The Face of Nightclub Security

Managing a large security team is like being the head coach of a NFL team. You have to find the right talent that fits your playbook (the venue). You make cuts with veteran players to bring in rookies to save on the salary cap. You will spend countless hours coaching, developing, and growing with your team.

When I accepted the full-time security manager position in August 2016, I knew what improvements needed to be done, and I wasn't afraid to make failures along the way. We needed to change the look, feel, and experience, that customers received the moment they stepped into our venue. That starts with the security staff changing. The previous staff consisted of 21 guys. We kept 5 of them. Starting at the end of August 2016, we slowly hired the right pieces in order to change the perception of what a nightclub security staff should be. We hired based on hospitality, professional appearance, salesmanship, character, and other deciding factors. Since August, we've hired 30 staffers, and 20 are still with us today. From the first hiring class under new management (we hired 8 guys in a 10 day period), 2 of them are now assistant managers at our venues, 2 have moved on to become managers at other jobs, and 4 of them are 'senior team leaders' that newer staffers look to for advice.

We've had over 180,000 customers enter our venues since August 2016, and less than 100 of them had to be ejected using force. That's a 0.05% removal rate (1 out of every 2000 guests). Relations with customers have improved remarkably, which in turn have positively improved overall sales for the company. During this time period, our security team has received over $20,000 in bonuses from our ownership group. We built a "team first," high expectations, customer oriented atmosphere.

As much as they have learned from me, I have learned more from them. They challenge me every day to be the best security professional I can be. "Leaders don't create followers. They create other leaders." A quote that one of my mentors had challenged me into understanding. I accepted his challenge. The results are pending.