February 26, 2024 • 25 mins
Pawla Ghaleb
Pawla Ghaleb is a force that defies convention and redefines success. Leading PBG Consulting as CEO, she personifies the company’s tagline of "Passion. Boldness. Grit," and has sculpted an audacious vision, merging a global perspective with over 20 years of industry expertise in IT solutions, strategic consulting, and program management, that has propelled the organization to enviable heights within the U.S. Federal Government Consulting Community. Pawla hails from Lebanon, adding a multilingual, multinational dynamism to her leadership, effortlessly juggling languages such as English, Arabic, and French.
Her leadership has earned PBG Consulting notable recognitions, such as being named one of The Washington Post’s 2023 Top Workplaces in the Washington, D.C. area, winning the DOS’s 2021 Small Business Prime Contractor of the Year Award, as well as securing positions on the Financial Times America's Fastest Growing Companies 2023, Inc.5000 Fastest Growing Companies 2019-2023, and Washington Business Journal's (WBJ) 2022-2023 Fastest Growing Company lists. The company’s commitment to diversity and inclusion is also evident, with PBG placing at Rank 22 on WBJ's Annual Corporate Diversity Index List.
Pawla’s guiding mantra, "Doing more with less," has driven PBG to become a powerhouse in technological revolution, delivering cost-effective and pioneering solutions to clients including the U.S. Department of State, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, and Office of Personnel Management.
Beyond the growth and recognition, Pawla fosters a culture of empowerment within PBG, encouraging a fearless approach to innovation and nurturing professional growth. Her commitment to mentorship, both within and outside PBG, has seen her influence ripple through the industry, inspiring upcoming talents and empowering women across various walks of life.
Pawla herself is a decorated leader, holding prestigious accolades such as the G2X FedCiv - Leading for Impact - Women in Leadership award, the DOS - CA-CST Leadership Award from the Department of State, the LeadersNest FedFem Award, Diversity Journal Women Worth Watching Award, and the Bronze Stevie® Award for Female Executive of the Year.
Armed with an MBA from the George Washington University, a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from George Mason University and currently completing the Owner/President Management Program from Harvard Business School, Pawla sees every challenge as an opportunity for growth and innovation. Her grit, combined with her strategic acumen, has maintained financial growth for PBG and helped to drive strategic acquisitions.
More than just the CEO of PBG Consulting, Pawla Ghaleb is the heart, the soul, and the embodiment of its spirit - a beacon of resilience and innovation, a trailblazer for diversity and inclusion, and a role model of relentless passion, boldness, and grit.
Pawla Ghaleb is a force that defies convention and redefines success. Leading PBG Consulting as CEO, she personifies the company’s tagline of "Passion. Boldness. Grit," and has sculpted an audacious vision, merging a global perspective with over 20 years of industry expertise in IT solutions, strategic consulting, and program management, that has propelled the organization to enviable heights within the U.S. Federal Government Consulting Community. Pawla hails from Lebanon, adding a multilingual, multinational dynamism to her leadership, effortlessly juggling languages such as English, Arabic, and French.
Her leadership has earned PBG Consulting notable recognitions, such as being named one of The Washington Post’s 2023 Top Workplaces in the Washington, D.C. area, winning the DOS’s 2021 Small Business Prime Contractor of the Year Award, as well as securing positions on the Financial Times America's Fastest Growing Companies 2023, Inc.5000 Fastest Growing Companies 2019-2023, and Washington Business Journal's (WBJ) 2022-2023 Fastest Growing Company lists. The company’s commitment to diversity and inclusion is also evident, with PBG placing at Rank 22 on WBJ's Annual Corporate Diversity Index List.
Pawla’s guiding mantra, "Doing more with less," has driven PBG to become a powerhouse in technological revolution, delivering cost-effective and pioneering solutions to clients including the U.S. Department of State, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, and Office of Personnel Management.
Beyond the growth and recognition, Pawla fosters a culture of empowerment within PBG, encouraging a fearless approach to innovation and nurturing professional growth. Her commitment to mentorship, both within and outside PBG, has seen her influence ripple through the industry, inspiring upcoming talents and empowering women across various walks of life.
Pawla herself is a decorated leader, holding prestigious accolades such as the G2X FedCiv - Leading for Impact - Women in Leadership award, the DOS - CA-CST Leadership Award from the Department of State, the LeadersNest FedFem Award, Diversity Journal Women Worth Watching Award, and the Bronze Stevie® Award for Female Executive of the Year.
Armed with an MBA from the George Washington University, a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from George Mason University and currently completing the Owner/President Management Program from Harvard Business School, Pawla sees every challenge as an opportunity for growth and innovation. Her grit, combined with her strategic acumen, has maintained financial growth for PBG and helped to drive strategic acquisitions.
More than just the CEO of PBG Consulting, Pawla Ghaleb is the heart, the soul, and the embodiment of its spirit - a beacon of resilience and innovation, a trailblazer for diversity and inclusion, and a role model of relentless passion, boldness, and grit.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
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(00:00):
M and T Bank presents CEOs youshould know powerd by Iheartly in celebration of
Women's History Month, Let's meet PaulaGallup. She is the founder and CEO
for Pgbing Consulting, working primarily inthe it gup com space in the DMV.
