IAM1357 – Owner Makes People’s Lives Easier with Smart Device Concept

Nicholas Grillo is the owner of Tranquility Smart Homes and Security, LLC. which has quickly become known as the DMV Audio/Visual experts. Tranquility is a COVID startup that was founded by Nick during his transition out of the United States Air Force, where he served 10 years in a multitude of jobs and assignments.

• CEO Story: Nick started by posting online, and accepting handyman tech-related jobs during the start of the pandemic. And it grew that's why in June 2020 Tranquility was born.
• Business Service: One-stop shop for anything smart home or smart business related.
• Secret Sauce: Smart device-the concept of making your life easier.
• CEO Hack: Asking the question if you’re not sure. Ask and learn from other people with experience.
• CEO Nugget: Mistakes are going to happen, and it’s okay.
• CEO Defined: Freedom to be innovative. Learn and adapt to live to what is next potential. Taking risks.

Website: www.tranquilityshs.com

Facebook: TranquilitySHS

Instagram: TranquilitySHS

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Transcription

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00:20 – Intro

Do you want to learn effective ways to build relationships, generate sales, and grow your business from successful entrepreneurs, startups, and CEOs without listening to a long, long, long interview? If so, you've come to the right place. Gresham Harkness values your time and is ready to share with you precisely the information you're in search of. This is the I AM CEO podcast.

00:48 – Gresham Harkless

Hello. Hello. Hello. This is Gresham from the I AM CEO podcast. I have a very special guest on the show today. I have Nicholas Grillo of Tranquility Smart Homes and Security. Nicholas, it's great to have you on the show.

00:58  – Nicholas Grillo

I appreciate you having me. It's great to be here.

01:01 – Gresham Harkless

Yeah. Super excited to have you on and talk about all the awesome things that you're doing. And of course, before we jump in, I want to read a little bit more about Nicholas so you can hear about some of the awesome things that he's doing. Nicholas is the owner of Tranquility Smart Homes and CERT Insecurity, which has quickly become known as the DMV's audio-visual experts. Tranquility is a COVID startup that was founded by Nick during his transition out of the United States Air Force where he served 10 years in a multitude of jobs and assignments. Nicholas, thank you for your service. Are you ready to speak to the I AM CEO community?

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01:30 – Nicholas Grillo

Yeah, I appreciate it very much and very much so.

01:33 – Gresham Harkless

Absolutely. Well, let's do it then. So as a military Brad, I always appreciate having somebody especially because my dad was from the airport. So I wanted to hear a little bit more about your background. We'll let you get started and what I like to call your CEO story.

01:47 – Nicholas Grillo

Awesome, well, I appreciate it very much. And our startup for the company, like you'd said, is a COVID startup. So in the beginning, we'll kind of backdate to when my wife and I would joke around. We had to flee New York because of the pandemic. So my wife put me in for a job position down here in Maryland. We were both in the Air Force. That's how we actually both met. After a long chat, she beat out 14 people and ended up getting this position. We got a phone call that said, Hey, go ahead and start moving your stuff down.

So we packed up our stuff really quickly. And we kind of like we set flood from New York, we went to Navy yard, it was 3 days prior to our closing, locked herself in a hotel room with our dog. On the 23rd of March, closed our houses at 5, and 8 p.m. Whole country shut down for COVID. So that was our startup in the DC Maryland area. So just like anybody, I feel I went through that same epiphany. Most people and families went through and said, Hey, what am I really doing with my life right now? Is this the career path I want to continue down?

So I put up an ad online. It was actually next door, we had our new neighborhood. I said, hey, I'm Nick, new to the area and happy to do any odd man, handyman, or tech-related jobs. And it went from one job, which led to another job which led to maybe 5 more. And before I knew it, we were 8 to 10 weeks booked out. So we really created, my wife and I leashed our business down, really built a brand around it. And June of that same year 2020, Tranquility was born.

