Get the GovClose Certification: https://www.govclose.com/sales-certification Our students learn the government contracting skills to :1. Start their own consulting business that can earn up to $400k as a "solopreneur" advising businesses that sell to the government.2. Land high paying sales executive jobs with companies in the public sector.3. Increase government contracting revenue for companies selling to the US government.Watch: The rise of solo consultants and why it pays so well https://youtu.be/rTfC3ug9XusChapters00:00 How $115K in Air Force Gear Led to Government Contracts00:36 From Air Force Special Ops to Government Contracting02:03 Landing Paid Government Contracting Consulting Clients04:31 The $115K Gear Question That Started Everything05:45 Will AI Replace Government Contracting Jobs?07:45 The Biggest Problem in Government Contracting08:33 Best Ways to Make Money in Government Contracting09:49 Why Companies Need Government Contracting Consultants11:47 Why Government Contracting Is Hard but Lucrative13:15 Building a GovCon Consulting Business14:09 RFPeasy and the Future of GovCon Software15:45 $50K a Month From Government Contracting Software?17:42 Government Contracting Scams to Avoid19:46 What Companies Should Pay GovCon Consultants For20:11 How to Spot Fake Government Contracting Experts22:12 RFP Writing and Client Transparency Problems24:21 RFPeasy Demo: AI Tools for Government Contractors27:21 What Federal Sales Teams Need to Win Contracts29:45 Building a Federal Sales Roadmap31:39 Using USAspending Data for Capture Strategy35:24 Reading Federal Market Data the Right Way36:39 Finding Top Contracting Offices in USAspending38:37 Onboarding GovCon Clients Faster39:45 Finding RFIs, RFPs, RFQs, and SBIR Opportunities41:12 Contracting Officer Search and Outreach Warnings44:21 Exporting GovCon Lead Lists45:00 Capability Statement Text for Federal Opportunities46:45 Pipeline Tracking for Government Contracts48:00 AI Proposal Writing for RFPs and RFIs49:30 Why Human Review Still Matters With AI Proposals50:33 RFPeasy Security, FAR Helper, and MVP Features51:33 How to Try RFPeasy.app52:18 GOVCLOSE50 Discount Code and Closing— — — — —RFP EASY PODCAST LISTENER OFFERUse code GOVCLOSE50 and get your first month free.Redeem at https://rfpeasy.app — offer active through July 31, 2026.— — — — —Built by Dakota Ward, U.S. Air Force Combat Controller veteran and founder of Gov Access Solutions LLC.Start now → https://rfpeasy.appABOUT RICK HOWARDRick Howard is a retired USAF Lieutenant Colonel and former DoD acquisitions officer who managed over $82 billion in federal contracts. He is the founder of GovClose and the DoD Contract Academy, with 400+ graduates working as government contract consultants, federal account executives, and business owners winning federal contracts.--Connect with Rick on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/govclose/

Get the GovClose Certification: https://www.govclose.com/sales-certification Our students learn the government contracting skills to :1. Start their own consulting business that can earn up to $400k as a "solopreneur" advising businesses that sell to the government.2. Land high paying sales executive jobs with companies in the public sector.3. Increase government contracting revenue for companies selling to the US government.Watch: The rise of solo consultants and why it pays so well https://youtu.be/rTfC3ug9XusCHAPTERS0:00 Why most people get stuck on SAM.gov1:15 The hard truth about government contracting3:12 Two paths that do not require SAM.gov registration3:24 Path 1: Government contract consulting (how I made 7 figures)4:15 How to use USASpending.gov to find consulting clients7:24 How to niche down by industry and agency8:53 USASpending.gov vs SAM.gov — what the difference means for you10:13 What a government contract consultant actually does11:29 Consulting specialties: CMMC, proposal writing, GSA, post-award13:05 Why consulting opens doors beyond the hourly rate14:25 Path 2: Federal account executive roles ($200K-$346K/year)15:54 The salary data — federal AE vs medical device sales vs tech sales16:39 How consulting led me to a $320K W-2 role19:00 What most people do wrong (and what to do instead)22:50 Consulting rates: $5K-$10K per month per client23:37 Why the Air Force is now funding GovClose cohorts24:51 Who should NOT start a government contracting business--RESOURCES MENTIONEDGovClose Program Overview (free 20-minute training): https://www.govclose.comUSASpending.gov: https://www.usaspending.gov--ABOUT RICK HOWARDRick Howard is a retired USAF Lieutenant Colonel and former DoD acquisitions officer who managed over $82 billion in federal contracts. He is the founder of GovClose and the DoD Contract Academy, with 400+ graduates working as government contract consultants, federal account executives, and business owners winning federal contracts.--

