The Peel

What separates highly successful small businesses from those that struggle to grow in the federal marketplace?   In this episode of The Peel, Shelley McGuire and ENcompass Consulting Group's CEO, Eric Nusbaum break down the seven habits that help GovCon small businesses thrive, and the bad habits that can hold them back. From relying too heavily on socioeconomic status and setting unrealistic grow...

Are teaming agreements really protecting your business—or just taking you off the street? On this episode of The Peel Podcast, Shelley McGuire sits down with government contracting expert Monica Randall , founder and CEO of the Randall Group and a former SBA leader, to separate fact from fiction when it comes to teaming agreements, joint ventures, workshare, exclusivity clauses, and subcontract ne...

At VETS26, we turned the mic around and put conference attendees in the hot seat! In this special episode, veterans, advocates, employers, and industry leaders share a mix of personal stories, fun rapid-fire answers, and their biggest takeaways from the conference. From favorite hobbies and unexpected talents to meaningful conversations about career growth, networking, and supporting the veteran c...

On this episode of The Peel Podcast, Shelley McGuire sits down with Dom Cussatt , CEO of Vault Cloud and a former federal IT leader with experience spanning the VA, State Department, DOD, NATO, and private sector healthcare. With more than 30 years at the intersection of technology, cybersecurity, and mission delivery, Dom shares his perspective on how IT can truly empower organizations rather tha...

“Everybody in government is talking about AI. Very few are actually talking about what happens when these systems start making decisions, taking actions, and operating inside real mission environments.” In this episode, David Blackburn sits down with Alex Santantonio of  Nava  and Allison DiPietro of  Aquia  for a timely discussion on where federal AI adoption is actually heading as agencies move...

“Growth is getting harder across GovCon. The companies pulling ahead are not just chasing opportunities, they are building smarter, more scalable businesses from the inside out.” In this episode, David Blackburn sits down with Miriam Briskin , Manager of GovCon Small Business at Unanet, to discuss what she is hearing directly from small government contractors navigating today’s increasingly compet...

On this episode of The Peel, Shelley McGuire sits down with Ted Rose , Founder & CEO of Rose Financial Solutions, to discuss why financial readiness is becoming one of the most important conversations in GovCon today. As agencies shift priorities and the market continues evolving, Ted shares why now is the time for contractors to reassess their financial infrastructure, business development st...

In this episode of The Peel, Shelley McGuire sits down with Aaron Pava , co-founder and Chief Experience Officer at CivicActions, for a candid conversation about the future of government technology and why the way agencies think about “modernization” may be fundamentally broken. Drawing from decades of experience in open source technology, federal digital services, and procurement reform, Aaron ex...

The federal health market is moving fast right now. AI adoption is accelerating. Cybersecurity pressures are intensifying. Agencies are being pushed to modernize faster while delivering measurable mission outcomes in an increasingly constrained environment. And next week, many of the leaders shaping those conversations will gather at the AFCEA Health IT Summit , taking place May 26 and 27. Over th...

In this episode of The Peel, Shelley McGuire catches up with ENcompass Consulting Group's Eric Nusbaum , CEO, and Dan Abernathy, CGO and Head of BD Consulting Practice, to discuss the top business development best practices shaping GovCon in 2026. From defining what truly differentiates your company to building smarter pipelines and improving capture strategies, the conversation dives into the evo...

What happens when AI, augmented reality, and emergency response training come together? On this episode of The Peel, Shelley McGuire sits down with Angela Leavell of APV and Alton Robinson of the Air Force Civil Engineer Center to explore the future of firefighter and emergency response training. Fresh off being recognized at the FXP event for their U.S. Air Force Civil Engineer Center (AFCEC) | F...

What does it really take to be financially ready in today’s unpredictable market? In this episode of The Peel Podcast, Shelley McGuire sits down with Ted Rose (Founder & CEO of Rose Financial Solutions) and Wally Angel (Strategic CFO & CPA) to break down the real challenges facing government contractors and what leaders need to do now to stay ahead. From navigating massive industry shifts...

What makes VETS26 one of the most impactful events in the veteran small business community? In this episode, Lauren Masters gives an inside look at how this year’s conference is evolving beyond traditional formats to deliver real business development outcomes. With more than 25 federal agencies, prime contractors, and industry leaders participating, attendees won’t just hear about opportunities; t...

