August 18, 2014
Lucy Davis, Guardian Safety Net
At a Glance
Bio The path that led her to this point
I am co-founder and developer of Guardian Safety Net, a distress alert for smart phones.
At the press of a button on your smart phone up to 5 of your family, friends or neighbours will be alerted to your distress/danger.
Your location will be monitored and updated by GPS location approx. every 5 to 10 seconds and can only be turned off by your own 4 digit PIN (in case someone gets access to your phone).
After retiring from a career with the Queensland Police Service, my husband and I were very disillusioned with the lack of respect and peoples reluctance to get involved with the safety and wellbeing of people in distress.
Coming from a generation where it was common that people looked out for each other, we decided to provide everyone with a tool to reconnect with each other in times of need. By using the genius of modern technology, Guardian Safety Net was created.
We launched the alert in December 2012 as a result of our need to do something about all the attacks and murders of women in particular. And it just grew from there.
We even used up all our savings, superannuation and even mortgaged our home just to get the word out to everyone that there is help for people to help each other. And you know, no one will respond faster to an emergency than your loved ones.
All we want to do is give people the opportunity of using a device, at very low cost, which could quite definitely save their life.
Even when making a phone call and someone in your safety net needs your help urgently, Guardian will actually over-ride the call and alert you that your assistance is needed.
Not only that but it will also send an email to all the members of your safety net as a back up.
The reason Guardian is so much faster than SMS users is that it uses "Push Notifications".
In the process of designing the workings of Guardian Duress Alert, we were constantly amazed at how broad its focus could be.
From something that started simply as a personal distress alert and constant testing, we find it has grown to a point where it is as diverse as tracking an aircraft or as a safety tool in general industry to protect the lone worker, world-wide.
With my past experience in the field of protection in corrections and police, I find each day becomes a crucial necessity to protect each other and with the help of modern technology through smartphones, it is now available with Guardian Safety Net.
Q&A Insider advice & tips
What's been your greatest achievement to date?
Having actually recognised the special need for self preservation and protection and doing something about it! Guardian Safety Net is my greatest accomplishment in the knowledge that someday we WILL save someone's life!
What's been your biggest challenge so far?
After a working life of being given direction year after year, the greatest challenge of my life so far was to leave my comfort zone and move into a field of technology that I knew almost nothing about. One learns fast in times of need..
Best lesson you've learned along the way?
Silly questions save silly mistakes.
We could have done things a lot smarter, a lot quicker and saved a lot of time had we asked the right questions from the right people.
A website, book or resource that has helped you in your business or inspired you and why?
Shortly after we commenced with this journey my husband gave me a copy of Jonathan Living Seagull and his inscription inside the cover was "Imagine you are the seagull". Very inspirational. Read it!
Which person or brand do you most admire and why?
Richard Branson. Here is a person that is the living embodiment that anything is possible.
What advice would you give someone starting an independent business in your industry?
I would say to them, the first step is to start. From then on believe in yourself and your product and don't listen to people who are not qualified to criticise.
Finish this sentence
Everything changed for me when…
a major organisation saw our product and recognised the potential it had to safeguard peoples lives. After just one meeting lasting one hour, they placed a huge order.
The nice part is that everyone said we couldn't do it!
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