(This is part of a regular series of technical advisor CEO Spotlights, where leading TAs share their secrets for success and goals for the future).
Before becoming a technology advisor (TA), Michael Agri competed against them as a sales rep for a telecom provider. Looking at the TA model, he said “something clicked.” He started his own TA firm, North Atlantic Consultants in 2009, with a mission to “relentlessly focus on client satisfaction. Our clients are our north star, everything we do starts with their success.”
Agri’s success as a TA earned him a spot on the inaugural Channel Partners TA Thought Leaders list this year. He was also a Channel Futures TA 101 winner in 2022 and inducted into the Technology Advisor Alliance Hall of Fame in 2024.
Agri shared his TA origin story, his take on the business and advice for other TAs.
What inspired you to start North Atlantic Consultants, and what is your company’s mission?
Agri: Ever since I was a kid, I knew I wanted to start my own business, I just didn’t know what it would be. Early in my career, I became a top sales rep for a telecom provider in the Boston area. Over time, we started competing against independent “advisors” – these are entrepreneurs who had built their own technology advisory practices. They had the freedom to build something for themselves: no corporate quotas, no ceiling on income, and the ability to truly put clients first. The moment I saw that model, something clicked. I knew that was the path I wanted to pursue.
I reached out to a close friend who had already been doing it successfully for seven years, and he became an incredible mentor as I got started. He helped me understand both the opportunity and the reality of building a technology advisory firm from the ground up.
I knew growing a book of business would take time but knowing it and living it are two very different things. For nearly two years, income was extremely limited, and there were plenty of moments where the uncertainty felt overwhelming. But I believed in the vision, stayed persistent, and kept building one client relationship at a time.
How big is North Atlantic Consultants now headcount-wise, and who are your main technology partners?
Agri: We currently have a team of nine people – seven TAs and two dedicated support representatives.
Our business is built around strategic partnerships, so we work closely with many of the industry’s leading technology providers across UCaaS, CCaaS, cybersecurity, connectivity, cloud, mobility, and managed IT services. Some of our closest partners include Comcast Business, Dialpad, Lumen, RingCentral, Vonage, Spectrum Business, NHC, and hundreds of other suppliers through the Channel ecosystem.
Our goal is to remain provider-agnostic so we can focus on matching clients with the best-fit solutions for their specific business needs.
What do you see as the biggest opportunities and challenges in your industry over the next five years?
Agri: One of the biggest opportunities in our industry is helping MSPs better connect with the channel ecosystem. Amazingly, there are still many MSPs operating without trusted channel partnerships, leaving significant revenue and client value on the table.
If you can become the technology advisor who introduces local MSPs to new revenue streams, strategic supplier relationships, and expanded solutions for their clients, you immediately separate yourself from the pack. The best TAs aren’t just selling services, they’re creating opportunities, strengthening partnerships, and helping MSPs grow smarter and faster.
The biggest challenge as a technology advisor is consistently generating new sales opportunities and long-term recurring revenue. This is a relationship-driven business, and building trust and momentum takes time.
That’s why organizations like the Technology Advisor Alliance are so valuable. Learning from proven TAs, sharing best practices, and collaborating with others in the Channel helps accelerate growth and exposes advisors to new strategies that are already working in the real world.
How does North Atlantic Consultants use AI to stay ahead of the curve?
Agri: We use AI for everything from idea generation, event planning, and presentations to streamlining everyday operational tasks like spreadsheets, document creation, graphics, research, and client communications. It has become an incredibly valuable tool for improving efficiency, accelerating creativity, and allowing our team to focus more time on strategy, relationships, and client success.
What advice would you give to aspiring entrepreneurs or leaders in the tech space?
Agri: My advice to aspiring entrepreneurs and leaders in the tech space is simple: focus on relationships, visibility, and consistency. Build strong partnerships with local MSPs, get involved in business communities like Chambers of Commerce and BNI groups, and invest heavily in your online presence and SEO so prospects can find you.
Also, don’t feel like you need to know everything technically. One of the biggest advantages of the channel is access to incredible engineering and supplier resources through your TSD relationships. You don’t always have to “be the tech” -- you just need to know how to bring the right people and solutions together for your clients.
Michael Agri
What’s next for your company? Are there any exciting projects or initiatives you’d like to share with our audience?
Agri: One of the projects I’m most excited about right now is our 2nd Annual Tech at the Park event taking place June 11th at Jackie Robinson Ballpark in Daytona Beach. What started as a local technology networking event has quickly grown into a major community and channel gathering. We had more than 150 attendees last year, and this year’s event is expected to be even bigger with additional sponsors like Comcast, Dialpad, and Lumen, technology partners, business leaders, and a charitable component supporting the local community.
For us, it’s about much more than technology: it’s about bringing people together, strengthening relationships, creating opportunities, and giving back at the same time.
What do most people misunderstand about building a sustainable business in the advisor channel?
Agri: I think the biggest misconception about building a sustainable business is that success happens quickly. From the outside, people see recurring revenue and flexibility, but they often underestimate the amount of time, persistence, and relationship-building required to get there.
This business is a long game. Opportunities can take months, sometimes years, to fully materialize between prospecting, solution design, legal review, implementation, billing, and commissions finally getting paid. Both providers and new Technology Advisors often become discouraged because they expect immediate results.
Success in the Channel is built slowly through trust, consistency, reputation, and genuinely helping clients over time. The advisors who win long term are usually the ones who stay patient, continue showing up, and keep investing in relationships even when the results aren’t immediate.
Where do TAs risk losing credibility with buyers today?
Agri: The TAs who truly separate themselves are the ones introducing professional services, managed services, implementation support, and ongoing guidance to their clients. That not only creates more value for the customer, but also strengthens relationships and positions the advisor as a long-term trusted partner instead of just another salesperson. In a crowded channel, real differentiation comes from solving business problems, not just delivering pricing.
If you were starting today, what would you do differently and what would you do exactly the same?
Agri: If I were starting today, I would lean much more heavily on my network from day one. Over time, I realized that past clients, colleagues, and industry peers genuinely wanted to help me grow - and many of them became trusted partners, referral sources, and close friends.
What I would do the same is focus on relationships first. Technology changes constantly, but trust, consistency, and taking care of people never go out of style. Those relationships have been the foundation of everything I’ve built.