Otis McGregor, CPD, LTC(R)

It’s the simple but nebulous terms like, “Colors of Money”, that confuse folks… Regardless of your defense sector business strategy, knowing and understanding the types of DoD funding are critical to your success. Lots of folks talk about it, but most commercial companies aren’t fluent in the terminology. Having a foundational understanding of the types of funding and how they integrate and operate within the DoD acquisition system is important for government and contractor personnel as well. Regardless of which side of the acquisition action you are on, understanding the mechanisms and terminology are vitally important to everyone. This and MUCH more are explained in detail in my book! Who do you know that needs this info? Tag them in a comment below 👇 Get the book: https://a.co/d/hEntmjw

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As the young folks say… ”I SAID WHAT I SAID!”🗣️🗣️🗣️ I’m ready for the smoke and counter opinions. This is my opinion, but it is an… 🔥INFORMED OPINION🔥. Having been around this GOVCON space, and sat in multiple seats, now for over 30 years, the lack bid and proposal capacity hasn’t been a problem I’ve witnessed. Instead, it’s the combo platter of lack of understanding and awareness of the actual mission requirements AND the missed opportunity to share corporate capabilities with the buying agency BEFORE the RFP release — which is the kiss of death. Moreover, I believe the plethora of AI-enabled proposal generating tools out now will exacerbate the problem of receiving “elegant proposals that don’t say anything”. Again, in my opinion, if a company is interested in increasing their P-win (percentage of wins), the best strategy to deploy is write fewer proposals and write to opportunities you have a competitive advantage for. That exciting, large dollar, emergent RFP you just saw on SAM.gov —YESTERDAY!!- that you just want to see if you can win it, somebody’s been doing that work and activity for years and has been tracking that requirement for months. RFI MORE….PROPOSE LESS!! #acquisition #contracting #govcon #procurement #governmentcontracting #smallbusiness

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I’m a mentor for ACP. It’s rewarding to share my expertise with military service members, spouses, and veterans making a career change.   Want to make a real difference in the lives of transitioning service members and military spouses? If you’re passionate about helping others find meaningful careers and want to enhance your own leadership skills, becoming a mentor with American Corporate Partners (ACP) is a fantastic opportunity! https://www.acp-usa.org/   Here’s why you should join ACP: * Empower Others: Help veterans and military spouses navigate their career journeys. * Pay It Forward: Your experience can guide someone toward success. * Grow as a Leader: Mentorship is a rewarding way to develop your own skills. I’ve been a mentor with ACP for several years, and it has truly been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. Each conversation brings new insights and the chance to inspire others.   * No military experience is required—just a desire to help! * Join me in making an impact.  * Sign up to be a mentor today! ACP recently launched an entrepreneurial program, ACP Ventures | American Corporate Partners https://lnkd.in/eZw5aETW. The response has been great! They need entrepreneurial mentors too! #MentorshipMatters #ACPMentors #PayItForward #VeteranSupport #MilitarySpouses

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Special Announcement for the VA's in my network! A new VA mentoring group has been set up for you to get quick answers to the questions you may have as a VA, with access to me and other VAs to help you with anything that you may be struggling with. It's hosted over on Slack, which you can download to your phone for free. I'll be notified of any questions you may have or support you need and I'll aim to reply to you as soon as possible, Monday to Friday. It's a particularly helpful place if you struggle with imposter syndrome and self-doubt, are a new VA and not sure about the ins and outs of running your business, or you're on your way in your journey but have situations you're not sure what to do. We'll also have a monthly call, and I'll vary the times of those, so you can meet other VA's in real life over a coffee or a glass of wine. Why is this better than a free Facebook group? I know there's loads out there, but I've set it up on Slack so that I get instant notifications, I'm not relying on FB to notify me (or not). It also means it won't be shut down for any reason and you won't ever lose access. You can leave the membership at anytime, just let me know, there'll be no dodgy questions to answer and I'll respect your decision. You can even DM me privately if your questions is of a sensitive nature and you don't wish to share it with others. I really wanted to set something up that gives you the support you need, when you need it, in a warm and encouraging environment. There are 20 spaces available to start with, then I'll be closing it off to make sure everyone is settled and get what they need. Doors will then re-open in September. I'd love for you to join me as a founding member. Join now for £9 per month here: https://lnkd.in/eq9mJiU5

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Great article on How To Become a Guardian for the next generation. Only clarification I would add: half of Guardians are civilians. So you can join as a military or civilian Guardian. No other military service is designed this way because no other domain is like space. And note that while STEM skills are coveted, the age of AI and quantum give renewed importance to the humanities.

