Priya grew up watching her father build a CPA practice now in its forty-fourth year, with clients still flying across the country to see him. The inheritance shaped her belief in finance as a human discipline. She brought it with her to GW, into Lockheed Martin's financial leadership program, and through her first GovCon rotation in pricing where she sat in the back of every room and had to learn to use her voice. She was the lead pricer on a fifty million dollar program win, the biggest award in her division at the time.

In this episode, Priya talks about the early setback that forced her to speak up, the art of subcontractor negotiation, how she builds high-trust teams, and why pushing back on low-value work is a leadership move. She tackles imposter syndrome by admitting what she does not know. She frames AI and automation as tools to make finance faster, never as replacements for human judgment. Her advice to young finance professionals is simple: open mind, patience, grace, and a network you build one shoulder tap at a time.

00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro
00:48 Meet Priya Dalwadi
01:33 The CPA's Daughter
03:16 First GovCon Rotation
04:33 Pricing Explained
05:56 Sitting in the Back of the Room
09:06 Negotiation and Relationships
10:44 Building High-Trust Teams
15:08 Imposter Syndrome
17:35 AI in Finance
19:27 Advice and Workload
21:58 Payoff and Closing

Thank you for spending time with us today! If you're energized by the conversation and eager to see how bold ideas translate into real‑world mission advantage, explore the Bcore ecosystem. At Bcore, we're uniting exceptional people and cutting‑edge technology to accelerate mission impact and advance national security.

Learn more, connect with our team, and discover opportunities to collaborate at bcore.com. Join us in pushing the boundaries of what's possible.

In this episode, Jake talks about why boring systems fall apart, what overconfidence looks like from the inside, and the moment he realized it was more important for his team to function well than for him to be right.

00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro
01:01 One Stoplight, One Wrestling Team
02:50 Rejected by Art School
06:42 White Hot Steel and Walking Away
08:11 Building Helicopter Parts for the Coast Guard
11:03 Craft Over Mission
15:04 When Systems Don't Fit in One Head
18:34 The Blind Spots of Big-Picture Thinking
24:44 Team Function Over Being Right
27:41 Scar Tissue
30:16 Learn the Old Stuff First
32:58 Build Your Own RAG
34:44 What AI Should Scare You About
36:40 Wrap Up

Thank you for spending time with us today! If you're energized by the conversation and eager to see how bold ideas translate into real‑world mission advantage, explore the Bcore ecosystem. At Bcore, we're uniting exceptional people and cutting‑edge technology to accelerate mission impact and advance national security.

Learn more, connect with our team, and discover opportunities to collaborate at bcore.com. Join us in pushing the boundaries of what's possible.

Chad and Zil brought Troy on to talk about what it looks like to build a career through initiative. The conversation went somewhere honest. Troy described how saying yes to everything at a small company gave him a view of the entire business that most people his age never get. Now he's figuring out where to go deep and who to bring with him.

The three of them land on something worth hearing: the people who raise their hand early are the ones who get to choose what they become later.

This episode is for anyone who has been the youngest person in the room and earned their seat by showing up. For practitioners building range and wondering when to specialize. And for anyone mid-career who is shifting from learning everything to leading others through it.

CHAPTERS

00:00 Welcome from the Plane 

00:44 Peruvian Chicken and First Impressions 

01:16 How Troy and Zil Connected 

04:12 Three Stoplights and Sixty Graduates 

05:58 Saying Yes to the Move 

06:58 Corner Apartment in Tysons 

08:13 Sports, Coaching, and Strategy 

12:37 Keep Me in Pennsylvania 

14:17 Imposter Syndrome as Butterflies 

15:52 Taking Production Down Overnight 

17:35 You're Already on the Team 

19:48 The Trade-Offs of Range 

21:57 JSON Meets SQL 

22:55 Full Stack Mentality 

24:53 From Taker to Multiplier

Thank you for spending time with us today! If you're energized by the conversation and eager to see how bold ideas translate into real‑world mission advantage, explore the Bcore ecosystem. At Bcore, we're uniting exceptional people and cutting‑edge technology to accelerate mission impact and advance national security.

