Aqua Talks
Aqua Talks
Podcast Description
Welcome to Aqua Talks, the podcast where marketing meets bold, game-changing ideas. From state and federal government campaigns to industries spanning the private sector, we delve into the art and science of cutting through the noise, capturing attention, and building meaningful, profitable connections. Join visionary host Larry Aldrich, with decades of expertise in multi-industry marketing, and Mady Dudley, a PR professional renowned for crafting engaging, results-driven campaigns. Together, they deliver insights that inspire and strategies that transform.
Brought to you by BrennSys Technology LLC, a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business, Aqua Talks is your gateway to the vibrant intersection of inspiration and marketing innovation. From designing campaigns that spark adventure to providing strategic solutions for public sector clients, Aqua Talks effectively bridges the gap between storytelling brilliance and mission-critical objectives.
Whether you’re drawn to the allure of destination marketing or curious about how federal government design projects come to fruition, every episode serves as your backstage pass to uncover key industry trends and actionable insights. From unraveling AI’s role in fostering engagement and growth to understanding the complexities of collaborating with government versus private sector clients, Aqua Talks provides sharp analysis and practical takeaways.
Curious about vacation rental trends or the next big thing in eco-tourism? We’ve got you covered. Want to discover the secret to making meaningful connections with disabled veterans? Tune in for answers. Aqua Talks will also explore how to target diverse audiences, ensuring your media strategies resonate with everyone and amplify your visibility.
Whether you’re a destination marketer, government contractor, or simply passionate about the transformative power of marketing, Aqua Talks offers engaging discussions designed to inspire and inform. Welcome to the intersection of robust solutions and marketing innovation in a digital-first world.
Meet Larry Aldrich, the insightful and engaging host of Aqua Talks. With decades of experience spanning both public and private sectors, Larry brings a wealth of knowledge, sharp wit, and curiosity to every episode. His career began in the U.S. Air Force, where his discipline and innovative thinking took flight. As the CEO and founder of BrennSys Technology LLC, Larry transformed his expertise into a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business specializing in cutting-edge marketing communications for Federal and State clients.
In 2024, he took a bold step forward, acquiring Aqua Marketing & Communications and merging the firms into a powerhouse of destination marketing and public sector solutions. Expect lively conversations, sharp insights, and plenty of actionable takeaways as Larry guides listeners through the art and science of marketing innovation.
Meet Mady Dudley, an accomplished public relation...
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
The podcast covers a range of marketing topics including destination marketing, government procurement strategies, and the role of AI in advertising. Example episodes highlight trends in sleep tourism, the needs of LGBTQ+ travelers, and the impact of cultural influences on travel marketing, with a particular focus on fostering inclusivity and accessibility.
Welcome to Aqua Talks, the podcast where marketing meets bold, game-changing ideas. From state and federal government campaigns to industries spanning the private sector, we delve into the art and science of cutting through the noise, capturing attention, and building meaningful, profitable connections. Join visionary host Larry Aldrich, with decades of expertise in multi-industry marketing, and Mady Dudley, a PR professional renowned for crafting engaging, results-driven campaigns. Together, they deliver insights that inspire and strategies that transform.
Brought to you by BrennSys Technology LLC, a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business, Aqua Talks is your gateway to the vibrant intersection of inspiration and marketing innovation. From designing campaigns that spark adventure to providing strategic solutions for public sector clients, Aqua Talks effectively bridges the gap between storytelling brilliance and mission-critical objectives.
Whether you’re drawn to the allure of destination marketing or curious about how federal government design projects come to fruition, every episode serves as your backstage pass to uncover key industry trends and actionable insights. From unraveling AI’s role in fostering engagement and growth to understanding the complexities of collaborating with government versus private sector clients, Aqua Talks provides sharp analysis and practical takeaways.
Curious about vacation rental trends or the next big thing in eco-tourism? We’ve got you covered. Want to discover the secret to making meaningful connections with disabled veterans? Tune in for answers. Aqua Talks will also explore how to target diverse audiences, ensuring your media strategies resonate with everyone and amplify your visibility.
Whether you’re a destination marketer, government contractor, or simply passionate about the transformative power of marketing, Aqua Talks offers engaging discussions designed to inspire and inform. Welcome to the intersection of robust solutions and marketing innovation in a digital-first world.
