In Episode 115 of “The Trusted Advisor,” RSPA CEO Jim Roddy sits down with Kevin Spencer, President of VAR Rod Plus Solutions, to discuss his leadership journey and his upcoming RetailNOW 2024 presentation “Dynamic Leadership: Igniting Growth, Navigating Change & Empowering Teams.” Spencer shares how embracing visionary leadership has impacted his …

In Episode 114 of “The Trusted Advisor,” RSPA CEO Jim Roddy draws business leadership lessons from the world of college athletics through an interview with Brian Streeter, the Director of Athletics for 27 years at Penn State-Behrend, and Dave Niland, Behrend’s head men’s basketball coach for 29 years. Streeter and Niland share the keys to their lon…

In Episode 113 of “The Trusted Advisor,” RSPA CEO Jim Roddy talks with Michel Sirois, President of BlueStar Canada and Past Board Chair of the RSPA, about his leadership journey and his upcoming RetailNOW 2024 panel “Unlocking the Secrets of Selling to a New Generation of Customer.” Sirois shares one of his sales secrets, how he developed his leade…

In Episode 112 of “The Trusted Advisor,” RSPA CEO Jim Roddy talks with the co-founders of VersiTech, the parent company of Tonic POS and BOLD Integrated Payments, CEO Tyler Young and Chief Revenue Officer Gary Liu. Young, Liu, and Roddy discuss how to successfully integrate three companies into one culture, how to effectively hire and onboard new e…

In Episode 111 of “The Trusted Advisor,” RSPA CEO Jim Roddy talks leadership with Stephen Enfield, the CEO of POS Supply Solutions. Enfield and Roddy discuss how to integrate company values throughout an organization, how to successfully onboard new hires and newly acquired companies, how successful leaders embrace “emotional agility,” and more. “T…

In Episode 110 of “The Trusted Advisor,” RSPA CEO Jim Roddy talks leadership with brothers Brad Lucas and Owen Lucas of VAR Lucas Systems, named one of the Best Places to Work in South Carolina. Brad, the company President, and Owen, Vice President of Operations, discuss what drives them to improve their family business, what activities have expand…

In Episode 109 of “The Trusted Advisor,” RSPA CEO Jim Roddy talks with RSPA General Counsel Atty. Jill Miller about VAR and ISV best practices related to document retention. Additionally, Miller, one of the retail IT channel’s top experts in payments, provides an update on surcharging and cash discounting. “The Trusted Advisor,” powered by the Reta…

In Episode 108 of “The Trusted Advisor,” RSPA CEO Jim Roddy talks with Truman Meecham, President at hospitality POS solution provider Alpha, and Bobby Bauer, President & CEO at VAR Business Machines Company (BMC), about their leadership journeys. Meecham and Bauer discuss the nuances of leading your family business, the experiences that shaped them…

In Episode 107 of “The Trusted Advisor,” POS Nation VP of Customer Experience Will Atkinson, BlueStar VP of Marketing Dean Reverman, and RSPA CEO Jim Roddy analyze the 2024 RSPA Retail IT Channel KPI Study. Atkinson, Reverman, and Roddy discuss how niche strategies are boosting VAR and ISV profits, the continued expansion of the as-a-Service recurr…

In Episode 106 of “The Trusted Advisor,” RSPA CEO Jim Roddy sits down with Ryan Girvin, CEO of value-added distributor BlueStar, to discuss his leadership journey. Girvin details how he was mentored by the late Steve Cuntz, the challenge of following in the footsteps of an industry legend, actions he’s taking to ensure a smooth leadership transitio…

In Episode 105 of “The Trusted Advisor,” RSPA CEO Jim Roddy talks with Savneet Singh, CEO of billion-dollar RSPA member PAR, about his unique leadership journey. Much of the discussion focuses on the importance of creating a culture of candor – and the challenge of maintaining one long-term. Singh also talks about identifying and testing your next …

In Episode 104 of “The Trusted Advisor,” RSPA CEO Jim Roddy sits down with Jon Decker, CEO of BlockChyp, and Tom Bronson, President of Mastery Partners, to kick off a series of interviews focusing on leadership. Decker and Bronson discuss their time together at ISV Granbury Solutions, which key trait all future leaders must possess, their most impa…

