Tag: success profiles

Staci Redmon: Award-Winning Innovator and Advocate

Posted on by Eric Coffie

An Award-Winning innovator and advocate, Staci Redmon, shares her journey in becoming who she is today. Learn her vision for her company and other small businesses!

WHO IS STACI REDMON?

Staci Redmon is an experienced and award-winning executive and innovator behind Strategy and Management Services (SAMS) Inc. Through her company, she led various innovations in the field of healthcare, banking and finance, communications, utilities, energy education, government, and military and defense.

Redmon is also a veteran advocate who has made a difference in leading people and serving her community. SAMS proudly upholds this value by following a veteran first hiring practice and more than 70% of its employees are veterans. 

Apart from all of these, Redmon is also a sought-after speaker and leader in the industry. She donated her time to various civic activities such as being part of several non-profit organizations. 

Because of her values in life and as a business owner, Staci Redmon received a handful of recognitions. One of her recent awards is the 2018 Minority Veteran Business Enterprise of the Year.

HOW DID STACI REDMON STARTED?

Fresh out of high school, Staci Redmon directly joined the army. However, she then became injured. This prompted her to work as a civil servant in the federal government.

Over the course of her career in the Department of Defense, she was able to understand how the government buys things and how the defense acquisition life cycle works. She had also worked in the army Chief Information Office which helps her understand the acquisition process of the government better. 

After working in the government, she continued her education while also working for large companies for positions including an IT Systems Engineer, Enterprise Architect, Army Market Program Manager.

Then, she worked with a friend who has a medium size company. It gave her an opportunity to learn how small businesses work and to also learn how to manage it. 

After working in that small business for a while, she then started her business. She had no plan on why she built her business in 2008 when the economy was crashing down but she did it with the belief that, “If not now, then never. So, let’s do it.”

WHAT STACI REDMON LEARNED IN NAVIGATING THE INDUSTRY?

One of the rules that were highlighted in the interview is Redmon’s rule number 138 wherein it says about celebrating the everyday leaders. She believed that leaders are everywhere and the key in seeing this skill from people is through giving them an opportunity to grow. 

“You have to give people the opportunity so that they can grow and they can build that encouragement that they need to be able to take things forward.” 

Redmon also talked about what she learned as a veteran and her belief that veterans can really be great entrepreneurs because of the environment that they were trained in and the skills that they were taught.

Lastly, Redmon also noted that before working with a small company managed by her friend, she worked in different large firms to understand how everything works from the beginning up to the product delivery. 

“I got to see a whole lot more when I worked at that firm. So that was, you know, of course very beneficial because I got to run my projects and to be able to see the inner workings of the corporation.”

WHAT ARE STACI REDMON’S ADVICE FOR SMALL BUSINESS? 

Redmon understands that building a small business in the government marketplace is different and with this you will experience a lot of mistakes. However, she views it as key experiences to her success. 

“I don’t necessarily call them mistakes. I think their experiences, right. ‘Cause a mistake is saying that you did something wrong, but you don’t necessarily do something wrong. It’s a learning experience and you learn how to do that.”

Most importantly, she believed in the benefits of understanding the reason behind what you do because it strongly empowers other people as well as lets them understand you and what you are doing in an authentic way. 

“What is your why? What makes you get up in the morning and continue to do what you do?”

RESOURCES

If you want to watch the full video of the interview with Staci Redmon as she shared her success story and how he navigate the federal marketplace, then be sure to click the links below:

How to turn a business mistake into opportunity from Staci Redmon

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQ-pgQeyjI0

052: Staci Redmon – President and CEO, Strategy and Management Services Inc (SAMS) – Entrepreneur

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMJSpGldYuA&t=136s

052: Staci Redmon, President and CEO, Strategy and Management Services Inc (SAMS) – Entrepreneur, Philanthropist, Veteran Advocate, Innovator

https://govcongiants1.wpengine.com/podcast/staci-redmon-president-and-ceo-strategy-and-management-services-inc-sams-entrepreneur-philanthropist-veteran-advocate-innovator/

Roberta Moore: Pure Determination Led to a Whirlwind of Character Building

Posted on by Eric Coffie

Learn how Roberta Moore’s pure determination led to a whirlwind of character building for AMOORER, Incorporated. 

