The secret to Black Box Safety’s success? T.R.U.S.T.
Black Box Safety’s incredible growth and success over the past 5 years can be attributed to President and Founder Jackson Dalton’s dedication to T.R.U.S.T – Transforming Relationships Using Service and Transparency.
The former Marine started his business from his 1 bedroom apartment and researched what he could about starting a business on YouTube and whatever he could find online about Supplier Diversity. From his research, he was aware there were a lot of opportunities available for Disabled Veterans. It wasn’t until he found SDVOSB Diego & Son Printing and met VIB Network CEO Rebecca Aguilera-Gardiner that he was shown all of the tools and resources available to his business for free.
Dalton immediately joined the free VIB Directory and began volunteering at the VIB Annual National Conferences. The Directory immediately made his business easy to find and accessible
to the VIB’s Corporate Sponsors anytime they had a contract available for his line of work. By volunteering at the conferences, Dalton was able to meet, network and speak to attendees and sponsors. Over time, he successfully connected with reps from the State of CA, Department of Veteran Affairs, CalFire and many more. Now that he had the connections, it was on Dalton to do the work of transforming these relationships into clients.
The biggest surprise Dalton had about beginning to work with larger corporations and government agencies was the importance of cultivating an honest and trusting relationship. By having the patience and grit to continue reaching out to his newly made connections, Black Box Safety built its client base on a solid foundation. His “Heel Toe” approach of getting in front of customers, attending conferences, and traveling to wherever needed helped to show clients and prospective customers that his business was proactive and dependable.
Rapidly growing from a 1 man operation to having 6 full time employees with an office, storefront and warehouse was not without its obstacles and hiccups. When initially starting the business, Dalton hired a marketing firm to create a business name, logo, branding and other necessities he would require. He realized there was a lot needed to get Black Box Safety going and took the logical step of reaching out to a professional company. However, he quickly realized that it was not a great fit as he was able to create the name, tap his mom and brother to assist with creating the logo and figured out what he needed independently. Dalton canceled the contract for a fee, but the bigger lesson was that he discovered that he was very capable of establishing what his business needed most because it was his. “Take a look at what tools you already have and you might be surprised at how much you can do on your own.” said Dalton, “It takes experience to know when you need to ask for help and when you don’t.”
Dalton kindly accepted the 2021 Above and Beyond Award for Veteran Business of the Year at the California State Railroad Museum in Sacramento, CA. His commitment to providing quality products and quality service, along with the help of the VIB Network, has allowed his business to flourish during a difficult time. We here at the VIB Network congratulate him and the team at Black Box Safety on winning this award. Ooh-rah!
Written by: Sydney Santiago
Connect with Jackson Dalton | President and Founder | Black Box Safety
1899 Gillespie Way, El Cajon, CA 92020 | Office: (619) 499-7943 | Website: blackboxsafety.com | Email: jackson@blackboxsafety.com
