Becoming A Detective With Tracie Yamauchi of Tracie Investigations

Last Updated on September 8, 2021

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About Tracie Yamauchi

I’m the owner and manager of a PI firm in Texas. I became a licensed PI at 25 after I completed 7 years with the army. While in the army I worked as a French language analyst. I had the opportunity to work all over the world and I loved it! I completed my active duty contract honorably and with many accolades as well as foreign badges and a combat deployment. When I got out of the active army, I was like many soldiers who were adjusting to civilian life; lost. I continued to serve in the reserves but something was lacking. From the age of 25-30 I grew. I earned my PI license, completed 2 Masters degrees, found and married my true love, became a foster parent AND started my own PI Firm. My life was no longer lacking. My heart and my life are full and I hope to continue to grow both personally and professionally.

About Tracie Investigations LLC

When I left the army I knew I wanted to be a detective, but was unsure of how. In TX you must fulfill certain parameters to earn a license. I needed a sponsor. Ar 24 y/o I yearned to become a detective. I called agency after agency and nobody was accepting interns. I began serving legal documents in the meantime. One day I met a master detective named Clifford Ginn who was looking to train one last Private Detective. He was sick with cancer and wanted a trustworthy individual to take care of his clients when he passed. This individual was me. He trained me up and upon his passing I completed the state exams and launched my I own investigations firm. My PI firm is based in Arlington TX. We have a fun but serious Dick Tracy comic book and vintage aesthetic. We were formally T and C protection firm and recently rebranded to Tracie Investigations LLC. We handle the usual cases such as, custody, cheating, and locating people. But we also handle cases such as missing persons, criminal defense and court appointments.

Contents

How Did You Get Your First Several Customers Or Users? How Many Users Or Customers Do You Have Now?

I got my first customers by going door to door to attorney offices. In my field, this has a fairly high conversion rate if planned properly. Currently we serve between 6-20 clients per month.

How Does Your Company Grow And Acquire New Customers?

We use lease generators such as Bark and Thumbtack and also get organic leads from the web. Not to mention word of mouth is imperative for our success as well.

What Actionable Tips And Tricks Do You Have For New Founders Who Are Looking To Get Their First Thousand Users Or Dollars?

You absolutely need to put in the time and make an effort to understand what works and what doesn’t concerning marketing and client retention. You might be working 100 hour weeks at first, but in the long run, it will pay off.

What Is Something You’ve Learned That Would Not Be Obvious To Somebody Who Hasn’t Worked In Your Space Before?

Not every client should be. By this I mean, that once you find your flow, you will inevitably be turning certain people down. Some cases and some clients are simply better left alone.

What’s The Craziest Thing That’s Happened To You (Good Or Bad) On Your Founder Journey?

I’ve lost friends. It’s part of business. I’ve trained friends to become detectives and work with me, but when it doesn’t work out then I lose both; a friend and a detective.