EP 012 The Legendary Charles 'Chuck' Andrews, We Discuss His Amazing Journey from Police to Global Security Influencer

Charles "Chuck" Andrews, CPP

Global Security Influencer 

Chuck (charles.andrews.cso@gmail.com), as he is known around the world, is the Founder of the well known FRIENDS OF CHUCK (FOC) security group (www.friendsofchuck.com)! His career in the Security & Law Enforcement industries exceeds 40 years! Probably one of the best known figures in the Security industry, it's hard to miss him at a conference or event with his custom fitted TEXAS cowboy hat....which incidentally has 250,000+ air miles on it...traveling the globe! From his time on the Board of ASIS International.....to becoming a CSO and Chief of Police in his professional career, to now advising, owning & investing in security innovation and technology companies across multiple verticals of industry, Chuck is the "renaissance man" of the security industry! Most recently, Chuck released his Amazon BEST SELLER book, YES, S.I.R, sharing insights on how you too can be a global security influencer, click here to get your copy: https://a.co/d/4WrQaz0 as we will be talking about it on the Podcast! 

www.friendsofchuck.com is my website to learn more about Chuck! 

Click here to learn about the YES, S.I.R. book: https://a.co/d/4WrQaz0

Security Circle ⭕️  is an IFPOD production for IFPO the International Foundation of Protection Officers

Transcript

0:15

hi, this is Yolanda. Welcome. This is an Ifpo production for Ifpo, the very first security podcast called Security Circle. Ifpo is the International Foundation for Protection Officers, and the Advisory Board runs under the legendary Mike Hurst. I have. A very special guest with me today. Some will recognize this man instantly when I say he's American, wears a Stetson and has been selected the number one security influencer in IFE in 2020. He always makes me laugh when I'm in his company for just being an all round, genuine, awesome guy. Welcome to Chuck Andrews. It's very early in the morning where you are, isn't it? It is in the great state of Texas and it's great to be on. Are we calling? if Pod, is that what I heard Yoyo? Well, is it if pod production under ifpo.org. However, we're calling the podcast series Security Circle. It's kind of like an alliteration, isn't it? But it isn't. Yeah, it's a big circle around the planet and the great state of Texas is happy to be here on the show today. it's great to have you. So listen, Chuck, there will be many people who do know you. You don't just get influencer status, you know, overnight. It takes a lot of hard work. But let's learn about young Chuck. Young Chuck who decided at the age of 13 to start as a law enforcement explorer. Now, we don't have this kind of equivalent in the uk, but tell me, tell me what compelled you to do that and what is a law enforcement explorer? I can remember the day, date, time, location, and people involved when that very moment in time occurred. I was standing in the front yard in my home down on in south Texas, on the Gulf Coast where I grew up, about 50 miles south of Houston. I was working on my karate, trying to get to my brown belt. So here I am with my karate pants on in the front yard making. Kind of a fool of myself jumping around, kicking thrashing around, getting ready for, uh, you know, you get tested for these things. And my friend Pete drives up on his shwe bicycle. Pete, where are you going? I said, uh, he says, you know, I'm, I'm going to the police station. I said, what did you do wrong, And that's most people's first response. And he explains to me about this, uh, program where you can ride around in a police car and learn about law enforcement. So I was intrigued and I'm a. Person of, uh, well, let's just say Carpe Diem is big in my life. So I went right inside, told my mom, she goes, you can't go to that. I said, that's for a juvenile delinquents. I said, no, mom, no, no, no, no, no. That's not the case at all. Explained it to her. She put me in the wood panel station wagon, took me to the police station, and dropped me off. Of actually good intentions instead of bad intentions, right? So that's how it all started. And here's, here's the story. The Boy Scouts of America, most people know about around the world. It actually has two divisions, scouting and exploring. Exploring has been, this program's been around since the 1950s, sixties, and its career awareness focused. I was a Cub Scout. I was a We below, but had no interest in me in a Boy Scout exploring appeal to me in the law enforcement arena. And that's how I came to know it. And then since that day to today, which would be, oh Lord, 46, 47 years ago, that's where it all started. So, this is such a cliche based on the fact that you're from Texas, but did you used to watch the Dukes of Hazard as well? You know, the, the Dukes of Hazard was interesting, but more important to me was one Adam, 12 Beretta Hill Street Blues, the Rockford Files, McLeod. You know, those are probably more, and of course, we can't forget about oh oh seven James Bond. Right? Thank you, Ian. Fleming, by the way, if you see him walking down the streets of White Hall I'll, I'll make it sure to thank him personally. That's right. I dunno, is he still alive? I'm just gonna have to research that, but I, I genuinely don't know. But look. Okay, so you are a, a, a law enforcement explorer at 13. What happens next? I is law such