Ep. 59: Matt Mendel of Wanstalls

From working in the stock room to owning a firearms business, Matt Mendel of Wanstalls details what it takes to grow a thriving firearms business during adverse times.

This is a unique opportunity to get the inside scoop, the good and the bad, of what it is like to work in Canada's firearms industry.

If you have ever wanted to, create a side hustle, start your own business, or are specifically looking at working in the firearms industry you are well served to listen to pro advice from someone who has been there and done that.

 

 

https://wanstallsonline.com

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What is The Silvercore Podcast with Travis Bader?

The Silvercore Podcast explores the mindset and skills that build capable people. Host Travis Bader speaks with hunters, adventurers, soldiers, athletes, craftsmen, and founders about competence, integrity, and the pursuit of mastery, in the wild and in daily life. Hit follow and step into conversations that sharpen your edge.

Kind: captions
Language: en-GB

I'm Travis Bader,
and this is The

Silvercore Podcast.

Join me as I discuss
matters related to

hunting, fishing, and
outdoor pursuits with the

people in businesses that
comprise the community.

If you're a new to
Silvercore, be sure to

check out our website,
www.Silvercore.ca we can

learn more about courses,
services and products

that we offer as well
as how you can join The

Silvercore Club, which
includes 10 million

in north America wide
liability insurance to

ensure you are properly
covered during your

outdoor adventures.

So today I'm sitting down
with Matt Mendel, who is

a connoisseur of watches,
knives, firearms.

It just so happens to be
the general manager and

partner in Wanstalls,
a premium firearms

retailer in Maple
Ridge, British Columbia.

Matt, welcome to The
Silvercore Podcast.

Thank you for having me.

What an intro.

Hey, I worked on
that a little bit.

There you go.

So Wanstalls, you know,
I've been watching

what you guys have been
doing for a long time.

You guys were
involved everywhere.

I see you involved
with shooting matches.

In fact, there was
one justice last

weekend, I think it
was a precision rimfire

match out in Merritt.

Uh, you're getting rave
reviews all over the

internet for customer
service and for, you

carry products that other
people are carrying.

How did this come to be?

Because I haven't
always had Wanstalls

on my radar.

Um, but for the last
number of years now,

you guys just seem to
be pushing further and

further into the, uh, uh,
top of the end of what

people are talking about
in firearms retailers.

Oh, thank you
for the very nice

compliment there.

Um, yeah, no, the a
Wanstalls has been

around, uh, in one form
or another, uh, in Maple

Ridge here since 1973.

Um, it it's been a
gun store, outdoor

store and the original
owner, Tony Wanstalls.

Uh, and his brother
ran it, um, in 2000 and

he's going to get mad
at me, but in 2006, I

believe, uh, my partner,
Craig Jones left

his job and actually
purchased Wanstalls.

So Wanstalls was like
a, kind of a sleepy town

gun shop at that time.

It was, you know, they
had like a few rifles

and stock and you'd
go in for your hunting

season and say, I
need a box, a 30-06.

And he would be like,
no problem, I'll order

it and it'll be here
in two weeks, you know,

one box of federal blue
box or whatever it was.

Um, and when Craig,
my partner took it

over and Craig is
a hardcore gun guy.

Like he loves firearms,
all different types and

he built the business
into an actual true gun

shop that stocked the
coolest stuff that, you

know, we could really
get our hands on.

Totally.

So, '06.

Uh, how old would have
you been at that point?

In 2006, I just graduated
high school and I started

my first job at a gun
store somewhere else.

So when did you get
involved with Wanstalls?

Um, in 2013, I was
working for Canada

Ammo at the time.

And, um, they ended up
approaching me through,

they knew me through
Canada Ammo and, uh,

offered me a job.

So it was kinda more in
the direction I wanted

to be in where it was.

Um, the product I was
really excited to,

um, be selling and
bringing in was more so

what they were doing.

So over, I went.

So you just went from
an employee to partner?

I did, yeah.

Yeah, I started at
the bottom the worst,

like the absolute
bottom of the bottom.

I uh, they originally
brought me on to

do, uh, get their
social media going.

Ahh okay.

Because, cause.

You're young
and your hip.

Yeah.

I was young and
hip apparently.

My, my now wife
probably didn't, taught

me more than I knew.

Um, but uh, yeah, they
brought me on and I

was kind of just like
a floater to start.

Like they were just
like, yeah, post some

stuff on social media.

I had this, like, it
was essentially like

a, like a bar stool
with another bar stool.

And that was like my desk
with my laptop on it.

And I would be like over
in the corner of the

gunsmithing room, just
like a little internet

troll doing posts
and stuff like that.

So did you find that
that really helped

propel Wanstalls to use
the social media side?

Yeah, social media,
when we first started

it, it was a slow burn
getting it started.

Um, but once it took
off, um, it was like,

it's now probably one of
the biggest parts of our

business beyond anything
as far as advertising.

Really?

Yeah, and getting, uh,
getting the product

and getting everything
out to customers

is definitely our
Instagram and Facebook,

our two biggest.

Right.

Assets.

See I'm wondering if,
cause I get asked all the

time, from people saying
I love firearms, I want

to make this my business.

I looked over and I
saw so-and-so doing a

business and I think
I could do it, but a

little bit different.

So I'm in my own
new, niche market.

And sitting down
with you and looking

at the success that
you and Wanstalls

had over the years.

I'm wondering if this
can be a little bit of

a, how to, for people to.

Or an insight into
the firearms industry.

Like how does somebody
go from being an employee

to being an owner?

And I mean, looking
at your watch share, I

mean, it's a, you've got
a nice watch, clearly

an aficionado here.

Um, there, there is
a path in place, how

did you move your
way through that?

Yeah.

Um, so I've been in
retail in one way or

another, since I was
about 12, my parents

owned a bookstore.

Um, and slave labor
goes along with your

family owning any sort
of business, I suppose.

So I was always
working there, stocking

stuff out and helping
customers and stuff.

And then, um, when I
graduated high school,

I just, I knew that
college wasn't for me.

Um, I just, I was
done with people

telling me what to
do and how to do it.

Um, so I went straight
into the workforce.

Um, my dad has been
selling cars for over

40 years and he was
like, nah, you can

be successful like me
son, come sell cars.

And like now, you know,
13, 14 years later.

And it was
terrible advice.

Uh, you know, I don't
know what father wants

a son to go selling
used cars on the lot,

but, uh, anyways,
that's where I went.

Yeah.

And it was all well
and good for a little

while, but you know,
I slowly came to the

realization there that,
um, I didn't know.

I do love sales, but I
don't like pressuring

people into sales and
I want to sell somebody

something they want,
not something they need.

Like, that's like a,
oh, my car broke down.

I have to buy
another car.

Right.

That's not an awesome
experience for

anyone and, you know.

Totally.

So I just knew that,
that my time there was

limited and I didn't
know what I wanted to do.

Um, but I knew that
that was not it.

Um, in the meantime
I got my PAL while

I was working there.

I had been obsessed
with guns since I was

a little kid, um, cap
guns, pellet gun, you

know, all this stuff.

Sure.

All of us loved.

Sure.

Um.

It goes bang.

Yeah.

Yeah.

And that was my
real first kind of

hobby I ever had.

You know, it was, uh,
at that point it was,

think it was twenties.

And, um, I was just
like, oh my, like, I

was just enthralled
with everything about

guns and it wasn't
just the fact they were

guns and guns are cool.

Like, you know,
watching all the action

movies growing up,
it was the mechanical

aspect of them.

It was just something I
picked up on that I could

take any gun apart and
put it back together.

And it still
worked, you know.

Not like the
watches right?

Yeah, exactly.

Or like an iPhone
or like anything.

Right.

Like it was just
one of those things

that clicked for me.

And I just became
absolutely obsessed

with firearms and owning
as many as I could get

and trying them all
out and everything from

Milsurp's to modern, um,
stuff, hunting rifles,

22's, like anything I
could get my hands on.

Um, so I ended up
actually leaving, um,

the car sell thing and.

Um, I was just going
to chillin' at home, my

dad's basement, like,
yeah, this is awesome,

this is the life.

And then my girlfriend
now wife, Brittany, she's

like, you gotta probably
get something going here.

And then I was like,
well, I can't, you know,

typical young guy, you
know, I'm not going

to work for the man.

You know, I'm not, I
had to follow my dream.

Right.

But the reality of the
fact is, um, you're

not going to be top
dog out of the box.

Um, I started trying to
open my own business,

um, doing outdoors and
knife stuff like, you

know, packs and gear
and stuff like that.

And I slowly came to the
realization that like I

had a lot to learn and
that's very humbling in

your twenties, right.

Like.

Totally.

That's.

Well, how old were you
when you started that?

I was, I was right
around 20 years old.

So young.

Super young.

Yeah.

So at a point where it's
okay for you to fail and

group and try again and.

Yeah, so I, the business,
I just quickly realized

that if you don't know
the right people and you

don't have connections,
and I'm not saying like

connections, as far as
like, um, other people

in the industry, I'm
talking about connections

as in like people who
don't want to rip you off

when you want to build
a website or anything

like that, right.

That quickly became,
um, apparent that I had

a lot to learn about
proper business dealings

and that was that.

So I went and got a
part-time job at, um,

the local gun store
out in Port Coquitlam

there at the time it
was Blue Line Solutions.

Um, and yeah, it
just started there.

And I was like, now I'm
working the gun industry.

And the whole, the
reality, the fact is

the only reason why I
even got a job there.

I was like, I want
a discount on guns

cause I'm buying
so many, right?

Like, I'm like, I don't
even care if I get a

paycheck really, I just.

Got the discount.

Yeah, I wanted
a discount.

So, um, so yeah, I
started there and,

um, that was a really
interesting learning

experience because
I had worked retail.

So, you know, basic
stuff like working

with tills and, you
know, shop maintenance

and stuff like that.

That's easy.

It was more so the
government aspect of it

and the firearms aspect
and being safe as far

as who you're handling,
handing guns to and

all that kind of stuff.

And so we started
there and yeah, that

was, I worked there
part-time for a bit.

Learned learned a lot,
um, both business-wise

and firearms wise, um,
and then decided to part

ways with, um, Blue Line.