Before we talk more about Paula's company, I first asked her to talk
a little bit about herself, whereshe's from and her origin story. So
(00:21):
I'm originally from a small village innorthern Lobanon. The village is called Sarta.
It's a place where everyone knows eachother basically, and the population is
about I would say fifty thousand,and you can imagine as a kid,
I was absolutely convinced that that wasa major city. But then when I
(00:42):
moved to DC as a teenager abouttwenty five years ago, boy, I
was in for a surprise. Imean that the share the scale of the
DC area made my quote unquote bigcity feel like a very cozy neighborhood.
So very very different upbringing than myexposure here in the DMV area. But
(01:08):
I would say, you know,while I grew up in Lebanon, my
childhood was spent there. I cameto DC at a very young age,
so I feel like most of myimportant growing up was done right here in
the DMV area. I went tofor my undergrad I went to George Mason
(01:29):
University, where I got a Bachelorof Science and Computer Science. And then
a couple of years later, aftergraduating from George Mason, I pursued and
got my MBA from the George WashingtonUniversity with the concentration in small business and
entrepreneurship. And I'm not done evennow in my CEO role, I really
(01:53):
can't shake the curiosity of a lifelonglearner. So I am currently an old
and completing the Owner President Management programat Harvard Business School. This is my
last year. I go back inApril, and I cannot tell you how
this experience has been tremendously invaluable andvalidating. It's been an amazing experience.
(02:21):
Well, I really appreciate you sharingall that, and I know this is
a surprise you, Paulo, Butwe talked to so many in the DMB
mind you, so many immigrants thathave come here to this country and made
something very special out of their lives. And you've done that. And I
know you had a few jobs beforeyou started the consulting company and working in
an IT gov con space. ButI want to talk about that because I
(02:42):
think it's important to give our listenersand entrepreneurs and leaders out their context about
what a journey like is for aperson going out of school, but what
you wanted to do, the jobsyou took, and then starting your own
business. So as you got outof school, what did you want to
do and who'd you work for?So I actually worked full time and while
I was going to school, Sowhen I was attending George Mason University,
(03:04):
I was also working full time foran IT company in the Dove Khan space
that was mainly supporting GSA at thetime. So by the time I graduated,
I had already a few years ofsolid professional experience in the space.
And when I graduated, it waswhen I moved on to take the role
(03:29):
of project manager at Amtrak Technologies,which is the technology arm of Amtrak,
and I ended up spending about threeyears at Amtrak Technologies. I had the
amazing opportunity to assist in setting uptheir program management office and really changing the
(03:51):
culture of their IT their technology department, from culture where they used to write
their plans on a napkin to havingfull blown integrated master schedules, and then
eventually we ended up implementing Microsoft ProjectServer. At the time, it was
(04:12):
the two thousand and three version.So that was an amazing experience that I
had of making sure that we transformthe organization and help the organization mature in
the project and program management field foran IT portfolio. You know, Paula,
as you tell that story, andI know this isn't going to surprise
(04:34):
you, the common thread of peoplethat start their own companies and really want
to be the best of the best. And I'll use a sports analogy because
I'm a sports guy. When Iwatch people that go to the Hall of
Fame and have great careers, they'reon a different level as far as they're
thinking, working out, working yearround, the tenacity, never giving up,
(04:55):
and being very competitive. There area lot more attributes, but those
are some of the main ones.And I hear that coming from you and
working a full time job and goingto school at the same time, that's
a lot. But I think thepoint and the takeaway I give to myself
and I hope for all our futureleaders out there, is that you have
to do extra things and have thattenacity and really work your tail off to
(05:17):
get to the next level if youwant special things in your life. Would
you agree one hundred percent? Iagree wholeheartedly with that statement, Tennis.
You have to do whatever it takes. You have to work hard to reach
your goals, and that doesn't happenby you sitting around. My brother used
(05:39):
to make fun of me because myschedule was so full between classes, between
working full time and working part timein the school, tutoring math, physics,
and French, and he used tomake fun of me, and he's
like, Okay, what are yougoing to do between midnight and seven am?
So you absolutely have to work hardto reach your goals and get to
(06:00):
where you want to be. Andwe should say that that same brother that
made fun of hers now her CFO. Actually that's another brother. But yes,
okay, well listen to you.You have multiple brothers, and so
now we know why you're why you'retough because you've had multiple brothers in the
family. So that makes a lotof a lot of sense. I've heard
from a lot of women who havemultiple brothers. If you're not tough,
(06:24):
you ain't gonna make it. Exactlyright, Okay, so we'll talk about
the other brother who's part of thecompany, because I do want to talk
about that dynamic of working with afamily member, because I think that's different
too. So you had a fewjobs as you came out of school,
and now this is one of thefun questions I get to ask people like
you about starting your own business becauseI know what it's like as I talked
(06:46):
to all these people in the seriesabout all the things that have to come
together with your hard work, yourtenacity, some luck and timing, knowing
what you want and also taking areally leap of faith. It's a big
deal, folks. And now you'vehad this company for well a decade now.
