#65 – BMK Quick Takes: Goals Aren’t Dreams — They’re Math

In this BMK Quick Takes episode, Josh Peterson delivers a candid, unscripted lesson for MSP founders who are early in their journey—or restarting later in life—on why ambition without math is just wishful thinking. Sparked by a real conversation with a first-time MSP owner in his 50s, Josh explores the uncomfortable reality that many new owners avoid: committing to outcomes. Rather than focusing on tools, offerings, or vague “growth,” Josh argues that clarity starts with defining a purpose and translating long-term vision into concrete, measurable objectives. This episode reinforces how disciplined goal-setting aligns directly with execution frameworks like the Vision operating system and why MSP leaders must stop protecting themselves from failure by refusing to state targets.

Josh walks listeners step-by-step through turning abstract goals into actionable math using the SMART framework—specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time-driven. By working backward from a five-year revenue target, he demonstrates how MSP owners can calculate required monthly revenue, deal sizes, close ratios, proposal volume, meetings, and even daily prospecting activity. The takeaway is blunt but empowering: once goals are quantified, they dictate daily behavior. Whether you are building an MSP, carrying a sales quota, or pursuing personal milestones, this episode shows why goals only become achievable when they are reduced to numbers—and why math, not motivation, is what ultimately drives execution and accountability.

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Episode Highlights

• 00:01:00 – Why starting a business later in life requires radical honesty about outcomes.
• 03:30:00 – The danger of avoiding goals as a form of self-protection.
• 05:40:00 – Defining a clear purpose before setting objectives.
• 07:30:00 – Using SMART goals to turn vision into commitment.
• 09:30:00 – Working backward from revenue targets to daily activity.
• 11:50:00 – Breaking sales math into proposals, meetings, and prospecting.
• 14:00:00 – Why goals only work when they shape your calendar.

About the Host

Josh Peterson is the CEO of Bering McKinley and host of the BMK Vision Podcast. Through the BMK Quick Takes and From the Trenches series, Josh helps MSP owners think clearly about growth, execution, and the financial realities of building durable service businesses.

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