The latest installment in the Best Advice Q&A series features Matt Barnette, president and CEO of PSA Network, a global community uniting more than 900 independent security integrators across North America and Europe. Under his leadership, the organization has delivered exclusive training, negotiated group purchasing agreements and launched initiatives such as regional roundtables and an annual executive summit aimed at equipping integrators with best practices. In this profile, Barnette reveals the single piece of guidance that shaped his career, explains how he mentors new entrants to the security sector and names the standout industry mentor he relies on most.
Barnette attributes his professional outlook to advice offered by Dan Rothrock early in his career: “Seventy percent of the job is showing up, consistently, over the length of your career. The rest requires skills you develop, a positive attitude and a curiosity to always be learning.” Those words made an immediate impact during a multistate integration project where continuous on-site support strengthened client confidence as rival firms walked away. Barnette points out that showing up must mean arriving with full engagement, ready to listen, plan and troubleshoot. Developing targeted skills, adjusting your outlook and pursuing fresh industry knowledge helps you adapt when regulations change, emerging threats materialize or new technologies hit the market.
Barnette distills his own approach into three guiding principles for anyone starting out in security:
• Embrace a long-term perspective. Fast fixes might deliver an early win but rarely support lasting success. Whether you’re deploying IP cameras, integrating cloud-based access control or testing AI-driven analytics, staying informed helps integrators build sustainable recurring revenue models rather than depending on one-off contracts. That patience lays the groundwork for predictable growth across multiple projects.
• Cultivate a strong professional network. Seek out mentors and peers whose expertise challenges your assumptions, then give them space to excel. Participating in online forums, attending PSA roundtables and joining collaborative working groups expands your access to proven strategies and diverse viewpoints.
• Practice active curiosity. Go beyond the meeting agenda, question configuration choices, review product roadmaps and volunteer for beta trials. Exploring adjacent fields such as cybersecurity or IoT integration often leads to creative solutions that set you apart in a crowded market.
When asked to name a single mentor who embodies these tenets, Barnette responds:
“Without hesitation, I’d point to Joe Grillo.”
Grillo’s 40-year tenure includes guiding HID from startup status to a market leader in secure identity solutions and assembling ACRE through strategic acquisitions—beginning with Mercury and adding several established access control brands. His leadership transformed multiple companies into world-class providers of electronic entry systems.
Barnette admires Grillo’s balance of hands-on field experience, executive insight and a clear vision of where the security landscape is headed. Grillo listens intently, probes with thoughtful questions and challenges conventional ideas without dismissing them. Each conversation equips participants with fresh perspective as sparking renewed motivation.
Barnette recalls meeting Grillo more than 30 years ago at a regional industry conference. Those early discussions reinforced Barnette’s belief that enduring success grows from trust-based relationships, consistent delivery and a commitment to learning—principles that continue to guide his own work at PSA Network and shape the careers of security professionals just beginning their journey.
