The conversation covers Mr. Go To Guy Timberlake's early life, military experience, and insights into the evolution of government contracting. It also delves into the impact of certifications and the role of NAICS codes in federal contracting, addressing misconceptions and realities of the industry. The conversation covers the thrill of winning, recent changes, challenges of clarity, learning curve, misconceptions, understanding capacity, bootstrapping, building relationships, pivot and transition, journey to brand, advice to younger self, and a moment of pouring into Mr. Guy Timberlake.
Podcast Title:
Tha Motiv8tors Table
Host:
Dr. JayR McIntyre
Summary:
The conversation covers Mr. Go To Guy Timberlake's early life, military experience, and insights into the evolution of government contracting. It also delves into the impact of certifications and the role of NAICS codes in federal contracting, addressing misconceptions and realities of the industry. The conversation covers the thrill of winning, recent changes, challenges of clarity, learning curve, misconceptions, understanding capacity, bootstrapping, building relationships, pivot and transition, journey to brand, advice to younger self, and a moment of pouring into Mr. Guy Timberlake.
Main Topics:
â—Ź Early life and character influence professional journey
â—Ź Evolution of government contracting and the impact of certifications Federal contracting has its highs and lows, resembling the thrill of winning and the feast or famine approach.
â—Ź Understanding capacity and context is crucial in federal contracting, and relationships play a significant role in success.
â—Ź The shift from relationship driven, in person contracting before the internet to today's faster, more transparent digital marketplace
â—Ź Why NAICS codes matter less than people think, since it's the SBA size standards attached to them that actually carry weight
â—Ź The real barrier facing new companies entering federal contracting today, and why teaming has become more necessary than in the past
â—Ź Certifications like small business, veteran owned, minority owned, and women owned status as tools to leverage rather than substitutes for capability
â—Ź Why bootstrapping a federal contracting company was realistic decades ago but is largely a myth in today's market
Intriguing Quotes:
"The number one challenge in my mind that most people face when they come to this marketplace has nothing to do with their capability, has everything to do with their clarity or a lack of it." (Guy Timberlake)
"Never start a business to be a federal contractor. Start a business to have a successful business and then determine if the marketplace that you want to get into includes public sector." (Guy Timberlake)
"A $10 million contract sounds very intimidating for a lot of people until you learn that it's $2 million a year over five years." (Guy Timberlake)
"You're gonna still have to work your ass off. I mean, it's what it comes down to." (Guy Timberlake)
"If it's toxic, stop it." (Dr. JayR McIntyre)
"You got to believe in yourself. You got to start there." (Guy Timberlake)
Key Moments:
[00:06:00] - Guy shares how he and his childhood friend Buzz have stayed close since before either of them could drive
[00:13:20] - Guy traces how government contracting worked before the internet, when relationships and phone calls drove every deal
[00:20:13] - Guy explains that NAICS codes were never built for federal contracting and only matter because SBA size standards are tied to them
[00:28:08] - Guy breaks down why certifications should be leveraged, not relied on, as a substitute for real capability
[00:35:03] - Guy names clarity, not capability, as the number one thing new contractors are missing
[00:42:10] - Guy walks through why relationships built face to face still beat anything email or social media can do
[00:50:43] - Guy tells his younger self to take education seriously and start ten years earlier
[00:56:18] - JR closes the episode by pouring into Guy Timberlake
Notable Guests/Resources:
Guy Timberlake, known as “Go-To-Guy,” is CEO and Co-Founder of The American Small Business Coalition (The ASBC), based in Columbia, Maryland. With four decades in and around government contracting, Guy has bootstrapped three companies in the federal marketplace and now leads The ASBC's boot camp and Wingman programs, teaching companies how to build clarity and capacity for the public sector. He can be found on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/in/guytimberlake, with more on The ASBC at theasbc.org.
Sponsors mentioned:
Los Angeles Tribune, Riverside, Seven Eagle Academy.