In Episode 103 of “The Trusted Advisor,” RSPA CEO Jim Roddy shares his 2024 outlook for the retail IT channel based on a recent RSPA Focus Group discussion and the association’s annual review of member company profiles. “The Trusted Advisor,” powered by the Retail Solutions Providers Association (RSPA), is an award-winning content series designed s…

In Episode 102 of “The Trusted Advisor,” RSPA CEO Jim Roddy sits down with Wendy Thacker, the Vice President of North American Channel Marketing for ScanSource, to discuss how trusted advisors embrace content marketing. Thacker, who has over 27 years of channel marketing experience, shares how VARs can launch an ongoing content marketing program, h…

In Episode 101 of “The Trusted Advisor,” RSPA General Counsel Jill Miller sits down with RSPA CEO Jim Roddy to discuss transitioning your business through either an outside sale or handing it off to a family member or employee. Miller discusses due diligence, non-compete agreements, the importance of having a written plan, the role of your CPA, and…

In Episode 100 of “The Trusted Advisor,” RSPA CEO Jim Roddy talks with Rob Dorsey, the Vice President of Sales for BlueStar, about building relationships and making sales in the retail IT channel. Dorsey, who has worked in channel sales for over 25 years, shares his insights on the importance of passion, sincerity, and mindset to build long-term re…

In Episode 99 of “The Trusted Advisor,” RSPA CEO Jim Roddy talks technology trends in label printing with Jon Levin, Director of Product Management at Star Micronics, and Kate Orara, Star’s Partner Development Manager. Levin and Orara share how VARs and ISVs can take advantage of new delivery avenues requiring new labeling solutions, increased cons…

In Episode 98 of “The Trusted Advisor,” RSPA CEO Jim Roddy talks with Chris Allen, the Senior Vice President of Marketing at Heartland, about SMB marketing best practices for VARs and ISVs. Allen shares his secrets to developing core messages, utilizing a B2B website to generate leads, executing effective email campaigns, and engaging on social med…

In Episode 97 of “The Trusted Advisor,” RSPA CEO Jim Roddy talks with Dan Brattland, the President and Chair of COCARD Marketing Group, about sales messaging best practices for VARs and ISVs. Brattland shares how you can create presentations that best capture your value proposition, how to tailor that narrative to specific audiences or specific nee…

In Episode 96 of “The Trusted Advisor,” RSPA CEO Jim Roddy talks with Tom Byrnes, Senior Vice President of Global Payments Marketing at PayIQ, about his company’s study “How ISVs are Staying Competitive in an Evolving Market.” The report addresses ISV business model changes, integration challenges, payments strategies, the shift to the cloud, and m…

In Episode 95 of “The Trusted Advisor,” RSPA General Counsel Jill Miller sits down with RSPA CEO Jim Roddy to discuss VAR and ISV best practices related to privacy policies. Miller also recaps her RetailNOW 2023 surcharging and cash discounting panel and shares what issues she heard about most at the show. “The Trusted Advisor,” powered by the Reta…

In Episode 94 of “The Trusted Advisor,” James Frank, an Innovations Consultant at Toshiba, previews his RetailNOW 2023 education session “Future Trends in Retail & Hospitality.” Frank and the RSPA’s Jim Roddy discuss the challenges and opportunities personalization presents, innovation best practices VARs need to know, and how retail will change to…

In Episode 93 of “The Trusted Advisor,” Blake Rouse, the Sr. Director of Business Development at payments provider Cardknox, previews his RetailNOW 2023 education session “Why PayFac-as-a-Service? Benefits of the PFaaS Model for ISVs & VARs.” Rouse and the RSPA’s Jim Roddy discuss the challenges, risks, and benefits of the payment facilitator (PayF…

In Episode 92 of “The Trusted Advisor,” Tom Bronson, the Founder and President of consulting firm Mastery Partners, previews his RetailNOW 2023 education session “Using KPIs to Drive Results in Your Business.” Bronson and the RSPA’s Jim Roddy discuss how KPIs keep your business on course, why VARs need to track their recurring revenue, and what’s t…

In Episode 91 of “The Trusted Advisor,” Rick Feuling, the CEO of VAR/ISV RITE Enterprises and Cloud Retailer, previews his RetailNOW 2023 education session “Five Cheat Codes on How to Lead: From One VAR/ISV CEO to Another.” Feuling and the RSPA’s Jim Roddy discuss the ethics of persuasion, how to talk pay changes with your employees, and how to tra…