Learn more, connect with our team, and discover opportunities to collaborate at bcore.com. Join us in pushing the boundaries of what's possible.

00:00 Welcome and Setup
01:21 Sarika's Path Into People
03:32 HR's Identity Crisis
06:15 The GovCon Talent Gap
08:30 Leaner Teams, More Pressure
13:27 Retention Is Not a Compensation Problem
17:17 Career Ladders That Slow People Down
19:42 Burning It to the Ground
21:28 AI Makes Feedback More Human
26:06 Leaders Who Won't Get Their Hands Dirty
28:59 The Engineering Skills Shift
31:21 Building Close to Value
33:05 Tossing the Old Playbook
33:59 From Tool Adoption to Mindset Shift
35:33 Tiger Teams and the Right Personas
37:18 Prompting Variability
38:48 Getting People Off the Sideline
41:58 Focus Fridays and the AI Council
44:11 The Great Equalizer
47:14 Accountability When Everyone Has Access
53:00 Sunday Scaries and What Drives People to Stay
57:21 Good People Want to Work With Good People

Thank you for spending time with us today! If you're energized by the conversation and eager to see how bold ideas translate into real‑world mission advantage, explore the Bcore ecosystem. At Bcore, we're uniting exceptional people and cutting‑edge technology to accelerate mission impact and advance national security.

Learn more, connect with our team, and discover opportunities to collaborate at bcore.com. Join us in pushing the boundaries of what's possible.

00:00 Meet Courtney Kelly
01:47 Early Life and Ballet
02:33 The Accidental Strategist
04:46 Consulting in Defense
07:32 Strategy Meets Execution
09:50 Type A in Ambiguity
14:02 Mission Focus in Delivery
17:09 M&A Battle Scars
18:44 Why Companies Do M&A
23:33 Work-Life Balance Reality
30:23 Introvert Leadership
32:59 Reading the Room
34:30 The Ambiguity Muscle
37:21 No Playbook
40:18 Closing

Thank you for spending time with us today! If you're energized by the conversation and eager to see how bold ideas translate into real‑world mission advantage, explore the Bcore ecosystem. At Bcore, we're uniting exceptional people and cutting‑edge technology to accelerate mission impact and advance national security.

Learn more, connect with our team, and discover opportunities to collaborate at bcore.com. Join us in pushing the boundaries of what's possible.

Adam credits early mentors for showing him what approachable, context-rich leadership looks like. He explains how curiosity, ego-free collaboration, and explaining the "why" shaped his professional growth. He also shares how he manages "swirl" when goals are unclear through rubber-ducking, writing down obstacles, and maintaining what he calls the "Adam backlog."

The episode closes on AI adoption. Adam argues technologists need skepticism, stronger validation habits, and curiosity about how systems work. He worries about losing the human context once found in places like Stack Overflow and forums and makes the case for preserving community as AI tools accelerate. 

Thank you for spending time with us today! If you're energized by the conversation and eager to see how bold ideas translate into real‑world mission advantage, explore the Bcore ecosystem. At Bcore, we're uniting exceptional people and cutting‑edge technology to accelerate mission impact and advance national security.

Learn more, connect with our team, and discover opportunities to collaborate at bcore.com. Join us in pushing the boundaries of what's possible.

In this conversation, Sue shares the framework that guided her through an unconventional career path. She started as a zoology major doing Soviet missile analysis. She was moved off prestigious assignments she loved. Each setback became the transportation to her next success.

Her approach is simple: nose down, head up. Master your current job while staying aware of the bigger mission your work serves. When setbacks hit, let go of who you were so you can become something you never could have been.

Sue also addresses the challenges facing new talent entering the workforce today. She argues that context and vision matter more than ever. Organizations have less time to develop leaders, and the world presents so many crises that none feels big enough to rally around. Her advice: find a purpose, commit to it, and learn to make decisions before certainty arrives.

This episode delivers a personal and practical look at career resilience from someone who navigated decades of transformation in national security. 

