This week, Former Fed Friday welcomes back Monica Padron Harris, former Senior IT Acquisition Advisor at DHS, who reflects on her first year stepping out of government and into entrepreneurship. Monica shares what it was really like to build a business from the ground up, including what she expected, what she didn’t, and how her federal experience shaped every decision she made. She talks candidly about the realities of transitioning out of government, the shift in mindset required to succeed in industry, and the lessons she learned navigating new clients, new pressures, and a new pace of work. She also dives into how she evaluates the clients and opportunities she takes on, why reputation and integrity matter more than ever, and how former feds can translate their mission experience into real value on the industry side.  If you're a current or former Fed, a DHS partner, or someone exploring the industry side of GovCon, Monica’s story offers candid insight, hard-earned advice, and a look at what it takes to build a business with purpose and credibility. To connect with Monica visit her on LinkedIn here.Learn more about Procurement Pros here. If you liked listening to this episode, view our Former Fed Perspectives page here. To view all of our podcast series, visit our podcast page. Thank you to our sponsor vTech Solution. Don't know vTech yet? You should as vTech Solution is a trailblazer in the IT services domain with key offerings that include Digital Modernization, including Application Modernization; Managed Cloud infrastructure; and Cybersecurity.