03:15 – Gresham Harkless

Wow, I appreciate you telling those stories. And I always thought, you know, when everything's happening and the world is quote-unquote ending like a lot of people probably felt like during COVID and unsure of the future. I always kind of remember something I read years and years ago, like during the 2008-2009 crisis, where a lot of times during those chaotic times, a lot of opportunity came about. It comes in different ways than sometimes we wouldn't expect. But it sounds like you definitely had that experience.

03:41 – Nicholas Grillo

Yeah, absolutely. If you ask me where I sit now and When I was in the military in December of 20, if I were living in this area, running what I find to be a successful company with a great network of people and great connections that we made around here, I would have said, you are kidding me. That is not at all in the cards. And here we are. And I couldn't be happier for it.

04:03 – Gresham Harkless

Yeah, that's what makes it so exciting. And I almost feel like a lot of times when I look back at my life, and I don't know if you feel the same way, like those things happen, and had they happened a little bit sooner, a little bit later, life would have been completely different. And it sounds like you all, you know, taking that, that step, I'm getting that opportunity that your wife got and being able to kind of move. I almost wonder what would have happened if it had happened a little bit later, a little bit earlier, you know, before everything with COVID happened.

04:28 – Nicholas Grillo

Yeah, absolutely. I think really all in all, I might still be in that same job position where I maybe felt a little bit stagnated with the, hey, I enjoy what I do. I believe in it. I love it. And I feel that there's something more to have, but I don't know how to start that next thing. And I think just entrusting in that process that brought us down here, that opportunity that my wife gained where we said, Hey, put your name and see what happens.

You know, long shot, it probably won't even work out, but at least we got it started, worked out and we'll look at everything that traveled from that. It was a lot of great opportunity and a very tough time, but it ended up really being a great opportunity for us and really me being able to branch into kind of my own area that I wanted to be in.

05:11 – Gresham Harkless

Yeah, I love that you said that. And so many times we think that The worst fear is the fear of failure, but honestly, it ends up being like regret because if you never actually try, you put your name out there, do those things, then a lot of times you're wondering like, what if? So I love that you took that leap of faith, so to speak. So I wanted to draw down a little bit more. And I know you've been able to kind of have a tremendous, you know, impact on the community. So I wanted to hear a little bit more about what you're doing, how you're serving the clients you work with, and making that impact.

05:39 – Nicholas Grillo

Absolutely. So the way we've kind of built our company is, you know, we really are your one-stop shop for anything really smart home or smart business related. So the categories that we cover all that because it's a very wide spectrum are smart home security and accent lighting. That's our 3 niche categories. So we really kind of consider ourselves the general contractors of the technology type of world. So we carry really all major brands. So it's Ring, Sonos, Philips Hue, Nest, anything that really works with your phone, something that we end up working on.

So a cool accolade that we actually came out of all this, where we were the first company in the DC, Maryland, and Virginia area to become a ring-certified security installation partner. So we're the very first ones that gave us a phone call out of the blue. I had to really try and pretend that I wasn't just ecstatic about this whole opportunity when they gave me a call and that these things come up all the time, that really wasn't the case. And it continued to just be an awesome networking, a great connection that we ended up having. So as a small, small business to get a phone call like that to bring us on board was a huge, a huge turning point for us.

06:53 – Gresham Harkless

Yeah, I love that. And do you, do you feel like, and so many times we hear, and this might, you know, go a little bit more into your secret sauce, but do you feel like, your ability to kind of, you know, be that person that can help out with all the smart devices, do you think that kind of helped you to, I guess, raise above the fray and make sure that you are seen and known so that people like Ring can kind of reach out to you?

07:13 – Nicholas Grillo

Yeah, absolutely. And I think it's some of it. So is how we also do the process. And I think going back to kind of our startup as well, you know, small businesses have had the biggest hit from the pandemic and the number of businesses that closed compared to keeping open. So to really be able to kind of save, and again, from opportunities that were allotted to us that we were able to really push through that, thrust through that, and gain this partnership was huge for us.

