WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:16.080 00:00:15.946 --> 00:00:16.966 And welcome to the Concealed Carry 00:00:16.966 --> 00:00:21.046 Podcast, part of the ConcealedCarry.com network, brought to you by HK. 00:00:22.166 --> 00:00:27.626 Today is Wednesday, July 16th, 2025, as of recording of this episode. 00:00:28.226 --> 00:00:32.326 And I am your host, Riley Bowman, and joined today by a special guest, 00:00:32.606 --> 00:00:36.546 honorary co-host Robin Sandoval of A Girl and a Gun. Hello, Robin. 00:00:37.046 --> 00:00:40.726 Hi, Riley. Thanks for having me. Please let any viewers know that I'm not in 00:00:40.726 --> 00:00:43.086 a dark dungeon. I don't know why my camera's so dark. 00:00:43.886 --> 00:00:46.206 Normally not in the dark here. 00:00:46.986 --> 00:00:50.226 And while you're getting that disclaimer out of the way, I'm going to also throw 00:00:50.226 --> 00:00:53.326 out the disclaimer. I apologize for some of our audio quality as well. 00:00:54.386 --> 00:01:00.506 Both Robin and myself having some audio issues. I'm not quite sure what's going on on my end. 00:01:01.286 --> 00:01:05.086 A little bit of an intermittent issue that we've been trying to troubleshoot 00:01:05.086 --> 00:01:07.086 and just aren't figuring it out. 00:01:07.206 --> 00:01:11.606 But anyway, we are here and we're getting the thing done. And we're going to 00:01:11.606 --> 00:01:16.706 talk about, well, first of all, I mean, we're going to talk about ladies and shooting. 00:01:16.946 --> 00:01:23.746 I mean, you're, as far as I know, the big head honcho of all things women and shooting. 00:01:24.366 --> 00:01:31.646 As the founder of A Girl and a Gun, a continuously growing, fast-growing organization 00:01:31.646 --> 00:01:35.866 of women in the shooting sports, which I think is fantastic. 00:01:36.826 --> 00:01:39.186 We're going to talk about that. We're talking about how guns are for everybody, 00:01:39.426 --> 00:01:41.366 how to get everybody more and more involved. 00:01:42.786 --> 00:01:46.926 Because that's our goal here, and that's your goal, especially getting more 00:01:46.926 --> 00:01:47.726 and more women involved. 00:01:48.226 --> 00:01:50.326 So we'll jump into that here momentarily. 00:01:50.446 --> 00:01:53.826 But first, today's episode sponsored and brought to you by HK. 00:01:54.526 --> 00:02:00.066 They're our title sponsor, of course, but today they get the episode sponsor slot as well. 00:02:00.466 --> 00:02:06.206 I was just thinking today as I put on my HKCC9 pistol of how much I just enjoy 00:02:06.206 --> 00:02:07.986 carrying it. and I also enjoy shooting it. 00:02:08.146 --> 00:02:11.306 You saw it being actually shot a little bit. Those of you watching the video 00:02:11.306 --> 00:02:15.526 feed here in the intro, a little bit of a shot of me shooting it. 00:02:15.666 --> 00:02:18.306 Actually, that was from last year when it was still pretty new to me, 00:02:18.426 --> 00:02:22.326 and it still shot great then, and it shoots great now, and that's what I carry every day. 00:02:22.506 --> 00:02:28.486 So check out HK. Go to hk-usa.com to learn more and to check out their full 00:02:28.486 --> 00:02:32.846 lineup of products and visit your local dealer to check them out. 00:02:32.846 --> 00:02:35.566 They're pretty much on the shelves just about anywhere I go. 00:02:36.266 --> 00:02:39.986 So anyway, appreciate HK's sponsorship of the podcast today. 00:02:39.986 --> 00:02:42.886 And also our secondary sponsor is Mountain Man Medical. 00:02:43.906 --> 00:02:49.566 Not only are guns and shooting for everybody, but so is having good kit, 00:02:49.806 --> 00:02:51.126 such as medical trauma kit. 00:02:51.906 --> 00:02:56.246 So head on over to mountainmanmedical.com and get stocked up with your needs 00:02:56.246 --> 00:03:02.666 for taking care of those nasty bleeds and other injuries and things that sometimes come our way. 00:03:02.846 --> 00:03:07.926 So we don't want that stuff, but unfortunately it happens and it's good to be prepared ahead of time. 00:03:08.861 --> 00:03:13.241 Um, back, Jacob and I were just looking at a kit the other day that got sent 00:03:13.241 --> 00:03:15.381 to us as part of some other thing. 