Earlier this Spring we announced the 2023 Engage FedGov Honorees, a list of exceptional individuals who were nominated, evaluated, and selected by a panel of their peers, and represent leaders from across government and industry who stand out from the crowd for their willingness to drive BOLD approaches and innovative engagement strategies while supporting a culture shift across the Federal sector which values collaboration, open communication, transparency, and partnership between and across the Federal government and industry partner ecosystems.
We touched base with Mike Finkel, CEO of Sparksoft to better understand his views on giving, how to engage within the GovCon sector, and to get some advice for small business owners and those looking to break into the GovCon space.
Foundation in Relationships
Across his career, spanning different roles in various organizations, Mike has leaned on the connections he has made, understanding who is willing to put in the work and who is there for the ride. Getting to know colleagues intimately, as well as one might know family, especially during challenging projects that require more time at work than at home, communities are built within the workplace that live well beyond any particular project.
“…That doesn’t mean you always get along; siblings fight, cousins argue. At the end of the day though you have each other’s back, are there for each other, and most of the time, yes, you have fun together, otherwise it is too hard when you are on those challenging projects or facing long hours.”
Just as families may move or relocate, take on new dynamics, those family ties remain as people change roles, move to new companies, or even change industries. “I have people at Sparksoft who have come with me from other companies, people who worked with me that started their own companies that I still support, people who have gone on to work in other places that I am still connected to and engaged with.”
Openness and Respect
Something else Mike leans into is openness. Whether that is an open floor plan that has eliminated boundaries created by cubicles, or an open invitation to share ideas, concerns, even personal issues, connecting with the team with openness and respect is critical. “You cannot tell people you care about them and then not care about what may be impacting them outside the office. There is a balance between work and family priorities and when you say family comes first, the implication is that work can and may have to wait.”
Even though it has become more difficult to touch every individual in the company, as Sparksoft has grown, they have found creative solutions to ensure that the vision continues to spread through all the levels of the company. One way has been through leadership summits in which they bring in leadership from each department to participate in growth activities and then have them spread the message to all the levels of the organization “There are some who won’t really get it or won’t truly embrace the values but if we can get 95 percent uptake, that is fair. Either way, we are clear in how we will operate and our expectations across the team.”
Moving Success Back
A strong believer that those who benefit from success should share, Mike, Sparksoft and the Finkel family are committed to the ideals of giving back to their community, to causes that touch them. Whether it is his involvement in the annual Crohn’s & Colitis Take Steps Walk, support of other industry or company colleagues’ giving back efforts, supporting the community in the efforts others are passionate about is important. “We can pick up the phone and call each other and know we will be there for each other.”
Through the formalization of Sparksoft Cares, and through his work as the recent President of NCMA Woodlawn, Mike is building and supporting communities of giving. “It all comes down to the people you connect with and the relationships you maintain. You become friends and support each other and the causes that are important to others.”
Understanding there are many organizations to get involved with, Mike recommends looking at organizations you’re looking to break into and focusing at least some time there; NCMA Woodlawn for instance if CMS or SSA is a focus. “Find the organizations that seem focused in the space you want to be, that align to the missions of the organizations, like Veteran focused agencies if VA is your space.”
Small Business Advice
That same advice – about finding your space – Mike gives to small business owners: “As a company, Sparksoft focuses on 4 key things. When business owners come to me and the response to ‘what do you do’ is ‘whatever you need, we can do’ really that means you do absolutely nothing.”
Whether it is data testing, development, cybersecurity, or whatever else, companies must focus on where they are different and get good in that area.
Breaking into GovCon
Coming out of the commercial sector, Mike also offers advice for those coming out of the commercial space looking to break into GovCon. “Understanding how the government works and pricing is critical because it is completely different. Those 50 percent margins people may be used to just don’t exist on the government side. Mission takes on a different role, as does the meaning of stakeholders. You have to completely change your mentality on how you do business.”
Mike says it is also important to understand the time commitment, that building experience, understanding regulations, building related past performance, and therefore a business, takes time. “It can be very helpful to have the right mentor, someone whose lessons you can learn from to avoid some of the usual pitfalls.”
One of those can be return on investment in time. “Time is something you cannot get back so whatever you’re doing, make sure you’re getting some kind of result, professionally, personally, for your business. Know though that the target to see those returns will be 18 to 24 months out as you pull all of the components together. There is no instant win.”
About Mike Finkel
Mike Finkel is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) at Sparksoft Corporation. He has spent over 25 years in the IT industry and more than 20 years managing the delivery of large complex IT programs such as HealthCare.gov. Mike is also accountable for building on the strong cultural foundation and effectively managing the cultural health and development needed for the future success of Sparksoft. His commitment to the growth of the United States Healthcare system in partnership with the Federal Government is evident in his reputation amongst Federal Healthcare Stakeholders and fellow IT Integrators. This reputation has also earned Mike multiple Government and Industry related awards such as United States Congress Excellence Honors and CMS Industry Achievement Award.
Mike is chair of the Maryland walk for the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation which presented Sparksoft and Mike with the 2021 Corporate Impact Award. Additionally, on an annual basis, Mike supports several other worthy causes such as St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital, The Ulman Foundation, The Head Strong Organization and other local charities. Mike has also been a member of the Howard County Chamber of Commerce for the past 6 years driving their GovCon committee to help establish the presence of government contracting companies in the county. He similarly led the Cyber Committee for the last 4 years for the Chamber and was recognized with the 2022 Service and Contribution Award for his dedication.
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