Embracing Diversity in the Workplace

October 23, 2023 by Katie Moran Leave a Comment

Despite the rise in political tension happening throughout the globe, we are still living in an exciting time for globalization that is largely expanding from the business world.

As the digital-first workforce expands its reach into all areas of industry the need for international representatives is growing as well. By breaking down cultural barriers, we are more easily able to focus on the future of hi-tech and less on the cultural/political divisions that have been re-emerging in recent years. We continue to see a more rapid rate of exponential growth in technology.

As the mercantile trade has evolved into the modern business world, it has also promoted one main vision: Globalization of services. This allows business leaders to bring on employees from all genders, races, and cultures. Thought, the biggest hindrance to the expansion of the merchant world has consistently been the warring factors that come with cultural, religious, and political differences. Selective alliances have created friction for the connecting of top minds – an ideology that we have seen breaking down over time and quickly transitioning into the future.

There is nothing more beautiful than stepping into an event to see people comfortable discussing their business goals without the fear of being judged by the “accessories” that allows them to proudly represent their religion/culture without fear of judgment. Only by educating each other through calm, open discourse can we truly begin to understand each other. That means expanding our education of Eastern and Western cultures and finding fusion that entices people from all backgrounds.

One way to start changing the business world is to have a Chief Diversity Officer on your team. Someone who is unbiased and is curious to understand all of your employees. Not just how they operate in a business sense, but also how their culture/religion/upbringing shapes them. Only by truly understanding all sides, can we begin truly work towards building our teams with the strongest/firmest foundations to take us into the future.

Have you found the right Chief Diversity Officer for your team?

Do you have comments, questions, ideas, or suggestions? Share with us at: [email protected]

Maneuvering the Entertainment Industry: Patrick Moran, Founder of PKM Productions and Executive with Amazon

October 16, 2023 by Katie Moran Leave a Comment

We recently spoke with Patrick Moran regarding his executive journey through the Entertainment Industry.

Patrick Moran has 25+ years in the entertainment industry. His experience has evolved from an assistant, to producer, to an executive for organizations such as Fox and ABC Studios. Today he is the Founder of PKM Productions with an overall deal between himself and Amazon (meaning: all productions must be completed under Amazon).

How did you first get into the industry, and what was your inspiration?

I’ve always been a consumer of film and television. Television in particular. I graduated from school, and I moved to LA and became someone’s assistant. Which is the pretty typical way to breaking in – assisting someone who is already in the role you want to have. Kind of unremarkable way of breaking in. Moved out here and became someone’s assistant. That’s it!

And then you went into producing or explored other avenues along the way?

I stayed with that first company I was at, NewLine, for about 5 years. Then the woman I was working for left, so I felt like that was a good time for me too. I took a number of jobs throughout the industry, some on the producing side, the majority on the executive side. With my new company, at Amazon, this is really my first producing gig that is my own. So probably about 20 years on the Executive side though.

What have you found to be the biggest challenge from the Executive side?

It’s an industry that has evolved and changed a lot over the last 20 years, and just keeping up with that evolution. How we’ve gone from an industry with a more traditional Broadcast model and now, no surprise, we’re more of a streaming business. I think all of those shifts and changes are a lot to keep up with.

Have you found that technological disruptions, like AI, have affected the shifting?

I think we’re still waiting to see how AI will affect the business. There’s a lot of conversations on what the next 3-5 years are going to look like. I think there’s some concern, sort of, what kind of jobs AI will take-over or replace. I haven’t seen anything impacted in a very meaningful way. Though I do sort of think that technology, with streaming in particular and more technology companies entering the industry, that’s where we’ve seen the biggest impacts.

Have you seen any impact or shifts for networking in the industry?

I do think there was. It ages me a bit, but for those of us working in the broadcast model (let’s say about 10 years ago), there was a real rhythm to the year. New shows typically launched in September. So, it had created this structure for the year. That’s no longer the case. Shows launch all the time. The streaming services are not on the traditional calendar. There’s been a lack of regulatory in terms of structure. I think that has impacted how we network, how we engage, and what those conversations look like. So, I think moving into the streaming model has definitely impacted the networking experience.

