Game Changers for Government Contractors

I recently sat down with Shannon Edie, the Executive Director at the Native Hawaiian Organizations Association to discuss the NHOA and their annual conference. The mission of the NHOA is to protect, promote, and advance the preservation of federal contracting for Native Hawaiian Organizations (NHOs). The NHOA is at the forefront of advocating for the rights, culture, and economic prosperity of NHO...

In this episode, I sat down with John King to discuss "Chasing Your Small Business Passion." We tackle tough questions like the necessary commitment to sustain your business in the early stages, and whether your business narrative truly reflects your passion. Get insights into starting a new business or shifting to a different industry, alongside the highs and lows that come with being a small bus...

Being a successful government contractor requires finding actionable information. Think of it as being a private investigator in the world of contracts—connecting the dots, avoiding distractions, and staying focused. Discover the art of knowing what to look for, navigating the rabbit hole of information, and, most importantly, when to move on. Whether you're a seasoned contractor or a newcomer, th...

I recently had the pleasure of sitting down with Scott Jenson, the Executive Director of the National Veteran Small Business Coalition to talk about the organization and their annual VETS conference. We are huge fans of the work that the NVSBC is doing to help Veterans. Their legislative advocacy was recently key in raising the Veteran small business goal from 3 to 5%. They have also created a vas...

I recently sat down with Joshua Frank to talk about Selecting the Right Business Partner. For those who don't know, Josh and I have known each other for over 20 years. We became business partners in April of 2014. This is an unfiltered peek behind the curtain that will provide you with insights as to why we are so successful working together. Working as a team has been a force multiplier that neit...

In this episode, I sat down with Ricky Howard, a seasoned professional with 20 years of experience in the Air Force specializing in acquisitions and program management. We talked about securing meetings with influential individuals. We cover practical strategies for identifying and connecting with key personnel, with an emphasis on program managers. You will learn about the significance of researc...

In this episode, I dive into 10 essential rules for government contractors navigating the social media landscape. Learn why being authentic matters (#3), how to strike the right balance between value-driven content and self-promotion (#5 & #6), and why consistency is key (#4). I also talk about the importance of engagement (#8) and offer strategic tips to develop a winning social media plan (#9)....

I recently sat down with Rich Earnest to discuss Equity as Compensation for business developers. We discuss the complexities of equity-based compensation models, the importance of clear agreements and expectations, potential impacts on small business set-asides, balance in compensation, and the importance of having a predefined valuation formula in the event the business developer decides to exit...

This episode explores crucial tips for building strong partnerships as a government prime or subcontractor. You will learn about balancing your pipeline, navigating prime-sub dynamics, and negotiating realistic terms. Discover the power of controlled communication, strategic vagueness, and decision-making authority for primes. Subcontractors, find success in specificity, favorable termination term...

Picture this. You've identified a contracting officer who buys what you sell. The next step is crafting the perfect email to get their attention. You write the email and hit send. If this is your first time doing this, you get a big smile on your face because you know how close you are to getting a contract. To your surprise, nothing happens. You don't get a reply. You try this 100 more times and...

This episode is a high-level breakdown that will help you create your social media platform strategy. I talk about platforms, your strategy based on who you want to attract, types of content you should consider, and simple tactics for growing and engaging an audience. ----- Schedule a call with Michael: https://calendly.com/michaellejeune/govconstrategysession ----- Join our Coaching and Training...

In this episode, I sat down with Nick Bernardo from MyGovWatch to discuss Who's Buying What You Sell. We touch on this from both the Fed and SLED market perspectives, how to properly search sam.gov for open opportunities, how to gain market awareness by tracking open and recently closed solicitations, and how and when to use open records requests to increase competitive intelligence. ----- Join ou...

Most new government contractors struggle with three specific things; 1. Learning all of the nuances of being a government contractor, 2. Narrowing their focus to a specific niche, and 3. The fundamentals of being a good business owner. This episode will break down each of these challenges and provide you with simple ways to overcome these learning curves. ----- Join our Coaching and Training Platf...

In this episode, I interviewed William Randolph, the Founder, and CEO of Think Acquisition and MicroMarket.co about Creating Your 10K Micro-purchase offer. To be considered a micro-purchase, the contract must be under 10K. Under FAR 13.2 (micro-purchase guidelines), an authorized buyer (contracting officers and credit card holders) is allowed to purchase from you without competition as long as the...

Did you know that a lot of paid advertising slots go unsold every month? In fact, this is such an issue for advertisers that there are networks dedicated to selling these spots at heavily discounted rates. The trick to getting these spots is often by waiting until the last minute to pounce on these deals. In this episode, I sat down with Rich Kagan from Last Minute Media Deals to discuss how to go...

In this special Halloween episode, I talk about a concept that author Mike Michalowicz made popular a few years ago in his book, The Pumpkin Plan. At a high level, the pumpkin plan teaches entrepreneurs how to prune away distractions in their business in order to focus on the most important areas of their business. By cutting out distractions, a business can pour all of its energy into the few thi...

Just because you can, doesn't mean you should. That's one of the best takeaways from this podcast episode. If you wanted to, you could spend all day every day bidding on government opportunities. In fact, that brute force method is exactly how most people start and eventually end their GovCon journey. They spend months or in some cases years blindly responding to opportunities they have no chance...

Government contractors often struggle with exit and succession planning. Novation requirements, Anti-Assignment Act obligations, and set-aside designations can limit a company's M&A options. Even if a GovCon firm wants to remain independent, traditional buy-sell arrangements can be complicated and inefficient. Employee stock ownership plans represent a meaningful alternative to third-party sales a...

In this episode, we dive deep into the heart of chronic employee issues and how to resolve them by revamping your hiring process and management strategies. Uncover the secrets to building high-performing teams that require less management and deliver outstanding results. Learn how to identify and attract A-players, optimize onboarding, how to thin the herd, and much more. Schedule a call with Mich...

In this episode, I sit down with Connor Eckhardt from Focused Image to talk about how government contractors are using digital marketing strategies to position for and win government contracts. We discuss some of the latest trends in B2G marketing, the importance of building a company brand, how to approach digital marketing, how to integrate marketing collateral with your digital strategy, and mu...

I recently had the pleasure of sitting down with Mark Amtower to talk about Building a Thought Leadership Platform. Mark was one of the first voices in government contracting to leverage LinkedIn to help build his brand online. We discuss the power of authenticity, content creation challenges, the importance of networking and engaging with your followers, and we share examples of how thought leade...

Teaming with other companies is one of the fastest ways to enter and grow a thriving government contracts business. You can accelerate that process by teaming with large primes that already have existing contracts and relationships with your ideal clients. In this episode, I sat down with Lynn Livengood from Peraton to discuss how to properly introduce your company to large primes and how to have...

Understanding the fundamental distinctions between goals, strategies, and tactics is essential for effective business planning and execution. Goals are the overarching objectives we aim to reach, providing direction and purpose. They answer the question, "What do we want to achieve?" Strategies, on the other hand, outline the broad approaches or plans we employ to attain those goals, acting as a r...

In this episode, I interviewed Brenden Kumarasamy on How to Master the Art of Public Speaking. Did you know that public speaking ranks number one as the greatest fear of most people? It's followed by snakes and death. In this interview, we talk about simple ways to overcome your fear of public speaking, exercises you can start today, how to present better, several tips and tricks for falling in lo...

Are you considering an acquisition for your company? If so, this podcast will help you think through about a dozen areas of the business that you need to evaluate in order to make a buying decision. Growth through acquisition is a fast way to accelerate in the government market. However, there are many pitfalls that you need to know how to spot as well as how to use those things to negotiate a bet...