So as you started to say,listen, I think I want to
start my own company. Here's whatI want to do, and I see
a hole in the industry that Ican probably feel. Can you tell us
(07:09):
about the origin and the just theidea behind it, why you started this
company and how you did it?Yeah? Absolutely, I mean, as
I mentioned, I grew up inthe it of con space. It's the
only industry I've dabbled in outside ofmaybe the hospitality industry for the part time
jobs that I had along with myfull time job. So I was very
(07:30):
happy successfully working at the time fora large business supporting a government mission that
I was and I still am,very wholeheartedly committed to. But yet I
always found myself asking, is therea way I can be more impactful,
you know, as a woman,as a minority woman, as an immigrant
(07:51):
woman. Is there a place whereI can be fully in charge of what
that impact looks like? And asI asked myself that question to me,
the answer kept coming up, Iprobably have to build such a place.
So I had this vision of buildinga company where mission matters, a business
(08:13):
where women lead, building a havenfor people of all genders, all backgrounds
and experiences who are also looking fora place to be curious about, a
place to go fast, a placeto take risks and be bold. And
I wanted all those people who wouldcome to PPG to feel that our purpose
(08:35):
is to keep missions moving, andwe support very important and critical missions,
our nation's most challenging and life affirmingmissions, like supporting overseas citizens abroad and
the wellbeing of our citizens and protectingour national security. So think of that,
(08:56):
and think of multiplying that fashion andthat boldness by every PVCH year.
That's powerful, that's magic, andreally this is what I wanted to do,
and we're blessed to have an environmenttoday that does exactly that and promote
STACK. Well. I love itand I love your passion. That's the
(09:18):
one last thing I want to tellall the people that our future entrepreneurs and
leaders. And this is a complimentthat I've gotten over my career in my
industry to Paula about not all thegifts that I had or what I brought
to the table when it came toworking in radio, television and sports.
The manager that hired me you justsaid, you know what, I hired
you because of your passion actually,and that really turns on a lot of
(09:39):
hiring people out There are people thatyou work with that you have a passion
for what you do. And also, of course your staff, I know
how important they are to you too. That's really another element running your own
company. We'll talk about that injust a little bit. You've touched on
this just a little bit, butif you could for our listeners, can
you give us your official mission statement? Absolutely. Our mission state is to
(10:00):
design and build mission affirming digital experiencesfor the modern government agency and the humans
it serves. So, if Imay elaborate, the government, thank you.
The government is changing, it's alwayschanging. Agencies are not focusing on
digital experience and customer experience just becausethese are buzzwords in the private tech sector.
(10:26):
On the contrary, they actually recognizethat to serve the American people,
the public needs to be able tointerface with the government just the same way
they naturally interface with technology and applicationsin their personal lives. So our mission
is to enable exactly that, tomake that vision a reality with the best
(10:48):
strategists and technologists, and again keepingthe human element in mind, and that
is the humans that we are servingand the humans that are actually making that
vision a reality. You know,you did something special that doesn't happen too
often on the series, and yougave the mission statement, but you also
gave a context to why it's themission statement. And I'm glad you did
(11:11):
that because I think as an entrepreneurand a leader, that's really important to
give context to why we have thismission and what we do and how we
do it well. So thank youfor doing that. Another lesson for our
future entrepreneurs out there. That contextis very important. It doesn't matter what
you do, it's very important,especially in today's world in twenty twenty four.
So with all that said, there'sa lot of people that are being
introduced to PPG for the first timeever. Paul, if you were to
(11:35):
give a thirty thousand foot view aboutexactly what you do, what would you
tell them? ABG deliver's mission movingdigital solutions for the US federal government from
strategy and design, through development,from organizational strategy and design, through customer
experience, through defsec, ops,automation, and cloud transformation outstanding. Thank
(12:01):
you, Thank you for sharing that. Now, with that said, I
know that you work in a verycompetitive space. I don't want to assume
that anybody does exactly what you andyour team do. But with all of
that said, in this competitive world, especially the gov con and IT space
that we live in right now,how do you differentiate yourself from all the
competition out there? There are manygreat companies around the Beltway and in the
(12:22):
DMV area that focus on digital transformationcapabilities. But I will tell you something
PPG is very unique in that fromthe get go and during our early years
of inception, we focused and spenta lot of time and effort enabling our
(12:43):
clients through mission performance and IT modernizationplanning. And it's this specific background in
strategy and design that better positions usfor mission driving product development. And as
a result of all of that,we develop products with the client strategy at
(13:03):
heart. We develop products that areboth smarter and simpler, products that feel
more human. And again, Iknow I keep harping on the human element
because that's the number one heart ofit all differentiator in my opinion, like
our special emphasis on the human elementsof technology, where there is the collaboration
(13:26):
and design and experience building between developers, operations, teams, stakeholders, it's
that human piece. It's not justhow we work, it's really how I
see the entire PBG ecosystem. Ias a person, as a human,
really value the humanity and everyone wework with, and that is just a
(13:46):
core intrinsic part of the PBG culturethat I'm continuing to hold on to end
faster, especially as we continue togrow and double in size many times over.
Well, I really appreciate you sharingall that. I did want to
ask you about the challenges, andwe should tell people listen as well.
(14:07):
As things are going for a lotof people out there, including you,
Paula and your team PBG, thatit's not always unicorns and rainbows all the
time. There are challenges when yourun your own business, even in a
space that is viable and great towork with, and there are lots of
opportunities out there. What kind ofchallenges present themselves to you and your team
right now today? So there aremany challenges that present that have presented themselves.