BACKGROUND

Roberta Moore began her career as a DOD civil servant for 10 years before pursuing her government contracting journey. 

In 2002, she established AMOORER, Incorporated, a healthcare staffing small business that provides professional support services and technology.

In transitioning to this industry, Moore graduated from different small business programs and has won several multi-million dollar healthcare staffing contracts with the federal government and private industry. 

Ms. Moore’s philosophy is “commitment, integrity, personalized service, and value for your money. ”

STARTING AMOORER, INCORPORATED

Moore resigned from the federal government and decided to start her own business, AMOORER, in 2002. 

She first worked with an 8a small business as a 1099er and she managed their Naval Sea Systems Command contract. 

However, when that company graduated in the 8a program and she decided to become an 8a to take over five of their contracts, she didn’t become an 8a fast enough and they ended up getting rid of it.

The good thing was, she did become an 8a and a HUBZone company and was able to get contracts in the Pentagon and other institutions. 

The other thing that led more to a whirlwind of character building for AMOORER was when Moore left a card to a man before she walked out of a Homeland Security Conference. 

“I told him that I had clear professionals at the Pentagon and that the contract was getting ready to end and iI’m looking for somewhere to place them.”

This small chance led her to meeting Deborah Scott Thomas who became her mentor and who gave her a big contract with the DLA in Baghdad.

Moore’s experience wasn’t just all sunshines and rainbows. She also experienced a handful of difficulties that motivated her to continue growing as a business owner. 

One of the hardest decisions that she made was letting go of her Chief Operating Officer who became a huge part of their family and business, due to the reason that her contract is drying up and she couldn’t afford a pay cut. 

“It’s a difficult process because you don’t know what to expect. You don’t know if you’re going to be able to sustain even the cuts.”

Apart from that, building AMOORER also made her realize that the people around her think about her well-being, even though they may not fully understand everything or may not be able to give any business advice.

One key person that made her realize this is her mother who kept motivating her to keep going and who was willing to do anything to help her. 

“My mom could not give me any business advice. I mean, she didn’t have anything but it was just shared— shared compassion, shared understanding.”

ADVICE FOR SMALL BUSINESSES

Before investing on different resources to help you grow your business, ask yourself first if you have the capacity to go through different difficulties in building a business.

Consider that not everyone will be successful in this lucrative field. Many will fail and only the ones who are willing to go through the other side will be the winner.

“That’s something to think about. And it didn’t come from a bad place. It hurt, but it was true.”

Apart from that, winning contracts is not just the goal, winning continuous and lasting contracts, that is. 

In order to achieve that, you need to build relationships and you need to start going out and introduce yourself and your company’s capabilities a handful of times. 

“It’s more than just government contracting. It’s really about those relationships that you build along the way and what you learn.”

So, are you willing to go through all of these like Roberta Moore? 

RESOURCES

If you want to learn more about how Roberta Moore’s pure determination led to a whirlwind of character building for AMOORER, Incorporated, then be sure to click the resources below.

You can also visit the GovCon Giant website or the new GovCon Edu where you learn everything about government contracting!

089: Roberta Moore – Pure Determination and a Chance Lead to a Whirlwind of Character Building

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bIRHHcuS7OE

Deceit envy and betrayal all in the name of winning a contract

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VWz6nlVhWGs&t=21s

 

Vicky Mangano: Italy-based Consultant Helping International Companies Do Business with the US!

Posted on by Eric Coffie

Vicky Mangano shares how she learned about the US procurement and how she helps international companies win contracts as an Italy-based Consultant!

BACKGROUND

Vicky Mangano is a consultant based in Italy through her company Mangano International Development. 

She helps international clients in Europe in terms of doing business with the United States government in Italy.

This includes registering their company to translating English contracts to Italian, among others. 

