Tempo Consulting

Market analysis and GTM strategy for middle market and enterprise B2B firms.

Principal

B2B Power Hour

A feet-first experience into the world of B2B sales. We recorded 200 episodes featuring sales experts, LinkedIn royalty, and a bunch of laughs. One listener called it "the most useful podcast I've ever listened to." We built the show in public. It included a famed live cold calling series that earned 1MM+ watch minutes per episode, deep dive interviews where we got experts to share the secret sauce for free, and a series of episodes on social selling that built and shaped the conversation out here on LinkedIn. A one-of-a-kind experience.

Host

Alignd

B2B GTM consulting firm with a focus on innovative plays like social selling, precision prospecting, and integrated campaigns. I was the zero-to-one lead for all client deliverables, implementation, and strategy.

Managing Director

Artichoke Studio

Freelance private sector consulting for market and brand strategy.

Founder

Longmont Economic Development Partnership

Highly visible local leader for data-driven strategy, economic research, and innovation projects.

Vice President

Conducted in-depth economic analysis of industry clusters and local economic data to build a strategy for attracting, recruiting, and retaining business. Led a new highly collaborative effort to align 14 local organizations to the same citywide plan for economic development. Achieved multiple 8- and 9-figure investments, entrepreneurial relocations and startups, and many other success stories.

Director of Strategy and Collaboration

Interfaith Alliance of Colorado

Analyzed land availability by faith communities to support policy change and a campaign for affordable housing and land-banking. Also supported the incubation of a project that eventually spun out into the Colorado Village Collaborative, which offers tiny homes for the chronically homeless.

Economic Policy Fellow

State of Colorado

Conducted economic and policy analysis on a wide variety of public issues including housing, entrepreneurship, banking, and health insurance.

Research And Policy Analyst

Self Employed

Paid my way through school by developing websites in WordPress and Joomla!, custom front-end development, custom themes, and hard coded HTML5 sites in the early Web 2.0 era.

Freelance Marketing

Hi 👋🏻  I'm an economic researcher who left government for the private sector. I work on bridging data, insight, and strategy for B2B companies (market analysis and GTM planning). 

If you're interested in go-to-market strategy, you should consider subscribing to my weekly column on Substack analyzing how companies are adapting their GTM strategy. It's written for revenue & operations leaders at middle market or larger companies. It's free to get the weekly email 😁 

I love whisky - mostly Scotch - and cannot get enough tacos in my life. I judge a taquería by its al pastor taco. My favorite bar is a local dive that serves a "house wine" that's actually just whisky and coke. My favorite cocktail is a Rob Roy. 

I care most about surrounding myself with good people, and without sounding too serious about it, I try to treat people really well. Life's too short to be rude, selfish, and uncaring.

📧 DM me here if you've got questions.

PS - got a New Zealand recommendation? I'm headed there in the spring

Morgan Smith

Venvito

Born from a necessity to find more cost-effective and efficient ways to connect with Microsoft's customer base. 

Venvito was formed to teach other Microsoft partners how to harness the scale and reach of Microsoft's field teams.  Sharing with other owners, founders, and leaders the messaging, the mechanics, and the mindset necessary to partner with Microsoft, growing your Microsoft practice through mutually beneficial relationships at all levels within Microsoft.

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Patriot Consulting Technology Group

Our Mission is to help customers protect their Microsoft 365 corporate identities and data while taking full advantage of the productivity benefits. 

Regardless of the Microsoft 365 technology you are considering or currently using for your end-users we always explore how you can maximize the protection of each end user identity and their data. There are over 260 settings within Microsoft 365 that could affect your security posture, end-user identities and access to data. By being aware of each of these settings we believe our US based engineers and security specialists are best are best equipped to guide your team to a successful and secure deployment taking full advantage of you Microsoft 365 investment and security features.

Co Founder/Owner

Strategic Products and Services (SPS)

Strategic Products & Services (SPS) is a Unified Communications Systems Integrator with expertise in:

 MS Lync Integration (MS GOLD Partner)
 Video (Polycom Platinum Plus/Cisco Master ATP/LifeSize/Acano/Pexip)
 Voice/Contact Centers

We deliver all of the Managed Services (on-premise, cloud-based or hosted) to support those technologies.

