We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Karl De la Guerra. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Karl below.

Alright, Karl thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Let’s kick things off with your mission – what is it and what’s the story behind why it’s your mission?

On December 18, 1981 U.S. Army Brigadier General James Dozier was kidnapped by a terror group named The Red Brigade in Verona, Italy. Within 24-hours all U.S. Military Generals and Admirals (Flag Officers) were assigned personal bodyguards. I was assigned that unique duty for the San Antonio (Texas) Air Logistics Center Commander at Kelly Air Force Base. At the time I was working in law enforcement for the U.S. Air Force. That began my career in Dignitary Protection that continues today with KDI Protective Services based in the Carolinas.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

Protecting people has been a North Star of mine since I was 10 years old when I told my parents I wanted to be a policeman when I grow up. I never lost sight of that dream. Now, 43 years into the protective services industry, I have served in the military. law enforcement, U.S. Government security contracting and international corporate security management, with time also spent in aviation security and hospitality security management across the U.S. My career has taken me around the world several times. Now as Founder & CEO of Karl de la Guerra, Inc. (KDI) I continue to evolve both personally and professionally in this industry.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

I began my professional career at the very early age of 17 with enlistment in the United States Air Force. Early on in my career a chief I worked for told me to keep every single professional document I was given in order to prove my accomplishments, because some people would not believe I had accomplished so much in so few years.
Sure enough, more than once since I have entered civilian life have senior leaders literally laughed at me and have called me a liar directly to my face because they could not understand or comprehend that between 17 and 21 years of age (when most people are entering the professional workforce) I had accomplished so much and received a great deal of recognition for my work. It is embarrassing moments like these that you never forget, but make you incredibly determined to succeed.

How do you keep in touch with clients and foster brand loyalty?

I work in the very unique business of international dignitary protection and lead the life of a professional bodyguard. A standard I have set within my organization is when a client calls, we always answer the phone immediately. In addition, when a client calls with a question or concern, the “world stops” and we immediately attack that concern in order to reply back as soon as possible to our client.
Building what is known as unreasonable brand loyalty is a hallmark of our agency.
When you sell something as intangible as peace of mind, and when a good day for us is when absolutely nothing happens, you need to depend upon your personal connection with clients, built on their trust of you, to maintain lasting client relationships.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.teamKDI.com
• Instagram: karldelaguerra
• Facebook: karldelaguerra
• Linkedin: karldelaguerra
• Twitter: karldelaguerra
• Youtube: Karl de la Guerra

Image Credits
All photos are property of Karl de la Guerra.