Yeah.

Um, did learn there,
i, um, there was

two kind of partners
in that business.

One was, uh, Joe Dlask
and I specifically

remember I was working
with Joe one day and

I w I always pick
up on things with

people that I, like.

I always remember
like very key moments

with people who
make a difference.

And I remember the
one thing I really

picked up and took
away from Blue Line.

I was working with Joe
one day and he was just

working like a madman,
um, to get product out

from a distributor.

And he's like in
his whole, his whole

reasoning was, it's
about getting the product

out to the customer,
like, cause it's cool

and people have been
waiting for this stuff.

And um, that really
struck me as like,

yeah, customer is number
one, we're all in this

because we love firearms.

So it's always, you know,
you always have to keep

in mind that yes, it is
a business, but at the

end of the day, you,
you you're doing this

because you love it.

So I always remember
that with Joe, that his,

um, work ethic really
inspired me to be like,

yeah, customer first
customer, number one,

worry about everything.

Make sure that after
the fact make sure the

customer is serviced
in a very happy so.

You know, I've got
a Joe story if you

want to hear it.

Yeah, for sure, man.

So when back before
Silvercore Training

happened, I had
Silvercore Gunworks

and it was my thought
that I would be doing

gunsmithing for every
Joe blow who comes

through and, and that.

The ultimate dream.

The ultimate
dream, right.

Every kid wants to grow
up to be a gunsmith.

And I was loving it.

I was learning a lot
because every person who

came in and came with a
different firearm in a

different, uh, different
issue or different

problem and being young,
I think it was 18, 19.

Like when I started that
I everyone's expecting

a discount or a deal and
everybody wants to pay.

Yeah.

And they, they all
want to pay you in

like freezer bird meat
from five-year-old.

Here's a six pack of
beer and, you know.

Totally.

Yeah.

So anyways, so.

It was fun
learning a lot.

And one of the things
I got into was a

refinishing and I
was doing bluing

and parkerizing and,
uh, manganese and

zinc, FOS fading.

And I was having an issue
getting some chemicals

across the border.

So I thought, well,
how hard can this be?

And I went to a, to a lab
and I got a qualitative

and quantitative analysis
of, of a, uh, of a

batch of chemicals.

And I tried to reverse
engineer it myself.

And there is a fellow
who brought in a

firearm that he wanted
to have parkerized.

And so I prepped the
metal, got everything

as it ought to be.

And I made up my own
solution based off of

the essential, reverse
engineered list here.

And I, and I use it
a test piece first

and it came out
looking pretty good.

Right.

And in, in this
solution, a little

bit of nickel helped
the adhesion of the

manganese to the metal.

And, and there is
a, I think it was

Florick acid that was
also in here as well.

Anyways, on the carbon
content, on the test

piece, it came out
looking pretty good.

On the firearm I put
in, the customer's

firearm, uh, it
was just the barrel

that he wanted done.

So I put the barrel
and it comes out and

I'm looking at, I'm
like, I'm not happy

with how this looks.

Right.

And so I, I dip it in
a little bit longer,

longer than I normally
would, and they take it

out and I was like, ah,
it's not the right color.

It's not what the
guy'll want and try it

a little bit longer.

And I take it on
and said, well,

you know what, I'm
going to regroup.

I'm going to have to
tell the client here

that we're going to
have to wait for this

chemicals to come in.

And I took the barrel
and I went to thread it

into the receiver and
the thing slid in and

out of the receiver.

The chemical composition
that I put together

was strong enough to
have eaten the metal

to such a point.

Like, you look at it
and it looked fine,

but you didn't realize
that everything

had shrunk so much.

And like that was, as
a person working on

firearms, I think anyone
who says they don't make

mistakes is lying to you.

Literally impossible.

But the people who are
really good know how

to fix their mistakes.

Right.

And that was the
first mistake I

wasn't able to fix.

And so I went to Joe,
cause I said, look it,

I had this issue, I'm
going to have to, do you

have any spare barrels
around, I'm going to

have a go at it again.

And he looked around, he
says, yeah, actually I

got this quality barrel.

It's a spare.

You can have it take it.

It's yours.

Right.

In fact, it's not
chambered in the right

caliber, but here's
a chamber reamer.

I'll lend it to you.

Bring it back without
any dings or nicks, not

a problem, no charge.

Right.

So I was able to get the
customer up and running,

uh, if I don't know if
he even listens to this

podcast, but I think his
son might because his

son actually does work
with us, but that would

be, uh, that'd be Randy
Bach's firearm there.

Sorry about that, Randy.

But we got you
going in the end,uh.

Got a new barrel
out of the deal.

And he got a new
barrel on it.

Nice quality barrel out
of it, chambered tight.

Beautiful.

Right.

But that always stuck
with me because Joe, at

that time I was doing
more and more work

and he was still in
the business of doing

work for the general
public, albeit also

manufacturing and to a
degree, I could have been

viewed as competition.

For sure.

But instead he
says, not a problem,

Travis, come on in,
let me help you out.

So that always stuck
with me about Joe so I.

Joe's salt of
the earth, man.

I love that guy.

He is.

Yeah.

Sorry to interrupt
you there.

So, so where did
that take you next?

Yeah.

So after that, um,
left Blue Line there

and, um, I was on
Canadian Gun Nutz.

I had taken a job as
a, um, a concierge

apartment buildings
downtown, and like, no

one wants that job, man.

it's the worst work
job ever, just a bunch

of whiny, rich people
just complaining

about everything.

Anyways, so I needed
to get out of there.

Um, it was a good fill
in job while, you know,

I had to pay my bills.

Um, and then, um,
Canada Ammo posted,

um, on Canadian Gun
Nutz that they were

looking for someone.

And then I was
like, yeah, man.

I was like, I got
to work in the gun

industry, this jobs
working midnights sucks.

So, went, I submitted my
resume to Canada Ammo.

Uh, got a job there is,
um, I started there as

just a shipper, like just
no, no responsibility

other than stuff in
box out the door.

Sure.

Um, and, uh, it was a
pretty intense out of

the box because Canada
Ammo, um, At the time

and still to this day,
they have, they're very

skew heavy on stuff.

So, you know, you have
a guy who's ordering 10

different types of NC
star stuff, and they're

all in tiny boxes.

And, you know, it
looks like the matrix

scene where their
walls are flying down.

Right.

Um, so yeah,
that was awesome.

And then what was really
cool about, uh, Can-Am

was obviously like
at the time they were

bringing in, um, a lot
of Norinco product.

Right.

So you walk into the
back and there'd be

a two story thing
tall of, uh M305 or,

you know, 762 x 39.

And, and, um, so
yeah, that was, um,

I would call that my
real first, um, gun

business job, where
I was like, okay, I'm

amongst true gun people.

Uh, Chris at
Canada Ammo is.

He's awesome.

He's awesome.

And he's like
a true gun guy.

Like he's, he's
actually probably

more of a gun guy than
anyone I've ever met.

That dude goes
down rabbit holes

I didn't even know
existed with guns.

Oh, I still call them
up from time to time

to pick his brain and
he's a sharp cookie.

Yeah, he's awesome.

Um, and, um, yeah, so,
and at that time it was

lots of Norinco and I
just remember, um, at,

at some point they said,
Hey, you know, we mind

like taking care of
the warehouse as well.

You know, just
making sure it's

clean and stuff.

So then there, I was
essentially in like the

Indiana Jones w you know.

Looking for the.

Guns and yeah, exactly.

Like it was awesome.

And then, you know, one
day, like, you know, a

53 foot container just
cram jam packed full

of guns would show up,
but, you know, it'd be.

You know, all , M305's
you'd have to hand

bomb the whole thing.

And then like, you know,
for example, replace

that with anything
else, like, uh, oranges

or cardboard boxes,
worst job on earth.

Yeah.

A lot of work.

M305's, awesome
job, like.

Oh just the smell.

Yeah, exactly.

And like, knowing
that, like this just

came directly from
the place that made

it to you and it's
just cool stuff, man.

It's rad.

Um, so yeah.

Um, so I worked there
for a good while.

Um, and then I kinda
got up to, we did,

uh, I took over dealer
sales for them as well.

So I was doing all
their, uh, dealer

sales for awhile.

Um, and a gentleman there
named Paul really took

me under his wing, um,
and really explained to

me the finer points of,
um, not just business

and like organization and
all that kind of stuff,

but also how to deal with
people on a good level.

Like again, reinforcing
that thing that Joe,

you know, that I picked
up off Joe, which is

like customer, customer,
customer, like, these are

all your, your cohorts,
you're all gun nuts.

You're all, you know,
having a good time.

Right.

Um, so yeah, and I
learned a ton there,

um, both mechanically
with firearms, cause

I would be working on,
you know, some warranty

stuff or whatever.

The shipping aspect
of it, you know,

shipping routes and
who to call and all

that kind of stuff.

Uh, organization,
cause boy howdy.

Did that, you know, you
had to have that place

organized or you would
know where nothing was.

Yeah.

They got a lot of volume.

It's unbelievable.

Um, and then, yeah, so
I just learned, that's

where I really got
cut my teeth as far

as the gun industry.

Um, but uh, yeah, and at
that point we were just

sitting there one day
and um, Uh, Wanstalls

had post an ad and
said, Hey, like, you

know, we need somebody
to come in and fill in.

And just for shits and
giggles, cause that

was, uh, a long time
customer wants to halls.

Um, I just said, Hey,
you know, at the time

I was like, Hey, it's
Matt, blah, blah, blah.

You know, jokingly
said, yeah, how

much does it pay?

And they said, uh, they
responded back with,

come meet us tonight.

Really?

Yeah.

At the Billy miner pub,
which is our, that is our

bunker of solitude there.

Um, so yeah, it
was like, uh, okay.

So it wasn't really
like, I wasn't even

looking for a job.

I was just curious.

Um, and so I met them
there and I immediately

knew that I was like,
yeah, these, these

are my guys, you know.

Craig's specifically,
um, immediately treated

me like family and
he had, he knew me

from buying there,
but like, um, yeah.

Just like it was the
right vibe for me

to, I was like, yeah,
these guys are cool.

And so anyways, we had
some beers, they made

me an offer and I was
just like, oh my God.

