WEBVTT Kind: captions Language: en-GB 00:00:08.250 --> 00:00:10.500 I'm Travis Bader, and this is The 00:00:10.500 --> 00:00:11.670 Silvercore Podcast. 00:00:13.320 --> 00:00:15.150 Join me as I discuss matters related to 00:00:15.150 --> 00:00:17.700 hunting, fishing, and outdoor pursuits with the 00:00:17.700 --> 00:00:20.100 people in businesses that comprise the community. 00:00:20.880 --> 00:00:22.770 If you're a new to Silvercore, be sure to 00:00:22.770 --> 00:00:27.180 check out our website, www.Silvercore.ca we can 00:00:27.180 --> 00:00:29.730 learn more about courses, services and products 00:00:29.730 --> 00:00:31.830 that we offer as well as how you can join The 00:00:31.830 --> 00:00:34.140 Silvercore Club, which includes 10 million 00:00:34.140 --> 00:00:36.580 in north America wide liability insurance to 00:00:36.580 --> 00:00:38.820 ensure you are properly covered during your 00:00:38.820 --> 00:00:39.720 outdoor adventures. 00:00:44.880 --> 00:00:47.400 So today I'm sitting down with Matt Mendel, who is 00:00:47.400 --> 00:00:50.820 a connoisseur of watches, knives, firearms. 00:00:50.820 --> 00:00:53.760 It just so happens to be the general manager and 00:00:53.760 --> 00:00:56.790 partner in Wanstalls, a premium firearms 00:00:56.790 --> 00:00:59.000 retailer in Maple Ridge, British Columbia. 00:00:59.440 --> 00:01:01.860 Matt, welcome to The Silvercore Podcast. 00:01:01.950 --> 00:01:02.880 Thank you for having me. 00:01:02.880 --> 00:01:03.540 What an intro. 00:01:04.530 --> 00:01:06.030 Hey, I worked on that a little bit. 00:01:06.090 --> 00:01:06.600 There you go. 00:01:07.020 --> 00:01:11.520 So Wanstalls, you know, I've been watching 00:01:11.520 --> 00:01:13.830 what you guys have been doing for a long time. 00:01:13.860 --> 00:01:15.630 You guys were involved everywhere. 00:01:15.630 --> 00:01:17.700 I see you involved with shooting matches. 00:01:17.700 --> 00:01:18.990 In fact, there was one justice last 00:01:18.990 --> 00:01:21.180 weekend, I think it was a precision rimfire 00:01:21.180 --> 00:01:22.230 match out in Merritt. 00:01:22.905 --> 00:01:26.235 Uh, you're getting rave reviews all over the 00:01:26.235 --> 00:01:29.205 internet for customer service and for, you 00:01:29.205 --> 00:01:31.065 carry products that other people are carrying. 00:01:31.845 --> 00:01:33.495 How did this come to be? 00:01:33.495 --> 00:01:36.235 Because I haven't always had Wanstalls 00:01:36.255 --> 00:01:37.125 on my radar. 00:01:37.425 --> 00:01:39.795 Um, but for the last number of years now, 00:01:39.795 --> 00:01:41.805 you guys just seem to be pushing further and 00:01:41.805 --> 00:01:44.655 further into the, uh, uh, top of the end of what 00:01:44.655 --> 00:01:47.175 people are talking about in firearms retailers. 00:01:47.385 --> 00:01:49.695 Oh, thank you for the very nice 00:01:49.695 --> 00:01:50.415 compliment there. 00:01:50.415 --> 00:01:53.475 Um, yeah, no, the a Wanstalls has been 00:01:53.475 --> 00:01:56.655 around, uh, in one form or another, uh, in Maple 00:01:56.655 --> 00:01:58.455 Ridge here since 1973. 00:01:58.575 --> 00:02:01.185 Um, it it's been a gun store, outdoor 00:02:01.185 --> 00:02:03.675 store and the original owner, Tony Wanstalls. 00:02:04.690 --> 00:02:08.320 Uh, and his brother ran it, um, in 2000 and 00:02:08.320 --> 00:02:11.590 he's going to get mad at me, but in 2006, I 00:02:11.590 --> 00:02:14.740 believe, uh, my partner, Craig Jones left 00:02:14.740 --> 00:02:17.250 his job and actually purchased Wanstalls. 00:02:17.950 --> 00:02:20.170 So Wanstalls was like a, kind of a sleepy town 00:02:20.170 --> 00:02:21.460 gun shop at that time. 00:02:21.460 --> 00:02:23.410 It was, you know, they had like a few rifles 00:02:23.410 --> 00:02:25.690 and stock and you'd go in for your hunting 00:02:25.690 --> 00:02:28.400 season and say, I need a box, a 30-06. 00:02:28.420 --> 00:02:30.010 And he would be like, no problem, I'll order 00:02:30.010 --> 00:02:31.420 it and it'll be here in two weeks, you know, 00:02:31.420 --> 00:02:34.660 one box of federal blue box or whatever it was. 00:02:34.750 --> 00:02:37.150 Um, and when Craig, my partner took it 00:02:37.150 --> 00:02:39.880 over and Craig is a hardcore gun guy. 00:02:39.880 --> 00:02:43.210 Like he loves firearms, all different types and 00:02:43.570 --> 00:02:47.440 he built the business into an actual true gun 00:02:47.440 --> 00:02:49.900 shop that stocked the coolest stuff that, you 00:02:49.900 --> 00:02:51.460 know, we could really get our hands on. 00:02:51.910 --> 00:02:52.330 Totally. 00:02:53.050 --> 00:02:54.079 So, '06. 00:02:54.430 --> 00:02:56.680 Uh, how old would have you been at that point? 00:02:56.680 --> 00:03:00.850 In 2006, I just graduated high school and I started 00:03:01.210 --> 00:03:04.930 my first job at a gun store somewhere else. 00:03:05.890 --> 00:03:08.000 So when did you get involved with Wanstalls? 00:03:08.410 --> 00:03:12.040 Um, in 2013, I was working for Canada 00:03:12.040 --> 00:03:12.820 Ammo at the time. 00:03:13.060 --> 00:03:17.260 And, um, they ended up approaching me through, 00:03:17.260 --> 00:03:19.480 they knew me through Canada Ammo and, uh, 00:03:19.510 --> 00:03:20.260 offered me a job. 00:03:20.530 --> 00:03:22.480 So it was kinda more in the direction I wanted 00:03:22.480 --> 00:03:23.470 to be in where it was. 00:03:23.980 --> 00:03:27.520 Um, the product I was really excited to, 00:03:28.030 --> 00:03:31.480 um, be selling and bringing in was more so 00:03:31.480 --> 00:03:32.050 what they were doing. 00:03:32.050 --> 00:03:33.640 So over, I went. 00:03:33.910 --> 00:03:39.520 So you just went from an employee to partner? 00:03:39.700 --> 00:03:40.420 I did, yeah. 00:03:40.420 --> 00:03:43.840 Yeah, I started at the bottom the worst, 00:03:43.900 --> 00:03:45.850 like the absolute bottom of the bottom. 00:03:46.000 --> 00:03:48.645 I uh, they originally brought me on to 00:03:48.645 --> 00:03:50.955 do, uh, get their social media going. 00:03:51.355 --> 00:03:52.015 Ahh okay. 00:03:52.035 --> 00:03:53.325 Because, cause. 00:03:53.325 --> 00:03:54.204 You're young and your hip. 00:03:54.225 --> 00:03:54.465 Yeah. 00:03:54.465 --> 00:03:55.725 I was young and hip apparently. 00:03:55.725 --> 00:03:59.265 My, my now wife probably didn't, taught 00:03:59.265 --> 00:04:00.435 me more than I knew. 00:04:00.945 --> 00:04:04.335 Um, but uh, yeah, they brought me on and I 00:04:04.335 --> 00:04:06.705 was kind of just like a floater to start. 00:04:06.705 --> 00:04:07.965 Like they were just like, yeah, post some 00:04:07.965 --> 00:04:09.825 stuff on social media. 00:04:09.825 --> 00:04:12.165 I had this, like, it was essentially like 00:04:12.165 --> 00:04:15.525 a, like a bar stool with another bar stool. 00:04:15.525 --> 00:04:17.625 And that was like my desk with my laptop on it. 00:04:17.625 --> 00:04:19.575 And I would be like over in the corner of the 00:04:19.575 --> 00:04:21.975 gunsmithing room, just like a little internet 00:04:21.975 --> 00:04:24.205 troll doing posts and stuff like that. 00:04:25.215 --> 00:04:27.825 So did you find that that really helped 00:04:27.825 --> 00:04:30.585 propel Wanstalls to use the social media side? 00:04:30.915 --> 00:04:33.375 Yeah, social media, when we first started 00:04:33.375 --> 00:04:35.505 it, it was a slow burn getting it started. 