By: Kelly Bond, Bridgepoint Advisors
Feat: Brian Mahl and Lindsay Mahl, ABC Fire & Burglar Alarm
Running a business demands both courage and consistency. It requires leaders to balance continual challenges with hard-earned achievements. Within the security industry, where operations never pause and every decision carries significant weight, these challenges are often amplified.
Business owners must constantly manage competing priorities: attracting and retaining skilled talent, adapting to rapid technological advancements, meeting evolving customer expectations, and maintaining profitability in a highly competitive market.
It is understandable that many leaders find themselves reflecting late at night, questioning whether they are doing enough to stay ahead of the curve.
In the months ahead, I will continue to feature candid perspectives from security business owners who share the realities behind their greatest challenges and how they are addressing them through focus, resilience, and strategic leadership.
This month, I had the pleasure of speaking with Brian Mahl and Lindsay Mahl, Co-Owners of ABC Fire & Burglar Alarm. For Brian and Lindsay, running a business together adds another dimension to leadership. As both business partners and spouses, they navigate the unique intersection of professional collaboration and personal connection.
Their shared vision, mutual trust, and ability to balance differing perspectives not only strengthen their company’s culture but also serve as a model of partnership in an industry where many spousal teams build lasting success on reliability and teamwork.
KB: What’s one thing that you find keeps you up at night?
B/LM: As business owners, there are plenty of things that can keep us up at night whether it be cash flow, customer retention, customer expectations, evolving technology, staff challenges, or the economy. All that said, it’s hard to move off the uncertainty or unpredictability that comes with rapid technological change and shifting market demands.
In our field, innovation moves fast. One year, customers are asking for traditional alarm systems; the next, they want integrated, cloud-managed platforms with AI-based analytics and remote access. The pace of change is exhilarating, but it can also be overwhelming. The fear of falling behind—of missing the next big shift—is a real concern. The uncertainty and unpredictability of what’s next is both exhausting and a motivator.
KB: How has it already impacted your business?
B/LM: Fear of uncertainty or unpredictability can cause hesitation to adopt new technologies. In an industry driven by innovation, waiting too long and overanalyzing can cost opportunities. Plus, our need for control can sometimes slow our growth, and in a fast-moving business landscape, hesitation can be costly.
That is why early on, we developed a detailed process to evaluate and research every new opportunity or technology presented to us. This process removed the overanalyzing and allowed us to become first to market on many new technologies and services.
KB: How have you worked to overcome it?
B/LM: By realizing that uncertainty and unpredictability isn’t going anywhere, we built systems and processes that allow us to pivot quickly when things change.
Secondly, we focus on vendor partnerships that emphasize long-term stability and support. Rather than chasing every new gadget on the market, we prioritize relationships with manufacturers who offer consistent updates, specific standards, and thorough testing and training.
Additionally, we have a culture of continuous learning. We hold internal training sessions and have manufacturers come to our office for product demos. This keeps our technicians and sales staff sharp and reinforces a mindset that change is normal and expected. The more informed the team is, the less intimidating new technology becomes.
Lastly, we made a personal change: we learned to delegate more. Instead of trying to be the expert on every camera, sensor, or access control platform, we empowered our team to make recommendations and decisions. That shift lightened our mental load and gave others ownership of innovation and ideas.
The results speak for themselves. We’ve improved project turnaround times, increased customer satisfaction, and reduced the stress that comes from the uncertainty of an ever-changing industry.
KB: What advice do you offer other business owners experiencing a similar issue?
B/LM: If uncertainty or unpredictability keeps you up at night, you’re not alone. Rather than a hindrance, use it as a motivator and driving force for growth. In our industry, uncertainty isn’t just part of the business—it is the business.
When you stop trying to predict every change and instead prepare to adapt to any change, that’s when you finally start sleeping better at night.
Our advice to other security business owners:
- Don’t chase every new product. It is okay to say no. Long-term reliability beats short-term novelty.
- Invest in your people. Training should be a core part of your culture.
- Create predictable processes in an unpredictable market. Structure provides stability.
- Communicate transparently with your team and clients. Clear communication builds trust.
Technology continues to reshape the industry. Focusing on solutions that truly serve customers is the most effective way to grow and retain long-term relationships.
Thanks to Brian Mahl and Lindsay Mahl for sharing your insights. Stay tuned for next month’s article.
https://www.security.world/business-strategy
https://www.bridgepointadvisors.com
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
- What is the biggest concern for security business owners today? Uncertainty driven by rapid technological change, evolving customer expectations, and market unpredictability.
- How can security companies adapt to fast-moving technology trends? By building structured evaluation processes, investing in training, and partnering with stable, long-term vendors.
- Why is delegation important for business owners? Delegation empowers teams, reduces leadership burnout, and accelerates innovation.
- How can uncertainty become a competitive advantage? When used as motivation, uncertainty drives adaptability, faster decision-making, and strategic growth.
- What role does culture play in managing change? A culture of continuous learning makes new technology less intimidating and improves long-term resilience.