From my earliest days at Deloitte, diving deep into accounting systems and processes, to more than two decades at Raymond James, my work centered on guiding teams, recruiting talent and supporting clients as they built wealth and companies.
Later, at Stonehill, I helped organizations transform through Design Thinking.
But in 2021, I stepped out of the corporate seat and into the entrepreneur’s chair.
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I took ownership of a business where I could apply my own views on leadership, integrity and building strong teams.
That decision led me down a new path, one shaped by storm protection, installation crews and Florida hurricane season.
Taking ownership of a legacy business
When I purchased Home Safety Solutions, a respected Tampa Bay company founded in 1986, I knew I wasn’t just buying a business.
I was assuming a legacy.
My goal was to bring modern operational rigor and a better customer experience to an industry that hadn’t changed much in decades.
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This was especially true in a business tied so closely to Florida hurricane season and homeowner preparedness.
What follows are a few lessons from that transformation.
They reflect how I approached the transition, the mistakes I learned from and what I would share with others considering business ownership.
From corporate life to entrepreneurship
The road from corporate life to ownership wasn’t linear.
And it wasn’t accidental.
I spent months researching opportunities, reviewing more than a hundred potential businesses and conducting deep due diligence on roughly ten.
Buying a business is a lot like buying a home.
You can start by browsing listings, but it quickly becomes clear that you need a guide.
After encountering seller’s brokers who offered little more than surface-level information, I turned to Penny Parks at Links Financial.
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She represented me as a buyer’s broker and shared my analytical approach.
While I brought a strong accounting and operations background, she filled the gaps on how to actually buy a business.
When we discovered Home Safety Solutions, it stood out immediately.
The company had consistent five-star reviews. It had long-tenured installers and staff.
And it had an owner-operator who cared deeply about the work. That mattered in a business where trust is everything.
Especially when customers are making decisions about hurricane shutters, storm shutters and long-term home protection before hurricane season in Florida begins.
Modernizing a hurricane protection company
After taking over, I applied the same discipline that guided my corporate career to every part of the operation.
When I arrived, the company’s database functioned like a digital Rolodex.
It ran locally on a single computer.
We have since moved to a cloud-based CRM using HubSpot.
This includes automated lead capture and tracking of customer communications. Accounting shifted to QuickBooks Online.
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We also adopted a VoIP system that allows our team to call and text customers through one platform.
At the same time, we are developing proprietary tools. These include quoting and permitting applications designed to bring more transparency and ease to the customer experience.
That matters when homeowners are comparing the cost of hurricane shutters.
It matters when they are weighing the cost of hurricane shutters.
And it matters when deciding between accordion hurricane shutters, roll down hurricane shutters or hurricane storm panels.
We have taken what many would call a blue-collar business and layered technology on top.
We did so without losing the craftsmanship that defines the work. Systems should enhance quality. They should never replace it.
Evolving the brand and product offerings
As we head into 2026, I am proud to announce our rebranding from Home Safety Solutions to Storm Shielder.
This change is more than a new name. It is a declaration of purpose.
The original brand carried a strong legacy rooted in home safety and childproofing.
Today, our focus is clear. We specialize in hurricane protection for Florida homes.
That includes hurricane window shutters, accordion shutters and modern solutions that blend safety with design.
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Our offerings now include impact windows alongside traditional hurricane shutters.
These are the solutions Florida homeowners rely on as hurricane season approaches each year.
We are also expanding geographically. This includes underrepresented areas like Hernando and Citrus counties.
Demand for Florida storm shutters continues to grow as the region’s population increases.
Why hurricane season shapes demand
When I began my search, I thought I wanted to own a product-based business.
Not a service business.
Looking back, I realize I found something else as well.
Many white-collar industries built on recurring revenue are facing pressure from AI and automation.
I landed in a business that still depends on human hands and honest work.
You cannot outsource craftsmanship. You cannot automate trust.
And when a homeowner asks when hurricane season starts or ends, they are really asking who they can rely on.
What we provide at Storm Shielder is tangible protection. It is something you can see, touch and trust.
Every day, I am grateful to lead a team that delivers something real.
Troy Atlas is a recovering CPA with B.S. and M.S. degrees in accounting from the University of Florida.
A Tampa native, he has served as former Chair of the ReliaQuest Bowl, former Chair of St. Joseph’s Hospitals Foundation, Trustee of the Straz Center for the Performing Arts and a participant in Leadership Florida.
For more insights on entrepreneurship and business ownership, click here to contact Troy. To learn more about Storm Shielder, click here.