From Setbacks to Security: A Bold Vision Redefining Protection with Purpose and Integrity
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
You're reading Entrepreneur India, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media.
In today's uncertain world, safety isn't just a service, it's a necessity. And at the heart of dependable protection in California and beyond stands Hayson Tasher, the founder of Old Patrolman Guard Services (OLDPGS). With a mission rooted in integrity, prayer, and perseverance, Hayson's journey from setback to success is both inspiring and instructive. His story isn't just about building a security company, it's about never giving up on your vision, even when the odds seem stacked against you.
From Setback to Startup
Hayson's entrepreneurial path wasn't smooth. In fact, it was riddled with delays that could have derailed even the most determined founder. When the guard company he initially worked for refused to sign off on his hours required to get his state license, it delayed the launch of OLDPGS by nearly three years. But where some would see a closed door, Hayson saw a challenge to rise above.
"I wouldn't even recognize their brand now," he reflects, a testament to how far he's come. Guided by his faith and a clear vision of doing things differently, Hayson pushed forward. He realized he wasn't just a part of someone else's security operation, he was capable of leading his own.
Building OLDPGS: More Than a Company, A Calling
Old Patrolman Guard Services isn't your average security firm. Based in California, OLDPGS operates with a deeply personal ethos: "Dedicated to administrating a safe and secure environment." The company provides essential protection services with a promise of reliability and professionalism—values that have earned them strong partnerships with affiliated security companies nationwide.
Today, that network is expanding even further. "Nationwide capabilities are no longer a vision," Hayson says with pride, "they're a reality." With more partnerships confirmed and more in the works, OLDPGS is rapidly scaling without compromising on the values that started it all.
What truly sets OLDPGS apart? Hayson's hands-on leadership. Unlike many CEOs, he still works in the field and remains intimately involved with daily operations. This level of commitment ensures that clients don't just get a service, they get leadership-backed security they can trust.
Resilience Through Recession and Beyond
When COVID-19 disrupted industries across the globe, OLDPGS stood strong. Security personnel were classified as essential workers, and OLDPGS continued to serve when many others paused. However, when it came to politically or racially influenced funding, particularly during DEI (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion) policy shifts, Hayson stood firm.
He consciously declined hundreds of millions in available funding. "We are a security company," he explains, "and racial propaganda is not on our agenda. Politics has no place in our service model." OLDPGS earns contracts the way any security vendor does: through merit, professionalism, and performance.
Opportunity as the Ultimate Offering
At the core of Hayson's brand is a desire to create opportunity. Whether it's hiring and training guards or expanding services across the country, OLDPGS is built to empower others. Hayson believes that time is precious, and wasting it means watching others live the dreams you set aside.
"Time waits for no one," he emphasizes. "If you put off your vision for another year, you'll look up, and five years will have passed while others have built their dreams."
The Future is Branded Protection
With an eye on the future, Hayson is transforming OLDPGS into more than just a service provider. Plans are underway to expand the Old Patrolman brand into its own line of firearms, batons, pepper spray, and more. This expansion aims to standardize quality and safety across the board while giving clients more tools to feel secure and supported.
Final Word
In an industry often driven by profit, Old Patrolman Guard Services stands out as a mission-driven brand that prioritizes safety, values, and vision. From a delayed start to national growth, Hayson Tasher's story is one of perseverance, leadership, and staying true to a calling.
