Fall Colors Retreat 2026 Educational Sessions
Main-Stage Session One: Keynote Address
Your Goals Aren't the Problem — Your Comfort Zone Is
Oct. 29, 10:30 to 11:30 a.m.
Samuel Mascato, business growth advisor, Peak Performance Partners
Most teams do not fail because they lack ambition, they fail because their goals are built to protect comfort, not drive change. This keynote will challenge leaders to rethink how they set expectations, hold accountability and push performance. Attendees will walk away with a clear, practical way to set goals that actually change behavior and produce results. If growth has stalled, this keynote will show you why and what to do about it.
Mascato is a nationally recognized speaker, business growth advisor and top-rated Sandler sales trainer with 20-plus years of experience helping organizations improve sales performance and accelerate growth. He works with business owners, executives and sales teams across the technology and managed services spaces to strengthen prospecting, improve closing rates and build repeatable sales systems. Known for his high-energy, practical, no-fluff style, Mascato delivers actionable strategies audiences can put to work immediately.
Main-Stage Session Two
Beyond Office Equipment: Water & Ice for High Profits
Oct. 29, 3:25 to 4:25 p.m.
Paul Martin, business development manager, Culligan Quench
Discover how office technology dealers can expand beyond traditional print and copier/MFP solutions by adding water and ice to their portfolios. Martin will share insights from his experience in both the office technology and water industries, including the opportunity for recurring revenue, strong margins and deeper customer relationships. Attendees will learn what it takes to become a water dealer, and how to successfully launch and grow this new revenue stream.
Martin is business development manager at Culligan Quench. He brings a unique perspective with more than 30 years of experience in the office technology industry, working for a large dealership and with leading manufacturers Sharp and OKI. Martin later built and successfully sold his own water dealership, giving him firsthand experience in both industries. Today, he uses that experience to help office technology dealers understand the water business and the opportunity it provides to add high-profit recurring revenue to their businesses.
Main-Stage Session Three
Current Industry Metrics & Best Practices in Service
Oct. 30, 10:45 to 11:45 a.m.
Jerry Newberry, president & managing partner, and Jeff Kelly, senior partner, Pros Elite Group
The session will cover the changes to the industry benchmarking model in service. Newberry and Kelly will discuss how those benchmarks have evolved; where they are seeing more than 120 dealers operating at the time of engagement with the PIVOT platform; and the most common performance challenges they identify. They will also share how they address those challenges, and the strategies they use to help dealers improve service performance and move toward above-benchmark results.
Newberry brings 35 years of industry experience and has been recognized as ae service profitability specialist for more than 28 years. His background includes 10 years at Xerox and 11 years as vice president of service for Global Imaging Systems, where he worked directly with every Global location to drive above-benchmark service performance across the organization. In 2007, Newberry founded Pros Elite Group, which quickly became the go-to partner for office technology dealers seeking to improve profitability and operational performance. Under his leadership, Pros Elite has helped hundreds of dealers consistently raise their financial and operational KPIs to industry-leading levels. In 2017, Newberry and his team committed to developing the most advanced analytics platform in the industry, PIVOT. Today, PIVOT is used by dealers throughout North America to deliver actionable insights that enable financial discipline, operational excellence and sustained above-benchmark performance.
With more than 35 years in the office technology industry, Kelly is a recognized authority in driving operational excellence, profitability and sustainable growth for dealers. His deep industry knowledge and results-oriented approach have helped organizations consistently outperform their peers. Kelly currently leads the development of PIVOT Analytics, an innovative SaaS platform that empowers dealers to identify high-impact opportunities, optimize operations and maximize company profitability.
Breakout Sessions
What Does a Successful MSP Look Like?
Oct. 29, 1:10 to 2:10 p.m.
Eric Kehmeier, vice president of client services, The 20 MSP
What does it take to become a successful managed service provider (MSP) in today's competitive market? In this session, Kehmeier will explore the core components of a best-in-class MSP, including service delivery, staffing, account management, cybersecurity and operational maturity. Attendees will gain insight into the challenges office technology dealers face when entering managed services and learn why many struggle to scale on their own. He will also examine the proven framework, resources and peer-driven support that have helped organizations accelerate their MSP growth through The 20's model.
Having a passion for serving businesses through innovative technology solutions, Kehmeier founded Broken Arrow, Oklahoma-based IBT in 2008 and successfully grew it into an award-winning MSP. Under his leadership, IBT earned recognition on the Inc. 5000 list four times and the MSPmentor 501 Global list five times, highlighting the top MSPs in the world. Following IBT's merger with The 20 MSP in February 2023, Kehmeier has remained passionate about creating a positive impact for his team, the community and the broader MSP industry. Today, he is dedicated to coaching and mentoring fellow MSP owners, helping them scale their businesses, improve operational maturity and achieve long-term success.
Recruiting Top Talent for Scalable Growth
Oct. 29, 1:10 to 2:10 p.m.
Steve Cole, director of indirect business, Culligan Quench
Finding and hiring great salespeople is one of the biggest challenges facing growing businesses. In this practical session, you will learn proven strategies for recruiting, interviewing and selecting sales talent to support long-term business growth.
Topics covered will include:
- Determining how many sales representatives your business needs to achieve its growth goals
- Identifying the traits and characteristics of top-performing salespeople
- Finding qualified candidates through effective recruiting channels and networking strategies
- Conducting interviews that help you confidently select the right people for your team
Gain practical insights and actionable techniques you can put to work immediately to strengthen your sales organization and support scalable growth.
Cole brings nearly 40 years of experience in the office technology and water industries, with a proven track record of building high-performing sales teams and driving business growth. In 2014, he founded Carolina Pure Water Systems in Raleigh, North Carolina, growing the dealership to nearly 4,000 placements in five years before successfully selling the business to Quench in 2019. Today, as director of indirect business at Quench, Cole partners with dealers and sales organizations to accelerate growth, develop sales talent and improve business performance through practical, real-world strategies.