We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Roy Smith a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Roy, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.

What if today was the last time drinking your coffee while enjoying the morning sun shining on your face? What if you kissed your partner or kids goodbye for the last time before rushing to your meetings?

There is one thing you cannot buy in life: time. Therefore people’s goal is to reclaim time. They invest in becoming financially literate and independent, buy assets, work on their self-development, and learn to use modern technology – invest in yourself is what coaches teach them. However, they forget the one thing that is the most important – their lives and the lives of their loved ones.

Security is not a luxury anymore. It has become a necessity. Protection is my passion. This is what I live for – to protect our clients’ time and their lives. But I wanted to do it differently – on their terms and not ours. So I tried to figure out what it is these generations need to feel more comfortable and came up with a solution that fits both sides: A concierge Executive Protection Service.

“Naw – this is not for me”; we often hear this. Because a lot of people still have this stereotype of Executive Protection Agents. They imagine a bulky bodyguard who protects celebrities. But, unfortunately, that image is just as outdated as the customer service in the Security Industry.

As an Executive Protection Agent, I experience that many traditional companies tell their clients what they think they need. That is so 2000 and kind of obtrusive. Many have become very successful with that model – because those companies still focus mainly on Boomers and Gen X. They are used to being told by Security Companies what they need because they don’t know any better. However, the EP Agencies forget about Gen Z and Alpha – the future. They don’t like doing things they are uncomfortable with and don’t want to buy something they don’t believe in.

The next generations do not want to be overwhelmed with restrictions or told what they are not allowed to do anymore. At the same time, when someone’s value goes up – equally proportional does their risk factor. When someone gains popularity amongst their peers or community, their safety is at stake. One does not have to be an A or B celebrity – it can be the crypto trader next door or the influencer with millions of followers on Instagram or the CEO who just got promoted. We had keynote speakers and coaches who suddenly had to fear for their lives for example.

Also the new generation might not want the old standard of having a big tall agent in a black suit walking in front or behind them. That is why we offer covert protection. Our clients don’t even know we the agents are there because we blend in.

There is also another threat: Criminals might not come for you – but for what is valuable to you. For example, when those men shot Lady Gaga’s dog walker and abducted her French Bulldogs. This situation could have been prevented. It was not a random event – they knew what they were doing. The criminals knew the route of the dog walker. All he had to do was follow a few rules. For example: Be aware of your surroundings, change your route, and don’t develop a routine that others can easily track. We don’t only provide protection. We also offer to educate our clients. It is an ongoing process.

My overall goal is for my team and I to provide the best protection possible – on our clients’ terms. We are on our way to disrupting the industry with our Concierge Executive Protection Service. The only one in the whole State of Texas, actually. However, Viking won’t stop there. We are a team of visionaries. Our next goal is to be the first Executive Protection Concierge Service in the Metaverse.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Protecting others has always been my passion. Make sure people come home after a busy workday or a night out. My background is in law enforcement. I worked with high-threat criminals – was a Gang Task Force Officer on the southern border of Texas. I was assigned to multiple Texas and Federal task forces to combat gangs, drug trafficking, etc. My goal at that time was to protect the community. Then I went into the Executive Protection field and graduated top of my class from one of the most renown academies in the US and won a prestigious award. However, you can not compare both fields. Law Enforcement is the sword – whereas Executive Protection is the scalpel.

It is so much more than just being a bodyguard – as the public envisions our job. Our agents make risk assessments before our clients attend their meetings. We know what their allergies and medical conditions are – because that is also part of saving their lives in case something happens. In addition, we provide security driving services – because a Driver might get you from A to B – but can they do so safely?

Another thing that distinguishes Viking from other Security companies is that we watch and listen – our clients feel heard. Something some traditional businesses lack. The EP industry has to consider that Gen Z and Gen Alpha are the most ethnically diverse generations. They embrace diversity and inclusion. They do not just buy something but believe in company culture and core values.

Just like Viking – we have built a culture with our agents. “Team first – Mission only. Til Valhalla.” is our internal company motto. We want to provide a workplace our agents can identify with and are proud to be a part of. In the end, they have to be willing to protect the clients with their lives. Our team consists of many different ethnical backgrounds and is multicultural. Viking supports especially Veterans, former Law Enforcement, and female EP agents who are still very rare in the industry but in no way inferior to their male counterparts. It is actually the opposite. One of our female agents went viral when stopping a runner at the UFC. This is just to show you that the overall image of security is evolving. It is not the old traditions standard of a mall security officer and the old stereotypical executive protection agent in a black suit. This is not what the new age of security is anymore. Adapting new methods and new alternatives to protecting the client and/or their assets is what excites me every day.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

In 2021 when Viking started operations, there was a time when I wasn’t collecting any paycheck, and no money came into the company. Because we just started and had not built a reputation yet. That stretch lasted about 9 months. Each month, I had to wrestle with my internal conflicts. Was it the right move? Or should I go out and find an actual job?

At one point and time, I had to sell items just to pay the bills or to buy food for my family. It was hard sometimes. However, I never lost my vision of what Viking could become. Nor did I lose faith in where the company could go with the supportive team I had around me. We still looked into ways to make revenue, get the next assignment, and for opportunities for Viking to grow. We worked day and night. We never gave up! That was never an option! We believed in our mission.

In September, with the grace of God, the hard work started to pay off. We had our first large contract and our first state contract, followed by political events, the UFC, and more. From that moment on, Viking never looked back.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

One thing I had to unlearn was the way my mindset was. In Law Enforcement, we are told to catch criminals. That means chasing them down, investigating, interviewing, and eventually arresting them. That is how we protect the community. However, as an Executive Protection Agent, we are not trying to catch the criminal but to evade, avoid, and be prepared.

In Executive Protection, there are sometimes domino effects. For example, you do one thing over here, and in return, it starts a chain reaction that eventually affects something over there. Meaning by preventing a situation from happening, you change the outcome.

The Art of Protection is not 100% protecting someone’s life. Because it can be simply preventing one of the dominos from falling. For example: If Lady Gaga’s dog walker had been educated, and aware of his surrounding, he would have changed his route and prevented the domino from falling.

Contact Info:

• Website: http://www.vikingeps.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/viking_eps/
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/vikingeps
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vikingtsg/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/vikingeps
• Other: Our sister Security Company Viking Tactical Security Group http://www.vikingtsg.com/ https://www.instagram.com/vikingtsg https://facebook.com/vikingtsg

Image Credits
Viking EPS Viking TSG Gia Gerardo