatching", Cassie Kerr of Pivotal Crew dives into one of the biggest challenges MSP dispatchers face: balancing impact and urgency to make smarter prioritization decisions. If your team’s dispatcher is still struggling to distinguish between what’s truly urgent and what’s impactful, it’s time to cut through the chaos! Help them master prioritization and take control like a pro. With this course, your dispatchers will gain the skills to make smarter decisions and keep operations running smoothly. Add this course to your team’s learning pathway today and level up their dispatching game! ?? https://hubs.la/Q02Z20yn0

? It’s time to turn those dreaded Quarterly Business Reviews (QBRs) into Strategic Business Reviews (SBRs) that clients actually look forward to! Imagine walking out of every business review with clients feeling excited, more connected, and ready to buy from you again. Yes, it’s possible—and it’s simpler than you think... In this course you'll learn: ?? Transform Boring Reviews: Learn how to position yourself as a trusted advisor, not just a vendor. ?? Plug-n-Play Presentations: Get a ready-to-use PowerPoint deck from Jeff Loehr and Joe Rojas that’s customizable and client-ready. ?? Effortless Setup: Use our Schedule-It-For-You automation to save time and keep you organized without the headache. ?? Keep Clients Happy and Boost Sales: Discover techniques to keep clients coming back, asking for more, and increasing revenue with every interaction. ?? Ready to leave 'em begging for more? Access "Leave 'Em Begging for More SBR" only at Empath! https://hubs.la/Q02XGRqV0

Is it time to step up from Manager to Director? Director to Officer? ?? Get ready for the next episode of the Service Manager Cohort, your ultimate guide to unlocking the skills, expectations, and opportunities at every level of the Service Manager Career Ladder. PLUS, we’re excited to announce that this session will feature special guest Jennifer Roy, CEO of Nucleus Networks! Jennifer will lead the discussion, sharing her expert insights on leadership, career growth, and what it takes to excel in the MSP space. ?? Why You Can’t Miss This: ? Learn what sets a manager, director, and officer apart. ? Understand the expectations for growth in service leadership. ? Walk away with actionable insights to take the next step in your career. ?? November 22, Friday ? 12PM - 1PM ET ?? https://hubs.la/Q02YLmhV0 The path to leadership starts here—don’t wait to make your move. #ServiceManagerCohort

?? Imagine this: your team crushes their SLA targets, technicians are happy and productive, and clients rave about your service. Sounds like a dream? With Empath's latest course "The Foundations of MSP Dispatching" by Cassie Kerr of Pivotal Crew, it’s a reality waiting to happen. This course will help you solve day-to-day challenges: ?? Struggling with tickets piling up faster than your morning emails? Learn prioritization strategies to handle high volumes without burnout. ?? Techs arriving unprepared because of poor ticket notes? Cassie Kerr will teach you how to communicate like a bridge—not a bottleneck. ??Getting pushback from frustrated clients? This course shows you how to handle difficult conversations while keeping clients happy. Cassie, with her wealth of real-world experience, breaks down the essentials of dispatching into actionable steps. Whether you're new to the role or an experienced one, this course equips you with the tools to manage workloads effectively and elevate the dispatcher’s role in the MSP space. Find this course and more only at Empath ?? https://hubs.la/Q02YLv240 Tag your team or share this with a dispatcher who’s ready to thrive!

?? TOMORROW’s the Day! ?? ??? Cybersecurity & vCIO AMA is going LIVE with Wes Spencer! ?? November 19, 4 PM ET This isn’t just another event—it’s your chance to connect, learn, and grow. Whether you’ve got a notebook full of questions or just want to soak in the wisdom, you’ll walk away with new perspectives (and maybe a few laughs). Don’t wait—tag your MSP crew, set a reminder, and get ready to AMA with Wes! ?? Join here: https://hubs.la/Q02XWTy50

Hey Herd! ?? We’ve been busy behind the scenes, listening to your feedback, and boy, do we have some exciting new features to share! Here’s what’s fresh on the Empath platform that’ll make learning, tracking, and managing your team smoother than ever: ?? Simplified Progress Tracking Say goodbye to confusion! Your top-right corner now shows exactly how far along you are with your assigned courses. No math, no fuss—just clear progress updates. ?? Live Streams, Now Assignable! Yep, you heard right. You can now assign live streams just like courses. Dive into past sessions, keep your team on track, and monitor due dates like a pro. ?? Pathway Perfection - Customize thumbnails for your pathways. - Save as drafts (because life happens, right?). - Shuffle lessons and milestones easily to match your flow. ?? Export Like a Boss Need to track progress? With our new CSV export, you can see who’s crushing it and who needs a nudge. And guess what? Pretty PDF reports are coming soon! ?? Filters to Simplify Your View Not into vendor content? Filter it out with a single click. Easy-peasy. ?? Talk to Us, Anytime! We’ve added live chat to the platform! Got questions, issues, or just want to say hi? Emmy's all ears. ?? Smarter Notifications Stay in the loop with our shiny new notifications section. For now, it’s all about live streams, but more updates are on the way. These updates aren’t just bells and whistles—they’re here to make your team's learning and upskilling journey better, faster, and a whole lot more fun. ?? Dive deeper into all these new features and see them in action in this Loom video by our resident Jedi Master, Christopher Long. https://hubs.la/Q02YvWsV0 Let us know what you think—we’re always here to make things better, together.