(14:33):
I would say the sheer amount andrate of technology innovations, new platforms,
new products that by itself can beincredibly challenging for organizations like ourselves and
organizations as large and complex as thegovernment agencies where they have to basically pick
and choose a path. And that'swhy the holistic understanding of how agencies work,
(14:58):
how they achieved mission is very importantand we have to remember that technology
serves the mission, not the otherway around. So in order for these
digital solutions, they have to scale, they have to replicate, they have
to be adaptable, and all thenew ways that citizens are used to interacting
with non government digital services. Soit's no longer about delivering an agile method
(15:22):
anymore, but really more about theagility of the solutions themselves. So if
we go back to the human element, there is so much organizational change that
needs to happen to modernize agencies,and what we face is the challenge of
(15:43):
making sure that we have the righttalent and the right expertise to be able
to continue to provide and deliver onthat mission. Also, there are nearly
two million civilian employees who now haveto do their jobs differently. They have
to serve their missions differently. Socreating that mission critical technology requires the expertise
(16:08):
of not just companies like ourselves,but expertise of the federal workforce. So
that also is a challenge on itsown. So I mentioned a little bit
earlier that one of your brothers worksfor you. He's a CFO for the
company. And as you know andall the people that are listening that have
family, families can be complex,they can be challenging, good, the
(16:30):
bad, and the ugly with families. So what's it like to have a
family member work on your team?I want to hear the dynamic. What's
it like. It's actually incredible andI didn't think it would be. I
was a huge believer and not mixingfamily with business up until I actually came
(16:52):
to my brother and I shared withhim my vision and I shared with him
that I am considering founding PBG andgoing out on my own and it was
his support. He said to me, I got you, And it's those
words that really gave me the courageto actually go and do this. So
(17:15):
he gets a lot of credit inme launching PBG, and he has been
a huge and key and critical partof f PBG from the inception of it.
Yeah, and you know, look, this is a relationship like any
(17:36):
other relationship where communication is key.So as long as we continue to communicate
openly, transparently, candidly, andthere is that level of trust that we
continue to foster, then we canovercome those challenges that arise and come out
(17:56):
on a daily basis as we areoperating and driving pbch's mission forward. Well,
I know there's also another important personin this organization that even though the
whole team is important, your clientsare important, but something that's special to
you that we need to talk about. Can you tell us about them?
Yes? Absolutely, And that ismy very dear friend and business partner,
(18:19):
Vanessa Soon. Vanessa and I haveknown each other since I stepped foot in
the United States. She was waitingfor me at the Turmac while I got
off the plane when I first landedhere. She's an incredible woman. She
is an amazing single mom, andshe is a super talented and intelligent leader
(18:45):
who is helping me grow and PPGand serve our clients missions. Well,
I'm glad you shared that in somethingyou talked about with me a little bit
earlier. If it weren't for thepeople that you work with in your team,
the company would be what it is. I think we can all agree
on that absolutely, one hundred percent. I do want to talk about a
little bit more about what you offerclients and what clients come to you for.
(19:08):
I think this is really important becausewe talked about the competitive space and
there are some people that do similarthings. But as we take a look
at your clients, and you don'thave to mention because I know that you
work with some super secret clients andwe can't talk about but if you're just
mentioned in general terms about what offeringsthey want and what you're most proud of
when it comes to your capabilities,your products and all the things that you
(19:30):
do for your clients, what doyou come together on what is really kind
of a hot button right now.So let me share our most recent program
that we have won, and thatis with the and I'm going to share
it's not so secretive. It's withthe GSA's presidential transition team. And with
(19:55):
what we have begun doing is wehave begun leading one of the most visible
and intense projects in the federal government, and that is to stand up a
full service it environment in support ofour country's democratic elections. So we are
partnering with unbelievable and incredible government thoughtleaders to build a modern, highly secure,
(20:21):
zero trust architecture for presidential candidates andtheir campaign teams. Wow. So
yes. And when I think ofthese campaigns operating through our technology service,
I think, oh my god,this is exactly why I do this work.
Well, that's a great story.I guess it comes with a lot
of pressure. But also I canjust see as we talk on screen together
(20:44):
on teams, the smile on yourface, how elated you are to be
a part of something that is sounique and special and also history making too.
So I think it's one ful.I'm glad you shared that story.
I didn't want to put a pinin the business just for a second.
We like to ask our leaders whenthey have time when it comes to philanthropic
or charity work, if they liketo be a part of anything. Is
there anything, whether it's through workor personally, that you like to be
(21:07):
a part of right now? Yes. One thing about me is I'm an
empass and I am very proud toidentify as one. So I am very
deeply committed to philanthropy and causes,specifically that ensure that our children have access
to a safe and supportive environment wherethey can go and thrive. You know,
(21:32):
as I mentioned, I come froma very small village, not a
lot of opportunities, not a lotof exposure. So this is one of
the reasons why I'm very passionate aboutmaking sure that I support it causes that
supports children. So, for example, I sit on the board for the
(21:52):
All Stars for the after School AllStars DC, which is a nonprofit local
organization that is making a significant impactin the lives of middle school students in
our community and specifically in Ward sevenand Ward eight of DC. And these
are young individuals who come from underresource backgrounds facing challenges that most of us
(22:19):
can only imagine. So they areour all stars and they deserve every opportunity
to shine. So I spend timesupporting ASSDC. I also spend time as
part of our PBG Cares Giving programsupporting a very hyper local organization called Safe
Spot. Safe Spot is a FairfaxCounty children's advocacy center and they support children
(22:48):
of abuse. So, for instance, they recently moved to a new,
larger center and PBG helped fulfill theirentire Amazon wish lists to support them in
that move. And actually on Friday, we are packing meal kits and board
games for Safe Spot families to offerthem the comfort and joy of a family
(23:11):
night at home. Wonderful. Sothese are two very very close to my
heart causes that I am currently supporting. That's great, thanks for sharing.
