Grit on the Rocks: Sarcasm, set-asides, and surviving the new era of GovCon cover art

Grit on the Rocks: Sarcasm, set-asides, and surviving the new era of GovCon

Grit on the Rocks: Sarcasm, set-asides, and surviving the new era of GovCon

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 In this powerful episode of GovCon After Hours, hosts Dr. Robin Desmore and Caitlin Ruiz sit down with Colonel (Retired) Irene V. Glaeser, CEO of Spahr LLC, an SBA certified SDVOSB and WOSB small business. Irene brings 31 years of military service as a Military Police Officer, federal leadership experience, and hard-won entrepreneurship wisdom to discuss what it really takes to survive and thrive as a veteran and woman-owned business in today's complex federal contracting environment.

Key Takeaways
  • Grit, Resilience & The Three Ps
  • Leadership Through Crisis
  • The Reality of Set-Asides
  • Community Over Competition
  • Barriers for Emerging Small Businesses
Timestamped Chapters
  • 00:00:00 - Welcome & Introduction
  • 00:03:15 - What We're Drinking
  • 00:08:42 - Disruption Isn't New
  • 00:14:20 - The Three Ps: Pivoting, Perseverance & Pinot Grigio
  • 00:19:56 - The Fork in the Road
  • 00:26:33 - The Human Cost of DOGE
  • 00:33:18 - Humor as Leadership Strategy
  • 00:42:30 - The Politics Pause
  • 00:51:12 - Set-Asides: Leverage or Liability?
  • 00:58:29 - Cultural Lessons from Kuwait
  • 01:06:45 - What's Not Being Talked About
What Veteran & Women-Owned Founders Face vs. What They're Told
The Reality We Face
  • DOGE cuts decimating contracts overnight
  • Employees with families to support being laid off
  • CMMC, FAR Part 2, and compliance costs piling up simultaneously
  • Zero past performance but expected to compete with established firms
  • Absorbing pressure from every direction as leaders
  • Being told "don't rest on your categories" while needing every advantage
What We're Told to Do
  • "Just pivot to commercial"
  • "Don't rely on your socioeconomic categories"
  • "Get DCAA compliant, hire HR, get CMMC certified"
  • "Join a team" (but have no past performance to offer)
  • "Stay positive and keep networking"
  • "It's not because you're a woman"
Guest Information

Colonel (Retired) Irene V. Glaeser CEO of Spahr LLC, an SBA certified SDVOSB and WOSB small business delivering IT services including cyber strategy, software enterprise solutions, and cloud migration to DOD and federal customers. Irene served 31 years in the U.S. Army as a Military Police Officer in Cold War Germany, Iraq, and Afghanistan. After military retirement, she held federal leadership roles at the DOD Office of Inspector General and U.S. AbilityOne Commission. She holds degrees from George Mason University, Webster University, and the U.S. Army War College. She serves on the Board of Directors for the National Veteran Small Business Coalition and recently authored "Choose Your Battles," chronicling her journey as a woman in the armed forces.
  • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/irenevglaeser/
  • Website: https://www.SpahrLLC.com
  • Book: "Choose Your Battles" by Irene V. Glaeser
Call to Action
  • Connect With Your Tribe
  • Help Other Small Businesses
  • Use Humor as a Survival Tool
  • Don't Rest on Categories Alone
  • Shore Up Your Resources
  • Stay in the Fight
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