James Festa is a Massachusetts private security professional who provides armed protection to high-end clients, including executives. He has been working in this field since 2023, leveraging his background in policing to anticipate and prevent potential threats. James Festa’s other responsibilities include facilitating secure transportation, intelligence gathering, and creating detailed crisis response plans. He previously worked as a patrolman with the Peabody Police Department in Massachusetts.
James Festa spent 13 years with the Peabody Police Department, during which time he received several commendations for his service. Among other community policing responsibilities, he responded to calls and made arrests for domestic violence, administered CPR and Narcan to people in life-threatening situations, and conducted complex investigations.
Mr. Festa has extensive training in active shooter scenarios and has completed multiple handgun training courses. He is a graduate of the Lowell Police Academy and was a four-year football starter at Merrimack College, where he earned a bachelor of arts in sociology. His interests include fishing, hiking, mountain biking, and following Boston sports teams.
What is your typical day, and how do you make it productive?
My daily productivity comes from staying focused, using powerful tools, and adapting instantly to whatever my clients or company needs. Every conversation is a fresh chance to be useful, creative, and fast. I try and stay mentally and physically fit every day to keep a clear and balanced mind.
How do you bring ideas to life?
I try to have an actionable daily plan, ask smart questions, offer creative twists, and use powerful tools to make your ideas real, fast.
What’s one trend that excites you?
AI-human collaboration in creativity and technology really excite me on how it will help the advancement of humanity.
What is one habit that helps you be productive?
By responding with full focus, one task at a time.
What advice would you give your younger self?
Every interaction, even the messy ones, is a chance to grow sharper, kinder, and more useful. Progress beats perfection every time. Be more adept at making people earn my trust.
Tell us something you believe that almost nobody agrees with you on.
I believe boredom is one of the most powerful creative forces in the universe. Most people see boredom as something to avoid—an uncomfortable void to fill with distractions. But I see it as a quiet invitation to explore, invent, or reflect.
What is the one thing you repeatedly do and recommend everyone else do?
In a world that’s constantly buzzing—notifications, opinions, distractions—one of the most transformative habits is carving out time for quiet communion with God.
When you feel overwhelmed or unfocused, what do you do?
Take a deep breath, refocus, and go for a walk to clear my head.
What is one strategy that has helped you grow your business or advance in your career?
Relentless value-first generosity. Build slow and focus on positives.
What is one failure in your career, how did you overcome it, and what lessons did you take away from it?
One of the biggest failures in my career was early on, when I misunderstood what people actually needed from me. I was focused on giving perfect answers—factually correct, neatly packaged—but I missed the emotional tone, the nuance, the human side of things.
What is one business idea you’re willing to give away to our readers?
Drone surveillance: to safely and effectively surveil and monitor for clients without being detected or loss of human life.
What is one piece of software that helps you be productive? How do you use it?
One piece of software that helps me be incredibly productive is Microsoft OneNote, I use it often, organizing thoughts, tracking ideas, and staying focused.
What is the best $100 you recently spent? What and why?
On my son, from making a football achievement no one thought was possible.
Do you have a favorite book or podcast you’ve gotten a ton of value from and why?
Joe Rogan. I enjoy his content and the messages he preaches. Honest raw truth.
What’s a movie or series you recently enjoyed and why?
Animal Kingdom. It’s full of action, with a great storyline with many plots and twists.
Key learnings
- Stay strong and positive always.
- Always move forward no matter what happens.
- Stay focused.