Most security & life-safety companies don’t get stuck because they lack hustle—they get stuck because they lack measurement.

In this episode of Entry & Exit, Stephen Olmon and Collin Trimble (Alarm Masters, Houston) walk through their 2026 planning process: how they set revenue/RMR/EBITDA goals, translate them into departmental KPIs, and use actuals vs. budget to decide when to invest, when to cut, and how to avoid “hope-based” growth.

They unpack why so many firms stall around $3M in revenue (comfort + underinvestment), why “Talent Wins” became a non-negotiable, and how to think about emerging trends like AI the right way—starting with a solid tech foundation and the right people before chasing shiny tools.

You’ll also hear the core scorecard metrics they track across sales, marketing, finance, operations, and M&A, plus practical homework you can apply immediately in your own business.

🔗 Connect

Stephen Olmon
Collin Trimble

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How do you scale a sales team inside a security or life-safety business—without hiring too fast, burning cash, or building a “hope-based” sales org?

In this episode of Entry & Exit, hosts Stephen Olmon and Collin Trimble break down the exact framework they’ve used at Alarm Masters to grow from founder-led selling to a six-person sales team—and the systems that make it repeatable. They cover quota math (3–5x coverage), segmented sales roles (hunters vs. farmers), the KPIs that prevent surprises, and why face-to-face wins in this industry.

You’ll also get real-world guidance on hiring, ramp expectations, building playbooks, and how to design your sales process around a clear value proposition—so your reps don’t default to discounting when pressure hits. Plus, they share quick updates on what’s happening at Alarm Masters, including new add-ons and expansion plans across Texas.

What You’ll Learn

• When to hire the next salesperson: The “pay for the next rep” principle (and how to apply it without waiting a full year)
• Quota math that actually works: Why 3–5x OTE coverage matters—and a simple way to think about it
• Segmented sales strategy: Why you shouldn’t expect one rep to do everything (and the roles to hire first)
• Hunters vs. farmers (install base): The difference between new-logo selling and expanding existing accounts
• Leading indicators & KPIs: Pipeline coverage, close rate, average deal size, conversion rates, and sales cycle length
• The gospel of face-to-face: Why more in-person time increases win rate and reduces attrition
• Sales process + value prop alignment: How “we’re the Chick-fil-A of security” shapes the entire sales motion
• Practical ops reminders: Contract audits, customer communication, and why intentionality beats hoping it works

🔗 Connect

Stephen Olmon
Collin Trimble

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Avoid expensive post-close mistakes by running a calm, disciplined first 90 days after acquiring a security or life-safety business.

In this episode of Entry & Exit, hosts Stephen Olmon and Collin Trimble break down what actually happens after you close—and why most buyers hurt themselves by moving too fast. Drawing from real acquisitions (and real scars), they lay out a practical “stabilize first, optimize later” playbook: how to earn trust with a new team, avoid culture-killing moves, protect licenses and compliance, and lock down customer relationships before you start changing systems, comp, pricing, or process.

You’ll hear the biggest early-stage mistakes (the ones they made), plus the specific moves they now treat as non-negotiables: meet your top customers, over-communicate the transition, centralize logins, audit contracts, and use the seller’s knowledge before it disappears.

What You’ll Learn

• The 90-Day Mindset: Why your #1 job is to be the world’s best employee first—not the hero CEO on day one
• Team & Culture Traps: How arrogance, fast firings, and premature promotions create attrition (and how to lead with humility)
• Stabilize Before You Optimize: Which operational “improvements” (tech stack, process, comp, parties/bonuses) backfire if you rush them
• Customer Protection Plan: How to identify your top customers, meet them early, and prevent churn through over-communication
• Operational Risk & Compliance: License/CEU gotchas that can bite you when you’re distracted by integration work
• Post-Close Hygiene: Passwords/logins, contract cleanup, and why “we’ll get it later” becomes months of pain
• Pricing & Branding Decisions: Why you shouldn’t raise prices (or kill the acquired brand) in the first 90 days
• Homework Framework: Build your “do / don’t” list and keep your first 10 priorities mostly learning, not change

🔗 Connect

Stephen Olmon — https://x.com/stephenolmon
Collin Trimble — https://x.com/TXAlarmGuy

More Entry & Exit — https://www.entryandexit.co/

Owned and Operated

New Episodes Every Wednesday!

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