Senior Account Manager

ExtraTeam

Extrateam has a deep appreciation for the technologies, partners and customers who we are honored to work with every day.  ExtraTeam was acquired by SPS March 2015.  ExtraTeam specialized in three key areas:
Collaboration
Data Centers
Network Infrastructure

Avotus

In this consultative sales role I worked with internal and external business leaders to analyze existing telecommunication management systems, strategies and processes.  I worked with each of my customers to develop solutions that will met both short and long term needs, ranging from advisory and managed services to full BPO outsourcing.

Account Executive

Identified, negotiated and managed strategic relationships with hardware technological partners, including ATT, Cisco, Sprint and Nortel. Managed the marketing, sales and product release to the business development initiatives at each of these partners.

Business Development Manager

OSHIMS Software

At OSHIMS (Occupational Safety & Health Information Management Systems) I was responsible for the original development of the product and release to the market place.  The company was founded back in 1993 and later sold to a large HR Outsourcing company.

Manager - Marketing & Sales

Workplace Safety and Insurance Board

At the WSIB I was responsible for the adjudication and payment of Workers Compentation injuries and claims.

Workers' Compensation Adjudicator

Demystify working with Microsoft, learn what it takes to become one of Microsoft's "Go-To" partners.

Each time I built a new Microsoft practice or helped to grow an existing practice.

Unlocking the doors that protected Microsoft's people, programs, and prospects was one of my biggest challenges.

For the past 15 years, I've focused solely on the Microsoft ecosystem. At the start of that journey, it seemed like an arduous and impossible endeavor. 

Initially, I  felt like I was just another partner in a long line of Microsoft partners. 

I wasn't on the "go-to" list of partners. Can you relate?

It wasn't until I realized three factors influenced how Microsoft saw me.

Once I uncovered and took advantage of these three factors, Microsoft saw my business in a new light. 

It changed the trajectory of my business with Microsoft.

In 2015, using the same three principles,  I started and grew my own Microsoft partner from zero to millions of dollars in annual revenue in only a few years, beating out companies with massive marketing budgets and teams of salespeople.

After a successful exit, I've now turned my attention to helping other founders, owners, and leaders of Microsoft partners replicate the success factors to grow their businesses.

Rob Fegan

Microsoft quietly updated the Partner Benefits again — and Copilot just became a core benefit.

Here are the changes that actually matter:

✳️ 1 Copilot is now officially in the benefits stack
This is new.

Partners now receive:
 🔷 Microsoft 365 Copilot seats
 🔷 GitHub Copilot Enterprise funded via Azure credits
 🔷 Copilot Studio credits (new for 2026)

This wasn’t in earlier versions of the benefits program.


✳️ 2 Solutions Partner designations got Copilot upgrades

Modern Work, Business Apps, and Security all include Copilot allocations.
If you hold a designation, your internal Copilot usage just expanded.


✳️ 3 Specializations add even more Copilot value

Across Modern Work and Business Apps, partners get additional Copilot seats and credits layered on top of their core benefits.


✳️ 4 Azure credits increased in multiple tiers
More credits now cover GitHub Copilot Enterprise and other AI-heavy workloads.

This is one of the biggest behind-the-scenes changes.


✳️ 5 2026 adds new Copilot-related benefits

 🔷 The “NEW 2026” tags in the guide include multiple workloads tied to AI, Copilot, and modernization.


👉 Bottom line:

Microsoft is pushing partners to adopt Copilot internally — not just sell it.
 
If you want to show up credible in FY26, your Copilot plan needs to start now.

#MSPartner #MSAdvocate #RyzePartners #MicrosoftAI #CoSell #Marketplace #Copilot

Demystify selling with Microsoft. Learn what it takes to sell with Microsoft.

Most people still think Copilot is a glorified chat bot or fancy search engine.

CEOs can’t make that mistake anymore.

