The Business Owners IT Podcast

What happens when your Microsoft 365 account gets hacked? From stolen emails and sensitive business data to complete administrative control, one compromised account could put your entire organization at risk.In Episode 90 of The Business Owner's IT Podcast, Ryan Carter and Anthony "Tony" Gerasch of Unique Computing Solutions explore the dangers of Microsoft 365 security breaches and business email compromise (BEC).Drawing from real-world cybersecurity incidents, Ryan and Tony explain how attackers gain access, what they can do with compromised accounts, and why Global Administrator privileges can turn a single security breach into a company-wide nightmare.From fraudulent email domains and...

Microsoft Copilot Cowork is here, but is this finally the AI assistant that actually does the work for you?In Episode 89 of The Business Owner’s IT Podcast, Anthony Gerasch and Ryan Carter take a first look at Microsoft Copilot Cowork and what it could mean for business owners and Tech Champions using Microsoft 365.Unlike traditional AI tools that simply respond to prompts, Copilot Cowork is designed around outcomes. You tell it what you need accomplished, and it can help take action across your emails, calendar, meetings, messages, documents, and other Microsoft 365 tools.Ryan shares his hands-on experience using Co...

Is Microsoft Copilot worth the money for your business? Microsoft Copilot promises greater productivity, faster access to information, and powerful AI agents, but its value ultimately depends on how your employees use it.In this episode of The Business Owner’s IT Podcast, Anthony Gerasch and Ryan Carter share their real-world experience using Microsoft Copilot inside Unique Computing Solutions. They explain where Copilot is saving time, how AI usage costs can quickly add up, and why businesses need a clear adoption strategy before purchasing licenses for their entire organization.You’ll hear how the UCS team created a custom AI a...

AI meeting recording tools promise better notes, searchable transcripts, and instant summaries, but what happens to the privacy of your business conversations?In this episode of The Business Owner’s IT Podcast, Anthony Gerasch and Ryan Carter discuss the risks businesses should consider before allowing AI meeting assistants such as Fireflies.ai, Read AI, Fathom, Microsoft Copilot, and other transcription tools into online meetings.An AI notetaker may enter a Microsoft Teams or Zoom meeting and begin capturing the conversation before every participant has arrived. That means private discussions, customer information, business deals, cybersecurity incidents, and other sensitive topics co...

Thinking about starting a podcast for your business, but not sure what equipment, software, or setup you actually need?In this episode of The Business Owner’s IT Podcast, Ryan Carter is joined by special guest John Gallegos to talk through the technology behind the podcast and what business owners should consider when building their own podcast setup.From OBS and cameras to microphones, lighting, mixers, green screens, recording space, and consistency, this conversation gives business owners and Tech Champions a practical look at how a podcast comes together behind the scenes.John explains that there is no “secret sauc...

Could a pocket-sized device expose serious weaknesses in your business security?In this episode of The Business Owner’s IT Podcast, Ryan Carter is joined by special guest John Gallegos to discuss Flipper Zero business security risks and what business owners should understand about today’s physical and digital security threats.The Flipper Zero may look like a toy, but it can interact with signals, badges, garage doors, infrared devices, Wi-Fi tools, and USB-based attack methods. The real concern is not just the device itself; it is what tools like this can reveal about outdated access controls, weak badge syst...

AI agents are becoming one of the biggest conversations in business technology, but what do they actually mean for business owners?In this episode of The Business Owner’s IT Podcast, Tony Gerasch, Ryan Carter, and Alex Aguirre record from Pax8 Beyond in Salt Lake City to talk about AI, automation, Microsoft Copilot, and how businesses can start using AI agents in a secure and practical way.The UCS team shares what they have learned over the past year while building and testing AI tools internally, including Copilot agents that help review tickets, identify similar issues, analyze server downtime, an...

Is your business thinking about moving files from an old on-premise server to SharePoint? Before you start your SharePoint migration, there are a few important things every business owner should understand.In this episode of The Business Owner’s IT Podcast, Tony Gerasch and Ryan Carter discuss the real-world challenges that can happen during a large SharePoint migration, especially when a company has years of files, outdated file types, long folder paths, and users who are used to working inside File Explorer.They also talk about why moving data to SharePoint can help businesses prepare for AI tools like Mi...

What if your business could automate repetitive tasks, streamline workflows, and save hours every week using AI?In this episode of The Business Owner’s IT Podcast, Anthony Gerasch and Ryan Carter discuss how businesses are using Microsoft Copilot for Business, AI agents, Power Automate, and Copilot Studio to improve productivity and simplify daily operations.From automating emails and follow-ups to creating AI-powered workflows and presentations, this episode explores real-world business use cases that demonstrate how AI is changing the workplace today.Whether you're a business owner, manager, or Tech Champion looking to stay ahead, this episode breaks down pr...

When Should You Replace Business Computers? Good Question...Is your business still running on outdated computers? It could be costing you more than you think.In this episode of The Business Owner’s IT Podcast, Tony Gerasch and Ryan Carter break down one of the most overlooked (and expensive) IT mistakes business owners make: waiting too long to replace computers and hardware.From slow performance to unexpected downtime, outdated systems can quietly drain productivity, frustrate employees, and even cost you thousands in lost revenue.👉 In this episode, you’ll learn:✅ When to replace business computers (and why timing matters).✅ The real co...

