From E-1 seaman to Navy Commander to GovCon cyber CEO. In this episode, Josh Peterson talks with Erica Dobbs, founder and CEO of Dobbs Defense Solutions, about what it really looks like to leave a long military career, enter entrepreneurship, and build a cleared cybersecurity and IT company serving high-stakes federal missions.

Erica is a retired U.S. Navy Commander (O-5) and the founder and CEO of Dobbs Defense Solutions (D2S), a service-disabled veteran-owned and women-owned firm specializing in cyber, enterprise IT, and analytics for federal, state, local, and commercial clients. She joins Josh to unpack the realities of government contracting, margins, leadership, and mission-driven entrepreneurship from a veteran’s perspective.

In this conversation, they explore how Erica went from E-1 to Navy Chief to O-5 Commander, her experience running IT operations on aircraft carriers, and how military leadership translates into business ownership. She shares what it was like to transition from being the decision-maker to becoming a salesperson, how cleared contracts work, what LPTA and best-value really mean, and how shutdowns and policy turbulence impact small businesses. Erica also discusses her rookie pricing mistake, navigating prime and subcontractor relationships, and the “stretch project” that unexpectedly turned into a major win.

Guest Links

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erica-dobbs

Website: https://thinkd2s.com

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