I was like, I can't,
I just got my first

apartment with my wife,
uh, everything and I was

just like, I just started
paying my bills properly.

Like I can't, I
can't like bounce

off another job, you
know what I mean?

Cause it's once you're
once you somewhere

and you feel secure,
then you kinda.

That's a trap
though isn't.

It is a trap.

Right.

And then, you know, I
was still young enough

at the time where I was
like, you know, like,

let's go, let's do this.

Right.

So I went home that
night and granted after

a couple of beer and um,
I told my wife, I was

like, yeah, Wanstalls
made me this like

rad offer and I think
I'm going to take it.

And she's like, no,
you're not taking it.

She's like, we just
got this apartment.

She's like, we're
sitting on lawn chairs.

Like, you know
what I mean?

And then I was like.

I totally know
what you mean.

Oh, you mean, um,
and then I was

like, oh, okay.

Then she kind of talked
me out of it that night.

And then I'm on the drive
to work the next day.

I was just like, man,
I was just like, it

wasn't just the offer.

It was, um, it was
the people there.

Um, the vibe I got off
of everyone I was talking

to, and honestly the
products that Wanstalls

was selling at the time
lined up with more of

my interests, um, you
know, to be a hundred

percent honest about it.

Right.

So I just thought about,
I was like, man, it'd

be really cool to get
other stuff discounted

that I'm more into,
you know what I mean?

Like, you know,
I have a wider

selection, not as deep.

Like I do, like I didn't
need 1500 M305's right.

Right.

There's so many greasy,
M305's you can handle

before you go home
and you're soaked

in cosmoline every.

um, so yeah, I just, on
my way there, I just, uh,

decided to essentially
that I was good to go.

Um, and then had a
quick conversation and

yeah, I started the next
week, um, at Wanstalls

in my little, little
hovel of a corner.

So zero business
training, a set

aside from the school
of hard knocks.

Yeah.

So learning as you go.

Yep.

Uh, what were some of
the biggest challenges

that you'd found at least
to that point anyways,

because when you start
at a Wanstalls, you're

basically strictly doing
social media or when did

you start as a partner?

No, no, I definitely
didn't start

as a partner.

It took me almost
10 years become

a partner there.

Right.

Um, yeah, no, I mean,
the biggest thing is ego,

when you're that age.

I mean, even now, I
mean, I'm only 33.

Like you always got to
check your ego at the

door because, um, all
that's ever going to do

is make it make it take
longer to figure out the

answer to whatever you're
trying to, you know,

achieve whatever you're
trying to accomplish.

Um, so that
was a big one.

Uh, and two just
learning how to

deal with different
people and different

personality types.

I'm a very, anyone
who knows me, you

know, anyone who's met
me I'm so blunt and

honest and probably to
my own, probably not

what I shouldn't be.

I still am.

I'm very upfront and
honest and I've got,

uh, I don't have a
very good filter.

Um, but.

That could, that
can play to your

benefit too, though.

It can, and it does.

Right.

Um, but I feel like only
in certain positions

it does, um, maybe as a
manager, as an owner, I

feel like, yeah, that's
how you get information

across as curt and
short and simple.

Um, but also a lot
of people don't

respond well.

Yeah.

Like everyone responds
to different types

of things, right?

Like somebody can
take that as you being

upset with them or
something like that.

So it's always just
a that's something

I struggle with
to this day is

understanding different
personality types.

And I do, I read
as many books as I

can, and to try and
be as understanding

as I can, but the
dickhead in me just.

Well, I don't even
know if it's dickhead,

it's, at least when
a person is blunt and

curt, you know, where
you stand with them.

Exactly.

And there's no
mincing of words.

Right.

Right.

If I say do A there's
no, there's no, you're

confusing it with B.

Right.

Right.

And that's how I
kind of look at it.

Um, so yeah.

And, um, also to
the industry is an

interesting industry
and, um, the industry is

a very, when I started
in the industry, it was

just going away from
like Ma and Pa shops.

And it was becoming
like lots of social

media, lots of websites.

I mean, I don't know
if you remember, for

online ordering back
in the day, you could

just get it from sr.

Right.

You know, the old
wholesale sports

guys and Alberta,
that was your only.

That was it.

Way you could really
online order anything.

Right?

Well, nobody was online
ordering, everyone

was very reluctant to
take that next step.

Yeah.

And there was a lot of
unanswered questions

about it, like kind of
ship product, legally,

all that kind of stuff.

Right.

And, you know, for
a Ma and Pa shop,

which was essentially
everyone at the time,

you don't want to take
on that responsibility.

Right.

And, you know, everyone
just did their niche

thing and you made their
living retired somewhere

in the middle of
nowhere and that was it.

Right.

Um, so essentially.

The introduction
of online.

Yeah.

Like that was a huge
learning curve because

now you've got all
these shops and a

lot of young people
and different ideas

all coming together.

Right.

And it was like a
whole new world, right.

Essentially, like you've
got kind of the new

way of doing business.

So like people who
would historically

have different types
of businesses are now

running gun shops and
bringing that, you know,

the internet, I know
this sounds ridiculous.

The internet with them
and Facebook and all

that kind of stuff.

And you know, at that
time it was like a

interesting new world
of how to deal with

stuff so it was.

You guys really
pushed the envelope.

I think you guys are,
if not the leader, one

of the leaders for sure.

And moving things
into the 21st century.

Well, yeah, I mean
the biggest thing, um,

every single one of our
followers and all of our

social media platforms
is a hundred percent,

like those people
clicked on our page.

We didn't pay, a lot
of companies, uh, both

in the industry and
in general, you just

buy followers right.

And then you log on.

It's never made
sense to me.

And it has it
because you look on,

it's like, oh wow.

This page has gotten like
20,000 followers and you

clicked, you know, one of
their posts and it's got.

Zero.

Zero.

Engagement.

It's gotten two likes,
you know, like a, in

a poop emoji under
it or something.

And you're like,
I don't get it.

Right.

But then you realize,
oh, they actually have

like 150 followers
and they purchased it.

And the problem, and
this is something I

learned from Paul.

The problem when you
do that is it's hard

to crawl back from it.

Like once you realize
it's a mistake,

it's really hard to
undo that mistake.

So yeah, we have just
shy of 10,000 legitimate

followers on Facebook.

Um, Instagram is
an interesting one.

I think we're around
3000 on their, uh,

Instagram's algorithms
for gun owners isn't.

It's the wrong
platform for sure.

Yeah.

It's a, it's it can
be tough from time to

time, but, uh, we get
a lot of what I do like

about is we get a lot of
real, a lot of feedback

from directly from our
customers, not through

some weird platform,
like I straight up get

messages from people
asking me questions and

they get direct answers,
as often as possible.

I mean, it's, it's
tough to filter through

hundreds of messages
a day, but, uh.

Is that what
you're getting?

Yeah.

Like, you know, on,
we get quite a few

like enough to where.

Um, my wife answers
a lot of stuff, you

know, she's she wants
to get paid, but she's

never getting paid.

Is that your wife
in the commercials?

Yeah.

That's my wife,
she, God bless her.

She comes out and yeah.

I don't know how she
puts up with me, but

yeah, that's her in
the commercials and

like that gift card
one we did and stuff.

Yeah.

That's her doing it.

Those commercials
are awesome.

Thanks man.

Yeah, those are
lots of fun.

And like that's a prime
example is, you know,

I, when we went into
the tV aspect of things.

I was like, I can't stand
like the typical gun

owner commercial or gun
shop commercial, where

it's like a dude standing
behind his counter.

And it's like, you
know, ra-ta-ta I'm, you

know, and then like a
blast Calgary, Alberta,

or whatever part of
the world he lives and

across the street is
like, there's only so

much of that you can,
you know, we all have

guns in our store, right.

Like we all go to
the same distributors

for everything.

So like, what's the
point of telling

people you sell, you
know, guns, right.

And why don't you have
some fun with it and

make people realize that
like, yeah, it is fun.

Are you scripting
those yourself?

Yeah, I do.

Uh, I do a lot of the
creative and then, uh,

my friend Brent Nelson
at Soapbox Studios helps

me out with the filming.

Yeah.

Um, and he's awesome.

Cause like I have a
hard time when it comes

to like the M I know
what the image in my

head of when I want
something to look like,

but I can't for the
life of me, explain it.

And he just gets me, he
like instantly knows what

I'm trying to explain.

And I've tried to do it
with other people and

it just doesn't work.

It's just, you know.

So if people want
to see them, I saw

those commercials on
Facebook I think it was.

Yeah.

Is that, do you have
them compiled somewhere?

Yeah.

If.

If people want to
go through them?

Yeah, we have them
on our YouTube page.

We had a YouTube
page years ago.

I tried to start a
YouTube account for the

store and it just turned
into like this super

cringy, like, uh, you
know, I realized at that

time, how much goes into
editing and you know,

all that kind of stuff.

And I thought like, oh,
you just throw a camera

up and, you know, had
some whizzbang do it.

And there you go.

But it's a lot of
work even in here in

the podcast studio.

I'm just like, all these
buttons and stuff, no

idea how this works.

Um, it was a learning
curve for sure.

So like our, I kind of
deleted everything off

our old YouTube page.

Um, and then we just
essentially put all

of our commercials
on our YouTube page.

Okay.

Um, Facebook, uh,
we throw them on

Instagram as well.

And obviously, yeah,
they're on WildTV.

Yeah.

That's our main, main
place where those go.

Um, but yeah.

Are you seeing, how
are you measuring the

engagement off of those?

Um, honestly it, so this
is a classic thing when

it comes to advertising
and old-school guys,

um, always say like,
oh, you invest a

thousand dollars.

You need to get
$3,000 out of it.

And that means here,
and it's like, you

can't, in today's world,
it's impossible to

quantify that, right?

Like, cause like what
are they going to come

in with a w a prize
over cracker jack box?

And then, you know that
like, come on, like, you

know, you can't do that.

What you do is
essentially, um, you'd

listen to people when
you're talking to them

and they say, man, I
saw your commercials

that really awesome,
or whatever, like love

what you guys are doing.

And that's how you gauge
your feedback off of it.

Right.