Meet Larry Aldrich, the insightful and engaging host of Aqua Talks. With decades of experience spanning both public and private sectors, Larry brings a wealth of knowledge, sharp wit, and curiosity to every episode. His career began in the U.S. Air Force, where his discipline and innovative thinking took flight. As the CEO and founder of BrennSys Technology LLC, Larry transformed his expertise into a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business specializing in cutting-edge marketing communications for Federal and State clients.
In 2024, he took a bold step forward, acquiring Aqua Marketing & Communications and merging the firms into a powerhouse of destination marketing and public sector solutions. Expect lively conversations, sharp insights, and plenty of actionable takeaways as Larry guides listeners through the art and science of marketing innovation.
Meet Mady Dudley, an accomplished public relations expert with a talent for developing strategic PR and integrated communications campaigns that elevate brand awareness and generate buzz. With a foundation in journalism, Mady brings valuable newsroom insight to every pitch, press release, and PR strategy she creates.
Throughout her career, Mady has held key roles, including PR Account Supervisor at Codeword and Public Relations Account Executive at Paradise Advertising & Marketing. Her diverse client portfolio ranges from industry giants like Google to innovative startups, as well as renowned destination marketing organizations and travel and hospitality leaders. To keep up with what Mady is up to, follow her on Instagram @MadytheExplorer or connect with her on LinkedIn here.
Recorded live at VETS 26 in New Orleans, this episode features Tiphanie Forst, Founder & CEO of Frigata Health Strategies and a Principal at Deep Water Point. With 24 years across clinical, pharmaceutical, and healthcare IT — the past 20 focused on Military Health System modernization for the DoD and VA — Tiphanie has built a career on growth strategy, business development, and capture, helping drive multi-hundred-million- to multi-billion-dollar wins. At Frigata, she provides business development, sales capture, and proposal support, acting as the connector and “face of the company” for clients who can’t be everywhere themselves: linking small and service-disabled-veteran-owned businesses to the government leaders, contracts, and teaming partners they need to win, and helping large primes get strategic by teaming smart rather than muscling in alone (she describes structuring a joint venture that landed a client among six awardees on a DHA contract).
The through-line is connection across worlds that don’t obviously overlap — veterans, professional athletes, investors, and health tech. The daughter of a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel, Tiphanie is deeply committed to the veteran and military-health space, and she draws a striking parallel between retiring athletes and transitioning veterans: both face a loss of identity and a need for new resources and support, especially around mental health. She’s channeling that vision into a new venture, IconIQ, organized around growth, access, innovation, nexus, and a lifestyle/brand “studio” component — fitting for someone who’s also a professional artist creating bold acrylic work under TWA – Art by Tiphanie Forst. It’s a fast, energetic conversation about relationships as the real currency of federal business development.
In This Episode:
- 00:06 – Introduction to Aqua Talks
- 03:45 – Connecting Veterans with Business Opportunities
- 07:05 – Connecting Veterans to Opportunities in Business
- 09:49 – Connecting Small Businesses and Veterans in Federal Procurement
- 10:28 – Connecting Athletes and Media Innovation
Key Takeaways:
- Two decades in military health modernization. Tiphanie brings 24 years across clinical, pharmaceutical, and healthcare IT — 20 of them on Military Health System modernization for the DoD and VA — behind multi-hundred-million- to multi-billion-dollar wins.
- Business development and capture, done through relationships. Frigata Health Strategies offers business development, sales capture, and proposal support, with Tiphanie serving as the “face” for clients at conferences and in the community — valuable for firms without in-house BD resources.
- Strategic teaming beats brute force. She structured a joint venture that positioned a lesser-known large business as a prime and landed it among six awardees on a DHA geographic-service-provider contract — sometimes the smart play is teaming with a strategic small business.
- Helping small and SDVOSB firms break in. From SAM registration to GSA schedules to knowing which contracts and people to target, she helps businesses new to federal procurement find direction and get onto winning teams.
- The athlete–veteran parallel. Tiphanie connects professional athletes and transitioning veterans around a shared loss of identity and mental-health challenges — and channels athletes into federal/tech ventures and philanthropic efforts.
- Deep health-IT roots. Her background includes EHR modernization work with firms like Leidos and Cerner (acquired by Oracle), including efforts toward a single longitudinal health record spanning the DHA and VA — “birth to grave.”
- A new venture, IconIQ. Her evolving brand organizes her work around growth, access, innovation, nexus, and a lifestyle/brand “studio” — “iconic connections for intelligent outcomes.”
- It’s all connection. Her recurring theme: missions, investors, athletes, and veterans “all tie together,” and relationships are what actually move federal deals forward.
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