The Peel

MAPS Draft RFP #5: Key Questions Every Contractor Should Be Asking with Eric Nusbaum

In this episode of The Peel, Shelley McGuire welcomes back Eric Nusbaum, CEO of ENcompass Consulting Group to unpack the latest developments around the Army’s MAPS draft RFP #5. 
The discussion opens by stepping back to clarify what MAPS actually is, who should be paying attention, and how this massive, no-ceiling IDIQ reshapes opportunities across the Army and broader DOW landscape. From there, the focus shifts quickly to what’s changed in draft #5, with questions centered on how updates to evaluation criteria, scoring, and eligibility could impact competitiveness and who is best positioned to win.
Eric provides insight into what’s realistic, what might shift, and how industry should interpret recent activity like listening sessions, surveys, and acquisition strategy releases. Finally, he zeroes in on the most pressing question for listeners: what should companies be doing right now to prepare, qualify, and stay competitive before the final RFP drops.
To connect with Eric, visit him on LinkedIn here.To learn more about ENcompass Consulting Group, visit their website here.

Why State & Local Is the Next Frontier in GovCon with John Foster

In this episode of The Peel, Shelley McGuire sits down with John Foster, Chief Impact Officer at Fearless and one of the company’s earliest team members, to explore how his 15+ years of experience in digital services and mission-driven growth are shaping real outcomes across government.
The conversation dives into the growing shift toward state and local work, where tighter budgets and rising expectations are forcing agencies to rethink how they prioritize, modernize, and deliver services. John shares his perspective on where states are getting it right, where they struggle, and why truly understanding constituent needs is the foundation for any successful transformation.
From common pitfalls in modernization efforts to what effective collaboration between government and industry actually looks like, this episode highlights a consistent theme: success isn’t just about technology, it’s about alignment. Clear outcomes, shared decision-making, and strong communication across stakeholders ultimately determine whether projects succeed or stall.
This episode is a practical and honest look at how digital transformation really happens at the state level, and why people, more than technology, are often the biggest factor in getting it right.
To connect with John, follow him on LinkedIn here.Learn more about Fearless at their website here.

How AI Is Changing Digital Marketing with Janet Waring

Janet Waring, Partner and CEO of ArtForm Agency, joins Shelley McGuire on The Peel to discuss how marketing, user experience, and AI-driven search are reshaping how organizations—especially government agencies and GovCon companies—connect with their audiences. With nearly three decades of experience in advertising and marketing strategy, Janet shares insights from her work helping nonprofits, enterprises, government contractors, and federal agencies better target and engage their markets.
The conversation explores common user experience challenges on government websites, where complex navigation and information overload often create barriers for users. Janet shares a real-world example of how simplifying a government web journey—from eleven clicks down to one—dramatically improved engagement and increased form submissions by 800 percent, demonstrating how thoughtful UX design can directly impact outreach success.
Shelley and Janet also dive into the evolving search landscape, where AI platforms and zero-click searches are changing how organizations are discovered online. Janet explains how agencies and contractors must rethink traditional SEO strategies to ensure their content is structured for AI retrieval and visibility. They discuss practical approaches to improving discoverability, maintaining credibility, and adapting content for how large language models surface information.
To connect with Janet, follow her on LinkedIn here.Learn more about ArtForm Agency at their website here.

Behind the Curtain at NOAA: The Real Acquisition Process with Andrea Wilson

On this episode of The Peel Podcast, host Shelley McGuire catches up with Andrea Wilson, Chief of Business Operations at NOAA, who brings more than 20 years of federal acquisition experience to a candid conversation about what really happens inside a contracts office.
With a career spanning the CIA, DHS, CMS, and now NOAA, Andrea has seen acquisition from nearly every angle—Contract Specialist, Contracting Officer, Procurement Analyst, COR, and now senior leadership overseeing HR, facilities, budget, and contracts. She shares how her perspective has evolved from being transactional, focused on deadlines and documentation, to becoming a strategic acquisition leader who understands culture, mission alignment, and where teams struggle most.
Andrea offers insight into what industry often misunderstands about federal acquisition decisions, including the layers of scrutiny, policy constraints, and approvals that shape even the simplest action. She explains why urgency doesn’t always translate to speed in government and why transparency and patience matter more than many realize.
The conversation also dives into leadership. Andrea outlines what she would fix first if she walked into a chaotic contracts office: creating visibility through tracking systems, enforcing individual accountability, and establishing a consistent cadence of communication across teams. Her approach is practical, grounded, and rooted in real experience, stabilizing and strengthening acquisition operations.
To connect with Andrea, follow her on LinkedIn here.

Building a Financial Foundation That Lasts with NVSBC's Lauren Masters

On this episode of The Peel Podcast, host Shelley McGuire sits down with ⁠Lauren Masters⁠, Special Events Director at NVSBC, for an inside look at one of the most practical and timely business events of the year: the NVSBC Finance Symposium.
Lauren shares how this symposium has evolved beyond traditional “access to capital” conversations into a full-scale deep dive on financial readiness, wraparound services, and long-term business strategy. From tax planning and accounting to insurance, wealth planning, and building the right advisory team, this event is designed to give small business leaders real tools, not just inspiration.
Listeners will also hear why the in-person format matters, how curated matchmaking and networking will connect attendees with the right experts, and what business owners can expect to walk away with at the end of the day: checklists, frameworks, and a stronger financial foundation to support growth.
To learn more about the NVSBC Finance Symposium and register, ⁠⁠click here⁠⁠.
To connect with Lauren, follow her on LinkedIn ⁠here⁠. Learn more about NVSBC by visiting their website ⁠here⁠.

