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GovCon Unscripted

Chelsea Roberts

Welcome to GovCon Unscripted, where we dive into the unfiltered stories and strategies from all around the world of government contracting. Join host Chelsea Roberts as she explores how to navigate, thrive, and win in this complex but rewarding industry.

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Episodes

115 episodes

  1. How GovCon Firms Get Findable on LinkedIn | The Waldo Problem 28:51
  2. GSA's AI Clause Hits Oct 19. Who Decides If It Applies to You? 46:47
  3. Budget to Operate, Not Just to Launch: Financing Federal Contract Growth 41:03
  4. How Small Businesses Get Recognized in Federal Contracting | The Introduction Tax with Will McCormick 42:25
  5. What the FAR Overhaul Means for Small Business Contractors | The Upstream Window with David Mullis 34:49
  6. How to Win Federal Oral Presentations | The Orals Gap with Lisa Shea Mundt 39:32
  7. Leading Federal Teams Through Budget Cuts | The Capacity Cliff with Robert Rivers, MBA 34:10
  8. The Pilot Trap: Why an SDVOSB Founder Refuses the VA’s Favorite Word | Michael Schmitt 35:05
  9. Never Just a Business Leader | Dr. Sarbari Gupta 24:25
  10. Stop Running Your Company from Your Checking Account | Bud McDonald 36:58
  11. The Capital Stacking Playbook: How Defense Founders Fund Hard Tech Without Losing Equity | Mollie Jahner 26:54
  12. The Money Isn’t Where You Think: How to Read Federal Contract Data | Eileen Kent 36:43
  13. The $50M Company That Almost Couldn’t Be Sold | Robert E. Jones 38:50
  14. Design-Time vs. Runtime AI in Government: Why Most Agencies Get It Backwards | Doug Averill 36:52
  15. You Don't Control Innovation. You Manage It. | Harlan Bennett & Rick Fernandez 44:49
  16. Manufacturing Is Not a Dirty Word: Reframing the Jobs Rural Communities Need | Chrissy Marrucci 25:53
  17. Same Work, Different Words: Why Federal Contractors Misread State and Local | Jonathan Santana 38:03
  18. Substance Over Glitter: What Makes the HUBZone Conference Worth the Trip | Eric Coffie 20:44
  19. The 8(a) Program Isn't Being Killed. It's Being Starved. | Steven Koprince 35:42
  20. Your Network Is Your Net Worth: Why Nobody Wins Federal Work Alone | Tim Hagerty 38:22
  21. The Last All-Human Workforce | Paul Serotkin 36:30
  22. Show Up or Stay Invisible: Why HUBZone Advocacy Can’t Wait in 2026 | Michelle Burnett 21:46
  23. The CSO Before CSOs Were Everywhere | Adam C. Grant 34:56
  24. The Vehicle Is Not the Sale | Shene Commodore 37:04
  25. Same Mission, Different Uniform: Why a 24-Year Sergeant Major Chose GovCon | Josh Brandt 33:40
  26. The Resume Is Dead. So Are Job Boards. Here's What Federal Hiring Looks Like Now. | Richie Lampani 32:26
  27. $30 Million, One-to-One Match, Five Agencies: Inside the Strategic Breakthrough Award | Jerry Hollister 46:01
  28. The Proposal Doesn't Win the Contract | David Stearman 49:55
  29. Why Defense Sales Cycles Kill Startups: A Venture Insider's Diagnosis | Geoff Orazem 39:37
  30. The Pilot Trap: Why Most Government Innovation Never Ships 34:39
  31. How to Actually Influence the NDAA (Without Being a Lobbyist) 33:45
  32. Fed vs. SLED: The Marketing Mistake Costing Contractors Millions 38:28
  33. Defense Innovation at the Speed of Relevance with Graham Plaster 22:14
  34. Imagining the Fight: How Storytelling, Simulation, and Strategy Drive Real-World Outcomes 40:24
  35. Contract Ceilings, RFIs, and Other GovCon Myths That Cost You Wins 39:52
  36. Speed vs Compliance: The Real Battle Inside Defense Acquisition 39:33
  37. Policy vs Execution: Why GovCon Can’t Afford Slow Acquisition Anymore 43:02
  38. From Noise to Authority: How to Cut Through in a Crowded GovCon Market 43:38
  39. From Special Operations to Scenario Architect: Rebuilding Defense Thinking 42:24
  40. AI, Orals & Ownership: The New GovCon Playbook 37:44
  41. DCAA Problems Aren’t About Fraud, They’re About Documentation 34:28
  42. Why HUBZone Was Never About Contracting and Was About Community 45:09
  43. From Jet Engines to Brand Strategy: Translating Military Precision into GovCon Marketing 39:04
  44. Serving Without the Uniform: Rethinking Innovation from Air Force to MITRE to Founder 41:16
  45. From Prototype to Program of Record: What It Really Takes to Transition in GovCon 26:38
  46. Why Certifications Don’t Save You in GovCon and What Actually Does 47:35
  47. Serving Without the Uniform: Luke Shabro on Defense innovation and GovCon Reality 41:05
  48. Strategic Pricing Is Not An Afterthought with Marsha Lindquist 30:52
  49. Serving Without the Uniform: Lawrence 'Larry' Pokroy on Transition and Growth 20:53
  50. GovSignals AI and the Future of Procurement with Derek Hoyt 36:37