00:04:35.865 --> 00:04:41.235 Um, but once it took off, um, it was like, 00:04:41.325 --> 00:04:43.155 it's now probably one of the biggest parts of our 00:04:43.155 --> 00:04:45.294 business beyond anything as far as advertising. 00:04:45.505 --> 00:04:45.854 Really? 00:04:46.034 --> 00:04:48.555 Yeah, and getting, uh, getting the product 00:04:48.555 --> 00:04:49.815 and getting everything out to customers 00:04:49.815 --> 00:04:51.675 is definitely our Instagram and Facebook, 00:04:51.675 --> 00:04:52.605 our two biggest. 00:04:53.045 --> 00:04:53.235 Right. 00:04:53.235 --> 00:04:53.835 Assets. 00:04:54.855 --> 00:04:57.255 See I'm wondering if, cause I get asked all the 00:04:57.255 --> 00:05:01.155 time, from people saying I love firearms, I want 00:05:01.155 --> 00:05:02.265 to make this my business. 00:05:02.265 --> 00:05:04.695 I looked over and I saw so-and-so doing a 00:05:04.695 --> 00:05:06.435 business and I think I could do it, but a 00:05:06.435 --> 00:05:07.185 little bit different. 00:05:07.185 --> 00:05:09.735 So I'm in my own new, niche market. 00:05:10.665 --> 00:05:13.185 And sitting down with you and looking 00:05:13.185 --> 00:05:14.995 at the success that you and Wanstalls 00:05:15.105 --> 00:05:15.945 had over the years. 00:05:15.945 --> 00:05:17.265 I'm wondering if this can be a little bit of 00:05:17.265 --> 00:05:19.545 a, how to, for people to. 00:05:20.775 --> 00:05:22.965 Or an insight into the firearms industry. 00:05:23.085 --> 00:05:25.845 Like how does somebody go from being an employee 00:05:25.845 --> 00:05:26.805 to being an owner? 00:05:26.805 --> 00:05:28.785 And I mean, looking at your watch share, I 00:05:28.785 --> 00:05:31.875 mean, it's a, you've got a nice watch, clearly 00:05:31.875 --> 00:05:33.645 an aficionado here. 00:05:34.185 --> 00:05:37.395 Um, there, there is a path in place, how 00:05:37.395 --> 00:05:39.165 did you move your way through that? 00:05:39.870 --> 00:05:40.170 Yeah. 00:05:40.200 --> 00:05:43.020 Um, so I've been in retail in one way or 00:05:43.020 --> 00:05:45.090 another, since I was about 12, my parents 00:05:45.090 --> 00:05:46.350 owned a bookstore. 00:05:47.280 --> 00:05:50.820 Um, and slave labor goes along with your 00:05:50.820 --> 00:05:53.310 family owning any sort of business, I suppose. 00:05:53.310 --> 00:05:55.080 So I was always working there, stocking 00:05:55.080 --> 00:05:57.030 stuff out and helping customers and stuff. 00:05:57.030 --> 00:06:00.150 And then, um, when I graduated high school, 00:06:00.150 --> 00:06:02.640 I just, I knew that college wasn't for me. 00:06:03.270 --> 00:06:05.910 Um, I just, I was done with people 00:06:05.910 --> 00:06:07.770 telling me what to do and how to do it. 00:06:08.010 --> 00:06:09.750 Um, so I went straight into the workforce. 00:06:10.500 --> 00:06:13.560 Um, my dad has been selling cars for over 00:06:13.560 --> 00:06:16.050 40 years and he was like, nah, you can 00:06:16.050 --> 00:06:18.060 be successful like me son, come sell cars. 00:06:18.150 --> 00:06:20.970 And like now, you know, 13, 14 years later. 00:06:21.300 --> 00:06:22.470 And it was terrible advice. 00:06:22.890 --> 00:06:25.740 Uh, you know, I don't know what father wants 00:06:25.740 --> 00:06:27.840 a son to go selling used cars on the lot, 00:06:27.840 --> 00:06:29.580 but, uh, anyways, that's where I went. 00:06:29.640 --> 00:06:29.910 Yeah. 00:06:30.120 --> 00:06:31.980 And it was all well and good for a little 00:06:31.980 --> 00:06:34.290 while, but you know, I slowly came to the 00:06:34.290 --> 00:06:37.260 realization there that, um, I didn't know. 00:06:38.010 --> 00:06:40.500 I do love sales, but I don't like pressuring 00:06:40.500 --> 00:06:43.830 people into sales and I want to sell somebody 00:06:43.830 --> 00:06:46.050 something they want, not something they need. 00:06:46.050 --> 00:06:48.510 Like, that's like a, oh, my car broke down. 00:06:48.510 --> 00:06:49.770 I have to buy another car. 00:06:49.830 --> 00:06:50.040 Right. 00:06:50.460 --> 00:06:51.780 That's not an awesome experience for 00:06:51.780 --> 00:06:52.490 anyone and, you know. 00:06:52.490 --> 00:06:52.700 Totally. 00:06:53.110 --> 00:06:55.920 So I just knew that, that my time there was 00:06:55.950 --> 00:06:58.500 limited and I didn't know what I wanted to do. 00:06:58.830 --> 00:07:01.320 Um, but I knew that that was not it. 00:07:01.440 --> 00:07:03.900 Um, in the meantime I got my PAL while 00:07:03.900 --> 00:07:04.710 I was working there. 00:07:05.100 --> 00:07:06.510 I had been obsessed with guns since I was 00:07:06.510 --> 00:07:09.300 a little kid, um, cap guns, pellet gun, you 00:07:09.300 --> 00:07:10.020 know, all this stuff. 00:07:10.440 --> 00:07:10.830 Sure. 00:07:11.070 --> 00:07:12.090 All of us loved. 00:07:12.300 --> 00:07:12.630 Sure. 00:07:12.810 --> 00:07:13.440 Um. 00:07:13.470 --> 00:07:14.190 It goes bang. 00:07:14.280 --> 00:07:14.710 Yeah. 00:07:14.710 --> 00:07:14.970 Yeah. 00:07:15.030 --> 00:07:17.490 And that was my real first kind of 00:07:17.490 --> 00:07:18.600 hobby I ever had. 00:07:18.600 --> 00:07:20.540 You know, it was, uh, at that point it was, 00:07:20.700 --> 00:07:22.430 think it was twenties. 00:07:22.430 --> 00:07:25.880 And, um, I was just like, oh my, like, I 00:07:25.880 --> 00:07:27.770 was just enthralled with everything about 00:07:27.770 --> 00:07:29.210 guns and it wasn't just the fact they were 00:07:29.210 --> 00:07:30.270 guns and guns are cool. 00:07:30.270 --> 00:07:31.580 Like, you know, watching all the action 00:07:31.580 --> 00:07:33.170 movies growing up, it was the mechanical 00:07:33.170 --> 00:07:33.800 aspect of them. 00:07:33.800 --> 00:07:36.710 It was just something I picked up on that I could 00:07:36.710 --> 00:07:38.750 take any gun apart and put it back together. 00:07:38.900 --> 00:07:41.240 And it still worked, you know. 00:07:41.470 --> 00:07:42.500 Not like the watches right? 00:07:42.500 --> 00:07:43.060 Yeah, exactly. 00:07:43.060 --> 00:07:44.630 Or like an iPhone or like anything. 00:07:44.630 --> 00:07:44.900 Right. 00:07:44.900 --> 00:07:46.070 Like it was just one of those things 00:07:46.070 --> 00:07:46.730 that clicked for me. 00:07:46.730 --> 00:07:49.130 And I just became absolutely obsessed 00:07:49.130 --> 00:07:51.230 with firearms and owning as many as I could get 00:07:51.230 --> 00:07:53.960 and trying them all out and everything from 00:07:53.960 --> 00:07:58.400 Milsurp's to modern, um, stuff, hunting rifles, 00:07:58.400 --> 00:08:00.680 22's, like anything I could get my hands on. 00:08:01.310 --> 00:08:05.000 Um, so I ended up actually leaving, um, 00:08:05.570 --> 00:08:07.280 the car sell thing and. 00:08:08.295 --> 00:08:11.145 Um, I was just going to chillin' at home, my 00:08:11.145 --> 00:08:12.825 dad's basement, like, yeah, this is awesome, 00:08:12.825 --> 00:08:13.515 this is the life. 00:08:13.545 --> 00:08:16.575 And then my girlfriend now wife, Brittany, she's 00:08:16.575 --> 00:08:19.575 like, you gotta probably get something going here. 00:08:19.755 --> 00:08:21.285 And then I was like, well, I can't, you know, 00:08:22.125 --> 00:08:24.465 typical young guy, you know, I'm not going 00:08:24.465 --> 00:08:25.515 to work for the man. 00:08:25.815 --> 00:08:28.875 You know, I'm not, I had to follow my dream. 