Tom Kubiniec - From Guitarist to Military Storage Innovator
Wed Feb 04 2026
In this powerful episode of the Dead America Podcast, host Ed Watters sits down with Tom Kubiniec, President and CEO of Secure It Tactical, to explore an extraordinary journey of reinvention, innovation, and fearless problem solving. Tom’s story begins as a heavy metal guitarist profiled by Guitar Player Magazine in 1984, before chronic tendonitis forced him to walk away from music and rebuild his life from the ground up.
What followed was an unlikely path into computer supply sales, hospital laptop security, and eventually a phone call from the FBI asking if he could store an “MP5”—which Tom initially thought was a laptop model. That moment launched him into the world of military weapon storage, despite having no firearms background at the time. By boldly claiming expertise where none existed, Tom spent 18 months surveying every Special Forces armory in America, documenting failures, and becoming the authority he said he was.
This episode dives deep into the creation of the patented Cradle Grid system, a revolutionary design using one moving part to replace outdated bracket systems with 88–230 components. Tom also exposes hard truths about gun safe fire ratings, decentralized storage strategies, high stress access failures, and why most safes can be breached in seconds.
Listeners will gain insight into:
• How innovation is born from questioning everything
• Why decentralized weapon storage offers tactical advantages
• The myth of fire rated gun safes
• Designing systems for fight or flight conditions
• Building a company without a college degree or military service
• Facing fear through land speed racing and extreme climbing
This episode is a masterclass in entrepreneurship, engineering innovation, and resilience, showing how curiosity, courage, and relentless learning can redefine an entire industry.
Keywords: Tom Kubiniec, Secure It Tactical, military weapon storage, Cradle Grid system, gun safe myths, decentralized storage, Special Forces armory, SEAL teams, firearms storage innovation, entrepreneurship, Inc Magazine fastest growing companies, land speed racing, overcoming tendonitis, Ed Watters, Dead America Podcast.
0:57 - From guitar player to CEO—how chronic tendonitis ended a music career and started a business odyssey
2:15 - The telemarketing grind and building the first company in a Panorama City apartment
5:12 - Creating taperac.com in the late 90s and becoming a major player in hospital laptop security
6:45 - "Can you store an MP5?"—The FBI call that changed everything
8:47 - Walking into Fort Bragg with zero military experience to pitch Special Forces Command
10:15 - "I'm considered the leading authority"—claiming expertise that didn't exist yet
12:27 - Training with the best shooters in America after never owning a gun until 2008
16:14 - Why decentralized storage beats one big safe—thieves spend 9 minutes in your house
17:19 - The master bedroom is the LEAST secure room in your home
23:26 - Why lightweight modular safes make more sense than 1800-pound monsters
23:39 - Fire ratings are fake—the biggest scam in the gun safe industry
31:36 - Ammunition storage—why putting ammo in sealed safes creates pipe bombs
36:08 - If your ammo's been in a fire, throw it away—ballistics change and barrels can blow
37:16 - The Cradle Grid system—Home Depot development and one moving part
40:27 - "Question everything, build better solutions, never settle for good enough"
43:51 - Land speed racing at Bonneville—hitting 172 mph in a 750cc car and going for 220
49:59 - "At 172, my helmet was pinned to the roll cage from vibration—I couldn't read the dash"
52:26 - The greatest days of your life are when you work through your fears
55:15 - Ice climbing Mount Athabasca—the voice that said "it's worth it" at 2,000 feet
1:01:48 - No college degree required at Secure It—military experience beats a master's degree
1:06:52 - Fail fast—"Nobody screws up more stuff than I do in this company"
1:08:40 - Building memories vs. playing video games—how to make time move slower
1:13:43 - Solving chronic tendonitis after three years unable to golf or play guitar
Website
https://www.secureitgunstorage.com/
Social media links
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomkubiniec/
FB: https://www.facebook.com/gunstorage/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/SecureItGun...