Well, listen Paul, as wewrap up our wonderful conversation as we get
to know you in PPG, wereally appreciate all your valuable time. But
I do want you. I'm goingto get the floor to you and maybe
(23:33):
just some final takeaways for a listenerthat you like them to have when it
comes to your company. What wouldthey be? So I would say,
at PPG, we're not just abusiness. We are and not so small,
women owned and women led company thatis dedicated to delivering cutting edge technology
solutions while serving some amazing missions.So if you are looking for an environment
(23:59):
where you can and grow, becurious, and be a builder, then
PVG is the right place for you. We are super passionate about mission driven
work and we're always on the lookoutfor talented individuals to join our team.
And the best part is we arealways hiring. So if you're excited about
the opportunity to work on coll techand make a meaningful impact, I highly
(24:26):
encourage you to visit our website atpbgconsults dot com explore our career opportunities and
see how you can be part ofour incredible journey. Well thanks for sharing,
Paula. It's a real pleasure totalk to you. And you've really
made something of yourself and the company, working with your brother, your team
and in a very competitive space,and I love your passion and your enthusiasm
(24:48):
and just you know everything that youbring to the table. You know,
you know what you want kind ofThat's what I took away from this conversation,
and that you're very definitive about howthis company it should work, how
it should roll and how we shouldexecute with all the great people that you
have around you. So I'm veryappreciative that and I really appreciate you sharing
all that is when it comes toPBG. Thank you so much for joining
(25:11):
us on the CEOs you should Knowand continued success. Thank you so much,
Dennis for the opportunity. Our communitypartner, M and T Bank supports
CEOs you should Know. Is partof their ongoing commitment to building strong communities,
and that starts by backing the businesseswithin them. As a Bank for
communities, M and T believes indedicating time, talent, and resources to
(25:32):
help local businesses thrive, because whenbusinesses succeed, our communities succeed.
M and T Bank presents CEOs youshould know powerd by Iheartly in celebration of
Women's History Month, Let's meet PaulaGallup. She is the founder and CEO
for Pgbing Consulting, working primarily inthe it gup com space in the DMV.
Before we talk more about Paula's company, I first asked her to talk
a little bit about herself, whereshe's from and her origin story. So
(00:21):
I'm originally from a small village innorthern Lobanon. The village is called Sarta.
It's a place where everyone knows eachother basically, and the population is
about I would say fifty thousand,and you can imagine as a kid,
I was absolutely convinced that that wasa major city. But then when I
(00:42):
moved to DC as a teenager abouttwenty five years ago, boy, I
was in for a surprise. Imean that the share the scale of the
DC area made my quote unquote bigcity feel like a very cozy neighborhood.
So very very different upbringing than myexposure here in the DMV area. But
(01:08):
I would say, you know,while I grew up in Lebanon, my
childhood was spent there. I cameto DC at a very young age,
so I feel like most of myimportant growing up was done right here in
the DMV area. I went tofor my undergrad I went to George Mason
(01:29):
University, where I got a Bachelorof Science and Computer Science. And then
a couple of years later, aftergraduating from George Mason, I pursued and
got my MBA from the George WashingtonUniversity with the concentration in small business and
entrepreneurship. And I'm not done evennow in my CEO role, I really
(01:53):
can't shake the curiosity of a lifelonglearner. So I am currently an old
and completing the Owner President Management programat Harvard Business School. This is my
last year. I go back inApril, and I cannot tell you how
this experience has been tremendously invaluable andvalidating. It's been an amazing experience.
(02:21):
Well, I really appreciate you sharingall that, and I know this is
a surprise you, Paulo, Butwe talked to so many in the DMB
mind you, so many immigrants thathave come here to this country and made
something very special out of their lives. And you've done that. And I
know you had a few jobs beforeyou started the consulting company and working in
an IT gov con space. ButI want to talk about that because I
(02:42):
think it's important to give our listenersand entrepreneurs and leaders out their context about
what a journey like is for aperson going out of school, but what
you wanted to do, the jobsyou took, and then starting your own
business. So as you got outof school, what did you want to
do and who'd you work for?So I actually worked full time and while
I was going to school, Sowhen I was attending George Mason University,
(03:04):
I was also working full time foran IT company in the Dove Khan space
that was mainly supporting GSA at thetime. So by the time I graduated,
I had already a few years ofsolid professional experience in the space.