Timestamps
00:00 Introduction and Welcome

00:20 Setting the Stage for Sue's Story

02:23 Starting as a Zoologist at CIA

05:24 Learning on the Job and Advancing Knowledge

08:30 The Nose Down, Head Up Framework

12:47 Overcoming Perceptions and Proving Value

18:47 Four Major Setbacks That Shaped Sue's Career

25:45 Letting Go of Who You Were

27:00 Navigating Vulnerability and Finding Support

28:12 Accepting Hard Truths and Moving Forward

30:44 Asking What You Want from This Moment

34:23 Vision, Purpose, and Decision Making for New Talent

38:47 The Second Lieutenant Moment

41:07 Leadership in a Modern Workforce

44:39 Why Context Is the Missing Piece

50:01 Why This Is the Moment to Be Part Of

Thank you for spending time with us today! If you're energized by the conversation and eager to see how bold ideas translate into real‑world mission advantage, explore the Bcore ecosystem. At Bcore, we're uniting exceptional people and cutting‑edge technology to accelerate mission impact and advance national security.

Learn more, connect with our team, and discover opportunities to collaborate at bcore.com. Join us in pushing the boundaries of what's possible.

Thank you for spending time with us today! If you're energized by the conversation and eager to see how bold ideas translate into real‑world mission advantage, explore the Bcore ecosystem. At Bcore, we're uniting exceptional people and cutting‑edge technology to accelerate mission impact and advance national security.

Learn more, connect with our team, and discover opportunities to collaborate at bcore.com. Join us in pushing the boundaries of what's possible.

In this season one finale, I sit down with Lee Garber, our General Partner at NewSpring Capital, to get under the hood of calculated bets and strategic decision-making. Lee takes us through his fascinating journey from being "the guy behind the guy" - starting as a newspaper-selling kid who became his fraternity treasurer - to becoming a seasoned private equity professional making million-dollar decisions.

We dive deep into the evolution of a PE career, from analyst to partner, and how the role transforms from connecting dots to making complex risk assessments. Lee shares raw insights about their biggest mistakes, including a telecom deal that went sideways, and how they turned it around through sheer perseverance. He breaks down the difference between perceived and real risk, the art of knowing when to pull the plug on deals, and why their Monday investment committee meetings can get pretty heated - but in the best way possible.

What struck me most was Lee's philosophy: "Act like it's yours, and maybe one day it will be." This episode reveals the human side of high-stakes investing, the importance of running toward problems rather than away from them and why being present - both professionally and personally - might be the most valuable skill of all.

Thank you for spending time with us today! If you're energized by the conversation and eager to see how bold ideas translate into real‑world mission advantage, explore the Bcore ecosystem. At Bcore, we're uniting exceptional people and cutting‑edge technology to accelerate mission impact and advance national security.

Learn more, connect with our team, and discover opportunities to collaborate at bcore.com. Join us in pushing the boundaries of what's possible.

For 15 years, Rebekah has built No Greater Sacrifice into a unique organization that breaks the cycle of generational trauma through education. Their wraparound model goes far beyond traditional scholarships—they provide comprehensive financial aid management, mentorship, and coaching to ensure these children can dream again and attend their dream schools debt-free.

What sets this conversation apart is Rebekah's candid discussion of mission-driven leadership in practice. She shares how they've avoided mission creep, built authentic partnerships, and created a bespoke service model that prioritizes quality over quantity. We dive deep into the operational realities of scaling high-touch programs, the emotional toll of servant leadership, and how she balances family life while fighting an uphill battle for America's most deserving families.

This isn't just about charity work—it's about building resilient leaders and understanding what it takes to turn a moment of clarity into 15 years of life-changing impact.

Thank you for spending time with us today! If you're energized by the conversation and eager to see how bold ideas translate into real‑world mission advantage, explore the Bcore ecosystem. At Bcore, we're uniting exceptional people and cutting‑edge technology to accelerate mission impact and advance national security.

Learn more, connect with our team, and discover opportunities to collaborate at bcore.com. Join us in pushing the boundaries of what's possible.

What happens when someone decides to pursue medicine, engineering, and business simultaneously while raising three kids? Joseph Stefano is living proof that with the right mindset and systems, you can excel across multiple demanding fields without burning out.

In this episode of Mission Possible, Joseph breaks down his approach to managing 16-18 hour workdays while maintaining his roles as software engineer, medical student, recent MBA graduate, and father of three. But this isn't about grinding harder—it's about being smarter with your choices and understanding what you can actually control.

