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You might not think running a salon and being a bar bouncer require a similar skill set, but the common denominator is good people skills, says Anthony C. Licata III, owner of Nails-N-More in Macomb, Mich., and head of security at nearby Club 22. His career as a bouncer began 14 years ago, when, as a new salon owner, he was networking in area bars. “One night while passing out cards at a neighborhood bar, an argument started between two men and it escalated quickly,” he recalls. “With no bar security in sight, I stepped in and got their problem resolved by using my head and not my fists before bar security got over to see what was going on. The owner heard what happened and offered me a job. And the rest is history.”

On Friday and Saturday nights, Licata oversees a crew of seven to 10 security “ambassadors.” “My crew is friendly, polite, and patient with all our customers, but knows when to recognize small problems that may become larger ones,” he says. “I’m here to fix any complaint or problem that our customers may have, from finding a lost purse to cleaning up a spilt drink, and, of course, making sure our customers get home safely.”

The hardest part of a security job isn’t the physical confrontations, says Licata. “It’s actually very mentally draining to be a good security person. It’s easy to get physical with a sober or intoxicated person, but the job takes patience and respect for someone you don’t know. And an ability to stop something before it starts.

“I have to say it’s like working at the biggest networking party on this side of the state, considering we average around 750 people on a Saturday night. That’s a lot of people to greet and meet.”

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