And our commercials,
they do great for us.

And, you know, honestly,
um, It's an, I like

being creative and it's
a creative outlet for me.

And, uh, I'm just curious
to when WildTV is just

going to say, Hey man,
we can't air this one.

That's too many fart
jokes or something

like that so.

Think of your commercials
is that people

want to share them.

Yeah.

They want to show
them to other people

because they're
genuinely hilarious.

Yeah.

Yeah.

The favorite one I did
is actually not even a

commercial is the, uh,
liberal gun owner one.

I don't know if
you saw that.

No, I don't think
I've seen that one.

All right.

Well, I won't spoil it
for you, but there's two

flame throwers in it and,
uh, we didn't even put,

we just did that for a
fun one for social media.

Um, and like, that was
just an example, like

we gotta do this video,
man cause it's, it's

going to be hilarious.

So yeah, that, one's
a, that one's one of

my favorites for sure.

You know, uh,
Colion Noir.

Yep.

Okay.

So he's got the seven
types of people that

you see at a gun range.

Yeah.

Hilarious does a
wicked job with that.

Yeah.

You guys going to do
something like that?

Yeah.

We could for sure.

Seven types of people
you see coming into

your gun store.

Yeah.

Yeah.

That'd be, that'd be
a fun one actually.

Yeah, that'd be,
that'd be cool.

Um, maybe not in voting
season, but maybe cause

it's all, it's all
anti-Trudeau stuff right

now, but maybe we'll
wait until after and

we can have a different
kind of crowd of

people coming back in.

Give it a few weeks.

Yeah, exactly.

Fingers crossed.

Have you found that
the crowd of people

that you have coming
in has substantially

changed since,
well, I don't know.

Um, but a year
and a half ago?

Yeah.

Yeah, for sure.

It's uh, it's been
crazy as far as that

goes, like the S the.

Yeah.

I've had like everything,
like, so when the

pandemic, whatever the
COVID first started

there, I can't believe
the types of people

I had coming in.

And I mean that as
in like people I've

never expected to see
in a gun store, I had

a mommy walking group
come in with their

babies and strollers.

And they were like, I
have my PAL, I've never

used it before, but you
know, blah, blah, blah.

Here we go.

And I'm like, what is
happening right now

is there's this like
something happening

I'm not aware of, but
yeah, it's been crazy.

Like, um, the types
of people we've been

having coming in
and the like from

different backgrounds
and everything.

It's awesome.

You know, seeing
people want to get

educated about firearms
and actually taking

an active interest
in them and right.

And then, you know, once
you become a firearms

owner, because it's so
tied to politics, right.

You really start to
paying attention to

what's going on out
there because it's just,

it's part of your life.

It affects you
directly, right?

Like, um, policies
and stuff like that.

So it's, it's not just
about owning guns.

I feel like having your
gun license, uh, really

opens up your, your
thought processes to, you

know, other stuff that's
going on in the world.

You know, when COVID
hit my mother-in-law,

who is the last person
who should ever have a

firearm says, Trav, I'm
really thinking I should

get myself a firearm.

Can you tell me what
I got to do here?

And I saw, that was
probably the aha moment

for me, when I really
saw the shift in people

because that's one
person who's always

had a very negative
view of firearms,

to all of a sudden
thinking, I'm scared

and things are changing.

And maybe I should
be a little more

proactive about my
personal protection

and self defense.

And that's the faux pa
to talk about in Canada.

In the states,
it's something that

people talk about.

There are sections in
the criminal code that do

permit for it and all the
rest, but it's something

that in the firearms
community, nobody

wants to talk about.

Yeah, for sure.

I mean, it's, it's
faux pa and I think

it's more so, depending
on who's in power.

Um, but it's funny to
see, and I don't mean

this in a negative way,
but, um, you know, as

soon as you realize that,
um, something serious

can happen and, you
know, you help might not

be a phone call away.

You know, every, you
know, hardcore anti-gun

this and anti-gun that
they're, they're lining

up to, to buy guns
and like that's okay.

And I don't mind
that it's great.

The more that are
out there, the harder

they are to take away.

Um, but you know,
it's interesting that

that's what it takes
for people to open up

their, um, mindset.

You know what I
mean, to do that.

Whereas for me, you
know, got, a gun to

me is not this glowing
sphere of hot energy

or anything like that.

It's just, it's a tool,
you know, you hunt

with it, you shoot
it, it is what it is.

If it's unloaded it,
ain't going to do

anything, you know, so
it's interesting the

than the past year and a
half, the types of people

we've been seeing and.

Um, what's really cool
is them coming into

the store and then
realizing that it's

like, it's not like the
movies were not where

some crotchety old guns
or where, you know, we

don't want to help people
and stuff like that.

We, we, we do take an
interest in, you know,

I call it our customer
success in, you know,

firearm ownership so.

Cool.

Yeah, man.

Well, with the, um,
operating a firearms

business is so
heavily regulated.

It's a weird thing
because it's so tightly

controlled in some ways
and so unbelievably

gray and other ways.

Yeah.

I think you, I think, you
know, a lot about that.

Um, but yeah.

I do know a
lot about that.

It's insane, man.

Like, um, and that's
what's really frustrating

is that a lot of people
like, like I'll just

throw it out there.

Like the, the ban that
happened a year ago

with the OIC, right?

Like everyone thought
like, oh my God, like,

yay, rah, rah, that
was on the other, on

the anti-gun side.

And then like you
just like pick the top

scab off that right.

And it's just utter
and I'm sorry for

my french, dog shit.

Like you can tell
that no thought or

effort went into it.

And it's the same thing.

Like it is a tightly
controlled industry,

but there's not a lot of
guidance from anyone as

to, like there's no 1,
2, 3, 4, 5 step as to,

you know, what kind of
security you need, what

kind of, um, you know,
what kind of records

you need to keep and
all this kind of stuff.

It's like, here's
the goal, figure out

how to get there.

And that's, can be
really frustrating um,

in general, but can also
be very detrimental to

new businesses opening up
and people who, you know,

and the other thing too,
province to province.

Um, you know, as you
know, depending on who's

doing inspections and all
this kind of stuff, like

the rules are different.

Like you can have one
year everything's great.

The next year, you're
the worst gun store ever.

And you need to
completely pull, tear

everything apart and
rebuild, you know,

whatever aspect
they're not happy with.

So it can be really
discouraging and,

uh, it really can
ruin, you know, put

it on the far end.

I think it would ruin a
lot of people's lives.

Does, so it really can.

And I agree with that
in the, when it comes

down to the ambiguity
in the grayness of

it, you can just, as a
general firearms owner,

people know you can
call up, you can talk

to one representative
on one day and get one

answer and you can get
a completely different

answer on the next day.

And they.

Or just bloody
checking a PAL.

Right.

Validity.

You know, you get
three different

answers with three
different phone calls.

Do I need their
phone number?

Do I need their address?

Do I need their
blood type?

Do I need this?

Do I need the last five
digits after the decimal?

All this kind of stuff.

And you know, you can
call one person with

just a name and date
of birth and a PAL and

they'll say yes or no.

Then the other person
will say, no, you

need this set of
rules and then no,

you need, you know,
going down the line.

And it's, it's crazy.

So from an individual
owner standpoint,

that's frustrating.

Oh yeah.

From a firearms business
owners standpoint,

this is your livelihood
and one person's

opinion on policy, not
necessarily legislation

or regulation, one
person's opinion can

make or break what you're
doing until you find

another opinion that's
contrary or that, that.

Yeah, my mortgage
doesn't get paid.

You know what I mean?

It's not, for me.

It's not like, oh, I
don't get to go shoot

my 22 this weekend.

For me, it puts
food on my table.

It's how I pay
my mortgage.

It's everything.

Does that sit in the
back of your head?

Oh, constantly.

How can it not?

Right.

Totally.

And especially when it
comes to things like

that should be so simple
and cut and dry as pol,

as firearm policy, um,
that it's interpreted

20 different ways by
20 different people.

And no one really
knows the answer.

It's like, as I just said
that it sounds insane,

but if you're a Canadian
gun owner, you know.

Well, it

is insane.

Yeah.

And not only that it can
affect your livelihood,

it can affect your
personal freedom as well.

For sure.

100%, there was,
um, the gentleman

Sureshot in Poco.

I dunno if you remember
that shop there.

Yeah, actually I've
probably got a file here

that, uh, that he handed
over to me because.

Yeah, he's one of
the nicest dudes.

So nice.

And he grew up, uh, my
wife grew up, uh, in the

same complex as he was.

And, uh, when he opened
Sureshot the that's, what

it was called, right?

Mhmm.

Yeah.

I remember like walking
into that place, I

was like, this is the
dopest gun store I've

ever walked into.

I was like, he had
everything bad-ass

that every gun store
should have had, he

had bulk ammo, he
had tons of handguns.

It was so, and him
and his wife were the

nicest people right.

And, and, you know, his
story is a prime example.

It is so sad.

Yeah.

It it's ridiculous.

And the worst part
about it is he was a

sacrificial lamb at a
point where, uh, gangs

and, um, you know,
shootings were happening

and he was just, they
needed somebody to, um,

I don't know, like make
a headline and he knew.

Yeah, it was just
super sad and he never

did anything wrong.

And that's an
example of worst case

scenario obviously.

Somewhere floating
around in a secure filing

cabinet, I've got I've
was asked to opine on

his case at one point.

And so I got to look
at the ins and outs

of what happened to
him, into his wife.

And it was extremely
troubling to look

at the process that
he was put through.

Now, he was an
immigrant, I believe

he did, he, he had full
Canadian citizenship.

Oh, I don't know.

I don't know the
extent of that part.

Right.

So I'm looking through
the video clips that

were provided over of the
take-down and the raid.

Um, essentially, uh, he
was being accused of, um,

a whole bunch of things.

Like a whole
bunch of things.

None of which had
any, any, uh, value

that I could see.

Or like basis in reality.

Or any basis in
reality, uh, this was

during a time when a
magazine importation was

permitted, provided, it
was, uh, pinned and, uh.

Yeah.

And I dunno, you can
correct me if I'm wrong.

It wasn't that just like
a paper, like, it was

like a flip of the switch
paperwork kind of thing

that happened to him.

