I pride myself on being an expert planner, whether as an operations officer in the military or managing a security detail in a developing nation. I always allocate about 70% of my effort to planning for any project, as the idea of preventing catastrophe through careful planning seemed logical.

Do you ever feel like you're constantly bombarded by one crisis after another with no end in sight? I know I do. My newsfeed is an endless stream of one catastrophe after another. Civil unrest, natural disasters, terror attacks, increased crime levels... When will it end? Can't we go back to the good old days when we dealt with one crisis at a time?

Have you ever heard the term "left of bang"? If you are in the security industry, I'm sure you have. This term is just another way of saying, "get out in front of the problem," which seems to be a challenge for government entities and security agencies.

We've all witnessed it, especially with the numerous conflicts unfolding worldwide. The temptation to sensationalize a situation to gain support used to be reserved for politicians. However, increasingly, we see it creeping into the field of professional intelligence analysis.

Traveling through conflict zones has become second nature in my line of work. I often find myself journeying into risky regions to provide essential support to organizations despite the potential hazards. Balancing mission success with personal safety is a constant challenge. However, as I learned firsthand, no matter how meticulous your plans, unforeseen circumstances can throw everything off course.

It's truly astonishing how much money top executives pour into protective security services. Can you believe that some of the biggest corporations out there are reportedly shelling out up to two million dollars per year just to ensure the safety of a single individual? And that's probably just the tip of the iceberg – the amount spent is likely much higher than what's publicly disclosed. Clearly, safeguarding lives has turned into an incredibly lucrative industry.

As a professional security consultant, I have witnessed the reactive nature of the industry firsthand. It has always bothered me how the textbooks and prevailing wisdom suggested approaching clients for security assessments only after they had been victimized. Why was it so difficult to convince customers of the benefits of proactive risk mitigation?

High-profile crisis events like the War in Ukraine and the global economic downturn are overshadowing the catastrophic situations unfolding in developing nations such as Haiti, Sudan, Afghanistan, and Ethiopia. When the Western or developed world faces security concerns, economically vulnerable regions teeter on the verge of collapse.

In today's digital age, we are increasingly reliant on mobile devices and technology to keep track of our daily schedules and plans. With the convenience of having a smartphone in our pocket at all times, it's easy to rely on it to keep us organized and on track. However, there are significant benefits to memorizing plans instead of relying solely on technology.