00:03:15.761 --> 00:03:19.381 Uh, I don't even know if they intended to send this kit along with it, 00:03:19.481 --> 00:03:21.541 but we're evaluating it. 00:03:21.601 --> 00:03:25.201 We open it up and, and it looks from the outside, like a trauma kit. 00:03:26.041 --> 00:03:30.221 But once you got in, it's basically just a glorified boo-boo kit with band-aids 00:03:30.221 --> 00:03:34.501 and a little bit of gauze and some shears. And we're like, that's not a trauma kit. 00:03:36.061 --> 00:03:40.341 So that's the thing. A lot of people don't really know what goes into a quality 00:03:40.341 --> 00:03:45.181 kit, but that's where trusty experts, mountainhandmedical.com, 00:03:45.221 --> 00:03:48.301 pick up a good quality kit today to make sure you have what you need. 00:03:49.521 --> 00:03:55.081 All right, Robin, let's jump into it. So I know you came prepared here today 00:03:55.081 --> 00:03:59.741 with some data, some metrics, which I think we'll get into. 00:03:59.881 --> 00:04:03.541 I think that stuff's really, really awesome. But before we do that, 00:04:03.741 --> 00:04:08.641 why don't you give us a little bit of a back story for those that don't know. 00:04:09.441 --> 00:04:15.641 Tell us about A Girl and a Gun, the organization, how you got started with that, 00:04:16.421 --> 00:04:18.521 kind of what led to it, why, all of that. 00:04:19.281 --> 00:04:22.161 You know, you can take 30 seconds or you can take five minutes. 00:04:22.361 --> 00:04:27.141 I think either way the story is compelling. So lay it on us. 00:04:28.261 --> 00:04:31.261 Well a girl and again is the largest women's training 00:04:31.261 --> 00:04:34.201 company in the country we have i would 00:04:34.201 --> 00:04:37.261 say the most credentialed most qualified female cadre 00:04:37.261 --> 00:04:40.281 across the country we have our instructors have 00:04:40.281 --> 00:04:43.101 a number of credentials that they have to have to be affiliated with 00:04:43.101 --> 00:04:46.741 a girl and again and then they run girls night out at the range and other activities 00:04:46.741 --> 00:04:50.381 nationwide and that's really the gateway for women to come into shooting for 00:04:50.381 --> 00:04:53.441 them to be with a caring and qualified instructor who can guide them through 00:04:53.441 --> 00:04:56.881 the way and a lot of times having women friendly women on the other side of 00:04:56.881 --> 00:05:00.801 the door can help those new shooters come into a friendly space. 00:05:01.041 --> 00:05:05.381 Walking into a gun range can be an intimidating experience if it's a gun store 00:05:05.381 --> 00:05:08.181 or a range or an outdoor range or somewhere they've never been before. 00:05:08.441 --> 00:05:12.261 So having a friendly face on the other side, I tell ladies just take that 10 00:05:12.261 --> 00:05:16.361 seconds of courage to walk in the door and the rest of us will be there right behind the door. 00:05:16.561 --> 00:05:20.121 Just get to us. It takes 10 seconds for you to get from your car through the 00:05:20.121 --> 00:05:23.781 door and then it'll open a journey that you never knew was possible. 00:05:24.241 --> 00:05:28.201 So we have chapters around the country At some point every day, 00:05:28.321 --> 00:05:30.761 there's a girl in the gun event happening somewhere in the country. 00:05:31.061 --> 00:05:35.481 And then I'm fortunate to be able to host destination and kind of specific training 00:05:35.481 --> 00:05:40.001 events on certain specific topics around the country where we do a deep dive 00:05:40.001 --> 00:05:41.821 into specific areas of shooting. 00:05:42.561 --> 00:05:45.741 Tomorrow, I'm leaving to go host our shotgun tournament in Fort Worth, Texas. 00:05:46.081 --> 00:05:50.021 So from pistols, rifles, shotguns, self-defense, recreation, 00:05:50.441 --> 00:05:52.861 our sniper school is coming up in a couple of weeks. 00:05:53.281 --> 00:05:58.461 So pretty much if you think it, we do it. And we love seeing these women and 00:05:58.461 --> 00:05:59.421 supporting them on their journey. 00:06:00.345 --> 00:06:04.485 You've even organized a driving school as well, right? 00:06:04.605 --> 00:06:08.505 Yeah, we have our Drift Academy as our vehicle defense course. 00:06:08.825 --> 00:06:12.725 It's nothing, there's nothing like it. These guys worked with me on kind of, 00:06:13.085 --> 00:06:16.925 I created the story of what I wanted that experience to be and they put it together. 00:06:17.145 --> 00:06:21.005 So in and around the cars, transitional spaces, working through parking lots, 00:06:21.165 --> 00:06:26.245 parking garages, dangerous places where we see a lot of bad things happen and 00:06:26.245 --> 00:06:27.585 women are vulnerable in those spaces. 00:06:27.705 --> 00:06:31.645 Well, men are too. So having the opportunity to work around the cars with a 00:06:31.645 --> 00:06:32.845 firearm, with non-lethal, 00:06:33.025 --> 00:06:36.405 and then to get in the car and to get on the racetrack with professional instructors 00:06:36.405 --> 00:06:40.645 to learn how to navigate what happens in a rollover, what happens on different 00:06:40.645 --> 00:06:44.545 turns, what happens in off-road recovery and all of those different experiences. 00:06:45.065 --> 00:06:48.245 You know, like we say with medical, you hope to never use your firearm, 00:06:48.325 --> 00:06:51.265 but medical is something you want to have at the ready all the time. 00:06:51.425 --> 00:06:52.785 And it's the same with vehicle safety. 