Tim: I finally just decided to share my hopes and dreams and plans and frustrations in a letter.

I decided to just speak from the heart.

I also changed the business model a bit. I created an association. I called it the United States Concealed Carry Association. I improved the magazine, and I added a few new member benefits in addition to the magazine subscription.

Trust me, in the beginning, the membership benefits were rather sparse. But I had a vision that, someday, member benefits would be amazing. Now I just had to convince other people of my vision!

I posted this letter on the new U.S. Concealed Carry Association website homepage. I had been doing a lot of research on how to drive traffic to websites, and so I launched a few inexpensive ad campaigns to get some fresh traffic to see this letter.

Roy: That’s when things began to turn around?

Tim: Yeah. Sitting on that gravel driveway at 11 o’clock on a Monday night, I learned a great gimmick: “Tell the truth.”

Roy: What gave you the idea to write that letter?

Tim: I just had some things in my heart that I really needed to say. And the biggest of those things was that we had to have an association to train thoughtful, responsible citizens who felt the need to equip themselves to protect the people in their care.

Roy: Who were you imagining would join?

Tim: I was imagining single moms and shy engineers and all the other people who tough guys laugh at and predators prey upon.

Roy: Predators?

Tim: I want to ask you a serious question: How many rapists do you think would have to be shot by the girls they were trying to rape before all the other rapists began to have second thoughts?

Roy: You were imagining young women with concealed carry licenses?

Tim: I was imagining all the bleeding and the crying coming from the rapists instead of the women.

Roy: But don’t you think a lot of situations can be defused with pepper spray and a whistle?

Tim: Roy, have you ever been to Acadia National Park in Maine?

Roy: No.

Tim: When you enter the park, you have to listen to a little orientation speech from the park ranger. He says, “You’re going to need to keep alert for bears when you’re outside your car. We advise that you wear these little bells on your clothing so the bears hear you coming. Black bears are dangerous when startled, but if they hear you coming, they will likely move away. We also advise you to carry pepper spray. If you see a bear, spray the pepper spray into the air. This will irritate the bear’s sensitive nose and cause them to leave the area. Lastly, keep your eyes open for bear scat. Black Bear scat often contains squirrel fur and smells like blueberries. Grizzly Bear scat, on the other hand, has little bells in it and smells like pepper.”

Roy: [Laughter] Did you just make that up?

Tim: No, it’s a joke I read online. But I think it makes a good point.

Roy: Which is?

Tim: There are predators who can be driven away with a bright flashlight in the eyes and a whistle and maybe some pepper spray, but there are other predators who are going to make you wish you had a gun.

Roy: Fair enough. You were telling me what made you send the letter that launched the United States Concealed Carry Association.

Tim: Yeah. During the years when I was gathering information and doing research, I realized there were two big reasons why the Framers of our Constitution gave every citizen the right to carry a firearm. The first reason was to save lives, and the second reason was to stop crimes and keep families safe. But to do these things thoughtfully and responsibly, citizens also need to be trained on how to avoid danger.

Roy: What do you mean?

Tim: About avoiding danger?

Roy: Yeah.

Tim: Do you know the best place to be when someone throws a punch?

Roy: No.

Tim: Not there.

Roy: [Laughter]

Tim: But avoiding dangerous situations is just part of avoiding danger.

Roy: OK.

Tim: A concealed carry license comes with physical danger if you aren’t trained by an expert trainer.

Roy: You provide that?

Tim: Absolutely. We have 500 full-time employees that answer questions for our over 500,000 members, plus more than 4,000 certified trainers — people who can positively teach you how to avoid danger, save lives and keep your family safe.

Roy: You’ve got trainers in every town in America?

Tim: Multiple trainers in most towns. That solves the training problem. But then there is the legal danger. When you draw your weapon, you have to be ready to face the police when they arrive. Because they will, most definitely, arrive.

Roy: How do your trainers solve the legal danger?

Tim: Good training and education is the foundation of responsible armed self-defense. The best training and education will teach you to detect and avoid dangerous situations. It will teach you to improve your awareness skills. The best training and education will teach you to de-escalate threats.

The best armed self-defense outcome is that you DO NOT have to use your gun. But, trust me, if you ever have to pull that trigger in self-defense, you’re definitely going to need a lawyer.

Roy: You realize you’re talking me out of concealed carry, right?

Tim: Concealed carry isn’t for everyone. But for thoughtful citizens who are willing to embrace the social and legal responsibility of carrying a firearm, the United States Concealed Carry Association provides the best education and training system out there. Plus, all active members receive a self-defense liability insurance benefit*.

Roy: What the heck is self-defense liability insurance*?

Tim: The U.S. Concealed Carry Association members at all levels get the exact same insurance*, subject to a $2 million limit for “claim expenses” and “damages,” and a $250,000 limit for “defense expenses.” This ensures our members have the resources necessary to hire an attorney who will defend them.

Roy: Wow, that is impressive. How did you manage to put that together?

Tim: Trust me, it wasn’t easy. I got laughed out of many insurance company executive boardrooms before I finally found an insurance partner that would take me seriously.

Roy: Don’t you ever get sick of people laughing at you and telling you you can’t do it?

Tim: [Laughing] I just keep thinking of the words my Dad told me. “If it is to be. It’s up to me.”