By SAMANTHA ETTUS
02-NOV-05

Fear. It is the subject of one of our most creative holidays, the object of both our mockery and enjoyment. Filled with candy and cloaked in costumes, we celebrate goblins, ghosts and witches and derive pleasure from scaring one another. But while fear for fun was last week's celebrated pastime, this week we take a look at three people who have built successful careers out of the serious side of fear; America's Most Wanted host John Walsh, security guru and bestselling author Gavin DeBecker, and Kathleen Baty, aka The Safety Chick.

John Walsh
In an unlikely twist, Walsh became the most recognizable face of crime-stopping as the host of the long running TV show America's Most Wanted. After losing his son to a predator in a shopping mall in 1981, Walsh emerged as a passionate force for victims' rights, and was tapped six years later by Fox to host AMW. The author of three books, Walsh continues to lecture and speak out for victims, and has testified before Congress more than 55 times. While many others who have suffered from tragedy dilute the impact of their message through indiscriminate and overzealous advocacy , Walsh's laser focus as the 18 year host of AMW has led to the capture of more than 867 criminals and has established him as the definitive voice of televised crime-fighting in America.

Gavin de Becker
After a Los Angeles childhood riddled with domestic violence, de Becker has evolved from his position as a security guard to the stars into an authority on predicting violent behavior. Perhaps this country's best known expert on violence and crime prevention, de Becker runs a 100 person consulting firm and speaks out regularly on the subject. In addition, he has become an accomplished author – his first book, "The Gift of Fear," spent four months on The New York Times bestseller list. De Becker's commitment runs deep: all proceeds from his third and latest book, "Fear Less," go to Victory Over Violence, a charity he co-founded for victims of domestic violence. From his unrelenting charity work to his professional endeavors, de Becker's passion for transforming fear from a weakness into a strength is the common thread that links all of his activities and the basis of a strong and enduring brand.

Kathleen Baty
Victims advocate Baty was stalked for years, eventually becoming the target of an attempted abduction before deciding to take her fear into her own hands. To her enormous credit, Baty played an integral role in passing the country's first anti-stalking law. She achieved recognition quickly, likely aided by her head-turning looks and the high profile of her husband, NFL tight end Greg Baty. Now known as The SafetyChick, Baty has helped countless women through her lectures and first book, "A Girl's Gotta Do What a Girl's Gotta Do," which was released in 2003 and boasts a forward by de Becker. In addition to appearing on America's Most Wanted each week with practical safety tips, Baty has launched her own line of safety products, starting with her signature SafetyChick Safety Kit. Because her persona as The SafetyChick is so integral to the manner in which her message is delivered, Baty has crafted an effective and catchy brand, and we expect much more from her in the future.

Remember: the most dependable road to the top is to treat your brand as your greatest asset.