Good morning everyone, and Happy Monday! 🌞 First, I want to welcome all of our new community members who joined us last week! We are happy to have you here. Whether you're brand new to government contracting, already registered and trying to figure out what to do next, or you've been bidding and want to become more strategic, you're in the right place to learn, ask questions, and grow. I want to start this week with something that happened to me yesterday because it turned into a great government contracting lesson. I was out having dinner at the beach when I noticed a large crane/barge working in the ocean near the rocks. Of course, I got curious. 😂 I took a picture, uploaded it into AI, and asked: “What are they doing?” AI helped me research the project and explained that work was being performed on the breakwater, including moving and replacing large armor rocks. Then my government-contracting brain kicked in. 😂 My next question was: “Is this a government contract?” YES! Further research led me to a federal project involving the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers with a contract value of approximately $6.8 million. I wasn't searching SAM.gov. I wasn't sitting at my desk looking for solicitations. I was having dinner at the beach. But because I've trained myself to think differently about government purchasing, seeing a crane working near the rocks made me curious enough to investigate. And that connects perfectly with a conversation I recently had with a friend who has been very successful in government contracting. We were talking about how important strategy and relationships are when you're trying to build a successful government contracting business. He told me about a contract he recently bid on that could potentially generate approximately $4,000–$5,000 per month. What was the product? SALT. Yes. Salt. 😂 Think about that. Yesterday I was looking at a multimillion-dollar construction project happening in the ocean. Another contractor is pursuing an opportunity involving salt.

It’s been a little while since I posted a welcome, so to everyone who has joined us recently, and those who have been here along the way, thank you for being part of this community! 💙 Whether you’re exploring government contracting, growing a business, or figuring out your next chapter, you belong here. Business growth doesn’t always happen on the timeline we imagined. Sometimes we have to pause, learn something new, change direction, or start again. That doesn’t erase the experience we’ve gained, it gives us something to build on. Your second chapter can be just as meaningful as your first. It’s never too late to restart, pivot, or pursue something new. And you don’t have to figure everything out alone. Ask questions. Make connections. Build relationships. A conversation can open a door you never knew existed. Whether you’re pursuing government contracts or growing another type of business, having people you can partner with and reach out to matters. Suppliers, fellow business owners, and community members can become valuable sources of knowledge, resources, and opportunities. We see this daily at CFS. When we need a product, a resource, or help solving a problem, being able to contact someone directly makes a tremendous difference. Those relationships take time to build, but they can help you serve customers better and move your business forward. Be willing to offer support, too—strong relationships grow through mutual respect and helping one another. Government contracting takes preparation, patience, and follow-through. You may not win every opportunity, but each proposal, conversation, and lesson can help you become better prepared for the next one. This community is a place to ask questions, share resources, make connections, celebrate progress, and encourage one another. Introduce yourself below: What are you building, and what connection or resource would help you take your next step? I’m glad you’re here. Let’s keep learning and moving forward together! 🙌🏽