GettingFED™ with Go-To-Guy

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“A meeting of partners designed to improve acquisition outcomes for the Fort Knox Community.” That’s the information on the welcome packet I received as one of the presenters/panelists, for the April 11th event, and it seems so simple, right? That’s until you realize the impact of the host organizations, U.S. Army Human Resources Command (HRC), and U.S. Army Recruiting Command (USAREC). Together, they touch new entrants and re-entrants to military service, the families of our Soldiers, retirees, and veterans. This is why opportunities like the Conversation with Industry are so important. I sat down with with Army HRC Chief of Acquisition and Procurement, Mike Carroll, for an update about the 2024 Conversation with Industry. Time to get fed!

NOTE: To get access to a recording of the livestream from 2024 CWI, reach out to Mike or Kris Saling of the USAREC Innovation Directorate for details.

About Mike

Mike Carroll is the Chief of Acquisition and Procurement at the US Army Human Resources Command, where he leads a team of professionals responsible for managing the procurement process and ensuring compliance with federal regulations and agency policies. He has 30+ years of leadership experience in government contracting, certified by the Department of Defense as a Contracting Officer at the most senior level, an MBA in Contracting from the Naval Postgraduate School, and a Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt certification.

For those who attended the 2024 Fiscal New Year’s Bash this past October, you’ll recognize Mike as one of the Government presenters who led a Fiscal Year Insights discussion. We’re excited that Mike may be making a return to this year 2025 Insight Summit and Bash on October 1, 2024. 

Are you nourished?

Being nourished means having what you need to achieve growth, sustain health, and generally be in good condition, and that's why I host this program.

Doing business with the U.S. Government is an opportunity that brings great rewards but can also present severe consequences for buyers and sellers. What many see as a viable business opportunity is directly tied to the well-being and security of our Nation.

We'll talk about how to engage, and why. We'll hear from experts from Government and from Industry sharing what they see, and what you should know. In the end, you will have quality insights to leverage as you make your decisions.

- Go-To-Guy

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On April 11th at the Olive Theater on Fort Knox, Dolores Kuchina-Musina, Raj Sharma, and I facilitated a discussion at the 2024 U.S. Army Human Resources Command (HRC) and U.S. Army Recruiting Command (USAREC) Conversation with Industry (CWI) at the request of our friend Mike Carroll of HRC. The topic of our discussion at HRC CWI is Using Small Business to Drive Innovation, and we decided to do a warm-up on the GettingFED podcast. During our chat we talked about what innovation is, stigmas and risk associated with innovation, and the different flavors of innovation. Let us know what you think!

About Dolores

Dolores Kuchina-Musina, Ph.D., is a Chief Disruptor and founder of REXOTA Solutions, LLC, a consulting firm that supports organizations in pursuing, capturing, and managing federal contract and agreement awards. With over a decade of experience in government contracting, she has a proven track record of delivering innovative solutions, strategic insights, and compliance guidance to clients across various sectors and industries. she holds certifications in federal contracts management, proposal management, and inside sales, as well as a Ph.D. in Public Administration and Policy.

About Raj

Raj Sharma is chairman of Public Spend Forum, a SBIR Phase III company sponsored with 10 sponsoring customers, that specializes in deep market and supply chain intelligence tailored for public sector teams, suppliers, and investors. They focus on emerging technology market trends, supply/demand, risks, and investment insights to inform critical decisions related to technology selection, risk management, investments and commercialization. They achieve this through rapid on-demand research and consulting, comprehensive market briefs, and AI-powered analytics.

Are you nourished?

Being nourished means having what you need to achieve growth, sustain health, and generally be in good condition, and that's why I host this program.

Doing business with the U.S. Government is an opportunity that brings great rewards but can also present severe consequences for buyers and sellers. What many see as a viable business opportunity is directly tied to the well-being and security of our Nation.

We'll talk about how to engage, and why. We'll hear from experts from Government and from Industry sharing what they see, and what you should know. In the end, you will have quality insights to leverage as you make your decisions.

- Go-To-Guy

Send a text to GettingFED with Go-To-Guy

I recently posted a poll on LinkedIn, to get feedback about pre-award protests. In a nutshell, why would you pursue that course of action? After receiving 54 votes from Industry and Government, the results told us that evaluation criteria are the top reason for these respondents. One of those responding to the poll (and ensuring that evaluation criteria was the top pick) was Carrie Martin, a contracting professional with the U.S. Air Force. You can read more about Carrie below, but you really want to hear what she had to say about protests. During this GettingFED we discussed:

•  Carrie's Pick: Evaluation Criteria
• What is a Protest?
• Top Protest Type Carrie Sees
• Impacts of a Protest
• How Does Industry Make Things Better?
• Magic Wand: The One Change Carrie Would Make
• How Her NCAA Athletic Experience Comes Into Play
• The Innovation Angle

You can check out the entire conversation here. Enjoy!

About Carrie

Carrie Martin is Director of Business Operation for the 82d Contracting Squadron at Sheppard AFB, TX, an organization she has been attached to since 2009. She started her journey as a summer intern who became a student intern, who then became permanent after graduating college. All of this while playing NCAA Division II softball. Carrie has been very involved in the innovation space within the Air Force, and was one of the founding members of RAPIDX, the Air Force’s innovation contracting network. In her current role as the Director of Business Operations, she is the clearance authority for procurements between $5M and $10M.

Disclaimer: Any opinions provided are her own and may not reflect the opinions of the USAF or DoD.

Are you nourished?

Being nourished means having what you need to achieve growth, sustain health, and generally be in good condition, and that's why I host this program.

Doing business with the U.S. Government is an opportunity that brings great rewards but can also present severe consequences for buyers and sellers. What many see as a viable business opportunity is directly tied to the well-being and security of our Nation.

We'll talk about how to engage, and why. We'll hear from experts from Government and from Industry sharing what they see, and what you should know. In the end, you will have quality insights to leverage as you make your decisions.

- Go-To-Guy

Send a text to GettingFED with Go-To-Guy

Here it is!

The very first episode of the GettingFED podcast. I know it’s out of order, but that’s okay because it works. Take a listen, and let me know your thoughts. Time to get fed!

About Go-To-Guy

Go-To-Guy Timberlake brings over 35 years of federal sector experience, knowledge and relationships to every client, cohort, and community engagement. He’s developed his acumen while supporting civilian, defense, and intelligence agency programs, starting with Operation Desert Shield. He is chief executive visionary and co-founder of the community known as The American Small Business Coalition, and he’s referred to as “Professor” and ‘Edutainer’ for his ability to make mundane discussions about business essential topics interesting and practical. Guy is also the creator of Ethical Stalking for Government Contractors®, the curriculum and philosophy that has guided hundreds of small and large companies to successfully find and win federal contracts and subcontracts valued at more than $5 billion in realized revenues since 2010.

He earned the call sign “Go-To-Guy” in the early 1990’s while supporting operational and mission requirements of U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy aviation activities located around the world. Because the Buyers and Customers from these organizations found him dependable and responsive, they would tell their colleagues to ‘go to Guy to ensure the job is done right.’

Are you nourished?

Being nourished means having what you need to achieve growth, sustain health, and generally be in good condition, and that's why I host this program.

Doing business with the U.S. Government is an opportunity that brings great rewards but can also present severe consequences for buyers and sellers. What many see as a viable business opportunity is directly tied to the well-being and security of our Nation.

We'll talk about how to engage, and why. We'll hear from experts from Government and from Industry sharing what they see, and what you should know. In the end, you will have quality insights to leverage as you make your decisions.

- Go-To-Guy