an exciting thing for you that you think, okay, I'm hooked. I'm sticking with this. What did you. Yeah, it took me about 24 hours. Uh, once they gave us our uniform badge, um, our bianchi belt, leather belt. I mean, we had the exact, uh, same uniform except it was a different color and a different patch, and had everything but a handgun. Uh, on available to us, uh, as tools as we went out on patrol, sitting shotgun, uh, with officers. And we did more than that. We worked in the communications department with the police dispatchers. We worked in records management. We'd feed the prisoners in the jail. I made'em lots of microwave pancakes back then and cups of coffee and styrofoam cup. So we got to do lots of things. And you gotta remember, this is the seventies, so there was a lot of leeway and I was physically bigger than most of the cops anyway, so I got to be involved in a whole lot and had a lot of experience. So I logged about 4,000 hours. On patrol between the age of 13 and uh, when I became a commissioned Texas Peace Officer Lawman, and at the age of 19. Wow. And that's early to join the police. I know that here in the uk, anyone who's listening and who's been a police, cuz we have a high transition from police into, uh, security, corporate security sector. Mm-hmm. um, they would've been told, you know, come back when you've got a bit more experience on the belt. Otherwise you are less relatable. But joining at 90 with 4,000 hours under your belt, you are already a bit of a superstar, aren't you? And your crew. Well it made the academy really easy. When I went to the police academy, cuz like a good lawyer, I knew the answers to the questions before they were asked. And, uh, graduated number two in my class. Didn't crack a book because I was the guy out there writing the police reports. I couldn't get enough. And I really came. And my whole life is, um, it's come from a school of if you don't ask, you don't get. And my book incorporates a lot of that pH. And so I'd ask the officer who I'm writing with, and after you ride with them for hundreds of hours, you build a real personal relationship with them. Some of them, those relationships still exist today from the age of 13. And one of those people, uh, wrote in my book. As a matter of fact, two of those people did. My first Chief of police, Glen Patton, who brought me on at 19, and the first guy I rode patrol with, Clint Hackney. And, uh, their comments, uh, you'll find, uh, in the forward of my book and kind of reflects kind of the beginning, uh, of all of that. Uh, I loved it. It was a life of public service and that was very important to me. And my undergraduate work at Sam Houston State University and in the United States, there's really, uh, I was going to one of the two best criminal justice schools in the country, and that's either John Jay in New York and that wasn't gonna happen. And it was Sam Houston State University in Texas, only three hours from my house, which is a very well known institution. So I was all. and I had a great career and I'm happy to say that I'm still a Texas lawman today, and most people go, what do you mean by that? You were gonna ask me that, weren't you? Yo-Yo Yeah, That's my next question. Go for it, Chuck. You don't even need me. I could feel the vibe. I could feel the vibe as a former DJ that that could, that was a quick follow up question. In Texas, unlike other states and of course other countries cuz you know Texas, we like to consider ourselves our own country. And we were a country, interestingly enough, way back when in 1845. Well, so when you retire or leave law enforcement, the state of Texas actually regulates the licensing to become, uh, a Texas lawman. And when you retire, an, a law enforcement agency can carry you full-time non-paid. They used to refer to it as being a reserve officer, but there's no distinction in Texas. You can carry a gun off duty anywhere in the state of Texas and you can affect and, uh, enforce the laws on the books of the Texas penal code under the guidance of the code of criminal procedure. So that's good for the community cuz if I happen to be out and about. And I go to a convenience store and there's an armed robbery, I have a duty and an obligation right to the benefit of protecting the health, safety, and welfare of my community and the people in it, and the people visiting it and the business community to intervene and help protect. So it's a great concept and great idea that the state of Texas allowed retired lawmen to continue to have that carried by an agency. So it's good for the community and I continue that public service. like it's not easy, especially, you know, when you could be out enjoying a day off and e even in the uk you know, we know the British police force is never off duty, but we don't certainly have, you know, as much protection with us. And you are, as soon as I say this, you're gonna go, what? But I remember sitting down having dinner with dol McClain once right? And he likes to have a full meal after concert. And I guess that's probably because, uh, he's relax. and I told him, I was in the BLI British Police Force at the time. He was doing a local gig and uh, and he said, yo, yo have some of my fries. And I said, Don, seriously, I can't eat fries off your plate. It's just not on, sir, I respect you far too much. He's like, but you are a cop, right? You're a cop. He goes, oh, it's a tough job in the uk. You