00:06:53.145 --> 00:06:56.065 You know, we hope to never have to deploy a firearm, but you're in your vehicle 00:06:56.065 --> 00:06:59.945 almost every day. let's make sure that you're safe out there and know those 00:06:59.945 --> 00:07:02.365 safety techniques as well to protect yourself and your family. 00:07:03.105 --> 00:07:08.565 Absolutely. I think that's fantastic. I mean, what a comprehensive list of things 00:07:08.565 --> 00:07:13.885 you just gave us, talking about all the different areas of training that you 00:07:13.885 --> 00:07:17.285 and your instructors and your organization have done and do do. 00:07:18.005 --> 00:07:21.945 As you said, somewhere across the country, pretty much every day there's an 00:07:21.945 --> 00:07:25.185 event going on. How many chapters are you up to now. 00:07:25.185 --> 00:07:28.245 We have about 300 we operate out of about 350 00:07:28.245 --> 00:07:33.685 ranges so we have some that are in indoor some are outdoor some are in the middle 00:07:33.685 --> 00:07:38.925 of nowhere and some have special amenities which is why we go there but really 00:07:38.925 --> 00:07:45.505 it's uh in most most areas of the country we have members in all 50 states yeah that's awesome 00:07:46.590 --> 00:07:48.890 Any international members? Is that a thing? 00:07:49.090 --> 00:07:53.390 We have a Guam chapter, although they had some storms last year that kind of 00:07:53.390 --> 00:07:56.550 put their range and a lot of their infrastructure out of, out of play. 00:07:56.750 --> 00:08:00.290 But we do have members in Guam. We do have some international members. 00:08:00.450 --> 00:08:03.390 There's a couple in Canada and the UK and Argentina and South Africa, 00:08:03.390 --> 00:08:04.970 where we have a lot of IPA shooters. 00:08:05.290 --> 00:08:10.010 So a lot of people are looking for us for that information on to be better competitors. 00:08:10.010 --> 00:08:14.970 If they are IPSC shooters, not IDPA, but IPSC internationally. 00:08:14.970 --> 00:08:20.270 So, you know, getting those competition techniques were a good place for them to come as well. 00:08:20.710 --> 00:08:26.170 That's awesome. I think that's fantastic. So it's been really cool to see the 00:08:26.170 --> 00:08:28.210 growth of your of your organization. 00:08:29.830 --> 00:08:35.210 And I mean, and I'll just say, like, I've seen even that just in my limited 00:08:35.210 --> 00:08:39.570 view of attending or teaching at your national conference, 00:08:39.570 --> 00:08:47.150 where I think like one year I remember it was like 500 or some odd, you know, attendees. 00:08:47.150 --> 00:08:49.890 And then like the next year is like 600 and like the next year is like, 00:08:49.990 --> 00:08:53.670 it just seems like every year you're like somehow find the ability to add like 00:08:53.670 --> 00:08:55.130 another hundred women or something. 00:08:55.290 --> 00:08:58.870 I might be misremembering that, but I just remember thinking like, wow. 00:08:59.050 --> 00:09:03.210 And then, you know, learning that tickets for your national conference sell 00:09:03.210 --> 00:09:06.610 out in like just practically minutes, it seems. 00:09:06.770 --> 00:09:12.250 So like that's just really, really cool and exciting and inspirational actually to see. 00:09:13.330 --> 00:09:16.550 Yeah, last year was our biggest conference. It was 750 students. 00:09:16.550 --> 00:09:17.950 It sold out in 30 minutes. 00:09:18.890 --> 00:09:24.170 It's incredible. I'm not going to go larger than 750 just because I want the 00:09:24.170 --> 00:09:25.810 experience to be so valuable. 00:09:26.070 --> 00:09:29.470 We limit live fire classes to 16 students on the line. 00:09:29.670 --> 00:09:33.530 And with 700 students, that means that I'm rotating people through a lot of 00:09:33.530 --> 00:09:36.950 different classes, a lot of different non-fire and dry fire opportunities as well. 00:09:37.090 --> 00:09:41.130 But just making sure that everybody has that live fire time and has that one-on-one 00:09:41.130 --> 00:09:43.410 time with instructors. I don't want the classes to be too large. 00:09:43.590 --> 00:09:49.010 And I don't want to dilute anyone's experience. So it is a coveted ticket to get one. 00:09:49.150 --> 00:09:53.410 It's sold out in 30 minutes. I'm expecting it to sell out very quickly again. 00:09:53.850 --> 00:09:55.410 We're limiting it to 750. 00:09:56.550 --> 00:09:59.990 But it's really exciting. Our conference is a different atmosphere. 00:10:00.710 --> 00:10:04.010 I think a lot of our guy instructors always kind of laugh that we start the 00:10:04.010 --> 00:10:08.430 morning with like a big pep rally dance party and then go out to the range. 00:10:08.530 --> 00:10:13.210 And it's just 750 women who are committed to training and learning and they 00:10:13.210 --> 00:10:16.590 travel across the country and invest in their time and invest in their gear 00:10:16.590 --> 00:10:18.490 and invest in themselves. 