Unlocked Podcast

Branches vs. Business Units: Structuring Your Organization for Multi-Site Scale (Episode 82)

When a security integration or locksmith business begins to scale geographically, leadership faces a massive, existential structural hurdle: Do you structure your new locations under autonomous branch managers, or do you organize by centralized product divisions (locksmithing, electronic security, and hollow metal doors)? In Episode 82, Tony Hawkinson (Assured Security [https://www.google.com/search?q=https://www.assuredsecurity.com/]) takes the host seat to grill Chad Lingafelt (Loc-Doc Security [https://www.google.com/search?q=https://www.locdoc.com/]) and Lars Johnston (Calgary Lock & Safe [https://www.google.com/search?q=https://calgarylockandsafe.ca/]) on the precise operational friction points of managing distributed teams. The trio breaks down the mechanics of a formal Shared Services Model—centralizing bookkeeping, inventory procurement, and IT at headquarters while maintaining lean, highly agile local branch operations. Lars shares his real-world experience balancing corporate overhead across locations with a 5X revenue disparity, and Chad warns against a massive expansion blind spot: slow-rolling the elimination of legacy, low-margin service lines.

The Executive Craftsman: Re-Engineering the Perception of Modern Trades (Episode 81)

Are the trades facing a structural recruitment crisis, or are we just terrible at telling our story? In Episode 81, Chad (Loc-Doc Security [https://www.locdoc.com/]), Tony (Assured Security [https://www.google.com/search?q=https://www.assuredsecurity.com/]), and Lars (Calgary Lock & Safe [https://www.google.com/search?q=https://calgarylockandsafe.ca/]) break down the historical social status gap between university degrees and modern craftsmanship. Lars challenges the trio with John Gardner’s classic warning: a society that scorns plumbing because it's a humble activity will have neither good plumbing nor good philosophy. Chad shares a pivotal baseline shift from his days as a field technician that led Loc-Doc Security to completely ditch standard t-shirts for formal button-down corporate uniforms to alter market perception. The guys analyze the hidden pitfalls of a $150,000 college debt trap, the human psychology of task fulfillment over digital exhaustion, and why standard locksmith businesses must inject a white-collar aesthetic to capture high-performing talent.

Operating Room Efficiency vs. Locksmith Team Structure (Episode 80)

In Episode 80, Chad (Loc-Doc Security [https://www.locdoc.com/]), Lars (Calgary Lock & Safe [https://calgarylockandsafe.ca/]), and Tony (Assured Security [https://www.assuredsecurity.com/]) dive into a fascinating Harvard Business Review article examining what operating rooms can teach business leaders about team design. The trio discusses a truth that hits close to home for physical security integration companies: despite massive investments in advanced technology, data tracking, and fancy software platforms, performance baseline consistency ultimately hinges on human team design and composition—not your tech tools. Lars brings his academic background in genetics to pitch a radical theory on why introducing calculated variation into established "lone wolf" technician teams sparks massive cross-pollinated innovation. Meanwhile, Chad and Tony square off over building structured, complementary internal units vs. letting team dynamics organically happen. If you are trying to scale your personnel past the groupthink ceiling, this operational breakdown delivers pure leadership gold.

Episode 79: Keeping Your Culture Consistent Across Multiple Branches

As physical security companies scale, regional expansion is often the ultimate growth engine—and the ultimate culture killer. In Episode 79, the Unlocked trio—Lars Johnston (Calgary Lock & Safe [https://www.google.com/search?q=https://calgarylockandsafe.ca/]), Tony Hokanson (Assured Security [https://www.google.com/search?q=https://www.assuredsecurity.com/]), and Chad Lingafelt (Loc-Doc Security [https://www.google.com/search?q=https://www.locdoc.com/])—tackle the tactical friction of geographic scale . Fresh off a cross-border training event, Tony puts the guys in the hot seat to discuss how to project foundational beliefs across branches that sit hundreds of miles away . Lars shares his real-world "acquisition scars" from absorbing an existing team in Edmonton, outlining why leaders must prepare for cultural turnover when standardizing a local operation . Chad details his high-tech "virtualized conference room" framework that forces satellite locations to actively engage rather than passively observe corporate huddles . From sensory branding hacks to empowering branch managers to carry the operational torch, this episode outlines how to build a unified footprint without diluting your signature standards

Vision over Ambiguity: The Unlocked 2026 Mid-Year Check-In (Episode 78)

We are officially a quarter into 2026, and it’s time for the Unlocked trio to stop talking and start walking. In Episode 78, Lars Johnston (Calgary Lock & Safe [https://calgarylockandsafe.ca/]), Tony Hawkenson (Assured Security [https://www.assuredsecurity.com/]), and Chad Lingafelt (Loc-Doc Security [https://www.locdoc.com/]) revisit the ambitious goals they set in January to see what’s actually sticking. The conversation gets real as Chad describes the "brain transplant" of rolling out a proprietary software across 50+ employees and the leadership diplomacy required when systems break. Tony reveals his "North Star" goal of scaling to 100 technicians and how that single metric has completely changed his decision-making process for Q2. Meanwhile, Lars explores the tension between building rigid routines and maintaining the innovative creativity that drives growth. From targeted email marketing to the "screen test" for deleting inefficient processes, this episode is a blueprint for mid-year course correction.