Inspiring Conversations with Gregory Palmer of Greg Palmer, Inc.

Today we’d like to introduce you to Gregory Palmer.

Hi Gregory, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
My journey has been shaped by service, resilience, relationships, and a willingness to keep evolving.

I’m a U.S. Army veteran, and many of the values I learned through military service—discipline, leadership, accountability, and taking care of people—have stayed with me throughout my professional and entrepreneurial career. Over the years, I’ve had the opportunity to work across human resources, staffing, training, consulting, insurance, and business development. Each experience gave me another piece of what would eventually become Greg Palmer, Inc.

I founded Greg Palmer, Inc. with the goal of helping organizations solve people and operational challenges while creating opportunities for others. What began as a small business has continued to grow into a company that supports government agencies, corporations, healthcare organizations, and community partners through workforce solutions, professional services, training, consulting, and administrative support.

Like most entrepreneurs, the path has not been a straight line. There have been periods of growth, setbacks, reinvention, and plenty of lessons learned along the way. I’ve had to become comfortable with uncertainty, learn new industries, build relationships from the ground up, and continually position the company for the next opportunity.

One of the biggest turning points for me was becoming more intentional about the government contracting space. As a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business, Greg Palmer, Inc. has worked to build relationships with federal agencies, prime contractors, and strategic partners while strengthening our capabilities in staffing, healthcare support, training, program management, and professional services. That journey has required patience and persistence, but it has also opened doors to meaningful work supporting organizations that serve veterans and the broader public.

At the same time, I’ve continued to invest heavily in professional development and community involvement. Programs such as SBA T.H.R.I.V.E., the Veterans Institute for Procurement, and ICIC have helped me sharpen my approach to growth and connect with other entrepreneurs and business leaders. I also serve in leadership roles within the Atlanta business community, including my involvement with ICIC’s ICAN Atlanta Steering Committee. Atlanta has also played an important role in my entrepreneurial journey, giving me access to an incredible community of business owners, mentors, partners, and organizations committed to helping small businesses grow.

Public speaking and leadership development have also been important parts of my personal journey. I’m a two-time Distinguished Toastmaster, and communication has become one of the most valuable skills I’ve developed. Whether I’m meeting with a prospective client, mentoring another business owner, leading a team, or presenting an idea, I’ve learned that the ability to communicate clearly and build genuine relationships can change the trajectory of a business.

Today, I’m focused on growing Greg Palmer, Inc. into an even stronger and more diversified organization. We are continuing to pursue opportunities in government contracting, healthcare and professional staffing, training, technology support, and consulting while building strategic partnerships that allow us to compete at a higher level.

What I’m most proud of, however, is not simply the contracts or milestones. It’s the relationships built, the people we’ve been able to help, and the fact that the business continues to move forward.

Entrepreneurship has taught me that success is rarely one big breakthrough. More often, it is a series of small decisions—showing up, following up, learning from mistakes, staying in the room, and being prepared when the right opportunity finally arrives.

I’m still building, still learning, and still excited about what comes next.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It definitely has not been a smooth road, but I believe the challenges have shaped both me and the business in important ways.

One of the biggest struggles has been learning how to grow a company while navigating uncertainty. Entrepreneurship requires you to make decisions with incomplete information, manage cash flow carefully, build credibility, and continue investing in the business even when the return is not immediate. There have been opportunities that looked promising and did not materialize, contracts we pursued and did not win, and periods where progress felt much slower than I wanted.

Government contracting has been especially challenging because it requires patience, persistence, compliance, strong partnerships, and a long-term mindset. You can spend months preparing for an opportunity, building a team, developing a proposal, and still not receive the award. I had to learn not to view every loss as a failure, but instead as information that helps us become more competitive the next time.

Another challenge has been wearing multiple hats. As a business owner, you may be responsible for strategy, business development, operations, staffing, finances, client relationships, and problem-solving all in the same day. Learning when to do something myself, when to delegate, and when to bring in outside expertise has been an ongoing part of my growth as a leader.

There have also been moments when I had to reposition the business. Markets change, client needs change, technology changes, and sometimes the direction you originally planned is not where the greatest opportunity exists. I’ve learned that being adaptable does not mean abandoning your vision. It means being willing to adjust the path while staying focused on the larger mission.

