In this episode, I interviewed Michelle Gardner-Ince “GI” from the VA Office of Small Disadvantaged Business Utilization about her perspective as somebody who’s worked in government and what she’s witnessed with small businesses. We talk about some of the do’s and don’ts, lessons learned, and best practices for government contractors that are trying to get...
A common question that I get asked is, “Mike, how do you get so much done?” Part of that answer is simple. I have help. I couldn’t do what I do alone. I’d never sleep. But having help is only part of the solution. If you run a business, you need to be extremely organized...
This podcast covers my top eleven ways to reach contracting officers. I talk about the obvious ones such as email, phone, and small business representatives, and then get into some not-so-obvious ways. I also talk about some of the simple and practical tactics that I use to make myself stand out to ensure that I...
The fastest way to grow your business is to do more of what works AND to do it faster. It’s very easy in government contracting to be tempted to move at the pace of the government. And guess what? You don’t have that kind of time to waste. Business is often built by capitalizing on...
Projects have five main components. Tasks, tools, resources, processes, and people. If any of these five are not aligned with your project’s designed outcomes, you risk being off schedule, over budget, or a failed project. In our podcast today, we sit down with Michelle Watkins from Global PMO Partners to talk about the best practices...
In this episode of Game Changers, I walk you through exactly how I got started in government contracting. I want to go back to the beginning and give you some context. Because I think it’s really, really important for you to hear how a kid who had never, ever had any sales training, business training,...
If I were starting over in government contracting, these are the three industries I would consider the most. The government is spending billions of dollars each year in these categories and I don’t see it slowing down anytime soon. There’s a lot of room for competition and newcomers in these industries. If you have a...
How do you get known as an expert in your field? The first part of it revolves around the work you do on the front end. You have to actually do the work and be successful. You can’t go from; I was an accountant yesterday so now I’m a business coach. I can help you...
When I think about what separates the best government contractors from the bottom of the pack, there are five things that come to mind. These are habits that each one of these contractors picks up either right out of the gate or along the way. But obviously the faster you pick these up, the better....
What do you do when you’re having trouble reaching a contracting officer? The obvious answer is you just keep trying to reach them. The hard part is usually finding a creative way to say, “I’m going to keep calling and emailing you until you respond.” This podcast will walk you through a creative way to...
