In this episode of GovCon Unscripted, Christine Hopkins—CEO of ASCII and 2025 Alaska Small Business Person of the Year—shares her gritty journey from near-collapse in the oil industry to thriving in federal contracting. Discover how she navigated scams, remote business development from Alaska, and the whiplash of recent policy changes.

Key Takeaways:

🚨 Scam Alert: The predatory emails and contracts targeting new GovCon entrants (and how to avoid them).

🏔️ Remote Hustle: Building federal relationships from Alaska during COVID—and making it stick.

📜 Policy Whiplash: Overnight contract mods, scrubbed DEI language, and dodged greenhouse gas reporting.

🏆 Resilience Wins: How Christine’s "slow growth" strategy earned her a SBA award—and a shot at the national title.

Timestamps:

[00:00] - From oil crisis to GovCon: Christine’s pivot story.

[10:27] - The SAM.gov scam flood (and costly lessons learned).

[16:39] - The $120 NDAA guide that never arrived.

[24:47] - Winning Small Business Person of the Year—without self-nominating.

[34:27] - How admin changes impacted her contracts (good and bad).

[40:08] - Why she caps growth at 1-2 contracts/year to protect her reputation.

Links & Resources:

Christine Hopkins’ LinkedIn

Chelsea Meggitt's LinkedIn

ASCI Website

Welcome back to GovCon Unscripted! I’m your host, Chelsea Meggitt, and in this episode, I’m joined by Stacey Piper, founder and CEO of Piper Strategies. Stacey brings 30+ years of experience in federal contracting—from her early days in the intelligence community to launching her own marketing firm helping government contractors grow.

We discuss marketing challenges in GovCon, personal branding, visibility in a crowded market, and why contractors need to shift from “proposal mills” to strategic storytelling.

On this episode, we discuss:

💡 Why visibility is critical in the federal space

🧭 How marketing can serve as the “true north” for your GovCon business

📈 The power of personal branding, purpose, and authenticity

🎯 Tactical advice on building a GovCon marketing strategy that resonates

[00:00] - Chelsea welcomes Stacey Piper and introduces her GovCon journey

[04:10] - Transitioning from intelligence to federal contracting and early career roles

[09:32] - Founding Piper Strategies and launching during a government shutdown

[14:45] - Why marketing is more than color palettes—it's about value and clarity

[21:07] - Using thought leadership and content strategy to get “found”

[29:55] - Government buyers as humans: trust, familiarity, and storytelling

[37:20] - Balancing personal and company brands in a niche market

[44:01] - Stacey’s advice for small GovCon businesses ready to scale

[51:14] - Where she sees the future of GovCon marketing heading

Links & Resources:

•  Stacey Piper’s LinkedIn
•  Piper Strategies
• Piper Strategies Messaging Pivots
• GovCon Unscripted Podcast

Welcome back to GovCon Unscripted! I'm your host, Chelsea Meggitt, and in this episode, I sit down with David Doerrier—GovCon trainer, Army veteran, and public speaking expert.

We dive deep into the power of clear communication in the world of federal contracting. David shares his insights on how even the most qualified contractors can lose opportunities if they fail to effectively deliver their message.

We talk about:

🎤 Why effective communication is a game-changer in GovCon

🧠 The power of message alignment in proposal delivery

💥 How contractors unintentionally confuse the customer

In This Episode:

[00:00] - Chelsea introduces David Doerrier

[01:10] - David’s background in training and communication

[03:30] - Mistakes contractors make in message delivery

[06:00] - Importance of aligning visuals and spoken words

[08:45] - The "listener first" mindset for contractors

[12:00] - Speaking with clarity during proposal presentations

[15:00] - Advice for GovCon teams to improve communication

Links & Resources:

• Present Your Way to Success Website
• Chelsea's LinkedIn
• David Doerrier's LinkedIn

Welcome back to GovCon Unscripted! I’m your host, Chelsea Meggitt, and in this episode, I sit down with JL Hancock—a retired Naval cryptologist and innovation expert with two decades of experience in defense technology.