Get the GovClose Certification: https://www.govclose.com/sales-certification Our students learn the government contracting skills to :1. Start their own consulting business that can earn up to $400k as a "solopreneur" advising businesses that sell to the government.2. Land high paying sales executive jobs with companies in the public sector.3. Increase government contracting revenue for companies selling to the US government.This week I sat down with Bill Vear, founder of GovConProposals and one of the most experienced federal contractors in our network.

Bill’s been winning government contracts since 1982 — back when, as he puts it, “the dinosaurs still roamed the Earth and the internet did not exist in contracting.”

He started as an Army medic, got out, fell into commercial construction with a friend’s brothers, and then climbed his way into the federal space through some of the largest 8(a) environmental and demolition firms in the Northeast — managing multi-million dollar projects at Natick Labs, Weymouth Naval Air Station, Aberdeen Proving Grounds, and the anthrax cleanup at Social Security after 9/11.

Today Bill runs his own consulting practice in Florida, mentors small businesses, and recently won a federal construction contract for a former New England Patriots wide receiver running an SDVOSB out of Louisiana. He’s also a GovClose graduate and a core member of our Inner Circle — not because he needed the program, but because, as he says, “I’m always learning. I believe in education. I’m a bookworm.”

So I put him through something new: The GovClose Gauntlet — 10 rapid-fire questions designed to expose what really wins in government contracting. No fluff, no marketing talk, just a 30-year veteran answering the questions most contractors are too afraid to ask out loud.

Here’s what he said.0:00 Will AI Replace Government Contracting?1:25 Can AI Win Government Contracts Without You?3:24 Is DOGE Good or Bad for Small Business?4:09 Should All Federal Procurement Go Through GSA?5:00 Will CMMC Hurt Small Business Defense Contracts?5:30 Is the 8(a) Program Still Worth It?6:00 Are WOSB Set-Asides Disappearing?6:27 Why SDVOSB Is the Strongest Set-Aside Right Now7:00 The #1 Move That Wins Federal Contracts8:44 How a Former Army Medic Got Into Government Contracting9:00 The Dumbest Reason a Government Proposal Lost10:00 Why Past Performance Beats Lowest Price13:09 From Boston Construction to Federal Contracts16:00 How Contracts Were Won Before SAM.gov Existed18:30 The 8(a) Subcontracting Trap That Gets Companies Sued20:30 What Is SLED and How Is It Different From Federal?23:50 Is It Easier to Win State or Federal Contracts?25:14 Why You Can't Learn Government Contracting on the Fly26:34 Inside the "Wild West" Days of Government Bidding29:30 Why Following Proposal Instructions Wins Contracts30:54 Compliance Matrix vs. Proposal Templates33:34 When to Walk Away From a Government Contract35:30 Are Win Themes and Color Teams a Myth?37:21 When the Real Proposal Process Actually Starts39:20 Why a Real CRM Beats Salesforce for GovCon42:54 What Happens When the Government Never Sees Your Bid44:48 Why Showing Up Late to a Solicitation Means You Lose45:14 Where to Find Bill Vear Connect with Bill on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bill-vear/