Like it was.

He had it as a condition
on his business license.

Yeah, that's what.

That he was able to
take these things in.

And so what happened
from my recollection

here, uh, was that, I
think it was a relative

of his, had shipped some
magazines up from the

states up to a, um, like
a ups store or something

like this, but they were
all properly pinned.

They're all a legal,
everything as it ought to

be, there may have been
something overlooked on

the export side from US.

I'm not sure I'm
not, I don't know the

US ,laws in an out,
but not none of that

was being alleged.

All I recall is looking
back on it saying like,

if they wanted to try
and make something, maybe

they could try and do
something there, but it

went to the, I think it
was a ups postal store

or wherever it was.

I came to the customs
first, customs looks

at it, police say,
send it on through.

And we'll send one of
our guys to act as a

post office person.

And so when he comes
through, then we can

verify, and we can do a
bit of a, uh, a takedown.

Anyways, they do that
and they don't take

them down at the store.

They give him the stuff
he's got this package,

which arguably he's got
no idea what's in it.

Maybe he does, maybe he
doesn't, I don't know.

Um, and they take them
down to the front of his

store saying that he's
now importing magazines.

Well, that was the valid
business condition that

he had on his license.

They've didn't lock
him up, I believe

they detained his
wife for a bit.

They went to his house.

Yeah, they raided
his house and they're

like, he's got a
sawed off shotgun.

And then they had
it on the front

page of the paper.

And it was just like
a regular shotgun.

And armor piercing
ammunition, right?

All of these things,
none of which is illegal.

None of the points
that he did and

the crown council
that was involved.

I happened to know
that crown council

and I've had numerous
conversations with them.

Uh, offered him
some deals and said,

tell you what, we'll
make it all go away.

You just agree to
this, we can make

it all go away.

You agree to that, we'll
make it all go away.

And the deals got
diminishing more and more

until finally they came
out and they said they

essentially held his wife
hostage, his wife who's

having medical problems
and they ruined him.

They ruined this one
firearms business owner

due to his lack of
understanding of the

Canadian legal process
and bully tactics.

Guilty through
due process.

Right.

It's something that
floats around in

our industry quite
a, quite a bit.

Right.

You're not guilty of
anything you're guilty

through the process is
what makes you guilty.

It makes you broke,
it makes you unable

to do anything else.

Right.

So, yeah, that's, it's
an unfortunate part of

what we do, you know.

So what do you
do to protect

yourself from that?

Oh, man.

I mean, you've always
got to stay on top

of, you know, any
changes in legislature.

I've always had a
thing, like always

go above and beyond.

If they, if the goalpost
is a hundred yards

go 300 yards, like,
you know what I mean?

Like always go above and
beyond, that way there's

no question like that.

It's all about
intent, right?

That's what everything
boils down to in the,

in the legal world.

Um, and if you show
intent that you were

doing the right thing
and you wanted to do

the right thing, it
covers you to an extent.

I mean, at the end of
the day, it's ultimately

up to crown and whoever
else to do what they want

to do, but it's always
about covering your ass

and just doing as much
as you possibly can.

Um.

Does that alienate the
client base because

you're going to have
client base who're like,

this is a bare minimum
that you have to meet and

why are you going above?

Yeah.

I mean, we, we have
certain things we will

abide by and like, or
not abide by, but like

certain measures we do
take as a business that's

not forced upon us.

Um, but there's certain
things we just like

that we've, that have
been requested of

us on that we just
flat out won't do.

And like a big
ones, obviously

non-restricted's,
um, stuff like that.

It's, it's not required.

It's none of our
business, you

know, move on.

It's not like I know
some companies do record

non-restricted stuff.

Um, but yeah, I mean,
It's all about the ebb

and flow of what works
for your company and

what your, you know, and
what's your, essentially

what you're willing to
die on the cross, on what

it boils down to, right?

Like something,
something, you know, is

either right or wrong
and you go down that

route and our customers
are always covered.

So it's never a case
where we're going

to take advantage
of our customers.

Sure to fashion
whatsoever.

Totally.

We do what we can on our
end and Jesus take the

wheel on the rest of it.

Yeah.

Well, you know, dying
on the cross bout some

of these things are
sometimes you look at it

and you might have your
own personal political

feelings on something,
but then you have to

take into account the
repercussions of what

those feelings will
have for you, your

wife, do you have kids?

No, no kids.

I got.

And a, and your coworkers
and those who work

with you and you have
to start trying to

juggle all of that.

I mean, it's not for
the faint of heart.

It's definitely not.

To get into business.

There's a reason why my
solitude spot is a bar.

It's not for the faint
of heart to get into

a firearms business.

Oh, definitely not.

, but if you follow your
heart, like what you're

talking about, what would
you, what advice would

you give to somebody
who says, look, I really

want to get into this.

Like for me personally,
I tell my kids, if

you want to get into
a firearms business,

that's up to you.

You're on your
own though.

I mean, it's not
something that I'm

going to support because
there are easier ways to

generate a living, but
it might not necessarily

necessarily align with
what your passions are.

Yeah, for sure.

I mean, I learned pretty
quick on, um, that, um,

you know, my mother died
when I was very young,

so, or when I was young.

So I knew that I did
not want to live a life.

Like it's a mundane
box, filing paperwork.

I knew that that's a risk
I was willing to take.

Um, but as far as like
somebody wanting to get

into it, um, w always
find somebody who's

smarter than you, and
just learn as much as

you can from them and
be humble about what you

thought the answer was,
versus what reality is.

Um, and be able
to accept that.

And like a prime example
is like, it's hard,

like getting approvals
and licensing and, you

know, the inspections
and everything to

open up a business.

And, you know, you have
to jump through the

hoops and it's expensive.

Um, and it is what it is.

But at the end of the
day, if firearms is

your passion, then
I mean, who cares?

I mean, it's, it
is what it is.

You're either doing
it or you're not, and.

Right.

The strong will
get through it.

And the guys who
weren't meant to do it,

you know, there'll be
doing something else.

They'll find an excuse.

It was the recession, or.

Yeah exactly.

It was COVID.

Exactly right.

There's always an excuse
not to do what you

really want in life.

And I, I'm very lucky
and don't get me wrong.

Like you know, I will
say I worked my way

through it, but, or
worked my way to where

I'm at, but, um, you
know, it is possible to

do, um, you just got to
grind it out and if you

really love what you're
doing, it's, it never

really feels like work.

You know what I mean?

Even on like the worst
days I ever, like,

we always say it in
the shop, like, you

know, still better
than filing paperwork.

Like even if you're
having the worst day,

it's like, yeah, man,
I'm still, but it's

still better than, you
know, a mundane job where

you're not passionate
about what you're doing.

And, you know.

You know, from a, uh,
from the scariness side

of operating a firearms
business where the, the

election happening next
week, it could, um,

well this one comes out
the election happening

probably that day.

Um, could change
everything for you.

Yeah, for sure it can.

How would you.

I I've always looked
at as, you know, if

they outlawed firearms,
maybe you only, the

businesses have firearms.

There's still a
business model in place.

There's always something
that you can jump

to if they say, Hey,
uh, you can only use

the indoor ranges.

Okay.

Set up an indoor range.

Hey, these guns
are illegal.

Great, get it on the
business license, work

within the framework and
then have the, there's

always a business model
regardless of how things

work, but it does get
harder and harder.

How would you
pivot essentially?

Oh yeah.

That's a, we actually.

Cause I know you've
thought about this.

Oh yeah.

I mean you
have to, right.

I mean, it is what it
is like honestly, like

one day someone could
just flip a switch and

it's not just like,
oh, you know, you can't

even pivot you're toast.

Um, so you know,
we'll talk about it

in two breaths there.

I mean the first one
they flipped the switch,

guns, guns are gone like
overnight, like hand

'em in, jackbooted thugs
knocking on your door,

all that fun stuff.

Right.

The crew guys I have,
um, between my Craig,

my partners, Craig and
Marco, um, and the guys

who work for me, like
they're my family and

whatever I'm doing,
they're coming with me.

Whether it's
another business

venture or whatever.

Um, I'm making sure
that my guys are

coming with me.

Cause they're, they're
what makes the shop.

I mean, you know, we
can do as much as we can

ordering and stuff like
that at the end of the

day, like I can't run
the shop on myself, Craig

can't run the shop, Marco
can't run the shop, you

got to have a good solid
group of guys with you.

Um, in regards to
pivoting, I mean, you

know, we, you know,
you could pivot to,

um, outdoor stuff, you
know, like that's kind

of our main thing.

That would be
your thing, right?

Like I'm a gear guy, I'm
a gear nut, I love gear.

Back, like I got
this ridiculous

backpack collection.

I just, I don't know
what it is, man.

I just buy backpack
after backpack and

you know, like just
different stuff right?

Like I got the, this new
Mystery Ranch, one that

came in with a that's
like the wax canvas.

Yeah.

I just thought that
was just like, that's

it, man, that's that's
backpack forever.

Right.

Before that was an
Arc'Teryx and all those

kinds of stuff and
knives and out, you know,

that's other aspects of
being gun owners, right?

Like you're always,
you're usually outdoors

and we're doing
something in regards

to that and like making
outdoors, comfortable.

You know, like
chairs and stuff like

that and cookware.

So we'd probably do
something like that,

but honestly, like it
would have to be like

worst case scenario.

Like I, like guns are
my thing, guns, I live,

breathe and die guns.

I got a sense that
you're kind of like

me and so far is I'm
extremely obstinante.

I can be extremely, um,
strong-willed and pig

headed about things.

And as I look at the gun
path, um, there's always

a way to make it work.

Oh yeah.

But, maybe taking a
bit of a step back

and saying, is there a
better way that we can

service a customers and
service a client base?

And as opposed to
just trying to fight

the current head
on, can we ride this

current in order to?

Yeah.

Well, I mean, there's so
many, this is the thing,

and this has been in the
past like five years,

there is some amazing
Canadian companies.

This is the thing, what
I was from the start of

the business, I never
understood why there

weren't more Canadian
companies building guns,

like from scratch, right.

Because you don't, if
it's non restricted,

then the FRT
becomes an opinion.

Right.

And stuff like that.

