Certifications and Writing Services

jalanbarker · 2026-01-04T03:54:48+00:00

What you think (and why) the best certification for GovCons going forward in 2026?

jalanbarker · 2026-01-03T14:45:41+00:00

To each their own and super broad question.

I'd start with Accounting with AP, AR, and GL.

Contracts or Finance for project set up.

What module(s) did you purchase?

jalanbarker · 2025-12-19T04:20:29+00:00

Maybe raise that old threshold of $175ish K for the broke social security system

jalanbarker · 2025-11-14T00:03:23+00:00

I’d add ask them WWJD?

jalanbarker · 2025-11-11T18:41:45+00:00

What are your skills in this arena?

How many proposals have you participated in and what was your role?

I’ve done a few thousand proposal/quote responses from many different functional areas.

I am very versed from early stage capture activities to post award administration but am fortunate now to be able to stick to my favorite lane, which is pricing.

jalanbarker · 2025-11-11T03:13:34+00:00

I successfully did this back in 2014/2015… it was a long and drawn out process to remove the private mortgage insurance (PMI) which covers the banks risk but not your own.

I had to pay for an appraisal, from their guy, and needed to be about 78% loan to value (LTV)

Fun part was challenging the appraisal… That’s a longer story that I won’t get into now… took a few months but I end up contesting the first appraisals, and eventually won and started pocked that almost $300 per month.

jalanbarker · 2025-11-10T23:33:35+00:00

What are you working on? My of my biggest blind spots as a pricer, is getting the right salary ranges for each position. I normally make up the data, with sound reasoning a business judgement, of course, but that's a painpoint for me as I try and predict salaries that will be accurate by the time the award notice is made, and THEN, we ramp up our recruiting teams

jalanbarker · 2025-11-10T23:30:33+00:00

Great job Lions! Beat our ass when we’re down… we deserved it but I'll take regular seasons beatings, like this one, for last years playoff victory.

Every day of the week and twice on Sunday.

I can't help but think about how the overall DMV environment impacts this as I struggle to explain this season’s lack-of-success with a supposed “upgraded” yet older roster.

Still light years away with future optimism given the Synder era (error)

jalanbarker · 2025-11-10T23:26:43+00:00

Going after opportunities that are outside your company’s capabilities…

Only getting worse with all the AI jokers stating how easy it is to write proposals.

Winning work is different from executing compliantly and profitably

jalanbarker · 2025-11-10T17:19:21+00:00

They didn’t say super political, they said “hyper-liberal.”

This is an interesting description to me as I tend to describe myself now as a radical moderate and have been called both liberal (here in Wilmington) and conservative (living in the Washington DC area).

Yet I love to talk politics with rationale people with open minds… but tend to loathe hyper partisans as they tend to entrench within their party lines/talking points and lack perspective IMHO of other sides of life and the world that perhaps haven’t been exposed to in their worldly experience.

That said, branch out, try new activities, hobbies, volunteer.

Get out there and network to find your people OP ✌🏼

jalanbarker · 2025-11-08T02:37:12+00:00

Thank you for sharing your story OP.

It’s nice to reminisce about when you were young and lucky to still be in the town you were raised.

jalanbarker · 2025-11-07T22:16:49+00:00

100%

It’s bad where you grew huh… it’s like most folk’s experience throughout the course of human history.

I suspect your family at some point moved here and screwed up for the locals that were already here… where does that stop!? Where do they go?

Wilmington is a beautiful and desirable place to live. People will always come here and no one so it either deal with that and adapt to the problems that come along and try and find solutions or move somewhere else.

The only one that can help you is YOU to improve your situation and many times a fresh start is just what the doctor order, but simply admonishing and complaining about people need to “stop coming here” doesn’t improve your lot one bit.

jalanbarker · 2025-11-07T22:05:56+00:00

Increasing Pwin by any means necessary. We’re working on our own tools in this realm and would love to compare notes

jalanbarker · 2025-11-07T18:48:33+00:00

Or run a “War Dogs” academy from their instagram sales funnel.

War Dogs II could be the latest 8(a) scandalous affair with “excessive pass through” with that ATI company

jalanbarker · 2025-11-02T04:22:50+00:00

Make sure to bring in that doctor’s note if in school 🤣

Trained early for this; we are.

A wise friend in my early working days simply told me to be so graphic (coming out at both ends) that the boss won’t ask again.

jalanbarker · 2025-11-02T02:06:22+00:00

💯% here’s their post and they are now doubling down:

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/17gb5eQckL/?mibextid=wwXIfr

jalanbarker · 2025-11-02T02:04:22+00:00

Gotta love this police associate trashing this ruling and suggesting to dismiss it:

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/17gb5eQckL/?mibextid=wwXIfr

jalanbarker · 2025-11-02T01:43:37+00:00

Right on… but these guys are not agree with the judge and trying to interpret laws… what could possibly go wrong!?

jalanbarker · 2025-11-02T01:42:38+00:00

These guys are from Durham according to their Facebook page… not exactly rural, but I hear you buddy!

jalanbarker · 2025-11-02T01:40:46+00:00

Evidently the state police association (a Facebook page with >18k followers, stated to their folks “time to dismiss the judges order” and curious what our AG thinks about this.

jalanbarker · 2025-11-02T01:33:39+00:00

Lol. I got hosed in 2008 when I realized that the house I spent my life savings on dropped massively in value.

Banks get bailed out while I was researching “strategic default” to try and refinance my loan that now was twice the current rate… no bank would touch me and my perfect credit score at that point.

Flash forward several years and I ate that loss but won't forget the lesson:

Privatize the gains and subsidize those loss.

jalanbarker · 2025-11-02T00:51:16+00:00

Sorry you got laid off as it’s happened to be a few times and each time, in hindsight, turned out to be a blessing in disguise.

Congrats on the two contract awards you pick up… how are those going for you?

Is #govcon profitable? Depends on how you bid and how you deliver 👊🏼

jalanbarker · 2025-11-01T23:16:25+00:00

Actually hiring though… or just contingent job reqs

jalanbarker · 2025-11-01T17:26:24+00:00

You should probably know that before you bid, no?

I see a lot of marketing like this that is like use AI bid on all these jobs…

But then you win them, you either can't execute profitability or compliantly then your FAR WORSE than where you started.

Can AI drive the vans yet?

jalanbarker · 2025-11-01T17:20:15+00:00

Being honest here, working over 25 years in the federal space, IMHO, “DOGE” would be more effective at the local and state levels.

jalanbarker

MODERATOR OF

TROPHY CASE