00:10:18.830 --> 00:10:23.010 And there's nothing more inspiring than watching them accomplish all these goals 00:10:23.010 --> 00:10:26.710 and dreams and getting further along in their journey than they were the year before. 00:10:27.150 --> 00:10:30.230 But if there's not room for everyone at conference, we do have a lot of other 00:10:30.230 --> 00:10:31.870 events happening throughout the year. 00:10:32.030 --> 00:10:35.150 So I'm lucky that I get to see a lot of people there as well. 00:10:35.850 --> 00:10:42.750 Absolutely. That's great. So one thing that you said that, um, 00:10:43.881 --> 00:10:46.781 you know, just kind of, I guess hit me this time. 00:10:46.901 --> 00:10:50.541 Uh, it was a small, simple little thing, but you just talked about how, 00:10:51.001 --> 00:10:54.581 you know, if you're looking to go to the range for the first time or just get 00:10:54.581 --> 00:10:58.841 into guns for the first time and like, Hey, just, just, just get through the 00:10:58.841 --> 00:11:02.981 door, you know, put on a brave face, get through the door and we'll be right there, uh, 00:11:03.501 --> 00:11:07.401 supporting you and, and, and cheering you on and like, you know, there to help you out. 00:11:07.921 --> 00:11:13.161 And, uh, I was like, Like, okay, that's so true that it can take a lot, 00:11:13.261 --> 00:11:19.161 especially when something is totally new and foreign, scary even to some people, 00:11:19.941 --> 00:11:23.781 to take that brave step and to go. 00:11:24.241 --> 00:11:30.221 And like a lot of times us dudes don't want to talk about or admit that something's scary for us. 00:11:30.681 --> 00:11:34.721 But I know there's things that are scary even for us dudes. 00:11:36.141 --> 00:11:41.501 I'll just say that one of the reasons I didn't go and shoot a competition match for the first time, 00:11:42.121 --> 00:11:44.861 for years was because I was like I just 00:11:44.861 --> 00:11:48.481 didn't know what I didn't know whether whether I would have described that as 00:11:48.481 --> 00:11:52.061 being scared or not at the very least there was some anxiety there of like I 00:11:52.061 --> 00:11:55.861 don't know I don't know where I'm going exactly I don't know what I'm doing 00:11:55.861 --> 00:11:59.681 exactly I don't even know if I have the right gear I don't know who's going 00:11:59.681 --> 00:12:03.261 to be there I think I'm a good shooter but I don't want to be judged. 00:12:03.541 --> 00:12:06.221 You know, I don't want to face, you know, it's just all this stuff. Right. 00:12:06.541 --> 00:12:10.661 And you're thinking about that for me for years of, boy, I don't know. 00:12:10.861 --> 00:12:14.801 And then finally I went and did my first match and, you know, 00:12:14.861 --> 00:12:16.641 you find out you're like, Oh, that wasn't so bad. 00:12:16.981 --> 00:12:20.621 Um, uh, at least it was, it could be, I suppose. 00:12:22.501 --> 00:12:24.181 We definitely don't want it to be. 00:12:24.361 --> 00:12:27.661 No, when you show up, you're beating everyone that didn't have the guts to do it. 00:12:27.821 --> 00:12:32.201 So even the, even the people who just show up are ahead of the game, But you're right. 00:12:32.281 --> 00:12:34.761 And we see that in areas of our lives that we don't even think about it, 00:12:34.921 --> 00:12:38.141 you know, like going to a new restaurant, especially if it's a different 00:12:38.831 --> 00:12:42.011 type of cuisine a different ethnicity then you would just be comfortable walking 00:12:42.011 --> 00:12:45.091 in the door like a lot of times you want a friend to go with you like 00:12:45.091 --> 00:12:47.771 i don't know about ethiopian food will you go with me or i 00:12:47.771 --> 00:12:50.811 don't know the indian menu will you go with me so a 00:12:50.811 --> 00:12:54.211 lot of times just and we see that in everyday life it's not necessarily just 00:12:54.211 --> 00:12:58.871 firearms women um people in general i just don't want to look dumb they don't 00:12:58.871 --> 00:13:02.311 want to be embarrassed they don't want to be out of their element and so anytime 00:13:02.311 --> 00:13:06.111 you can just have a friend go with you to try new things it's not doesn't even 00:13:06.111 --> 00:13:09.071 have to be something as serious as self-defense. 00:13:09.271 --> 00:13:13.511 It can literally just be a different type of food, but it can be very intimidating, 00:13:13.511 --> 00:13:16.331 not wanting to walk in there, not know the process of the restaurant. 00:13:16.491 --> 00:13:20.051 Do you sit, do you go through a line, you know, like just in everyday life, 00:13:20.051 --> 00:13:23.411 a lot of people will go to the same places and go to the same stores and just 00:13:23.411 --> 00:13:27.351 do the same routine because it's comfortable and familiar. And that's just part of being human. 