don't even have guns, that many of us would say. Actually we're used to that customer of not having guns. But you know, it is a whole different world, isn't it? You don't know that on a Sunday you could be going to the supermarket, chuck, just going about your business. Something bad happens. You are required to take action. You're compelled ethically to take action. You go home that day potentially having shot somebody. It's not the best world is, is it really? It's not, and in the United States, things are really tough right now. The number of officer involved shootings, um, has, is significantly on the rise, the deaths of law enforcement officers and. Completely different topic, which is actually very end dear. Near and dear to Mike Hurst, who's a, a very, uh, dear friend, as you well know, um, is the mental health right? Suicide is a high at its highest peak in law enforcement. It's very, very difficult work, um, to say, uh, to say the least. Hmm, 100%. So, look, you mentioned earlier your book relationships to Everything You say. Tell me why relationships to everything and why did you call your book? Yes. I called my book. Yes sir. Because in the security law enforcement military world, who this book is really intended for but yet can be used universally, um, that you hear that a lot, right? Yes, sir. Definitely in the military, in law enforcement. And then people use it in gestures, right? If somebody has somebody something to do or go place. Yes, sir. So I played into that and developed the last part of that as an acronym, s i r Strategy Intelligence and key to this conversation, yo-yo Relationships and no doubt about it. Relationships are the at all of everything. I learned that kind of late in life. Uh, I wish I had known that earlier. I didn't know what I didn't know. Like most people in life. It takes it a little time to figure out what's important, and I figured out that with relationships, especially in the field that you and I operate in, the security field, relationships are key. It helps you get things done, which is part of that. Friends of Chuck motto, right? Dream big, know how to have fun, get things done well with strategy, intelligence, relationships. You can make that happen and you can get it done. I, I feel like I've got the secret key to life. Now I know what SSIS stands for. Um, but you're right. I remember a very wise man once, cuz I've met a few, said to me when relationships are good. The big things become little things, right? And then when relationships are bad, the little things become big things. And in that myriad of the crazy world we all operate in, in security, sometimes we can't figure out what isn't working and then we realize that things are more conflated than they should be. Why is this such a big deal? Why is am I having to get involved with this? And it's because you haven't realized the relationships are just not good or. you were led to believe the relationships were better, perhaps and they were worse than you thought they were. Right? Right. So that's a, that's a really important part, isn't it, Chuck? Yeah. Yeah. It, uh, very much so when it's, uh, when it's, uh, bad, it's good. And when it's worse, it's better. Right? when you have, when you have relationships, if you will. And it's really key if you stop and think about it. Um, I'm looking to my right because as we have this podcast, I am in my podcast room and I have, um, I think I have like, I don't know, 5,000 business cards. Um, 20 feet high and 40 feet wide. Um, and this is kind of a testimony and it's an ongoing inspiration of what's important. It's people, people are important and people equates to relationships. So I've kind of, you know, mastered, uh, taking a business card. and taking that, and I've built my own database over the last two decades, about 164,000 people today and friends of Chuck and I try and, and it's, getting a business card is easy, what you do with it, how, and, and the maintenance of that card, which is the person that's your challenge. And I talk about maintenance in the book. That's actually the greatest challenge. Just about everything in life. Cuz as a society, as a company, as a corporation, as an operation, as a nonprofit, the maintenance is the hardest, hardest part. And if you can master that, you'll do very well in the world of relationships, which thus, based on the book, the Security Influencers guide to success using strategy, intelligence, and relationships. You too can also become a security influencer. I feel like I'm getting a free lesson now, Chuck. It's inspiring to be honest, But listen, being in security doesn't mean you have a lot of free time, and building relationships tends to take time. Also, writing books tends to take a lot of time. Oh yes. How about Earth? Do you find the time to say, do you know what? I'm gonna write a book. I'm gonna put everything I know in this book and I'm gonna help people. What made you wanna do. Well, I think E everybody should write a book, and I actually started maybe a few years ago thinking about the concept and how do I slot this into the very limited time that I have and everything that I do. and I don't get much sleep, and last night was no exception, especially with the lightning storm and my, uh, small canine having P T S D. It was a long night last night, And so you just make the time and you make it happen. You have to prioritize it, and it's important that we all pass