A lot of people are interested in how I got started as a locksmith, way back in 1981. Well, I simply answered a newspaper ad. Yep. . . Not many ads like that in newspapers, ever.

My Career Started with a Help Wanted Ad.

But after we had moved from Catlin, Illinois, to Grand Junction, Colorado (the reason for that is an even longer story), I was job hunting and saw an ad for an apprentice locksmith to start immediately. I had never done any locksmithing whatsoever, but Tom Baden, the owner of what was then Mountain Lock and Safe, hired me, based on what he thought my potential might be.

I Was Hired on Faith.

I very much appreciated his faith in God because it was on that faith that he felt he picked the right person. I realized early on that I felt like God had placed me exactly where He wanted me also. Some might call it strange, but in a conversation Tom had with his mother, she told him that not only was I the right one to hire as an apprentice, but that I would be the one to buy the business from him.

I Bought the Business Not Long After.

Several months later, after some very intensive training, it happened. Tom expressed a desire to sell the business, and I jumped at the chance. The next 7 years were spent learning as much as I could and developing the skills needed to be a good locksmith.

Tom Baden Was a Patient Teacher.

But, back to Tom Baden. This gentleman had a very gentle nature about him and was a very kind and patient teacher. He was one of the very few people in my life who inspired me to do my best in all circumstances. His patience and tact in dealing with job situations, customers, and my early mistakes made me really thankful that God had put him on my life’s path. I tried hard to repay him by giving him the absolute best I had every single day.

I Was Able to Repay Him in Various Ways.

I actually did have a chance to repay him a little, yes, in buying the business, but also continuing to build the reputation of the business he started. And right before he moved to the Front Range, I had a chance to manipulate open a safe for him with the skills he had taught me, and he couldn’t have been any more pleased.

God Brought Us Together.

Most people up to now have not heard as much of the history of my start because it is too long to tell in the space of one job. Many who have heard the story just shake their head in wonder, and some in disbelief. If you do not recognize how God works in people’s lives, it is hard to see how He put two people that trust Him together and sent both down the proper paths for the rest of their lives. But believe it or not, that is how God deals with people.

That’s pretty much the inspiration side of the story. The perspiration side is not as pretty.

Becoming Skilled Required Time and Effort.

Especially during the Colorado years (the first 10), I spent every waking hour either studying or working. Tom taught me that if you were going to be a good locksmith and skilled in the field, your nose had to be to the grindstone. Eventually I took the tests to become a Certified Master Locksmith (CML) and was one of the first 25 in the nation to receive that certification through he Associated Locksmiths of America (ALOA).

Staying Skilled Requires Study and Practice.

Even though many years have passed since then, I still spend time every single day keeping up with the new technology that just comes flying at us. A box of practice locks sits beside my “easy chair,” so that at least a few get picked every evening while I am relaxing. The internet also gets a workout with research into new tools, techniques, and approaches to new high security in safes and autos. Now that I’m 70, one would think that such a frenetic pace at keeping up on education would not be necessary, but it is what can only be called a habit, a good habit, that a very good teacher passed on to me.

You Benefit.

And you reap the benefits. If I do not immediately have the answer to your problem when you call, I will do my best to research it and let you know if it is possible for me to do. Yes, there are a few auto manufacturers (such as some models of Volvo and Mercedes, for example), that are beyond what is doable for me with my equipment, but I do my best to work out solutions for the rest. Give us a call at 618-466-9347, and we’ll try our best to give you the locksmithing service that you need.