WORKING AS A CONSULTANT IN ITALY

Mangano started working in a construction company that was doing business with the U.S. government. That’s when she got interested in how the US federal procurement works. 

She then continued in getting more qualifications as an expert in the construction industry while also learning about US federal procurement through research. 

After that, she then decided to become a consultant and started researching about what the U.S. government needs near Sicily.

“This is very important to note that… we cannot be improvised overnight. This is hard work… That’s why, if you use the full, to surround ourselves with people… who give us important lessons.”

With this, she looked for Italian-based or any Europe-based companies that are actually ready to work with the U.S. government.

At the first appointment, she usually analyzes if the company is ready and eligible to bid. If not, she provides more information on how the procurement process works.

Then, if they agreed, she helps in making sure that they get the right codes and documents needed in registering as an international company to the U.S. procurement database. 

After that, she then helps in analyzing their market and their target clients while also looking for possible opportunities.

She even translates some of the English solicitations to Italian just to make sure that her clients understand what that specific agency needs and they’ll be able to provide it. 

ADVICE FOR INTERNATIONAL COMPANIES

1. Research everything about the marketplace. 

When Vicky got interested in doing business with the US government, she also found that there’s not much support about this matter in Sicily, Italy. 

So, she researched further and that’s when she bumped into our GovCon Giant videos on YouTube. 

“We needed to have armored open knowledge… That’s very important because you can’t tell anything to the government in terms of good in service, if you don’t know what the federal agency needs and where. You can’t organize anything. You need to know how the government has organized it.”

2. Find the nearest US client. 

While researching how US federal procurement works, you also need to find the nearest US military installation or any US clients near you and see what you can offer to them. 

Remember, the United States has operations across the globe and it’s impossible that you can’t find one in your region. 

For instance, Vicky used EuroNECO to look for RFQs. She also uses this platform to build her customer profile and learn what their clients need. 

“Find opportunity, provide something, and how to deliver it… And when you have completed these pictures, we can create our customer portfolio and start to do business internationally. that’s what I did and what I’m doing.”

3. Get registered as an international company.

To start working with any US government agencies in your region, you need to register first as an international company. 

However, because you’re an international company, consider that the US government asks different requirements and the process may differ from the normal registration process in US-based companies. 

With this, you can check this video that we have on how to register if you are a foreign company. 

RESOURCES

If you want to learn more on how Vicky Mangano learned about the US procurement and how she helps international companies win contracts as a consultant based in Italy, then check the resources below.

You can also visit the GovCon Giant website or the new GovCon Edu where you learn everything about government contracting!

She does business in 🇮🇹 ITALY 🇮🇹 for the U.S!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vkUPG26Cbhs

https://govcongiants1.wpengine.com/podcast/2019/09/02/019-2/

Brian Henry: Truck Driver turned Successful General Contractor

Posted on by Eric Coffie

Get inspiration from Brian Henry, the former truck driver who built a multi-million general contractor!

BACKGROUND

Brian Henry grew up in Green Cove Springs, North Florida. He is the son of a school teacher who instilled in him that there’s nothing he can’t do if he just put his mind into it. 

Meanwhile, although construction was  not on his agenda, after being laid off in his job as a truck driver, he started in the industry through trucking and shifted to being a general contractor. 

Eventually, he worked his way up in the 8a program and four years later had surpassed the $10 million annual revenue mark.

Currently, Brian Henry’s company, Henry General Contractors, is known for its wide service in providing public construction projects including historic preservation and restoration, demolition, and other commercial and federal works. 

“There’s more opportunities out there. Do more than what you usually do.”

HENRY GENERAL CONTRACTORS

Brian Henry started in 1992 but during that time until 2002, it was still a trucking company. He only shifted to construction when a good friend encouraged him to stop doing trucking and start a construction company. 

“I said to myself, ‘Well, why can’t I build houses? Why can’t I do this? Why can’t I do this in my spare time?’ So, it got to the point where I said, you know, ‘I could do this.’”