on. Right to the young professionals in the A S I S. I think we just changed it to NextGen. I think it's being referred to. We have a responsibility to pass on what we know and we have a responsibility to coach and mentor, which I've been doing everything 33% of my entire life, and everything I do is around coaching and mentoring and helping and passing on to others. I think it's a really important formula. A book was a way to do that in. To everybody. The book is very intentional by design. It's a paperback book. You can fold it up, it's a tool, take it with you anywhere that you want and apply it. I cannot tell you the number of letters and comments that I've gotten from people all over the world, from Fortune five CSOs down to the uniform security officer sitting on night shift by himself overseeing 200,000 square feet of manufacturing space, literally. So with that, I am trying to make sure it gets out there to folks. Um, I give a lot of these away, and for purposes of your show, I'm happy to give a book away. Signed. Yay, Thank you, Chuck. That's awesome. You just let me know who that lucky listener is because they gotta listen to the show. To get a copy, a copy of the book and maybe we'll throw in a couple of friends of Chuck coins and pens to go with. How about that? That's super cool, Chuck, thank you so much. I was sponsor of this podcast. Mehta, secure partners are available to provide you with the best in class service you would expect from a security consultancy service that has supported some of the most richest and famous people in the world. As a partner to your business, they can support you with high caliber security personnel, CCTV risk assessments, door locking systems, cybersecurity support, and asset protection to name, but a few. Better secure partners delivering to an optimum level. That's unparalleled. www.metrosecurepartners.com. you mentioned you have a small canine. Is this a young pup? Because I kind of expected you, dude, to be the kind of guy to have a big dog, like a big Wolff, you know, like a proper wolf. Yeah, not the case. Um, listen, now we're getting in, we're getting into me. I have a, a little miniature schnauzer, and when I say miniature, that's 25 pounds, US pounds. Um, so she, uh, she's been around a, a long time. and yeah, I know people have some crazy expectation of, of Chuck Andrews and as big as the state of Texas, and there's some truth in that. But when I say Chuck, like who, like if you were able to identify someone that you could identify with, like in your personality, and I usually tell folks that, you know, I'm just kinda like, I'm just, I'm just a Willie Nelson. I'm half hippie and I'm half cowboy And that's the only way, and I'm a business. and I think on LinkedIn. Right. My, my summary is two, two words. I'm a renaissance man, self con, self confess, renaissance, man. That's exactly right. So we have obviously just cleared 2022. We're looking forward to 2023, but what are the highlights for you for 2022, Chuck? Wow. The highlights for 21st off are glad it's behind us cuz we're kind of coming outta CV 19, but apparently CV nineteen's not coming out of us. Mm-hmm. and it seems to be creeping back. You know, I never stopped traveling. I, I did a little bit only because it was force majeure on, uh, the event side. Right. It stopped. Yeah. So you couldn't go anywhere. But otherwise, and I got, I got covid, what, two, two and a half years ago. Uh, two years and two months ago, I guess. And since then I've been ex exposed every everywhere, right? And I live on a plane pretty much flying all over the country. And, you know, knock on wood, you know, uh, haven't had it, uh, haven't had any, uh, any, any issues. But I think it's creeping back up on us. Cuz I say hearing so many people, it's either the, now it's the flu and covid here in the us you know, the weather's just terrible over here. Um, so, um, I wanted to make sure that, um, you know, in traveling, you know, all that is happening, right? It's like we're coming out of all of that, which is, which is a good thing. The launch of my book, which is on nine, uh, nine 11, which is very prophetic for me, and, uh, lots of different ways. Um, I don't, it's tough to summarize up because I do, I do sue so many things and I laid the groundwork of some very big things to, to, to happen in 2023. One of the biggest things, and you're gonna hear it first right here on pod, is uh, and there's been a little soft launch with this in Chicago. It's called the Security Innovation Hub. Something never done in the world in the history of security. Now, if you go to places like 1871 or mub and these innovation hubs, right, the, where people come in, entrepreneurs, they utilize co-work space and, um, but we're actually, uh, launching that in a very big way. And, uh, 8,000 square feet is already done. This is going, you're going to hear a whole lot about this as a, the core and nucleus. um, the Friends of Chuck Security Museum is going to be there as well. Wow. And it's gonna So you're gonna, that's a little sneak preview of things to come and you're gonna, this is gonna be, this is gonna be a lot of fun and you're hearing it first on your show today. when do you, thanks for that exclusive, ch when do you expect to go live with that? So it, it, it is live, uh, now with the soft launch. Um, but we're expanding another 32,000 square feet. Wow. This is, uh, this is no small effort, so think