If you're looking for security you can count on, remember the name: OLDPGS, a brand dedicated to protecting not just places, but dreams.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Fast Company
18 minutes ago
- Fast Company
The reason why most employees quit (and what leaders can do about it)
In 2022, the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic gave rise the Great Resignation. This trend saw employees around the world leaving their places of work in droves. As a result, employee turnover surged to unprecedented levels. While resignation rates have gradually decreased from their 2022 peak over the past few years, turnover continues to be a major challenge for businesses. Recent research from PwC revealed that a fifth (20%) of employees had considered leaving their role in the past year, rising to a quarter (25%) of employees aged 18–24. Retention is no longer about salary alone. It's about purpose, progression, and organizations seeing them as more than just a job title. Employees want to be at workplaces that offer growth and feedback, and a culture that reflects their values. The good news is that acting now can turn this challenge into a competitive advantage. Here are three actions that leaders can take to improve their retention, building workplaces that people do not want to leave, but rather stay at, grow, and thrive. Listen to your team (and do so more often) To understand and address the cultural challenges that might be causing team members to leave, start by gathering insights through surveys at key moments. That means onboarding, ongoing performance conversations, and exit interviews. These touchpoints offer a window into your employees' experiences. It also reveals their joys and struggles throughout their journey. Leaders need to prioritize consistent, open feedback to show their teams that they value their evolving needs. Annual surveys alone are potentially missing key growth opportunities. Instead, embrace frequent 'pulse' surveys and platforms for ongoing dialogue, creating a space where employees can feel truly heard. Perhaps most importantly, there's no quicker way to find out how team members are really feeling. They need to know that the company hears and accepts them for who they are Additionally, consider moving away from anonymous feedback. While anonymity may feel protective, it can suggest a lack of trust or safety. Building a culture of psychological safety, where team members feel secure sharing openly fosters trust and strengthens bonds. By nurturing this environment, leaders empower honest, heartfelt conversations that uplift their teams and open up the space to heal any existing rifts. Redefine success with people-centric KPIs Performance and adherence to a company's wider purpose matter—but not at the cost of people. To create healthy, thriving workplace cultures, organizations need to strike a fine balance between People, Purpose, and Performance. Organizations that achieve this foster a powerful state where productivity, team efficiency, and incredible engagement come together to create teams that produce and support one another as never before. When KPIs focus exclusively on delivery and deadlines, pressured managers may fall into the trap of neglecting employee well-being and development. Therefore, by prioritizing KPIs that serve the people, rather than solely focusing on the system, leaders demonstrate a commitment to their team's well-being and growth. Smart leaders shift the balance by daring to care for their people and introducing people-first KPIs alongside traditional business metrics. For example, what percentage of employees are in roles that align with their strengths and aspirations? How frequently are managers recognizing and rewarding their team's contributions? Even a simple 'good job' from a manager, delivered with sincerity, goes a long way. Are managers actively developing high-potential individuals so that they're ready for leadership roles? How often are you opening team meetings by checking in with team members and reminding them of why they matter to the project and wider organization? Even simple acts, like regular, sincere recognition, drive engagement. By embedding these behaviors into people-led leadership KPIs, organizations reinforce that organizations don't see people as a cost to manage, but as an asset they need to cultivate. By emphasizing people-centered KPIs, leaders ultimately contribute to the success and performance of the organization, while also creating a shared sense of purpose that inspires team members at all levels, ensuring that everybody wins. What the head office can learn from the shop floor I truly believe that leaders everywhere can learn a lot about people management from taking a step away from the traditional corporate environment and spending more time with their 'on the ground' teams. The best leadership insights often come not from the boardroom but the shop floor. In customer-facing roles—like retail or hospitality—the true health of your culture becomes clear. These environments offer an unfiltered view of how companies really treat, support, and motivate employees. My turning point in this regard came in my years in retail management, when I realized that I needed to break the circle of performance above all else in favor of cultures that allow team members to bring their full selves to work. Leaders who step into these spaces gain firsthand insight into what really drives their people: psychological safety, empathy, development opportunities, and being heard. The fundamentals don't change between corporate and customer-facing roles, but they're often far more visible at the coalface. Spending time with frontline teams also exposes leaders to a more diverse cross-section of their workforce, building empathy and understanding that can shape smarter, more inclusive strategies. People leave cultures rather than companies While some employee attrition is inevitable in business, the truth is that much of it is preventable. When people walk away, it's often from a lack of growth, recognition, or leadership that genuinely cares. Leaders who act with intention have a tremendous opportunity to build powerful, purpose-led workplaces that attract and retain top talent for the long haul.