We talk about his work with SEAL teams, innovation funding, overcoming acquisition hurdles, and his pivot into writing techno-thrillers.

On this episode, we discuss:

🧠 What it takes to innovate within the bureaucracy of the Department of Defense

💡 How JL leveraged labs and OTAs to build cutting-edge solutions

📚 Why he turned to writing and what inspires his techno-thriller novels

[00:00] - Chelsea introduces JL Hancock and his background as a cryptologist and SEAL team innovator

[04:22] - Working with autonomous systems and the early days of defense robotics

[16:40] - Tapping into national labs for cutting-edge special operations tech

[28:06] - Navigating traditional acquisition vs. OTAs and DIUx

[43:27] - Building cross-branch collaboration and managing prime contractor relationships

[57:27] - JL’s post-military journey as a consultant and author of "The Hawk Enigma"

[01:05:13] - Over-the-horizon targeting, unmanned systems, and future warfare

Links and Resources:

• Chelsea’s LinkedIn Profile

• JL Hancock’s Website

Welcome back to GovCon Unscripted! I’m your host, Chelsea Meggitt, and in this episode, I sit down with Mark Wigginton to discuss key insights on how businesses can navigate the complexities of government contracting.

We explore:

🔍 How to turn chaos into opportunity

💼 Why the top of your resume is your prime real estate

💡 Tools to identify and articulate your strengths

🧠 How mindset and perspective shape career outcomes

In This Episode:

00:00 - Chelsea welcomes Mark and introduces his expertise in GovCon

05:15: Helping individuals prepare for the opportunities on the other side of chaos

10:45: Why the top half of your resume matters most 

16:30: Identifying your strengths and highlighting them effectively

22:50: Using tools to conduct a strengths analysis

28:10: How to shift your attitude and perspective on a career transition

Links and Resources:

Chelsea’s LinkedIn Profile

Mark’s LinkedIn Profile

Focusing On Results Website

Welcome back to GovCon Unscripted! I'm your host, Chelsea Meggitt, and in this episode, I sit down with Tim Balz, CEO of Kalogon to discuss key GovCon strategies, industry trends, and the biggest challenges facing government contractors today.

We discuss: 

🔍 The most pressing challenges GovCon businesses face in today’s market

💡 Strategies for navigating government contracts successfully

🚀 Key insights on business growth and sustainability in the federal space

In This Episode:

[00:00] - Chelsea introduces Tim and his experience in the GovCon industry

[05:15] - Common pitfalls businesses face in government contracting

[10:30] - How to position your company for federal contract success

[16:45] - Emerging trends and opportunities in the GovCon space

[22:00] - The importance of networking and building relationships in GovCon

[27:40] - Tim’s top advice for businesses looking to scale in GovCon

Links and Resources:

Chelsea’s LinkedIn Profile

Tim’s LinkedIn Profile

Kalogon LinkedIn Page

Welcome back to GovCon Unscripted! I'm your host, Chelsea Meggitt, and in this episode, I sit down with my co-author and GovCon expert, David Neal, to discuss our new book, Hey, GovCon, Get Help! —a survival guide for government contractors.

We cover:

🔍 The pitfalls and scams in federal contracting

💡 Why success requires more than a "one-trick pony"

🚀 How to orient yourself in the GovCon market

If you're serious about surviving—and thriving—in the GovCon space, this is the must-have guide everyone’s been waiting for.

[00:00] - Chelsea introduces David Neal and their book

[01:00] - Why this book helps frustrated contractors

[03:00] - The "carnival barker" scams to avoid

[05:00] - Building the right team for GovCon success

[10:00] - Advice for federal employees becoming contractors

[13:00] - How to pre-order (launching April 10!)