He then set out to get his construction supervisor’s license and started taking small projects working on the state level as a minority business enterprise and as a subcontractor for his friend. 

At first, there were only two people in his company. There is another gentleman who was working in the field while he’s in the office doing all the paperworks for the contracts and submittals. 

Then, when their 8a application was approved and they experienced growth during the first three years in the program, he decided to hire more people. Until now, they continue bringing in more good people who could help them grow. 

“One thing about construction is that you don’t have to know everything, but the people in your company have to know. So, at the end of the day, you surround yourself around people that are gonna help you grow.”

ADVICE

1. Go the extra mile. 

Customers want best for them and to gain that response, you need to treat them right and like they’re your only customers, this way, you’re at the top of their list.

“Well, that’s pretty much the one that I live by, and I even tell them, I say, ‘I’m going to treat you like you’re my only customer. You’re not my only customer, but I’m gonna try my best to treat you like you’re my only customer.’ And that’s really— once I put that statement out there, then I have to live up to it.”

2. Market your business.

Marketing is very important. It is the biggest key why other contractors won contracts and others didn’t. So, speak to an agency, introduce yourself, and bring your literature and present it to them. 

“Basically you want to build a relationship because at the end of the day, when the agencies call, they can’t just recommend one contractor, but you definitely want your name thrown in the hat. So, to have that relationship is only beneficial to you, especially if you’re out there making all your customers happy.”

3. Ask for help.

Sometimes when you’re a business owner, you think that you can do more than you can, but when the point comes when you really can’t do it all alone, you need to hire more people. That’s the best strategy, as long as you hire the good ones and the  best fit.

“Let’s be cautious. Let’s be conservative. Let’s just go at this very conservatively. But when the clock ticks and… as the contracts grew, then you can’t do it all. And that’s when I started bringing in people to try to help and assist and really take lead and help grow the business.”

4. Treat your team well. 

Be fair to your employees and treat them the way you want them to treat you. 

“You know, you can’t run off with all the money. At the end of the day, acknowledge people for their accomplishments, acknowledge them, make them feel comfortable. This is a team effort, and let’s just grow and see what we can… see how far we can go. And I have a good group of people and we’re continuously looking for good people.”

6. Help others.

There are a lot of people who helped Brian Henry on his way to success and he wants to give back by helping them or other people who need it as well.

“Don’t be afraid to help someone when you get to the point where you’re able to help someone. It’s one thing I’ve always learned that, you know, there’s many people that have inspired me and helped me to be who I am today.”

RESOURCES

If you want to get more inspiration from Brian Henry, the former truck driver who built a multi-million general contractor, then be sure to click the resources below. You can also visit the GovCon Giant website or the new GovCon Edu where you learn everything about government contracting!

078: Brian Henry – Former truck driver builds successful top contractor company

https://govcongiants1.wpengine.com/podcast/078-2/

How did this Truck Driver build a Successful Top Contractor Company

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHjHrCIdfS8

 

Kizzy Parks, Ph.D.: The Hustle Gets Her Company to the Inc. 5000 List!

Posted on by Eric Coffie

Hustle your way towards success like Kizzy Parks!

BACKGROUND

Although an adopted child, Kizzy Parks, Ph. D. grew up in a family who encouraged her curiosity in terms of excelling in school and being entrepreneurial. 

She used to collect and clean golf balls that she saw in an alley behind her friend’s house and resell them to golfers, as a kid. 

Kizzy then went on to earn her bachelor’s, masters, and a doctorate degree in psychology and established K. Parks Consulting, Inc. (KPC), a management consulting firm providing professional services including staffing, IT, training, and curriculum development. 

Over the years, KPC has trained and coached thousands of students and increased their list of customers in both commercial and government spaces including the United States Army, Department of Education (ED), and several non-profit and Fortune 500 companies, among others. 

KPC was also recognized by different organizations such as the Association of Employee Resource Groups and Councils and the Society of American Indian Government Employees.

The company was also awarded as the 2014 Enterprising Women of the Year Award and ranked in the Inc. 5000 “Fastest-Growing Private Companies” List twice!