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Overhauling my LinkedIn profile and seeking input. 🔄 DMs welcome 😀 My diverse background brings unique benefits, as highlighted in my Recommendations, cough cough 😉. However, I've noticed some application evaluators express confusion about a career that spans various roles and responsibilities across different business units like BizDev, Marketing, and Ops. In a world where AI probably takes the first pass, and people likely don't try to connect the dots, I face the challenge of showcasing how my skills in Consulting, Program / Account Management, and Sales, can effectively drive success across multiple business functions without appearing vague or writing an essay. 😂 😭 As growing companies navigate complex challenges, the demand for versatile professionals capable of addressing diverse issues remains essential, right?! 🤔

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I personally think #govcon programs are wack. Insofar that the information is basic foundational stuff that is easily accessible. Take a 3-5 day course or bootcamp. Get the information and build from there. But to join a paid monthly thing? What the fuck are you paying for? Access to somebody on zoom 1-2x a month along with 50 other people? Most of y'all would benefit more from having peer support (shot out to my GS10KSB cohort). Having a group of people who are slightly above/below your level. If your company's revenue is $100k, you should be talking to SBO who's at the $500k mark. And others who just started their business. Free --->Peer Support -->Coaching -->Mentor As you move along the scale, you MUST be VERY clear on what you need. What do I do (free) looks vastly different than How do I do (Mentor) Once you hit the Coaching stage, you need to be clear and deliberate on what you need. I want to make some crepes. Should I use milk or water? is different than: What's a crepe? Can I use pancake mix? (no). From what I see, the paid programs include the peer support however. It's not utilized like (I think) it should be. In my peer support network, we all connect offline constantly, asking each other questions. Calling for emotional or business support. We meet for lunch and other events. It's real support. And I don't see that within these programs. I call/email my people, hey I need this (business and personal) and the answer is, I got you. Another issue I have is financial. These programs require a CC, which is fine but if you are carrying a balance each month, you can't afford it. If you need to get a loan for any class/program, you can't afford it. 3rd, what exactly are you PAYING FOR??!!! If I am paying anyone, I want the information tailored to ME and MY goals. All of it is broad, given to the next 100 chumps and the last 100 chumps Wack. How do you find like-minded small business owners? Or just other SBOS? Join some type of business networking organization like a chamber of business. Or your industry equivalent of your guild. Or look at Eventbrite for business focused events. Join your race's business networking organization. If you're white though, be careful on that shit, might end up joining the new KKK cuz those bitches have gone corporate now. I wouldn't advise joining a business organization that's politically focused because those are echo chambers and are cesspools of groupthink. I'd also say to contact your state, county or city office of small business development and ask them if they know if any networking events. In this capitalist society, you'll spend money or time. I'd rather spend the time until I have disposable income. Until then, spend time learning. *Crepes use milk. You should only use a teeny tiny bit of water to thin the batter if need be. Jacques Pepin has a great crepes recipe. WHOLE MILK!!!!! Not that 2% shit. You can use condensed if you want to look fancy.

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🌟 TRL Levels Are BS… I'm going to get a lot of flack for this one...I HATE TRL levels when evaluating technologies for success. Here's why: We have immense technology and work done by the federal government, yet that technology sits on the shelf. When I worked for Sandia National Laboratories, I noticed the technologies were often 10-15 years ahead of industry. So What's the Problem? One big problem is that TRL levels mismatch technologies in the market for capital. When technology commercialization theories began, TRL levels were a convenient framework to start with. They show where a technology is in its stage of development up to when it's ready for production and use. The model for technology investing has many flaws, but TRL's may be the biggest dogma. Many still hold to TRL levels citing its widespread use in the military industrial complex. TRL is meant for procurement. It answers the question of: "can I use it yet?" The framework is poor for judging propensity for success: "will this technology succeed?". When I look at deeply technical hardware startups, most projects continue on too far because they have DETERMINISTIC failure modes early on but these flaws were "objection handled" away. Ironically, the more egregious, the more these flaws are overlooked or diminished. This is why some ventures can come out gunning with large early rounds ($100M+ in financing), but hit an undeniable brick wall in project financing and later stage capital as they are subjected to more sophisticated scrutiny. Ex: A: "The technology is beyond expensive." B: "But one day it won't be" A: "How?" B: "Computers used to be expensive. Now they aren't" These aren't ARGUMENTS, these are SALES TACTICS. Sales is fine, but some (entrepreneurs/investors) are accountable to their fundamentals. ❓How can this be? What is objection handling? I don't believe this is talked about much because most investors come from elite schools, which coincidentally don't teach sales. There's a difference between discussing the nuances of scaling effects (physics => manufacturing assumptions) and responding with a tagline. The result is that a lot of speculation and worse bets are built on a mountain of flawed reasoning. When scaling new technologies for highly mission critical scenarios, the military industrial complex (at least the good ones) use much more analysis (F&OR, Analysis of Alternatives, etc...). Deeply technical startup missions are extremely sophisticated, yet they've been reduced to this misused framework. I am encouraged from my network that some of these truths are becoming evident with experience; however, these ideas are generally confined to private conversation. It's not good for entrepreneurs, investors, and society to have an asset class, with immense societal implications, to function under capital markets with deeply flawed models of risk-return. If this isn't rectified Deep Tech startups are basically NFTs... #TRL #innovation #technology

