Episode Information
Show NotesFrom Age 7 to MSP Owner: Simon Robert’s IT Journey
Simon Robert’s IT career started earlier than most, at just 7 years old, he was already fixing computers his father brought home. Now, as President of Novbox in Las Vegas, Simon runs a managed service provider that helps businesses stay secure and operational.
In this episode, Simon shares the honest reality of running an IT business. He talks about the stress of being a “one-man army” for years, why admitting “I don’t know” actually builds more trust than pretending to be an expert, and how communication saves client relationships when things go wrong.
Episode Highlights:
Starting Young
Simon began his IT journey at age 7, disassembling and repairing broken computers his father brought home. This early hands-on experience gave him confidence and skills that would shape his entire career.
The One-Man Army Problem
For 10 years, Simon ran his business alone. He describes the impossible stress of choosing between multiple emergency calls happening simultaneously and why having a business partner changed everything.
Honest Communication Wins
When clients leave or when something goes wrong, Simon picks up the phone immediately. He shares why confronting problems early, even at 7pm, prevents bigger issues the next morning.
Break/Fix vs MSP Model
Simon explains the fundamental difference between being an IT firefighter and providing managed services. The MSP model eliminates billing drama and gives clients peace of mind.
IT Specialization Reality
Just because someone works “in IT” doesn’t mean they do everything. Simon uses the electrician vs plumber analogy to explain why IT professionals specialize and why that’s perfectly okay.
The Vegas Tech Community
After moving from Quebec to Las Vegas years ago, Simon has been actively building connections in the local tech community. He believes in turning LinkedIn connections into real friendships.
Key Takeaways:
1. Admitting “I don’t know” and asking for help builds more trust than pretending to be an expert in everything
2. Communication is priority #1 – confront problems immediately instead of avoiding them
3. Having a business partner or team prevents burnout and enables business growth
4. The MSP model provides stability for both provider and client compared to break/fix
5. Building genuine relationships, both online and in person, creates lasting professional networks
6. Know your strengths and confidently refer out what you don’t do well
7. When clients leave, call them to understand why instead of hiding from the conversation
About Simon Robert:
Simon Robert is the President of Novbox, an IT managed service provider in Las Vegas. With over 30 years of experience starting from age 7, Simon specializes in helping businesses maintain secure and reliable IT infrastructure through managed services.
Listen to learn how honest communication, genuine relationships, and knowing when to ask for help can transform your career – whether you’re running your own business or working in corporate IT.
TranscriptionManuel Martinez: Welcome everyone, my name is Manuel Martinez and this is another episode of Career Downloads. Where each episode I basically hit the refresh button, bring on a different guest to learn more about their experiences and their background, to really try and uncover any actionable advice that you can use as you’re managing your own career. So I’m excited for today’s episode, I have with me Simon Robert. And this is a very interesting story, so him and I actually connected on LinkedIn, we actually met in person, you know, just in an informal setting, got to know each other, to know about each other a little bit more about his career. And he has kind of established his own business. So again, this is going to be something different than all of the other traditional ones where you kno...