“Everything is possible. Hands down. If you want to succeed, you’re going to succeed. If you want to fail, you’re going to fail.”

K. PARKS CONSULTING

  1. Parks Consulting started as a company expert in diversity and inclusion. However, when Kizzy noticed a slight shift in the landscape, she decided to move to training and development.

“I knew if I continued down that path, I was going to be so pigeonholed and I was never, ever, ever going to get out of it.”

  1. Parks Consulting then decided to become part of the 8a program, only when a client in the Navy asked them to. They are actually in their last year in the program.

“It goes along with the lean startup approach, we hands down a practice which is an essence. You may build a prototype, your minimal viable product, but you don’t go out there and spend all this money and resources to build something that nobody wants or you don’t know if they really want it.”

HIRING MISHAPS

Although K. Parks Consulting is considered as an expert in training and development, the company has also its fair share of mishaps in terms of hiring people. 

One particular employee who has a lot of corporate experience was removed by a client and caused the company to suffer for three years.

The other hiring mishap that Kizzy also experienced was when he hired a company to do a background check for finding people for government contracts. However, they weren’t able to do their job perfectly and she fired the company. 

So, Kizzy advised to hire slow and fire fast because she had been there and she faced a lot of problems.  

ADVICE FOR BUSINESSES

1. Know your why.

In everything that she does, Kizzy always goes back to her “why.” She knows that she wants to help others, that’s why she has aimed to be an entrepreneur ever since childhood. 

“So my why has always been and always is to help people. That’s why I went into… psychology is about helping. So for me, all of the ventures that I pursue, all of the contracts, I go after all the opportunities, it all is around helping. It’s all around helping. That’s my why.”

2. Create your own ocean.

Kizzy doesn’t go after shiny objects because it’s too much competition. Rather, she goes to opportunities that most people overlooked. 

“So, I go after things that many people overlook. Also, I don’t like to get involved in protest and drama and, you know, everyone fighting for the same client. There’s too much, just because there’s so much, there are so many agencies in the government that buy as well as CBREs and all these other ways to get business that, you know, focusing on that one agency, because they’re within an hour drive from you, I  just, I don’t do it. I don’t do it at all.”

3. Work on your skill set. 

We often lead with our set asides, but you should be working on your skill set, so that you’ll be able to execute the responsibilities being given to you. 

“All these other little things, there’s little techniques to get them closer to wanting to work with you, not just because you’re an 8a or service-disabled or because you have 20,000 years of experience with the FDA, doesn’t matter. They have to want to work with you because at the end of the day, you have to have a solution to their problem.”

4. Hit the ground running. 

Don’t directly go to big contracts without doing small projects because these may be small, but this will be able to start building your past performance and get a little bit of money.

Don’t be afraid if you think that this will derail you towards your goal. As long as it helps you build your business while making money, then it is worth it. 

“There are other ways to obtain your goals, it just takes a lot of sweat equity.”

5. You can have more niches. 

You can have more than one niche if you can’t choose one, as long as you are able to fulfill your promises and can work on it. 

“The point is, I look at it from that perspective, if these big companies are diverse, why shouldn’t I be diverse? As long as it makes sense. You know, again, it has to make sense for you. If you feel uncomfortable pursuing staffing contracts, then don’t do it. If you feel uncomfortable providing ammunition, then don’t do it. But if you feel comfortable filling, you know, computer technology opportunities, then why couldn’t you?”

6. Build your network. 

Your business won’t grow without you networking yourself and your business. So, while you’re still small, you need to start communicating with decision makers and other people in your industry. 

“Because you think about it, you hit 30 a day, let’s say 10 of them say yes. How much work is that? You are probably almost close to 50,000.”

4. Exceed people’s expectations. 

Provide the best products and services because whether you like it or not, people have their own biases. 

You have to hustle. You have to take care of your clients. You have to resolve their pain points. You have to make their lives easier, so that they won’t replace you. 