And then, so you got
these new companies,

like, you know,
um, Kodiak Defense.

Yep.

You've got.

Oh they're great.

Yeah.

Spectre Ballistics.

Uh, you've got
Maple Ridge Armory.

Ultimatum.

Yeah, Ultimatum.

IBI.

Yeah, IBI, you know, PGW,
you got KDX, you got all

these amazing companies.

Right.

And then like, um, the
fastest response, you

know, to the change in,
you know, the OIC ban,

you know, um, Maple Ridge
Armory came out with

the, uh, the, sorry,
the Renegade, which

is the straightened.

Right.

I'm like, that's what
this industry needs, it

needs people like that.

So that companies
like us have something

to pivot to, some
different product right.

And it's still a
fantastic product.

It's very, well-made,
it has its purpose.

Um, it may look like an
AR, but it's not, but

it's super cool to go
shoot a deer with it.

Uh, you know.

You know, you're
highlighting something,

that's just kind of
clicking in the back

of my head because I
couldn't agree more,

you're 100%, right.

That is what our
market needs.

And we have had people
like that who pivot

quite quickly and they
will find, I don't

want to say loopholes
because that's how it's

some people will, will
define, Hey, you're

just working a loophole.

No, it says it's legal.

So I'm making it
based on the framework

that you've provided.

For sure.

Joe Dlask.

Yeah.

And he would do that
over and over again.

I mean, he's done it
with the 22 megs for the.

Yeah, the tough 22.

Right.

And he would did it
with like pump action

AR is back in the
day and he did.

I remember those.

Remember those?

Those things were rad.

Yeah.

And he, over and over
again, he's doing these

pivoting, but the one
thing in that whole

piece of the puzzle,
which I find, um, very

difficult is the amount
of love that a company

will feel when they do
that pivot, everyone

says, Hey, we love and
let's get behind them.

And how quickly everybody
runs away the second

that things look a
little bit scary.

I have seen Joe drag
through the mud on online

forums for only doing
things that are perfectly

legal and that the
firearms community wants.

So the level of
sticktuitiveness

and co-operation.

That's a canadian
gun owner thing then.

That's, if there's one
thing that just drives me

nuts about Canadian gun
owners, it's that exactly

what you just described
it we're were own

worst enemy sometimes.

Why?

Why?

I have no idea.

You got a guy like any
company who's willing

to, like, for example,
what Joe is doing.

He's, um, pushing the
envelope of taking people

to task, essentially.

The people that say,
you know, they say,

oh, this is what, you
know, the pump action

AR oh, no, that's not
okay because it's, it's

like, no, it is okay.

And that's how not
just, you know, that,

but other innovations
are made that way.

Right.

Right.

But yeah.

I mean, gun owners,
holy moly, man.

Like they.

Like Kodiak.

Yeah.

Like it's unbelievable.

Like why, how vicious
we can be to each other.

And it's like a company,
like, yeah, example

like the Kodiak WK
fiasco or whatever

happened there right?

Yeah.

Like, are you
guys kidding me?

Like, did they brought to
market a Canadian, 100%

Canadian made semiauto,
non-restricted firearm,

during like one of
the worst firearms ban

since like the assault
ban in 72 or whatever

70, whatever it was.

And it's like, what is
wrong with you people?

Like the company
like, reverse five

years ago and you did
there wasn't a world

where there'd be a sub
$1,500 Canadian made

223 that takes AR mags
that's non-restricted.

Right.

Doesn't, doesn't exist.

Right.

You know, but there
it is during one

of the worst times.

And, you know, people,
people chose their sides

of who they thought was
right and wrong and.

Right.

You know.

That's uh, so.

We sell Kodiak
by the way.

Yeah.

And I love Kodiak.

Great guys.

Awesome guys.

Yeah.

Uh.

They, they were one of
the first people I met,

um, in the industry
that like I dealt with.

Yeah.

Um, way back the,
the two brothers and.

Yeah.

Just like the nicest
guys on earth.

Funny story about them.

Yeah.

So, you know, their
shops right around

the corner from us.

Oh, I did not know that.

No.

Okay.

So, I get there, there
was a guy in this

building complex that
we're in right now and

he would sleep upstairs
in his shop and he

says, oh no, it's a
caretaker suite right.

Even though I think
actually this unit

that we have here is
a one license when

that to be caretaker.

Anyways, I digress.

I get this like blurry
cell phone pictures

from him and he sending
me pictures cause I

guess the two brothers
had rented a shop here

and they're unloading
a big old van full of

Russian military looking
crates and stuff.

And he sending me all
these services, all

these nervous pictures,
and I said, I'm going

to contact the police.

I'm going to contact
this and I'm like,

just hold on.

This, isn't a Steven
Seagal movie going down.

Right, exactly.

Just hold on a
little bit right.

Anyways, I think he
actually did end up

contacting somebody
in all of this and.

I, uh, while he's
trying to contact, I

contacted one of the
firearms officers.

I said, is there
any business here?

And he's like, nope,
nope, there isn't.

And I'm like,
are you sure?

And he comes back
a little bit later.

He's like, okay, hold
on, I just double

checked, yes, new
business in there.

Anyway, so it didn't help
these two brothers that

they're taller than me.

I'm 6'6".

Yeah.

And these guys.

Two monsters, probably
in trench coats.

Yeah, they were.

They were.

Yeah.

Leather jackets.

Yeah.

Man they look like
just Russian mafia,

but they are the
salt of the earth.

Oh go, like, yeah.

Probably some of
my favorite people.

Yeah.

Agreed.

Just awesome guys.

Yeah.

So again, why, why do
we eat our own from a

gun owner standpoint,
but even more from the

business standpoint,
cause the gun owners

don't see all the
drama that goes on.

But by businesses, once
you reach a certain level

in the firearms business
industry, I think there's

a general understanding
and people realize

we're in this together.

Yeah, for sure.

I think that, uh, it's a
lot of like my nut, like

this is my, my thing.

And a lot of people in
the industry, I guess,

you know, this is just
my take on it, but like

feel owed, like to some
extent or another, in

a business transaction
or, you know, however

it goes and um, yeah.

I just think that you get
stuck in that rut, right?

Like you just see
the carrot in front

of the nose and you
just kinda keep going

after it when there's
a much wider picture

to be taken from it.

You know, I've always,
uh, I've looked at it

and I've got a couple
different theories on it.

One, from the business
standpoint, there is

a very low barrier of
entry to start a firearms

business if you've got
the cahones to do it.

Exactly.

Yeah.

Once you get the checks
and check marks on from

the firearms program and.

So consequently that will
bring in people who might

not have as much business
acumen as somebody gets

into a higher barrier
to, of entry position.

Like if you're a lawyer,
I'm sure everyone's

going to have drama.

They're all gonna have
their things, but a

law firms, different
practices by the time

they're operating, they
probably have a general

understanding of how
everyone works together.

That low barrier of
entry and lack of sort

of business acumen
can create the, this

is my nut, this is
my thing, and nobody

else could have it.

I can see that.

Exactly.

Yeah.

And then the other one
that I see pretty big is,

with all the rules that
are put on to firearms

owners, I think there's a
level of wanting to have

some sort of ownership
or things within your

own locus of control
that firearms owners will

start creating their own
rules on top of the rules

that are already there.

This is where you
see, like, they talk

about range Nazis,
or they talk about.

Fuds.

Right or fuds and
everyone says, well,

you can't have this.

You can only do this
or whatever it might

be because I, and I
could be off base.

Maybe the listeners.

No like I could
see that too.

Like, uh, you know,
like, oh, if AR's didn't

exist, no one would even
care about my little 22

pump act, or whatever.

Right.

You know what I mean?

We're, we're like
beaten dogs, right.

Always cowering, always
sort of hiding in the

corner saying, well
I can't advertise

like this because
people will get mad.

Or I can't talk
openly about the fact

that I own firearms.

And this is where one
of the places where

The Silvercore Podcast
is, I'm able to bring

on people who have a
passion for what they

do and share that
passion with others.

Because firearms, like
you mentioned earlier,

anybody listening
to this already

knows, that they're
inanimate objects.

They're only as evil
as a person who has it.

Yes, a firearm in the
hands of a person with

ill intent is scary.

A firearm, but a
person of ill intent

is a scary, period.

Yeah.

I've been doing this
for over a decade and

the only time I've been
heard as stubbing my

toe on a case ammo.

Yeah.

Done that.

So I think with the
OIC that came out, like

I'm sure given, uh,
Wanstalls demographic

and business model,
that must have hurt.

Oh yeah.

I mean, there's, there's
nobody who thinks, like

we love tactical stuff.

Like that's, that's
kinda my thing.

Like I love modern
kind of style

military firearms.

That's what I
enjoy the most.

Um, so yeah, like it
was a big kick to the,

the, the, the bits,
but, um, again, like I

don't know, it's hard.

Like the OIC wasn't
a surprise, right?

Cause the OIC was talked
about months beforehand

and it was like, oh, he's
going to do it on when

you know, what's her name
from New Zealand comes

and then he was going
to be like this, that,

and the other thing.

So like, it's kinda like,
you know, you, you kind

of knew it was coming,
but, um, I mean, I didn't

think it would be to
the extent of, I mean,

what it was like, it
was like, it was crazy.

And it was just like,
again, that was what I

had mentioned like you
scratch the top off.

It, there's a coffee
company in there and,

uh, a website and you
know, whatever else

that they put in there.

Um, but yeah, we were
able, well first off

we were in the pan, the
middle of the pandemic.

So stock was hard
to get in anyways.

Um, and two, like we
saw it coming, we made

our adjustments as far
as inventory and stuff.

And then, yeah, we
were, we were one of

the lucky ones that
didn't, um, really get

dinged too hard by it.

We didn't have a lot
of inventory left.

Um, um, so that
was good for us.

Um, but yeah.

That was lucky.

Yeah, it was,
it was lucky.

There was some
businesses that got

hit like super hard.

Yes.

And like we're talking in
the hundreds of thousands

of dollars of inventories
of not millions.

Just sitting there now.

Yeah, now it's
all rusting and,

uh, you can't do
anything with it.

And like, that was
the classic that the,

oh, you can send them
back to the states.

