Enjoli Monique: 10 Years As an Event Planner at Marriott, Now She is a Government Solicitor

Government contracting is a lucrative yet highly competitive industry where private companies bid to provide goods and services to federal, state, and local governments.

Enjoli Monique’s entry into the government contracting industry is a story of serendipity, determination, and strategic reinvention. With a decade of experience in marketing and event planning at Marriott, Enjoli was initially unaware of the potential to leverage her skills in government contracting.

It wasn’t until a friend’s casual suggestion that she considered this new career path. 

How Enjoli Monique Got Started in Government Contracting

Enjoli Monique’s friend had been dabbling in government contracts and occasionally shared her successes.

Intrigued by the idea, Enjoli was encouraged to consider her own skills in marketing and event planning. The notion that she could apply these talents to government contracting was a revelation.

“I never knew that I could do it for the government. I’ve worked with Marriott for the last ten years of my career, and I literally, I’ve done Blue Ribbon events and all of the events that the military is soliciting for, but I never figured I could be a solicitor,” Enjoli shared.

Despite her initial excitement, Enjoli’s path wasn’t straightforward. After organizing her business with essential steps like obtaining an EIN, registering with the Secretary of State, and setting up a bank account, she found herself at a standstill.

Her friend’s advice had faded away, so she took on the challenge of government contracting herself. She started researching and learning, using resources such as YouTube and social media to figure it all out.

Initially, Enjoli explored various avenues within government contracting, seeking opportunities that aligned with her interests and skills. Inspired by a video about being a middleman in event planning, she considered similar roles but found herself uncertain and lacking confidence. She also considered janitorial services but felt the market was too saturated.

Ultimately, Enjoli decided to pursue a long-held ambition in highway management and construction. Understanding the need to start from the ground up, she focused on bidding for contracts related to foundational materials like riprap and aggregate.

Riprap, comprising large boulders used before laying concrete, and aggregate, a mix of fine gravel and crushed stone, were essential materials in construction projects.

When she bids on a project, she prioritizes clarity and professionalism in her submissions. She always includes a capability statement document, which outlines her skills, experience, and the unique value she brings to the table.

“I also always send what looks like an invoice, but it’s a proposal. I send them what, to them, looks like the end result. I’m not just putting in numbers and telling them to calculate it. I send them an actual proposal in the form of an invoice that shows them if there are taxes, or if we are absorbing the taxes, or if I’m paying for something myself because we’ve got enough profit in it,” she stated.

The Road to Success: Enjoli Monique’s Government Contracting Experience

Enjoli Monique has carved a unique path in the competitive world of government contracting. Her meticulous approach to bidding has set her apart from the crowd.

How She Beat 25 Competitors

Enjoli Monique won against 25 other bids, and she beat a person who has had the contract for over five years.

Her first successful bid in December 2023, she utilized Bidnetdirect.com, a platform praised for its user-friendly interface, particularly beneficial for beginners.

“It’s very easy, and I think it is very user-friendly,” she said.

The platform offered templates and guidelines that simplified the bidding process, making it accessible even for newcomers to the field.

Enjoli’s initial steps involved thorough market research. She reached out to local rock quarries to identify potential bids within her county, ultimately discovering two opportunities in North and South Fulton.

“I first called a rock quarry and found out there were two bids in my county, and so one of them was North Fulton and one was South Fulton. I live in South Fulton,” she said.

With one project close to her home, Enjoli set her sights on it, believing it to be a perfect starting point. However, she ended up winning a bid on the opposite side of Atlanta.

Key to her success was negotiating competitive pricing with the rock quarry. Enjoli’s conversation with the quarry’s project bidder revealed mutual support, particularly highlighting the importance of community and shared goals.

“I pretty much called the rock quarry and they said ‘hey, we’ve got one out that way’, I said I need best price that you can do, this particular rock quarry I had seen them in other counties winning those bids,  so I was like ‘please don’t bid it’, … they gave me the price, I was able to bid it,” she said.

Initial Contracts: Focus on Experience, Not Profit

For Enjoli Monique, the primary goal of her initial contracts was not to maximize profit but to gain valuable experience and establish credibility. She understood that aiming for high profits on her first bids might lead to failure due to overly competitive pricing.

“For your first project, you’re not necessarily bidding for money. And I think sometimes we are going to overshoot it or we’re not going to win because your markup is 100%,” she said.

