Earnest Consulting Group

𝟵𝟯 𝗱𝗮𝘆𝘀.

September 30, 2026 | Uncategorized

You have 93 days until the end of this year. We'll be checking in from time to time with other days. But to get started, we're going to be super generic. What can happen in 93 days? Most people will tell you it takes 66 days to build a habit. James Clear says that's the wrong question. In his book Atomic Habits, he says habits don't form on a calendar. They form through repetition. Starting today, you get 93 reps before the end of the year. Miss a day, fine. Just don't miss two. So why wait on your 2027…

𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗯𝗹𝘆 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸. 𝗬𝗼𝘂’𝗿𝗲 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘁 𝘄𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴.

September 29, 2026 | Uncategorized

You've done the work. Real projects, real wins, years of it. Then you write it up as "providing IT services being customer-focused and innovative" and wonder why nobody bites. That's a highlight reel that only shows the warm-ups. The good stuff is in there. You just cut it out before anyone pressed play. Here's the fix. Stop describing what you do. Describe what happened because you did it. "Developed 50 applications for six federal agencies. Supported 55,000 users. Cut processing time by 350%." Same experience. You just focused on the outcomes as opposed to the activities. You're not as new…

Figuring out government sales on your own is like learning to cook without a cookbook

September 29, 2026 | Uncategorized

You try a little of this and a little of that, but no one wants to come for dinner. Inner Circle is not that. It is not a recipe you grind through alone at midnight. It is your weekly competitive edge. Your master cookbook with a master chef walking you through it. Four live coaching sessions a month, full access to the Training Center and GovCon Vault, and real strategies for winning contracts. All with the RSM Federal team behind $14 billion in client contract wins. This is where your questions actually get answered. Where your network gets bigger instead…

𝗔 𝗚𝗦𝗔 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗹𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗻𝗼 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻 𝗯𝗲𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝗖𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗰𝗼 𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝘄𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗮 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿.

September 27, 2026 | Uncategorized

Last year 14,772 companies held a Schedule. Over 6,287 did zero in sales. Same products. Same certifications. Same conferences as the other folks who won. Just different-sized bank accounts. The gap is order. Research who buys what you sell and how they actually buy it. Build the strategy around that. Execution comes last. Most companies run it backwards. They execute into the void, which usually are bid matching systems, and call it a pipeline. 𝗙𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗸 fixes that order. It's designed for faster results in the government contracting space. It's a six-month executive engagement built around your pipeline, your opportunities, and…

𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗶𝗽𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗿𝗲𝗳𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 SAM.gov, 𝘆𝗼𝘂’𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗹𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲.

September 18, 2026 | Uncategorized

By the time an opportunity posts, the work is mostly done. The agency scoped it months ago. They talked to vendors. They already have potential vendors in mind. You're auditioning for a part that was cast before you ever read the script. The companies that win were in the room early. They knew the requirement was coming because they studied the buyer, not the bid board, not the SOW, not the evaluation criteria. You do that with research. Past awards, contract end dates, spending history. It's all sitting in public data while everyone else waits for an email. Better…

THERE IS NO BALANCE. IT’S A FULL-ON TUG-OF-WAR.

September 16, 2026 | Uncategorized

We always hear about work-life balance. There is no balance. I like to call it a full-on tug-of-war... I’m writing this as I’m waiting for my daughter at a dance studio. She’s currently at rehearsal. It's no different for people with a career in government sales. ESPECIALLY IF WE’RE INVOLVED IN WRITING PROPOSALS! For a minute, though, think about who competes in tug-of-war. Firefighters. Shipbuilders. Navy SEALs. The strongest, fiercest people we can find on either end of the rope. That is not a coincidence. It takes real muscle to hold the line. Family and work are both pulling with…

𝗦𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂’𝗿𝗲 𝗯𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗮𝗿 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗶𝗿 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗽 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗹𝗼𝘁 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗮𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝘁 𝗯𝗿𝗼𝗸𝗲 𝗱𝗼𝘄𝗻.

September 15, 2026 | Uncategorized

I’ve seen good deals and bad deals… Companies offering to buy us when they thought we were desperate and gave us a lowball offer. One company seeing the value of our business and offering top dollar. Neither time were we in the market of selling. At National Veteran Small Business Coalition - NVSBC's Huntsville Engagement Dinner on 𝗦𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟯𝟬𝘁𝗵, a rockstar panel will walk you through what buyers actually look for. What makes a government contractor worth buying What you should be building right now, whether you sell in two years or ten. Own a government sales business? This is…

𝗠𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗮 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗜 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗮 𝗯𝘂𝗳𝗳𝗲𝘁. 𝗟𝗼𝗮𝗱 𝘂𝗽 𝗼𝗻 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝗻𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗶𝘁.

September 14, 2026 | Uncategorized

𝗦𝗕𝗖 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲 is the exception. It's the one room where federal agency leaders, primes, and small businesses actually talk to each other. Decision-makers included. The people who sign the things. You leave with real teaming partners, a read on what contracts are coming, and enough intel to stop guessing what agencies want. Pipeline does not grow from behind a laptop. It grows from the conversations you were too busy to have. We look forward to seeing you 𝗡𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟰-𝟲 𝗶𝗻 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗹𝗼𝘁𝘁𝗲! Register here: https://lnkd.in/g8zuu8HY

𝗔 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗲𝗿 𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗮𝗽𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘀𝗶𝘅 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱𝘀. 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗱𝗲.

September 10, 2026 | Uncategorized

Six seconds is a billboard on the highway. One line, one reason to remember it, and then you're doing 70 in the other direction. So why do most companies put their SBA set-aside logo large at the top and the word "innovative" three times on their billboard? Six seconds gone. Nothing landed. Put the thing that matters where their eye hits first. Metrics. "Maintained 2 million square feet of federal facilities. 98% inspection pass rate." That's a billboard somebody remembers at the next exit. One page. One clear reason to keep reading. If the good part shows up after six…

PORCUPINE ANSWERS ARMY’S FIVE-PAGE REQUEST WITH 214 PAGES, TELLS SAM IT SHOWS RIGOR

September 9, 2026 | Uncategorized

The Army wants commercial software configured and working in months. One firm is still quoting a four-year custom build. THE SOFTWARE FACTORY. The Army asked for five pages. Quillby sent a binder. He sent it by certified mail. Quillby the Porcupine has built custom software for the government since 1997. He plans to keep doing exactly that. The Army has other plans. A July Army directive told program offices to buy commercial products first. Custom development is now supposed to be rare. Quillby read the memo twice. He changed nothing. Last month a program office ran a commercial solutions…