'20 under 40' 2013 - Navin Goel

Navin Goel, 33
Operations manager, Go Safer Security
Laurel, Md.

How did you get into the security industry?

Actually, I used to own a lot of retail electronics stores and I also own shopping centers and residential rental properties. In 2009, I was having a gentleman do all our security work and he told me about the business. I'm an electronics person and I know the security industry is getting more and more technological and that's what really got me interested.

Who or what in the industry has inspired you most in your security career?

I've been fortunate to find the right people willing to mentor me when I have questions. I'm part of the [Honeywell] First Alert Dealer Program and at their conference in Arizona in 2011 I met Arie Upfalow, owner of JM Resources out of King of Prussia, Pa. I told him I was new in the business and he told me, “Navin, if you ever need help, you give me a call.” I followed up with him and he spent the whole day with me and gave me access to his manager, he gave me a couple of his contracts and he told me what not to do. It was really nice of him, and he asked for nothing in return.
I also met Mike Bodnar, president of Security Partners of Lancaster, Pa., owned by Pat Egan. I sat down with Pat at the conference and Pat went over some stuff with me, and he said, “Mike, can you talk to Navin and help him out?” Mike pretty much spent all day with me and explained the back-end operation to me. That's nice of someone to do that.

What can be done to boost the ranks of young people in the industry?

There needs to be more education on how to run a security business, because this is not like anything else out there. I got very fortunate in that I joined the right organization and met the right people.