00:08:28.875 --> 00:08:29.085 Right. 00:08:29.655 --> 00:08:33.735 But the reality of the fact is, um, you're 00:08:33.735 --> 00:08:36.285 not going to be top dog out of the box. 00:08:36.345 --> 00:08:39.345 Um, I started trying to open my own business, 00:08:40.005 --> 00:08:42.555 um, doing outdoors and knife stuff like, you 00:08:42.555 --> 00:08:44.805 know, packs and gear and stuff like that. 00:08:44.895 --> 00:08:47.715 And I slowly came to the realization that like I 00:08:47.715 --> 00:08:49.695 had a lot to learn and that's very humbling in 00:08:49.695 --> 00:08:50.645 your twenties, right. 00:08:50.645 --> 00:08:50.735 Like. 00:08:50.735 --> 00:08:50.915 Totally. 00:08:50.915 --> 00:08:51.185 That's. 00:08:51.445 --> 00:08:52.695 Well, how old were you when you started that? 00:08:53.055 --> 00:08:56.145 I was, I was right around 20 years old. 00:08:56.535 --> 00:08:57.135 So young. 00:08:57.195 --> 00:08:57.915 Super young. 00:08:57.975 --> 00:08:58.245 Yeah. 00:08:58.345 --> 00:09:01.545 So at a point where it's okay for you to fail and 00:09:01.845 --> 00:09:02.945 group and try again and. 00:09:03.045 --> 00:09:09.330 Yeah, so I, the business, I just quickly realized 00:09:09.330 --> 00:09:11.640 that if you don't know the right people and you 00:09:11.640 --> 00:09:13.680 don't have connections, and I'm not saying like 00:09:13.680 --> 00:09:16.470 connections, as far as like, um, other people 00:09:16.470 --> 00:09:17.880 in the industry, I'm talking about connections 00:09:17.880 --> 00:09:19.530 as in like people who don't want to rip you off 00:09:19.530 --> 00:09:22.500 when you want to build a website or anything 00:09:22.500 --> 00:09:23.190 like that, right. 00:09:23.190 --> 00:09:27.720 That quickly became, um, apparent that I had 00:09:27.720 --> 00:09:30.300 a lot to learn about proper business dealings 00:09:30.420 --> 00:09:32.865 and that was that. 00:09:33.705 --> 00:09:37.485 So I went and got a part-time job at, um, 00:09:38.385 --> 00:09:40.095 the local gun store out in Port Coquitlam 00:09:40.095 --> 00:09:42.405 there at the time it was Blue Line Solutions. 00:09:42.645 --> 00:09:44.805 Um, and yeah, it just started there. 00:09:44.805 --> 00:09:47.415 And I was like, now I'm working the gun industry. 00:09:47.415 --> 00:09:48.645 And the whole, the reality, the fact is 00:09:48.645 --> 00:09:49.965 the only reason why I even got a job there. 00:09:49.965 --> 00:09:51.225 I was like, I want a discount on guns 00:09:51.225 --> 00:09:53.085 cause I'm buying so many, right? 00:09:53.085 --> 00:09:55.365 Like, I'm like, I don't even care if I get a 00:09:55.365 --> 00:09:56.415 paycheck really, I just. 00:09:56.655 --> 00:09:57.275 Got the discount. 00:09:57.275 --> 00:09:58.395 Yeah, I wanted a discount. 00:09:58.395 --> 00:10:00.705 So, um, so yeah, I started there and, 00:10:00.705 --> 00:10:02.805 um, that was a really interesting learning 00:10:02.805 --> 00:10:04.455 experience because I had worked retail. 00:10:04.455 --> 00:10:07.395 So, you know, basic stuff like working 00:10:07.395 --> 00:10:09.825 with tills and, you know, shop maintenance 00:10:09.825 --> 00:10:10.515 and stuff like that. 00:10:10.515 --> 00:10:11.145 That's easy. 00:10:11.145 --> 00:10:13.425 It was more so the government aspect of it 00:10:13.425 --> 00:10:17.745 and the firearms aspect and being safe as far 00:10:17.745 --> 00:10:20.565 as who you're handling, handing guns to and 00:10:20.685 --> 00:10:21.735 all that kind of stuff. 00:10:21.765 --> 00:10:24.435 And so we started there and yeah, that 00:10:24.435 --> 00:10:26.865 was, I worked there part-time for a bit. 00:10:28.620 --> 00:10:32.580 Learned learned a lot, um, both business-wise 00:10:32.580 --> 00:10:35.790 and firearms wise, um, and then decided to part 00:10:35.790 --> 00:10:39.630 ways with, um, Blue Line. 00:10:39.690 --> 00:10:39.960 Yeah. 00:10:40.230 --> 00:10:44.040 Um, did learn there, i, um, there was 00:10:44.040 --> 00:10:45.750 two kind of partners in that business. 00:10:45.750 --> 00:10:49.080 One was, uh, Joe Dlask and I specifically 00:10:49.080 --> 00:10:53.040 remember I was working with Joe one day and 00:10:53.910 --> 00:10:55.860 I w I always pick up on things with 00:10:55.860 --> 00:10:56.940 people that I, like. 00:10:57.030 --> 00:10:58.950 I always remember like very key moments 00:10:58.980 --> 00:11:00.270 with people who make a difference. 00:11:00.360 --> 00:11:03.660 And I remember the one thing I really 00:11:03.660 --> 00:11:05.130 picked up and took away from Blue Line. 00:11:05.130 --> 00:11:07.170 I was working with Joe one day and he was just 00:11:07.170 --> 00:11:10.470 working like a madman, um, to get product out 00:11:10.470 --> 00:11:11.460 from a distributor. 00:11:11.460 --> 00:11:13.320 And he's like in his whole, his whole 00:11:13.320 --> 00:11:15.495 reasoning was, it's about getting the product 00:11:15.495 --> 00:11:17.715 out to the customer, like, cause it's cool 00:11:17.855 --> 00:11:19.755 and people have been waiting for this stuff. 00:11:19.785 --> 00:11:23.085 And um, that really struck me as like, 00:11:23.325 --> 00:11:26.325 yeah, customer is number one, we're all in this 00:11:26.325 --> 00:11:27.585 because we love firearms. 00:11:27.585 --> 00:11:30.285 So it's always, you know, you always have to keep 00:11:30.285 --> 00:11:32.235 in mind that yes, it is a business, but at the 00:11:32.235 --> 00:11:34.785 end of the day, you, you you're doing this 00:11:34.785 --> 00:11:35.385 because you love it. 00:11:35.775 --> 00:11:38.685 So I always remember that with Joe, that his, 00:11:38.745 --> 00:11:41.085 um, work ethic really inspired me to be like, 00:11:41.085 --> 00:11:43.815 yeah, customer first customer, number one, 00:11:44.265 --> 00:11:45.345 worry about everything. 00:11:45.375 --> 00:11:47.595 Make sure that after the fact make sure the 00:11:47.595 --> 00:11:49.815 customer is serviced in a very happy so. 00:11:50.145 --> 00:11:51.645 You know, I've got a Joe story if you 00:11:51.645 --> 00:11:52.065 want to hear it. 00:11:52.065 --> 00:11:52.725 Yeah, for sure, man. 00:11:52.725 --> 00:11:56.805 So when back before Silvercore Training 00:11:56.805 --> 00:11:59.275 happened, I had Silvercore Gunworks 00:11:59.295 --> 00:12:01.545 and it was my thought that I would be doing 00:12:01.545 --> 00:12:03.495 gunsmithing for every Joe blow who comes 00:12:03.495 --> 00:12:05.835 through and, and that. 00:12:05.985 --> 00:12:07.095 The ultimate dream. 00:12:07.095 --> 00:12:08.475 The ultimate dream, right. 00:12:09.075 --> 00:12:11.665 Every kid wants to grow up to be a gunsmith. 00:12:12.435 --> 00:12:14.370 And I was loving it. 00:12:14.460 --> 00:12:17.430 I was learning a lot because every person who 00:12:17.430 --> 00:12:19.410 came in and came with a different firearm in a 00:12:19.410 --> 00:12:22.230 different, uh, different issue or different 00:12:22.230 --> 00:12:25.800 problem and being young, I think it was 18, 19. 