I worked on Mark Zuckerberg's security team for two years. It was extremely high-pressure and I knew it wasn't the right job for me — so I left.

• Brooks Scott is a former executive protection manager at Meta (then Facebook) who used to work as a state trooper.  
• As a member of Zuckerberg's security detail, he'd reached a top position in his industry but knew it wasn't a good fit. 
• He now loves his executive coaching career and regularly uses wisdom gained in his protection management days.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Brooks E. Scott, founder of Merging Path Coaching and former executive protection manager at Meta. It has been edited for length and clarity.