“That’s why you have to be even better because everybody makes mistakes. There’s no perfect company out there. So, you have to be ready to deal with it. So, kind of just being “okay” is just not going to suffice because, then, what they’re going to do is take you out of the picture, take your work, and award it elsewhere, or just remove it from the 8a program.”

4. Be in a support group. 

You are not alone in this journey of building and managing a business, so it is recommended to have an outlet or a group of people to receive support from. 

“What’s great about them is regardless of our industries, we all have the same kind of problems, right? There’s you need to hire, you need promote. How do you let somebody go? How do you deal with when somebody committed fraud or, you know, natural disaster or something like you described when there’s literally a fire and how do you handle it, or if you’re being sued or you’re going through a divorce. I mean, we talk about everything in there and we also learn.”

5. Have faith. 

Be thankful for both opportunities and challenges in your life and have faith that you will be able to overcome every challenge.

“I really started to focus more on my real… on my faith and having a stronger connection to God and working on a lot of things internally.”

RESOURCES

If you want to hustle your way towards success like Kizzy M. Dominguez, then be sure to click the resources below. You can also visit the GovCon Giant website or the new GovCon Edu where you learn everything about government contracting!

The Hustle Gets her Company to the INC 500 list

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=065GN7dRqGU

076 & 077: Kizzy Parks, Ph.D. – The hustle gets her company to the INC 500 list

https://govcongiants1.wpengine.com/podcast/076/

How to Believe in Yourself? (First Steps)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DVf0tcHRK1A

Frank Spencer III: From $1,000 Investment into Multi-million Construction Firm

Posted on by Eric Coffie

Frank Spencer III shares how he bought his dad’s company and what he learned by going through the process!

BACKGROUND

Frank Spencer III was born and raised in Pecos, Texas. He played in the American Gridiron Football in Australia and graduated from A&M University.

He then began his career in the mortgage lending industry, but changed path when his father offered to sell his company’s business name for $1,000. 

Currently, he is the President of Aztec Contractors, Inc., a general contracting company providing general construction, construction management, engineering and surveying services to both government and commercial clients.

In 2016, Frank was the recipient of the El Paso Minority Small Business Champion Award at the SBA’s Small Business Week awards.

Meanwhile, his company became part of the Inc. 5000 list with their 242% growth this year.

PURCHASING AZTEC CONTRACTORS, INC. 

Before the market crashed, Frank and his father had a  conversation about starting his own business and his father offered to sell Aztec Contractors for $1,000.

However, it was not an easy path for Frank. His father charged him for his space in the company and for using his accountant.

He then thought it was brutal but it was the right thing to do to teach him a lesson. 

“It’s something he instilled in us at a very early age that nothing’s given to you, you gotta work for it.”

HARD TIME GETTING FINANCES

In managing Aztec, it took them six years to find an investor and a local bank to support them to get started. 

Although he had investors and a bank to support the company, they put tremendous hurdles in terms of liquidity and it’s a battle to work on their backlogs because he wanted to do it on his own. 

Luckily, with the help of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce who helped put their loan package, Aztec Contractors received a small business loan worth $1,000,000  through the SBA 7(a) Guaranteed Loan Program in 2012.

GETTING INTO THE GOVERNMENT SPACE

Aztech Contractors received their certification in February 2009, but their biggest struggle is their infrastructure because they don’t have enough past performance.

However, Frank continued on working and going to local and national events to communicate with other contractors and do their capability presentations. That’s when in 2012, they received their first sole source job in Homestead Florida. 

“So you know, just trying to find other people that would help you and really just trial and error, just stumbling on these things or asking questions or knocking on the door and then having to shut in your face.”

Although that project didn’t make any money, this gave them the necessary past performance because six months later, the GSA gave them a job worth of over a hundred thousand dollars.

“That’s the story I like to tell a lot of these 8as that are coming out and, you know, just hungry to get work. And sometimes those opportunities there’s risks but, you know, if they open that door slightly, take it, run with it, bear down. And that’s kind of what kicked me off, you know, a $43,000 job. And now, we’re doing, you know, $20 million job.”

