Hidden Gems: Meet Jenny West of Seven Spears Security International

Today, we’d like to introduce you to Jenny West.

Hi Jenny, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start, maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers.
Hi! My name is Jenny West, and I am the Director of Operations and part owner of 7 Spears Security International. I own and operate this company with my husband.

We’ve been married for 33 years and have worked in this business together for the last eight years. I met my husband while we were both serving in the military in California. I have been a military spouse forever and started working alongside my husband when he retired in 2016.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
We are always learning. We’ve made mistakes along the way, and there have been challenges that we have had to overcome.

We have carved out a niche for our business and have learned that we do not need to be masters of everything within our industry, but we can be excellent at what we enjoy doing together.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
We work in the security industry.

One of our clients is Executive Security International, which is owned by Bob Duggan and is located in Grand Junction, Colorado. We drive out to GJ 3-4 times per year to conduct training for this school in order to teach the Surveillance class and the Executive Protection block.

This school is unlike any other in the nation. It is considered the Ivy League school for executive protection. My role as cadre is to teach Operations (moving with an ultra-high net worth client) as well as help teach how to conduct and write a Threat Assessment and Threat Management Plan. I love teaching alongside some of the best cadres in the world, and we have a great time while we impart any and all knowledge that we have to give to our students.

These students are our customers, and we teach them high-level concepts so that they are prepared to enter the industry head and shoulders above their peers. There are so many different classes that we give these students, from budgeting to team management, to personality conflicts, to customer service, to how to use intelligence to protect our clients. It’s very interesting, and students love the challenge.

There aren’t many women in the security industry.  In fact, there aren’t any other women in the cadre staff that I work alongside at ESI.  We wish that there were.  Women have an inner intuition that makes us great close protectors.  There are so many roles that we could fill within this industry, that are truly needed.  Can it be overwhelming to be the only woman on an all male staff?  No, not if you don’t let it.  I have found that if I stay authentic and don’t try to change my personality or become someone that I’m not in order to fit into my surroundings, then I’m given the respect that I give out.  I also need to know what I’m doing, be professional, and not be a burden to my coworkers, but rather find the value that I can create among my team.

I highly encourage anyone that is interested, male or female, to feel free to reach out with any questions and I’d be very happy to answer anything I can, and then pass you along to those way better suited than I to help you register for classes.

Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
Many people often ask how a married couple can work side by side and be together 24 hours a day.

I feel that as long as we show each other respect and professional kindness and courtesy, but also make time for conversation, dates, and “couple time,” then we get along just fine. It can sometimes become a lot, but we always overcome the stresses of work by being patient and understanding with each other.

Contact Info:

• Website: Www.7spearssecurity.com
• Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/7Spears?mibextid=LQQJ4d
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/7spears?trk=blended-typeahead