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I was pleased today to present to an armed forces command on the topic of psychological safety. It is a topic that is coming up more and more among our military clients. It was an engaging conversation about how psychological safety can help to improve mission readiness and to bring innovation to their work while also building resiliency and helping with burnout. Here are some of the tips we talked about for organizations seeking to develop psychological safety: *Provide training on psychological safety and how it impacts the work of the organization *Explain the benefits to employees not just once, but repeated over time - employees need to hear this many times for it to fully resonate *Leaders need to model psychologically safe behaviors and stop negative behaviors when they happen - ie. hold people accountable *If teams or managers are struggling with creating psychological safety, support is provided to them in the form of training and/or coaching *Provide team assessments, training and coaching Curious to learn more? We can provide training to your organization. We are certified through the fearless organization to provide team assessments in psychological safety which can lead to team action plans on how to create more safety within teams. #PsychologicalSafety #Teamwork #Diversity #Inclusion #Leader #Organization #Culture

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Do you have a treasure map? That's effectively what you need in the DoD to navigate the tricky world of funding requests... Continuing my "Insider's Perspective" series, once you know what type of government funding you need, it's time to go out and find it. This is far easier said then done, but it all starts with mapping out the minefield of "NO's", to plot your path to "Yes". In the slides below are the important rules of thumb that will help guide you to a building a more successful strategy for those funding requests. The most common issue is spending far too much time working a funding request with an organization that could never even fulfill the request to begin with. Learn the issues, make a plan, and achieve success! Reshare to inform, and add your comments below 👇 “Knowing is Half the Battle” 🧠 For more Knowledge, Training, and Assistance Go to my website: www.defenseinsights4u.com

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... we will be incorporating the recovery tools you taught in all our future conferences. " When you receive a hand written letter of gratitude from the home of the Commandant of the Marine Corps, you write back. My talk with the Commandants offsite training was a hit, and to get a hand written letter was extra special. It is something physical that took time to write. Emails, texts, audio messages are too easy. I am a huge fan of this kind of communication and take the time after every speaking opportunity to write a letter or gratitude to the meeting planner or individuals who made the event happen. A physical letter of gratitude, love, acknowledgement goes a long way, believe me. Try it! Next time you want to express gratitude towards someone, write a hand written letter, versus sending an easy text or email. #longevity #speaker #health #wellness movement-rx Movement Rx

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What is a concern for you? Hot topics are based on what others trend, we want hot topics that matter to small businesses, what do you need to know?

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It came to me during a MicroMarket.co demo this week… 💎Successful GOVCON BUSINESSES don’t fall mature from the sky — they climb out of the mud and sticks!!💎 It takes REAL EFFORT to start and then sustain a successful government contracting businesss. A lot of folks are focused on the sustaining, but I think the starting, and starting RIGHT, is just as important. At MicroMarket we are starting RIGHT! Our over 565 vendors are here and actively changing the micro-purchase game. We are learning… ✅the GOVCON business, ✅the missions, ✅the organizations, ✅the language, and ✅the relationships. This is what micro-purchases provide! MicroMarket.co is OPEN for business and “Purchase Card-Ready”! 💳 GOV BUYERS: Come check out the Micro-Purchase 🔥POST A REQUEST🔥 feature on the platform and have p-card market research come to YOU!! #acquisition #creditcards #apexaccelerators #procurement #smallbusiness #gsa #dod #va #doj #govcon #sba #mbda #governmentcontracting #sales

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In the bustling world of Federal contracting, making your mark means more than just submitting a proposal; it's about becoming unforgettable to potential buyers. With a sea of proposals on their desks, how do you make sure yours doesn't get lost in the shuffle? 🤔 The secret? Consistent, timely engagement. By maintaining regular follow-ups and clear communication, you not only show your unwavering commitment but also highlight how dedicated you are to understanding and addressing the specific needs of each Federal agency. How do you keep your proposal front and center in the minds of Federal buyers? Share your strategies or thoughts below! #proposals #FederalContracting #HowToWinFederalContracts

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🚨Plan to Plan🚨 🪖In order to execute a military operation, you need to plan the operation first. Ensuring that you have allocated enough time to actually conduct the planning phase is critical to achieving the mission. All war fighting functions must be present, involved and have a clear understanding of the commanders intent so they can develop a plan that will achieve that mission. 🗄️The same is true in business. 📈Is 2025 the year that you are going to finally execute? If so, your planning phase should start NOW. Your leadership team (the major war fighting functions of YOUR business) should also be involved in developing the plan. Eliminating silos and creating 100% alignment around the plan is critical to achieving the “Commanders Intent”. ‼️January IS NOT the time to start planning. January is go time. The plan should be developed, refined and finalized by that point. Your team should be at the Line of Departure on Jan 1 ready to EXECUTE! 🫡Not sure how to get started with the planning phase? I’ve got a proven process that lays it out perfectly. Just reach out to me and we can see if it’s a fit for you. EOS Worldwide

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