ADVICE FOR BUSINESSES

1. Know your “why.”

As a business owner, you need to learn the market but you should also not forget to have a management perspective on everything. Remember, you are a leader and it is your job to fill the gaps in your organization. 

“That vision early on has given me that I know where I need to be and I’m not going to stop till I get there. And that’s where it comes from, I think because there’s a reason, there’s a why behind it.”

2. Look for every detail. 

Be reliable, predictable, and consistent. Focus on what you’re supposed to do and if there’s a little thing that needs tweaking, then work it out because those simple things are important. 

“In our situation, our businesses in general, is if we look at the little things, if we take care of those things, then, you know, when it’s, when the big things happen, you’re there. You got it… I mean, that’s how I look at things. I’m always looking at the little things, paying attention to detail, and pushing our team to try to do better, find ways to improve.”

3. Be accountable.

At the beginning, you should already set everyone’s expectations on what level you are working or what you can do, because in this sense, it’s not really threatening but accountability.

“I think that if you’re putting yourself out there and they’re putting in, you’re also putting them again, it, they know that when you sit down at the table, you know, things are going to come up and it makes people feel uncomfortable. But I think that that’s how they earn their trust and their respect, because you’re, you’re not, you’re not hiding anything.”

RESOURCES

If you want to learn more on how Frank Spencer III shares how he bought his dad’s company and what he learned by going through the process, then be sure to click the resources below. You can also visit the GovCon Giant website or the new GovCon Edu where you learn everything about government contracting!

075: Frank Spencer III – Turns $1,000 investment into multi million dollar construction firm

https://govcongiants1.wpengine.com/podcast/075/

This is How He Turns $1,000 investment into multi million dollar construction firm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0_wxZ8DyE8

Teresa Jacobsson: Alaskan Woman Helping ANCs and Tribal Entities Succeed!

Posted on by Eric Coffie

An Alaskan woman herself, Teresa Jacobsson shares her story in building her own firm and what drives her to help other Alaskan-Native Corporations (ANCs) and tribal entities succeed!

BACKGROUND

Teresa Jacobsson held different positions for several ANCs and tribal entities for over 15 years before founding JW Industries Group, an 8a, Alaskan-Native, and woman-owned management consulting firm.

Through this company, she provides professional and industrial services including contract management, SBA 8a application and development, and construction management among others. 

Apart from this, Jacobsson also founded these non-profit organizations: the Alaska Tribal Administrators Association, the Alaska Women’s Leadership Forum, and the Jacobsson Foundation. 

She also served as a director of The Eva Foundation and volunteered to mentor women in business and those recovering from trauma. 

In 2017, Jacobsson was recognized as the Women Entrepreneurs of Alaska Mentor of the Year.

JW INDUSTRIES GROUP

Even before building her own company, Jacobsson is already fascinated with the structure of businesses.

“I love the structure of business. I love to see the growth. I like when people can share a product or a service and it’s needed and it’s well received. I think that that in itself is an art form.”

Then, instead of renewing her contract with an ANC, she built JW Industries Group in 2011, and then approached the 8a program in their second year. 

Her business continued to grow and they were able to help more ANCs and tribal entities.

Still, even with this success, Jacobsson wants to further improve their capabilities. In fact, she’s looking for a mentor who will help them achieve this.

“I told one of my employees the other day, I said, ‘You know, we have got to constantly be evolving and growing and needing demands.’ And especially right now, all the things that are going on, how do we make, remain a viable company? You know, how do we have to adapt? What new technologies do we have to, you know, embrace?”

ALASKA TRIBAL ADMINISTRATORS ASSOCIATION

Jacobsson built this organization to help over 200 tribal administrators in Alaska with their roles as the head of their tribes.

This is because, in most cases, they are tasked to be the first responders on matters including federal funding sources, reporting, public safety, and others. 

“My belief is if we have a supported tribal, we have a healthy and supportive tribe, which means we have a healthy and supported community, which means we have a healthy and supported Alaska.”