How Smart Teams Are Adapting. Brittany Winkler on GovDash Insights

David Blackburn recently connected with Brittany Winkler to unpack how data is reshaping the competitive landscape in GovCon, and why more teams are rethinking how they go to market.
Brittany is a go-to-market leader at GovDash, an autonomous AI platform purpose-built for government contractors. GovDash brings capture, proposal development, and contract management into a single end-to-end system, using verified past performance to identify opportunities, guide capture strategy, build compliance matrices, and help teams execute with greater speed and confidence across the full lifecycle.
In her role at GovDash, Brittany is helping publish a growing series of reports and intel briefs that are getting strong attention across the market. These insights dig into expiring task orders, performance risk, shifting burn rates, and broader structural changes impacting incumbents, challengers, and small businesses alike.
In this conversation, David and Brittany explore what those findings mean in practice. They talk through how leaders can spot vulnerability earlier, where opportunity is hiding in plain sight, and how data-driven teams are adapting as competitive dynamics continue to change.
If you want a sharper view into what is happening beneath the surface, and how platforms like GovDash are helping teams stay ahead, this episode is well worth a listen.
Download the report that Brittany talks about here.Get more information about and register for the webinar series discussed in the episode here.
To connect with Brittany, follow her on LinkedIn here.Learn more about GovDash by visiting their webpage here.

GovCon Hot Topics: What Contractors Need to Know Right Now with Eric Nusbaum

In this episode of The Peel, Shelley McGuire is joined by Eric Nusbaum, CEO of ENcompass Consulting Group for a rapid-fire breakdown of the biggest GovCon acquisition updates shaping the market right now. Known for his clear-eyed take on industry trends, Eric walks through what contractors need to know, and do, about Army MAPS, the AFRL MAC IDIQ, GSA MAS Refresh 31, the cancellation of CIO SP4, and the next phase of MDA Shield.
From fast-approaching proposal deadlines and new certification requirements to major shifts in GSA reporting and the ripple effects of CIO SP4’s cancellation, this conversation cuts through the noise with practical guidance. Eric shares where opportunity still exists, how companies should reposition quickly, and why proactive business development matters more than ever in a crowded IDIQ landscape.
If you’re trying to keep pace with fast-moving federal acquisitions in 2026 and figure out where to focus your time and resources, this episode delivers timely insight and actionable perspective straight from the front lines of GovCon strategy.
To connect with Eric, visit him on LinkedIn here.To learn more about ENcompass Consulting Group, visit their website here.

More Than a New Logo: Reimagining Identity in GovCon with Barqat Bari

On this episode of The Peel Podcast, host Shelley McGuire is joined by Barqat Bari, Founder and CEO of Xemplify IT, to talk about what it really means to rebrand with purpose. Known for delivering enterprise-scale IT modernization across complex federal environments like NIH and NASA, Barqat shares the story behind transitioning from a deeply personal company identity to a brand built around mission, people, and future growth.
The conversation explores why companies choose to rebrand, how leadership and employee buy-in shape that journey, and what it takes to introduce a new identity without confusing customers or the market. Barqat discusses how Xemplify IT’s evolution reflects a shift from labor-based services to innovation-driven solutions and how that shift is opening doors to new markets, including Maryland’s growing life sciences ecosystem.
To connect with Barqat, follow him on LinkedIn here.Learn more about Xemplify IT by visiting their website here.

Trust, Data, and the Future of Generative AI with IntelliDyne's Austin Keller

On this episode of the The Peel, host Shelley McGuire sits down with Austin Keller, Director of Data Science at IntelliDyne, to unpack some of the most misunderstood concepts in artificial intelligence. With a background that spans secure generative AI, Navy operational analytics, public health, and veteran suicide prevention, Austin brings both technical depth and real-world perspective to the conversation.
The episode dives into timely questions around AI reliability, including what “hallucinations” really mean in AI systems and why they occur. Shelley and Austin explore how techniques like retrieval-augmented generation help ground AI outputs in real, up-to-date information, and why simply deploying a model isn’t enough, especially in government and healthcare environments where accuracy matters.
Austin explains how AI can best support analysts and practitioners by summarizing, comparing, and organizing massive volumes of data, while still requiring human oversight, validation, and judgment. The conversation highlights where AI excels, where it needs guardrails, and why understanding how these systems work is critical to using them responsibly.
To connect with Austin, follow him on LinkedIn here.Learn more about IntelliDyne by visiting their website here.

Human-First AI in the Federal Space: A Conversation with Alicia Sanchez

On this episode of the The Peel, host Shelley McGuire is joined by Alicia Sanchez, Chief AI Officer at MPF Federal LLC, for an engaging conversation on generative AI, human–AI partnerships, and what readiness really means in today’s federal environment. Drawing from a career that spans research psychology, defense education, innovation leadership, healthcare AI, and now federal consulting, Alicia brings a deeply human-centered perspective to one of today’s most talked-about technologies.
The conversation explores Alicia’s unconventional career journey and how her experiences shaped her approach to AI as a mission enabler rather than a standalone technology. She discusses how agencies can move from AI curiosity and tool experimentation to mission-aligned, measurable outcomes. Together, they unpack what “AI readiness” actually looks like, why workforce willingness matters as much as governance and infrastructure, and how fear, resistance, and uncertainty show up when AI enters the workplace.
The episode also dives into the evolving relationship between humans and AI, asking where automation makes sense, where human judgment must remain central, and how organizations can rethink workflows instead of simply bolting AI onto outdated processes. 
Throughout the episode, Alicia challenges listeners to put strategy before technology, outcomes before tools, and people at the center of AI transformation, offering a thoughtful and forward-looking perspective on how AI can elevate, not replace, the federal workforce.
To connect with Alicia, follow her on LinkedIn here.Learn more about MPF Federal by visiting their website here.