My biggest takeaway from my latest industry conference?

Wow, how the Executive Protection/Close Protection (EP/CP) field and industry has grown and evolved! It is amazing!

After returning from Las Vegas having attended the 2nd annual IPSB/EP Conference, my overall impression is just being very impressed with the comradery, the genuine interest in growth and networking, and the excitement about the potential in the industry.

I can't help thinking back 20 years ago when I was getting started in the field. The thought of having a venue of over 300 industry people in one room, willingly sharing experience and ideas would have been "far-fetched". I would have loved an opportunity like that, and it just wasn't available.

I know to the new guys/gals in the industry they can't relate that far back, but to me and many others it seems like yesterday.  At the networking sessions during the conference (most valuable parts) I spoke to both senior people and newer people trying to break into...

We all know the saying "Can't see the forest, through the trees".  

What does that mean in the world of security and close protection?   Well, to me it means putting 100 percent effort  into the task's as hand, but NOT seeing the obvious or other important things.  Not seeing the total picture. 

Now these are the types of things that those who are less experienced in the industry will boast, 'I'd never do that' or 'that would never happen to me'.  But if you've been in this business a while, you know different. Inevitebly, despite scrambling to cover every possible detail, there will be the things that escape your attention and bite you in the butt.

For example,  a protection detail supporting their Principal's movements and getting so focused on tactical movements that they (the team) forget the Principal's luggage in the hotel room, or the Principal's dress shoes and belt in the hotel closet.   Who swept that room?

Or, how about this one......

I'm well aware that this particular subject is wrought with emotion and controversy in our industry, and likely this post will bring out some immediate personal feeling and responses.   I can assure you that most of these feelings depend upon which 'side of the table' you happen to sit on. Or, it may depend on something as simple as the locations where you live and where you work. 

I can say after many years of working in the Executive/Close Protection fields (and that includes sub-fields like back-ground  investigations and surveillance work)  I have certainly formed my own opinions as well, concerning regulations and training.  Blogging and publishing articles within the security industry and participating in our professional organizations has also given me a unique view into various conversations,  chat groups and other perspectives concerning the issue of the need for standards and regulations.

To regulate our industry, or not. That is not an easy...

I will just get right to the point. Communication is the essence of our over-all culture, and a key element of what drives business. I think we can all agree that it is what’s driving the world to move at record pace, whether we like or not. 

Therefore, lack of good communication can be a “deal breaker”. In the close protection and executive protection field this is highlighted on a daily basis. Operationally, teams need to be able to communicate without delay; and minutes and seconds can be critical. Moving in motorcades, advances, and client/principal movements, seconds matter, and can quickly change the over-all success of an operation.

Communication is VERY high on the list of importance during the planning phase of operation. And at the corporate level, literally millions of dollars are budgeted to ensure operational communication success.

As a corporate EP/CP Manager, I managed the day to day short notice international/domestic...

Many of the 'life lessons' that I've learned, I learned in Marine Corp Boot Camp.   One of the most valuable lessons that always stuck in my mind came from the beloved (ha, ha)  Drill Instructors. They would yell at us, " you guys are dumb as a sack of rocks, so you need to be that much more fit and strong to make up for it". 

In hindsight, I believe the message behind that statement really boils down to, 'We can't control how smart you are, but we can insure you'll be physically and mentally ready to fight, body mind and soul'.   (At least, I tell myself that's what they meant!)

Which brings me to my topic.  Fitness!  This is a broad term and can mean many things to many people.  As in mentally, psychologically or physically.  It's the physical aspect I want to focus on, but that arguably contributes and frames our mental and psychological fitness as well.

Clearly there are certain professions  where being physically in-shape is...

Have you ever felt like you were 'put out to pasture' when you left an organization or position? Felt like the business relationships you built just didn't really matter?

In my professional life, I've built lasting relationships with people that will likely remain part of my life for the long haul. However, I've also invested time and energy and emotion into work-related relationships that literally ended the moment I left the building.

For those of you making career transitions, I'm sure you can relate. It's difficult at times to separate your relationships at work from real-life friendships, and often we feel that they are (and arguably should be) one in the same. However, it can be a cold reality to realize that is not always the case.

When you work alongside others in a business environment, you tend to build trust and loyalty (or at least you hope you do). And I'm a firm believer that trust and loyalty are huge benefits to an organization and its overall effectiveness. The hard...

When I transitioned out of full-time Law Enforcement (LE), and made that big leap into full-time Executive Protection, it felt a bit risky. Everyone has their own reasons for doing things. My 'why' was primarily the unbearable thought of getting in 'that car' for 15 more years, topped out in pay with no hope of a raise, and going 10-41 (on-duty) and 10-42 (off-duty) like ground hog day til I 'retired'. Then retiring at the young age of 50, only to have to to get another job just to pay for health insurance. All the while making MUCH less than "six figures'. Thinking about a long-term future in law enforcement back then, just did not give me a warm and fuzzy feeling (are you with me?).

However, if I had listened to the peer pressure of the majority of my friends (most of whom said, "You're Crazy" or "What are you doing?", or "What about Retirement?" or my favorite, "We'll see you back here in about a year"; then I WOULD be retiring in just a...

After recruiting and managing a large, high-profile executive protection team, I cringe when I hear the complaint, “I should be paid more for my skills”. And I hear that quite often.

We all want to make more money, that’s for sure. Most often the only skills that are only being referenced are (hard skills) like professional driving, EP schooling, advance work and over-all security. Those are (of course), essential skills, and constitute the bread and butter of protection work.

However, the 'bread and butter' skills are a given in our field. They are merely a starting point, and having them does not guarantee you anything more than a possible foot in the door. There are many more factors involved in being a top echelon EP guy or gal, and I can tell you from experience, that the truly top tier EP specialists have the basics down pat, and then go above and beyond these fundamentals.

For example, those on top of their game understand the 'value-add' of meshing and...

If there is one asset that will benefit an executive protection agent, it is being a well prepared “efficient” world traveler. In my many years of traveling and protection work, I have witnessed a lot of situations that I do not care to repeat or see repeated by others. I could write a book on this subject but I’ll hit just a couple of main points here.

As I write this, I am sitting in a sketchy luggage pick up area in West Africa. My plane landed 3 hours ago, and prior to this delay, all was going smoothly as planned. Then, the inevitable happened.

I walked up to the immigration window with all my documents properly prepared and in “good order”. With the inherent language barrier, a game of charades served as our means of communication but I produced what was needed, and processed through within 10 minutes. I uttered under my breath a premature “YES!” Awesome! All done, and ready to get to the hotel for a real dinner and review the next...