March 2026 Featured Interview
Life Stages Matter When It Comes to Personal Safety
An Interview with Nichelle Laus
Nichelle Laus
Photo Courtesy: Nichelle Laus
Photo Courtesy: Nichelle Laus
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About Nichelle: Nichelle Laus is a former police officer, entrepreneur, author, and personal safety educator dedicated to empowering individuals — especially women — to feel safer, stronger, and more prepared in everyday life. After a 15-year career in policing, Nichelle transitioned into education and entrepreneurship, combining her frontline experience with a passion for prevention, fitness, and practical safety strategies. She is the co-owner of 416 Tactical, a Canadian safety-focused business, and the author of The Safety Blueprint. Nichelle is also a professor in the Police Foundations program, a strength and conditioning coach, and a frequent keynote speaker and media contributor on personal safety, situational awareness, and crime prevention. Through her workshops, speaking engagements, and online platforms, Nichelle focuses on realistic, proactive approaches to safety, helping people move from fear to confidence through knowledge, preparation and awareness. |
Click Cover to Learn More about Nichelle's Book
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Karen Maserjian Shan, assistant editor, recently spoke with personal safety expert Nichelle Laus on protecting oneself from potentially unsafe situations, a timely and ongoing topic of concern.
How did you become involved in personal safety?
From ages 7 to 14, I was sexually abused from someone I trusted – my stepfather. When I was 14 years old, I wanted to stop the trauma. I shared my secret and told my mother what was happening. There was a lot of chaos from there – lawyers, police, families. Going through the court system was not easy at that age. The people who supported me most were police officers. They took me under their wing. I wanted to give back. I knew I wanted to be a police officer. I still had to go through school and began taking a kickboxing class to defend myself. I’m 51 now, but not many women were involved in the sport at that time. I’m naturally athletic and did well in the sport. I competed in the amateur circuit of kickboxing and boxing and coached for over 20 years.
From ages 7 to 14, I was sexually abused from someone I trusted – my stepfather. When I was 14 years old, I wanted to stop the trauma. I shared my secret and told my mother what was happening. There was a lot of chaos from there – lawyers, police, families. Going through the court system was not easy at that age. The people who supported me most were police officers. They took me under their wing. I wanted to give back. I knew I wanted to be a police officer. I still had to go through school and began taking a kickboxing class to defend myself. I’m 51 now, but not many women were involved in the sport at that time. I’m naturally athletic and did well in the sport. I competed in the amateur circuit of kickboxing and boxing and coached for over 20 years.
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Later, I worked for 15 years as a police officer. I was involved in real-life emergencies in all kinds of situations. Over time I noticed a pattern. There’s a saying that the police deal with 10 percent of the population 90 percent of the time. Another pattern I noticed is that many people weren’t victims of crimes because of a lack of strength, just a lack of awareness or preparedness.
My husband and I left the police force and decided to open a gym. There’s a lot of social media sharing on fitness, and we posted about fitness often, but when COVID hit, we had to shut our doors permanently. We were going to go back into policing but then decided to turn the gym space into a tactical shop (416 Tactical) with emergency services, gear and accessories, so people involved in safety could perform their jobs better.
I perceived a gap in social media postings on personal safety and being prepared on what it takes for safety to be part of daily life. I used my experience in kickboxing and as a police officer, and I took those life experiences and shared those strategies on social media. I was able to now add safety expert to my resume, which already included personal trainer, coach, motivational speaker, and television fitness personality. Can you talk about what 'personal safety' means?