about under one. Um, all, all these like-minded, uh, security entrepreneurs, um, vendors, technology companies in the space working together, one place that you can go and see a hundred security products actually live fully function. and how they may function open source with other products and services out there. This is going to be under one particular roof. It'll be experiential, it'll be immersive. Um, and the more to come, yo-yo, I'm gonna leave it at that Well, I, I'm thinking perhaps we should have a follow up later on in the. Perhaps we could, uh, have some sort of video, uh, interview with you. You could give us a virtual show around what's going on. Sure. Uh, that would be, that's super cool. Actually. We've not done anything like that before. we have a, we have a TV room there and a podcast room there. It's all set up for, uh, a global interaction. If only there was the budget for me to go out and run this podcast, podcast from Texas Here. I'm typing my mic right now. I'm sending him a quick me instant message this morning. Yeah, bring her out. Let's let do it live. Mike, I'm interrupting your tea, but, uh, we need a, we need a ticket for Yoyo to come to the usa. Yeah, So listen, Chuck, you've been around a bit now. Um, by your own admission, what keeps you awake at night other than thunderstorms and a little dog with P T S D Yeah. What keeps me awake are, are, uh, the industry technology and the people that are in it. And here's, let me explain that. So, uh, a lot of people rely on me to. And I'm on my own worst enemy, and we should all be our own worst enemy to make sure they're, we're we're there to help other people. Like literally I'm, I just got off the plane 48 hours ago, drove home, it's about an hour drive from Houston Intercontinental, George Bush airport, and I live on the phone, so I'm returning calls. As I closed my laptop, as I got out of my seat on the plane on wifi, talking to people by text and instant messaging around the world. Yeah, I usually keep somewhere between 25 and 45 balls in the air. And I've developed my own methodology, but key to that is I, you know, you got a reputation to live up to, and people have expectations and they really rely on you. People need a job, and that's one of the things that I was doing on the way back as I was on the phone for 20, at least 25 minutes of my hour drive. Making sure that one of my former employees who's been, uh, uh, a security director for a major institution, and I put him in that role, uh, eight years ago, um, moves on to his next opportunity, right? So I'm making all the right phone calls to people and I don't ask, you know, people when I call them. I would say 99.8% of people always take my call and that's kind of reputational cuz I'm not wasting their time and I'm pretty genuine right about what I'm asking and doing. And in this example, you know, I said, you know, this is someone you really want to interview. because when you understand an individual's personality and their competencies and they worked for you and they shined in their last role, then they become a really valuable asset. But guess what? People don't know what they don't know. But if you have, um, the good reputation and fortunately, um, I've been able to build that as a security influencer, and I. You know, influencing them to say, Hey, this guy is just worth an interview. Right? If nothing else. And of course he got, he's going to get the interview and the rest is up to them. And that's what kind of what my book talks about. I'll get you to a certain point, but you need to do your homework and be prepared to do the rest. And I've done that for. Ooh. Over the last 20 years, I've probably put in 40 CSOs around the country. They're all through relationships, and most of the people who did the hiring, they come back and say, man, Chuck, you're right. This is a great guy or great gal, and just really, it's worked it out really, really well. Well, that means I took the time to understand the personality. and all the attributes of that individual. And then I take it from the perspective of that c s o. But you have to be respectful of people's time, right. In that respect. So that's a just one example of many, and that's what keeps me up, is I have a responsibility, right? Listen, I, I left corporate America 14 years ago, yo-yo. And when I did that, I said, I'm gonna go build my own world. Well, it turns out you work 10 times harder when you work for. I don't work less than 60, 65 hours a week, easy. And, uh, I'm on a mission and these next three years will be very big for me. Um, and we'll see what happens. The truth of the matter is for Chuck Andrews, I have to give myself permission maybe one day to throttle back. I don't know that I can do that, cuz that's not my personality. I'm very, very mission oriented, as you can see. Yeah. And when you said 98.9% people take your calls. I should think that's probably up there with the president of the United States. Actually, I don't think anyone turns down his calls either. Um, I, I su I suspect a lot of people turned down his calls, Well, and I, but they're, listen, you have to be, he can't look, the president can't be Switzerland, right. Yeah. So, you know, taking positions and being respectful of everybody's boundaries, culture. Uh, political positions. Um, I'm respectful of, of, of everybody, you know, um, the, the look. If people know me and know my