Most government contractors aren’t losing because they lack effort. They’re losing because they’re doing the wrong work and calling it progress. In this episode, Michael sits down with Rich Earnest to break down what actually drives success in government contracting. After 20+ years in the game, Rich pulls back the curtain on why most companies...
Most government contractors aren’t losing because they lack capability. They’re losing because they’re paying an invisible price, the ego tax. In this episode, I break down how trying to look bigger, more polished, or more “professional” is actually costing you deals. From overcomplicated messaging to unnecessary overhead, I walk through where ego shows up and...
AI has made content faster, easier, and more scalable than ever. It has also made a lot of people lazy. In this episode, Michael sits down with Sheena from Wonderluster Co. to break down what is actually happening when marketers and business owners start outsourcing their thinking to AI. This is not about avoiding AI....
Most government contractors think they have a pipeline problem. They don’t. They have an identity problem. In this episode, Michael breaks down how your language is programming your future. Every time you say “We’re just a small business,” “It was political,” or “We can’t win as a prime,” you are installing a growth ceiling inside...
In this episode, I sit down with Amanda Smith to talk about how we’re actually integrating AI into real businesses. Not hype. Not fear. Not shortcuts. We cover using AI for research, refining your voice instead of replacing it, building efficiency into contracts and client work, and why AI should enhance your expertise, not mask...
Most government contractors confuse activity with strategy. They attend events. Collect business cards. Monitor SAM.gov. Wait for RFPs to drop. That’s movement. It’s not momentum. In this episode, Michael explains why networking without intention creates random revenue, and why true growth requires a hunter mindset. Hunters target agencies. They study budgets, contract vehicles, incumbents, recompete...
The 2026 NDAA is out, and most contractors won’t read it. That’s a mistake. In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Dolores Kuchina-Musina to break down what actually matters. We cover changes to Commercial Solutions Openings, the gray areas around developmental work, what’s happening with SBIR reauthorization, and why OTAs are once again being...
We are living in an era of over-optimization for comfort. Safe spaces, avoided confrontation, emotional outsourcing, and leaders who think protecting their teams from pressure is kindness. It is not. In this episode, Michael breaks down the safety trap and explains why hard times create strong leaders, and why soft times create weakness. He challenges...
In this episode, I sit down with Scott Jensen, CEO of NVSBC and author of The Owner’s Playbook, to unpack what actually breaks when a business grows. We talk about why brute force gets you to seven figures but won’t get you past it, how fractured systems quietly bleed money, why most owners misunderstand the...
Most entrepreneurs think growth is about adding people. Add a partner. Add an employee. Add a tool. But if 1+1 equals 2, you did not create leverage. You created maintenance. In this episode, Michael explains why real growth requires multiplication, not addition. He breaks down how to evaluate business partners, employees, and romantic partners through...
