Unlocked Podcast

In the first official deep dive of 2026, the Unlocked Podcast team explores a game-changing sales strategy: shifting high-ticket security solutions from Capital Expenditures (CapEx) to Operating Expenses (OpEx) . Chad from Loc-Doc Security , Tony from Assured Security , and Lars from Calgary Lock & Safe break down why large, six-figure proposals often stall in today’s economic climate. The hos...

Welcome to the first episode of 2026! We have officially hit Episode 60 , and to celebrate this milestone, the team is pulling back the curtain on the "magic" that keeps the Unlocked Podcast consistent. Chad Lingafelt from Loc-Doc Security , Tony Hawkenson from Assured Security , and Lars from Calgary Lock & Safe discuss the discipline required to stay weeks ahead of their recording...

As the year comes to a close, the hosts take a moment for reflection—a crucial and often overlooked discipline for busy entrepreneurs. Tony from Assured Security shares his pride in the team's resilience, detailing how they rebounded from a rocky start and layoffs to achieve their highest-ever sales quarter. Chad from Loc-Doc Security opens up about his personal commitment to discipline, linki...

Do you return from every conference or book with a notebook full of ideas only to suffer from "whiplash" and implement nothing? Tony from Assured Security admits this struggle with prioritization , often running after the "latest and greatest thing" instead of focusing on high-impact projects. This episode addresses the two extremes: doing nothing, or trying to do everything at...

Are you spreading your business too thin by trying to be "all things to all markets"? This episode dives into the critical strategy of defining your ideal vertical market for growth. Lars from Calgary Lock & Safe , Tony from Assured Security , and Chad from Loc-Doc Security discuss how market focus—whether it’s residential, commercial, or multifamily—requires a completely different s...

After spending a day immersed in the Cloud Security Summit in Austin, Texas, Lars from Calgary Lock & Safe , Tony from Assured Security , and Chad from Loc-Doc Security share their biggest takeaways and action items. The conversation focuses on leveraging technology, shifting business models, and identifying new opportunities within the security space. Tony highlights the power of a unified pl...

Do your business processes feel more like a tangled web of handcuffs than a straight path to profit? In this episode, Lars from Calgary Lock & Safe , Tony from Assured Security , and Chad from Loc-Doc Security dive into the pain point of process over-complication . They discuss how businesses naturally add steps and standardization to solve an occasional edge case (a 1-in-100 failure) or to du...

Are you an entrepreneur stuck in the endless cycle of solving every problem in your business? This episode, recorded live in Austin, Texas, dives into the mindset shift needed to break the $3 Million Revenue Ceiling and stop being the bottleneck . Lars from Calgary Lock & Safe , Tony from Assured Security , and Chad from Loc-Doc Security discuss the core philosophy from the book Who Not How ,...

Do you view debt as a four-letter word, or as a tool for accelerated growth? In this financially focused episode, Lars from Calgary Lock & Safe in Alberta, Tony from Assured Security in Minnesota, and Chad from Loc-Doc Security in Charlotte, NC, redefine debt and the crucial role of leverage in scaling a small business. They challenge the old-school mentality that "debt is bad" by cl...

Are you an entrepreneur worried that investing in training only prepares your employees to become your next competitor? This episode dives deep into the high-stakes problem of technician turnover in the security and locksmith industries. Lars from Calgary Lock & Safe in Alberta, Tony from Assured Security in Minnesota, and Chad from Loc-Doc Security in Charlotte, NC, workshop strategies to bui...

It's the half-century mark! For Episode 50, Lars from Calgary Lock & Safe in Alberta, Tony from Assured Security in Minnesota, and Chad from Loc-Doc Security in Charlotte, NC, dive into the question every business owner needs to answer: Why do customers come back? Moving beyond the cliché of "great service," they explore what truly makes a business "sticky" in a competitive market. Chad introd...

Are you ready to stop rolling trucks for $250 tickets and start landing $100,000+ projects? In this episode, recorded live from a conference in Windsor, Connecticut, Lars from Calgary Lock & Safe , Tony from Assured Security , and Chad from Loc-Doc Security dive into the intentional shift required to morph a small service company into a large-scale project business. They reveal the hidden comp...

In this episode of Unlocked, Lars from Calgary Lock & Safe , Tony from Assured Security , and Chad from Loc-Doc Security do a deep dive into an "uncomfortable truths" workshop, tackling real-time business challenges. Moving beyond their usual format of hindsight wisdom, they openly discuss current struggles in their own companies. The conversation covers a wide range of issues, from...

