Between Us Pros: Closing the Book on 25 Years
SSI Editor-in-Chief and Associate Publisher Scott Goldfine reflects on his tenure and looks forward to what’s next for him and the brand.
Scott Goldfine smiles for the camera as he starts his journey to 25 years with SSI.
It was the most challenging and traumatic year of my life.
It was 1998 and I had led a pretty charmed life until then. That changed drastically as I was hurled into a cyclone of gut-wrenching upheaval. I suffered the loss of both grandparents, who I had grown up extremely close to, and I was confronted with the untimely deaths of a favorite uncle and my cat, who had been my little buddy throughout bachelorhood.
On top of that, I showed up one day at the media company where I had worked for 11 years and the doors were chained shut! The owners had filed bankruptcy and walked away from the business ― leaving me chasing and never recovering several weeks of pay.
I found myself at a crossroads. Doing my best to persevere and push forward, a friend and former coworker alerted me to an opening at the business-to-business publishing company he had joined a couple years prior.
While he worked on a magazine for the school bus industry, the opportunity before me was with a publication dedicated to the electronic security industry. I had never been involved with B2B media and was especially unfamiliar with the security world.
Having never lived in a home with an alarm system, my best points of reference were a few systems I had encountered in employer sites, my constantly falsely triggered car alarms, and The Club steering wheel-clutch/brake pedal vehicle lock.
Despite my naiveté, I was offered and accepted a senior editor position with Security Sales (Integration was added to the title in 2001). I would have never guessed that decision would prove to be the turning point of my professional career.
Looking Back at 25 Years — and Ahead to What’s Next
Personally, over those ensuing decades, I got married, bought my first house, fathered a son, buried both parents and moved from the west to east coast of the U.S. From that perspective, I grew up in the security industry.
Digging in with the belief that ability, hard work and attitude get you ahead, I was all-in from the jump. It helped that I was into audio equipment, electronics, computers and technology, but there was still a fairly steep learning curve.
It was not just about the products and systems, but especially becoming familiarized with key players and fully grasping how the channel functioned along with its many nuances. Then there was also the mission to provide the highest value content and information to dealer and integrator readers, and to engender the support of their suppliers as advertisers.
As that unfolded, I came to understand how fascinating and multifaceted security was, its incredibly important societal role, and the terrific people and colorful characters of which it is comprised. Early on, I made my mark with in-depth articles that began longtime friendships with industry leaders.
My dedication and results paid off as I rapidly ascended the ranks to become the chief editor and eventual associate publisher.
SSI and its editor-in-chief have come a long way in 25 years.
Highlights during my 25 SSI years included launching the industry’s first email newsletter; groundbreaking research and industry exclusives; sensibly advocating new technologies (e.g. IP video, biometrics, video analytics, Big Data, Cloud, security as a service, video verification, cybersecurity); partnering and participating in several trade associations; extensive travel and reporting; and developing programs like the SSI Industry Hall of Fame, Police Dispatch Quality (PDQ), Monitoring Technology Marvel, Most Valuable Products (MVPs), Top 30 Technology Innovations, and SSI Installer and Integrated Installation of the Year.
This quarter-century celebration of my service to SSI is bittersweet, however. That’s because, due to an amazing opportunity, this is my final column as editor-in-chief of SSI. I am further entrenching myself within the security industry by joining Elite Interactive Solutions, a company on the leading edge of intelligent monitoring and incident intervention, as marketing director.
I aim to put into practice the fantastic insights I have learned from SSI’s wonderful audience these many years!
I am so thankful to everyone who worked with and helped me become the longest-tenured person in SSI’s 45-year history. I am beyond proud of what has been accomplished during my time and want to express the utmost gratitude to the dozens of tremendous team members and outside contributors who helped myself and the publication shine.
SSI remains in very capable hands with a bright future. Now, as a reader myself, I look forward to seeing where fresh leadership takes it.
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About the Author
Scott Goldfine
Scott Goldfine is the marketing director for Elite Interactive Solutions. He is the former editor-in-chief and associate publisher of Security Sales & Integration. He can be reached at [email protected].
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Keep on truck’en Scott…..