Microsoft’s Ignite updates weren’t “new features.” They were a blueprint for how companies will operate over the next decade. And partners who don’t adjust their thinking now will be left behind.

Here’s the CEO-level summary — fast, simple, and focused on what you need to do.

💠 1. Work IQ means your internal maturity now determines your AI outcomes.
 Copilot will understand roles, workflows, and organizational context.

✨ CEO takeaway:
 If your data and processes are messy, your AI will be messy. Start cleaning them up.

💠 2. Agent Mode changes how work gets done.
 Copilot will build decks, model data, and write documents, not just answer prompts.

✨ CEO takeaway:
 Redesign roles and expectations. “Productivity” is about to look very different.

💠 3. Multi-user Copilot changes collaboration norms.
 Copilot will participate in group chats and Teams channels.

✨ CEO takeaway:
 Create new rules and training for how teams work with AI in the loop.

💠 4. Agent 365 makes AI governance a non-negotiable.
 Microsoft now gives enterprises a control plane for agent risk, permissions, and behavior.

✨ CEO takeaway:
 Govern your agents the same way you govern users.

💠 5. Copilot App Builder will unleash citizen developers.
 Anyone can build apps and agents directly inside Copilot.

✨ CEO takeaway:
 You need a plan before the “DIY automation” wave hits your company.

💠 6. Model choice becomes a leadership decision.
 Anthropic and OpenAI models are now both available.

✨ CEO takeaway:
 Choose models based on risk, accuracy, and use case — not hype.

💠 7. Copilot now understands SharePoint metadata.
 Structured content finally becomes usable by AI.

✨ CEO takeaway:
 Knowledge hygiene matters. Invest in metadata and governance.

💠 8. Native agents will become your new digital workforce.
People Agent, Workforce Insights Agent, Learning Agent, Opal, and Knowledge Agent are built natively into M365.

✨ CEO takeaway:
Decide where agents will replace manual effort first.


Bottom line for CEOs

Microsoft isn’t building a better assistant.

They’re building the enterprise agent platform — with identity, security, governance, and data all under one roof.

The winners won’t be the companies that “use Copilot.”

They’ll be the ones that restructure how work happens around it.

This year didn’t go the way I planned. It went better — but only because of the people who kept showing up.

Thanksgiving hits different when you’ve spent a year building something that demands every ounce of courage, grit, and belief you’ve got.

RYZE grew because partners believed in a bigger future.

This community kept leaning in, trying, experimenting, and refusing to settle.

And every conversation — every DM, every comment, every “I’m stuck, can you help?” — reminded me why this work matters.

I’m grateful for the people who challenged me, supported me, and stayed in the fight alongside me.

If you’re building, growing, or pushing through setbacks right now… I see you. Keep going. The work pays off.

Happy Thanksgiving to you and your people.

#MSPartner #MSAdvocate #Thankful #Gratitude #RYZEpartners #Leadership

I don’t think the Microsoft GPS team gets enough credit for what they built this year.

Everyone talks about Copilot.
Everyone talks about Marketplace.
Everyone talks about incentives.

But the benefits packages — Launch, Core, Expanded —
those are the unsung heroes of the FY26 partner strategy.

And after spending the past few weeks deep in the details, here’s what I realized:

These benefits weren’t slapped together.
They were engineered.

Launch wasn’t designed to compete with Core.

Core wasn’t designed to compete with Expanded.

Each tier matches a very specific stage of partner maturity…
and each one creates a clean, intentional path for growth inside the Microsoft ecosystem.

You can see the fingerprints of people who truly understand partners:
🔹 GPS leaders who wanted a frictionless starting point
🔹 Program managers who made internal-use rights meaningful again
🔹 Copilot teams who ensured AI wasn’t reserved for “only the biggest”
🔹 Engineers who shaped the technical advisory packages
🔹 GTM teams who built offers partners can use instantly

If you’re a partner trying to figure out where you fit —
or if you simply want to understand the thinking behind Microsoft’s design —

I wrote the article I wish someone had written years ago.

