Today we’d like to introduce you to Megan Dean.
Hi Megan, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I always wanted to be a lawyer. My grandfather was a judge and he was a light in my life, but he was very old school in his thinking. Once he told me that “women shouldn’t be lawyers”. It always motivated me to prove him wrong. I don’t think he ever meant it to sound as terrible as it does, but it was the jab I needed to inspire me to achieve and accel in male-driven industries for the longevity of my career. When someone tells me I can’t, I am quick to say “watch me”.
When I moved to Charleston, SC, after college, I started working for white collar criminal attorney’s. I took the LSAT’s, applied to law school, and I was ready for that career path. We took a high-profile case at the firm, and it changed me. I realized that even though I was well-positioned for success in the field that this career would have taken my soul. Also, my bleeding heart would have always had me be a pro-bono lawyer. So, I abrubtly decided one day that I wanted my life to take a different direction and I gave up the idea of law school.
I quickly found myself in the network of “old money” or the “good ol’ boy network” in Charleston. I took a role that was heavily involved in government contracting, and I realized this field in coming years would have a major competency gap as original experts retired with few qualified replacements. It was a way that I could be a lawyer without being a lawyer with a law degree. However, the company I worked for at the time was moving into IT and was dissolving their contracting division, so I amicably jumped the fence to the manufacturer we were using who was building barges for the Navy at the time.
This led me into a career of working in heavy steel fabrication, shipbuilding, and government contracting. I quickly realized that I was extremely talented in breaking down complex proposal requirements and turning compliant submittals into multi-million dollar awards for the small businesses I supported. In my career, I have won over a billion dollars in ceiling value for small businesses with single awards totalling over $50 million for firm fixed price contracts and over $220 million+ for ceiling value contracts.
I had previously completed 1099 work to consult the fabricator I ended up working full-time for, so ultimately, I was motivated to start my own consulting firm to help empower small businesses navigate the government marketplace and be out on my own. My small business has landed me multiple executive-level titles and also helped validate that I am doing what I love and helping other businesses thrive with my unique skill sets.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It has not been a smooth road. Any woman that has worked in a male-dominated field understands the challenges that come with it. Working in heavy steel fabrication and shipbuilding, there are many times I would walk into the room and be treated as the attractive secretary that was only there to take notes. The good news is that it didn’t take long for people in the industry to quickly learn that I was intelligent, capable, and the one making the wheel turn behind the scenes. Despite my achievements and successes, I always felt there was a ceiling that I just couldn’t get beyond. In 2021, after I decided to go out on my own, I was able to get many executive level titles and work with multiple industries ranging from cybersecurity, to agriculture and farming, to supplier development for the submarine industrial base, to selling bulletproof doors. It helped me realize that my skillset and people skills trancended industries and that there were no boundaries to the things I can, do, and will continue to accomplish.
As you know, we’re big fans of Asset 2 Assist Consulting LLC. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Asset 2 Assist Consulting (A2A) is a small woman-owned business that helps businesses navigate acquisition, procurement, compliance, sales strategies, & strive for operational excellence. I specialize in business development to include but not limited to capture management and opportunity sourcing. I help make complex bid requirements easy for C-Suite to tradeworkers so that the scope and terms are easy to understand and respond to with a focus on risk mitigation and efficiency to get teh job done in mind. I am uniquely positioned to see the entire life-cycle of the process, which makes me unique in the industry because I am not silo-ed in only one role. As a Certified Professional Contract Manager (CPCM), a Professional Project Manager (PMP), and business development profession whose statistics speak volumes to my credibility, I bring into businesses new work, and I can help negotiate and create the contractual requirements around the opportunities, and then establish strong project management oversite to help initiate, plan, execute, monitor and control, and close out the jobs effectively with maximized profit. I am most proud of the aspect of my business that focuses on transperancy, integrity, and a genuine desire to help empower others to learn and fast-track the learning curve specific to government procurement. I sincerely care about people and relationships and watching the people and companies I support thrive.
What does success mean to you?
I define success by the relationships I create. I know that no matter how much time passes that anyone I call will support me and knows that I will support them. I am kind and caring and this shows in how I carry myself and in the longevity and genuine connection I make in the professional relationships I establish.
Contact Info:
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/megan-dean