No you can't.

You know, typical
don't think anything

through liberal
government, you know?

Oh, you just send
them back down where

they came from.

You can't do that.

You can't do that, man.

But thanks for
telling us we can.

Um, so yeah, like we
were, we were really

lucky in that regard.

So the whole thing is,
is to keep, uh, an ear

down to, uh, what's
going on in the industry.

And also like never
assume a liberal

government is not going
to do the craziest shit

you can imagine, like,
you know what I mean?

Like going into it.

Yeah.

The best predictor
of future performance

is past performance.

Exactly.

And every single
time, there's the

same common trend.

I personally don't think
they care one way or the

other about firearms,
has got zero to do with

the issue of firearms.

It's to create
opposition.

Yeah, sure.

It's now conservatives
like guns, we

don't like guns.

Rah, rah, rah.

Conservatives
are baby killers.

Yeah, exactly.

Yeah, exactly.

Stand, you know, jump
on your soap box and

do your thing, you
know, hopefully this go

around, he's got enough
going for him but.

So that was the OIC.

Yeah.

But then COVID hit and
I seen a quote in the

paper, I think a 200%
was the thing that

sticks out in that quote.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Holy crow.

Yeah, the, the COVID
hit, uh, the COVID

for us was, the COVID,
I sound, whatever.

Um, yeah, it was
insane for us, like it

was, it was bananas.

So, um, the, when it
first started, it was

like our shelf was
cleaned out in, like

every single gun I
had, like guns that

even sucked that,
like, they have nothing

to do with anything
other than a fun gun.

Like everything was, was
selling, all my ammo.

I ran out of shotgun
ammo, like immediately,

uh, anything, 12
gauge was gone.

Um, yeah, it was crazy.

Crazy.

Are you seeing a
second wave of that

kind of happen?

Yeah.

With the election
coming up.

With the election
coming up for sure.

And then everyone's so,
you know, they don't

know what's coming,
you know, we're going

into fall here and, you
know, Delta variants,

this Zulu variants
that, whatever right.

Right.

Who knows.

But, um, it's
definitely interesting.

I've never worked
in the industry.

I've worked, oh, sorry.

I've worked in
the industry for

a very long time.

I've never seen uh,
so many people who

historically aren't gun
owners coming in saying,

I need self-defense and
I'm just like, we're

not allowed to say that.

Like it's crazy.

And people are like, I
don't even, I don't care.

Like, that's why I'm
buying it and I went and

got my gun license and,
you know, I don't care.

I just want a shotgun.

And I'm like, okay,
well, here you go.

Like, you know,
like, cool, I, I'm

down with that.

Like, it's a reality
of the fact that

he's, you know, it's
a reality of life.

Like it is what it is.

People have to be able
to defend themselves.

Yeah.

There is a legal
framework in place

that allows for it.

And like, when COVID
kicked off there

and everything was.

Um, selling out
everywhere and like,

you didn't know how
crazy people were

going to get right.

I mean, luckily, you
know, everyone kept calm,

cool and collective.

Um, but yeah, like that's
the first time ever.

I've seen that,
like influx and the

influx of like people
who historically

have no interest in
firearms, just buying

whatever went, bang.

Which I'm okay with.

Yeah, exactly.

Just introduce a brand
new group of people.

And a lot

of them, it's
interesting.

A lot of them have come
back and it's become

a part of their life.

It's actually a hobby and
what it was originally

just a worry purchase.

And a lot of people
are like, oh, it's, you

know, it's not that bad.

You know, it's
kind of cool.

Yeah.

Yeah.

And now they've got
a garden and a bunch

of toilet paper.

Yeah, exactly.

Yeah, no doubt.

You know, when those
little, you know,

little, uh, war
gardens and everything

to get the little.

And they know how
to make bread.

Yeah, exactly.

Yeah.

Yeah.

So tell me about the
social media side.

You took that social
media from nothing grown

into something pretty,
pretty spectacular.

And I think, cause
you mentioned earlier,

you said, you know,
follow your dream.

And the social media
part is a very big

part of what we do.

Yeah.

What, what have you
learned on that?

And would you have
any advice to anybody

else who wants to kind
of grow that their,

their social media?

Yeah, for sure.

I mean, um, Wanstalls
social media is my

baby, a hundred percent
like that, I started

it from nothing.

I had a very clear plan
of where I wanted it

to go and I feel like
it's, uh, it's pretty, I

like where it's at now.

Um, the biggest advice
I would give people, um,

and it's probably not
popular advice, would be

if you get a bad review
online, or if someone has

something negative to say
about your company, one,

do the research as to how
the, what happened with

the transaction, where
the breakdown with the

customer was, because
there's always two sides

to every story right.

And like, we've, I mean,
it's retail and it's

people's money and they
get really hotheaded and

all that kind of stuff.

But if you were in fact
in the right, you tell,

you go on to the bad
Google review, you go

into the bad Facebook
review and be like,

Hey man, you're being
unreasonable and this

is how it went down and
you just lay it down.

I've seen those on your.

Yeah man.

And you know, when we
first started that,

uh, you know, it
wasn't popular with the

ownership at the time of
Wanstalls, but I said,

Hey man, like, we didn't
do anything wrong here.

And it's important
people know that.

And if you just put the
information out there,

you know, people take
what they will from it.

But at least now
they have two

sides of the story.

And the other big part
of that too, where,

where it's easy to, you
know, sling mud back.

Um, if you did screw
up own it and just

say, Hey man, I'm.

A thousand percent.

Yeah, man.

You just say, listen,
I'm sorry that

this is how this
transaction went down.

I apologize, I've made,
you know, I've talked

to the staff, make sure
it doesn't happen again.

Cause there comes to a
point in a conversation,

like when there's a whole
conversation that happens

before a bad review
or anything like that.

And, and I understand
it as a customer, as a

consumer product, you
just, the answer is,

you know, piss off.

I don't want to deal
with you guys anymore.

Here's your bad review
and you move on, right?

Whether you're right
or you're wrong.

I understand that
point where you just

stopped communicating
with it, with the shop.

But it's important
that the business and

whoever's, you know,
in whatever business

you're doing, if you do
screw up own it, learn

from it and make sure
the public knows that

you did screw up right?

So it's not just a
bunch of reviews, you

know, throwing back and
saying, Hey, this is

what actually happened
and blah, blah, blah.

You know, it does
happen from time to

time and we are human.

That's the other
thing people need to

understand is we are
human, we're not robots.

We're not mad, you
know, and we're not

Walmart or Costco.

We don't, we don't
have a 365 day return

policy and you can bring
it in covered in mud

and blah, blah, blah.

Right.

We're a privately
owned business and,

you know, everyone
has to be reasonable

in the transaction.

Yeah.

That's one of the
things that I see some

businesses trying to do
is a compete on price

alone because they've
got the Walmarts out

there and they've got
the, uh, the Costco's.

And I see that if,
if that's your main

motivating factor,
your, of course is going

to be people who are
always price shopping.

Yeah.

But especially in the
world where you're trying

to set up a relationship,
because if you purchase a

firearm, there's going to
be ancillary purchases,

might be holsters, there
might be ammunition,

there might be extra
magazines, there's all

these other things.

And then it might break
and you might need, so.

Exactly.

You're in the business
of, is setting

up relationships.

That's what we
look for yep.

Right.

And those relationships
are worth something.

And there shouldn't,
customers shouldn't

be looking at the
bottom of the barrel

because they know
that that relationship

is going to be worth
what they paid for it.

Yeah.

I mean, that's
a, an aspect.

A lot of people bring
up with me that we're

not always the cheapest.

Sure.

And I just tell them
I'm not looking to

be the cheapest.

I don't.

Good for you.

I don't want to be,
I'm not a one, one,

the fact is I got
to make a living.

Right.

That's just is
what it is to, you

know, classic line.

You can, what is it?

Speed, service
and quality.

You only pick two.

Two, but not three.

Exactly.

Right.

And there are some shops
in Canada, even in the

gun industry that like,
you know, it's all

about price and that's
it and that's fine.

And for some people
that's a very

important part.

And Hey man, like I love
saving a few bucks, but

I'm the kind of guy is
when I, I go somewhere.

I build a relationship
with the people

that I buy from.

Right.

That's the aspect of it.

A lot of the times it is,
if people ask me to price

match, I can usually do
something, but you know,

I'll put it out here
for everyone to hear.

I'm not always the
cheapest and I don't,

and that's intentional.

It's not for any
other reason.

Um, the service and
the quality we try

to give our customers
requires it sometimes,

uh, other times, you
know what people just

assume we're more
expensive and we're not.

You know, sometimes
we're a lot cheaper.

Oh you got great prices
and a lot of things.

Yeah.

But a lot, you know,
that's the one thing

I have heard is
people say that and

I, you know, it is.

We're not looking to
be a bargain bin shop,

um, bargain bin shops
don't stick around.

That's just.

Well, you guys have been
around for quite a long

time, but you know, part
of that process is you're

training your clients.

You're training
your customers.

You're, you're telling
them how you would

like to be treated.

And you're showing
that through example

of how you treat them.

A hundred percent.

It's same in the
reviews as well.

I mean, you could try
and placate all the

people who were being
wholly unreasonable,

then all you're gonna
do is invite more people

to be unreasonable to
copy of that example.

A hundred percent.

And it's like, you know,
once you, once you'd

bend over once, right.

And, you know, do your,
I don't want to say

it like that, but like
somebody who's just

re blatantly being
unreasonable for the sake

of being unreasonable.

Like, we're not
interested or I'm

not saying I'm not
interested, but it's

like, that's not a
relationship that's

gonna last because it's
just, you're just going

to skip across, across,
across until somebody,

you know, bends over and
says, okay, yeah, I'll

do whatever you want.

Please don't leave me
a bad Google review.

Um, but the reality,
the fact is those are

few and far between.

They really are.

Um, there are some places
that, um, inspire that

kind of mentality and
that, you know, there are

some, a few places on the
internet that, that is

somewhere that people.

Yeah, Gun Nutz.

Yeah, I'll say it.

Yeah, Canadian Gun Nutz.

Damn.

I think that's part of
the, uh, the business

model from a, the
fellow who runs it.

