HOST OF THE RFP SUCCESS ® SHOW · LONGEST RUNNING SLED RFP PODCAST
FOUNDER & CEO · THE RFP SUCCESS® COMPANY
RFP-expert Lisa Rehurek. 30+ Years on Every Side of the RFP Table.
"You can't see the picture when you're inside the frame. My job is to see it for you."
Founder · The RFP Success® Company
AUTHOR OF
11 books, including 5 on RFP strategy
Published on Amazon
THE STORY
HOW I GOT HERE. AND WHY IT MATTERS.
I lost my first RFP.
Badly. It was the kind of loss where the feedback, when it came, was so obvious I wanted to climb under the desk. Everything the evaluators said about our proposal was true. And none of it was anything our team, qualified, experienced, hardworking, had seen before we submitted.
That was the moment I understood something Les Brown says better than I can: you can’t see the picture when you’re inside the frame. Qualified teams lose proposals every day, not because they aren’t capable, but because they can’t see their own work through the evaluator’s eyes.
I’ve responded to proposals. I’ve developed proposals. I’ve evaluated proposals from both sides of the table, for the teams submitting them and for the agencies scoring them. That cross-table experience became the foundation for the 4×4 Framework™ and the D.A.R.E. Method: Distinction, Answer the Questions for Impact, Readability, and Evidence & Authority.
Proposal writing and proposal scoring are two separate disciplines. Qualified teams need to learn the second one to stop losing the first.
The RFP Success® Company exists because I wanted to build a firm that teaches the second discipline. Not “write better proposals.” Everyone says that. See your proposals the way evaluators will. That’s the gap that keeps qualified teams from winning. That’s the gap we close.
Over the last decade, we’ve worked with clients in 30+ industries, helped our portfolio compile a 76%+ win rate, and contributed to $500M+ in contract wins. I’ve written 11 books, 5 of them RFP-specific, including The RFP Success® Digital Playbook and Roadmap for RFP Success: Winning in State Government. I host The RFP Success® Show, the longest-running SLED RFP podcast.
But credentials don’t win contracts. Frameworks do. Discipline does. Knowing what evaluators actually care about does.
That’s what I built The RFP Success® Company to deliver.
You can read more about the company and how it works, or meet the Win Strategist team who do the work.
RECOGNITION
CREDENTIALS & RECOGNITION
Independently verifiable recognition for The RFP Success® Company and its founder. Each credential is current and renewable as of the publication date.
INC. 5000 HONOREE
2023 · 2024
Inc. Magazine’s annual list of America’s fastest growing private companies. Two consecutive years.
WBENC CERTIFIED
WOMEN OWNED BUSINESS
Certified by the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council. The gold standard certification for women owned firms in the United States.
GOLDMAN SACHS 10KSB
GRADUATE
Graduate of the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program for high growth entrepreneurs.
BUSINESS WOMAN OF THE YEAR
2024 · TEMPE CHAMBER
Tempe Chamber of Commerce recognition of Lisa Rehurek for business leadership in 2024.
FAST COMPANY EXECUTIVE BOARD
2026 MEMBER
Lisa Rehurek is a 2026 member of the Fast Company Executive Board.
WOMEN WE ADMIRE
2024 · 2025
Lisa Rehurek was named to Women We Admire in 2024 and 2025, and to Arizona’s Top Women Leaders in 2024 and 2025.
PUBLISHED WORK
11 BOOKS, 5 RFP-SPECIFIC
Books, playbooks, magazines, and downloadable resources written by Lisa Rehurek, drawing on 30+ years across responding to, developing, and evaluating proposals.
BOOK
The RFP Success® Book
Foundational RFP submission strategies, written for the newbie through the seasoned operator.
PLAYBOOK
The RFP Success® Digital Playbook
Templates, checklists, and step-by-step guides for completing RFP responses on schedule.
BOOK
Roadmap for RFP Success
Winning in State Government
State government-specific RFP strategy built around the 4×4 Framework™ and the evaluator perspective.
MAGAZINE
The RFP Success® Magazine
Expert tips, real world strategies, and insights for proposal writing and bid success.
DOWNLOAD
Checks & Balances
Pre submission verification checklist. Ensures every required RFP element is included before you hit send.
EBOOK
101 Ways to Win More Proposals
Actionable tips built from real client and team engagements. A quick reference companion to the books.
