Kris Herzog, military man and professional bodyguard, grew up on Catalina Island. At seventeen he left our beautiful environs for the military training: Boot Camp at Fort Lenardwood in Missouri, Advanced Individual Training at Fort Bragg North Carolina and Special Forces training at Fort Benning in Georgia.
After serving in Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm, Herzog was honorably discharged in 1992. Never far from the family business, The Bodyguard Group,www.TheBodyguardGroup.com, which his father Bill founded in 1967 with partner John Wayne, for long, he worked there on a part time basis beginning in 1987 and took over the company full time in 1992.
In Herzog’s 25 years as a protector of the famous and infamous he has seen a lot of scandals, was even in the middle of one, and he tells all in the autobiography he is working on “My True Hollywood Story: In The Inner Circle of the Rich & Famous Kris Herzog and The 45 History of The Bodyguard Group of Beverly Hills”.
Herzog sat down with Westside Today to share some insights that even the non-rich and famous Westsider can use to protect themselves and their family.
WT: What are the top three or five most common, easily avoidable safety mistakes you see civilians (and celebrities if applicable) make?
KH: You get what you pay for, when you hire a nanny, “manny†, security guard, dog trainer or elite bodyguard; cheap wages get you cheap help. If you pay under 400.00 a day, the employee will spend most of their time looking for a better paying job and might steal from you. If you pay under 300.00 a day that person do not care about what happens to you and they will sell your information to criminals. If you pay under 200.00 a day you are not saying that you respect their expertise and that person will definitely steal from you or may set you up for a robbery or worse.
Hire The Navy SEAL Bodyguard Group and Bodyguard Group of Beverly Hills, our fees start at $400.00 a day and we are worth it. We have Navy SEAL and Special Forces Team members available for hire as drivers, nannies, “mannies†security personnel, and dog trainers or elite bodyguards.
[Comment: I had to let Herzog plug his company as he is a good interview and we don’t pay for ‘em.]
WT: Besides hiring your firm, what are the best lessons parents should teach kids to keep them safe?
KH: Caregivers and your loved ones should be trained in CPR and Emergency First Aid and possibly self-defense, escape and evasion training. And, once your children are independently mobile, you can use GPS devices and track them through your Smart Phone – just like one can do with a pet. Naturally, The Body Guard Group offers these devices.
WT: What is the stupidest advise you’ve heard a parent or nanny give to a child?
KH: “Stranger Danger†does not work, most kidnappers know how to talk to children or force them right into the car and abduct them. Teach your children common sense solutions – be polite but don’t go right up to a car if someone asks for directions, don’t give people you meet randomly too much information (that goes for adults too; first names are sufficient unless yours is very rare in which case you and your child might consider a pseudonym) and, if your gut says that something is weird, listen to it and find your parent or caregiver, a police officer, or a nearby mother.
WT: Do you plan to retire?
KH: Maybe after my book is published I’ll retire. At the moment, I am taking meetings about selling the book and possibly licensing movie rights to my life story. There is also the possibly of a reality TV show to help get jobs for our U.S. Navy SEAL & Special Force Team veterans. Our company has always had a policy of working to get jobs for vets without taking a fee.
[Comment: And, because we do live in an era where many people, especially in this town, get their fifteen minutes of fame, I had to ask…]
WT: Do you have any regret(s) about clients? Any you wish you had/had not taken? If so, what is it/are they?
KH: We have completed over 20,000 contracts during our 45 years in business and our record is perfect. Zero team members or client injuries. Zero. We do have a few former clients who passed away or those who get in to trouble after we fired them. Yes, we have fired clients including
Whitney Houston, Anna Nicole Smith, Lindsay Lohan, Heath Ledger, Chris Farley, Chris Penn, River Phoenix and a few more….
We severed our working relationship with some clients because they would not listen to our pleas that they stop their drug and/or alcohol abuse. We have slapped the crack pipe out of the mouths “A List†celebrities who we cannot name here and 90% of them are doing great now.
WT: What is the hardest type of celebrity to protect: actor, politician, or reality star? Who is the easiest? Why?
KH: Actors are hardest because of drug abuse; politicians second because of sex and reality stars because many of them are quite stupid.
For more on Bodyguards: www.TheBodyguardGroup.com
For more on Herzog: www.KrisHerzog.com
