In this episode of Legacy Builders Unleashed, Melinda sits down with Terry McKee, a veteran procurement leader in Knoxville, Tennessee, with 38 years in local government procurement. Terry pulls back the curtain on what really happens on the buyer side, why procurement rules exist, and how business owners can stop guessing and start winning.

If you sell services, construction, or any kind of solutions to public agencies, this conversation is a reality check in the best way.

What you will learn in this episode

• Why procurement rules exist: fairness, transparency, and equal treatment for every vendor
• How to think about government agencies: treat each agency like a separate company with its own culture, rules, and buying habits
• Why vendors struggle: thousands of agencies, different bid thresholds, vendor registration systems, insurance requirements, and processes
• Co-ops and piggyback contracts explained: how smaller agencies leverage bigger agency pricing and reduce workload
• What makes a vendor stand out fast: following directions, clean submissions, correct formats, and strong quality control
• Common mistakes that kill bids: sloppy copy-paste errors, wrong agency name, ignoring pricing format, missing signatures or bonds, and last-minute questions
• The #1 mindset shift: procurement is not trying to block you, they are trying to protect the process
• Red flags that raise alarms: evasive answers, forcing your own format, being unprepared (insurance, licenses, bonding, equipment), and weak subcontractor management
• Pricing truth from the buyer side: buyers want you to be profitable, not desperate, because “cheap” can become “bankrupt”
• What vendors should ask more often: “Why is this requirement here?” and how to challenge specs the right way
• Pre-RFP relationship building: training sessions, demos, outreach events, reverse trade shows, procurement month events, and budget-season vendor fairs
• Major trends vendors must prepare for:
  • COVID-era funding drying up in many places
  • Online portals becoming the standard (bids, insurance certs, renewals, signatures)
  • AI becoming a tool on both sides, with a warning: use it, but control it

Terry’s straight-talk advice

• Read the bid. Then read it again.
• Ask questions early. Not five minutes before the deadline.
• Do what the solicitation says. Portal means portal. Email means email.
• Don’t assume government is your “right.” Show up like a partner.
• You can disagree without being disagreeable.

Final takeaway

Government contracting is not new, and it is not going away. If you want stable revenue and real enterprise value, the fastest path is not chasing every bid. It is learning the buyer, building relationships, and showing up as a professional who respects the rules and executes with excellence.

Support the show

Thanks for tuning into this episode of Legacy Builders Unleashed! If you enjoyed today’s conversation and are ready to take your business to new heights, make sure to subscribe so you never miss an episode.

If you found value in today’s episode, please leave us a review and share it with fellow entrepreneurs and business owners who are ready to scale.

Remember, building a legacy isn’t just about success—it’s about creating lasting impact. Let’s continue to build the future, one strategic move at a time.

Stay connected with us on YouTube and visit our website for more resources.

Until next time, keep building your legacy!

In this episode, Melinda sits down with Gavin Coyle, founder of Coyle Group, joining from Ireland, to talk about what it really takes to build a strong, efficient service business that lasts.

Gavin brings 25 years of experience in health and safety across power generation, wind energy, utilities, and engineering, plus a sharp business brain shaped by real life lessons. This is a practical conversation about building the right systems, setting boundaries, and using innovation (especially AI) to remove bottlenecks instead of adding more people and more chaos.

What you will hear in this episode

• What Coyle Group does and why the market demands high-level, project-based health and safety leadership
• Why Gavin wrote Workplace Safety on a Budget, and the truth that “good safety” does not have to mean big spending
• A simple but powerful belief: Good safety is good business
• Lean principles in plain language, and how Toyota’s thinking applies far beyond manufacturing
• Why small teams can run big operations when roles are clear and waste is removed
• The biggest early business lesson Gavin learned watching his father’s business: know your numbers and protect cash flow
• Why niching down creates a “moat” and helps you avoid competing as a commodity
• How to think about premium markets, and why low-end mindset clients drain teams over time
• Innovation with purpose: why the wrong software can become a time-sucking monster
• Why AI is different and how it can remove admin burden when used correctly
• A game-changing example of AI in trades and construction: faster quoting, clearer scope, and fewer delays
• The most underrated strategy in business: old-school conversations with your team (no surveys, no fluff, just straight talk)
• The hidden risk most owners ignore: your best people getting “poached” because standards and culture slip
• Gavin’s advice for 2026: build crisis readiness, create “gates” that protect the business, and maintain a living risk register

