Our Women in Security Q&A series continues with Hannah Livergood, director of marketing for Defined Marketing.
Security Sales & Integration: How did you get into the security industry?
Hannah Livergood: I always joke that it was an accident, but it’s the truth. I originally started out working at my grandfather’s company, which was in merchandise security casing. I moved and somehow landed working for a contractor with the Department of Defense, then shifted into the physical security and turnstile world with Smarter Security. I took a few detours along the way, but before I knew it, I looked back and realized: this is what I do.
SSI: Have you encountered any difficulties or obstacles in your security industry career?
Livergood: I believe those obstacles force you to be uncomfortable, and that discomfort is where real growth happens. Entering the industry young and as a woman, there are certain unspoken rules you have to learn along the way.
There were times I had to work harder to be taken seriously and earn respect rather than simply receiving it. There were plenty of moments where I had to find balance between not fading into the background and finding my voice in a way that felt authentic to me, while also earning the respect of counterparts who were often older and mostly male. This was where advocates and mentors played a key role for me.
SSI: Whom would you point to as the most influential and helpful mentors in your career? What did they do to help you?
Livergood: I don’t believe anyone is truly self-made. Success is a combination of hard work, and for me, two key factors stand out: the people who helped me excel and a good measure of luck. There are too many people to list here, but I’ll include a few.
There have been moments in my career when I couldn’t find a seat at the table and couldn’t figure out how to get one. Your voice doesn’t matter if you’re not in the room. In every role I’ve held, someone has pulled up a chair for me, sometimes figuratively, sometimes quite literally.
I think about those people often, and some of them may not even realize the moments they created that changed my career. Steven Naltsas told me where I’d be in five years and I didn’t believe him. Having someone confidently believe in you simply because they could see what you were capable of and where you wanted to go was exactly what I needed.
Cooper Briscoe challenged me at every corner, found me a seat at the table and was the first to call my bluff. I would be remiss not to mention Karen Chiang. Though we worked together for a short time, watching female leadership operate with both grace and total transparency was a breath of fresh air. If any of them called me into a burning building, I’d trust there was a good reason for it.
All of them invested a tremendous amount of time and energy mentoring and advocating for me, expecting nothing in return. Without each of them, I’m certain my career would be in a very different place.
SSI: What is your proudest career accomplishment?
Livergood: Having the courage to try something new. I’m a Type A planner by nature and stepping into something as significant as a career change doesn’t come naturally to me. I recently joined Defined Marketing, and having never committed full-time to agency life, it felt like a significant leap.
Rationally, I had spent 10 years supporting vendors and partners within the industry, often in a role that looked a lot like agency work within the channel. But I’ve always thought of agency life as a different world. As it turns out, I’m excited every single day for where this adventure goes and I could not be more grateful that Janet Fenner took a chance on me.
SSI: What do you love most about working in the security industry?
Livergood: Feeling good about what I do. I didn’t start in traditional marketing and it took some years early in my career to recognize that what I truly wanted to do was marketing. Looking back, I think some of my hesitation came from imagining I would eventually be marketing products that simply fuel the pressure people already feel to buy things they don’t need.
Being able to support an industry whose core goal is making the world safer for everyone makes the work worthwhile. I have the privilege of contributing to something that tangibly improves lives and that means a great deal to me.
SSI: How can the security industry become even better?
Livergood: I hope we continue to amplify the companies and associations that support professionals in this industry. Resources including the Women in Security Forum (WISF) and RISE provide a place for people to find their footing and both have evolved so much since I first stepped into this space. I am excited to see where they will be for the next generation.
There were times early on when I wondered whether I truly belonged here. Those communities reminded me that I did. Community drives us and the relationships and connections we build are crucial to the fabric of an inclusive industry that welcomes innovation and change.
Click here to read our entire Women in Security Q&A series!
