Teamwork Makes the Dream Work

Monday Security Memo

Intellectual Firepower for Professionals

Teamwork Makes the Dream Work

“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together."

— African Proverb

Dear A,

I’m writing this on a quiet Sunday night from the JW Marriott on Clearwater Beach. Tomorrow, I’ll step into a weeklong Utilities Unite Conference hosted by Convergint - one of the leaders in security and technology integration - where I’ve been invited to serve as a keynote speaker, sit on a discussion panel, and lead a workshop.

It’s an honor, especially because it’s happening just 90 minutes from my home. Opportunities like this are meaningful - not just because of the platform, but because they allow me to share the CARVER Methodology and the experiences that shaped it.

But as I sit here overlooking the water, one thing is crystal clear: I’m not here alone.

With me, in spirit and in reality, are my teammates, business partners, colleagues, friends, family, supporters, and our strategic partners from the University of South Florida - along with a handful of interns who are helping push this mission forward. Everything I’ve built, everything I’ve been invited to do, has been the result of teamwork.

That idea hits home every day with my three-year-old son. Right now, he’s deep into a Marvel phase - especially Spider-Man, though Captain America, Iron Man, and the Hulk still get plenty of love. When he’s pretending to battle Loki, I’ll ask him, “Lukie, what do superheroes never do?”

He fires back instantly: “They never quit!”

Then I say, “Teamwork makes the…”

“Dream work!” he replies, without missing a beat.

And just like that, a three-year-old captures a truth many adults forget.

“There was an idea… to bring together a group of remarkable people, to see if they could become something more.” — Nick Fury

Looking back on my own journey - traveling to more than 130 countries and having experiences I never could have imagined - I know how little of it I accomplished on my own. Nearly every opportunity came from someone else: a mentor who opened a door, a colleague who took a chance, a client who believed in me, or a friend who simply wanted to help a kid chase big dreams.

There is no such thing as a self-made man or woman. We are all the product of people who invested in us, trusted us, and gave us a shot.

So as I prepare for this week ahead, I’m filled with gratitude. Gratitude for the team around me. Gratitude for the partners who make our work possible. And gratitude for the reminder - sometimes delivered by a toddler in a Spider-Man costume - that teamwork really does make the dream work.

Stay safe and vigilant!

Luke Bencie