Key takeaway

If your business feels stuck, it is usually not a “motivation problem.” It is a systems problem. Fix the system, reduce waste, and use AI to remove busywork so your people can do real work.

Links Mentioned

Gavin Coyle’s book: Workplace Safety on a Budget https://bit.ly/3Z04eeR
Gavin’s podcast: https://www.imthegaffer.com/
LiveSwitch, a real-time video communication platform: https://join.liveswitch.com/gavincoyle
Hustro, the safety software tool link: https://www.hustro.com/gavin
Safety Hub (free templates and weekly alerts): https://www.etsy.com/shop/GavinCoyleSafety

Support the show

Thanks for tuning into this episode of Legacy Builders Unleashed! If you enjoyed today’s conversation and are ready to take your business to new heights, make sure to subscribe so you never miss an episode.

If you found value in today’s episode, please leave us a review and share it with fellow entrepreneurs and business owners who are ready to scale.

Remember, building a legacy isn’t just about success—it’s about creating lasting impact. Let’s continue to build the future, one strategic move at a time.

Stay connected with us on YouTube and visit our website for more resources.

Until next time, keep building your legacy!

In this episode of Legacy Builders Unleashed, Melinda sits down with Luis Medina, Director of Procurement and Contracts (Aviation) at Ontario International Airport, to break down what public sector procurement really looks like behind the scenes.

If you have ever thought government contracting is “slow,” “rigged,” or based on who you know, Luis sets the record straight. The process has guardrails for a reason: taxpayer dollars, transparency, and defensible decision-making.

You will walk away with a clear understanding of what procurement teams care about most, and how to position your business as a credible, reliable partner long before the award.

What you will learn

• Why public procurement is not slow “because they want it to be”
• The real reason guardrails exist (and how they protect you, too)
• Why the “good old boys club” idea is one of the biggest myths in GovCon
• What signals professionalism instantly: consistency, deadlines, and detail
• The 3 common scoring sections Luis sees across agencies (and what firms miss)
• Why your proposal must match your interview team (and how disconnects kill trust)
• How to communicate with public agencies without info overload
• How to use the RFI and pre-bid process strategically (and ethically)
• What thoughtful pricing looks like (and why “we’ll figure it out later” backfires)
• The internal systems you must have to perform after award: compliance, controls, capacity
• Luis’s best advice for entering public sector procurement the right way

Memorable quotes

• “Procurement isn’t a handshake deal. It’s a process heavy by design.”
• “Silence is the fastest way to lose trust.”
• “Measure twice, cut once.”

Action step

Pick one public agency you want to work with. Find their procurement portal, register, and review one active solicitation this week. Not to bid yet, but to learn the structure, timelines, and requirements.

About the guest

Luis Medina serves in public sector procurement leadership in the aviation environment, overseeing procurement and contracts operations and helping ensure transparent, accountable spending of taxpayer dollars.

Support the show

Thanks for tuning into this episode of Legacy Builders Unleashed! If you enjoyed today’s conversation and are ready to take your business to new heights, make sure to subscribe so you never miss an episode.

If you found value in today’s episode, please leave us a review and share it with fellow entrepreneurs and business owners who are ready to scale.

Remember, building a legacy isn’t just about success—it’s about creating lasting impact. Let’s continue to build the future, one strategic move at a time.

Stay connected with us on YouTube and visit our website for more resources.

Until next time, keep building your legacy!