
In TV and movies, "good guys" rarely prosper.
But in real life, people like Greg Hollister prove the opposite: Good guys can and do change the world.
Greg Hollister is refreshingly humble, especially for someone who’s resume rivals a CVS receipt. He’s a man of strong faith, active in his church, and genuinely committed to the betterment of our planet and to the lives of its inhabitants. This, coupled with his sharp, curious mind spurred him on to high achievements, amongst them: three degrees and work for the DoD, Air Force, NASA, and the FBI - but that all comes later. Greg's story starts
in 10th grade, when a liaison from the Air Force Academy visited his school and met with only two students: one of them was Greg, and he was an easy recruit! Greg leapt at the opportunities the Academy offered: a chance to earn a degree and serve his country. When it came time to choose a career path, he learned that, sadly, being colorblind meant he couldn't become a pilot. But no matter; he pursued Communications instead, earning dual degrees in Management and Economics, followed by a Masters in Telecommunications from the Air Force Institute of Technology. He took additional courses in mid-level management and in senior-level management and leadership, with a focus on national political and military strategy as well as the history and tactics of warfare.
In 1978, Greg left the Academy for active duty, during which he did 12 assignments and commanded 5 units - 2 of them, award-winning. One claimed the "Outstanding Unit Award", another was named "Best Large IT AF Organization". He also served on the Joint Staff and as a Vice Wing Commander. Finally, after 20 years active duty, Greg began to consider retiring. Rather poetically, his instincts were confirmed one Sunday morning by way of a sermon from the book of Exodus. Greg felt sure that, just as God had called his people out of Egypt, he was now calling Greg to new horizons.
Greg started his his civilian career as Director of Strategic Planning for company with a history of supporting Falcon AF Base. His military training enabled him to confront challenges from a place of integrity, service, and commitment to excellence. During active duty, he'd provided Operational Support around Logistics and Communications Infrastructure for Space Ops. Now he worked with multiple government agencies, the Navy, and the Army to provide solutions to service requirements. Acquisitions proved a great fit for Greg; he was (and still is) excited to make organizations stronger and more profitable. While stinting at NASA Glenn, he developed a professional relationship with the owners of a small business focused on servicing NASA. Greg's first interaction with NASA was to contact Goddard on the company's behalf, to try to get on their team... alas, to no avail; but it did lead to further submittals and a major win in the form of a a $359M software engineering services contract. He also contributed to a first for NASA: scheduling a US-built robotic arm for a CLPS mission to the moon. And in seems that the line of work can also offer some major perks, because JPL invited Greg and his wife to attend not one, but two space launches as their guests. The launches, Greg says, were "amazing spectacles to behold!".
But Greg's extensive experience isn't limited to in-space services and ops. So far in his career, he's won a whopping $850M in government contracts and has over 20 years of experience in Business Development, Capture and Marketing ,with a focus on high-tech solutions for the space market, DoD, and NASA. He has also made significant contributions in the realm of innovative and sustainable energy technology solutions. And of course, he's a Focusing Forward Consultant. While he is an experienced consultant, he's only been with us for about 6 months - and we could not be prouder to have him on board! We know that he will continue to bring outstanding value to our clients, especially for those seeking expertise in military, space, and federal government tech acquisitions.
Lastly, in my interview with Greg, I asked him to tell me the greatest lesson his career has taught him. His response:
As Mark Twain once said, “Always do what is right…
it will gratify some and astonish the rest.”
(MY Q&A WITH GREG BELOW!)
Interested in working with Greg? Please send us a note or give us a call.
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Q&A with Greg
What areas of consulting do you specialize in?
Identification and qualification of opportunities.
Meeting with customers to determine their pain points are and mutually developing solutions to problems.
Strategizing how to win opportunities and to develop discriminators on how best to conduct operations.
Helping customers insert concepts and discriminators into proposals.
What are a few things that make you an exceptional consultant in your field?
My focus on customers (and their prospective client).
My dedication to completion of the task at hand.
My networking abilities/access to potential customers.
My knowledge of NASA and the DoD.
What’s one accomplishment (not included in the article) that you’re most proud of?
Helping to construct dormitories out of modular housing for the junior enlisted at New Boston Air Force Station.
When should companies get help from a consultant (as opposed to DIYing it)?
To get a foothold in a market space they are unfamiliar with.
To gather insight into the culture of an organization.
To connect with complementary companies in the market space.
To tap into experience that helps determine if opportunities are real, or if they are wired for an incumbent.
What career advice would you give to young people wanting to pursue a similar career?
Be persistent.
Seek out counsel and advice from people you respect.
Be flexible.
Always have a hunger to learn more.
Keep a good balance in your life with faith, family and work.
What do you love most about your consulting work?
Helping others succeed and learning more in the process
Could you give us your top 3 movie and/or book recommendations?
Dave (movie)
My American Journey (book)
Hebrews Ch.11 (Bible chapter on faith)
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