Meet Willie Cross | School Guardian/Executive Protection/Security

We had the good fortune of connecting with Willie Cross and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Willie, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
Protection work is often times a thankless profession, I spent almost 10 years doing something I loved to do & never received the appreciation nor compensation from an employer I felt I deserved. Due the POSSIBLE danger levels in the work I do, I felt I needed both & if I can’t get it from the people & companies I give my all to, I’ll just get it for myself.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Well, I’d have to say the thing that sets me apart is that my field of work is my lifestyle, so when I started my company, Cross & Shield Protection LLC, I had every intention on making this my life’s work. I’ve noticed that in a lot of cases, most people “turn it off” once they’re off the clock, most people do the bare minimum while at work & they’re fine with that, but I can’t & I’m not, this is who I am. We all have our lazy days but this is my lifestyle, I constantly study this line of work, improving my knowledge, practicing my skill, exercising situational awareness in my daily life. I even go as far as teaching it to my close friends & family, It’s who I am, so protecting school, people, or anything else comes natural to me. Now, I’d have to mention that even though this comes natural to me, it’s definitely NOT easy. I’ve put myself in positions at times where I have to work 20hr days, or 36hrs straight through without a break between shifts. There have been times when I’ve had to sacrifice moments in my personal life that I regret, like missing one of my best friend’s weddings in 2018, because I believe it’s necessary for my professional success. Often times, this field of work is a thankless job & even hated at times. The biggest lesson I think I’ve learned in my career after all these years of work is that sometimes I have to neglect all personal feelings, emotions & reactions to people‘s response towards my presence. While working, I’ve been called names, spit on, threatened & even physically assaulted & it was hard to understand why I always found myself in the worst situations. Eventually I learned that the people don’t dislike ME, the person, they dislike, it’s the uniform & the authority that my uniform represents. I’ve learned that no one likes to be told what to do, or at least FEEL like they’ve been told what to do, so I put my ego to the side & maintain my professionalism as best I can even in the more combative situations. I want people & clients to know that my brand & myself are genuine, not just money driven but it’s who I am, it’s who we are. I have a saying, a catch phrase even, “I am the brick wall between innocent & evil”. My officers have to have that mentality, just as I do because it takes courage to defend people & properties we don’t know from from those who seek to do harm.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I’d definitely take them to our beautiful art district during the day to walk around & site see. Probably let them see the beautiful homes near South Beach & if they’re into gambling we probably visit the Hardrock casino & probably the Miami improv for entertainment. There are so many party options, but I’d probably take them to a few lunges like Premier Restaurant & Lounge, Da Cave, Rock bar. One of my fav brunch spots is Batch in Lauderdale, Untoasted in Hallandale & Chica in Miami. I also love chops & hops in Lauderdale so we’d probably visit there after a nice brunch & finish off the trip with a relaxing beach days at one of our beaches.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I’d love to shout out my father most importantly for training me & raising me to have this protective spirit & teaching me work ethic & pride in the work I do. Also, I’d want to thank my mother for teaching me to remain humble & caring & humanity, so that I can empathize with people when they do need my help. I’ll even give a shout out to all my past & present mentors like Louis Tavares, Ret. Chief Ian Moffett (Miami-Dade Schools PD), Sgt. E. Sunderlin of Seminole PD & a host of other coworkers & personal friends who have helped mold, train, teach & push me to better myself & even had faith that I could even start a company & be out on my own.

Instagram: Cross.shield.protection

Other: Email: williecross@crossshieldpro.com My website is coming soon, I respond to all inquiries via email or through my work IG.

Image Credits
Coral Reef Montessori Academy, KIPP Liberty Charter School, Premier Restaurant & Lounge, MDPD training Facility, guardian class 5.