00:13:27.711 --> 00:13:30.871 But the great thing that a girl in the gun does is we have so many videos and 00:13:30.871 --> 00:13:34.551 we have so many pictures and people can kind to imagine what's on the other 00:13:34.551 --> 00:13:36.291 side to make it a little less scary. 00:13:37.031 --> 00:13:40.471 And we have so many videos and articles that help as well. And a lot of like, 00:13:40.591 --> 00:13:43.111 frequently asked questions, what do I wear? 00:13:43.311 --> 00:13:46.731 Where do I go so that they kind of have a game plan when they walk in the door. 00:13:46.951 --> 00:13:51.151 And that helps too. And not just for women, for guys to just understanding like, 00:13:51.271 --> 00:13:54.611 you can't just walk in with a gun in your hands, you know, have it in a bag, 00:13:54.791 --> 00:13:57.711 get it out of your car, bring it in, say, I'd like to go to the range, 00:13:57.851 --> 00:14:00.671 you know, just understanding the language of that. 00:14:01.311 --> 00:14:04.371 And just the etiquette of that can really be reassuring. 00:14:05.031 --> 00:14:09.811 And, you know, we've been doing this 14 years now, a really long time. 00:14:09.951 --> 00:14:12.931 And so there's a lot of different content out there that shows, 00:14:13.391 --> 00:14:16.831 you know, kind of what to expect behind the, behind the door. 00:14:16.991 --> 00:14:20.891 So a lot of times that can help ease people's minds as well, 00:14:20.931 --> 00:14:27.991 but just being part, supported in the journey, especially particularly related to firearms in 2014, 00:14:28.531 --> 00:14:32.051 NSSF did a study and they used a girl and a gun as the litmus test. 00:14:32.291 --> 00:14:35.351 We were kind of the control group for women's purchasing and training. 00:14:35.951 --> 00:14:41.031 And they compared the girl and the gun community to all women in general in the firearms industry. 00:14:41.251 --> 00:14:44.751 And what they found was that with a girl and gun chapter at a range, 00:14:44.891 --> 00:14:49.631 at a retail center or host range, that women were more likely to purchase guns 00:14:49.631 --> 00:14:53.191 there at the gun counter, that it wasn't a transactional sale, just a one and done. 00:14:53.331 --> 00:14:56.331 They knew that they would be supported with training after the firearm purchase. 00:14:56.671 --> 00:15:02.251 So that closed the sale 100% of the time. So when training is offered in connection 00:15:02.251 --> 00:15:05.291 with that firearm, then you know that you're not alone in purchasing it. 00:15:05.451 --> 00:15:08.711 There's going to be somebody who's qualified and caring to guide you that next 00:15:08.711 --> 00:15:11.511 step to make sure that you can use it safely and proficiently. 00:15:11.671 --> 00:15:15.071 And so just knowing that that path is laid out for you and that community is 00:15:15.071 --> 00:15:17.451 there for you, it makes it a lot less intimidating. 00:15:18.131 --> 00:15:18.531 Yeah. 00:15:19.296 --> 00:15:22.036 That's really fascinating what you just shared about, I mean, 00:15:22.076 --> 00:15:26.356 it makes sense to me, just hearing it, but the fact that you have some data 00:15:26.356 --> 00:15:33.536 backing it up, that's got to be a pretty good sales pitch, I would say, 00:15:33.736 --> 00:15:38.996 for particularly a range that has a retail center as part of it that does gun sales. 00:15:39.176 --> 00:15:45.076 Like, hey, you want to have a chapter at your range because we're going to sell 00:15:45.076 --> 00:15:46.156 guns for you, basically. 00:15:46.816 --> 00:15:49.816 You would think so, Riley, but unfortunately, that's not the case. 00:15:50.296 --> 00:15:54.696 Changing hearts and minds is really hard. So you wouldn't believe the objections 00:15:54.696 --> 00:15:58.196 and obstacles that we have to overcome to have chapters in different places. 00:15:58.776 --> 00:16:02.716 Everything from, you know, when it's girls night out, the parking lot's too 00:16:02.716 --> 00:16:05.676 full. And so, you know, that's a problem. 00:16:05.976 --> 00:16:06.676 Oh, dear. 00:16:07.136 --> 00:16:11.556 Yeah, right. That's my response, too. Or, you know, I know that there's, 00:16:11.636 --> 00:16:15.596 you know, 30 women who have all paid full range fees to be in here. 00:16:15.596 --> 00:16:18.196 But now there's not any room for real customers to come in. 00:16:18.456 --> 00:16:19.456 For real customers? 00:16:19.756 --> 00:16:24.936 Yeah. These are conversations I have every week across the country trying to 00:16:24.936 --> 00:16:29.596 make it less of an outreach mission and more of a financial decision for these 00:16:29.596 --> 00:16:34.276 ranges to understand that, yes, we want women to come in. We want it to be approachable. 00:16:34.376 --> 00:16:36.276 We want women and families to protect themselves. 