• Pre-order Hey, GovCon, Get Help!
• Chelsea's LinkedIn
• David Neal's LinkedIn

Welcome back to GovCon Unscripted! I’m your host, Chelsea Meggitt, and in this episode, I sit down with Barry Furey, a public safety expert and 911 consultant with over 55 years of experience in emergency response and public safety communications.

We explore:

🚨 How different government agencies manage 911 services and emergency response.

🔑 Why staffing shortages are the biggest crisis facing 911 centers today.

📡 How new technologies—like video calls and text-to-911—impact public safety.

If you want to understand the evolving landscape of 911 services and how innovation is shaping the future of emergency response, this episode is packed with insights you won’t want to miss!

[00:00] - Chelsea introduces Barry Furey and his extensive experience in 911 operations.

[03:30] - The biggest challenges in modernizing 911 services.

[07:45] - How different agencies coordinate emergency response.

[12:15] - Why staffing shortages are delaying emergency call responses.

[18:30] - The impact of video calls, AI, and text-to-911 technology.

[23:00] - How technology professionals can transition into public safety roles.

• Chelsea’s LinkedIn Profile
• Barry Furey’s LinkedIn Profile
• Public Safety Resources & 911 Training Programs

Welcome back to GovCon Unscripted! I’m your host, Chelsea Meggitt, and in this episode, I sit down with Aubrey Gainfort, Founder and Host of Breaking the Standard Podcast, a platform dedicated to helping small businesses access the right information to succeed in federal contracting—without costly misinformation.

We explore:

• Why she created Breaking the Standard to provide small businesses with free, accurate GovCon insights.
• How small businesses can find the right resources and avoid predatory GovCon “experts.”
• The biggest challenges facing small business contractors and how to overcome them.

If you're a small business looking for no-cost, high-quality GovCon insights, this episode is packed with game-changing takeaways!

In This Episode:

[00:00] - Chelsea introduces Aubrey Gainfort and the Breaking the Standard Podcast.

[03:30] - The lack of free, accessible information for small businesses in GovCon.

[07:45] - How small businesses can avoid costly misinformation.

[12:15] - The biggest GovCon trends affecting small businesses today.

[18:30] - Balancing a government career with industry outreach.

[23:00] - How to get involved in the GovCon community and access valuable resources.

Links and Resources:

• Chelsea’s LinkedIn Profile
• Aubrey Gainfort’s LinkedIn Profile
• Breaking the Standard Podcast
• Breaking The Standard Pocast (Apple)

Welcome back to GovCon Unscripted! I’m your host, Chelsea Meggitt, and in this episode, I sit down with Graham Plaster, Director of Nautilus, to discuss how emerging technologies, OTAs, and defense innovation are shaping the future of GovCon.

We explore:

• The role of Nautilus in supporting the Naval Surface Warfare Division Dahlgren.
• Why only 0.2% of small businesses participate in the federal industrial base—and how to change that.
• How Other Transaction Authorities (OTAs) are creating new opportunities in GovCon.

If you’re a small business, tech innovator, or contractor looking to break into defense opportunities, this episode is full of insights on how to navigate and leverage emerging trends in federal contracting!

In This Episode:

[00:00] - Chelsea introduces Graham Plaster and the mission of Nautilus.

[04:15] - The key role Nautilus plays in defense innovation.

[08:30] - How tech scanning, webinars, and prototyping support Naval Surface Warfare.

[12:00] - Understanding Other Transaction Authorities (OTAs) and how they work.

[17:45] - Why small businesses are missing out on defense contracting opportunities.

[22:15] - The future of AI, cybersecurity, and dual-use tech in GovCon.

[26:00] - How emerging tech companies can join the Nautilus ecosystem.

Links and Resources:

• Chelsea’s LinkedIn Profile
• Graham Plaster’s LinkedIn Profile
• Nautilus Website
• Upcoming Tech Webinars and Opportunities