In Episode 90 of “The Trusted Advisor,” RSPA CEO Jim Roddy talks with longtime industry executive Joe Finizio about two topics: sales pipeline management best practices for VARs and ISVs and the progress of the retail IT industry as the RSPA celebrates its 75th anniversary in 2023. Finizio led sales and marketing teams with Data Terminal Systems, M…

In Episode 89 of “The Trusted Advisor,” RSPA General Counsel Jill Miller sits down with RSPA CEO Jim Roddy to discuss what VARs and ISVs need to know about surcharging and cash discounting. Miller shares her insights on updated mandates, which land mines solution providers need to be aware of, and consequences of ignoring guidelines and best practi…

Episode 88 of “The Trusted Advisor” features a discussion between retail strategists Carl Boutet and Michael LeBlanc conducted live on stage during the RSPA Canadian Community Networking Event April 11 at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto. Boutet is a Montreal-based business strategist and executive advisor with over 25 years of operational, marke…

n Episode 87 of “The Trusted Advisor,” the RSPA marketing team of Chris Arnold (Director of Marketing & Strategic Partnerships), Ayana Scriven (Marketing Communications Manager), and Jim Roddy (President & CEO) discuss marketing myths, mistakes, and mastery. “The Trusted Advisor,” powered by the Retail Solutions Providers Association (RSPA), is an …

In Episode 86 of “The Trusted Advisor,” Cervion Systems founder Hunter Allen, BlueStar VP of Marketing Dean Reverman, and RSPA CEO Jim Roddy analyze the 2023 RSPA Retail IT Channel KPI Study. Allen, Reverman, and Roddy discuss how VARs and ISVs have successfully converted disruption into opportunity, solution provider progress with the as-a-Service…

In Episode 85 of “The Trusted Advisor,” RSPA CEO Jim Roddy talks with RSPA members Ekta Iyer of Alliance Bancard Systems and Linda Sudderth of Epson about changing opportunities for women in the retail technology channel. Iyer and Sudderth share their personal stories about ascending to leadership positions in a male-dominated industry, outline new…

In Episode 84 of “The Trusted Advisor,” RSPA General Counsel Jill Miller sits down with RSPA CEO Jim Roddy to share best practices related to her Master Agreement Checklist. Miller walks through how to utilize the checklist prior to signing any agreement plus she shares why a data retention policy is a must-have for VARs and ISVs of all sizes. “The…

In Episode 83 of “The Trusted Advisor,” the RSPA’s Jim Roddy sits down with ScanSource CEO Mike Baur to discuss the history and the future of the retail IT channel. Baur details his company’s transition to the “new ScanSource,” describes his vision of the VAR of the future, and offers his perspective on actions VARs, ISVs, vendors, and distributors…

In Episode 82 of “The Trusted Advisor,” the RSPA’s Jim Roddy talks sales best practices with Darcie McNamara, Strategic Partner Specialist at Datacap Systems, and James Gribbin, Account Manager with Metropolitan Sales. McNamara and Gribbin offer advice and anecdotes about accelerating a sales cycle, how to persist during a long sales cycle, and how…

In Episode 81 of “The Trusted Advisor,” the RSPA’s Jim Roddy shares his observations on the changing retail IT channel after the announcements of several VARs being acquired in the second half of 2022. “The Trusted Advisor,” powered by the Retail Solutions Providers Association (RSPA), is an award-winning content series designed specifically for re…

In Episode 80 of “The Trusted Advisor,” the RSPA’s Jim Roddy catches up with executive, board advisor, author, and podcaster Ron Thurston about his firsthand view of the changing retail landscape. Thurston is in the midst of a year-long tour called “Retail in America,” driving across the United States in an Airstream trailer to discover unsung reta…

In Episode 79 of “The Trusted Advisor,” the RSPA’s Jim Roddy talks with Lora Coggins of Toshiba and Travis Hare of DCR Point of Sale Systems about what it takes to become a leader in today’s (and tomorrow’s) retail IT industry. Coggins and Hare discuss how their companies have created a pro-development culture, the importance of a servant leadershi…

In Episode 78 of “The Trusted Advisor,” RSPA General Counsel Jill Miller sits down with RSPA CEO Jim Roddy to provide non-solicitation advice for retail IT VARs. Miller talks non-solicitation related to employees, partners, and merchants, plus she offers guidance for VARs and ISVs on business disputes. “The Trusted Advisor,” powered by the Retail S…

