Abraham Xiong is the President of Government Contractors Association, Inc., a national trade association of commercial contractors and government agencies. The organization's goal is to help small or minority-led businesses get their fair share of opportunities in the government market. Abraham is also the co-founder of Blockchain Chamber of Commerce, a membership-based organization supporting emerging cryptocurrency and blockchain industries. Abraham joins us to discuss how he and his group help underserved businesses get more government contracts. He shares how his passion for government contracting began and his life after his family migrated to the United States. He describes the economic imbalance minority-led and women-led companies face with government contracts. He explains the importance of being a business certified by the government and the opportunities it unlocks. Abraham also shares his stories of what it was like dating outside of the Hmong community and what his occupation was before he became a full-time entrepreneur. "There is an economic injustice that's going on in the government contracting world." - Abraham Xiong This week on Breaking Barriers: How Abraham got into the business of government contracting Migrating from Laos and how the United States let Abraham find success Why it took a long time for Abraham to find his purpose The amount of money Abraham's family had when they emigrated to the United States What it was like starting a business with $300 in pocket money When Abraham realized he was meant to be an entrepreneur The mission of the Government Contractor's Association The injustice small businesses and women entrepreneurs face in government contracts Why having a government certification opens doors for a lot of small businesses Some of the challenges small businesses face in a post-Covid world The importance of taking risks and mustering confidence as an entrepreneur How the 2008 recession affected Abraham's business plans and cash flow Real-life risks Abraham took that turned out to be critical for his career path How strict Abraham's family was and how close they were in their community The story of Abraham's first dating experience Connect With Abraham Xiong: Government Contractors Association Blockchain Chamber of Commerce Abraham Xiong on LinkedIn   This podcast is brought to you by Hire Ground Hire Ground is a technology company whose mission is to bridge the wealth gap through access to procurement opportunities. Hire Ground is making the enterprise ecosystem more viable, profitable, and competitive by clearing the path for minority-led, women-led, LGBT-led, and veteran-led small businesses to contribute to the global economy as suppliers to enterprise organizations. For more information on getting started please visit us @ hireground.io today! If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review wherever you get your podcasts. Apple Podcasts | TuneIn | GooglePlay | Stitcher | Spotify Be sure to share your favorite episodes on social media and join us on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.