personality, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm Mr. Texas. Right? And in Texas, if you've traveled, and I've traveled every state in this country. and then some around the world and with some bias. I will tell you, Texas is one of the friendliest places you'll go. And it's the truth if you ask people around the world. So people are kind of enthralled with Texas, and that's why when I wear my hat, a lot of people want to have their picture taken or, and, and I give out my, every, every stewardess, every um, flight attend. Every pilot in United Airlines has my pins, And it's really funny when I come across and they go, Hey, you're, you're friends of Chuck Guy? I go, you know, so it's like, uh, which is really good because what that means is I get really good service, uh, too When I sit in the plane, the coffee is hot. That's right. Yeah. But you know, people love it. They love Texas. And Texas is one of the most recognized shapes in the world if you didn't know that. People know it. Yeah. And it's really, it's really interesting. And I have, so, you know, that keeps me up too, cuz I have a reputation to keep and represent my state and my people and my culture. And, uh, that's all about being friendly. So I hope that kind of answers the. Certainly does, but I also think growing up, uh, as a kid and watching Dallas, I think J Ewing did a lot for Texas certainly, you know, he did. Yes. The influence of television is, is, is, uh, is huge because. Uh, you know, I was with the TV show, the, the number one reality TV show cops Barbara Langley Productions for 10 years, So I got a taste of, uh, Hollywood and how, uh, how that works and how powerful. Television and media. Yeah. Can be. And it's a very, and my influence is, is look, you, you were with the British police Yeah. And you had to go through training after you got done with the academy. Mm-hmm. And we, in the United States, we call it F T O Field training. You were with a field training officer and you're like, ride with somebody for six months. Mm-hmm. And you have to, right. You have something like that Right when you get out on Yeah. Outta the, we have a, the. We have a two year probationary period where during that period you are always assigned to somebody more senior and you undergo continuous assessment and you have to tick off, you know, certain jobs you go to to qualify, you've dealt with it correctly, and, and then you kind of qualify Two years in It's long process, isn't it? Yeah, well it was, it was two days for me. False. Cause I had ridden in a police car for, for how many years as a police explorer for six years. So technically I had all that F T O training. So I was in the, I was a field, uh, I was with a field training officer for two days. Someone I knew also for my entire police explorer career, they go, Chuck, you're, you're good. You know this better than we do. Cuz I was sitting in the passenger seat watching, learning, documenting, practicing. Uh, boy, that's a whole nother show. I could tell you some stories like you wouldn't believe because back then, Crime in the United States was double, double the murders, double the rapes. People forget this. In the, in the eighties, seventies, eighties, nineties, crime was two x what it is today, even though crime is up today. Um, and for that matter, all, all property crimes are down. 33% or more, with the exception of motor vehicle theft. Yep. Which is up almost 50% in the us mm-hmm. So yeah, people forget. So it was very, very busy. Thus I was exposed to two times the amount of crime. Um, then, then today. So what that means is an F T O and in my own training and experience at 19 years old, at two o'clock in the morning, watching, uh, traffic from Houston come down. And flow narcotics and weapons down to the port. Um, DWIs, DUIs, fights, domestic violence, rapes. Murders, right? I got to, I got to do it all, which gave me a lot of exposure. And I will say this, all of this is about people and relationships. So what I was really learning, yo-yo, is about people and relationships. Of multiple cultures, of multiple languages, of multiple human behavior, mental health, uh, the, the mind of a criminal, the mind of a good citizen, and all the free chocolate chip cookies the ladies would bring me for helping them cross the road. So, I mean, look, you, I, I'd love to chat to you some more, certainly in the future around, you know, what a career in policing, uh, was like back then and how it's changed. I think, uh, I think a lot of people who know me personally, know that I joined the police after, uh, being at home on nine 11, uh, just recovering from. Teen or hospital operation. And I was watching the TV and back then I had a mobile phone. I think it was my first one. It only had 10 numbers in it. One of them was the bank and the other one was the dentist. And I literally texted everybody who I could and said, just get in front of a tv. Now you've gotta watch what's happening. And I, I think it was the firemen running into the building when you, when you understand that selflessness. And I just realized I didn't have that kind of purpose in my. Life. Mm-hmm. And so there it was. That was my impetus. And 11 months later I was in the police. Fantastic. So we've all got our own motivations Definitely. For wanting to do such an awful job, Cause let's face it, it isn't a job. You love it. Yes, 100%. But you don't do it because it's a great job. It's just some, it