I break down:

🔹 Why Launch exists and who it’s meant for
🔹 Why Core is the “minimum viable” Microsoft practice
🔹 Why Expanded removes the ceiling for scaling SIs
🔹 How CEOs should think about benefits as a growth lever
🔹 Why these tiers matter so much more than most partners realize

And yes — I give GPS the public appreciation they deserve.

These packages were built with care.

Built for scale.

And built to help partners grow faster if they choose intentionally.

Sharing this with gratitude for everyone inside Microsoft who shaped these programs — 

you created something partners can actually build on.

Steve Thomas Tafara Pulse
#MSPartner #MSAdvocate #MicrosoftCloud #AICloudPartnerProgram #Copilot #PartnerEcosystem #GPS #Growth #Azure #ModernWork #CoSell

Most partners don’t choose the wrong benefits tier. They default into it. Not because they aren’t smart. Not because they aren’t committed. But becaus

Open article: The truth no one tells Microsoft partners about benefits… by Rob Fegan • 3 min read

The truth no one tells Microsoft partners about benefits…

Most partners walk out of Ignite fired up… and change absolutely nothing.

Hard truth:

Ignite doesn’t grow your business.

What you do in the seven days after Ignite does.

If you attended in person or virtually, you’re sitting on ideas that could move your company forward.

AI. Copilot. Security. Marketplace. Modernization.

But if you don’t turn those ideas into action fast, they fade.

Your team gets busy.

Your calendar fills up.

And you’re back to business as usual.

I wrote something for CEOs who want this year to be different.

Simple English.

Clear steps.

No hype.

Just what to do next.

If you went to Ignite, read my latest article.

#MSPartner #MSAdvocate #RyzePartners #MicrosoftEcosystem #Copilot #AI #Azure #Marketplace

Most CEOs walk out of Microsoft Ignite buzzing with ideas. You saw Copilot everywhere. You heard “AI-first” in every session. You listened to story af

Open article: Ignite Doesn’t Change Your Business. What You Do This Week Does. by Rob Fegan • 4 min read

Ignite Doesn’t Change Your Business. What You Do This Week Does.

Most partners are treating AI like an IT project.

Microsoft’s new Frontier Firm research makes it clear… it’s not.

Here are the parts that jumped out as I read it.

Reimagining work comes first.

Microsoft says you have to expose how work actually happens before AI can improve it.

Most organizations skip this. They automate guesses instead of reality.

Guardrails matter more than tools.

Before copilots or agents, leaders need clarity on what stays human, what gets automated, and how decisions flow. Without this, AI just creates chaos.

Not all AI is the same.

Some problems need simple copilots. Others need low-code automations. Some require full agent-based workflows. Picking the wrong approach slows everything down.

Roles need to evolve.

You can’t bolt AI onto old job descriptions. Microsoft learned that adoption sticks only when roles, responsibilities, and team rhythms are redesigned.

Experimentation is the new operating system.

Test. Learn. Adjust. Repeat. The companies winning with AI are the ones building this muscle, not the ones waiting for a perfect roadmap.

The big takeaway from Microsoft’s message?

Frontier Firms aren’t “ahead on AI”… they’re committed to the internal work most companies avoid.

And that’s the separation.

#MSPartner #MSAdvocate #RyzePartners #MicrosoftAI #CoSell #FrontierFirm #Marketplace

Microsoft’s November updates just dropped — and they’re big.

🧠 AI Cloud Partner Program:

🔹 Learning Profiles are getting smarter — you can now link multiple Microsoft Learn accounts (MSA + AAD) and view all your certifications in one place.
🔹Cleaner UI, better filtering, and a foundation for AI-driven skill recommendations coming soon.

⚙️ CSP Program:

🔹 The Partner Launch Calendar is live (bookmark it).
🔹 November’s Bimonthly Update newsletter and CSP Community Q&A are out — join if you manage licensing or want to keep pace with NCE, M365, and pricing shifts.

