Power Positioning for a Challenger Founder-CEO in Federal Contracting
THE IDENTITY
How might I help a founder-CEO unify her reputation, values, and voice - so she’s recognised as a national leader before she ever enters the room?
THE CHALLENGE
Pawla built a multi-million dollar GovCon firm from scratch - but none of that scale showed up online. No founder story. No content strategy. Just standard posts. As she began competing with federal giants and flying coast to coast for panels and pitches, her digital presence stayed quiet. Would anyone see her coming?
THE APPROACH
I worked with her through the Identity Accelerator - three deep sessions exploring her immigrant roots, founder drive, and long-term ambition as a voice for change in federal contracting.
We grounded her narrative in the throughline that shaped it all:
“I built PBG to give people a chance - the kind no one gave me.”
That single line became the backbone of her positioning, voice, and public philosophy.
From there, I built a complete executive identity system. I developed a founder narrative that framed her not just as a CEO, but as a challenger leader reshaping access, equity, and excellence in GovCon. I designed a message architecture rooted in story, clarity, and scale. We launched a multi-piece thought leadership series and dozens of ghostwritten posts tied to her ABM strategy.
To sustain it, I created a lightweight content engine - complete with SOPs, a VA support model, and a calendar aligned to business development. I also worked across her internal team: coordinating with her marketing lead, shaping hiring messaging, upgrading her visual identity, and driving award submissions and PR from behind the scenes.
THE OUTCOMES
Deliverables and External Results
Developed a founder narrative and messaging system rooted in origin, values, and scale
Created 30+ ghostwritten LinkedIn posts and a three-essay signature series
Built a content engine supported by SOPs, calendar, and a VA workflow
Secured 2 major awards (including *Women Worth Watching*)
Attracted 10+ inbound leads from key GovCon decision-makers
Booked 4 speaking opportunities and converted an executive hire through cultural positioning
Internal Shifts
Reclaimed clarity, confidence, and authorship over her narrative
Felt relief from the pressure to be everywhere in person
Let go of content overwhelm and shifted focus back to leadership
Reconnected with her origin story as a strength, not a liability
Brought renewed energy, clarity, and pride to both team and public presence