We have been hearing from other Executives that social media is a large part of their networking experience, have you found that to be the case as well?

I might just be older; I have definitely engaged with social media. Though I wouldn’t say that’s how I network. The only platform I’m not on is LinkedIn. I use the platforms more for information rather than networking.

When look for new shows and content, how do you go about that process?

When we’re looking at material and new projects, for me, there are some basic criteria. #1 you want to make sure its not being done elsewhere. Something that feels like a fresh way into something. The second, I tend to gravitate towards things that are more character driven. I like things that feel writer driven. Most of my day is talking with authors, so I do like a really clear sense of authorship. And the shows that feel something contemporary about them, something that’s more of the moment. Broadly speaking.

Are you seeing any concerns over the returning rise of COVID?

Covid really impacted the industry in a big way in 2020. It felt like we’ve just been getting our feet back under us. Now with these strikes and COVID coming back, its just something I think we are going to have to live with and learn to manage. I think it’s here to stay and will always have some impact over production. So, we’re just going to have to continue to do the best to manage.

Having your own company and partnering with Amazon, do you find any friction in your partnership when it comes to selecting content?

They support my company. I have an overall deal with Amazon. I really look at them as partners more than anything. My job is to identify and produce content that makes its way onto their platform. So, I try to take as much direction from them as to what their needs are and do the best I can to satisfy their needs. I found it to be a very healthy partnership. They’ve been very good to me. I think it’s been a really great, successful partnership.

When you have identified your next production, how do you approach the hiring process?

I have the benefit of the inductive experience, and I have a really broad network in almost every category. It’s not a huge challenge to find people to fill those roles. I do continue to keep myself educated in terms of other writers, other directors, and other actors that we can work with. I have some of my go-to people that I work with, and a few others I’m in dialogue with for when the right opportunity comes. So, the networking part of that isn’t super complicated for me.

When you want to stay in the know, what are the best resources for you?

Just being a consumer of Pop Culture, really. I’m always watching shows or movies. If there’s something that strikes me in terms of a performance, or script or the direction, then I reach out and start that dialogue. That way when the right opportunity does come along, I’ve already been in touch with someone. I know it sounds super straight-forward, but it really isn’t much more complicated than that.

What are your favorite types of content to watch?

Probably nothing that will surprise you. I was a huge fan of Succession. I was a huge fan of White Lotus. Those are the two from this year that are kind of the standouts for me. Things that are character driven. Things with a bit of a sense of humor, even if they’re on the surface very dramatic.

How do you see the Entertainment industry evolving over the next 5 years?

That’s a really good question. Right now, in LA we’re in the middle of two strikes, one between the studios and the writer’s guild and the other between the studios and the actors. So, it’s been a complicated summer trying to get these contracts in order to get back to work. I think we’ll be with streaming for a long time. Though the amount of content will probably decrease. I think we’ve seen a firehose of offerings. I think it may have caused a quantity over quality issue and I think we’ll see a pull-back – which would be for the best. I think the peak of TV is really behind us, in terms of volume. I hope that it will yield just better products overall.

What advice would you have for someone who wants to become an Executive in the Entertainment industry?

I don’t think it’s new but work for someone with a job that looks interesting so you can work with someone who will lead you down the right road. Who you work for colors about 80% of your experience. So, I would be very careful who you work for. Be willing to start at the bottom and find someone who is willing to be a mentor.

Do you have comments, questions, ideas, or suggestions? Share with us at: [email protected]

Interested in being featured in one of our CxO Interviews? Email: [email protected]

CxO Interview: Luke McNamara, CEO of Roman Sanford

October 2, 2023 by Katie Moran Leave a Comment

Katie Moran, Community Engagement Manager, recently sat down with Luke McNamara – CEO of Roman Sanford – to discuss overcoming challenges with business growth and recruiting & retaining employees in the Executive Protection Industry.

