S1E16: Tom Kubiniec | To Grow Fast, Make Mistakes Fast

Visionary Entrepreneur

Tom didn’t plan on being the industry authority in weapons storage. In fact, he didn’t know anything about guns when he entered the field. But his success is no accident. 

Tom is a thoroughbred visionary. An entrepreneur since he was a kid, Tom started several flourishing businesses, from professional guitarist to running a thriving tape-turned-laptop storage company by the early 2000s. 

Around 2005 Tom learned the military was upgrading their rifles and would need new storage racks. He did his research and realized there was very little information about weapons storage. He saw that gap as an opportunity and founded SecureIt. 

[9:09] “If there is no authority in a field, claim it.”

Today, SecureIt is the largest supplier of weapon storage, armory, and weapon racks in the world. 

Breaking The Glass Ceiling

Tom recalls that though his previous companies were lucrative, they always maxed out at $3-$5 million in sales per year. When SecureIt plateaued in that range too, Tom began to ask if he was the reason the company couldn’t grow.

He started looking for ways to become a better CEO. It became clear that EOS was the tool that would help him accomplish this and make his business growth possible. Tom learned that to break the glass ceiling in sales, he had to be a leader, not just a manager of a company. He needed to delegate everything and hold people accountable.

Make Mistakes

Tom says some of the best leaders he has known are people who: 

• Inspire others to be more than they are in the present moment
• Have empathy
• Are not afraid to make mistakes

[17:31] “Speed trumps accuracy in business. Move fast. Make mistakes fast, fail fast and learn fast.”

The faster you make mistakes, the faster you will grow.

Learning To Lead With EOS

Before implementing EOS, Tom found himself balancing a job he loved and being mired down in paperwork. Deadlines started to be missed and he felt like he was constantly breaking his back. He couldn’t maintain that pace alone. He needed to learn to delegate.

Since implementing EOS, Tom says he feels like he operates on a higher level as a CEO. EOS has given him the ability to let go of tasks others should be doing, do the work he wants to be doing, and lead confidently. 

[24:26] “You can’t have the end in mind starting EOS. You have to have EOS in mind and the end . . . will be dictated by going through these processes and realizing things you might not have known.”

Sometimes that means you need to let good employees go. Tom says this was a difficult realization for him, but having the right people in your business is more important than avoiding discomfort.

Ultimately, implementing EOS brought Tom the clarity he needed to maximize his talents.

Success Means Change

Tom has a piece of advice for entrepreneurs or business owners who feel stuck: If you want to grow, you have to change.

[37:41] “When you’re trying to break out of a glass ceiling of sales, [if] you’ve been doing the same thing, at the same level for three, four, five years, you’ve got to start thinking differently and that means you got to act differently.”

Learn More:

• SecureIt

Also Mentioned In This Episode:

• Vistage