Yahoo
25 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Working from home: Why the UK leads in Europe and how other countries compare
The UK has the highest rate of telework among 18 European countries, with employees working an average of 1.8 days a week from home. On a wider scale, this total also places the UK second out 40 nations. But, aside from the UK, how do work-from-home (WFH) rates differ across Europe and the world? And what might explain variations between countries? The Global Survey of Working Arrangements (G-SWA) shows that telework trends have evolved since the COVID-19 pandemic. The fourth wave of the survey, conducted between November 2024 and February 2025, covers full-time workers aged 20 to 64 who have completed tertiary education (college or university). While the global telework average stands at 1.2 days per week, WFH rates vary significantly across the 40 countries surveyed, ranging from just 0.5 days per week in South Korea to 1.9 days in Canada. Several factors underpin the UK's top ranking, according to Dr. Cevat Giray Aksoy, lead economist at the EBRD and associate professor of economics at King's College London. 'The UK scores highly on cultural individualism, which is strongly associated with comfort in autonomous work environments,' said Giray Aksoy. Aksoy noted that the UK experienced long and stringent lockdowns, accelerating the adoption of remote work infrastructure and norms. He also explained that the UK's labour market is concentrated in service sectors — such as finance, consulting, and media — where WFH can be a practical option. "Crucially, British workers have developed strong and durable preferences for hybrid work, typically wanting 2–3 WFH days per week. This is no longer a marginal benefit; it's a core expectation," he said. Aksoy warned that firms ignoring this reality may face a serious disadvantage in attracting and retaining talent — particularly when competing with employers in other English-speaking countries that have embraced flexibility. In Europe, Finland (1.7 days) and Germany (1.6 days) followed the UK in the ranking. The WFH rates are also relatively high in Portugal (1.5 days), as well as in Hungary and the Netherlands (both 1.4 days). Employees in Czechia, Italy, and Sweden work from home 1.3 days per week, which is slightly above the global average. Romania, Spain, and Austria align with the global average, each reporting 1.2 remote work days per week. Dr. Aksoy attributes the variation across European countries to a mix of structural, cultural, and economic factors. 'Among these, the most powerful predictor is individualism — a cultural trait that emphasises personal autonomy, self-reliance, and independence over collective goals or close supervision,' he said. Related Remote work: Is it time for workers to go back to the office? Trump's remote work ban: What does it mean for carbon emissions and climate goals? He added that other factors also play a role. These include the severity and duration of COVID-19 lockdowns, population density, and the industrial structure of each economy. For instance, countries with a larger share of remote-friendly sectors such as IT and finance are better positioned to support hybrid models. Densely populated countries also often see higher WFH levels, in part due to longer commutes. Greece reports the lowest WFH rate in Europe at just 0.6 days per week. 'Part of the explanation lies in the structure of the Greek economy, which leans heavily on sectors like tourism, retail, and hospitality — jobs that generally require physical presence,' said Aksoy. 'But deeper cultural and institutional factors also play a role. Greece scores relatively low on individualism,' he added. He stated that digital adoption and management practices were relatively underdeveloped before the pandemic, which likely slowed the normalisation of WFH. While Finland ranks second in Europe with 1.7 remote work days per week, Norway and Denmark report significantly lower rates at just 0.9 days. Sweden, with 1.3 days, sits in between, reflecting a clear divide in remote work trends across the Nordic countries. Aksoy explained that Finland has a slightly more individualistic culture and a long-standing emphasis on work-life balance and employee autonomy compared to Denmark and Norway, which may maintain more traditional management practices. 'Finnish organisations, especially in the public sector and technology industries, were early adopters of flexible work policies — even before the pandemic,' he added. Among Europe's five largest economies, France has the lowest remote work rate, with employees averaging just 1 day per week from home. Turkey follows closely at 0.9 days, while Poland is slightly ahead with 1.1 days. Overall levels of working from home have declined globally, dropping from an average of 1.6 days per week in 2022 to 1.33 days in 2023. In 2024 and 2025, they fell far more modestly to 1.27 days. The research concludes that remote work levels have roughly stabilised since 2023. 'However, this stability doesn't mean stasis. Incremental shifts could still occur — driven by new technologies, changing demographics, or evolving labour market conditions,' Aksoy added.