just ticks boxes, doesn't it? Chuck? How can you explain to somebody who's never been a cop, why people do. Yeah, boy. Whew. That's another, uh, two hours. But, uh, I couldn't agree with you more. I think it's very, very innate that within you right, your makeup of the environment you grew up in, your predisposition of your deoxyribonucleic acid as a human being on this planet. Um, conditions and events that otherwise would motivate you. That happens a lot to people. It did for you, nine 11 and lots of people joined the United States military nine 11. Right. For me, I was very interested in being purposeful in life as a youth. I always volunteered. I was a Cub Scout. I was a we below. I volunteered for this and that, that, you know, came from my mom. And this is a way to really be impactful if you're right there on the front line and you can take a bullet for a, a citizen and help people. Um, you couldn't get any closer to that than being a law enforcement officer in the United States. And that was a huge appeal to me. And I was all in, and I still am. So listen, we are running outta time, mm-hmm. Um, so Chuck, where do you think our security significant security attention. and intention needs to be for 2023. where do we need to be focused? Um, so there's lots of challenges out there and I look at them as opportunities. And, uh, a couple that are meaningful for purposes of, of what you're soliciting. And, and question here is around, uh, really technology. Technology is going to be a boom. And, and look, this is a little cliche and it's to keep people keep saying it and saying it. Um, when we talk about, uh, artificial intelligence, this is going to play in much, in a much bigger, bigger role. I happen to, own a company, and we don't call it artificial intelligence. we call it anomaly detection, right? Mm-hmm. I'm, uh, one of the, three owners of, so I'm in that space and invested in that space in a very big way. So we're gonna, we're gonna see that number two. We're also going to see the, the dynamics and the challenges, because right now you, you can't hire security officers. I'm trying to keep this very, if post centric, it's very difficult to find people. It's more difficult to keep them. I, I think it's harder to be a security officer than it is a law enforcement officer. they're not given the tools, love, attention, education, training, credit due. and, and I was at 15, I was a security officer sitting in a hundred thousand square feet of a place that you would know it as Dillard in the us but we called it Joss Skis back in the day as a kid sitting there with a Billy. 15 years old in an empty building, hearing creepy noises at two in the morning. it is tough. Boredom is the enemy. And, and there's really, you, you know, in law enforcement there's always something going on. And, uh, I will tell you, I've lived both lives, so I, I know, uh, truly. So you're gonna see some big changes in that space with technology paired with security officers and, uh, industry. That fight's going to continue for resources because there's not a security company that I know. In the United States that's staffed and able to meet their clients' needs. And this is an ongoing challenge for everybody. so with that, it's like, oh yeah, we're gonna have this problem, that problem, we can talk about all that, but what are the solutions? And here to wrap it kind of wrap things up. So I always like to give some kind of solutions. So we're gonna talk about problems and we gotta talk about, so, So if somebody was really on top of their game, they would develop us in, within their own corporation, their own security officer, academy, so they can churn out people under their guise and influence of being, the best product for their client. So that's what I would tell people is a fix, right? If you were smart, you go develop and create your own field. Of people ready to go. Out in the field, and I think you're gonna see some people do that. Watch closely. So Chuck, look along with the fact that I could literally just talk to you all day. I was, uh, super chuff when you said you could make some time, uh, to talk with us today. And I know that lots of people will just be hanging on a lot of things that you say. You were selected as, as the number one security influencer in I second 2020. And I think there'll be lots of people, uh, in the security industry who just have a natural leaning inclination to want to influence others. What would you say to a. A young professional now who's successful in their career, who's maybe creating their own individual platforms of influence and wants to be known, and, you know, as, as a global influencer, how could you give them a pathway to, to doing something like that? I already see people, um, uh, you know, young professionals if you will, if you will, already doing that and making a place for themself. And, and my book talks about that. So with some bias, I would tell you, um, find a tool and my book is a good tool and a good start. Someone who's been there and done that successfully and. Read the book and start applying the principles in the book on how you too can become a security influencer. So that's the easy way out. But it's, you know, look to say this, you need to, uh, actually start getting in front of people. You wanna win, show up. Yeah. And that's, that's that 20% of the population. You have to be out there networking, talking to people. You don't