An honest look at executive protection, since 2006
Facilitating your Executive Protection Needs.
Bodyguard Careers was founded in June 2006 by Harlan “Hucky” Austin. It exists to give people an honest look at the profession, “warts and all”: the good, the not-so-good, and the mundane work behind the glamour.
Hucky built it for a specific reason. He had watched predatory businesses promise training and job placement to people eager to break into executive protection, take their hard-earned money, and leave them with little or nothing. This site is the counterweight: real information from people who do the work. Start with how to vet an executive protection school and how to become a bodyguard.
Who it’s for
People considering the career get a clear picture of the job and how to choose training. Working protectors get advice on finding work, presenting themselves and sharpening their skills. Clients who need protection get guidance on what to look for, and can be connected with experienced specialists.
The founder
Hucky grew up in Minneapolis. As the best friend of BrownMark, bassist for Prince & The Revolution, he sat in on rehearsals in the early ’80s and got to know Prince’s bodyguard at the time, Big Chick, who became his mentor and recruited him. At 21 he joined Prince’s entourage. Over the years more than 20 people personally protected Prince; Hucky was “number 4.”
His 25-year career in executive protection took him to France, the Netherlands, Japan, Brazil and dozens of cities in between, as a detail leader and advance agent for celebrities and top corporate executives.
He founded Bodyguard Careers in June 2006 as an honest look at the profession, “warts and all,” after watching predatory businesses promise training and job placement, take aspiring protectors’ money, and leave them with little or nothing.
He was featured on NBC’s Today Show (June 24, 2010) in a segment on female bodyguards, and in a national Fox News story on the demand for female bodyguards (November 2009). Read Hucky’s full story.
What’s here
535 articles from Hucky and 37 guest contributors, organized into four guides:
- Becoming a bodyguard: What the job really is, who it suits, and why it might not suit you.
- Training & schools: How to pick a program, what good training looks like, and red flags.
- Jobs, hiring & pay: Salary, rates, interviews and the reasons good people still aren’t working.
- Field stories: Lessons from real assignments, including the years protecting Prince.
Get in touch
Bodyguard Careers is not an employer, but it can point you to the right resources, advise on résumés, and connect clients with protection specialists. Email info@bodyguardcareers.com.