And when I graduated, it waswhen I moved on to take the role
(03:29):
of project manager at Amtrak Technologies,which is the technology arm of Amtrak,
and I ended up spending about threeyears at Amtrak Technologies. I had the
amazing opportunity to assist in setting uptheir program management office and really changing the
(03:51):
culture of their IT their technology department, from culture where they used to write
their plans on a napkin to havingfull blown integrated master schedules, and then
eventually we ended up implementing Microsoft ProjectServer. At the time, it was
(04:12):
the two thousand and three version.So that was an amazing experience that I
had of making sure that we transformthe organization and help the organization mature in
the project and program management field foran IT portfolio. You know, Paula,
as you tell that story, andI know this isn't going to surprise
(04:34):
you, the common thread of peoplethat start their own companies and really want
to be the best of the best. And I'll use a sports analogy because
I'm a sports guy. When Iwatch people that go to the Hall of
Fame and have great careers, they'reon a different level as far as they're
thinking, working out, working yearround, the tenacity, never giving up,
(04:55):
and being very competitive. There area lot more attributes, but those
are some of the main ones.And I hear that coming from you and
working a full time job and goingto school at the same time, that's
a lot. But I think thepoint and the takeaway I give to myself
and I hope for all our futureleaders out there, is that you have
to do extra things and have thattenacity and really work your tail off to
(05:17):
get to the next level if youwant special things in your life. Would
you agree one hundred percent? Iagree wholeheartedly with that statement, Tennis.
You have to do whatever it takes. You have to work hard to reach
your goals, and that doesn't happenby you sitting around. My brother used
(05:39):
to make fun of me because myschedule was so full between classes, between
working full time and working part timein the school, tutoring math, physics,
and French, and he used tomake fun of me, and he's
like, Okay, what are yougoing to do between midnight and seven am?
So you absolutely have to work hardto reach your goals and get to
(06:00):
where you want to be. Andwe should say that that same brother that
made fun of hers now her CFO. Actually that's another brother. But yes,
okay, well listen to you.You have multiple brothers, and so
now we know why you're why you'retough because you've had multiple brothers in the
family. So that makes a lotof a lot of sense. I've heard
from a lot of women who havemultiple brothers. If you're not tough,
(06:24):
you ain't gonna make it. Exactlyright, Okay, so we'll talk about
the other brother who's part of thecompany, because I do want to talk
about that dynamic of working with afamily member, because I think that's different
too. So you had a fewjobs as you came out of school,
and now this is one of thefun questions I get to ask people like
you about starting your own business becauseI know what it's like as I talked
(06:46):
to all these people in the seriesabout all the things that have to come
together with your hard work, yourtenacity, some luck and timing, knowing
what you want and also taking areally leap of faith. It's a big
deal, folks. And now you'vehad this company for well a decade now.
So as you started to say,listen, I think I want to
start my own company. Here's whatI want to do, and I see
a hole in the industry that Ican probably feel. Can you tell us
(07:09):
about the origin and the just theidea behind it, why you started this
company and how you did it?Yeah? Absolutely, I mean, as
I mentioned, I grew up inthe it of con space. It's the
only industry I've dabbled in outside ofmaybe the hospitality industry for the part time
jobs that I had along with myfull time job. So I was very
(07:30):
happy successfully working at the time fora large business supporting a government mission that
I was and I still am,very wholeheartedly committed to. But yet I
always found myself asking, is therea way I can be more impactful,
you know, as a woman,as a minority woman, as an immigrant
(07:51):
woman. Is there a place whereI can be fully in charge of what
that impact looks like? And asI asked myself that question to me,
the answer kept coming up, Iprobably have to build such a place.
So I had this vision of buildinga company where mission matters, a business
(08:13):
where women lead, building a havenfor people of all genders, all backgrounds
and experiences who are also looking fora place to be curious about, a
place to go fast, a placeto take risks and be bold. And
I wanted all those people who wouldcome to PPG to feel that our purpose
(08:35):
is to keep missions moving, andwe support very important and critical missions,
our nation's most challenging and life affirmingmissions, like supporting overseas citizens abroad and
the wellbeing of our citizens and protectingour national security. So think of that,
(08:56):
and think of multiplying that fashion andthat boldness by every PVCH year.
That's powerful, that's magic, andreally this is what I wanted to do,
and we're blessed to have an environmenttoday that does exactly that and promote
STACK. Well. I love itand I love your passion. That's the
(09:18):
one last thing I want to tellall the people that our future entrepreneurs and
leaders. And this is a complimentthat I've gotten over my career in my
industry to Paula about not all thegifts that I had or what I brought
to the table when it came toworking in radio, television and sports.
The manager that hired me you justsaid, you know what, I hired
you because of your passion actually,and that really turns on a lot of
(09:39):
hiring people out There are people thatyou work with that you have a passion
for what you do. And also, of course your staff, I know
how important they are to you too. That's really another element running your own
company. We'll talk about that injust a little bit. You've touched on
this just a little bit, butif you could for our listeners, can
you give us your official mission statement? Absolutely. Our mission state is to
(10:00):
design and build mission affirming digital experiencesfor the modern government agency and the humans
it serves. So, if Imay elaborate, the government, thank you.
The government is changing, it's alwayschanging. Agencies are not focusing on
digital experience and customer experience just becausethese are buzzwords in the private tech sector.