Joseph shares his philosophy on humility as a superpower, explaining how being "super in touch with the reality of who you are" transforms everything from project estimation to surgical preparation. We dive deep into his 360-degree mentorship approach, where he learns from both exemplars and cautionary tales in his field.

We also explore how he's leveraging AI as an efficiency multiplier—not as a replacement for expertise, but as a tool that amplifies his capabilities in both coding and medical practice. Joseph's insights on making everything a conscious choice, building systems for high-stakes environments, and the compound effect of 1% daily improvements will reshape how you think about professional growth and life balance.

Thank you for spending time with us today! If you're energized by the conversation and eager to see how bold ideas translate into real‑world mission advantage, explore the Bcore ecosystem. At Bcore, we're uniting exceptional people and cutting‑edge technology to accelerate mission impact and advance national security.

Learn more, connect with our team, and discover opportunities to collaborate at bcore.com. Join us in pushing the boundaries of what's possible.

In this episode of the Mission Possible Podcast, I sit down with Bob Sharp, former Director of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, to explore his unconventional path from aspiring lawyer to admiral. Bob's candid storytelling reveals how he navigated massive organizational complexity—from leading 15,000+ person organizations through crisis to building coalition strategies that actually stick.

What struck me most was Bob's refreshingly honest approach to leadership. He shares why he tells his teams "I'm wrong every day" and how admitting mistakes early creates environments where people contribute their best thinking. We dive deep into his "network defeats network" philosophy and why he believes your job as a leader isn't to have all the answers—it's to unleash the potential around you.

Bob walks us through formative moments from Desert Storm operations to post-9/11 intelligence work, explaining how crisis taught him that prescriptive leadership kills innovation. His insights on strategy development—making it "ours" not "mine"—and the critical balance between giving broad direction while avoiding over-prescription offer actionable frameworks for any leader facing complexity.

Whether you're stepping into your first leadership role or running a major organization, Bob's perspective on being authentically vulnerable while maintaining forward momentum provides a masterclass in leading through uncertainty.

Thank you for spending time with us today! If you're energized by the conversation and eager to see how bold ideas translate into real‑world mission advantage, explore the Bcore ecosystem. At Bcore, we're uniting exceptional people and cutting‑edge technology to accelerate mission impact and advance national security.

Learn more, connect with our team, and discover opportunities to collaborate at bcore.com. Join us in pushing the boundaries of what's possible.

In this deeply personal episode of Mission Possible, I sit down with John Quick, a team member who demonstrates that true leadership emerges in life's most challenging moments. John courageously shares his cancer journey—from an unexpected diagnosis during COVID lockdown to navigating complex treatment decisions and ultimately discovering what matters most.

This isn't just a story about surviving cancer; it's about transforming adversity into clarity. John reveals how facing mortality stripped away everything non-essential, forcing him to prioritize relationships over responsibilities and authentic living over endless preparation. His insights on decision-making under uncertainty, building trust with medical teams, and maintaining forward momentum during treatment offer profound lessons for any leader facing difficult choices.

John's post-treatment renaissance—learning new languages, diving deep into AI and machine learning, and actively pursuing his bucket list—exemplifies the growth mindset that drives exceptional people. His honest discussion about adapting to new cognitive realities shows how resilient leaders evolve rather than simply endure.

This conversation will challenge you to examine your own priorities and inspire you to live more intentionally, because as John learned: we're not waiting for our real life to begin—this is it.

Thank you for spending time with us today! If you're energized by the conversation and eager to see how bold ideas translate into real‑world mission advantage, explore the Bcore ecosystem. At Bcore, we're uniting exceptional people and cutting‑edge technology to accelerate mission impact and advance national security.

Learn more, connect with our team, and discover opportunities to collaborate at bcore.com. Join us in pushing the boundaries of what's possible.

I sit down with Tyler Laverick to explore the entrepreneurial mindset that drives real business success. Tyler takes us back to his childhood - from selling trading cards and homemade necklaces door-to-door to watching his grandfather run a Ford dealership in small-town America. These early experiences shaped his understanding that business is fundamentally about trust, loyalty, and serving your community.