07:43 – Gresham Harkless

Yeah, absolutely. And it just speaks towards, you know, I think so many times, you know, especially if you're starting up, you want to try to do and be all things. And I think, of course, there's a process, you know, towards finding that. But it sounds like being able to kind of, you know, niche down for lack of a better term, but be able to kind of hang your shingle and your hat on being able to kind of help people with these smart devices, anything that can be controlled from your phone. I imagine that helped to kind of break through that tremendously.

08:06 – Nicholas Grillo

Yeah, absolutely. I think it could be a very overwhelming category. So the concept of the technology and smart home category is, hey, it's going to make my life easier. If I just put this product in, my life's going to be easier. It's going to be automated. I can talk to it. Sometimes that in-between process of from the concept to the actual way it works can be really complex. We realized that while we excel at installations, there's a need to make the process less stressful and more seamless for everyone involved.

We want to bridge that gap and create a win-win situation for all. Everybody gets that comfort in their home or their business that knowing a great technology that was overwhelming from the beginning can actually be exactly what it was intended to be, which is an easy life-improving type of technology.

08:58 – Gresham Harkless

Yeah, that's so huge. And you can definitely hear it in everything that you're doing. And of course, you start to see that manifest itself. And as you said, kind of at the beginning of making sure that it's easy for the people that are there, they're reaching their mission, they're reaching their goal at the end of the day. So I love the approach and the effect in the execution that you all are able to do. So I wanted to switch gears a little bit and I want to ask you for what I call a CEO hack. So this could be like an app, a book, or a habit that you have, but what's something that makes you more effective and efficient?

09:26 – Nicholas Grillo

I'd say, so for talking as Nick, as a CEO, So probably would have to say a life hack more than anything. And I would say asking the question. So I think when you're unsure of something, I think your most basic instinct naturally is to pull back. So it's mostly out of fear. It might be sounding unsure and experienced or really just being judged in the field that you're trying to branch into. It's very hard to go out against some really big companies that have been doing this for decades or any career for that matter.

So I know if I'm stuck, I'm standing still. And if I'm standing still, I'm not moving forward. So I always go with this philosophy, if you're not adapting, you're dying. So it's something that we do every day, whether we realize it or not. So I think one of the best and most crippling things can sometimes be our mindset around something. So I always say, ask the question. Ask and learn from other people with experience and don't be afraid to ask that question. And I always say it's like putting a little coin in the savings bank for later and you never know when you're going to end up using it. So my hack is really just to ask the question. It's 100% of the time you don't know the answer if you don't ask it.

10:37 – Gresham Harkless

Yeah, and that's so powerful. And I think you hear some of the most successful, people that build businesses or even at life at that, have that insatiable kind of curiosity. They're always trying to learn more and trying to ask those questions so that maybe it's a certain issue or challenge that they're going through at that time, but maybe it's something in the future. But if you have that curiosity, for one, I think you start to get that knowledge. But 2, I feel like when you are able to ask those questions, you start to build those relationships and connections that maybe you wouldn't have had otherwise where somebody feels valued and you also get to impart some of their knowledge and their wisdom and their expertise as well too.

11:13 – Nicholas Grillo

Yeah, exactly. Because to really come into any scenario and say that, hey, I know all of it. I don't think maybe in short-term gains, you might get something. But I think of the longevity of what if it's a brand you're building or if it's a reputation you're building around a concept. We have people all around us that are these experts, and it can be a CPA, it can be a lawyer, it can be somebody running a podcast.

It can really be anything in that, hey, I acknowledge I don't know all the answers, but I have a good idea of somebody who might, and let's have that conversation. So I really think asking that question is such a pivotal thing, but we also are in an area now where sometimes it is quick to judge. Sometimes it is, Hey, I'm nervous to ask because I don't know what somebody's going to think of that, but you're always going to miss that shot if you don't take it.

12:02 – Gresham Harkless

Yeah, absolutely. Miss 100% of the shots you don't take in.

12:05 – Nicholas Grillo

Yeah, so it's really it's a lot more of what your own ideology that you're putting around that fear. And it's not that asking a question might not be a little uncomfortable, But you know, in the long run, it's going to end up benefiting you and everybody around you. It's a great connection you never know you're going to make until it happens.