00:12:25.810 --> 00:12:28.650 Like when I started that I everyone's expecting 00:12:28.650 --> 00:12:31.440 a discount or a deal and everybody wants to pay. 00:12:31.560 --> 00:12:31.920 Yeah. 00:12:31.950 --> 00:12:33.540 And they, they all want to pay you in 00:12:33.540 --> 00:12:36.120 like freezer bird meat from five-year-old. 00:12:36.180 --> 00:12:38.190 Here's a six pack of beer and, you know. 00:12:38.220 --> 00:12:38.580 Totally. 00:12:38.580 --> 00:12:38.790 Yeah. 00:12:39.630 --> 00:12:41.730 So anyways, so. 00:12:42.675 --> 00:12:44.115 It was fun learning a lot. 00:12:44.505 --> 00:12:46.875 And one of the things I got into was a 00:12:46.905 --> 00:12:48.765 refinishing and I was doing bluing 00:12:48.765 --> 00:12:51.825 and parkerizing and, uh, manganese and 00:12:51.825 --> 00:12:52.815 zinc, FOS fading. 00:12:52.815 --> 00:12:56.145 And I was having an issue getting some chemicals 00:12:56.145 --> 00:12:57.075 across the border. 00:12:57.645 --> 00:12:59.535 So I thought, well, how hard can this be? 00:12:59.535 --> 00:13:02.685 And I went to a, to a lab and I got a qualitative 00:13:02.685 --> 00:13:05.685 and quantitative analysis of, of a, uh, of a 00:13:05.685 --> 00:13:06.735 batch of chemicals. 00:13:06.735 --> 00:13:09.255 And I tried to reverse engineer it myself. 00:13:09.285 --> 00:13:11.385 And there is a fellow who brought in a 00:13:11.385 --> 00:13:13.185 firearm that he wanted to have parkerized. 00:13:13.275 --> 00:13:16.395 And so I prepped the metal, got everything 00:13:16.395 --> 00:13:17.325 as it ought to be. 00:13:17.355 --> 00:13:20.415 And I made up my own solution based off of 00:13:20.415 --> 00:13:23.565 the essential, reverse engineered list here. 00:13:23.715 --> 00:13:26.295 And I, and I use it a test piece first 00:13:26.295 --> 00:13:27.855 and it came out looking pretty good. 00:13:27.945 --> 00:13:28.275 Right. 00:13:29.610 --> 00:13:33.150 And in, in this solution, a little 00:13:33.150 --> 00:13:35.220 bit of nickel helped the adhesion of the 00:13:35.220 --> 00:13:36.600 manganese to the metal. 00:13:36.600 --> 00:13:38.580 And, and there is a, I think it was 00:13:38.580 --> 00:13:40.950 Florick acid that was also in here as well. 00:13:41.190 --> 00:13:43.890 Anyways, on the carbon content, on the test 00:13:43.890 --> 00:13:46.260 piece, it came out looking pretty good. 00:13:46.290 --> 00:13:49.020 On the firearm I put in, the customer's 00:13:49.020 --> 00:13:52.140 firearm, uh, it was just the barrel 00:13:52.140 --> 00:13:52.770 that he wanted done. 00:13:52.770 --> 00:13:54.750 So I put the barrel and it comes out and 00:13:55.290 --> 00:13:57.300 I'm looking at, I'm like, I'm not happy 00:13:57.300 --> 00:13:58.140 with how this looks. 00:13:58.140 --> 00:13:58.410 Right. 00:13:58.410 --> 00:14:01.740 And so I, I dip it in a little bit longer, 00:14:01.740 --> 00:14:03.450 longer than I normally would, and they take it 00:14:03.450 --> 00:14:05.280 out and I was like, ah, it's not the right color. 00:14:05.280 --> 00:14:07.110 It's not what the guy'll want and try it 00:14:07.110 --> 00:14:07.860 a little bit longer. 00:14:07.860 --> 00:14:08.790 And I take it on and said, well, 00:14:09.030 --> 00:14:10.290 you know what, I'm going to regroup. 00:14:10.320 --> 00:14:12.450 I'm going to have to tell the client here 00:14:12.450 --> 00:14:14.100 that we're going to have to wait for this 00:14:14.100 --> 00:14:15.150 chemicals to come in. 00:14:15.930 --> 00:14:20.160 And I took the barrel and I went to thread it 00:14:20.280 --> 00:14:23.760 into the receiver and the thing slid in and 00:14:23.760 --> 00:14:25.440 out of the receiver. 00:14:26.354 --> 00:14:29.444 The chemical composition that I put together 00:14:29.444 --> 00:14:31.694 was strong enough to have eaten the metal 00:14:31.724 --> 00:14:32.775 to such a point. 00:14:33.464 --> 00:14:35.535 Like, you look at it and it looked fine, 00:14:35.714 --> 00:14:37.395 but you didn't realize that everything 00:14:37.395 --> 00:14:38.324 had shrunk so much. 00:14:38.984 --> 00:14:42.194 And like that was, as a person working on 00:14:42.194 --> 00:14:44.625 firearms, I think anyone who says they don't make 00:14:44.625 --> 00:14:45.675 mistakes is lying to you. 00:14:45.675 --> 00:14:46.635 Literally impossible. 00:14:47.025 --> 00:14:50.175 But the people who are really good know how 00:14:50.175 --> 00:14:51.285 to fix their mistakes. 00:14:51.285 --> 00:14:51.555 Right. 00:14:51.584 --> 00:14:53.385 And that was the first mistake I 00:14:53.385 --> 00:14:54.885 wasn't able to fix. 00:14:54.885 --> 00:14:57.015 And so I went to Joe, cause I said, look it, 00:14:57.015 --> 00:15:01.454 I had this issue, I'm going to have to, do you 00:15:01.454 --> 00:15:03.405 have any spare barrels around, I'm going to 00:15:03.405 --> 00:15:04.364 have a go at it again. 00:15:04.364 --> 00:15:06.135 And he looked around, he says, yeah, actually I 00:15:06.135 --> 00:15:07.875 got this quality barrel. 00:15:08.084 --> 00:15:08.984 It's a spare. 00:15:09.255 --> 00:15:10.814 You can have it take it. 00:15:10.814 --> 00:15:11.474 It's yours. 00:15:11.474 --> 00:15:11.685 Right. 00:15:11.694 --> 00:15:13.964 In fact, it's not chambered in the right 00:15:13.964 --> 00:15:15.614 caliber, but here's a chamber reamer. 00:15:15.675 --> 00:15:16.385 I'll lend it to you. 00:15:16.395 --> 00:15:19.140 Bring it back without any dings or nicks, not 00:15:19.140 --> 00:15:20.400 a problem, no charge. 00:15:20.430 --> 00:15:20.730 Right. 00:15:21.090 --> 00:15:23.250 So I was able to get the customer up and running, 00:15:23.730 --> 00:15:25.560 uh, if I don't know if he even listens to this 00:15:25.560 --> 00:15:27.810 podcast, but I think his son might because his 00:15:27.810 --> 00:15:29.700 son actually does work with us, but that would 00:15:29.700 --> 00:15:33.240 be, uh, that'd be Randy Bach's firearm there. 00:15:33.360 --> 00:15:34.320 Sorry about that, Randy. 00:15:34.650 --> 00:15:36.280 But we got you going in the end,uh. 00:15:36.840 --> 00:15:37.950 Got a new barrel out of the deal. 00:15:37.980 --> 00:15:39.180 And he got a new barrel on it. 00:15:39.210 --> 00:15:41.820 Nice quality barrel out of it, chambered tight. 00:15:41.930 --> 00:15:42.570 Beautiful. 00:15:42.600 --> 00:15:42.900 Right. 00:15:42.930 --> 00:15:47.550 But that always stuck with me because Joe, at 00:15:47.550 --> 00:15:49.560 that time I was doing more and more work 00:15:49.590 --> 00:15:51.450 and he was still in the business of doing 00:15:51.450 --> 00:15:53.220 work for the general public, albeit also 00:15:53.220 --> 00:15:57.555 manufacturing and to a degree, I could have been 00:15:57.555 --> 00:15:59.204 viewed as competition. 00:15:59.385 --> 00:15:59.775 For sure. 00:16:00.045 --> 00:16:01.875 But instead he says, not a problem, 00:16:01.875 --> 00:16:04.064 Travis, come on in, let me help you out. 00:16:04.785 --> 00:16:07.135 So that always stuck with me about Joe so I. 00:16:07.295 --> 00:16:08.265 Joe's salt of the earth, man. 00:16:08.265 --> 00:16:08.835 I love that guy. 00:16:08.885 --> 00:16:09.345 He is. 00:16:09.405 --> 00:16:09.645 Yeah. 00:16:09.824 --> 00:16:11.055 Sorry to interrupt you there. 