00:16:36.496 --> 00:16:38.896 But at the end of the day, it just makes good business sense, too. 00:16:41.056 --> 00:16:46.476 That's fascinating to me. And it's fascinating because I'm probably more of 00:16:46.476 --> 00:16:49.816 a data-driven kind of person than maybe some people are. 00:16:50.016 --> 00:16:57.156 I know how it can be for some of those smaller operations, stores, ranges, whatnot. 00:16:57.516 --> 00:17:04.016 And in some cases, they've been doing things the same way for decades. 00:17:05.276 --> 00:17:10.276 And like you were just talking about, they're comfortable with what they do, with what they know. 00:17:10.276 --> 00:17:13.976 Like we've been doing this for however long, this is the way we do things and 00:17:13.976 --> 00:17:19.276 like, it seems to work. And so like, it's scary to then change something up, 00:17:20.216 --> 00:17:23.796 as kind of, you know, what I'm hearing based on what you just shared there. 00:17:23.896 --> 00:17:24.856 But at the same time, like, 00:17:26.057 --> 00:17:33.457 I think that every range or store probably would like to still sell more or 00:17:33.457 --> 00:17:36.417 else why are we in business? You would think so. 00:17:36.597 --> 00:17:41.057 You would think so. It's very complex, though, when you push them out of their comfort zone. 00:17:41.477 --> 00:17:45.797 Yeah. I also suspect, I mean, I describe it as kind of the old guard. 00:17:46.017 --> 00:17:49.537 There's just sort of this, there's still this mentality, I think, 00:17:49.557 --> 00:17:55.357 in a lot of parts of the industry of, you know, we've got to protect the status 00:17:55.357 --> 00:17:59.097 quo. So, you know, whether people are intentionally thinking of it like that 00:17:59.097 --> 00:18:00.317 or not, it's beside the point. 00:18:00.477 --> 00:18:05.057 But just, again, just sort of like this is the way it's always been and this 00:18:05.057 --> 00:18:07.417 is the way we like it. We got to keep it that way. 00:18:07.737 --> 00:18:10.197 And heaven forbid we fill that parking lot up. 00:18:10.637 --> 00:18:14.437 Right. I think that a lot of times, though, that old guard is very protective 00:18:14.437 --> 00:18:17.157 because they've seen their rights and friends chipped away at. 00:18:17.337 --> 00:18:22.797 And so they have this like hard line in the sand and letting people in can be very scary. 00:18:22.797 --> 00:18:25.857 Uh letting you know any trying to 00:18:25.857 --> 00:18:29.497 find any kind of middle ground for a new community to broaden 00:18:29.497 --> 00:18:32.437 the tent as akil and tiffany talk about um but 00:18:32.437 --> 00:18:36.737 just to to make a more diverse clientele for them can be very intimidating again 00:18:36.737 --> 00:18:40.437 it's just different and so while you look at dollars and cents it makes really 00:18:40.437 --> 00:18:44.557 great sense but if you look at the history of being afraid of outsiders coming 00:18:44.557 --> 00:18:48.437 in and getting more middle ground than we were comfortable with and chipping 00:18:48.437 --> 00:18:49.917 away the things that we hold sacred, 00:18:50.217 --> 00:18:53.317 I understand the mental, the wall there. 00:18:53.457 --> 00:18:57.477 And I let them know that we're a hundred percent on their side and all the benefits 00:18:57.477 --> 00:18:59.337 of supporting a women's group like ours. 00:18:59.557 --> 00:19:00.017 Yeah. 00:19:01.517 --> 00:19:08.497 Besides the data, are there any anecdotal kind of success stories that you are able to share? 00:19:08.717 --> 00:19:15.057 Like, you know, just it could be anything, just a story or two or three here 00:19:15.057 --> 00:19:21.637 and there of various women or chapters or stores or ranges that, you know, 00:19:21.737 --> 00:19:24.317 you're like, hey, this is notable and maybe you'd like to highlight. 00:19:25.077 --> 00:19:28.597 Oh, gosh, there's so many stories, hundreds of stories of women who have reached 00:19:28.597 --> 00:19:30.797 out and said that a girl in a gun has changed their lives. 00:19:31.517 --> 00:19:34.337 And, you know, I always remind them that a girl in a gun didn't change your 00:19:34.337 --> 00:19:39.237 life. You changed it. We just gave you the pathway and the support along the way. 00:19:39.697 --> 00:19:42.797 But there's just so many stories. I've seen women who, 00:19:43.097 --> 00:19:47.797 you know, we have leaders now, chapter leaders that are instructors that are 00:19:47.797 --> 00:19:50.957 teaching private lessons and thriving in their personal instructor business 00:19:50.957 --> 00:19:56.797 that five years ago, one of them had never left her county ever. 00:19:57.057 --> 00:19:59.257 Her entire life. She's 50. 00:19:59.537 --> 00:20:02.877 Had never left her county. didn't know there was a bigger world out there. 00:20:03.057 --> 00:20:07.037 And now she comes to conference. She comes to drip. She comes to all of our events. 