#TomKubiniec #SecureItTactical #DeadAmericaPodcast #EdWatters #EntrepreneurJourney #InnovationMindset #MilitaryEngineering #ProblemSolving #BuiltNotBorn #IndustryDisruptor #LeadershipStories #ResilienceMindset
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In this powerful episode of the Dead America Podcast, host Ed Watters sits down with Tom Kubiniec, President and CEO of Secure It Tactical, to explore an extraordinary journey of reinvention, innovation, and fearless problem solving. Tom’s story begins as a heavy metal guitarist profiled by Guitar Player Magazine in 1984, before chronic tendonitis forced him to walk away from music and rebuild his life from the ground up. What followed was an unlikely path into computer supply sales, hospital laptop security, and eventually a phone call from the FBI asking if he could store an “MP5”—which Tom initially thought was a laptop model. That moment launched him into the world of military weapon storage, despite having no firearms background at the time. By boldly claiming expertise where none existed, Tom spent 18 months surveying every Special Forces armory in America, documenting failures, and becoming the authority he said he was. This episode dives deep into the creation of the patented Cradle Grid system, a revolutionary design using one moving part to replace outdated bracket systems with 88–230 components. Tom also exposes hard truths about gun safe fire ratings, decentralized storage strategies, high stress access failures, and why most safes can be breached in seconds. Listeners will gain insight into: • How innovation is born from questioning everything • Why decentralized weapon storage offers tactical advantages • The myth of fire rated gun safes • Designing systems for fight or flight conditions • Building a company without a college degree or military service • Facing fear through land speed racing and extreme climbing This episode is a masterclass in entrepreneurship, engineering innovation, and resilience, showing how curiosity, courage, and relentless learning can redefine an entire industry. Keywords: Tom Kubiniec, Secure It Tactical, military weapon storage, Cradle Grid system, gun safe myths, decentralized storage, Special Forces armory, SEAL teams, firearms storage innovation, entrepreneurship, Inc Magazine fastest growing companies, land speed racing, overcoming tendonitis, Ed Watters, Dead America Podcast. 0:57 - From guitar player to CEO—how chronic tendonitis ended a music career and started a business odyssey 2:15 - The telemarketing grind and building the first company in a Panorama City apartment 5:12 - Creating taperac.com in the late 90s and becoming a major player in hospital laptop security 6:45 - "Can you store an MP5?"—The FBI call that changed everything 8:47 - Walking into Fort Bragg with zero military experience to pitch Special Forces Command 10:15 - "I'm considered the leading authority"—claiming expertise that didn't exist yet 12:27 - Training with the best shooters in America after never owning a gun until 2008 16:14 - Why decentralized storage beats one big safe—thieves spend 9 minutes in your house 17:19 - The master bedroom is the LEAST secure room in your home 23:26 - Why lightweight modular safes make more sense than 1800-pound monsters 23:39 - Fire ratings are fake—the biggest scam in the gun safe industry 31:36 - Ammunition storage—why putting ammo in sealed safes creates pipe bombs 36:08 - If your ammo's been in a fire, throw it away—ballistics change and barrels can blow 37:16 - The Cradle Grid system—Home Depot development and one moving part 40:27 - "Question everything, build better solutions, never settle for good enough" 43:51 - Land speed racing at Bonneville—hitting 172 mph in a 750cc car and going for 220 49:59 - "At 172, my helmet was pinned to the roll cage from vibration—I couldn't read the dash" 52:26 - The greatest days of your life are when you work through your fears 55:15 - Ice climbing Mount Athabasca—the voice that said "it's worth it" at 2,000 feet 1:01:48 - No college degree required at Secure It—military experience beats a master's degree 1:06:52 - Fail fast—"Nobody screws up more stuff than I do in this company" 1:08:40 - Building memories vs. playing video games—how to make time move slower 1:13:43 - Solving chronic tendonitis after three years unable to golf or play guitar Website https://www.secureitgunstorage.com/ Social media links LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomkubiniec/ FB: https://www.facebook.com/gunstorage/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/SecureItGun... #TomKubiniec #SecureItTactical #DeadAmericaPodcast #EdWatters #EntrepreneurJourney #InnovationMindset #MilitaryEngineering #ProblemSolving #BuiltNotBorn #IndustryDisruptor #LeadershipStories #ResilienceMindset