Let's Do Business hosted by Alma D. Bañuelos

Gary Stanford, former Director of Project Management for the Facilities Planning & Construction department at San Diego Unified joined us at the Let’s Do Business podcast before his retirement on June 30,2025. Our conversation ranges from the evolution of project management in California public works over the last few decades to the lessons learned in managing a group of over 80 staff members,...

Candace Friedman, Owner of Acme Safety & Supply Corp., President of C&C Mentor Protege Program, and cofounder of the Women's Construction Coalition brings her 40 years of construction experience to the Let’s Do Business podcast. Discussing the difficulties in hiring and maintaining a skilled workforce in the construction industry including how attitudes towards women in the construction in...

Cole Woodman, President and CEO of Global Engineering Services and President and Chairman of the Veterans in Business Network shares his wisdom as a business owner and advocate for veteran-owned businesses on how to maintain a healthy cashflow. Topics include the importance of payment provisions in contracts, selecting clients carefully, establishing lines of credit before they’re needed, building...

Andy Roberts is the current President of the Surety Association of San Diego and a Surety Account Executive at Rancho Mesa Insurance Services. In this episode, Andy and Alma run through construction bonding from A-to-Z: the difference between a construction bond and insurance, why bonds exist, the bonding requirements effective on San Diego Unified School District construction projects, how contra...

Dion Harrington, Construction Management Director at San Diego Unified School District’s Facilities Planning and Construction department joins the Let’s Do Business podcast to discuss how to navigate construction industry challenges. Points of discussion include what are some key qualities exhibited by exceptional subcontractors, the merits of being adaptable to unforeseen circumstances, and how S...

George Harris III is the Director of Fiscal Controls and Information Systems with San Diego Unified School District’s Facilities Planning and Construction department. In this series’ final episode George and Alma cover government contract compliance, why the oversight and rules exist, how contractors should navigate the public works maze, examples of pre- and post-award contracting requirements, a...

Tanya Counts is a certified Contract Compliance Administrator and Equity Trainer with APEX Accelerators (formerly referred to as the Procurement Technical Assistance Center) and joins the Let’s do Business podcast to discuss how to effectively respond to government bid solicitations. Topics include: the main differences between private and public solicitations, essential pre-proposal organization...

Damian Singleton is the Senior Procurement Contracting Officer for the City of San Diego’s Purchasing and Contracting Department. In this episode Damian and Alma discuss the dos and don’ts of promoting a product or service to a public agency. Damian shares tips on how to approach procurement professionals and prepare for meetings, gives examples of correct etiquette and expectations to hold, and s...

Mike Sabellico, Interim Regional Director of APEX Accelerators (formerly referred to as the Procurement Technical Assistance Center, PTAC), shares invaluable advice to emerging, small, and diverse businesses looking to make money with government contracting. Topics covered include the value in State and Federal certifications, the wealth of opportunities in public works, knowing your clients, cond...

Karen Linehan is the esteemed Business Outreach Manager at San Diego Unified School District’s Facilities Planning and Construction department. In this inaugural episode Karen and Alma discuss: the merits of using effective due diligence to efficiently target public agency clients, how best to make use of free resources like online public agency bidding platforms and contract archives, and the mos...