💼 Microsoft 365 + Teams:

🔹 As of Nov 1, the global licensing shake-up is official. You’ll now see “with Teams” and “no Teams” suites across M365 and O365 Enterprise, Business, and Frontline.
🔹 CSP price lists have been updated accordingly — check your margins before quoting.

🧩 Extended Service Terms (EST):

🔹 Now live in sandbox only. Test before April 2026, when certain subscriptions will auto-move into EST at renewal if auto-renew is off.

Takeaway for Partners:

This month is all about simplification and readiness — unified credentials, flexible licensing, and a clear runway to AI-powered partner growth.

The Most Overlooked Growth Engine in the Microsoft Ecosystem: CSP

If there’s one thing I wish every partner understood — really understood — it’s this:
 
👉 CSP is not a SKU.
👉 CSP is a strategy.

And the partners who treat it like a transactional licensing motion are leaving an unbelievable amount of revenue, trust, stickiness, and Microsoft alignment on the table.

I don’t care if you’re Tier 1 or Tier 2.

That’s logistics.

That’s plumbing.

What matters is something far more fundamental:
 
❓Do you know how to sell CSP?
❓Do you know how to articulate its value?
❓Do you know how to service a CSP customer so well that they stay with you for a decade?

Because when you do… CSP becomes one of the most powerful long-term growth levers in your entire business.

Why CSP Matters
 
1. CSP gives you the deepest customer access.
2. CSP makes revenue durable.
3. CSP unlocks opportunity.
4. CSP earns Microsoft’s trust.
5. Tier 1 vs. Tier 2 is irrelevant.
6. CSP builds long-term customer relationships.

The Bottom Line

CSP isn’t transactional.

It’s transformational.

It’s the backbone of a modern Microsoft practice — the motion that ties together licensing, managed services, adoption, upsell, and long-term account control.

Tier 1 or Tier 2 doesn’t define your maturity.

Your ability to turn CSP into long-term customer value does.

Most partners just got handed their first real chance to become Frontier Partners, and most don’t even see it.

At Ignite, Microsoft didn’t just ship “Copilot updates.”

They dropped ready-made agents inside Microsoft 365 — the kind of capability partners used to spend months trying to build on their own.

Meeting agents.
Knowledge agents.
People + skills agents.
Workflow + insights agents.
Even computer-using agents like Opal.

These aren’t small increments.

They are the starting line for the next generation of partner services.

Because Frontier Partners aren’t defined by marketing language.

They’re defined by how they adopt AI internally,
how they operationalize AI workflows,
and how they build high-value services on top of Microsoft’s agent platform.

These new agents give you momentum on all three.

You can use them inside your business.

You can demo them tomorrow.

You can build offers around them immediately.

Most partners won’t move.

The ones who do will set the pace for the next decade.

If you want to hear more from me on this and get a practical breakdown of how to build your Frontier Partner plan, join The RYZE Report. https://lnkd.in/g-Xp4EwX

I’ll be taking these announcements apart and showing you how to turn them into real advantage.

#MSPartner #MSAdvocate #Copilot #Microsoft365 #AI #FrontierPartner #RyzePartners

Most Black Friday deals save you fifty bucks. This one could change your Microsoft business forever.

Here’s the only “deal” I care about today:

A Microsoft partner who finally stops guessing, stops spinning, and starts using the same system top performers use to get pulled into deals.

If you’re serious about growing in FY26, the real discount isn’t a price cut.

It’s removing the cost of wasted time, misalignment, and opportunities slipping through your fingers.

So here’s my Black Friday offer to you:
💥 Get serious about mastering the ecosystem.
💥 Learn the motions.
💥 Align with the right people.
💥 Execute the framework.
💥 Do the work your future pipeline will thank you for.

RYZE Partners is open.

No hype. No flashing banners.

Just the operating system that moves your business forward.

https://lnkd.in/giZyjvme

#MSPartner #MSAdvocate #BlackFriday #RYZEpartners #MicrosoftEcosystem #SMB

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The Battle

Morgan Smith

Rob Fegan

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The Battle

Morgan Smith

Rob Fegan

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Engagements

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Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Rob Fegan's LinkedIn Performance

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