From Break Fix to Six Figures: Scaling Your Business for Large Projects (50)

From Break Fix to Six Figures: Scaling Your Business for Large Projects (50)

Author: Chad Lingafelt, Tony Hokanson, Lars Johnston October 9, 2025 Duration: 1:09:49

Are you ready to stop rolling trucks for $250 tickets and start landing $100,000+ projects? In this episode, recorded live from a conference in Windsor, Connecticut, Lars from Calgary Lock & Safe, Tony from Assured Security, and Chad from Loc-Doc Security dive into the intentional shift required to morph a small service company into a large-scale project business. They reveal the hidden complexities of managing six-figure projects, drawing from their own experiences with jobs involving thousands of door openings. The hosts share the brutal truth about why simply multiplying your time estimate by the number of doors will lead to bankruptcy, highlighting neglected factors like cash flow management, stakeholder meetings, and the massive time drain of re-walking sites. Learn why success at this level requires an on-site manager with a different skillset—someone who is great at managing people and tasks, not just keying locks.


Tune into Unlocked Podcast for a grounded, cross-border conversation about what it really takes to build a company meant to last. You’ll hear from three practicing business owners, each running their own operations from distinct locations-North Carolina, Minnesota, and Alberta, Canada. They don’t deal in abstract theory; instead, they draw directly from their own evolving playbooks, setbacks, and hard-won victories. The dialogue in this podcast revolves around practical strategies and philosophical shifts necessary for creating enterprises that can thrive beyond a single owner’s tenure. Episodes delve into the nuanced decisions around leadership transition, cultivating a resilient company culture, and implementing systems that ensure stability through market changes. It’s a candid exchange between peers who are in the trenches themselves, offering listeners a rare, ongoing case study from multiple industries and perspectives. If you’re steering a business and thinking about its legacy, this series provides a thoughtful, actionable companion for the long journey ahead.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 76

Unlocked Podcast
Podcast Episodes
Elevate Your Career: Beyond the Job Description (42) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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Want to impress your boss and accelerate your career? In "Elevate Your Career: Beyond the Job Description," Part 2 of our "Top Things You Want People to Know" series, Lars from Calgary Lock & Safe in Alberta, Tony from A…
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Duration: 38:49
Want to impress your boss and accelerate your career? In this episode of Unlocked, Lars from Calgary Lock & Safe in Alberta, Tony from Assured Security in Minnesota, and Chad from Loc-Doc Security in Charlotte, NC, revea…
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Duration: 1:19:22
Navigating the difficult terrain of employee termination is a challenge every business owner faces. In this episode of Unlocked, Lars from Calgary Lock & Safe in Alberta, Tony from Assured Security in Minnesota, and Chad…
Prioritizing Processes: Navigating the "Messy Middle" of Growth (39) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:40
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Duration: 1:07:46
Are you a big-picture thinker or a meticulous executor? In this episode of Unlocked, Lars from Calgary Lock & Safe in Alberta, Tony from Assured Security in Minnesota, and Chad from Loc-Doc Security in Charlotte, NC, div…
Old Mindset, New Market: Innovating in the Security Industry (37) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:01
Are traditional approaches holding your security business back? In this episode of Unlocked, Lars from Calgary Lock & Safe in Alberta, Tony from Assured Security in Minnesota, and Chad from Loc-Doc Security in Charlotte,…
The Power of "No": Setting Boundaries for Business Growth (36) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 45:08
When it comes to business, is "yes" always the best answer? In this episode of Unlocked, hosts Tony, Chad, and Lars from Calgary Lock & Safe, dive into the challenging but critical topic of "When to Say No." They discuss…