More Than a Cage Code
From Unveiled: GovCon Stories by Tasha Jones
May 14, 2025 · 60 min · Season 5 · Episode 8
About this episode
This episode discusses the misconceptions of starting in GovCon and the importance of aligning vision, capacity, and funding for sustained growth.
Today’s episode is for the dreamers and the doers—especially the ones who thought getting a DUNS, a Cage Code, and a nice logo meant they were ready to roll. Let’s be real—there are a lot of misconceptions about how easy it is to “start” in GovCon. The truth? Many businesses start officially, but never truly enter the market. And some find out the hard way that they underestimated the time, money, and focus it takes just to get to the starting line; and in this episode, we’re going to evaluate that. First, we’ll explore the many ways small businesses find their way into this space—some by design, some by default. Then we’ll unpack what it really means to build alignment between your vision, your capacity, and your funding over time. Whether you’re new and exhausted, or established and re-evaluating, this episode is your reminder: It’s not just about getting in—it’s about staying in and growing on purpose. Guest Bio: Shakira (Shak) McCants is the CEO of MacMore, a women owned, Management and IT firm. Shak is a results-driven professional with nearly 20 years of experience in business development, project management, operations management, and strategic planning. She has a…
People in this episode
Host: Tasha Jones
Guest: Shakira McCants
Topics covered
- GovCon
- small business
- business development
- project management
- strategic planning
Keywords
- GovCon
- DUNS
- Cage Code
- small business
- business growth
- funding
- project management
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: MacMore, American Council for Technical and Industry Advisory Council, ACT-IAC
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- Diversification Through Reselling · November 20, 2025 · 1h 14m
- A Business of One is Still a Business · November 5, 2025 · 42 min
- Bridge Season: The Pivot, The Purpose, and The Path Forward · October 22, 2025 · 34 min
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