Chicago Tribune
26 minutes ago
- Chicago Tribune
Chi Chi Wu: Recent credit score drops come from Donald Trump's bad policy
Millions of Americans recently saw their credit scores drop 100 or 150 points, moving them into 'subprime' borrower status and possibly shutting them out of affordable credit, decent rental housing, good insurance rates and even some jobs. What happened to devastate the credit records of 2.4 million Americans, with likely tens of millions more to come? The administration of Donald Trump started reporting student loan delinquencies to the credit bureaus. Previously, President Joe Biden's Department of Education had put negative credit reporting on hold to provide economic breathing room to millions of student loan borrowers in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as spiking inflation, skyrocketing rents and other economic stress. The Biden administration had signaled that it would resume credit reporting. However, the Trump administration made the situation exponentially worse with disastrous disruptions to student loan repayment options starting in February, its error-ridden administration of the repayment system and lack of communication with borrowers. In fact, the 2.4 million borrowers being reported as behind on their loans closely mirrors the 2 million borrowers with languishing applications to enter more affordable repayment plans, which the department abruptly stopped processing in February. Student loan borrowers aren't the only ones who've seen their financial profiles devastated by the Trump administration. Tens of thousands of federal workers across the country, who have been unjustly fired by the administration and the Department of Government Efficiency, are struggling to pay bills. Farmers are being buffeted by on-again-off-again tariffs, cuts to the United States Agency for International Development and the decimation of other federally funded programs. And the financial pain could spread if we head into a recession triggered by the economic instability caused by the administration. We've seen this play out before, back in 2008 with the Great Recession triggered by the foreclosure crisis. Millions of Americans lost their homes, their jobs and their good credit reputations. Many never recovered from a cataclysmic event such as a foreclosure that left them in a vicious cycle where bad credit scores (among many factors) kept them from accessing the economic necessities needed to rebuild. Contrast this with the COVID-19 pandemic, when large amounts of stimulus and other economic supports kept credit scores high despite staggering job losses and other economic travails. There's a myth in the United States that bad credit scores are due to being a bad person — that folks with checkered credit histories are irresponsible, undisciplined, overspending wastrels. But that's far from the truth. Student loan borrowers, fired federal workers, financially stressed farmers and many others did nothing wrong or nothing different when their credit scores plunged. Instead, what changed were the policies set by those in power, who showed no concern about the impact of their decisions on the credit health of millions. Oftentimes the only sins of folks with poor credit are bad luck and difficult circumstances. People get sick, lose their jobs or just plain run into bad luck. And it primarily harms those folks without family wealth — it's a lot easier to stay on top of the bills despite adversity if you have generational assets to keep you afloat. This is most starkly reflected in the racial gap in credit scores, where Black and Latino consumers have lower credit scores as a group, which is a direct consequence of historical discrimination, current racism and the racial wealth gap. Now, the credit industry would point out that credit scores are designed to predict who will repay a loan, and it's probably not a great idea to lend money to a struggling student loan borrower, an unemployed federal worker or a farmer who can't sell their crops, who have already failed to pay their bills. Fair enough, for now. But that federal worker may find a new job, and the market for those farmers' crops may recover. And those student loan borrowers were encouraged by society to borrow to get an education and better their lives; they were promised programs to help manage their loans that were subsequently blocked, that the Trump administration has failed to provide access to and that bills in Congress are seeking to diminish even further. Barely 1 in 3 student loan borrowers are making regular monthly payments. That's a sign of a systemic and societal problem, not individual irresponsible behavior by 7 million people. Americans should not be shut out from future economic opportunities because of policy changes by the economic wrecking ball of the current administration. And their damaged credit records should not be used to decide whether they should get a job, be able to rent an apartment, and get insurance and utilities. Inequality in the United States and globally is at record highs and contributes to societal unrest. Systems such as credit scoring entrench and exacerbate economic inequality and penalize lack of family and generational wealth instead of rewarding hard work and merit. If we are to have any hope of a fairer, more stable society that provides opportunity to everyone, we need better systems that do not entrench inequality under a veneer of mathematical objectivity.