have a business card. Get a business card. I talk about that as well. You have to start engaging social media. LinkedIn's gonna be the number one space. For this particular industry, and it's the, it's kind of the last, uh, the last of the last out there. Facebook is about, you know, friendships. It's kind of the same demographic, but LinkedIn is where you want to be. You need to take the time to build a respectful and thoughtful profile. And more importantly, let's go back to what we already talked about. Yo-yo maintenance, you have to get on LinkedIn every single day. And respond, comment, contribute, and post. By doing that, you are engaging with people and you are, and in the throes of the beginning of becoming a security influencer. I think that's great advice, and I remember when I was having initial discussions with Ash, big check out to. Uh, he'll probably be listening. Uh, he said when he was at the security expo in London recently, he said, from a mile off he could see your cowboy hat. And he said to himself, without even seeing your face, there's Chuck. How important is a person's brand, especially in security when wanting to become, you know, a, a global security influence? So you have a, a heck of a brand, Chuck Congrat. thank you. And listen, the, fortunately the hat is 10 gallons, so you can see it at 0.5 miles away or two kilometers. Just make sure we're And again, you know, by pure luck, uh, it works and the hat's very special. It's made by the hands of, a lady who, um, who put made some of the most famous hats for people around the world. I was just lucky. Through relationships, right? Through Friends of Chuck to be able to be honored. And that's a whole fun story in itself because, uh, the hat cost me a cow. I had to give her a cow from my hat. This is, it's a true story, but yes, the branding on the branding, it, it's really important. You have to differentiate yourself. It's human psychology. Why do you think in the United States, c v s builds across the street from Walgreens, and Walgreens builds across the street from c v s? It creates, I contrast for people, it creates contrast. It's like, why would I pick that story if Walgreens just by itself, it has no meaning and life, we have no meaning without contrast. So when contrast is created, you have that delta and gap where people can actually discern and act on a decision. Well, for me, Walgreens happens to be my. and people can say, oh, well, that, that stands out because it's different from c v s across the street. I know that's a very simple analogy, but it's true. Wherever I go, people can see me two kilometers away and it's part of my brand and it's part of who I am. Everything in my life has a story. Yo-yo, everything in my office, every, just about everything I own, and everybody should have a story and you should be sharing it with people. So you have to find out what that is. For you. So we have to wrap it up. But the last question for you is the same last question that I ask everybody and I ask everybody off without any planning at all, what, one person you can think of to give a mod to cause they were particularly relevant in your life. Ooh, that's a lot of people in my case, who, uh, we're talking about a shout out. Is that right? A shout out, somebody who you know is, is influential to you. Uh, maybe your influencer, somebody who you think deserves a bit of a nod from Chuck. Well, I, uh, so I, I found that person, he, he's in the, he's in the Yes sir book on the first page under what my friends say his name is, uh, Clint Hackney. And Clint, uh, uh, was the person I actually wrote almost an aggregate of three years on patrol with him, and he taught me, uh, which is really the baseline about people. Um, all the six senses. How to protect yourself. He certified me as a brown belt in karate. And when I was going back, going through all that training, he took me under his wing. Turned out he only lived two blocks from my home. And, uh, we still have that friendship since the age of 13 today. and, and so if I have to give a shout out, it'd be to to to Clint Hackney for laying the found. First for my own survival, cuz I've been in many life death situations and only because of his training. And by God's good grace am I here today to continue this work. So big shout out to Clint Hackney, who lives in the Pacific Northwest, Clint. That's for you buddy. Well we are grateful to Clint as well cuz maybe without him you wouldn't be here today, That's true. No, I, I I think that's, uh, that's very. I remember a police sergeant said to me in my first year, he said, never turn you back to traffic. And we were like, oh God, it's always moaning. Uh, but you know what, he, he was really good. Cause police officers do get run over, especially in the uk and I think when you know that rule and you believe that rule, it becomes part of your cardinal habit. Forming activity. And I see people now turning them back to traffic and they, it could even be the tv and I'm like, don't turn your back to a moving vehicle. Uh, that would be my little nod to Neil, who was my sergeant at Braley Police Station, And maybe I'm alive today because I never turn my back to traffic, but, so, Chuck, I, I can't thank you enough. You have been utterly delightful. I know people will enjoy listening to this. Thank you so much for your time. It's been. you're quite welcome, and I'll see you at the next security conference. Yes.