Our Best Advice Q&A series continues with Peter Evans, chief executive officer at Xtract One Technologies. He reveals the best advice he’s heard, what he tells young security industry pros and where he turns when he needs a little bit of inspiration.
Security Sales & Integration: What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
Peter Evans: Only one? That’s hard to single out.
My father had a saying: “I learn something new every day but am still convinced I will die uneducated.” (This from a man who invented several products that every person uses every day). I believe what he was saying, in his own way, is that we always need to be lifelong learners.
The world is constantly changing and we need to constantly learn. “Sharpen the saw,” gain fresh perspectives and be open to new ideas. Good ideas can come from anywhere and anyone. None of us has a monopoly on brainpower,so be curious.
SSI: What advice would you give to those looking to achieve success in the security industry?
Evans: The security industry is tough. Oftentimes, security does not make the annual budget plan, given the competitive environment for budget dollars versus revenue-generating opportunities within companies. So, the advice for those looking to achieve success is to focus on outcomes, not features or false idols (i.e., marketing).
On the vendor side, walk a mile—or a thousand—in the shoes of those who operate venues to truly understand the complexity of their roles. Only then will you be able to understand the true value, or lack thereof, of assorted security products and how to make them more easily consumable.
SSI: If you could point to one person in the security industry and tell up-and-comers, “Make sure to listen to what they have to say,” whom would you pick and why?
Evans: It is impossible to point to any one single individual but here are a number of individuals who rise above the rest with their thoughtful, pragmatic approaches and deep experiences: Russ Simons of Venues Solutions Group, John Eversole at MSG, and Mike Downing at Oak View Group.
There are many others but these are individuals who have an unquestionable level of operational experience, a natural ability to see the answer (or cut through the crap) and the necessary integrity to lead in the industry.
Click here to check out all entries in SSI’s Best Advice series!