Yeah.

I mean, and
that is a place.

And like, you know,
I, I was on Gun Nutz.

I started on Gun Nutz
in 2007 back then it was

a like a real resource
from the Canadian

firearms community.

What I see, and I don't
know if it, maybe I'm

jaded because now I'm
in the industry, but

it's pretty, it that
you go to that dealer

for a man, there's
some crazy shit people

are posting on there.

And it is like,
unbelievable.

Like people won't even
call the store to try

to remedy the problem.

They'll just immediately
dump on them.

But if

you pay X amount of
money, you can have all

of that stuff removed.

Yeah.

And I, um, the paranoid,
the suspicious side of

me has always leaned
to whenever I see

these things happening,
cause I've dealt with

them in the past.

Uh, it seems like it's
actually encouraged to

crap on another business.

So that business
will then in turn, be

encouraged to pay money
to that a media outlet.

To have that negative
content removed.

Yeah.

Maybe I'm off base,
but that's been

my observation.

Yeah.

Well, I mean, we've been
on CGN since it started.

Um, and uh, this year
we decided to not renew

on there, um, for a
multitude of reasons.

One, the one we
just talked about.

Right.

Um, two, I want to
explore other advertising

opportunities.

Sure.

Um, I've got some pretty
cool ideas I want to

do, and that requires
money and that website

ain't cheap to be on.

No, not at all.

It is pretty pricey.

Um, so yeah, this will
be the first year we

don't won't renew on
it and you know what I

hope, um, I don't know,
whatever, if it helps,

it doesn't help, I just
hope other dealers on

there realize that it's
not the be all end all

center of the universe
for firearms ownership.

There's a lot of
people who have no

idea what it is.

Um, and to like, you
know, our customers

know who we are in.

Right.

You know, we've been
on that site for a

very long time and,
um, it's just time to

check other stuff out.

You know, I don't
begrudge anybody from

wanting to make a
living regardless of

the price they want
to charge for it, on

CGN for example, it's
really, really expensive.

My concern about
that platform was

essentially how it
was set up as a very

negative environment,
in my opinion.

And particularly in
a way that attacks

businesses that are not
sponsoring dealers and.

Oh yeah, I see
what you're saying.

And that feeds into an
eat your own mentality.

It's got enough traction.

I mean, when that
one started up, it

was just a bulletin
board system type

thing back in the day.

And, uh, uh, they
got booted off their

other system and the
owner, uh, there, he

says, well I know.

I'll just, I got a
domain, I'll start it up.

And he kinda got
the thing rolling.

Um, it's got traction,
it's got a lot of

people on there who
are knowledgeable.

But just like you
are training your

own customers.

I believe they've
been training their

own user base in such
a way that is rather

toxic for the Canadian
firearms culture.

A hundred percent.

And then there's
other stuff too.

Like, um, there's been
a shift on that site to

some pretty weird shit
being posted on there.

Um, in regards to like,
You know, conspiracy

theory stuff and.

Gets a little
fringe lunatic.

Yeah.

And you know what I mean?

And like, that's kind
of where that was more

of my portion of, it was
like, I was just like,

I've seen them kind of,
what's getting posted

in the forums and I'm
like, oh man, like, it's.

It doesn't speak
to my values.

It doesn't speak.

Yeah.

It doesn't speak
to my values.

I don't like, you
know, it's just not

what I don't want to
be associated with,

you know, with crazy
conspiracy theories

and, you know,
anti-this anti that.

Um, there's some stuff
that gets posted on

there and then it's
just, it is what it is.

It's, it's an
internet, it's a

free internet forum.

It is.

And you know, my
intention with a

podcast is always to
impart some positivity

and I'm not trying to
impart negativity here

at on one particular.

But it's a, it's a known
thing though, right?

Like, I didn't
want to say it.

You brought it up and.

Well the reason
why to go further.

Why we've, I've wanted
to go further into

this anyways is because
Ifigure,, they have

enough people on there.

Maybe if enough people
start talking and

noticing they will make
a shift because there's

a real valuable resource
in every single forum

to be able to help
businesses and help

help the industry as
opposed to continuing

that, eat your own.

Yeah, exactly.

And then, like, I
probably, you know,

like with that base
that's on there.

If they've all
got to get.

Like, and the mentality
and the mentality changed

from, um, a bargain kind
of who's selling what

for the cheapest and,
um, you know, shitting

on other businesses and
even businesses that are

on there that paid money
on their get crapped on

all the time on there.

Right.

Right.

And then it's up to
the business to like,

monitor, not just
their forums, but

the other forums of
people could be like,

it's this whole thing.

But anyways, um, it
could be like one of

the biggest resources,
the Canadian firearms

owners, right?

Like if, uh, the tone
of it just changed and

whatnot, um, it could
be like a serious,

serious place for
people to get together

and make some change.

But I mean, at its
current, what it is

currently, I mean.

Yeah.

Is what it is.

Maybe, you know, I've
seen others try to

set up other forums,
but no, one's really

kind of gotten the
traction that that has.

If you're listening to
this, give us a call.

We'd be happy to give
you some ideas on,

on ways that you can,
uh, or give me a call.

I don't wanna
speak for you Matt.

Give you some ideas on
ways that you can really

positively impact the
firearms community.

Yeah.

And they're not
big changes.

No.

Like it's not.

It wouldn't be
like an overhaul or

anything like that.

Like it'd just be
some small stuff and.

Yeah.

It'd be, it'd be, it'd
be back to being a

epicenter of Canadian
firearm ownership.

Cause it used to be that.

Right.

Back in '04.

It was gun guys just
by posting reviews and

look at this cool thing.

Look at that cool thing.

And then I just
kind of feel like

it's veered off to.

You know I had a, uh,
actually in the process

of selling it, but
firearms, canada.com.

So that's one
that I've had for,

geez I don't know.

It's been around since
'01 and, uh, man, the

amount of hate that
I got on that one

from, uh, from Gun
Nutz in particular.

Cause it had to buy and
sell and, and Gun Nutz

was just like I ain't got
to set up a buy and sell.

Um, it was, uh,
was eye opening.

And um, where I've
always taken the approach

of how can I help
out another business?

Yeah.

How can I.

Maybe it says laziness.

Maybe it's just
me being lazy.

I don't want to
do it all myself.

Yeah.

Right.

I, I want it, I want to
do it with other people

who are like-minded.

Yeah, totally.

Who are moving in
the same direction.

Yeah, different ideas.

Right.

So anyways.

Um, so finding people to
work at your, uh, your

establishment there,
your fine establishment.

Yeah.

That's probably
really, really easy.

Right.

Ha!

I don't care

what anybody says.

It is tough to find
people these days, man.

Holy Crow.

Yeah.

And just, um, it
was tough before

the pandemic,
after the pandemic,

it's just, yeah.

It's, it's super tough.

Are people still
being incentivized to

basically not work like
when COVID first hit?

Yeah, why would
you, right?

Yeah.

You know, it's and that's
the thing is so many

people were unemployed,
um, and need to start

working, but they have
to start working at

the bottom, but what's
the point of working

at the bottom and not
getting paid as much as

if you were unemployed.

Right.

You hear what I'm saying?

Or even if it's just a
couple of hundred extra

bucks, but now you're
working 40 hours a week.

Right.

That's the point.

Yeah.

Right.

So, um, yeah, no, it's,
it's always, you know,

there's always, it's
always tough because

you get the point
of entry of having

a firearms license.

There's your first one.

So there it goes, call
it 50% of the workforce

or 60% of the workforce,
whatever it is, then you

got to have somebody come
in, who realizes that?

Who treats it?

Like what?

There's two things.

There's the job
description of, Hey man,

it's a part-time thing.

You get the discount.

I need you on Saturdays
and whatever other days.

Right.

That's cool.

That's easy finding
those people's stuff.

Then you got to, if you
want to find somebody

who's going to last
long and grow with

your business, that's
even harder because the

mentality of starting at
the bottom and working

your way up, like a,
to me, it's second

nature, but I've slowly
learned over the years.

That is, it
is not normal.

No it isn't.

And a lot of people
aren't interested in it.

Right.

Everyone wants to come
and it'd be the boss.

And even if like, you
know what I mean, if

you've got, if you went
to college and all that

kind of stuff, that
doesn't help you in

the firearms community.

Well, they see the
trappings of what

success can bring.

Yeah.

But they don't see
all the difficulties

that you've had to go
through and continue

to go through on a
routine basis in order

to have those traffics.

Yeah, exactly.

Right.

So, um, we've been really
lucky recently it got

some really solid dudes.

Um, but yeah, it's,
it's, it's tough.

And like, you know,
there's, there's a

few gun shops in the
lower mainland here

and it's like, we're
all trying to pull the

same people essentially
right, you know.

Um, so yeah, it
can be tough.

Um, but yeah, I mean,
you know, if you want

to work in the firearms
community, I will tell

you right now that, uh,
let's go get the job and

then start at the bottom,
work your way up and

you'll be there forever.

So it's super
simple, man.

Like gun shops, every
shop I've worked at, um,

you know, the guys who
stick out like become,

you become essential
to the business.

Totally.

We need you and
you become part

of the family.

And that's the thing
with gun shops.

I don't know about
other, I know of the

places I've worked.

Um, I consider every one
of my employees, like,

we're like a big family.

We hang out, we all
go shooting together.

We all, you know, go
to the pub together and

we all hang out, right.

So that's what it
ends up being, right.

So it can be super cool.

It can be just as
fun as you think

it's going to be.

It just requires a
little bit of work.

Yeah.

That's all it is.

There's a lot to learn.

You guys are hiring
right now aren't you?

Uh, no, uh, we just
filled a spot, but we

might need somebody
coming up here, but yeah.

Well, if you got
a, if you have an

interest to work in.

We're always looking
for resumes people.

Yes.

Send 'em on in.

Yeah, for sure.

Check the website
for details.

No doubt 'eh.

Oh man.

Yeah.

Anything that we haven't
covered that we should.

I don't know, man.

I feel like we had a
pretty, pretty rad chats.

I do too.

Yeah man.

Really enjoyed it.

It was a lot of
fun thank you very

much for having me.

Thank you for being on
The Silvercore Podcast.