In this episode of Game Changers for Government Contractors, host Michael LeJeune is joined by Christa Williams and Erin Olenjack from Bank of America’s government contracting team for a candid and practical discussion about what contracting officers and bankers wish every contractor knew.
Erin, a former contracting officer, unpacks the most common misconceptions about KO relationships—like why you may never hear back after sending an email, why it’s not personal, and how to communicate with purpose and clarity. She also dives into the strategic value of pre-solicitation engagement and explains why blindly chasing contracting officers won’t move the needle—building relationships with program offices will.
Christa brings clarity to the often misunderstood banking side of GovCon, explaining why having a contract in hand doesn’t guarantee financing, how banks evaluate risk differently than factoring companies, and when to bring in alternative lenders like Republic Capital Access. She shares why diversification, proactive planning, and relationship-building before you need money are key to your growth strategy.
Whether you’re brand new to federal contracting or scaling up to pursue $25M+ contracts, this episode is loaded with real talk, smart strategy, and actionable tips to help you grow your business with confidence and avoid costly missteps.
—–
| Featured Guests: | Christa Williams and Erin Olenjack | Company: | Bank of America |
Win More Contracts with Federal Access Coaching
Features
Select a plan
User Accounts
Members-Only interactive LIVE session. Each week has a featured topic along with Q&A . We have scheduled breaks for holidays, conferences, in-person events, and vacations.
Strategy Playbooks
7-minute training videos designed to boost your government skills by covering tips, strategies, market updates, and more. New videos added monthly.
Game Changers Podcast
Industry leading podcast for government contractors.
100+ Government Templates
Capability Statements, Corporate Presentations, Bid/No Bid Calculator, Graphics Packs, Compensation Models, and much more...
Step-by-Step Strategy Guides
Over 200+ documents with detailed strategies to help you master the art and science behind winning government contracts by learning government fundamentals, marketing, sales, teaming, proposals, and operations.
The Government Sales Manual - Digital
Searchable PDF with hundreds of Techniques and Strategies.
Featured / On-Demand Webinars
More than 30 hours of high-quality keynote style training sessions on sales, marketing, business development, teaming, proposals, and operations.
On-Demand Training Videos
Videos are broken down by business activity to make them easy to find.
Email Support
Ask a Government Subject Matter Expert (SME) anything and get a detailed response.
Contract Terms
Contract lengths vary by plan. All contracts renew monthly after initial terms.
Annual Payment Savings
Save 20% off your membership by paying annually.
Advisor
Group Coaching
$249
per month
Billed Monthly
1
24 Hour
Response
Renews
Monthly
Annual
Save 20%
$199
per month
Billed Annually
1
24 Hour
Response
Renews
Annually