In this exclusive CanadianSME Small Business Magazine interview, Whitney Joy Smith, Founder & CEO of The Smith Investigation Agency Inc., Smith Security Inc., and Training Centre Canada, shares insights from her pioneering career at the forefront of private investigations, security, and professional training. Now also serving as City Councillor in Orillia, Whitney combines entrepreneurial drive with a legacy of public service, championing integrity, innovation, and women’s leadership while building award-winning companies across Canada’s security landscape.
Whitney Joy Smith is a trailblazing entrepreneur and community leader whose work spans private investigations, security services, and professional training. She is the Founder & CEO of The Smith Investigation Agency Inc., Canada’s largest female-owned private investigation company, Smith Security Inc., a premier Ontario-based security firm, and Training Centre Canada, a leading online platform for Investigative and security professionals.
You’ve built one of Canada’s largest female-led investigative firms in an industry that’s long been male-dominated. How have traits like empathy, intuition, and rapport-building helped women redefine what it means to be a successful private investigator today?
Empathy, intuition, and rapport-building are absolutely key to success in this industry. When people reach out to hire a private investigator, they’re often in the middle of highly emotional situations—whether it’s a legal matter, family dispute, or infidelity case. Emotions are running high, and in those moments, clients want to feel heard, understood, and supported. Women often bring a unique ability to create that sense of trust and care, ensuring that clients know their case will receive the attention it deserves.
That’s not to say men don’t excel in this field—many of our male investigators are outstanding and bring their own strengths to the job. But women frequently bring a different perspective and approach, one that blends professionalism with compassion. In my experience, this balance of skill and sensitivity has helped redefine what it means to be a successful investigator, opening the door for more women to thrive in an industry that once underestimated their value.
Popular culture has shaped many people’s misconceptions of private investigators. From your perspective, what is the single biggest myth about the profession that you wish the general public understood better?
One of the biggest myths about private investigators comes straight from popular culture. Movies and TV often portray us as 007-style characters who can break into systems, bend the rules, and operate above the law. The reality is very different. In order for evidence to be admissible in court, it must be gathered lawfully, ethically, and thoroughly documented.
We sometimes have clients come to us expecting that we can hack into accounts or access information without restrictions—but that’s simply not the case. Private investigators are bound by strict legal and professional standards, and we have to ensure that every piece of evidence we collect can withstand scrutiny in a legal setting. Otherwise, it has no real value.
The truth is, our work is less about glamour and gadgets and more about professionalism, patience, and precision. By staying within the laws and guidelines of our industry, we provide clients with evidence they can trust—and that ultimately makes all the difference in their cases.
Your agency handles everything from corporate fraud and insurance cases to sensitive family matters. Can you share an example of how your team’s investigative work has made a meaningful difference for a client or community?
One of the things I love most about running a national agency is the wide range of cases we handle every year. Each case is different, but some of the most meaningful ones are on the skip tracing side, where we help clients locate missing or long-lost family members.
I’ll never forget one case where a client asked us to find a sibling they hadn’t seen in nearly 35 years. Despite decades of trying on their own, they had no success. Our team was able to track down the sibling—the “needle in the haystack”—and facilitate a reunion. The client later called us, overwhelmed with emotion, to share how joyful and tearful that first meeting had been.
For us, it was just as moving. We’re often focused on the technical details of investigative work, but moments like that remind us of the very human impact behind what we do. Helping to bring families back together after decades apart is an experience that stays with you, and it’s one of the many reasons I’m so passionate about this profession.
With Training Centre Canada offering refreshed courses and Smith Security Inc. expanding into new services, how do you see education and professional development shaping the future of the investigative and security field in the next five years?
Over the past decade, we’ve seen significant changes in how investigators and security professionals are trained and licensed. Looking ahead, I believe the future of our field depends on raising the bar even higher. Laws, policies, and technologies are constantly evolving, and mandatory refresher courses should become the norm to ensure professionals stay up to date.
I’d also like to see higher standards for entry-level training. This work is impactful—whether in a corporate fraud investigation, an insurance claim, or a sensitive family matter—and it demands evidence collected properly, professionalism at every step, and a foundation of honesty and integrity. Those values sometimes need to be reinforced through education, and stricter rules may be necessary to ensure only those committed to these standards remain in the industry.
At Training Centre Canada, we’ve built our programs to reflect exactly that. Thousands of students have completed our courses and gone on to become successful investigators and security professionals. Seeing their growth and the quality of work they bring to the field is proof that professional development isn’t just important—it’s essential to the future of our industry.
Drawing from your own journey—turning early obstacles into motivation and ultimately forging a thriving national agency—what final piece of advice would you share with aspiring private investigators or small business owners looking to build resilience and credibility in highly competitive industries?
My biggest advice is simple: go for it, work hard, and be patient. Never think you’ve “arrived.” The moment you believe you know it all is the moment you stop growing—and that ultimately hurts your clients. I’ve worked on thousands of cases, yet I still love learning, testing new approaches, and finding better ways to get results with professionalism, integrity, and respect for the law.
Resilience comes from embracing challenges as opportunities to improve. Every case, every client, and every obstacle teaches you something. Don’t box yourself into one type of work—broadening your scope will help you grow faster and become more adaptable.
Most importantly, don’t let pride hold you back. Be open to guidance, mentorship, and collaboration. None of us succeed entirely on our own, and some of my greatest growth has come from listening to others. If you stay humble, curious, and committed to constant improvement, you’ll not only build resilience—you’ll build a reputation for credibility and trust that will carry you through even the most competitive industries.