(10:26):
On the contrary, they actually recognizethat to serve the American people,
the public needs to be able tointerface with the government just the same way
they naturally interface with technology and applicationsin their personal lives. So our mission
is to enable exactly that, tomake that vision a reality with the best
(10:48):
strategists and technologists, and again keepingthe human element in mind, and that
is the humans that we are servingand the humans that are actually making that
vision a reality. You know,you did something special that doesn't happen too
often on the series, and yougave the mission statement, but you also
gave a context to why it's themission statement. And I'm glad you did
(11:11):
that because I think as an entrepreneurand a leader, that's really important to
give context to why we have thismission and what we do and how we
do it well. So thank youfor doing that. Another lesson for our
future entrepreneurs out there. That contextis very important. It doesn't matter what
you do, it's very important,especially in today's world in twenty twenty four.
So with all that said, there'sa lot of people that are being
introduced to PPG for the first timeever. Paul, if you were to
(11:35):
give a thirty thousand foot view aboutexactly what you do, what would you
tell them? ABG deliver's mission movingdigital solutions for the US federal government from
strategy and design, through development,from organizational strategy and design, through customer
experience, through defsec, ops,automation, and cloud transformation outstanding. Thank
(12:01):
you, Thank you for sharing that. Now, with that said, I
know that you work in a verycompetitive space. I don't want to assume
that anybody does exactly what you andyour team do. But with all of
that said, in this competitive world, especially the gov con and IT space
that we live in right now,how do you differentiate yourself from all the
competition out there? There are manygreat companies around the Beltway and in the
(12:22):
DMV area that focus on digital transformationcapabilities. But I will tell you something
PPG is very unique in that fromthe get go and during our early years
of inception, we focused and spenta lot of time and effort enabling our
(12:43):
clients through mission performance and IT modernizationplanning. And it's this specific background in
strategy and design that better positions usfor mission driving product development. And as
a result of all of that,we develop products with the client strategy at
(13:03):
heart. We develop products that areboth smarter and simpler, products that feel
more human. And again, Iknow I keep harping on the human element
because that's the number one heart ofit all differentiator in my opinion, like
our special emphasis on the human elementsof technology, where there is the collaboration
(13:26):
and design and experience building between developers, operations, teams, stakeholders, it's
that human piece. It's not justhow we work, it's really how I
see the entire PBG ecosystem. Ias a person, as a human,
really value the humanity and everyone wework with, and that is just a
(13:46):
core intrinsic part of the PBG culturethat I'm continuing to hold on to end
faster, especially as we continue togrow and double in size many times over.
Well, I really appreciate you sharingall that. I did want to
ask you about the challenges, andwe should tell people listen as well.
(14:07):
As things are going for a lotof people out there, including you,
Paula and your team PBG, thatit's not always unicorns and rainbows all the
time. There are challenges when yourun your own business, even in a
space that is viable and great towork with, and there are lots of
opportunities out there. What kind ofchallenges present themselves to you and your team
right now today? So there aremany challenges that present that have presented themselves.
(14:33):
I would say the sheer amount andrate of technology innovations, new platforms,
new products that by itself can beincredibly challenging for organizations like ourselves and
organizations as large and complex as thegovernment agencies where they have to basically pick
and choose a path. And that'swhy the holistic understanding of how agencies work,
(14:58):
how they achieved mission is very importantand we have to remember that technology
serves the mission, not the otherway around. So in order for these
digital solutions, they have to scale, they have to replicate, they have
to be adaptable, and all thenew ways that citizens are used to interacting
with non government digital services. Soit's no longer about delivering an agile method
(15:22):
anymore, but really more about theagility of the solutions themselves. So if
we go back to the human element, there is so much organizational change that
needs to happen to modernize agencies,and what we face is the challenge of
(15:43):
making sure that we have the righttalent and the right expertise to be able
to continue to provide and deliver onthat mission. Also, there are nearly
two million civilian employees who now haveto do their jobs differently. They have
to serve their missions differently. Socreating that mission critical technology requires the expertise
(16:08):
of not just companies like ourselves,but expertise of the federal workforce. So
that also is a challenge on itsown. So I mentioned a little bit
earlier that one of your brothers worksfor you. He's a CFO for the
company. And as you know andall the people that are listening that have
family, families can be complex,they can be challenging, good, the
(16:30):
bad, and the ugly with families. So what's it like to have a
family member work on your team?I want to hear the dynamic. What's
it like. It's actually incredible andI didn't think it would be. I
was a huge believer and not mixingfamily with business up until I actually came
(16:52):
to my brother and I shared withhim my vision and I shared with him
that I am considering founding PBG andgoing out on my own and it was
his support. He said to me, I got you, And it's those
words that really gave me the courageto actually go and do this. So
(17:15):
he gets a lot of credit inme launching PBG, and he has been
a huge and key and critical partof f PBG from the inception of it.
Yeah, and you know, look, this is a relationship like any
(17:36):
other relationship where communication is key.So as long as we continue to communicate
openly, transparently, candidly, andthere is that level of trust that we
continue to foster, then we canovercome those challenges that arise and come out
(17:56):
on a daily basis as we areoperating and driving pbch's mission forward. Well,
I know there's also another important personin this organization that even though the
whole team is important, your clientsare important, but something that's special to
you that we need to talk about. Can you tell us about them?