Instead, Enjoli focused on submitting bids that were realistic and competitive, even if it meant lower profit margins.

Using hypothetical numbers to illustrate her strategy, Enjoli explained that for a 200,000-ton contract, she might calculate her costs at $10 per ton and then aim for a modest profit of $3 per ton, bringing her bid to $13 per ton plus tax. Even a minimal profit margin would be beneficial, as the primary objective was to win the bid and build a track record.

It allowed Enjoli to win her first contract by beating out more established competitors.

Winning Contracts Without Perfect Marketing, Image, or Website

Besides, Enjoli relied on free resources and tools to establish her business. She utilized a free logo design template, followed online tutorials, and implemented practical advice from industry experts.

“My background is actually in branding and marketing. That’s what I went to college for. So, design-wise, my logos, I used your free capability form, the one that’s in bars. I used that one, because as a matter of fact, I inboxed to get it again. I used everything free, and I’ve jotted down every single thing, every step that I’ve done, I wrote it down,” she shared.

“To this moment, I still have not launched the website. The website is finished, but I have not launched the website because I wanted to conclude everything that I put out there. I didn’t want anybody to just be like, ‘Oh my God, the website is so pretty,’ and not believe in my product or believe in what I was really trying to put out there because sometimes the websites aren’t real either,” she added.

Despite not having a fully launched website, she managed to secure contracts by focusing on the essentials: registering her business, opening a bank account, and ensuring compliance with county payment registration requirements.

Her experiment tested whether it was possible to win government contracts without an established marketing and branding presence. The answer was a resounding yes. Enjoli’s ability to secure bids and deliver services effectively proved that, especially in the initial stages, what matters most is the ability to meet contract requirements and maintain clear communication with clients.

However, Enjoli also recognized that this approach might have limitations. While she succeeded without a polished image, there is a risk that potential clients might perceive a lack of professionalism or stability. To mitigate this, Enjoli focused on providing excellent service and transparent communication, which helped build trust and credibility.

Early Payment: A Strategic Advantage

More remarkably, Enjoli Monique’s negotiation skills played a crucial role in enhancing her cash flow and maintaining a positive relationship with her clients. One of her key strategies was negotiating a net 30 payment term with her Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR).

However, she took it a step further by offering a 5% discount to her county if they paid within 14 days. This incentive proved highly effective, as the county consistently opted for early payment to save money.

This approach provided multiple benefits. By receiving payments within 14 days, Enjoli ensured a steady cash flow, enabling her to pay her vendors promptly and maintain a healthy financial status. This strategy also fostered goodwill with her clients, as they appreciated the discount and the efficiency it brought to their payment processes.

Moreover, Enjoli’s decision to avoid using personal credit or business credit cards for her operations demonstrated financial discipline. She had small credit cards as a backup but managed her business finances without relying on them, further showcasing her commitment to sound financial management.

The early payment strategy not only improved cash flow but also opened doors for future opportunities. By building a reputation for prompt payment, Enjoli positioned herself as a reliable partner. This reliability could lead to vendors notifying her of new opportunities and collaborations, potentially increasing her chances of securing more contracts.

Utilizing Set-Asides and Certifications

Initially opting out of set-aside applications, Enjoli later embraced them, recognizing their potential benefits and the need for proper certification processes.

“I also purposely did not get a part of any set-aside type of applications initially. I’m doing some now, but I didn’t before. From my understanding, you cannot self-certify anymore. So, I did self-certify when I first came into it. I do have my logos, and I do still want my little certificate behind me, so I am working on that. I would love to become 8(A), and I would love to do some more things,” Enjoli said. 

“Set-asides, for those who may not know, include categories like woman-owned business, disadvantaged small business, disadvantaged business owner, minority business owner, and small business,” she added.

In dealing with those categories, it’s common to feel unsure about how to make the most of them. When it comes to the document provided, what she did was straightforward: she added those logos right onto it.

“What I did, when it comes to the document that you gave us, is that I dropped those logos on there…You don’t even have to read. Don’t worry about reading. I don’t want you to read. All of my past performances are in logo form, and they’re able to see Marriott, Westin, Gaylord. They’re able to see where I am immediately off the top. And regardless of whether they ask me for my capability statement or not, I send it,” she said.

