We were lucky to catch up with Peter Schiffman recently and have shared our conversation below.
Peter, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – walk us through the story?
When I started my company, I had been given a key duplicator and a pin kit (pin kits have assorted pins so you can match new keys when rekeying locks). The duplicator was the most basic duplicator you could get and the cutting blade was dull and had broken teeth. The pin kit was for a specific brand of locks, I had to file pins down to make them work with the new keys. I felt so unprepared and I was, but I made it work anyway.
Originally I thought I was going to need an investor and $50,000 to start my business. All I needed was some basic locksmith tools and grit. I did not allow myself to say “no” to any work opportunities that came my way. If someone called me needing a solution I found a way to make it happen.
I started drilling safes regularly, I had some safe drilling and servicing experience when I worked at my old job, but I was feeling like a fish out of water. I bought the wrong type of carbide bits and they would snap in the safe that I was drilling creating a nightmare situation, but instead of packing up and leaving the customer hanging, I found a solution and eventually the right techniques, drill bits and tools. Necessity is the mother of invention, and in my particular case, skills. There’s so many different things you can learn when you are in a bind, just don’t quit, figure it out and conquer.
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.
I was an intern at a church I used to attend, the people running the program asked me a simple question, “If you could do something for money and it would make you come alive, what would it be?” I responded with “I think being a locksmith would be cool!” from there they told me to go apply at locksmith shops. I walked into a shop called B&G Travis and met this amazing woman named Connie that treated me like her grandson after spending five minutes with her. She talked my ear off and showed me all the videos online that made her laugh. Eventually she told me they were not hiring, but knew of a shop that was hiring. She sent me down to Arrow Safe and Lock in Broken Arrow, where I met Buck Crawford he interviewed me twice and I got hired on to work in the shop. He turned out to be an incredible mentor and friend, he was even in my wedding.
I provide residential and commercial lock services, safe services, access control (electronic locks that allow you into a building), as well as security cameras.
I pride myself in my customer service skills, I always strive to make the customer experience exceptional, They are paying me their hard earned money so I am going to make sure I get it right for them, Plus they will tell the friends and family about me when a need arises.
Often my customers won’t know the best solution to a problem they have, they will call me asking me to do a specific thing for them. If I know of a better way to fix their issue, I explain it to them more often than not they agree and if they don’t that’s fine I’ll do as they asked.
I had a customer in rural Oklahoma with a good amount of property, they told me the amount of keys they had for their house and property was driving them crazy. I ended up keying their house and sold them commercial padlocks that would work with their house keys. They were ecstatic!
I want my customers to know that I am passionate about securing their homes and businesses. People work their entire lives building the life they want and some low life thief comes along and tries takes it away. I make sure all their locks are working properly and secure things the best way that I can. I want to make it as hard as I possibly can for a thief to get inside and take their things. This isn’t just a job for me, it’s a service I offer to my community and I feel a huge sense of responsibility to make sure to do the best job I can.
We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?
I can’t. I used to say I can’t to everything, can’t do this can’t do that etc. My old boss told me I was no longer allowed to say I can’t anymore, I had to change that to “How can I?”. That was a game changer for me I was shutting down my creative thought process before I even got started. I had to learn new skills to accomplish my tasks. I got told no a lot when I was kid, I don’t blame my parents I was a troublemaker from time to time. Either way I developed a mindset of some people do things and others can’t, guess which mindset I found myself in. When I started asking “how can I do this?” it freed my mind from the chains of disbelief. I started winning at life and have been winning ever since.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
I am somewhere on the ADHD/ Autism spectrum so my baseline anxiety is higher than most neurotypical people’s however I have found Magnesium supplements lower my anxiety levels dramatically.
I joined the Air National Guard when I turned 18, Basic Training was hell for me. I had such a difficult time with it, sleep deprivation, getting yelled at for existing, dealing with internal struggles as well as external struggles, I wanted to quit everyday, but I refused to accept defeat.
My family has a tradition of service, my Father spent 25 years in the Air Force and eventually Air National Guard, my Mother spent 4 years in the Air National Guard, where she met my father, my brother did 6 years in the Navy and I served 6 years in the Air National Guard. Failure wasn’t an option for me, I just had to survive the day and I did. If you refuse to accept defeat you will grind your way to victory.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://BAlockandsafe.com
- Instagram: @BAlockandsafe
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/balockandsafe
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/broken-arrow-lock-and-safe/posts/?feedView=all
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/broken-arrow-lock-and-safe-broken-arrow-2?utm_campaign=www_business_share_popup&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_source=(direct)
- Other: Google: https://share.google/HL9NW3MF58K83oK7I
Image Credits
Peter Schiffman, Headshot of me- Jordan Hill