Roman Sanford was founded in 2015 as an Executive Protection company and has grown to include: RS Strategic, a valet company – founded 2017, and the Roman Sanford Black Program, a Tactical Training Program – founded in 2018. Luke is an Air Force Veteran, an active Detective and member of the SWAT team. He also holds a BS in Business Management from Stony Brook University.

What inspired Roman Sanford?

Having military and law enforcement experience, and always having an unusual amount of motivation, work ethic, drive, and passion for security work, I knew I wasn’t just a worker. I knew I had the ability to create something special on my own, and so I did. Through strong relationships built with colleagues, mentors, peers, local community governments, and even competitors, I was able to develop Roman Sanford for what it is.

How did you break into the Security Industry?

I pretty much started doing security work when I was 18, bouncing! By 19 I joined the Air Force; I went into the Security Forces field and learned a lot about government security systems there. Following that, I went and finished out my Business degree at Stony Brook. I got into law enforcement after that. I was a patrol officer for 10 years, then got assigned to ESU (otherwise known as SWAT), and now, a full-time detective. Security and protection work have always been a part of my DNA.

Have you found your involvement in the town where Roman Sanford is headquartered has aided in your success?

Yes; I’d say it has definitely helped. I keep in touch with most people I meet and I’m constantly networking. I’ve always been that way. So, it was easier for me in that sense when I started the business because I started networking even more and just telling people what we do; people already liked me for what I stood for, my ethics and reliability from all the years they knew me prior to that. So, that definitely helped – amongst the other things, like, being in law enforcement and having a military background.

What have you found to be your biggest challenge?

One of the biggest challenges I have, as a Hamptons based company, has always been quality employee retention outside of the busy, hot season. We can keep these guys employed full-time throughout the summer. Then, we would hit this wall in the off-season where it was mostly part-time contract work. One of the things I implemented to combat that, is something I created “The Black Team.” They are our top guys who are carefully selected employees based on a multitude of criteria. They are kind of like our Delta Force (like within the US Army). They are our best assets, and ones I don’t want to lose to lack of work, so I implemented ways to keep them busy, and happy.

What tools have you found to help you manage the most?

That’s really difficult to say… The biggest tools/systems for me are those that help me recruit and retain top quality human capital. Human capital to me is everything. It’s made my company. Also, I’m a major networker, and I talk to people all the time. I’ve got a large social media presence. More specifically, Instagram, has been like my LinkedIn for networking with people and bringing people into the company. Also, we use a particular app for all of our scheduling, programming, and logistical support, which has aided us in so many ways.

How do you decide who to assign and do your clients request the same agents?

It depends on client feedback. Most of the time they like who we assign, and we have it in our contracts and through our tailored assessment with them, that if they’re unhappy with anyone, we’ll pull the agent immediately. We don’t really get that, however. We carefully select who is going where, to do what, based on many things. Experience is one thing. Though, for instance, does the client have a lot of threats against them? Like, more of your celebrity type where you need a large human-being to constantly help keep people physically back? This is more bodyguard style work. Or, is it a big tech CEO who is more low-profile, no one really knows him, but he’s worth a billion dollars and he still needs protection for certain other reasons? In that case, we might pair him/her with executive protection agents which are, maybe, former intelligence officers, law enforcement, former special forces, etc, who can kind of keep a more low-profile presence, while still protecting them in a multitude of ways other than “physically.” Selection for these details is based on various criteria.

How would you define your company culture?

It’s very much so a team effort and team-oriented. We have an awesome team. I’ve always been a huge team player. I like people being involved. Money has never been the driving factor for me with the company, and it probably never will be. It’s always been about the brand reputation, and where people love working alongside me and my guys. That’s the main thing for me – the brand. People love working with our team, and we do the little things to keep everyone stoked to be here. We do a lot to keep our guys connected, even in the off-season. We created our own Brazilian ju-jitsu club that’s called the RS Grappling Club, that meets once a week. It’s things like that, the team things.