The conversation gets real about the challenges of starting Bcore with his partner Andy. Tyler shares the pivotal moment when a client called asking him to run a program - the catalyst that transformed years of planning into action. He opens up about facing down imposter syndrome during a crucial partnership negotiation in Michigan, where a four-person company had to convince a major tech firm they could scale across the entire defense and intelligence community.

What makes this episode compelling is Tyler's honesty about the practical realities of entrepreneurship. He discusses the work-life balance struggles, the importance of having champions at home, and how building the right team culture isn't just feel-good philosophy - it's what allows a business to survive and thrive through crises like COVID-19. For anyone considering the entrepreneurial leap or looking to understand what separates successful ventures from the rest, Tyler's insights on preparation, partnership, and persistence offer invaluable guidance.

Thank you for spending time with us today! If you're energized by the conversation and eager to see how bold ideas translate into real‑world mission advantage, explore the Bcore ecosystem. At Bcore, we're uniting exceptional people and cutting‑edge technology to accelerate mission impact and advance national security.

Learn more, connect with our team, and discover opportunities to collaborate at bcore.com. Join us in pushing the boundaries of what's possible.

In this episode of the Mission Possible Podcast, I sit down with Vinita Fordham, a technology leader who's mastered the art of driving transformational change from within some of the most complex organizations in the intelligence community. Vinita takes us through her fascinating journey from a childhood fascination with silicon chips and radio building to becoming a staff officer championing cutting-edge technology deployments.

What makes this conversation particularly valuable is Vinita's hard-won insights on navigating the delicate balance between innovation and security, between the "shiny objects" and what actually works in mission-critical environments. She reveals how she got mobile applications approved and deployed to the high side in just three months – a process that typically takes years – by embedding security considerations from day one and building coalition support across directorates.

Throughout our discussion, Vinita emphasizes that technology is often the easy part; the real challenge lies in understanding whose problem you're solving and building the relationships necessary to create lasting change. She shares practical frameworks for staying grounded amid endless technological possibilities, the importance of bringing skeptics into the room, and how her government experience now informs her approach to commercial innovation. This is essential listening for anyone tasked with driving meaningful change in complex, risk-averse environments.

Thank you for spending time with us today! If you're energized by the conversation and eager to see how bold ideas translate into real‑world mission advantage, explore the Bcore ecosystem. At Bcore, we're uniting exceptional people and cutting‑edge technology to accelerate mission impact and advance national security.

Learn more, connect with our team, and discover opportunities to collaborate at bcore.com. Join us in pushing the boundaries of what's possible.

What separates software engineers who merely code from those who drive transformational mission outcomes? Chad sits down with veteran engineers Zil Vyas and Jason Herschcopf to explore the leadership principles that elevate technical teams from functional to exceptional.

This conversation goes beyond typical tech talk to examine the human side of software engineering. Zil and Jason share their unconventional paths into technology—from pharmacy technician to application developer, and childhood programming prodigy to rapid prototyping savant. They dissect career-shaping moments: early mistakes, mentors who reframed failure as learning, and communication strategies that transform defensive code reviews into collaborative growth.

The discussion reveals a fascinating contrast—Zil's structured, edge-case methodology versus Jason's rapid prototyping approach—yet both consistently deliver exceptional results. They tackle cross-functional team dynamics, breaking down organizational silos, and recognizing when to move on from stagnant environments.

As the conversation shifts toward AI and automation, both offer grounded perspectives on how intelligent tooling will amplify rather than replace strategic thinking. Their advice for new graduates cuts through industry noise: prioritize adaptability, communication, and finding work that genuinely energizes you.

Whether you're leading technical teams in mission-critical environments or navigating your own engineering career, this episode delivers battle-tested wisdom on thriving through continuous learning and authentic collaboration.

Thank you for spending time with us today! If you're energized by the conversation and eager to see how bold ideas translate into real‑world mission advantage, explore the Bcore ecosystem. At Bcore, we're uniting exceptional people and cutting‑edge technology to accelerate mission impact and advance national security.

Learn more, connect with our team, and discover opportunities to collaborate at bcore.com. Join us in pushing the boundaries of what's possible.