Welcome everyone to my new website & new business. In some ways this is the beginning of a career that I hope takes me through the rest of my life. In other ways this is just the next step on a long journey to get here. In 2015 I finally decided that I really wanted to become a Private Investigator. The job combines many of the things I enjoy doing, like finding out information, researching, writing, & talking to people. In 2015 I was just about to end my journalism career which would eventually span 6-years as a newspaper reporter for several local newspapers. I was working in retail management at the time but I was not really fulfilled by that.
Around this time I went through the process of getting licensed in NY State. It was not easy, fun, or cheap. Back then they took the money up front and asked questions later. The state required at least three years of qualifying investigative experience. I tried to use my 6-years of investigative reporting to qualify for the license. After many back and forths, and getting excellent character & professional references from college professors, editors, & several Law Enforcement people I was denied due to “lack of qualifying experience”. I was crushed by this but they stated I could appeal, which I did.
I found a lawyer, he thought my case was a good one. We took it all the way to the state Capitol of Albany, NY where I put my case before an Administrative Law Judge. Being my first time doing something like this I felt like it went well but had nothing to judge that by. My lawyer said that this was one of the best cases he’d ever put in front of an Administrative Law Judge and that he was sure it would go my way. Well 8 months went by and I heard nothing. I was lost in the bureaucratic mess that is the state Capitol. My lawyer cautioned patience and told me to wait which I had done but at this point it felt ridiculous to me. I was able to send a message to the court asking what had happened and asked for a decision. Magically after doing this I get a decision two weeks later and I’m denied. I felt like the judge would not even remember the case 8 months later and just made a decision based on what was written down and not on what had been presented to her. This put me in bad debt because the process wasn’t cheap and set me back to zero.
Well, I did not give up! I worked some more retail then transitioned to Real Estate Administration. After doing that for a little under a year an opportunity came up to work as a Surveillance Investigator under a company license. I jumped both feet into this chance. I’m not trying to sound vein about it but I excelled. I soon was working on Claims Investigations and some SIU Investigations. Fast forward and three and a half years later I decide it is time to get my own license and start my business. I begin the process again, and again it is not easy, fun or cheap to do so. This time though I knew what to expect. I’m prepared and I’m prepared to start my business from day one when my license arrives.
While this feels like the end of a long journey for me I know it is only the beginning of a career journey that will take me places that I never fully imagined. Thank you for taking the time to read this and I look forward to working for you if I have not already done so.