
Amtower Off-Center
Hosted by nationally-known speaker and consultant Mark Amtower, Amtower Off-Center highlights the good, the bad, the ugly and the just plain silly of doing business in the government market. Every week experts join Mark for a lively discussion of current issues facing the government contractor community.
Latest episodes

Feb 28, 2025 • 41min
The Trump administation's executive orders and their impact on GovCon
This week on Amtower Off Center, host Mark Amtower is joined by Nick Wakeman, editor in chief of Washington Technology for a wide-ranging, candid discussion of the newadministration's executive orders impacting the GovCon industry.Topics include:
The order from GSA to investigate the"consulting" contracts of the top 10 OASIS contractors
Tthe temporary suspension of the government charge card program
The downsizing of federal agencies across the board and the impact on government programs
The impact of the Executive Order on DEI initiatives
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Dec 19, 2024 • 41min
Managing the presidential transition
This week on Amtower Off Center, host Mark Amtower is joined by GovNavigators co-founder Robert Shea for a very lively discussion on the upcoming administration.Topics include:
Managing the transition
Major policy shifts
What are some of the priorities for DOD
DOGE and the impending efficiencies
OPM and Schedule F
Lots of great policy-nerd minutae
Potential impact of the set-aside program
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Dec 14, 2024 • 43min
Breaking the standard
This week on Amtower Off Center, host Mark Amtower is joined by Aubrey Gainfort, by day a federal contracting officer, and after work host of the Breaking the Standard podcast, which is nearing its 5th anniversary.Topics discussed include:
Five things contractors need to do
Five things contractors should NOT do
How and why to start your own podcast
Ways to expand your knowledge of the federal market
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Nov 22, 2024 • 43min
Tips on how to bid for government contracts
This week on Amtower Off Center, host Mark Amtower is joined by Brian Lindholm, founder and managing principal at FedSavvy Strategies for a discussion on the myriad of sources available to government contractors for researching before bidding.Topics include:
What open source intel is available to contractors
How to parse this data for useful items
Why should you be looking at protest decisions and what can you learn from them
The best use and format of black hat reviews
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Nov 8, 2024 • 42min
The 2024 Fast 50 government contractors
Explore the exciting landscape of the Fast 50 government contractors, showcasing the remarkable growth of small firms like ATI Government Solution and BryceTech. Delve into the unique challenges faced by newcomers and the importance of diversity in contracting. Discover how innovative solutions, including generative AI, are transforming government documentation and contracting transparency. The discussion highlights the evolving strategies in defense contracting and the essential role of technology and strong client relationships in driving success.

Oct 30, 2024 • 50min
An expert's take on B2G content
Chris Parente of Story Tech Consulting joins host Mark Amtower on this week's Amtower Off Center for a wide ranging discussion on B2G content.Topics discussed include:
The value of a content calendar
Developing your own/your company POV
Listening when customers and prospects talk as they are often telling you what they want to hear back from you
Where to share your content
Some caveats about using AI to generate content
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Oct 9, 2024 • 41min
Current trends in the GovCon market
This week on Amtower Off Center, Ross Wilkers, senior reporter with Washington Technology, joins host Mark Amtower for a wide-ranging discussion regarding current events in the government market.Topics discussed include:
Market trends
M&A activity across the market
VC activity becoming even more strategic
Trends in the Top 100 contractors
The upcoming Fast 50 contractors
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Sep 25, 2024 • 42min
The Trust Paradigm
Author, consultant and speaker Andy Fry joins host Mark Amtower on this week's Amtower Off Center for a discussion of two of Fry's books: The Consultant's Code and The Trust Paradigm.Topics discussed include:
The 4 pillars of consulting (intelligence, effort, likeability and intent) with a brief dive into each pillar.
Why trust is key, including
Why trust is important (more reasons than you might think)
The components of trust
The directions of trust
This is a wide ranging discussion that is important to anyone in business, not just consultants. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sep 18, 2024 • 43min
Regulation changes & other issues in contracting
This week on Amtower Off Center, Larry Allen, president of Allen Federal Business Partners, joins host Mark Amtower to discuss current issues in contracting including upcoming changes in regulations.Topics include:
The recurring issue of contractors failing to deliver on what was promised in their contracts
New OMB guidance is coming on the use of AI by KOs during the acquisition process
New environmental regulations for contractors are coming soon
The potential scenarios for another CR and potential shutdown
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Sep 10, 2024 • 43min
The evolution of podcasting in GovCon
This week on Amtower Off Center, host Mark Amtower is joined by Peter Jacobs of the Merritt Group for a discussion on the evolution and current state of podcasting, especially as it pertains to GovCon.Topics include:
The advent of podcasts with other Web 2.0 tools in the late 1990s, early 2000s
Types of GovCon podcasts
Hurdles to starting a podcast
Merritt's Lay of the Brand podcast
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