EXPERIENCE IS THE TEACHER OF ALL THINGS

How Do Good People Learn to Face Danger Instead of Run From it? From Those Who Do it Every Day. Byron Rodgers Has Turned Executive Protection Skills into a Self-Defense Curriculum for the Average Person

- John Schwartze

Estimates have put the number of new gun owners in 2020 to be somewhere over 5 million. In a time of growing threats to public safety and stigmatization of law enforcement, it’s finally dawned on many that protecting themselves and their family has never been more important. By the time you read this, the election will be over. No matter the results, increased instability will be par for the course. With the media, activist groups, and countless others fanning the flames of civil unrest, the next question becomes, who can teach you the skills to defend what’s important and the discretion to use them righteously? Guys like Byron Rodgers.

When you hear the term “executive protection” (known colloquially as EP), images might come to mind of some shredded guys with pressed suits, radio earpieces, and mirrored sunglasses following around celebrities who can afford the luxury of private security. Sure, Byron checks those boxes, but his résumé goes beyond protecting wealthy clients and teaching others who want to enter the private security industry. Author, veteran, podcast host, consultant, trainer, and creator of programs such as the Hard Skills Intensive and Protector Symposium are just some of the titles that make him as academic as he’s enthusiastic about helping everyday people help themselves.

The increased risks in our world have convinced many that being self-reliant isn’t only smart, but also imperative. Byron made it his mission to teach citizens from all walks of life how to sharpen the survival instincts that are part of everyone’s DNA. Think of him as part motivational speaker and part Roman general. We spent some time getting to know what motivated Byron to turn the skills he’s honed during his executive protection career into programs accessible to the average citizen.

RECOIL OFFGRID: Tell us about where you grew up.