SMD - Subs Must Deliver!

Years ago, before I opened up my own consulting firm, I worked as a subcontractor to train a group of Fortune 500 executives who were about to travel to a war zone.  The client had paid nearly US $40,000 to receive one day of instruction from me and a highly-decorated former intelligence official. 

Because of the audience - and the money involved - I prepared and rehearsed my training modules for weeks in advance.  I opened the morning session by laying out the threats that the executives would likely be facing.  I acted, essentially, as the warm-up act for the Big Gun instructor, so I tried to be entertaining and informative. 

I spoke for three hours, including breaks, and I used a lot of recent statistics, visual aids, relevant stories and even some humor.  The students seemed engaged, and the...

Seizing Undefined Opportunities

When I was just starting out my career within the Intelligence Community, I was fortunate to have several experienced CIA mentors provide me with direction.  The tragic events of September 11th had just occurred and the world was in a state of disarray and paranoia.  It was not dissimilar from the uncertainty we see today - but, at least back then, the United States was completely "united" (at least for a little while).  

During these early days, I had an old CIA bomb tech for an office mate.  "Mikey" was a great guy, with a wicked sense of humor, who had been around the world and back.  Whether it was an African coup, a terrorist attack in the Middle East, or a revolution in Latin America, he had been there, done that, and had gotten the t-shirt.

One day while recanting a funny...

Keep Punching! Once in a Decade Opportunity

Since moving back to Florida a year ago, I decided to take up the sport of boxing.  I don't formally compete mind you - I am a little too old to be squaring off against younger foes in the ring - but I do enjoy a hard workout in the gym.  One of the mottos that I've incorporated from the boxing world into the security consulting world is the phrase, "Keep punching!"  While it may sound overly simplistic, these two words are exactly what it took for me to survive my first decade as an entrepreneur. 

As any small business owner would agree, you can - and frequently do - take a metaphorical "beating" on a regular basis (i.e., cashflow problems, legal issues, fierce competitors, etc.).  There were plenty of days that I felt like Rocky Balboa (in the original movie) where Apollo...

Security Consultants vs. Security Contractors

In over 20 years of working within the Intelligence Community, as well as the private security industry, I have come across many misconceptions about my profession.  On the intelligence side of the house, there is an obvious misconception that spies drink martinis, travel to exotic locations, and engage in adventures similar to that of James Bond.  When in reality, the majority of intelligence officers (myself included) prefer a smooth scotch, travel to some real "armpits" of the world, and honestly spend more time typing reports than Miss Moneypenny.  

When I transitioned into the private security world, I also found a major discrepancy... knowing the difference between being a security consultant and a security contractor.  Unfortunately, the terms seem to be used interchangeably, yet...

Reflections on a Decade in the Security Consulting Business

Exactly ten years ago today, July 20^th 2010, my company, Security Management International, LLC was officially formed in the Commonwealth of Virginia.  At the time, I was a naïve 37-year old guy, who thought that I could take on the world.  I vividly remember standing on the balcony of my one-bedroom apartment in the city of Rosslyn that day, overlooking the Potomac River and the shiny white monuments of the Washington DC National Mall, and imagining what I could accomplish by the year 2020.  It’s amazing what a decade can do.  

Today, as I write this issue of the “Monday Security Memo,” I am sitting on the back porch of my waterfront home on the island of Siesta Key, Florida.  I’ve graduated from the rat race of city living to a...