Besides, certifications are also important. As she shared, “Whatever the description of the product or service is, like if it’s aggregate, I make sure that I send certification from my rock quarry that what I’m delivering is what they’re expecting”.

Discovering Who’s the Previous Winner

In addition, it was smart to research the previous winner’s bid.

“What I did was that I wait to look to who won it last year, anytime that you’re beating something that says it’s an annual event, always go back and look at who did it last, how can you beat them, because all the information doesn’t go away for 10 years”, Enjoli Monique stated.

It was a straightforward approach – she needed to know if it was worth her effort. If they were going to bid, she didn’t want to waste her time and resources competing unnecessarily.

In her case, she decided to bid $10,000 more than what the previous year’s winner had bid. It was a calculated move, aimed at ensuring her bid would stand out and cover the costs.

“I called another company and I was like, listen, I need a favor, I am not only going to have this contract but now I am in their system, they’re going to call me multiple times, why do I know this, because the person who won last year had been doing the same event and other events in the county for 10 years so I recognized that there was a hole in this whole puzzle, somebody missed it,” she shared.

How to Calculate Project Compatibility Before You Bid

In addition, determining if a project is a good fit before placing a bid is crucial. Enjoli also shared some invaluable insights on this.

Enjoli highlights the importance of assessing your ability to handle the project. As someone who sees herself as a product of her company, she evaluates each bid by considering several factors. First, she determines if she can complete the project herself or if it requires outsourcing.

“I am a product of my company, so anytime I look at a bid, I’m like, ‘Can I do that, can I outsource that,” she stated.

Moreover, before bidding, it’s essential to analyze the potential profitability of the project.

“I put everything, I quantify everything I put, I’m a sticky note girl like before I bid, it is it worth my time, do I have the time to do it, am I getting in above like over my head, is there not enough profit for me to put that much work into it or sometimes it may not be enough profit,” Enjoli said.

Courageous Steps: Starting Strong with Action

Turning 40 has brought her clarity and a renewed perspective on life and career.

Enjoli’s advice is rooted in her own experience of taking bold steps forward, even when the path ahead seemed uncertain.

She encourages others to start, regardless of initial outcomes, knowing that persistence and learning from setbacks eventually lead to success.

“Our advice to you is just start, even if you don’t win, when you get the hang of it, eventually you will win something, eventually you will be the only person that did it… I got here in an odd way, in a way that I didn’t think I was going to get here,” said Enjoli.

Enjoli Monique’s Path Forward in Government Contracting

Enjoli Monique’s recent ventures into bidding outside her local area and into federal government contracts illustrate her proactive approach to expanding her business horizons. Initially focusing on regional contracts and successfully navigating challenges, such as the pending $760,000 project in North Carolina, Enjoli has now set her sights on federal opportunities.

Enjoli’s strategy includes leveraging existing supplier relationships across states like Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, South Carolina, and North Carolina, where she already operates in the aggregate sector. Simultaneously, she has diversified her bids, recently engaging in non-aggregate projects in Michigan, such as sandblasting and road stripping.

Beyond her established contracts in construction aggregates, she has ventured into a spectrum of procurement areas, leveraging her agility and market insight.

Currently, Enjoli is actively bidding on contracts aligned with the current trend of military commencements and promotions. Recognizing the seasonal uptick in such events, she has tailored her bids to cater to specific needs, such as restrooms, barricades, staging, and audio-visual equipment.

“The military commencements and promotions are happening right now, so I think also you have to be very in tune with the signs of the times, so you need to be to kind of know like right now there’s a lot of rank changing there’s a lot of graduation right now,” she said.

Enjoli’s procurement strategy goes beyond traditional construction supplies. She bids on a wide range of items, from unbreakable inmate chairs to police uniforms and jackets. This shows her ability to handle different procurement challenges, using her network and relationships with vendors to win competitive bids.

When dealing with procurement, Enjoli highlights the importance of being financially prepared and forming strategic partnerships. She makes sure to understand financial responsibilities, like setting up net 30 terms or keeping enough money in reserve. This helps her fulfill contracts smoothly without risking her business’s financial stability.

Enjoli’s approach to procurement is characterized by meticulous research, strategic pricing, and leveraging existing vendor relationships. Her willingness to explore new sectors and products while maintaining profitability reflects her entrepreneurial acumen and readiness to capitalize on diverse market opportunities.