In this episode of The Peel Podcast, Shelley McGuire sits down with Jimmie Butler , founder of StrategiX and author of the upcoming book Deliver What Matters. Jimmy brings both creativity and candor to a conversation that challenges how government delivers digital services. At the heart of the discussion is a powerful story of a single mother navigating a broken system that works on paper but fail...

What does it take to move from delivery on the front lines to driving strategy and growth in GovCon? In this episode of The Peel, ⁠Ryan Rees⁠ , Director of Federal Health Strategy, Tantus Technologies, Inc., shares his 25-year journey from hands-on technical roles to leading federal health strategy—and the mindset shift that made it possible. He dives into how understanding the full business lifec...

In this episode of The Peel, Shelley McGuire sits down with Monica Randall , founder and CEO of the Randall Group and a former SBA leader, to unpack one of the most overlooked and risky areas of government contracting: contracts themselves. Drawing on decades of experience, Monica shares where small businesses get into trouble, from skipping NDAs to signing subcontracts they don’t fully understand...

In this episode of The Peel, Shelley McGuire welcomes back Eric Nusbaum , CEO of ENcompass Consulting Group to unpack the latest developments around the Army’s MAPS draft RFP #5.  The discussion opens by stepping back to clarify what MAPS actually is, who should be paying attention, and how this massive, no-ceiling IDIQ reshapes opportunities across the Army and broader DOW landscape. From there,...

In this episode of The Peel, Shelley McGuire sits down with John Foster , Chief Impact Officer at Fearless and one of the company’s earliest team members, to explore how his 15+ years of experience in digital services and mission-driven growth are shaping real outcomes across government. The conversation dives into the growing shift toward state and local work, where tighter budgets and rising exp...

Janet Waring , Partner and CEO of ArtForm Agency, joins Shelley McGuire on The Peel to discuss how marketing, user experience, and AI-driven search are reshaping how organizations—especially government agencies and GovCon companies—connect with their audiences. With nearly three decades of experience in advertising and marketing strategy, Janet shares insights from her work helping nonprofits, ent...

On this episode of The Peel Podcast, host Shelley McGuire catches up with Andrea Wilson , Chief of Business Operations at NOAA, who brings more than 20 years of federal acquisition experience to a candid conversation about what really happens inside a contracts office. With a career spanning the CIA, DHS, CMS, and now NOAA, Andrea has seen acquisition from nearly every angle—Contract Specialist, C...

On this episode of The Peel Podcast, host Shelley McGuire sits down with ⁠Lauren Masters⁠ , Special Events Director at NVSBC, for an inside look at one of the most practical and timely business events of the year: the NVSBC Finance Symposium. Lauren shares how this symposium has evolved beyond traditional “access to capital” conversations into a full-scale deep dive on financial readiness, wraparo...

David Blackburn recently connected with Brittany Winkler to unpack how data is reshaping the competitive landscape in GovCon, and why more teams are rethinking how they go to market. Brittany is a go-to-market leader at GovDash, an autonomous AI platform purpose-built for government contractors. GovDash brings capture, proposal development, and contract management into a single end-to-end system,...

In this episode of The Peel, Shelley McGuire is joined by Eric Nusbaum , CEO of ENcompass Consulting Group for a rapid-fire breakdown of the biggest GovCon acquisition updates shaping the market right now. Known for his clear-eyed take on industry trends, Eric walks through what contractors need to know, and do, about Army MAPS, the AFRL MAC IDIQ, GSA MAS Refresh 31, the cancellation of CIO SP4, a...

On this episode of The Peel Podcast, host Shelley McGuire is joined by Barqat Bari , Founder and CEO of Xemplify IT, to talk about what it really means to rebrand with purpose. Known for delivering enterprise-scale IT modernization across complex federal environments like NIH and NASA, Barqat shares the story behind transitioning from a deeply personal company identity to a brand built around miss...

On this episode of the The Peel, host Shelley McGuire sits down with Austin Keller , Director of Data Science at IntelliDyne, to unpack some of the most misunderstood concepts in artificial intelligence. With a background that spans secure generative AI, Navy operational analytics, public health, and veteran suicide prevention, Austin brings both technical depth and real-world perspective to the c...