The Peel

What does it take to move from delivery on the front lines to driving strategy and growth in GovCon? In this episode of The Peel, ⁠Ryan Rees⁠, Director of Federal Health Strategy, Tantus Technologies, Inc., shares his 25-year journey from hands-on technical roles to leading federal health strategy—and the mindset shift that made it possible. He dives into how understanding the full business lifecycle, leveraging data-driven decision making, and prioritizing the right opportunities can cut through the noise and increase your chances of winning. If you’re looking to sharpen your business development approach and think more strategically about growth, this is a conversation you won’t want to miss. 
 
To connect with Ryan, follow him on LinkedIn ⁠here⁠. Learn more about Tantus Technologies at their website ⁠here⁠.

In this episode of The Peel, Shelley McGuire sits down with Monica Randall, founder and CEO of the Randall Group and a former SBA leader, to unpack one of the most overlooked and risky areas of government contracting: contracts themselves. Drawing on decades of experience, Monica shares where small businesses get into trouble, from skipping NDAs to signing subcontracts they don’t fully understand, and why relationships don’t replace protection once money is on the table.
The conversation dives into common pitfalls like “pay when paid” clauses, missing teaming agreements, and one-sided terms from large primes, while highlighting when growing companies need real contract expertise. It’s a candid look at how the right, or wrong, agreement can make or break a business in GovCon.
To connect with Monica, follow her on LinkedIn here.Learn more about The Randall Group at their website here.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.