00:16:11.954 --> 00:16:13.365 So, so where did that take you next? 00:16:14.444 --> 00:16:14.655 Yeah. 00:16:14.655 --> 00:16:17.985 So after that, um, left Blue Line there 00:16:17.985 --> 00:16:22.315 and, um, I was on Canadian Gun Nutz. 00:16:22.335 --> 00:16:26.115 I had taken a job as a, um, a concierge 00:16:26.324 --> 00:16:28.275 apartment buildings downtown, and like, no 00:16:28.275 --> 00:16:29.175 one wants that job, man. 00:16:29.314 --> 00:16:31.095 it's the worst work job ever, just a bunch 00:16:31.095 --> 00:16:33.225 of whiny, rich people just complaining 00:16:33.225 --> 00:16:33.824 about everything. 00:16:34.275 --> 00:16:36.105 Anyways, so I needed to get out of there. 00:16:36.165 --> 00:16:39.135 Um, it was a good fill in job while, you know, 00:16:39.135 --> 00:16:39.975 I had to pay my bills. 00:16:40.574 --> 00:16:43.395 Um, and then, um, Canada Ammo posted, 00:16:43.665 --> 00:16:45.465 um, on Canadian Gun Nutz that they were 00:16:45.465 --> 00:16:46.365 looking for someone. 00:16:46.574 --> 00:16:47.655 And then I was like, yeah, man. 00:16:47.715 --> 00:16:50.505 I was like, I got to work in the gun 00:16:50.505 --> 00:16:53.385 industry, this jobs working midnights sucks. 00:16:53.444 --> 00:16:57.315 So, went, I submitted my resume to Canada Ammo. 00:16:57.765 --> 00:17:01.845 Uh, got a job there is, um, I started there as 00:17:02.985 --> 00:17:07.875 just a shipper, like just no, no responsibility 00:17:07.875 --> 00:17:09.735 other than stuff in box out the door. 00:17:10.035 --> 00:17:10.365 Sure. 00:17:10.455 --> 00:17:13.455 Um, and, uh, it was a pretty intense out of 00:17:13.455 --> 00:17:17.355 the box because Canada Ammo, um, At the time 00:17:17.355 --> 00:17:19.155 and still to this day, they have, they're very 00:17:19.155 --> 00:17:20.535 skew heavy on stuff. 00:17:20.535 --> 00:17:23.655 So, you know, you have a guy who's ordering 10 00:17:23.655 --> 00:17:25.275 different types of NC star stuff, and they're 00:17:25.275 --> 00:17:26.415 all in tiny boxes. 00:17:26.415 --> 00:17:27.735 And, you know, it looks like the matrix 00:17:27.735 --> 00:17:29.535 scene where their walls are flying down. 00:17:29.535 --> 00:17:29.715 Right. 00:17:30.525 --> 00:17:32.325 Um, so yeah, that was awesome. 00:17:32.325 --> 00:17:35.055 And then what was really cool about, uh, Can-Am 00:17:35.055 --> 00:17:37.005 was obviously like at the time they were 00:17:37.005 --> 00:17:40.155 bringing in, um, a lot of Norinco product. 00:17:40.365 --> 00:17:40.625 Right. 00:17:40.935 --> 00:17:43.005 So you walk into the back and there'd be 00:17:43.005 --> 00:17:46.804 a two story thing tall of, uh M305 or, 00:17:47.115 --> 00:17:49.545 you know, 762 x 39. 00:17:49.545 --> 00:17:53.175 And, and, um, so yeah, that was, um, 00:17:53.265 --> 00:17:56.205 I would call that my real first, um, gun 00:17:56.205 --> 00:17:58.860 business job, where I was like, okay, I'm 00:17:58.860 --> 00:18:00.870 amongst true gun people. 00:18:01.320 --> 00:18:02.910 Uh, Chris at Canada Ammo is. 00:18:03.570 --> 00:18:04.050 He's awesome. 00:18:04.050 --> 00:18:04.740 He's awesome. 00:18:04.770 --> 00:18:06.120 And he's like a true gun guy. 00:18:06.180 --> 00:18:08.400 Like he's, he's actually probably 00:18:08.430 --> 00:18:10.200 more of a gun guy than anyone I've ever met. 00:18:10.200 --> 00:18:12.000 That dude goes down rabbit holes 00:18:12.000 --> 00:18:13.470 I didn't even know existed with guns. 00:18:13.560 --> 00:18:15.360 Oh, I still call them up from time to time 00:18:15.430 --> 00:18:17.730 to pick his brain and he's a sharp cookie. 00:18:17.760 --> 00:18:18.720 Yeah, he's awesome. 00:18:18.810 --> 00:18:21.860 Um, and, um, yeah, so, and at that time it was 00:18:21.880 --> 00:18:25.200 lots of Norinco and I just remember, um, at, 00:18:25.500 --> 00:18:27.420 at some point they said, Hey, you know, we mind 00:18:27.420 --> 00:18:29.070 like taking care of the warehouse as well. 00:18:29.130 --> 00:18:30.180 You know, just making sure it's 00:18:30.240 --> 00:18:30.990 clean and stuff. 00:18:30.990 --> 00:18:34.020 So then there, I was essentially in like the 00:18:34.020 --> 00:18:36.210 Indiana Jones w you know. 00:18:36.670 --> 00:18:37.140 Looking for the. 00:18:37.250 --> 00:18:38.820 Guns and yeah, exactly. 00:18:38.820 --> 00:18:39.660 Like it was awesome. 00:18:39.660 --> 00:18:41.670 And then, you know, one day, like, you know, a 00:18:41.670 --> 00:18:44.760 53 foot container just cram jam packed full 00:18:44.760 --> 00:18:46.200 of guns would show up, but, you know, it'd be. 00:18:47.120 --> 00:18:51.170 You know, all , M305's you'd have to hand 00:18:51.170 --> 00:18:51.920 bomb the whole thing. 00:18:51.920 --> 00:18:53.840 And then like, you know, for example, replace 00:18:53.840 --> 00:18:57.080 that with anything else, like, uh, oranges 00:18:57.080 --> 00:18:59.630 or cardboard boxes, worst job on earth. 00:18:59.660 --> 00:18:59.960 Yeah. 00:19:00.320 --> 00:19:00.890 A lot of work. 00:19:00.890 --> 00:19:04.520 M305's, awesome job, like. 00:19:04.990 --> 00:19:06.080 Oh just the smell. 00:19:06.120 --> 00:19:07.010 Yeah, exactly. 00:19:07.010 --> 00:19:08.420 And like, knowing that, like this just 00:19:08.420 --> 00:19:10.670 came directly from the place that made 00:19:10.670 --> 00:19:13.880 it to you and it's just cool stuff, man. 00:19:14.390 --> 00:19:15.020 It's rad. 00:19:15.050 --> 00:19:16.760 Um, so yeah. 00:19:16.790 --> 00:19:19.190 Um, so I worked there for a good while. 00:19:19.220 --> 00:19:21.920 Um, and then I kinda got up to, we did, 00:19:21.950 --> 00:19:23.930 uh, I took over dealer sales for them as well. 00:19:24.290 --> 00:19:25.940 So I was doing all their, uh, dealer 00:19:25.940 --> 00:19:26.750 sales for awhile. 00:19:26.810 --> 00:19:29.450 Um, and a gentleman there named Paul really took 00:19:29.450 --> 00:19:32.180 me under his wing, um, and really explained to 00:19:32.180 --> 00:19:36.980 me the finer points of, um, not just business 00:19:36.980 --> 00:19:40.640 and like organization and all that kind of stuff, 00:19:40.670 --> 00:19:43.860 but also how to deal with people on a good level. 00:19:43.860 --> 00:19:46.740 Like again, reinforcing that thing that Joe, 00:19:47.250 --> 00:19:49.620 you know, that I picked up off Joe, which is 00:19:49.620 --> 00:19:52.379 like customer, customer, customer, like, these are 00:19:52.379 --> 00:19:55.050 all your, your cohorts, you're all gun nuts. 00:19:55.050 --> 00:19:57.090 You're all, you know, having a good time. 00:19:57.090 --> 00:19:57.360 Right. 00:19:57.870 --> 00:20:00.300 Um, so yeah, and I learned a ton there, 00:20:00.330 --> 00:20:04.500 um, both mechanically with firearms, cause 00:20:04.500 --> 00:20:06.120 I would be working on, you know, some warranty 00:20:06.120 --> 00:20:06.929 stuff or whatever. 00:20:07.320 --> 00:20:09.000 The shipping aspect of it, you know, 00:20:09.000 --> 00:20:11.310 shipping routes and who to call and all 00:20:11.310 --> 00:20:12.179 that kind of stuff. 00:20:12.540 --> 00:20:15.540 Uh, organization, cause boy howdy. 00:20:15.550 --> 00:20:17.610 Did that, you know, you had to have that place 00:20:17.610 --> 00:20:19.889 organized or you would know where nothing was. 00:20:19.919 --> 00:20:20.040 Yeah. 00:20:20.050 --> 00:20:21.210 They got a lot of volume. 