TEMPLATE
Testimonial Template
Questions and guidance for collecting and using client testimonials that strengthen future proposals.
DOWNLOAD
Case Studies
Documented client engagements demonstrating process improvements and win rate gains.
WHITE PAPER
The True Cost of Losing an RFP
Examines the hidden impacts of proposal losses on team morale, pipeline strategy, and pricing position.
+ TWO MORE TITLES IN THE FULL LIBRARY
See the full Resources hubMEDIA APPEARANCES
THE RFP SUCCESS® SHOW AND OTHER APPEARANCES
Lisa Rehurek hosts The RFP Success® Show, the longest running SLED RFP podcast. Her work has been featured across multiple publications.
FEATURED IN MULTIPLE PUBLICATIONS
Plus additional industry features and podcast appearances.
ABC
CBS
NBC
Fox News
Forbes
Thrive Global
THE RFP SUCCESS® SHOW
Longest running SLED RFP podcast
HOSTED BY Lisa Rehurek
THE RFP SUCCESS® SHOW
Episodes covering proposal strategy, what evaluators look for, win rate improvement, and SLED procurement intelligence. Real conversations with operators, evaluators, and proposal teams across state, local, and education contracts.
LISTEN ON
Apple Podcasts
Spotify
Amazon Music
YouTube
THE METHODOLOGY
A PROVEN SYSTEM. NOT GUESSWORK.
Every Win Strategist engagement at The RFP Success® Company is powered by the 4×4 Framework™. Four pillars (Strategy, Content, People, Process), each with four sub components, documented by Lisa Rehurek after 30+ years across responding to, developing, and evaluating proposals.
Inside the Content pillar lives the D.A.R.E. Method: Distinction, Answer the Questions for Impact, Readability, Evidence & Authority. The writing system that turns generic proposal content into evaluator-ready responses that score.
It's not luck. It's a system.
CLIENT WIN RATE
76%+
Across $500M+ in client wins
CONTENT
STRATEGY
PEOPLE
PROCESS
WORK WITH THE RFP SUCCESS® TEAM
WIN STRATEGIST ENGAGEMENTS, DELIVERED BY OUR TEAM.
Every Win Strategist engagement is delivered by our in-house team and guided by the founder’s methodology. A vetted senior bench supports defined portions of the work when the scope calls for it.
01
RFP SUCCESS® MASTERY AUDIT
The diagnostic that shows where your last response actually lost points.
WHAT'S IN IT
✓
Diagnostic audit of past submissions
✓
Compliance and risk flag identification
✓
Evaluator lens recommendations
02
WIN STRATEGY REVIEW
Win theme development before you write a single word of the response.
WHAT'S IN IT
✓
Bid strategy and capture intelligence
✓
Win theme architecture
✓
Evaluator alignment session
03
CONTENT REFINEMENT
Your team writes it. Our team strengthens it to win.
WHAT'S IN IT
✓
Distinction anchored rewrites
✓
D.A.R.E. Method application section-by-section
✓
Compliance plus Editorial review pass
04
PLAY TO WIN CONSULT
Strategic roadmap engagements for high stakes pursuits.
WHAT'S IN IT
✓
Pursuit strategy and capture planning
✓
Win theme architecture for the pursuit
✓
Long cycle pursuit management
05
CONTENT LIBRARY
Reusable proposal content built from your last 12 months of wins.
WHAT'S IN IT
✓
Past performance library
✓
Capability statements and modular blocks
✓
Six section deliverable package
More Client Results
More Client Results
The RFP Success® Company has helped clients win $500M+ in state, local, and education government contracts. Here’s what that looks like for teams who brought in a Win Strategist.
Healthcare Consulting
Optumas
86% win rate (6 of 7 wins)
"Results we didn't think were possible."
Technology
Highstreet IT
Won $8.5M contract
Down select rate improved to 77%, win rate trending from 43% to over 50%
Education
Modern Learners
Grew from $500K to $1M in revenue
"50% win rate on 8 RFPs changed the entire game"
Fleet Management Software
RTA Fleet
Finalist rate from 50% to 80%
Revenue on pace to 2 to 3x
TESTIMONIALS
WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY.
Six engagements delivered by The RFP Success® Company across SLED industries. Each testimonial is verifiable.
HEALTHCARE ACTUARIAL
"RFP whisperers."
