Month: February 2025

In this episode, we talk about the imporance of organizational training programs and project management. We discuss the various types of training programs that can be implemented in organizations, from safety training to soft skills training, and how the government’s contractual requirements dictate which training programs are needed. 

We also talk about project management and the different levels of program management and how our guest expert was able to grow in their role, from resource manager to deputy program manager and eventually a senior program manager responsible for administering enterprise IT requirements.

Overall, the episode highlights the importance of training programs and project management in organizations and how they contribute to their success. Listen in to learn more!

In this episode of The Daily Windup, I interviews a successful entrepreneur, Likia Hawkins, who transitioned from being a contractor in the Intelligence Community (IC) to starting her own business. She shares her experience of planning and executing a solid plan to grow her business while navigating the challenges of increasing brand awareness in the IC community.

Likia also provides insights into the IC community and explains that it includes the top 13 agencies that primarily support national security and protect the borders. She emphasizes the importance of gaining skill sets and experiences before making the transition to entrepreneurship, and her three mantras of education, certification, and experience.

This episode is perfect for those who are interested in entrepreneurship in the IC community and are looking for guidance and tips on how to plan and execute a successful transition, so tune in today!

In this episode of The Daily Wind Up, we have a conversation between experts about quad charts and combatant commands. Quad charts are used in government contracting to concisely and clearly summarize a company’s technology and capabilities, while combatant commands refer to the different regional commands in the military.

Our experts explains the various components of a quad chart, such as the technology overview and bullet points that make the company stand out. He also provides a specific example of how to create a quad chart. This episode simplifies complex government contracting terminology and provides actionable insights for entrepreneurs so listen now to learn!

In this episode, we will be discussing the best practices for container security. Integrating security early in the DevOps pipeline is crucial to identifying critical vulnerabilities in your production-ready apps before they ever reach production. Scanning frequently and scanning early are also important practices to adopt in order to ensure that your code is secure.

Establishing quality checks within your DevOps pipeline and monitoring aging images are also important practices to adopt. Avoid remote shelling into your containers, validate your images, and conduct malware scans to add another layer of security. Finally, secret managers are a great way to handle all of your secrets securely and only call upon them as needed with permissions.

Join us for this episode as we dive deeper into the best practices for container security!

In this episode of The Daily Windup podcast, I interview a successful entrepreneur about her journey to building her own business. She talks about her experience working in a large company where she was exposed to many different areas of expertise and how this experience gave her the faith she needed to start her own business. However, when she became the president and CEO of her own company, she found herself lacking the resources and support she had been used to.

The entrepreneur explains how she overcame this challenge by seeking out an executive coach and investing in relationships to help her navigate the transition from being a program manager to being a president and CEO. She emphasizes the importance of having a clear vision and being unshakeable in the face of challenges. Tune in to be inspired by this entrepreneur’s faith and determination in building a successful business!

In this episode of The Daily Windup podcast, we have a former cybersecurity expert who emphasizes the importance of developing a security plan for businesses, regardless of size or industry. He explains that such a plan is a living document that should grow and evolve as a company expands. They discuss various certifications and plans, including ISO 9,000, CMMC, and ISMS, that a company can consider depending on its needs. The conversation also delves into the administrative processes that are the backbone of a security plan.

This episode serves as a valuable resource for business owners who are starting to think about their security plan and want to understand how to develop it as their business grows. Listen now and learn more!

At our 2024 GCG Summit in Miami, we had the pleasure of hosting key players from the National Science Foundation, including Anita Perkins and Brittany Eason, who shared invaluable insights into government contracting. During those discussions, a pivotal recommendation surfaced—why not interview OSDBU Director Wonzie Gardner.

Well, today, I’m bringing that conversation straight to you. With over 40 years of experience navigating federal agencies, Wonzie has played a crucial role in ensuring small businesses secure millions in contracts while supporting vital missions like advancing science and innovation.

In this episode, Wonzie dives deep into the strategies that small businesses can use to thrive in federal contracting. We discuss the immense opportunities within the NSF vendor portal, the critical role of subcontracting in scaling a business, and the evolving landscape of small business utilization in government contracts. Whether you’re new to government contracting or looking to level up, this episode is packed with actionable advice to help you get in the game and stay competitive. Stay tuned and take notes—this is a conversation you won’t want to miss!

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wonzie-gardner-b7574810/

Company Linedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/national-science-foundation/ 

Website: https://www.nsf.gov/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nsfgov 

In this episode of The Daily Windup, we discuss the key components of a successful SBIR (Small Business Innovation Research) proposal pitch deck. The importance of including a graphic of your company or logo, providing an overview of your product or service, and showcasing your company’s history, expertise, and qualifications are vital. In this episode, we also emphasize the significance of accurately identifying your technology readiness level (TRL) and explaining why your technology is better or different from your competitors.

Tune in now as this episode offers valuable insights for entrepreneurs looking to secure SBIR funding by crafting the perfect pitch deck for their proposal.

In today’s episode of The Daily Windup, Eric Coffie interviews an expert who provides insights into the controls that need to be implemented by anybody using containers, such as OpenShift and Kubernetes. Organizations that modernize to the cloud and those running VMs may want to move to a more orchestrated environment using containers. They highlight the need for certain configurations, including agentless implementation and telemetry, for analysts to monitor environments for attacks, power abuses, and traffic.

They also talk how FEMA helps organizations like the National Flood Insurance Program, move from a 5-year-old mainframe to OpenShift three, and soon to OpenShift four. The new technology allows for flood insurance to be issued in real-time, and they have set up an environment that can withstand external risks from the container platform while restricting access from the GetGo. Tune in to listen the importance of having these systems in place for your business!

In this episode of The Daily Wind Up, host Eric Coffie speaks with Nichelle Early, a successful entrepreneur who shares her experience with program management and proposal writing. She explains that while program management professional certification may not be necessary in all situations, it is useful for those managing large projects. She also emphasizes the importance of being a lifelong learner and seizing opportunities to gain new knowledge and skills.

Nichelle also discusses how her faith has been the key attribute contributing to her success in the face of challenges that arise in her career. This episode provides valuable insights into program management and proposal writing, as well as the importance of faith and a willingness to learn in achieving success. Tune in to learn more!