00:20:21.240 --> 00:20:22.169 It's unbelievable. 00:20:22.439 --> 00:20:26.939 Um, and then, yeah, so I just learned, that's 00:20:26.939 --> 00:20:29.129 where I really got cut my teeth as far 00:20:29.129 --> 00:20:30.960 as the gun industry. 00:20:31.080 --> 00:20:35.189 Um, but uh, yeah, and at that point we were just 00:20:35.189 --> 00:20:39.115 sitting there one day and um, Uh, Wanstalls 00:20:39.255 --> 00:20:41.925 had post an ad and said, Hey, like, you 00:20:41.925 --> 00:20:43.515 know, we need somebody to come in and fill in. 00:20:43.515 --> 00:20:45.525 And just for shits and giggles, cause that 00:20:45.525 --> 00:20:48.435 was, uh, a long time customer wants to halls. 00:20:48.585 --> 00:20:51.075 Um, I just said, Hey, you know, at the time 00:20:51.075 --> 00:20:52.605 I was like, Hey, it's Matt, blah, blah, blah. 00:20:52.755 --> 00:20:53.925 You know, jokingly said, yeah, how 00:20:53.925 --> 00:20:54.705 much does it pay? 00:20:55.155 --> 00:20:56.895 And they said, uh, they responded back with, 00:20:57.015 --> 00:20:58.035 come meet us tonight. 00:20:59.055 --> 00:20:59.475 Really? 00:20:59.505 --> 00:20:59.955 Yeah. 00:21:00.045 --> 00:21:03.495 At the Billy miner pub, which is our, that is our 00:21:04.065 --> 00:21:05.895 bunker of solitude there. 00:21:06.135 --> 00:21:09.435 Um, so yeah, it was like, uh, okay. 00:21:09.435 --> 00:21:11.205 So it wasn't really like, I wasn't even 00:21:11.205 --> 00:21:12.045 looking for a job. 00:21:12.075 --> 00:21:12.945 I was just curious. 00:21:13.395 --> 00:21:17.565 Um, and so I met them there and I immediately 00:21:17.655 --> 00:21:19.665 knew that I was like, yeah, these, these 00:21:19.665 --> 00:21:20.475 are my guys, you know. 00:21:22.665 --> 00:21:26.385 Craig's specifically, um, immediately treated 00:21:26.385 --> 00:21:29.745 me like family and he had, he knew me 00:21:29.745 --> 00:21:33.960 from buying there, but like, um, yeah. 00:21:33.990 --> 00:21:36.060 Just like it was the right vibe for me 00:21:36.060 --> 00:21:37.830 to, I was like, yeah, these guys are cool. 00:21:37.830 --> 00:21:40.680 And so anyways, we had some beers, they made 00:21:40.680 --> 00:21:43.500 me an offer and I was just like, oh my God. 00:21:43.500 --> 00:21:45.240 I was like, I can't, I just got my first 00:21:45.240 --> 00:21:47.310 apartment with my wife, uh, everything and I was 00:21:47.310 --> 00:21:49.980 just like, I just started paying my bills properly. 00:21:49.980 --> 00:21:52.200 Like I can't, I can't like bounce 00:21:52.200 --> 00:21:53.700 off another job, you know what I mean? 00:21:53.700 --> 00:21:55.860 Cause it's once you're once you somewhere 00:21:55.860 --> 00:21:58.590 and you feel secure, then you kinda. 00:21:58.830 --> 00:21:59.800 That's a trap though isn't. 00:21:59.800 --> 00:22:00.419 It is a trap. 00:22:00.419 --> 00:22:00.690 Right. 00:22:00.690 --> 00:22:02.550 And then, you know, I was still young enough 00:22:02.550 --> 00:22:05.320 at the time where I was like, you know, like, 00:22:05.909 --> 00:22:07.050 let's go, let's do this. 00:22:07.050 --> 00:22:07.260 Right. 00:22:07.260 --> 00:22:09.120 So I went home that night and granted after 00:22:09.120 --> 00:22:12.270 a couple of beer and um, I told my wife, I was 00:22:12.270 --> 00:22:13.980 like, yeah, Wanstalls made me this like 00:22:14.330 --> 00:22:16.649 rad offer and I think I'm going to take it. 00:22:16.740 --> 00:22:18.090 And she's like, no, you're not taking it. 00:22:18.210 --> 00:22:19.320 She's like, we just got this apartment. 00:22:19.530 --> 00:22:20.639 She's like, we're sitting on lawn chairs. 00:22:21.060 --> 00:22:21.780 Like, you know what I mean? 00:22:21.780 --> 00:22:22.320 And then I was like. 00:22:22.320 --> 00:22:22.939 I totally know what you mean. 00:22:22.939 --> 00:22:24.600 Oh, you mean, um, and then I was 00:22:24.600 --> 00:22:25.139 like, oh, okay. 00:22:25.139 --> 00:22:26.580 Then she kind of talked me out of it that night. 00:22:27.735 --> 00:22:30.525 And then I'm on the drive to work the next day. 00:22:30.525 --> 00:22:32.235 I was just like, man, I was just like, it 00:22:32.235 --> 00:22:33.285 wasn't just the offer. 00:22:33.285 --> 00:22:37.395 It was, um, it was the people there. 00:22:37.425 --> 00:22:40.335 Um, the vibe I got off of everyone I was talking 00:22:40.335 --> 00:22:44.695 to, and honestly the products that Wanstalls 00:22:44.695 --> 00:22:47.175 was selling at the time lined up with more of 00:22:47.175 --> 00:22:50.145 my interests, um, you know, to be a hundred 00:22:50.145 --> 00:22:51.705 percent honest about it. 00:22:51.825 --> 00:22:52.155 Right. 00:22:52.665 --> 00:22:54.045 So I just thought about, I was like, man, it'd 00:22:54.045 --> 00:22:57.855 be really cool to get other stuff discounted 00:22:57.885 --> 00:22:59.535 that I'm more into, you know what I mean? 00:22:59.535 --> 00:23:00.825 Like, you know, I have a wider 00:23:01.155 --> 00:23:02.385 selection, not as deep. 00:23:02.385 --> 00:23:05.865 Like I do, like I didn't need 1500 M305's right. 00:23:05.865 --> 00:23:06.275 Right. 00:23:06.275 --> 00:23:08.265 There's so many greasy, M305's you can handle 00:23:08.265 --> 00:23:10.095 before you go home and you're soaked 00:23:10.095 --> 00:23:10.965 in cosmoline every. 00:23:11.775 --> 00:23:15.465 um, so yeah, I just, on my way there, I just, uh, 00:23:15.525 --> 00:23:17.595 decided to essentially that I was good to go. 00:23:17.685 --> 00:23:21.120 Um, and then had a quick conversation and 00:23:21.120 --> 00:23:25.480 yeah, I started the next week, um, at Wanstalls 00:23:25.500 --> 00:23:28.050 in my little, little hovel of a corner. 00:23:29.130 --> 00:23:31.320 So zero business training, a set 00:23:31.770 --> 00:23:33.240 aside from the school of hard knocks. 00:23:33.270 --> 00:23:33.480 Yeah. 00:23:33.660 --> 00:23:35.040 So learning as you go. 00:23:35.100 --> 00:23:35.340 Yep. 00:23:36.060 --> 00:23:38.790 Uh, what were some of the biggest challenges 00:23:38.790 --> 00:23:40.950 that you'd found at least to that point anyways, 00:23:40.950 --> 00:23:42.780 because when you start at a Wanstalls, you're 00:23:43.200 --> 00:23:45.180 basically strictly doing social media or when did 00:23:45.180 --> 00:23:46.170 you start as a partner? 00:23:46.380 --> 00:23:47.550 No, no, I definitely didn't start 00:23:47.550 --> 00:23:48.030 as a partner. 00:23:48.030 --> 00:23:49.890 It took me almost 10 years become 00:23:49.890 --> 00:23:50.490 a partner there. 00:23:50.640 --> 00:23:50.910 Right. 00:23:51.150 --> 00:23:55.140 Um, yeah, no, I mean, the biggest thing is ego, 00:23:55.140 --> 00:23:56.040 when you're that age. 00:23:56.640 --> 00:23:58.800 I mean, even now, I mean, I'm only 33. 00:23:58.800 --> 00:24:00.630 Like you always got to check your ego at the 00:24:00.630 --> 00:24:04.320 door because, um, all that's ever going to do 00:24:04.320 --> 00:24:09.015 is make it make it take longer to figure out the 00:24:09.015 --> 00:24:11.265 answer to whatever you're trying to, you know, 00:24:11.445 --> 00:24:13.245 achieve whatever you're trying to accomplish. 