FAFO—an acronym for “F*** Around and Find Out”—is the idea that actions have consequences, often in unexpected ways. But so can inaction. Several times in my life, I’ve been the victim of relentless bullying that lasted for years at a time. Each time almost broke me. First as a kid for being too churchy, later […]

I was asked how different presidential administrations have affected my rapid acquisition mindset. The short answer is: they haven’t. I’ve always been this way. Administrations come and go, but they’ve never affected how I think about acquisition, streamlining, or how I find my motivation to create faster, better, more efficient, and more effective ways to […]

I was at my favorite restaurant recently, just chilling over a solitary lunch and writing a blog post in their off-hours.  There were maybe five other patrons in the entire place, all seated at the bar, so naturally, the next diners were seated about two feet from me, with only a screen separating us. I […]

We all live our lives to our own default, and people who think their default is the ONLY way may find others’ different individual and collective defaults to be nonsensical.  Maybe even threatening. Both a conclusion of nonsense or threat can create a lot of animosity as well as resented by the one whose default […]

Between my rented lair and one of my favorite lunch spots is a quiet side street. It’s a charming little stretch, shaded by a canopy of oak trees so thick it feels like a tunnel. The street is narrow, just wide enough for two cars to pass, with on-street parking usually occupied by landscapers and […]

I learned something new about myself today, which is always cool because learning about what makes ourselves—and others—tick helps us navigate our world better, whether in our personal lives or in our acquisition-related careers. A lot of Contracting Officers I’ve worked with, and especially Procurement Analysts in Policy, can’t seem to get enough data to […]