Wired for Connection 5: How to Find the Human Connection in a Tech-Focused Space

Melissa Hockenberry is the owner of First Things First Training and Consulting, and she brings over thirty years of industry insight to her work.

She’s spent two decades in the MSP space and an impressive eighteen plus years at Autotask and Datto. Melissa is passionate about helping MSPs strengthen relationships, retain customers, and unlock sustainable revenue, all while staying true to her values.

An Interview With Melissa HockenberryWhy the Human Connection is Important to Melissa

Melissa says that the human connection is what drives her in business. “I was asked to do a keynote recently and had to include my ‘why’. I put one bullet point on a slide that said ‘serve people’. That’s a motto I’ve lived by all my working life.

“I spent six years in retail, and I realised that my best days were when I left someone in a better state than I found them. Even when I was training people to effectively take over my job, I was helping them and making their life easier.

“My mom taught me to never leave a compliment in your head. If you think someone looks nice, tell them. When I started doing that, I had some really meaningful conversations with people. You never know where it’ll lead if you make a connection.”

What Melissa did When her Job was Eliminated

In 2012, Melissa was the Director of Customer Experience at Autotask. One day her boss told her they were eliminating her position and she had to decide if she wanted to leave the company or take a role she’d done in the past.

“I thought about it, and I realised that the title was being taken away. And titles are nothing. What you bring in the value of your work and the integrity of who you are, that is the only lasting thing.

“I realised that I wasn’t ‘less’ because I was going back to being a Senior Product Support Specialist. Nothing was taken from me. My value, my knowledge, everything was still there. What I could do and bring to the role and the company were what mattered.”

The Human Side of an M&A

There are a lot of mergers and acquisitions (M&As) happening in the tech space. Melissa experienced one when Autotask was acquired by Datto in 2017. She says that while the buyer looks at the growth opportunities of making an acquisition, the human element sometimes gets forgotten about.

“What happens to employee retention after an M&A? What about clients? Will the new owners be able to keep them and maintain the positive relationships built before? And importantly, what about the CEOs who are about to lose their jobs?

“I’ve seen some CEOs shaken by an M&A but keep their cool. That’s when good leaders realise that they have something to offer and with the right support can find new, better opportunities. Your knowledge and experiences are definitely transferrable.”

The Benefit of Having Peer Support

Melissa explains the concept of a ‘mirror partner’ – somebody who reflects back the best of you. “They hold you accountable because they know your strengths and weaknesses and see your potential. It does help if they’re in the same industry or have a similar position.”

Melissa goes on to explain that she’s never met her mirror partner and they were connected online by someone who thought they’d be a good fit. “We talk to each other, she hears me mention things that I don’t think are valuable and she points them out. She spots the opportunities that I don’t.

“And she would say that I do the same for her. She wanted to get back into technology so I shared some ways I thought she could do that. Those were things she hadn’t thought of, but she acted on my suggestions and now she’s in the tech space again.”

Why we Need Better Representation in the MSP Space

The lack of women and other minorities in tech is something that starts early on in life, says Melissa. “A study was conducted where children were taught coding. After an hour or so the boys had a lot of coding to show on their screen and the girls had nothing.

“But the researchers were able to record everything the girls wrote, even if they deleted it or didn’t share it. There’s often a belief that boys and girls are good at different things and they’re not encouraged to try something that’s not a traditional subject for them.

“We need to tell young women that they can do jobs that involve STEM. If they’re interested in it, they should be encouraged; guided to find a mentor. And I think tech needs to be taught by people who aren’t naturally good at it but have worked hard to learn it. That’s inspiring and shows what you can achieve when you put your mind to it.”

One Thing Melissa Loves and One Thing She’d Change About the Tech Space

Like many others in the tech space, Melissa highlights the welcoming community. “People are embraced for who they are and they make genuine connections. I was taught not to help competitors, but that’s just not the case in the MSP industry.”

However, Melissa points to a negative aspect to the community that things have always been done in a certain way and that should continue. “It’s often people who are at the top of the tree. They’re the innovators and they believe that what worked for them is the only way to run a business.

“They forget that they were once in the same place as the young person who’s currently challenging them to do something differently. Yes, you have wisdom, but that should teach you to listen and try new ideas, because they might just work.”

How to Connect With Melissa HockenberryFirst Things First Training and ConsultancyFollow First Things First Training and Consultancy on LinkedInConnect with Melissa on LinkedInSubscribe to Melissa’s YouTube channelHow to Connect With Vera and LenkaSubscribe to the Wired for Connection RSS FeedFollow @tubblog_msp on InstagramConnect with Lenka on LinkedInVisit Vera’s website: T-ConsultingFollow T-Consulting on LinkedInFollow T-Consulting on FacebookFollow T-Consulting on TwitterConnect with Vera on LinkedInMentioned in This EpisodePSA tool: AutotaskCybersecurity software: DattoMSP conference: DattoConEmily GlassAndrew WallaceMSP conference: MSP Geek ConPSA and RMM: ConnectwiseBook: John Acuff: Start: Punch Fear in the Face, Escape Average, and Do Work That MattersCommunity software: KhorosPaul Green’s MSP Marketing EdgeYou Might Also be Interested inPodcast: Advice on Leadership and Equality from Andrew WallaceTop Tips for MSPs on World Productivity DayPodcast: Syncro: Why a More Human Business Better Serves MSPs