Yes? Absolutely, And that ismy very dear friend and business partner,
(18:19):
Vanessa Soon. Vanessa and I haveknown each other since I stepped foot in
the United States. She was waitingfor me at the Turmac while I got
off the plane when I first landedhere. She's an incredible woman. She
is an amazing single mom, andshe is a super talented and intelligent leader
(18:45):
who is helping me grow and PPGand serve our clients missions. Well,
I'm glad you shared that in somethingyou talked about with me a little bit
earlier. If it weren't for thepeople that you work with in your team,
the company would be what it is. I think we can all agree
on that absolutely, one hundred percent. I do want to talk about a
little bit more about what you offerclients and what clients come to you for.
(19:08):
I think this is really important becausewe talked about the competitive space and
there are some people that do similarthings. But as we take a look
at your clients, and you don'thave to mention because I know that you
work with some super secret clients andwe can't talk about but if you're just
mentioned in general terms about what offeringsthey want and what you're most proud of
when it comes to your capabilities,your products and all the things that you
(19:30):
do for your clients, what doyou come together on what is really kind
of a hot button right now.So let me share our most recent program
that we have won, and thatis with the and I'm going to share
it's not so secretive. It's withthe GSA's presidential transition team. And with
(19:55):
what we have begun doing is wehave begun leading one of the most visible
and intense projects in the federal government, and that is to stand up a
full service it environment in support ofour country's democratic elections. So we are
partnering with unbelievable and incredible government thoughtleaders to build a modern, highly secure,
(20:21):
zero trust architecture for presidential candidates andtheir campaign teams. Wow. So
yes. And when I think ofthese campaigns operating through our technology service,
I think, oh my god,this is exactly why I do this work.
Well, that's a great story.I guess it comes with a lot
of pressure. But also I canjust see as we talk on screen together
(20:44):
on teams, the smile on yourface, how elated you are to be
a part of something that is sounique and special and also history making too.
So I think it's one ful.I'm glad you shared that story.
I didn't want to put a pinin the business just for a second.
We like to ask our leaders whenthey have time when it comes to philanthropic
or charity work, if they liketo be a part of anything. Is
there anything, whether it's through workor personally, that you like to be
(21:07):
a part of right now? Yes. One thing about me is I'm an
empass and I am very proud toidentify as one. So I am very
deeply committed to philanthropy and causes,specifically that ensure that our children have access
to a safe and supportive environment wherethey can go and thrive. You know,
(21:32):
as I mentioned, I come froma very small village, not a
lot of opportunities, not a lotof exposure. So this is one of
the reasons why I'm very passionate aboutmaking sure that I support it causes that
supports children. So, for example, I sit on the board for the
(21:52):
All Stars for the after School AllStars DC, which is a nonprofit local
organization that is making a significant impactin the lives of middle school students in
our community and specifically in Ward sevenand Ward eight of DC. And these
are young individuals who come from underresource backgrounds facing challenges that most of us
(22:19):
can only imagine. So they areour all stars and they deserve every opportunity
to shine. So I spend timesupporting ASSDC. I also spend time as
part of our PBG Cares Giving programsupporting a very hyper local organization called Safe
Spot. Safe Spot is a FairfaxCounty children's advocacy center and they support children
(22:48):
of abuse. So, for instance, they recently moved to a new,
larger center and PBG helped fulfill theirentire Amazon wish lists to support them in
that move. And actually on Friday, we are packing meal kits and board
games for Safe Spot families to offerthem the comfort and joy of a family
(23:11):
night at home. Wonderful. Sothese are two very very close to my
heart causes that I am currently supporting. That's great, thanks for sharing.
Well, listen Paul, as wewrap up our wonderful conversation as we get
to know you in PPG, wereally appreciate all your valuable time. But
I do want you. I'm goingto get the floor to you and maybe
(23:33):
just some final takeaways for a listenerthat you like them to have when it
comes to your company. What wouldthey be? So I would say,
at PPG, we're not just abusiness. We are and not so small,
women owned and women led company thatis dedicated to delivering cutting edge technology
solutions while serving some amazing missions.So if you are looking for an environment
(23:59):
where you can and grow, becurious, and be a builder, then
PVG is the right place for you. We are super passionate about mission driven
work and we're always on the lookoutfor talented individuals to join our team.
And the best part is we arealways hiring. So if you're excited about
the opportunity to work on coll techand make a meaningful impact, I highly
(24:26):
encourage you to visit our website atpbgconsults dot com explore our career opportunities and
see how you can be part ofour incredible journey. Well thanks for sharing,
Paula. It's a real pleasure totalk to you. And you've really
made something of yourself and the company, working with your brother, your team
and in a very competitive space,and I love your passion and your enthusiasm
(24:48):
and just you know everything that youbring to the table. You know,
you know what you want kind ofThat's what I took away from this conversation,
and that you're very definitive about howthis company it should work, how
it should roll and how we shouldexecute with all the great people that you
have around you. So I'm veryappreciative that and I really appreciate you sharing
all that is when it comes toPBG. Thank you so much for joining
(25:11):
us on the CEOs you should Knowand continued success. Thank you so much,
Dennis for the opportunity. Our communitypartner, M and T Bank supports
CEOs you should Know. Is partof their ongoing commitment to building strong communities,
and that starts by backing the businesseswithin them. As a Bank for
communities, M and T believes indedicating time, talent, and resources to
(25:32):
help local businesses thrive, because whenbusinesses succeed, our communities succeed.
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