Unlocked Podcast

You just got back from a conference with seven new ideas. Which ones actually get implemented, and do you build consensus first or push the change through? Recorded at the Brivo Cloud Security Summit in Arlington, Texas, Chad, Tony and Lars compare three very different approaches to leading change without burning out their teams. In this episode:- How to filter the flood of new ideas without chasing every shiny object- Why consensus-building can make change painfully slow, and when you need it anyway- What to do if you're the one blocking innovation in your business- Why methodical teams say "two weeks," and how to ask better questions about timelines- Connecting every change to a clear vision so your team knows why it matters Hosted by Chad (Loc-Doc Security), Tony (Assured Security) and Lars (Calgary Lock & Safe). 🔗 Podcast Links:Website: https://unlockedpodcast.com📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@UnlockedPodcast-w7c🎧 Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/unlocked-podcast/id1774331694🎧 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3dYy1AHnGIjIsyHPixeE0e

If you could wave a magic wand and rebuild your business with everything you know now, what would you change first? Recording in person at the Brivo Cloud Security Summit in Arlington, Texas, Chad, Tony and Lars walk through what they'd retool across finance, operations and sales — aimed squarely at owners stuck in the day-to-day of a business under $2–3 million. In this episode:- Why one big "sales" line hides where you actually make money, and how to break out your chart of accounts- The three numbers that show a business's health in five minutes- The costs that grow faster than revenue: people, vans, inventory and equipment- Mapping quote-to-invoice with sticky notes, and why processes built on edge cases slow everything down- Finding which customers actually make you money (and which ones cost you) Hosted by Chad (Loc-Doc Security), Tony (Assured Security) and Lars (Calgary Lock & Safe).

Episode 100 is finally here—recorded live in front of a studio audience at the ASSA ABLOY Security Partners conference in Tempe, Arizona! Join Chad (Loc-Doc Security), Tony (Assured Security), and Lars (Calgary Lock & Safe) for a hilarious, high-energy 45-minute retrospective looking back at how three independent security shop owners met a decade ago and transformed their operations through radical transparency. The trio revisits the pivotal Winter 2020 TLC Summit in Minneapolis where they first opened their actual ledgers, margins, and payroll data—a single weekend that sparked a 10x growth trajectory across their businesses. They debate the hardest lessons learned over 100 episodes, including Glenn Younger's famous quote ("Revenue is vanity, profit is sanity"), Tom Harris’s mantra ("Progress is better than perfection"), the hidden costs of holding onto underperforming employees, and why you must define what "winning" looks like for your team every single day.

How far are you willing to go when delegating daily trade operations to Artificial Intelligence? In Episode 99—the final episode before the centennial milestone—Chad (Loc-Doc Security), Tony (Assured Security), and Lars (Calgary Lock & Safe) sit down together in person in Tempe, Arizona, for a lively, unfiltered debate on the boundary between AI efficiency and human connection. Prompted by a question from longtime listener Kevin Sheehan, the hosts examine where they strictly refuse to let AI run free. Lars details why he refuses to give AI direct API access to bank accounts to automate payments, while Chad explains why he will not replace human customer service reps with inbound voice agents. The trio explores payment reconciliation automation, the risk of blending into "AI slop", and why personalized human relationships remain the ultimate differentiator in the physical security business.

Are you constantly complaining that you "can't find good technicians" in the security and locksmith industry? In Episode 98 (the final countdown before our 100th episode!), Lars (Calgary Lock & Safe), Tony (Assured Security), and Chad (Loc-Doc Security) deconstruct the root cause behind the industry's hiring shortage—and why hunting for pre-trained "unicorn" technicians is crippling shop growth. The episode opens with the hosts showing off left-handed Unlocked Podcast mugs and teasing upcoming Centennial swag for Episode 100. Then, Lars introduces a provocative economic thesis: client pain for door hardware is low compared to massive HVAC or electrical infrastructure budgets. Because traditional shops undercharge for service, they cap their ability to offer competitive starting compensation. The trio explores why shops must transition into training organizations—abandoning slow 1-on-1 "ride-along" shadow training in favor of cohort onboarding, 30/60/90-day task walls, and rapid "speed to competency" models.

