How SBS CyberSecurity Scaled Nationally Without Sacrificing Culture

What this episode covers

John Waldman, co-founder of SBS CyberSecurity, joins GTLE to break down how a handful of graduate students working out of basements built a national cybersecurity firm with roughly 90 employees across 27 states—without outside investment. John shares the early realities of advising banks as a 24-year-old, learning how to earn credibility with regulators, and navigating the uncomfortable shift from “humble operator” to business leader who must tell the company’s story. He explains how SBS grew from its banking roots to serving organizations in 49 states, while keeping customer service and culture as non-negotiables. The conversation dives deep into leadership tradeoffs: why people-first isn’t a slogan, how SBS adapted to remote work after acquiring a firm 1,500 miles away, and why over-involved leaders quietly limit their teams. John also explains how SBS measures success—not just through security outcomes, but through customer experience, using Net Promoter Score as a core company KPI (recently around 80). What you’ll learn: Why “people first” is a structural decision, not a value statement How SBS scaled without becoming founder-dependent What banks taught cybersecurity leaders about trust and documentation How service quality became SBS’s primary competitive advantage This episode is a grounded look at leadership, scale, and building something designed to last.

PodParley-generated summary based on available episode metadata and transcript content.