How do you keep your agents trained and up to date?

We have strategic partnerships with other major training companies. Our #1 partner is Progressive Force Concepts out of Las Vegas. I’ve been with them for years now. Steve Chrisdeck is the CEO. He’s been a close friend of mine for a while now. What I established is, if you want to be on the Black Team and work alongside the world’s 1% clients that we have, they have to go throw certain trainings. One of them is an executive protection development concept course that Progressive Force Concepts hosts, and they have one of the only internationally recognized certification courses for executive protection. To be on the Black Team, that is the steppingstone. I fund the training. Then year to year, I keep record of their training and rotate them out, so they are a well-rounded package.

What are you looking forward to in 2024?

Every year we are on the incline. One of the other challenges for me has been managing that business incline and scale. I’m not a one-man army and the only way it can operate the way it can is with the people under me. It’s funny, every year I seem to be hiring more people for different positions and different things, and then we scale even more than projected. So, it’s like a constant catch-up game. I’m hoping by 2024 it’s a little more automated while maintaining quality control. I’m hoping to get to a little more automated myself so that I can focus on more of the business development as we go.

What advice would you have for anyone trying to break into Executive Protection?

The experience and having a background does matter – for Roman Sanford, you have to have done a number of years either in the security industry, military, or law enforcement, to qualify for EP. But the biggest thing is really that you just have to have the drive to stay the course. The future, especially for what we do, is always an unknown. EP work can be very demanding. Stay humble, stay the course, and respect the industry. The 1% world is a small one and that’s what a lot of people don’t understand; you can mess up once and it can sink you and your reputation in the EP industry. You never know who you’re talking to, that’s why I say respect everyone (competitors included). There’s plenty of work out there for all.

To learn more about Luke McNamara and Roman Sanford, visit: https://www.romansanford.com/

Do you have comments, questions, ideas, or suggestions? Share with us at: [email protected]

Interested in being featured in one of our CxO Interviews? Email: [email protected]

Building a Solid Team for Long-Term Success

September 4, 2023 by Katie Moran Leave a Comment

“A players attract A players. B players attract C players.” – Steve Jobs

When it comes to building a strong, high performing team, the hiring process is key. Skills can always be taught; however, attitude and experience cannot be bought. Inexperienced companies tend to look at which skills a person has and discards the attitude. So, what are some of the best attributes to look for when hiring A players?

Basic knowledge of your company. Unless they have been coached, or have a long-standing relationship with your company, chances are they will not be well-versed on the organization’s history, operations, and key players. However, as the company’s website, LinkedIn, and listing type are all public, there should be a basic understanding of:

With whom they will be speaking and their role(s)
The mission of the organization
Size of the company/General size of their department
The sector the organization lies in
Who the target customers are (generally)

Comes ready with questions/notes. A players take their position seriously. More often than not, they will arrive with a list of questions ready and more will arise throughout the flow of the conversation. The more questions, the better – as it represents their level of interest. You’re likely to hear questions such as the following:

What does the onboarding process look like?
What does the day-to-day look like?
Who will I be working with and who would I be reporting to directly?
What are the opportunities for growth?
What is the salary and bonus structure?
Is there a relocation package?
Are any additional benefits offered?
How does the organization handle overtime?

An open mind. Brand representation is the key driver of market recognition and loyalty. Opportunities for growth lie in diversifying the target audience and employee retention the organization is interested in attracting. Unwillingness to listen to dissenting voices, deeming concerns as minuscule, and attempts to drown out voices who disagree can lead to resentment between employees, yourself and the board, regression in the organization’s progress, and more.

Growth mindset. The world of business is ever evolving. The rate of technological advancement is exponentially faster than ever seen before in history. This has allowed for the fastest speed in communication between peers to share ideas, compare data, and transfer knowledge. To make the vision a reality, top players will be able to see the full-vision and the steps needed to be taken to get there. The ability to recognize and respect that growth is not linear is a great mindset for the business world.