00:20:07.177 --> 00:20:10.477 She's in it to win it and is recognized that, you know, getting past, 00:20:10.937 --> 00:20:13.137 you know, a lot of times we hold ourselves back. 00:20:13.317 --> 00:20:18.037 And now I see her living her best life and traveling and having new memories 00:20:18.037 --> 00:20:20.817 and inspiring others around her to, to grow. 00:20:21.717 --> 00:20:26.537 It's just a lot of times women, especially who want to focus on their families 00:20:26.537 --> 00:20:31.517 and you know, it's really hard for them to to shine it's really hard for them 00:20:31.517 --> 00:20:34.097 to give themselves permission to kind of live 00:20:35.645 --> 00:20:40.105 To live bigger and greater. And I, I'm just so fortunate. I get to see that all the time. 00:20:40.365 --> 00:20:45.005 There was one woman who was, uh, came to an event where we had some shotgun. 00:20:45.125 --> 00:20:45.905 It was tactical shotgun. 00:20:46.045 --> 00:20:49.585 It was kind of an intro to three gun, but we focused on, on shotgun and she'd 00:20:49.585 --> 00:20:50.645 never shot a shotgun before. 00:20:50.805 --> 00:20:54.865 And so she found, um, she found she was actually pretty good at it. 00:20:54.925 --> 00:20:58.725 And she was actually really good at it. And she went home and she was the girl 00:20:58.725 --> 00:21:00.105 scout troop for her daughters. 00:21:00.145 --> 00:21:05.185 And she was going through a really horrible divorce and it was really low self-esteem. 00:21:05.725 --> 00:21:09.965 And she took the girls, her whole Girl Scout troop bowling. And she said that 00:21:09.965 --> 00:21:12.705 she had never gotten up and bowled before. She let the girls do it. 00:21:12.765 --> 00:21:15.205 She's kind of stayed in the shadows. And she said, but you know what? 00:21:15.565 --> 00:21:18.385 I learned that day I was a pretty good bowler too. 00:21:18.965 --> 00:21:22.865 She got up there and she's living her life and trying new things and not afraid 00:21:22.865 --> 00:21:27.205 of failing and not afraid of looking silly, just tired of sitting on the sidelines. 00:21:27.365 --> 00:21:31.185 And I see that time after time. And what's so inspiring about that is not only 00:21:31.185 --> 00:21:34.865 does she change her life and enhance her life and live better and live more. 00:21:35.165 --> 00:21:38.485 Um, but she just inspired this whole generation of little girls looking at her 00:21:38.485 --> 00:21:42.605 to not sit in the shadows either, that they don't need to worry about what they're 00:21:42.605 --> 00:21:45.665 wearing or if they're good at something that just to expect, 00:21:45.665 --> 00:21:48.005 you're going to be terrible. It's your first time and it's okay. 00:21:48.325 --> 00:21:53.665 You know, um, but that, that price of entry is embarrassment sometimes to get 00:21:53.665 --> 00:21:54.925 out there and shoot your first match. 00:21:55.045 --> 00:21:59.445 When you think in your mind, you're going so blazing fast, but you're actually really, really slow. 00:21:59.925 --> 00:22:00.325 Um. 00:22:00.625 --> 00:22:05.625 You know, it's just that's the cost of entry is being willing to just try it 00:22:05.625 --> 00:22:11.945 That still happens even to me where i'll review a match video and i'm like man 00:22:11.945 --> 00:22:15.985 why am i still so slow every. 00:22:15.985 --> 00:22:20.105 Time i'll look at the standings and be like wow i thought i was way faster than 00:22:20.105 --> 00:22:27.785 Him yep yep that's really cool i appreciate you sharing that you know that that there's uh, 00:22:28.875 --> 00:22:34.995 lives being changed by, you know, getting involved and doing what we're here to talk about today. 00:22:36.475 --> 00:22:43.735 I have certainly been a, I want to call it a partaker of the blessings of what 00:22:43.735 --> 00:22:51.175 you're describing, because there's a significant positive energy that I've witnessed at your events. 00:22:51.375 --> 00:22:55.355 I mean, by that, I mean, attending the national conference, teaching there a couple of times. 00:22:55.355 --> 00:23:03.755 And first of all there's always just a bunch of smiling faces uh like there's 00:23:03.755 --> 00:23:10.895 never a frown that i can recall uh you know and everyone is so excited to learn 00:23:10.895 --> 00:23:12.495 like so excited to be there. 00:23:13.735 --> 00:23:17.635 And and i know that for some instructors too this is you know if they're exposed 00:23:17.635 --> 00:23:20.395 to that for the first time especially and maybe they come from a background 00:23:20.395 --> 00:23:24.215 in military law enforcement training while I don't have the heaviest background 00:23:24.215 --> 00:23:28.215 in law enforcement training, I've done a little bit of that in my past. 00:23:28.475 --> 00:23:33.375 And you're used to being in a room or on a range with, you know, 00:23:33.615 --> 00:23:37.695 guys where this is their job, guys and gals, but a lot of guys, mostly, obviously. 