12:22 –  Gresham Harkless

Yeah, absolutely. Just like you said, that analogy of being able to put that coin in the piggy bank, so to speak, for now, but also for the future where you start to pay those dividends and see those things kind of come to fruition. So absolutely appreciate that. And I want to ask you now for what I call a CEO nugget. So there's a little bit more of a word of wisdom or piece of advice. It's something I say you might tell your favorite client, or if you were to hop into a time machine, you might tell your younger business self.

12:49 – Nicholas Grillo

Yeah, absolutely. I mean, I would probably have to say you are never going to be ready. There's never going to be a good time. There's always going to be an obstacle that tells you, hey, I want to do this now, but I'm going to do it after this. I'm going to do it later because now is not the right time. The reality is, is it's never going to get any easier than it is right now. Everybody's life, your personal life is always going to continue to gain and grow and expand. And if it's not this thing, it might be the next thing that gets in your way.

So understand you're going to make mistakes and you're going to mess something up. That's the reality of being a CEO or being an entrepreneur and taking that risk. And the difference really is, it's the takeaway you have from that mistake. It's what did we learn from that mistake? And how are we going to apply it to not have it happen in the future? How are we going to adapt to that? How are we going to grow from it? So if I ever had to tell myself anything, It's that mistakes are going to happen and it's okay.

13:51 – Gresham Harkless

Absolutely. I love that. So I want to ask you now my absolute favorite question which is the definition of what it means to be a CEO. And we're hoping to have different quote-unquote CEOs on the show. So Nick, what does being a CEO mean to you?

14:01 – Nicholas Grillo

I would have to say being a CEO, is the freedom to be innovative. And when I reflect back on my time in the military, it was a wonderful journey. I was able to do some really incredible things. I always felt my creativity and individuality were constantly just suppressed to kind of fit the overall mold, the overall objective. So to be a CEO and entrepreneur allows me to learn and adapt and truly live to what I think next full potential is. So taking the risk, trying my ideas, knowing that they might not work the way I thought they would.

But realized that in that moment of not working, the world did not stop spinning and that I could feel bad in that moment, but see that things were going to continue on after that. It may not have felt great, but it always seemed somehow that the next day, the sun still rose that next day. So I look back on all those hardships during startup, anything COVID, any hardship that we all go through, and realize that every single one of those hardships or bumps in the road and the bigger picture brought me to where we are today. And that's an entrepreneur.

15:07 – Gresham Harkless

Nice. I love that. So what I want to do now is pass you the mic, so to speak, just to see if there's anything additional that you can let our readers and listeners know. And of course, how best people can get a hold of you and find out about all the awesome things you are doing in our work now.

15:19 – Nicholas Grillo

So, Louis, I very much appreciate your time inviting me out to the show. It's an extremely great resource and great podcast and a great conversation to be had. Sometimes just the growth and success aspect and say, hey, where am I at and who helped me get to that point thus far and giving back you always get more. The best way for us as a company to get ahold of us is our website www.tranquilityshs.com or our email which is info at tranquility shs.com and to ask us any questions set up a free consultation we love to network We love to talk to people and really hear what it is you're looking to have done.

15:55 – Gresham Harkless

Awesome. Awesome. Awesome. Well, I truly appreciate that, Nick. We will have the links and information in the show notes as well too, so that everybody can follow up with you. Thank you so much for doing that. Of course, taking the time to talk with us today and I hope you have a phenomenal rest of the day.

16:07 – Nicholas Grillo

You too sir, I appreciate it, thank you.

16:09 – Outro

Thank you for listening to the I AM CEO Podcast powered by Blue 16 Media. Tune in next time and visit us at iamceo.co I AM CEO is not just a phrase, it's a community. Be sure to follow us on social media and subscribe to our podcast on iTunes Google Play and everywhere you listen to podcasts, SUBSCRIBE, and leave us a five-star rating grab CEO gear at www.ceogear.co. This has been the I AM CEO Podcast with Gresham Harkless. Thank you for listening.

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