Episode 36 – Host Shelly Rood interviews Vicky Rowinski & Kelley Lovati: "How to Build Momentum Without Burning Out Your Mission" on Hardcore and At Ease - powered by Others Over Self®

You're putting in the work. But some results are structurally unavailable until you build something bigger than yourself to achieve them. This episode is proof.

Vicky Rowinski and Kelley Lovati have spent over a decade turning Macomb County into a $6 billion defense hub — 75% of all Southeast Michigan defense procurement — by betting on coalition over competition. We cover the tri-county Detroit Regional Defense Coalition, the Michigan Maritime Supply Chain workforce pipeline, and what SAAB's endorsement of Macomb County means for local businesses this quarter.

Whether you're in defense or not — this is a masterclass in Generate Momentum: how mission-driven leaders build collaborative ecosystems that produce results no single person could achieve alone.

CHAPTERS

00:00 Golden Dome Threats 00:36 Show Premise and Theme 01:21 Breaking the Ceiling Together 03:56 Diversifying Into Maritime 05:43 Workforce Pipeline and M3 08:10 Chamber Connections and Support 12:06 Detroit Regional Defense Coalition 22:08 Saab Expansion and Final Takeaways

IN THIS EPISODE YOU'LL DISCOVER

1. Why 75% of SE Michigan defense procurement flows through one region — and the deliberate decisions that built it
2. How to position for contracts that take 12–18 months without losing momentum
3. The trifecta principle (gov + industry + academia) that lets Macomb outpace competitor states
4. One free action to get inside the defense ecosystem this quarter

GUESTS Vicky Rowinski — Director of Economic Development, Macomb County | Detroit Regional Defense Coalition co-founder Kelley Lovati — Executive Director, Macomb County Chamber of Commerce | Aerospace & Defense Committee Chair

NEXT WEEK Episode 37 — Leading Through Change: When Everything Feels Uncertain. A guest conversation for leaders navigating high-stakes transitions.

RESOURCES Macomb A&D Intel Newsletter: https://www.macombgov.org/departments/planning-and-economic-development/intel-quarterly

Hardcore and At Ease Framework: https://www.OthersOverSelf.com

Book a Strategy Session: [email protected] Affiliate disclaimer: https://othersoverself.com/affiliate-disclaimer/

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Mentioned in this episode:

Notion Design Group - Sites That Drive Sales

 notiondesigngroup. com

"Violent Positivity," by Doug "Odie" Slocum

  📍 www.violentpositivity.com