Is your business email not working or not being delivered?In this episode of the Business Owner’s IT Podcast, Tony Gerasch and Ryan Carter break down one of the most common issues business owners face: email delivery failures.From missing invoices to lost communication, email problems can impact your business fast. The good news? Most of these issues come down to simple misconfigurations that are easy to fix once you know what to look for.What You’ll Learn in This Episode:* Why business email not working is the #1 reason IT companies get calls.* The real reason emails fail...

Are you stuck constantly fixing IT problems… or is your technology finally working for you?In this episode of The Business Owner’s IT Podcast, Tony Gerasch and Ryan Carter break down what it really means to be on an IT journey, and why most businesses don’t even realize where they stand.From outdated systems and reactive firefighting… to proactive strategies, organization, and even “IT Nirvana,” this episode helps business owners understand how IT maturity impacts productivity, security, and growth.👉 If you’ve ever wondered:“Why does our IT always feel like a mess?”“Are we being proactive… or just reacting?”“What s...

Building a strong IT partner relationship isn’t just about technology, it’s about trust, service, and real business value.In this episode of The Business Owner’s IT Podcast, Tony Gerasch and Ryan Carter sit down with Alex Aguirre to talk about what really happens behind the scenes when businesses evaluate and switch Managed Service Providers (MSPs).From Alex’s early days selling vacuums door-to-door to building a successful MSP sales pipeline, the conversation dives into the real challenges of selling IT services and helping business owners solve technology problems that impact revenue, productivity, and growth.If you're a busine...

What does CMMC compliance really mean for business owners, and why should you care now?In this episode of The Business Owner’s IT Podcast, hosts Tony Gerasch and Ryan Carter break down the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) in plain English. They share real-world insight from their own journey toward CMMC alignment and explain how this evolving framework impacts businesses working with the Department of Defense (DoD) and other government entities.Whether you’re a manufacturer, contractor, MSP, or business owner handling sensitive data, this conversation walks through what’s changing, where the biggest challenges lie, and why waitin...

Microsoft Copilot pricing is changing in 2026, and for business owners, the opportunity is real. But before adopting AI, there’s one critical question to answer:Is your Microsoft environment secure enough?In this episode of The Business Owner’s IT Podcast, Tony Gerasch and Ryan Carter break down Microsoft Copilot pricing, bundles, and Secure Score, and explain why security must come first when adopting AI.In this episode, we cover:✅ Microsoft Copilot pricing updates for 2026.✅ Limited-time Copilot discounts through March 31.✅ Business Premium + Copilot bundle savings.✅ Annual vs monthly commitment differences.✅ 10-seat minimum requirements for promotional pricing.✅ What Microsoft Secure Score actually m...

AI for Business is everywhere, but most business owners quickly realize it’s not as simple as flipping a switch.In this episode of The Business Owner’s IT Podcast, host Ryan Carter is joined by Nick Gerasch for a practical, no-hype conversation about AI for business, automation, and AI agents.They break down why AI often fails when expectations aren’t clear, how automation and generative AI actually work together, and where businesses can find real value today.If you’re a business owner or tech champion trying to understand how AI for business really works behind the scenes...

🎧 Is artificial intelligence headed for a crash, or are we just witnessing the early stages of the next major technology shift?👉 In this episode of The Business Owner’s IT Podcast, hosts Tony Gerasch and Ryan Carter tackle one of the biggest questions facing business owners and tech leaders today: Is AI about to crash?🤔 Drawing on real-world experience from the dot-com era, the conversation compares today’s AI boom to the early days of the internet, including sky-high valuations, massive investments, and companies burning cash without clear paths to profitability.✅ This episode covers:* Whether the current AI hype mirrors the dot...

The holidays are the most dangerous time of year for small businesses, and hackers know it.In this episode of The Business Owner’s IT Podcast, hosts Tony Gerasch and Ryan Carter break down the real-world scams targeting business owners right now, including FBI holiday warnings, phishing emails, fake government notices, credit card skimmers, and why cybercriminals intentionally “detonate” attacks during Christmas and New Year’s when companies are least prepared.If you’re a business owner or a Tech Champion who wants to protect your money, your identity, and your systems, this is an episode you cannot afford to miss.🚨...

In this episode of The Business Owner’s IT Podcast, hosts Anthony Gerasch and Ryan Carter break down why Apple Pay may be the most secure way for business owners to make payments today.Inspired by a conversation with a government cryptography expert, Tony and Ryan discuss how Apple Pay tokenization, device security, and tap-to-pay encryption protect you from stolen card numbers, website breaches, and skimmer attacks.Whether you’re a business owner, technology enthusiast, or one of our Tech Champions, this episode shows how Apple Pay can streamline purchasing, safeguard financial data, and reduce fraud risk.Learn how Appl...

Your remote workforce can be one of your biggest competitive advantages, or your most dangerous cybersecurity vulnerability.In this episode of The Business Owner’s IT Podcast, hosts Anthony Gerasch and Ryan Carter break down a shocking real-world case where foreign threat actors successfully infiltrated over 130 U.S. companies by posing as remote workers. Using fake identities, laptop farms, and unsecured personal devices, these attackers gained inside access to American businesses, putting sensitive data, finances, and operations at serious risk.This episode dives deep into the hidden cybersecurity risks within today’s remote workforce and explains exactly how business owne...