I’ve also learned how important relationships are during difficult periods. Mentors, clients, strategic partners, fellow entrepreneurs, and organizations that support small businesses have all played a role in helping me navigate challenges and see opportunities I might not have recognized on my own.

Probably the biggest lesson has been persistence. In business, the answer is often “not yet” rather than “no.” Some relationships take years to develop. Some opportunities require multiple attempts. Some lessons are expensive. But if you remain committed, continue learning, and keep showing up, those experiences begin to compound.

The road has certainly had its challenges, but I would not trade the lessons. They have made me more disciplined, more resourceful, more patient, and much clearer about the kind of company and leader I want to become.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
The name of my business is Greg Palmer, Inc., or GPI.

Greg Palmer, Inc. is a veteran-owned professional services company based in the Atlanta area. We help federal, state and local government agencies, healthcare organizations, businesses, and community partners solve workforce, operational, training, and administrative challenges. Our work spans staffing and recruiting, healthcare staffing, human resources consulting, leadership and professional development, program and project support, administrative services, and technology-related support.

What I believe sets GPI apart is our ability to combine a people-first approach with the discipline and responsiveness required in government and corporate environments. We are not interested in simply filling a position or completing a task. We want to understand the client’s mission, the problem they are trying to solve, and what success should look like after we are gone.

A significant part of our growth has been in government contracting. As a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business, we have worked hard to build the systems, partnerships, and capabilities necessary to support federal, state, and local government customers. We have supported healthcare staffing and workforce needs connected to the Department of Veterans Affairs and have developed relationships with larger prime contractors and strategic partners to pursue increasingly complex opportunities.

We are also very passionate about training and professional development. Leadership, communication, workforce development, and organizational effectiveness are areas that are personally important to me. As a two-time Distinguished Toastmaster, I have seen firsthand how strong communication and leadership skills can transform both individuals and organizations.

One thing I am especially proud of is that GPI has continued to evolve. We did not build the company around a single service or a single customer. We have intentionally developed a diversified business that can support clients in several ways while remaining focused on our core strengths: people, performance, and problem-solving.

I am also proud of the credibility we have built over time. Small businesses do not always get the benefit of the doubt, particularly when competing for larger contracts. We have had to earn trust by being responsive, dependable, adaptable, and willing to do the work required to deliver.

When people think of Greg Palmer, Inc., I want them to think of a company that can be trusted to step into a challenge, bring the right people and resources together, and help move the mission forward.

At the end of the day, our brand is about service. My military background taught me that leadership is not just about being in charge; it is about being responsible for outcomes and for the people around you. That philosophy continues to influence how we operate GPI today.

Do you have any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
One of my favorite childhood memories is learning how to play the drums. There was something exciting about learning rhythm, coordination, and how all the different sounds could come together to create something powerful.

Playing the drums taught me patience and discipline because you had to practice consistently to improve. It also taught me how important timing is—not just playing loudly, but knowing when to come in, when to hold back, and how to work with everyone else around you.

Looking back, I think some of those lessons carried over into other areas of my life. Whether in the military, business, leadership, or public speaking, there is always a rhythm to working with people and knowing when to lead, when to listen, and when to support the team.

But more than anything, I remember how much fun it was. Music gave me a creative outlet and learning the drums is still one of those childhood experiences that brings back great memories.

Pricing:

• Pricing varies based on the scope, complexity, duration, and specific requirements of each engagement.
• Greg Palmer, Inc. provides customized pricing for staffing, consulting, training, administrative support, and professional services.
• Training and consulting engagements may be structured as hourly, half-day, full-day, project-based, or customized organizational engagements.
• Staffing and recruiting services are priced based on the position, volume, contract requirements, and type of placement.
• Government contract pricing is developed in accordance with the specific solicitation, statement of work, labor categories, and contractual requirements.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.gregpalmerinc.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/getgpi/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gregpalmerinc
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/getgpi/
• Twitter: https://x.com/getgpi
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@gregorypalmer1090

Image Credits
Photos courtesy of Gregory R. Palmer / Greg Palmer, Inc.