ALASKA WOMEN’S LEADERSHIP FORUM

During any event and conferences that Jacobsson went, there’s always a group of women who would get together and start a little impromptu sessions during breaks.

Realizing the reason behind it, she decided to do it for women in Alaska in order for them to have a group of people who can help them with their journey.

“This isn’t a nonprofit for women leaders, it’s a nonprofit for all women because all women lead, whether you’re going to school, whether you’re running a home, whether you’re a federal contractor, while women lead and women should be supported that way.”

ADVICE FOR SMALL BUSINESSES

1. It’s about relationship-building.

Looking for opportunities is sometimes daunting but when you have a good relationship with other business owners, they will be happy to ask you to work with them. 

“You know what I tell my folks who are clients, who are here, who are new to it, is, you know, it really is about relationships. It’s about who you can work with, that joint venture partnership where you can build that experience and put it on your own list of past performance.”

2. Keep your eyes on the prize.

Over the course of years, Jacobson did everything to gain success. She reached out to others, sent her capability statements, and built relationships.

Although most of the time, she didn’t hear anything from these people, she didn’t give up. She just continued doing it until the right people came in. 

“Don’t give up. Keep, you know, keep your eyes on the prize. Where (do) you want to be? Visualize that. If you can hold it in your head, you can hold it in your— If you can see it in your head, you can hold it in your hand.”

3. Be a good steward of your time.

Don’t let everything be only about your business, you also need to keep account of your time on other matters, especially your family and your health. 

In order to do this, take note of your schedule and inform your employees and your clients regarding it. 

“I’m a really good steward of my own time. And I make sure that I set those boundaries with clients right off the bat, because when I first started my company, I’d be getting texts at 11 o’clock at night, ‘Hey, the board meeting is still going. You need to call in,’ and things like that. And I learned, you know, I learned that it’s better for us and it’s better for the client that we respect one another’s boundaries.”

4. Hire slowly, fire quickly.

When you bring people on board, you need to assess if they really believe in your mission because if they do, you have a community and a family helping you achieve your goals. 

“Just because they look good on paper, doesn’t mean that they’re necessarily a good fit and believe in what you’re doing.”

5. Do your homework in looking for a mentor.

You need to do your own research in order to ensure that your mentor wasn’t previously disbarred or is a problematic one. 

Also, they should be responsive and will provide you a mentor-mentee relationship, not just to win contracts.

“You’re worth it. You’re worth having a good mentor. You’re worth being a good mentor. And you know, especially for the, you know, the individuals who own an 8a company like I do. You know, we have to have that mindset. We’re worthy of good mentorship.:

6. Appreciate the small things.

Sometimes, you need to appreciate the little things like getting a gift card and buying a butter dish, instead of just getting into the ebb and flow of things. 

“You know, all that hard work really, what’s it about? It really is about moments like this, you know, where you appreciate small things.”

7. Remember why you formed your company.

When you have those days where you don’t like getting up, remember why you started your company. Your work may be so difficult, but how do you make it joyous?

If you have to put your mission and your vision statement somewhere on your wall, then do it. Just make sure that in everything you do, you remember the excitement that you felt when you first created your business. 

“I had to remind myself, ‘Remember, girl, you formed this company. Not anybody else start your own company.’ They said, it’d be fun, they said. You started this and you started it because you felt that there was a need out there. I want you to remember that and remove that energy of franticness and, ‘Oh my God, I need a contract.’ And, you know, there has to be joy in what you’re doing. Always remember why you formed it.”

RESOURCES

If you want to learn more on how Teresa Jacobsson built her own firm and what drives her to help other ANCs and tribal entities succeed, then be sure to click the resources below. You can also visit the GovCon Giant website or the new GovCon Edu where you learn everything about government contracting!

073: Teresa Jacobsson – Alaskan Women driven with a purpose to help Alaska Native Corporations and Tribes succeed

https://govcongiants1.wpengine.com/podcast/073/

Alaskan Women driven with a purpose to help Alaska Native Corporations and Tribes succeed

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=74RsdRHAxr4