Shelley Esposito

My name is Shelley Esposito. I currently work full-time with the North Carolina Department of Justice as a financial investigator in the Medicaid Investigations Division. Prior to that, I was with the NC Department of Public Safety in the Special Operations and Intelligence Unit. I have 6+ years as a sworn police officer, first with the City of Durham and then with the Town of Knightdale. I currently maintain my Certification and Sworn status with Capitol Special Police out of Raleigh.

I have an Associate's degree in Accounting, a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology - Applied Behavioral Analysis, and a Master’s Degree in Forensic and Legal Psychology.

I received my very first Instructor Certification in 2008. As of 2024, I have been teaching for over 16 years. I began shooting for fun and recreation over 18 years ago, before taking up personal defense training. Up until 2021, most of the courses I have instructed revolved around firearms. I possess and maintain several instructor certifications including 4 with the NRA: Basic Pistol, Refuse to Be A Victim, Chief Range Safety Officer, and Personal Protection Inside the Home. Additionally, I am certified by the State of North Carolina to teach Conceal Carry Handgun. I am also a certified instructor with USCCA and The Well Armed Woman (now known as Armed Women of America). I was also a Chapter Leader with TWAW here in North Carolina for a brief period before the police academy and an unpredictable patrol schedule. My latest instructor certification comes from the North Carolina Justice Academy, that of General Instructor, which I received in 2021. So, as you can see, I love teaching/instructing.

I incorporated my firearms instruction/consulting business in January 2023. I operate in the Raleigh/Durham and surrounding areas. I currently enjoy a part-time career working with local ranges to bring firearms instruction to the public. I enjoy working with new and newer shooters and I have discovered a real knack for working with women. As a woman in a male-dominated industry, I can appreciate and value how differently women learn and how they want to be taught. With my work in law enforcement, I bring a dynamic and realistic approach to self-defense training which makes my one-on-one personal lessons exciting, interesting, and practical.

I pride myself on having developed several courses for new to newer shooters that help bridge the gap between learning the basics of shooting to becoming prepared for carrying a handgun concealed and possible self-defense situations. I consistently spend time doing research and staying up to date on legal changes and court rulings that impact gun owners and our 2nd Amendment. I have spent time conducting research and developing training courses, like that of Intermediate Pistol, that help take new shooters to the next level. I teach a variety of classes throughout the year at various locations and ranges and am available for personal lessons several times during the week. I enjoy developing live-fire shooting drills for the range and dry fire drills for at-home training for all my students and repeat clients.

I truly have a passion for education and my passion for teaching is palpable. With a sincere interest in educating and empowering women, I especially love to work with female shooters to encourage and develop safe shooting skills and further their training. I work with clients from all walks of life and in all stages of training, men, and women alike. More than anything, I love watching my students grow in their abilities and confidence.

I tell you all this, not to brag about my accomplishments, but so that you know you are getting quality instruction from a very passionate instructor. I literally live for this!