Do you dread Sunday evenings and roll into your shop on Monday morning playing defense, just waiting to get punched in the face by unexpected chaos? In Episode 97, Chad (Loc-Doc Security), Tony (Assured Security), and Lars (Calgary Lock & Safe) dive into the operational importance of Mondays and how leaders set the tone for the entire week. Recording after Chad recap's a whirlwind golf trip to Minnesota with Tony—where Chad managed to miss the bag-check window, lose his golf clubs, and find out the tournament was canceled midway through the practice round—the hosts pivot to executive time management. Chad breaks down Loc-Doc Security’s strict 15-minute 7:45 AM Monday all-hands meeting, detailing how cascading department reports eliminate operational silos and prevent mid-week surprises. Tony outlines how Assured Security uses team-level Monday huddles to keep salespeople and installers aligned, while Lars explains why Calgary Lock & Safe shifts its main week-planning meetings to Tuesday mornings to clean up weekend emergency calls.

If your locksmith or security integration business is stuck at a revenue plateau, the roadblock almost never stems from a lack of technical skill—it stems from making the wrong hires at the wrong time. In Episode 96, Tony (Assured Security), Chad (Loc-Doc Security), and Lars (Calgary Lock & Safe) map out a practical, stage-by-stage hiring roadmap for scaling a trade business from $1M to $10M. Recording after a lighthearted preamble discussing Royal Portrush golf gifts, Tony's hallway office setup in Bloomington, and their upcoming 100th-episode milestone, the trio treats executive hiring like a strategic drafting session. They debate when an owner must hand off daily dispatch to a dedicated Operations Manager, why adding an outside salesperson moves a shop from $30 re-keys to $50,000 door hardware projects, and how adding a Systems IT Administrator eliminates administrative "copy-paste" friction. Plus, they explore why hiring a dedicated technical trainer solves the industry's talent shortage and why every founder needs an outside business coach or peer group once they hit $7M.

Is your personal "weirdness" actually your ultimate executive superpower? In Episode 95, Chad (Loc-Doc Security), Tony (Assured Security), and Lars (Calgary Lock & Safe) pivot from tactical operational playbooks to a reflective, self-actualization session inspired by Chris Williamson’s Modern Wisdom podcast. The episode kicks off with host banter as Lars spills coffee all over his gray pants on camera, Tony shares his top pet peeves (cubed ice in an Old Fashioned and uncollected B2B sales follow-ups), and the hosts joke about an automated email offering to buy the podcast. Then, the trio dives deep into executive self-awareness. Tony breaks down his "nerd habit" of using Microsoft Excel and raw data to tell emotional business stories. Chad reflects on his evolution from an "arsonist" who started fifteen chaotic shop projects at once to a reserved leader focused on solving root causes. Plus, the guys dissect the illusion of busyness, debate why achieving success can feel surprisingly hollow, and discuss how to scale output per employee past standard industry metrics.

What happens when you lock three trade business owners with high ingenuity scores in a room, ban table-bashing, and force them to pitch wild, untested concepts across sales, finance, and operations? In Episode 95, Tony (Assured Security), Chad (Loc-Doc Security), and Lars (Calgary Lock & Safe) run a fast-paced, 45-minute ideation session to completely rethink the traditional locksmith and security model. Recording after opening banter about airport meetings with longtime listeners and Minnesota State Fair "Juicy Lucy" burgers, the trio jumps straight into the ideation sandbox. They explore how live-stream video interactions and real-time AI phone summaries can eliminate wasted site visits and provide instant quotes on the spot. In the finance segment, Lars questions why service companies tolerate standard Net-30 credit terms while retail stores enjoy instant cash, prompting a deep dive into card-on-file billing, Net-15 adjustments, and AI-driven daily cash-flow inboxes.

As your business scales from $\$2\text{M}$ to $\$10\text{M}$, does it strictly require replacing your original staff, or can you systematically elevate your existing team to meet the new operational demands? In Episode 94, Tony (Assured Security), Chad (Loc-Doc Security), and Lars (Calgary Lock & Safe) break down an episode topic submitted by industry veteran Glen Younger: how to build an intentional, self-sustaining culture of continuous personal growth. The episode kicks off with host banter about Chad meeting up with longtime listener Kevin Sheehan for a chai latte at Charlotte's perpetually under-construction airport, alongside plans for Chad and Tony to devour "Juicy Lucy" burgers at the Minnesota State Fair. Then, the trio dives deep into team development. They explore why "leaders bring the temperature", how to use live lesson-boards after major projects, and the real-world trade-offs between promoting internal talent versus hiring external senior managers.