00:24:13.275 --> 00:24:14.715 Um, so that was a big one. 00:24:15.165 --> 00:24:16.545 Uh, and two just learning how to 00:24:16.545 --> 00:24:17.985 deal with different people and different 00:24:18.195 --> 00:24:19.305 personality types. 00:24:19.365 --> 00:24:20.985 I'm a very, anyone who knows me, you 00:24:20.985 --> 00:24:23.055 know, anyone who's met me I'm so blunt and 00:24:23.055 --> 00:24:27.525 honest and probably to my own, probably not 00:24:27.585 --> 00:24:28.575 what I shouldn't be. 00:24:28.575 --> 00:24:29.295 I still am. 00:24:29.785 --> 00:24:32.235 I'm very upfront and honest and I've got, 00:24:32.325 --> 00:24:33.885 uh, I don't have a very good filter. 00:24:34.065 --> 00:24:34.905 Um, but. 00:24:35.145 --> 00:24:36.225 That could, that can play to your 00:24:36.225 --> 00:24:37.005 benefit too, though. 00:24:37.005 --> 00:24:37.905 It can, and it does. 00:24:37.905 --> 00:24:38.145 Right. 00:24:38.205 --> 00:24:40.185 Um, but I feel like only in certain positions 00:24:40.185 --> 00:24:42.975 it does, um, maybe as a manager, as an owner, I 00:24:42.975 --> 00:24:45.255 feel like, yeah, that's how you get information 00:24:45.255 --> 00:24:47.835 across as curt and short and simple. 00:24:48.345 --> 00:24:51.195 Um, but also a lot of people don't 00:24:51.375 --> 00:24:52.175 respond well. 00:24:52.460 --> 00:24:52.580 Yeah. 00:24:52.580 --> 00:24:54.170 Like everyone responds to different types 00:24:54.170 --> 00:24:54.680 of things, right? 00:24:54.680 --> 00:24:57.770 Like somebody can take that as you being 00:24:57.800 --> 00:24:59.360 upset with them or something like that. 00:24:59.390 --> 00:25:02.420 So it's always just a that's something 00:25:02.430 --> 00:25:03.650 I struggle with to this day is 00:25:03.860 --> 00:25:05.450 understanding different personality types. 00:25:05.450 --> 00:25:07.400 And I do, I read as many books as I 00:25:07.400 --> 00:25:10.220 can, and to try and be as understanding 00:25:10.220 --> 00:25:12.080 as I can, but the dickhead in me just. 00:25:13.910 --> 00:25:15.280 Well, I don't even know if it's dickhead, 00:25:15.280 --> 00:25:17.990 it's, at least when a person is blunt and 00:25:17.990 --> 00:25:19.790 curt, you know, where you stand with them. 00:25:19.880 --> 00:25:20.450 Exactly. 00:25:20.450 --> 00:25:22.190 And there's no mincing of words. 00:25:22.190 --> 00:25:22.420 Right. 00:25:22.420 --> 00:25:22.700 Right. 00:25:23.030 --> 00:25:26.330 If I say do A there's no, there's no, you're 00:25:26.330 --> 00:25:27.290 confusing it with B. 00:25:27.620 --> 00:25:28.040 Right. 00:25:28.070 --> 00:25:28.400 Right. 00:25:28.970 --> 00:25:30.350 And that's how I kind of look at it. 00:25:30.380 --> 00:25:32.000 Um, so yeah. 00:25:32.030 --> 00:25:34.910 And, um, also to the industry is an 00:25:34.910 --> 00:25:37.490 interesting industry and, um, the industry is 00:25:37.490 --> 00:25:42.440 a very, when I started in the industry, it was 00:25:42.440 --> 00:25:48.105 just going away from like Ma and Pa shops. 00:25:48.105 --> 00:25:51.045 And it was becoming like lots of social 00:25:51.045 --> 00:25:52.755 media, lots of websites. 00:25:52.785 --> 00:25:55.365 I mean, I don't know if you remember, for 00:25:55.365 --> 00:25:57.525 online ordering back in the day, you could 00:25:57.525 --> 00:25:58.635 just get it from sr. 00:25:58.725 --> 00:25:59.055 Right. 00:25:59.115 --> 00:26:00.555 You know, the old wholesale sports 00:26:00.635 --> 00:26:02.085 guys and Alberta, that was your only. 00:26:02.755 --> 00:26:03.025 That was it. 00:26:03.025 --> 00:26:04.845 Way you could really online order anything. 00:26:04.845 --> 00:26:05.175 Right? 00:26:05.325 --> 00:26:07.005 Well, nobody was online ordering, everyone 00:26:07.005 --> 00:26:09.885 was very reluctant to take that next step. 00:26:09.915 --> 00:26:10.215 Yeah. 00:26:10.335 --> 00:26:12.135 And there was a lot of unanswered questions 00:26:12.135 --> 00:26:14.115 about it, like kind of ship product, legally, 00:26:14.445 --> 00:26:15.375 all that kind of stuff. 00:26:15.375 --> 00:26:15.585 Right. 00:26:15.585 --> 00:26:17.475 And, you know, for a Ma and Pa shop, 00:26:17.835 --> 00:26:19.695 which was essentially everyone at the time, 00:26:20.235 --> 00:26:22.065 you don't want to take on that responsibility. 00:26:22.065 --> 00:26:22.335 Right. 00:26:22.335 --> 00:26:24.045 And, you know, everyone just did their niche 00:26:24.055 --> 00:26:27.045 thing and you made their living retired somewhere 00:26:27.045 --> 00:26:28.665 in the middle of nowhere and that was it. 00:26:28.815 --> 00:26:29.175 Right. 00:26:29.325 --> 00:26:30.865 Um, so essentially. 00:26:32.100 --> 00:26:34.740 The introduction of online. 00:26:34.800 --> 00:26:35.070 Yeah. 00:26:35.280 --> 00:26:37.440 Like that was a huge learning curve because 00:26:37.440 --> 00:26:39.630 now you've got all these shops and a 00:26:39.630 --> 00:26:42.510 lot of young people and different ideas 00:26:42.570 --> 00:26:44.220 all coming together. 00:26:44.520 --> 00:26:44.940 Right. 00:26:44.940 --> 00:26:47.220 And it was like a whole new world, right. 00:26:47.220 --> 00:26:49.530 Essentially, like you've got kind of the new 00:26:49.530 --> 00:26:50.460 way of doing business. 00:26:50.460 --> 00:26:52.260 So like people who would historically 00:26:52.260 --> 00:26:54.060 have different types of businesses are now 00:26:54.090 --> 00:26:58.170 running gun shops and bringing that, you know, 00:26:58.230 --> 00:27:00.120 the internet, I know this sounds ridiculous. 00:27:00.200 --> 00:27:04.260 The internet with them and Facebook and all 00:27:04.260 --> 00:27:05.250 that kind of stuff. 00:27:05.280 --> 00:27:07.620 And you know, at that time it was like a 00:27:07.650 --> 00:27:11.910 interesting new world of how to deal with 00:27:11.910 --> 00:27:12.810 stuff so it was. 00:27:12.930 --> 00:27:15.120 You guys really pushed the envelope. 00:27:15.360 --> 00:27:18.630 I think you guys are, if not the leader, one 00:27:18.630 --> 00:27:19.980 of the leaders for sure. 00:27:20.070 --> 00:27:22.990 And moving things into the 21st century. 00:27:23.550 --> 00:27:26.175 Well, yeah, I mean the biggest thing, um, 00:27:26.235 --> 00:27:28.455 every single one of our followers and all of our 00:27:28.575 --> 00:27:30.825 social media platforms is a hundred percent, 00:27:31.095 --> 00:27:33.375 like those people clicked on our page. 00:27:33.735 --> 00:27:36.585 We didn't pay, a lot of companies, uh, both 00:27:36.585 --> 00:27:38.445 in the industry and in general, you just 00:27:38.445 --> 00:27:39.255 buy followers right. 00:27:39.255 --> 00:27:40.215 And then you log on. 00:27:40.245 --> 00:27:41.415 It's never made sense to me. 00:27:41.475 --> 00:27:42.555 And it has it because you look on, 00:27:42.585 --> 00:27:43.185 it's like, oh wow. 00:27:43.185 --> 00:27:45.015 This page has gotten like 20,000 followers and you 00:27:45.015 --> 00:27:46.815 clicked, you know, one of their posts and it's got. 00:27:46.815 --> 00:27:47.145 Zero. 00:27:47.145 --> 00:27:47.265 Zero. 00:27:47.265 --> 00:27:47.595 Engagement. 00:27:47.595 --> 00:27:50.175 It's gotten two likes, you know, like a, in 00:27:50.175 --> 00:27:51.465 a poop emoji under it or something. 