Welcome back to GovCon Unscripted! I’m your host, Chelsea Meggitt, and in this episode, I’m joined by Stacey Piper, founder and CEO of Piper Strategies. Stacey brings 30+ years of experience in federal contracting—from her early days in the intelligence community to launching her own marketing firm helping government contractors grow.

We discuss marketing challenges in GovCon, personal branding, visibility in a crowded market, and why contractors need to shift from “proposal mills” to strategic storytelling.

On this episode, we discuss:

💡 Why visibility is critical in the federal space

🧭 How marketing can serve as the “true north” for your GovCon business

📈 The power of personal branding, purpose, and authenticity

🎯 Tactical advice on building a GovCon marketing strategy that resonates

[00:00 ] - Chelsea welcomes Stacey Piper and introduces her GovCon journey

[04:10 ] - Transitioning from intelligence to federal contracting and early career roles

[09:32 ] - Founding Piper Strategies and launching during a government shutdown

[14:45 ] - Why marketing is more than color palettes—it's about value and clarity

[21:07 ] - Using thought leadership and content strategy to get “found”

[29:55 ] - Government buyers as humans: trust, familiarity, and storytelling

[37:20 ] - Balancing personal and company brands in a niche market

[44:01 ] - Stacey’s advice for small GovCon businesses ready to scale

[51:14 ] - Where she sees the future of GovCon marketing heading

Links & Resources:

•  Stacey Piper’s LinkedIn
•  Piper Strategies
• Piper Strategies Messaging Pivots
• GovCon Unscripted Podcast