Are you a business owner who feels like you’re just guessing at what's working? In this episode of Unlocked, Lars from Calgary Lock & Safe in Alberta, Tony from Assured Security in Minnesota, and Chad from Loc-Doc Security in Charlotte, NC, get tactical with a discussion on Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and how they use simple scoreboards to drive their companies forward. They share fi...

Are you struggling to plan for the future of your business? In this episode of Unlocked, Lars from Calgary Lock & Safe in Alberta, Tony from Assured Security in Minnesota, and Chad from Loc-Doc Security in Charlotte, NC, dive into the critical topic of strategic planning. They share their experiences, successes, and frustrations with annual planning sessions. Tony admits his struggle with thin...

Are you an entrepreneur stuck in the "messy middle" of growth, hovering around the $3 million revenue mark? In this episode of Unlocked, Lars from Calgary Lock & Safe in Alberta, Tony from Assured Security in Minnesota, and Chad from Loc-Doc Security in Charlotte, NC, tackle the infamous "glass ceiling" that many small businesses hit. They discuss why, at this stage of havi...

In this episode of Unlocked, Lars from Calgary Lock & Safe in Alberta, Tony from Assured Security in Minnesota, and Chad from Loc-Doc Security in Charlotte, NC, dive into some of the uncomfortable truths of entrepreneurship that they wish they had known earlier. They discuss the unexpected necessity of understanding human psychology—for both customers and employees—and how to communicate effec...

Are your customers focused solely on the lowest price? In this episode of Unlocked, Lars from Calgary Lock & Safe in Alberta, Tony from Assured Security in Minnesota, and Chad from Loc-Doc Security in Charlotte, NC, dive into the critical difference between selling based on price and selling based on value. They share their philosophies on pricing strategy, the psychology of customers, and the...

Are your customers focused solely on the lowest price? In this episode of Unlocked, Lars from Calgary Lock & Safe in Alberta, Tony from Assured Security in Minnesota, and Chad from Loc-Doc Security in Charlotte, NC, dive into the critical difference between selling based on price and selling based on value. They share their philosophies on pricing strategy, the psychology of customers, and the...

Want to impress your boss and accelerate your career? In "Elevate Your Career: Beyond the Job Description," Part 2 of our "Top Things You Want People to Know" series, Lars from Calgary Lock & Safe in Alberta, Tony from Assured Security in Minnesota, and Chad from Loc-Doc Security in Charlotte, NC, continue to share invaluable insights for professional advancement. They delv...

Want to impress your boss and accelerate your career? In this episode of Unlocked, Lars from Calgary Lock & Safe in Alberta, Tony from Assured Security in Minnesota, and Chad from Loc-Doc Security in Charlotte, NC, reveal the "Top Things Your Boss Wishes You Knew." Drawing from decades of combined experience as employees and owners in the security industry, they share actionable insi...

Navigating the difficult terrain of employee termination is a challenge every business owner faces. In this episode of Unlocked, Lars from Calgary Lock & Safe in Alberta, Tony from Assured Security in Minnesota, and Chad from Loc-Doc Security in Charlotte, NC, tackle the sensitive but critical topic of "What the Firing." They delve into the "no surprises" philosophy for ter...

Is your growing business caught in the "messy middle" where chaos reigns and consistency is a distant dream? In this episode of Unlocked, Lars from Calgary Lock & Safe in Alberta, Tony from Assured Security in Minnesota, and Chad from Loc-Doc Security in Charlotte, NC, dive into the critical importance of prioritizing processes. They share personal experiences of how a lack of docume...

Are you a big-picture thinker or a meticulous executor? In this episode of Unlocked, Lars from Calgary Lock & Safe in Alberta, Tony from Assured Security in Minnesota, and Chad from Loc-Doc Security in Charlotte, NC, dive deep into the essential dynamic of the Visionary and Integrator roles within a business. Drawing heavily from "Traction" and "Rocket Fuel" by Gino Wickman, they define these...

Are traditional approaches holding your security business back? In this episode of Unlocked, Lars from Calgary Lock & Safe in Alberta, Tony from Assured Security in Minnesota, and Chad from Loc-Doc Security in Charlotte, NC, tackle the "Old Mindset" prevalent in the security industry and the challenges of introducing new technologies like mobile credentials. They question why innovations, desp...