There’s a lot of fearmongering about personal safety, but it’s not about living on the edge all the time. It’s about everyday awareness and knowing your boundaries. When you’re feeling something is a little off, it probably is. Have options ready for those feelings – what will you do? Think about ‘what if’ questions. People need to generally understand their environments. It takes a little practice to determine your baseline. Once you know your baseline, you will be able to react easier to those intuition cues or gut feelings. |
Nichelle Demonstrates a Defensive Move to a Group of Women
Photo Courtesy: Nichelle Laus |
Nichelle (Center) Instructs a Student on Board-Breaking
Photo Courtesy: Nichelle Laus |
"Switch up your routine. If you’re at work from 9 to 5 and then hit the gym or get your morning coffee on autopilot, you might be less aware of your environment. Know your boundaries in the workplace and for your online presence." ~ Nichelle Laus How does personal safety for women change throughout different stages of life, from college to career, to family and into maturity? Personal safety does evolve. I teach self-defense to college students, teens, and young adults. We usually talk about social situations, dating, university issues, and alcohol. Awareness and boundary-setting are critical here. If you don’t set those lines then, it becomes harder to set boundaries later in life. In career or professional stages personal safety shifts more toward routines. Switch up your routine. If you’re at work from 9 to 5 and then hit the gym or get your morning coffee on autopilot, you might be less aware of your environment. Know your boundaries in the workplace and for your online presence. |
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With family, children, school and home, you’re responsible for others, including their online presence. Your parents may be super-vulnerable physically, with technology, with their health, to financial fraud and social isolation. Vulnerabilities change and evolve in different stages of life. Personal safety isn’t static. We need to adapt to our responsibilities and vulnerabilities as they change.
Are certain populations of women more susceptible to negative factors affecting their personal safety? Why and how can they counter those factors? Yes, I think certain groups of women face increased risks to their personal safety. It could be their high visibility, isolation, or perceived vulnerability. Younger women tend to be weaker and seniors are often distracted. Newcomers to an area may not know the laws or culture, or they [may not be aware of] what is appropriate. Women with disabilities are more at risk – those with a cane or in a wheelchair. Women experiencing financial security are another at-risk group. They want to trust a promising situation, but then might regret it, not because they’re weak, but because of vulnerable circumstances. Building support networks can help. There isn’t a ‘one size fits all’ solution. Be informed and prepared – that goes for everybody. |
Nichelle Autographs her Book, The Safety Blueprint, for a Reader
Photo Courtesy: Nichelle Laus |
Click Image for a TikTok Video Describing Tips to Improve Personal Safety
tiktok.com/@nichellelaus |
What are some practical steps that women can take to ensure their personal safety when they’re at home, at work, and in the public?
Canada’s Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design organization, CPTED, is used by different police units as requested for home visits that assess a residence for vulnerable spots, [just] as a criminal would. For example, let’s say you have a ladder outside your house that you haven’t put away after working on your house. That ladder is a good way for a criminal to get to the house’s second floor. Bushes that aren’t trimmed provide a way for a criminal to hide from view and peer inside. Pretend that you’re a criminal and walk around your house. What do you see? Window film can slow a break in. Add layers of security. Have a safety plan – what is going to happen in a safety situation? What are you going to do? Look at your work routines. Criminals thrive on predictability. Take a right instead of a usual left during your commute. Be careful where you park. At work, set professional boundaries. Trust yourself.
In public, a lot of crime happens in the transitions, leaving the grocery store, in the parking lot, in a stairwell. Your hands may be full with grocery bags, or you may be watching your children. Limit distractions. Know where the exits are. If you’re accosted, let the person take anything materialistic. If they want your car, let them take it. Things can be replaced. Weigh the consequences. The idea is to be aware of and remove yourself from an unsafe situation. For the most part the criminal is going to be physically stronger than you are. Know ways to escape. |
Where do you find sanctuary?
My sanctuary is early mornings, the gym, and anywhere I’m with my family. I find calm in discipline and in watching my boys grow. For me, peace isn’t about silence — it’s about feeling grounded, strong and connected.
My sanctuary is early mornings, the gym, and anywhere I’m with my family. I find calm in discipline and in watching my boys grow. For me, peace isn’t about silence — it’s about feeling grounded, strong and connected.
