This feature is part of our 100 Most Dynamic Leaders of 2023. Check out the entire issue and listing by clicking on this link.
Navigating the intricate world of Requests for Proposal (RFPs) requires one to have considerable expertise and insight.
The industry is riddled with varying challenges, from understanding complex requirements to tackling the unpredictable nature of the domain. Every new bid presents a unique maze of specifications, deadlines, and uncertainties.
Amidst these challenges, Lisa Rehurek and her team at The RFP Success® Company have cemented their place as RFP experts that deliver unmatched results.
The RFP Success® Company is a strategy and support consultancy that helps service-based businesses win more state government contracts. By focusing on the overall bid strategy, offering hands-on fractional RFP response support and providing RFP response training, the company helps hard-working organizations to do better and win more.
With almost three decades of experience, Lisa is a strategic expert in RFPs, a best-selling author, and national speaker. By leveraging her experiences and inculcating her values, she has spearheaded The RFP Success® Company towards success. Since forming the company in 2010, Lisa has helped clients win over $500 million in contracts.
Standing Out
According to Lisa, the team at RFP Success® consults with business leaders to demystify the intricacies of proposal writing. Moreover, the company identifies what evaluators are really looking for, how to earn higher scores, and what is needed to stand out from the competition.
The leadership team at The RFP Success® Company stays up-to-speed with industry updates, cutting-edge RFP response trends, and strategic planning methods that ensure the consulting services are best-in-class.
Lisa mentions, “We’ve shaken up and disrupted the RFP industry by hiring world-class experts, collaboratively building and achieving progressive goals, simplifying processes, and continuously asking the questions that consistently lead to company and client success.”
The company has taken what was once a traditionally tedious task, and turned it into a collaborative, energetic, empirically driven process, one that leads to consistent success for the clients.
The Daily Role
As the Founder and CEO of The RFP Success® Company, Lisa’s primary focus lies in identifying and encouraging the leadership team as well as helping the clients win RFPs. “I do my best to embody a beloved, supportive, empowering coach,” she explains.
She adds, “I show up every day and continue to be curious about how I can best serve my team and our clients.”
Lisa hires people who are experts in their disciplines and makes sure to support them in coaching, training, and managing their teams. With kindness, hard work, empathy, and joy being the central qualities in her leadership, she has facilitated a culture of growth and success.
Furthermore, maintaining a healthy work-life balance has helped Lisa maximize her productivity level and prioritize her mental wellbeing. Her daily routine includes: “sunshine and playtime with my dogs; Wordle and Duolingo; reading a chapter in a book; reading my news sources, and gratitude affirmations or meditation time. The rest of it varies – business time, meeting with my team, meeting with friends or colleagues for lunch or drinks/dinner, cooking, pool time in the summer, late afternoon walks.”
Currently, Lisa is at the finishing stages of her ninth book – Winning in State Government: A Roadmap for RFP Success in 2023, thus spending considerable time refining and preparing for the official book launch season.
Dynamic Touch
A dynamic leader is one who’s on a curious quest to better know and understand themselves and how to best utilize their gifts in order to serve the world. These leaders are true to themselves, they take risks, build resilience, and forge a path forward when challenges occur.
They are ambitious, optimistic and when the situation demands, they can be scrappy and sassy as well. They act towards their dreams and inspire others to do the same. They celebrate and embrace failure as an opportunity to figure out a better way. They identify and empower others who are the best at what they do to create substantial impact in their work.
Lastly, a dynamic leader is also participative and demonstrates empathy and approachability.
Empowering People
Going forward, Lisa is excited for the opportunity to service more businesses and help more people achieve successful RFP outcomes. She asserts, “Every RFP win facilitates additional capital, which creates additional jobs and opportunities.”
“Our vision is to take our solid, repeatable framework, pair it with continued knowledge of industry trends, and use it to help as many people as possible.”
The company is also launching its first RFP Success® Small Business Accelerator program in October. Alongside Lisa, the entire team is excited to have the opportunity to support small, certified, and diverse businesses.
Finally, beyond the office doors, The RFP Success® Company will continue to find ways to serve its community. “Whether it is community clean-up, serving the homeless, outreach to domestic abuse survivors, supporting The Boys & Girls Club or other local charities, we look forward to expanding our reach within the community,” she concludes.