00:23:37.955 --> 00:23:41.695 And, you know, and they're just told, hey, you got to go to this training course. Okay. 00:23:41.955 --> 00:23:46.075 You know, and maybe don't want to be there. They'd rather be at home, 00:23:46.215 --> 00:23:49.975 you know, fishing or, you know, going camping, or they'd even rather just be 00:23:49.975 --> 00:23:54.795 on the job, you know, chasing bad guys rather than being in yet another training course. 00:23:54.955 --> 00:23:59.835 And so it's just so refreshing to be surrounded by students that really, 00:24:00.075 --> 00:24:06.155 really, really want to be there and want whatever it is that you can deliver. 00:24:06.435 --> 00:24:10.775 And that's a really cool thing. And so it's very apparent to me that everything 00:24:10.775 --> 00:24:13.755 you're describing is, I mean, it's not just, 00:24:14.769 --> 00:24:21.189 It's not just talk. It's not, you know, it's it's you're it's really you're 00:24:21.189 --> 00:24:24.049 you're changing lives and enriching lives. 00:24:24.469 --> 00:24:30.749 And that exit that exudes in the people, you know, like you see it. 00:24:30.789 --> 00:24:34.269 So I'm just, I guess, testifying to to that myself. 00:24:34.589 --> 00:24:38.609 I'm grateful that you would notice that because that is all on purpose. 00:24:38.609 --> 00:24:42.769 You know, I always charge our instructors with having really high standards 00:24:42.769 --> 00:24:47.769 of their own firearms handling, their teaching, their being able to walk the walk and talk the talk. 00:24:48.009 --> 00:24:51.449 They have to be able to articulate and speak in front of a crowd and be able 00:24:51.449 --> 00:24:56.529 to teach, be, you know, competent educators, as well as being really good shooters. 00:24:56.549 --> 00:25:01.569 We require them to shoot on camera twice, once every two years to recertify. 00:25:02.029 --> 00:25:04.509 And so we want to make sure that they can really walk the walk and talk the 00:25:04.509 --> 00:25:08.789 talk. Another thing, though, in addition to all of that is I charge them with 00:25:08.789 --> 00:25:09.989 being cultured creators. 00:25:10.489 --> 00:25:15.209 I say that you are the holder of our culture. And so by showing that ever student 00:25:15.209 --> 00:25:19.149 mindset to not just think you know it all, but to always be open to learning 00:25:19.149 --> 00:25:21.069 new things and to go into additional training. 00:25:21.249 --> 00:25:23.749 And once you think, you know, pistols, let's move on to rifles. 00:25:23.909 --> 00:25:25.909 When you think, you know, rifles, let's move on to shotguns. 00:25:26.069 --> 00:25:28.529 And so to not be stagnant in their own learning journey. 00:25:28.709 --> 00:25:32.429 And our girls really from the top down emulate that. 00:25:32.849 --> 00:25:36.829 I go to training. I try, I'm always trying to learn new things and I really 00:25:36.829 --> 00:25:38.689 hold them to the same standards. 00:25:38.869 --> 00:25:40.929 I'm not going to ask them to do anything that I don't do myself. 00:25:41.449 --> 00:25:45.409 I want to learn all of it and I want to be a part of that journey with them as well. 00:25:46.070 --> 00:25:50.410 So being a holder of that culture of encouragement, of welcoming, 00:25:50.670 --> 00:25:53.270 of high standards, all of that kind of rolls in together. 00:25:53.510 --> 00:25:57.030 And before conference, we do send out emails to remind our ladies to be active 00:25:57.030 --> 00:26:02.150 learners, to be professional students, to take notes, to listen to what the 00:26:02.150 --> 00:26:03.010 instructors are saying. 00:26:03.010 --> 00:26:06.990 And especially our conference, because we have some like, you know, 00:26:07.190 --> 00:26:11.570 you giving advice on on shooting a stage and different props and different, 00:26:11.750 --> 00:26:15.750 you know, how to tackle an array from behind a barrier might be very different 00:26:15.750 --> 00:26:20.330 than what one of the military guys or one of our law enforcement friends might 00:26:20.330 --> 00:26:22.450 be teaching on a different stage in a different context. 00:26:23.250 --> 00:26:26.510 And so being open to different instructors have different backgrounds. 00:26:26.730 --> 00:26:28.610 They have different ways of saying the same material. 00:26:28.850 --> 00:26:34.490 A lot of us kind of reinforce the same techniques, but we all have our own kind of flavor of it. 00:26:34.570 --> 00:26:37.830 And so to be open to those different discussions and those different backgrounds 00:26:37.830 --> 00:26:41.490 and to be willing to try new things and all of that kind of comes with the culture. 00:26:43.310 --> 00:26:47.290 I appreciate you touching on that. Culture is key. And by that, 00:26:47.430 --> 00:26:55.370 a local culture, but also even a broader, more national level culture, whatever that might be. 00:26:55.610 --> 00:27:00.230