How A Tennessee Entrepreneur Is Modernizing Security Training, One Guard at a Time
Returning to civilian life after serving as a decorated Army infantryman, Angel Rodriguez began running operations for a small security firm in Nashville. The owners were frustrated by the limited, out-of-date security training options in the area — and soon suggested Angel start training people himself. So in 2012, he launched Alliance Training and Testing to license security guards.
Since then, Alliance has grown steadily, becoming the most popular security-training firm in Tennessee. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Angel spent eight months securing approval to offer training online — ultimately launching the state’s first fully online unarmed guard license course. Business grew 138% in 2021, and by 2022, Alliance was training around 1,500 students a year. “It gives me the warm fuzzies whenever I meet someone and know that what I’m doing will help them get a job,” Angel says.
Angel uses digital tools to stay efficient. His Google Business Profile drives hundreds of clicks to his website each month, he leverages Gmail’s features to manage and automate customer emails, and he uses AI-powered tools like NotebookLM to organize course content and ideas. “I don’t have an IT department, so these tools allow me to run a modern business efficiently on my own,” he says.
In a recent meeting on Capitol Hill, Angel urged lawmakers to support a clear, national privacy standard that protects small businesses’ ability to reach customers online. He explained how today’s patchwork of state privacy laws is creating confusion and compliance challenges — making it harder for small businesses to use digital tools and grow. “Navigating more than 20 different state privacy laws is incredibly challenging for small-business owners like me,” he says. His message to policymakers was simple: digital tools are essential, and new laws should make them easier — not harder — to use.
