Episode 290 - ASIS President Eddie Sorrells on Transformation, Next-Gen Leadership, and Becoming a Total Risk Partner

In this episode of The Fearless Mindset Podcast, Host Mark Ledlow interviews Eddie Sorrells, newly named president of ASIS and CEO of a security company, about balancing the 12-month volunteer role with his day job and emphasizing the broader work of ASIS staff, volunteer leaders, and the global board. Sorrells describes traveling to chapters worldwide to share a “transformation” message: individuals, the security industry, and ASIS must evolve, including through new regional boards. They discuss how podcasts and digital content help develop the next generation, who seek long-term relationships and ask for information rather than help. Sorrells recounts an accidental 35-year career starting as an unarmed night-shift officer, mentorship, ASIS involvement, and law school. He explains client demands shifting from “guards, gates, and guns” to holistic, tech-enabled risk partnerships (including EP, intel, travel risk, consulting) while stressing customer service as the key differentiator.

Learn about all this and more in this episode of The Fearless Mindset Podcast.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Never stop learning — Even with 35 years in security, staying curious and learning from the next generation is essential.
• Accidental starts can lead to intentional careers — Many security professionals stumbled into the field but thrived by committing fully once they arrived.
• Do the best job with the one you have — Consistent excellence in your current role is what earns advancement, not ambition alone.
• The industry is evolving from guards to risk partners — Modern security firms must offer tech-enabled, holistic solutions: personnel, EP, intel, travel risk, and consulting.
• Customer service is still the differentiator — Returning calls, being responsive, and making clients feel valued drives growth more than any marketing campaign.
• Next-gen professionals think in relationships, not transactions — They're asking deeper, forward-looking questions and playing the long game.
• Celebrate milestones along the way — The journey matters; don't wait for some distant goal to feel accomplished.
• Transformation is required at every level — Individuals, associations, and the industry itself must continuously evolve or become irrelevant.

QUOTES

• I've been doing this 35 years, but I've never done it today."
• "My journey in security was accidental, but once I got committed to it, it became much more intentional."
• "Just do the best job with the one that you got, and everything else will take care of itself." — Eddie Sorrells (attributed to his father)
• "People want to know how much you care before they care how much you know."
• "They're not asking for help. They're asking for information." — on the next generation's approach to mentorship
• "That front-line job was much more important than what I do now. That's the lifeblood of our industry."
• "All this stuff is irrelevant if you forget good old-fashioned customer service."
• "Customers said, 'You guys are giving good service — let's go on a journey together.'"

Get to know more about Eddie Sorrells through the link/s below.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/eddie-sorrells-cpp-psp-pci-b376155/

To hear more episodes of The Fearless Mindset podcast, you can go to https://the-fearless-mindset.simplecast.com/ or listen on major podcasting platforms such as Apple, Google Podcasts, Spotify, etc. You can also subscribe to the Fearless Mindset YouTube Channel to watch episodes on video.