From Nearly Bankrupt to $50M GovCon Win: Michael Sanders' Wild IGH Journey

In this episode of the All Innovation Podcast, we dive deep with Michael Valdez Sanders, founder and CEO of Interactive Government Holdings (IGH). From surviving on side hustles to winning a $50M federal contract, Michael shares the gritty, real-world story of how he bootstrapped IGH into an $18M+ GovCon force. He breaks down how to win government contracts, scale operations fast, and leverage AI tools built specifically for federal contracting. If you’re in business, tech, or policy—this is a masterclass on resilience, leadership, and innovation at scale.

00:00 Welcome & Guest Intro: Michael Valdez Sanders

00:39 What IGH Does in the Federal Space

01:23 Breaking Into Government Contracting

01:39 The 3% Set-Aside That Sparked IGH

02:52 Why Winning a Contract Takes Years

04:54 Understanding the Federal Bidding Process

07:50 How to Shape RFP Opportunities

09:36 Current Challenges in Government Contracting

11:34 Fallout from Government Budget Cuts

13:48 How Small vs. Large Contractors Compete

15:45 The Story Behind the $50M Contract Win

18:42 Surviving 18 Protests and Legal Costs

21:56 Scaling from 5 to 120 Employees

24:25 Building Grit and Learning from the Marines

26:46 Early Wins, Subcontracting, and Survival

28:59 Low Turnover and IGH’s Family Culture

30:08 Learning to Be a CEO at Scale

32:52 How IGH Uses AI for Bidding & Compliance

36:33 The AI Tool That Changed Their Workflow

39:58 Why AI is a Time-Saving Game Changer

40:30 Where IGH Is Going in the Next 5 Years

43:11 Acquisition: Firefighting School and Blue Ocean Strategy

46:40 What Makes Michael’s Heart Sing

48:01 Final Thoughts & Farewell

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