The Night Composure Was Tested: A Lesson in Professional Protection
In the pulsating heart of West Hollywood's Sunset Avenue, Bar One stood as Prince's sanctuary in the late 1980s. Back then, I was what we in the industry call a "buddyguard" – someone hired more for who they knew than what they knew. Like many young protectors finding their way, I had the connection but not the qualification, a reality that would soon teach me one of the most valuable lessons in executive protection.
The venue had become our regular haunt, its familiar energy usually providing the perfect atmosphere for the artist to unwind. But on this particular night, the air carried a different charge – one that would teach me an enduring lesson about the true meaning of protection.
I was scanning the crowd, as always, when the words cut through the ambient noise like shattered glass. A group of individuals were hurling derogatory comments at Prince, their voices dripping with deliberate provocation. The insults landed like physical blows in my chest, igniting a surge of protective fury that clouded my judgment. Young, fueled by testosterone, and perhaps too personally invested, I rose from my position to confront them.
The confrontation escalated into a physical altercation – exactly the kind of situation a professional protector should prevent, not provoke. In my misguided attempt to defend Prince's honor, I had created the very kind of spectacle and security risk I was hired to avoid.
After the chaos subsided and the night drew to a close, Prince pulled me aside. His words, delivered with the same careful precision he brought to his lyrics, would forever change my approach to protection: "I understand why you did that," he said, his expression both knowing and firm, "but you need to do a better job of not letting insults get to you. I don't expect we'll have to have this conversation again."
The irony wasn't lost on me. Years earlier, Prince had written a line in "Mutiny" that had deeply resonated with me: "You took but did you give?" That question had shaped my entire approach to protection work, fueling my desire to give back to both the artist and the profession. Yet in that moment at Bar One, my emotional reaction had taken away from the very protection I was meant to give.
Looking back at that night through the lens of professional experience, I can see how my status as a buddyguard influenced my reactions. Raw instinct without proper training is like having a powerful engine without a steering wheel – all force, no finesse. The incident became a turning point, pushing me to transform from someone who simply knew the right people into someone who truly knew the right techniques.
This experience became a cornerstone of my professional philosophy, eventually inspiring me to launch Bodyguard Careers in 2005 – a platform dedicated to sharing accurate information about the protection industry. Because the most valuable lesson I learned that night was that true protection isn't about reacting to insults or proving toughness. It's about maintaining unwavering composure in the face of provocation, ensuring that our emotional responses never compromise the safety of those we're entrusted to protect.
In today's climate, protection professionals – from law enforcement to private security – face a barrage of insults and provocations almost daily. The ubiquity of social media and smartphone cameras has only amplified these challenges, making composure not just a professional asset but an absolute necessity. What I learned that night at Bar One has become even more relevant: those who protect must rise above the provocations, maintaining their professionalism even as insults and criticism fly. It's a lesson that resonates particularly strongly in an era where every reaction can be recorded, every response scrutinized.
The next time you find yourself on duty, remember: your composure isn't just a personal trait – it's your first line of defense. Every insult deflected with professionalism, every provocation met with calm focus, is a victory in the art of protection.
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These stories aren't just about the past – they're about shaping the future of executive protection, one lesson at a time. Whether you're a seasoned professional or just starting your journey, remember that every experience, even the challenging ones, serves as a building block in constructing a more professional and prepared security industry.