In Episode 77 of “The Trusted Advisor,” the RSPA’s Jim Roddy talks software developer growth strategies and go-to-market plans with ISV executives Jason Richelson, the Co-Founder and CEO of Bookkeep, and Ben Leviton, the Co-Founder and Director of Business Development at Acadia Point of Sale. Richelson and Leviton discuss the changing retail IT cha…

In Episode 76 of “The Trusted Advisor,” the RSPA’s Jim Roddy shares observations on the changing retail IT channel which was evident at RetailNOW 2022 in Orlando. “The Trusted Advisor,” powered by the Retail Solutions Providers Association (RSPA), is an award-winning content series designed specifically for retail IT resellers and software develope…

In Episode 75 of “The Trusted Advisor,” Karen Licker, the Director of Marketing for the United States and Canada for EVO Payments, and Dorian Sandi, the Marketing Director for RSPA VAR member OSS Data, preview their RetailNOW 2022 session “RetailNOW Live Lab: Social Media Strategies that Work.” Licker, Sandi, and the RSPA’s Jim Roddy discuss what V…

In Episode 74 of “The Trusted Advisor,” Alejandro Swaby, the Director of Sales for RSPA VAR member Cervion Systems, previews his RetailNOW 2022 panel “Organically Grown Leadership.” Swaby and the RSPA’s Jim Roddy discuss leadership from several angles including how metrics accelerate leadership development and why initiative is a required character…

In Episode 73 of “The Trusted Advisor,” Kirsten Trusko, CEO and Co-Founder of RSPA member Emerging Markets Coalition (EMC), previews her RetailNOW 2022 panel “What's a ‘Cashless ATM’? And Other Alternative Payment Methods in Cannabis.” Trusko and the RSPA’s Jim Roddy discuss “good guys” and “bad guys” in cannabis payments, opportunities and pitfall…

In Episode 72 of “The Trusted Advisor,” Dan Brattland, President and Chair of RSPA member COCARD Marketing Group, previews his RetailNOW 2022 presentation “VAR and ISV Sales and Customer Strategies for the New Normal.” Brattland and the RSPA’s Jim Roddy discuss sales myths, sales best practices, and why growth-oriented solution providers need to em…

In Episode 71 of “The Trusted Advisor,” Brian Booth, founder and CEO of software developer Enroll & Pay, previews his RetailNOW 2022 presentation “Innovating for the Payments Space: An ISV’s Perspective.” Booth and the RSPA’s Jim Roddy discuss how to establish a culture of innovation, the role of AI in product development, and mistakes ISVs make wi…

In Episode 70 of “The Trusted Advisor,” the RSPA’s Jim Roddy talks with Tracey Lande, Vice President of Strategy and Growth/Business Development Lead at VAULT, about her unconventional – and highly successful – employee recruiting strategies. Lande shares how her personal journey back to the retail IT channel is influencing her hiring plans at VAUL…

In Episode 69 of “The Trusted Advisor,” the RSPA’s Jim Roddy sits down with Mike Monocello, the co-founder of DevPro Journal and XaaS Journal, about his perspective on the ever-changing retail technology channel – both the past 15 years and what’s ahead. Monocello and Roddy also break down an RSPA-exclusive chart analyzing current and emerging busi…

In Episode 68 of “The Trusted Advisor,” the RSPA’s Jim Roddy sits down with Paul Griffiths and Stephen Bergeron of apg (formerly APG Cash Drawer) to discuss rebranding lessons for VARs, ISVs, and vendors in the retail technology channel. They discuss rebranding principles and processes, how to best engage employees and customers during this journey…

In Episode 67 of “The Trusted Advisor,” Hunter Allen of VAR Cervion Systems, Tom Bronson of industry consultant Mastery Partners, and the RSPA’s Jim Roddy analyze the 2022 RSPA Retail IT Channel KPI Study. Among the topics discussed are the recent success of ISV/VAR hybrids, the as-a-Service recurring revenue business model’s continued acceptance, …

In Episode 66 of “The Trusted Advisor,” the RSPA’s Jim Roddy sits down with Mark Fraker, CTO of RSPA distributor member BlueStar, to explore VAR opportunities with electric vehicle charging stations. Roddy and Fraker discuss the technologies, target market, and reseller recurring revenue opportunities related to EVCSaaS – Electric Vehicle Charging …