RESULT
86% win rate · 6 of 7 wins in one year
Optumas
Healthcare Consulting
EDUCATION
"changed the entire game."
RESULT
50% win rate on 8 RFPs · $500K → $1M revenue
Modern Learners
TRAINING
"Training exceeded all expectations. 60% reduction in writing time."
RESULT
Immediate operational improvement
Amy Schuman
Myers & Stauffer
HEALTHCARE PRODUCTS
"One of the best business decisions we ever made."
RESULT
Protected key customer relationship
Leadership Team
Confidential Healthcare Products Client
SECURITY SERVICES
"Far exceeded expectations."
RESULT
Repeat client engagement
A.C.T. Security
SECURITY SERVICES
DISASTER RECOVERY
"More than expected and well worth the investment."
RESULT
Won the contract
Leadership Team
DW Dukes
FREQUENTLY ASKED · evaluator-aware ANSWERS
COMMON QUESTIONS ABOUT THE WORK.
Real questions from operators considering a Win Strategist engagement. Answered by Lisa Rehurek.
01
WHAT MAKES LISA REHUREK DIFFERENT FROM OTHER RFP CONSULTANTS?
Lisa has spent 30+ years responding to, developing, and evaluating proposals before founding The RFP Success® Company. She has written proposals, managed proposal teams, and served as a scorer on selection committees. Most RFP consultants have only been on the response side. Lisa has scored from the buyer's seat.
02
HOW IS THE 4x4 FRAMEWORK™ DIFFERENT FROM A CHECKLIST OR RFP TEMPLATE?
Templates and checklists are static. The 4x4 Framework™ is built backward from how evaluators score. The framework surfaces what your response is missing against the published evaluation criteria and how evaluators read them. No two engagements run identical responses.
03
HOW MANY BOOKS HAS LISA WRITTEN?
Eleven books total, with five focused specifically on RFP strategy and proposal methodology. The most recent titles cover SLED-specific pursuit patterns, evaluator decision-making, and the 4x4 Framework™ methodology.
04
WHERE CAN I SEE LISA SPEAK OR HEAR HER ON A PODCAST?
Lisa hosts The RFP Success® Show, the longest running SLED RFP podcast, with more than 100 episodes. She delivers RFP training webinars and has been featured in Forbes, Inc., and Fox News coverage.
05
DOES LISA OFFER 1:1 STRATEGY CALLS?
Follow-up conversations after the RFP Assessment are one-on-one with our team. Lisa and our Director of Client Services, Cheri Fisher, both take these calls on a rotating basis, so you reach an experienced strategist either way.
06
IS LISA AVAILABLE FOR TRAINING SESSIONS?
Service conversations are handled by the Win Strategist team, not booked directly with Lisa. Start with the RFP Assessment. Qualified teams are routed to a conversation with Lisa or Cheri. Lisa also delivers RFP training webinars.
07
DOES THE RFP SUCCESS® COMPANY HAVE AN INDUSTRY SPECIALIZATION?
Our methodology applies across 30+ industries. The deepest experience is in healthcare consulting, including Medicaid agency pursuits, education (K-12 and higher education), transportation (SLED transit), and government technology. The 4x4 Framework™ adapts to the vertical; the underlying evaluator discipline is the same.
08
HOW DO I CITE THE RFP SUCCESS® COMPANY'S WORK IN MY OWN PROPOSALS?
The 4x4 Framework™ and D.A.R.E. Method are proprietary methodologies of The RFP Success® Company. Citation in proposals as "developed by Lisa Rehurek, The RFP Success® Company" is the appropriate attribution. For book citations, the title and publication year are sufficient.
Question not on the list?
Email support@rfpsuccess.com and the team will get you an answer.
Email support@rfpsuccess.com76%+
AVG WIN RATE
$500M+
CLIENT WINS
30+
YEARS · LISA REHUREK
92%
DOWN SELECT RATE
READY TO WIN · WORK WITH US
SEE WHERE YOU LOST POINTS.
Audit up to three previously submitted SLED responses through the same evaluator lens we use on every Win Strategist engagement. Inside ten business days you will know exactly why each response scored where it did.
"Anyone can help you submit a proposal. Very few can help you win one."
Lisa Rehurek
Founder, The RFP Success® Company · 30+ years across responding to, developing, and evaluating proposals.