19 Years of Code, Culture, and Family First: Nick Brunkow’s Story at SmartSafety Software

When Nick Brunkow attended his first company meeting at SmartSafety Software, he found himself standing in the kitchen of a house. Coming from a formal corporate environment with stricter dress codes and traditional boardrooms, the setting was a shock. Employees gathered around a fireplace and leaned against kitchen counters to discuss business.

Despite the casual setting, Nick immediately recognized the high level of professionalism and technical expertise among the staff. That meeting took place 19 years ago.

Today, as SmartSafety marks its 30th anniversary in 2026, Nick is still developing software for the same team as a Senior Software Engineer, and has created lifelong friendships along the way. 

Key Takeaways: 

• Nick Brunkow has been a developer at Smart Safety Software for 19 years, joining the team in 2007 after a former manager recommended him to the founders.

• He helped develop ECMX, an evidence collection and accuracy system used by the FBI, the IRS, and the West Virginia State Police.

• He attributes his long tenure to high professional autonomy, a strict family-first company culture, and a work environment completely free of office politics.

• Outside of work, Nick is an avid gardener who successfully canned 52 pints of homemade salsa this year using tomatoes grown in his own backyard.

  
  

Trading Formality for a Casual Setting

Before joining SmartSafety Software, Nick worked as a lead developer for a company that heavily contracted with one of SmartSafety’s founders, Brett Murrell. When Nick’s former boss took a job with Brett, she immediately recommended Nick for an open role. He interviewed with the original owners and was hired shortly after.

The transition required an adjustment. Nick traded his formal workwear for a highly autonomous role where he was trusted to simply get the job done. When asked what makes the company different from others he has worked for, Nick points directly to the staff.

"To a person, all of these people are excellent, exceptional people," Nick said. He noted that even after 19 years with the company, he sometimes still feels like the "new guy" because so many of the original employees have stayed for decades.

High Autonomy and FBI Floppy Disks

Over his 19-year tenure, Nick has operated with a high degree of independence. His manager, Brett, operates on a simple management philosophy: he assigns Nick a task and then leaves him alone to complete it.

This autonomy led to the development of the original ECMx, one of the earlier projects Nick was able to work on with 4-5 other talented developers. Today, ECMx is in its 3rd major revision, completed mostly by Brett and Nick using lessons they have both learned along the way.

The system is still in active use today by major organizations, including the FBI, the IRS, and the West Virginia State Police. Nick takes pride in the fact that the code directly assists law enforcement, noting that he likes "working with the good guys." 

Working with federal agencies occasionally brings unique technical challenges. Nick recalls an early meeting where representatives from the FBI arrived to discuss an evidence collection system. They brought their data on a 5.25-inch floppy disk. The SmartSafety team had to dig through storage bins to find an obsolete computer capable of reading the disk before they could even begin the work.

No Politics, No Cliques, and Family First

When Nick first joined, Brett gave him a clear expectation of the work environment: there are no politics and no cliques. Nineteen years later, Nick confirms that rule remains absolute. The team operates without the standard corporate friction.

More importantly, the ownership team enforces a strict family-first policy. For Nick, his personal life needed to take priority over his professional life, and this was a necessary and welcome shift.

At SmartSafety Software, putting family first is an actual practice, not just a corporate talking point. If an employee needs to prioritize their children or handle a personal matter, the company supports them without question.

Ironic Story Sharing about Snake River Canyon

The close-knit nature of the team sometimes reveals unexpected funny history. Years into working together, Nick and Brett realized they had grown up directly across from one another on opposite sides of the Snake River Canyon in Idaho. Nick lived on the south side in Twin Falls, while Brett lived on the north side in Jerome.

52 Pints of Salsa and the Next Era of Software

Outside of writing code, Nick spends his time hunting, fishing, and newly managing a large garden. He has been married for 26 years and has two children, ages 20 and 21. This year, he grew Early Girl, Brandy Boy, and cherry tomatoes, successfully reaching his personal goal of canning 52 pints of homemade salsa, which he has already achieved! 

As he looks toward the future of software development, Nick acknowledges the rapid integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI). He views the technology as both somewhat frightening and very exciting, noting that it will push the company in directions it has never gone before.

But as SmartSafety celebrates 30 years in business, Nick remains grounded in the present. He finds it remarkable that four founders built a company from scratch, kept it alive for three decades, and retained the exact same core group of employees along the way.