We continue our Best Advice series with Scott Goldfine, marketing director at Elite Interactive Solutions and a security industry veteran of more than a quarter-century. If that name sounds familiar to you, it’s not just because he’s Security Sales & Integration’s “Between Us Pros” columnist. He’s also a member of the SSI Industry Hall of Fame and the brand’s former longtime editor-in-chief.
Security Sales & Integration: What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
Scott Goldfine: While I was always very active and busy with school and earning a paycheck, it took me some time to get moving toward a career goal after high school. Part of the problem was deciding on a direction.
As an audiophile and music lover, I had visions of pursuing sound engineering but that was viewed as a trade, and parental pressures and expectations weighed on me to earn a college degree and instead get into “a profession,” like medicine, law or finance.
This resulted in me first earning an A.A. degree at Santa Monica (Calif.) Community College before moving on to UCLA as a kinesiology major. I eventually bailed out of that and enrolled at Cal State University Northridge and earned a B.A. in radio-TV-film with an emphasis on media management and a minor in psychology.
Ironically, as someone who never much liked school, I spent seven years in college and earned enough credits for at least two bachelor’s degrees! I even went back later on to earn a certificate in accounting.
Throughout it all, I was very enterprising — working full-time as a cable television technician and medical lab courier dispatcher (among several other jobs), launching a mobile disc jockey business and getting high marks (multiple dean’s list spots) while maintaining a full course load.
My first full-time, post-college position was as an editor for a teletext news service called SilentRadio. After I had been there for several weeks and thought I was doing a fine job, the newsroom supervisor pulled me in for a meeting.
To my surprise and dismay, from his perspective my work and focus was lacking. He advised me to buckle down and rethink how I am approaching the job.
That was a wakeup call for me, that just doing enough to get by was not an option. I learned that success and promotions in the working world required a full commitment to delivering excellence in the responsibilities and expectations of your designated role within that organization.
I was in my late 20s at the time, and from that point on I always fully dedicated myself to hard, honest work with an understanding that respect and rewards would follow.
SSI: What advice would you give to those looking to achieve success in the security industry?
Goldfine: Three things. First, subscribe and sign up for every trade publication, newsletter and industry association. Read and study whatever you can get from them to learn everything possible about inner workings and news related to the security channel and its most prominent and successful companies and leaders.
Focus on business operations, technology, trends, opportunities and challenges. At the same time, bone up on the history of the industry and its key benchmarks and players.
Second, attend all the trade shows, conferences and in-person events you can manage. This includes local, regional and national gatherings. Make it known to your interest in enriching yourself in this manner known to your company, so they lend support.
Attend educational and general sessions and take notes and ask questions. Also participate in any social or networking gatherings, introduce yourself and make connections, listen to conversations, make mental notes and be inquisitive.
Third, find and latch onto one, or preferably several, mentors — at least one within and one outside of your company. This industry is rich with smart, experienced and friendly people who are often happy to take someone under their wing and show them the ropes to security success.
That became apparent to me as soon as I began interacting with folks, and I wound up developing a network of mentors who advised, guided and built friendships with me that have lasted my entire 27-year security career.
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?
Goldfine: There are so many who come to mind in this great and deep industry. Unfortunately, some of them are not around any longer or in a position to advise others. I will limit it to three (in no particular order). I have known all three of these gentlemen at 20+ years and they are all in SSI’s Industry Hall of Fame.
First is Tim Whall, who is now CEO of Everon and has one of the industry’s most impressive track records of either swiftly turning the fortunes of large, troubled installation and service businesses or elevating them from good to great to exceptional.
Yet he is a completely down-to-earth guy, unrivaled in ensuring his managers keep everyone’s eye on the ball — using data and common sense to substantially move the customer care and satisfaction needle.
Next is George de Marco, longtime chairman of the ESX show, former co-owner of Greater Alarm and currently a leading consultant to security and technology enterprises. He is a clear-eyed, level-headed and progressive thinker who keeps his finger on the pulse of where the industry is heading and the opportunities and threats inherent in those trends.
And the circles he runs in expose him to the leading edge of high tech, services and business models, which he just might share with you if you ask nicely.
Finally is Paul Boucherle, co-principal of Matterhorn Consulting and longtime SSI columnist, who I first came to know as an expert contributor to that publication’s CCTV for D.U.M.I.E.S. educational series 20 years ago or so when I was editor-in-chief.
He not only possessed the technical know-how for that assignment but also knew how to put sentences together (a rarity for the technically inclined) and had demonstrable expertise for the operational side as well. Thus, when the opportunity arose for a new column that fused business and technical expertise I knew he was just the guy.
Through the years he has proved to be one of the industry’s most incisive analysts and advisors pertaining to security integration’s finer details.
There you have it: Whall for efficient operations; De Marco for technology trends; and Boucherle for integration sales. Tell ’em Scott sent you!
Click here to check out all entries in SSI’s Best Advice series!
