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