At the end of the day, making the dream a reality is the main goal. We all have good days and bad days. Creating a work environment that is goal oriented through healthy collaboration starts with building a team that is focused on achieving, asks impactful questions and is respectful of each other.

Do you have comments, questions, ideas, or suggestions? Share with us at: [email protected]

Mitigating Toxic Employee Behaviors: Maintain a Healthy Work Environment

August 14, 2023 by Katie Moran Leave a Comment

Employee retention is one of the most important factors of successful businesses. During the hiring process, managers look for attitude – Can this person represent my company at the highest level? Over time, attitudes and behaviors can change. Sometimes these changes can be caused by stress, lack of passion, or, in the worst scenario – an employee’s true colors begin to show. When the toxicity becomes too much to bear, how should we best approach the situation?

Assess the mission of your organization. the actions of the employee that you have taken note of and how it is affecting the reputation of the organization, the potential to suffer further from toxic behavior, and how these behaviors are lowering the organization’s Brand.

Industries such as sales, politics, and the military often foster a “win at all costs” mindset, which can lead to competition between teams. However, employees in any industry should exercise self-control to prevent toxic behaviors from harming the team as a whole.

If your organization promotes an altruistic mission, this mentality is more likely to cause a well of tension over time. This is especially true if you claim to represent a group of people, yet you become/are made aware that some employees are ostracizing target audience members who don’t fit their idea of what that group should be – who don’t “fit the bill”. For example, if your organization supports a minority group, but an employee views someone as a “black sheep” of that group, they may make that person feel unwanted.

Some common toxic behaviors in a workplace to watch for include:

Lack of trust.
Gaslighting.
Lack of collaboration.
Bullying.
Emotional manipulation.
Lack of support/growth opportunities.
Taking credit for others’ work/ideas.
Intimidation.
Harassment.
Lack of healthy boundaries.
Slandering Teammates/Potential New Hires.

If you notice any of these behaviors, start by speaking with the employee(s) who is being targeted. Be clear with them about what you have heard and/or observed and get a clearer understanding of how it is affecting them. Then, speak with the other team members individually. This will prevent the perpetrating parties from bonding together to manipulate the narrative further. Follow up consistently to ensure that these harmful actions are not continuing.

Try to avoid only speaking with the perpetrating parties and bystanders, as this can open the door for the continuation of these behaviors. Which can potentially even open the door to more severe consequences, such as legal action.

The commercialization of Deep Technologies has opened the door lesser considered toxic behaviors:

Account hacking.
Creating fake profiles to stalk perceived competition.
Cyber threats to harm employees/target audience who don’t comply with requests or demands.
“Burning” the targeted co-worker to prevent them from being able to work.

Initial identification of any of these behaviors gives leaders an opportunity to discuss the issues and offer ways to avoid continuation. However, if the behaviors persist over time despite being addressed, it is crucial to assess if this is truly who you want representing your organization. If you decide that this is not the right fit, it will be best to let the employee go. This is an opportunity to demonstrate leadership skills with strength with compassion.

Pivotal decisions such as these open the door to truly assist your former employee to find their right career path. Consider their strengths and in which environment they thrive. Offer to help them update their resume. Be willing and eager to write recommendation letters that highlight their strengths. Introduce, or talk them up, to other business leaders/organizations that would better fit their passions and personality. Just because an employee was not the right fit for your organization, does not mean they lack talent or purpose. Wanting to assist this employee on their journey forward, is a strong exhibit of the type of leader you are/want to be.

Do you have comments, questions, ideas, or suggestions? Share with us at: [email protected]

What inspired Roman Sanford?

How did you break into the Security Industry?

Have you found your involvement in the town where Roman Sanford is headquartered has aided in your success?

What have you found to be your biggest challenge?

What tools have you found to help you manage the most?

How do you decide who to assign and do your clients request the same agents?

How would you define your company culture?

How do you keep your agents trained and up to date?

What are you looking forward to in 2024?

What advice would you have for anyone trying to break into Executive Protection?

Contact us and let’s get started!