00:27:52.665 --> 00:27:54.165 And you're like, I don't get it. 00:27:54.435 --> 00:27:54.615 Right. 00:27:54.615 --> 00:27:56.505 But then you realize, oh, they actually have 00:27:56.505 --> 00:27:59.235 like 150 followers and they purchased it. 00:27:59.235 --> 00:28:01.275 And the problem, and this is something I 00:28:01.275 --> 00:28:02.085 learned from Paul. 00:28:02.925 --> 00:28:05.055 The problem when you do that is it's hard 00:28:05.055 --> 00:28:05.985 to crawl back from it. 00:28:06.015 --> 00:28:07.755 Like once you realize it's a mistake, 00:28:08.205 --> 00:28:11.910 it's really hard to undo that mistake. 00:28:12.360 --> 00:28:15.990 So yeah, we have just shy of 10,000 legitimate 00:28:15.990 --> 00:28:17.520 followers on Facebook. 00:28:17.700 --> 00:28:19.710 Um, Instagram is an interesting one. 00:28:19.770 --> 00:28:22.050 I think we're around 3000 on their, uh, 00:28:22.060 --> 00:28:24.260 Instagram's algorithms for gun owners isn't. 00:28:24.750 --> 00:28:26.340 It's the wrong platform for sure. 00:28:26.370 --> 00:28:26.640 Yeah. 00:28:26.640 --> 00:28:28.740 It's a, it's it can be tough from time to 00:28:28.740 --> 00:28:31.230 time, but, uh, we get a lot of what I do like 00:28:31.230 --> 00:28:34.380 about is we get a lot of real, a lot of feedback 00:28:34.380 --> 00:28:36.450 from directly from our customers, not through 00:28:36.450 --> 00:28:38.400 some weird platform, like I straight up get 00:28:38.400 --> 00:28:40.590 messages from people asking me questions and 00:28:40.590 --> 00:28:42.480 they get direct answers, as often as possible. 00:28:42.480 --> 00:28:44.280 I mean, it's, it's tough to filter through 00:28:45.000 --> 00:28:46.770 hundreds of messages a day, but, uh. 00:28:46.860 --> 00:28:47.550 Is that what you're getting? 00:28:47.880 --> 00:28:48.210 Yeah. 00:28:48.240 --> 00:28:50.670 Like, you know, on, we get quite a few 00:28:50.670 --> 00:28:51.440 like enough to where. 00:28:52.425 --> 00:28:56.835 Um, my wife answers a lot of stuff, you 00:28:56.835 --> 00:28:58.575 know, she's she wants to get paid, but she's 00:28:58.575 --> 00:28:59.265 never getting paid. 00:29:00.315 --> 00:29:01.635 Is that your wife in the commercials? 00:29:01.725 --> 00:29:01.965 Yeah. 00:29:01.965 --> 00:29:04.754 That's my wife, she, God bless her. 00:29:05.115 --> 00:29:07.395 She comes out and yeah. 00:29:07.395 --> 00:29:08.685 I don't know how she puts up with me, but 00:29:08.685 --> 00:29:10.065 yeah, that's her in the commercials and 00:29:10.065 --> 00:29:11.865 like that gift card one we did and stuff. 00:29:11.895 --> 00:29:12.135 Yeah. 00:29:12.165 --> 00:29:12.945 That's her doing it. 00:29:13.035 --> 00:29:14.835 Those commercials are awesome. 00:29:14.865 --> 00:29:15.345 Thanks man. 00:29:15.345 --> 00:29:16.665 Yeah, those are lots of fun. 00:29:16.665 --> 00:29:19.245 And like that's a prime example is, you know, 00:29:19.275 --> 00:29:23.895 I, when we went into the tV aspect of things. 00:29:23.895 --> 00:29:27.795 I was like, I can't stand like the typical gun 00:29:27.795 --> 00:29:30.585 owner commercial or gun shop commercial, where 00:29:30.585 --> 00:29:32.415 it's like a dude standing behind his counter. 00:29:32.415 --> 00:29:35.175 And it's like, you know, ra-ta-ta I'm, you 00:29:35.175 --> 00:29:37.815 know, and then like a blast Calgary, Alberta, 00:29:37.815 --> 00:29:39.445 or whatever part of the world he lives and 00:29:39.445 --> 00:29:41.825 across the street is like, there's only so 00:29:41.825 --> 00:29:43.775 much of that you can, you know, we all have 00:29:43.775 --> 00:29:45.395 guns in our store, right. 00:29:45.395 --> 00:29:48.245 Like we all go to the same distributors 00:29:48.245 --> 00:29:48.755 for everything. 00:29:48.755 --> 00:29:50.675 So like, what's the point of telling 00:29:50.675 --> 00:29:53.045 people you sell, you know, guns, right. 00:29:53.045 --> 00:29:54.695 And why don't you have some fun with it and 00:29:54.695 --> 00:29:57.815 make people realize that like, yeah, it is fun. 00:29:57.995 --> 00:29:59.375 Are you scripting those yourself? 00:29:59.495 --> 00:30:00.425 Yeah, I do. 00:30:00.815 --> 00:30:03.335 Uh, I do a lot of the creative and then, uh, 00:30:03.365 --> 00:30:07.655 my friend Brent Nelson at Soapbox Studios helps 00:30:07.655 --> 00:30:08.495 me out with the filming. 00:30:08.615 --> 00:30:08.975 Yeah. 00:30:09.275 --> 00:30:10.715 Um, and he's awesome. 00:30:10.715 --> 00:30:13.385 Cause like I have a hard time when it comes 00:30:13.385 --> 00:30:15.395 to like the M I know what the image in my 00:30:15.395 --> 00:30:16.985 head of when I want something to look like, 00:30:17.405 --> 00:30:19.445 but I can't for the life of me, explain it. 00:30:19.445 --> 00:30:23.645 And he just gets me, he like instantly knows what 00:30:23.645 --> 00:30:24.845 I'm trying to explain. 00:30:24.845 --> 00:30:27.305 And I've tried to do it with other people and 00:30:27.305 --> 00:30:28.205 it just doesn't work. 00:30:28.205 --> 00:30:29.465 It's just, you know. 00:30:30.565 --> 00:30:32.285 So if people want to see them, I saw 00:30:32.345 --> 00:30:34.975 those commercials on Facebook I think it was. 00:30:34.975 --> 00:30:35.035 Yeah. 00:30:35.125 --> 00:30:36.915 Is that, do you have them compiled somewhere? 00:30:36.915 --> 00:30:36.975 Yeah. 00:30:36.975 --> 00:30:37.065 If. 00:30:37.065 --> 00:30:37.805 If people want to go through them? 00:30:38.820 --> 00:30:41.250 Yeah, we have them on our YouTube page. 00:30:41.250 --> 00:30:42.540 We had a YouTube page years ago. 00:30:42.540 --> 00:30:43.980 I tried to start a YouTube account for the 00:30:43.980 --> 00:30:45.629 store and it just turned into like this super 00:30:45.629 --> 00:30:49.199 cringy, like, uh, you know, I realized at that 00:30:49.199 --> 00:30:52.080 time, how much goes into editing and you know, 00:30:52.080 --> 00:30:52.919 all that kind of stuff. 00:30:52.919 --> 00:30:54.659 And I thought like, oh, you just throw a camera 00:30:54.659 --> 00:30:56.800 up and, you know, had some whizzbang do it. 00:30:56.800 --> 00:30:57.330 And there you go. 00:30:57.330 --> 00:31:00.240 But it's a lot of work even in here in 00:31:00.240 --> 00:31:01.409 the podcast studio. 00:31:01.409 --> 00:31:04.110 I'm just like, all these buttons and stuff, no 00:31:04.110 --> 00:31:05.040 idea how this works. 00:31:05.520 --> 00:31:07.050 Um, it was a learning curve for sure. 00:31:07.320 --> 00:31:09.870 So like our, I kind of deleted everything off 00:31:09.870 --> 00:31:11.280 our old YouTube page. 00:31:11.340 --> 00:31:13.350 Um, and then we just essentially put all 00:31:13.350 --> 00:31:14.760 of our commercials on our YouTube page. 00:31:14.820 --> 00:31:15.120 Okay. 00:31:15.570 --> 00:31:17.850 Um, Facebook, uh, we throw them on 00:31:17.850 --> 00:31:18.570 Instagram as well. 00:31:18.570 --> 00:31:20.220 And obviously, yeah, they're on WildTV. 00:31:20.490 --> 00:31:20.760 Yeah. 00:31:20.790 --> 00:31:23.790 That's our main, main place where those go. 00:31:24.120 --> 00:31:25.080 Um, but yeah. 00:31:25.379 --> 00:31:27.209 Are you seeing, how are you measuring the 00:31:27.209 --> 00:31:28.199 engagement off of those? 00:31:28.860 --> 00:31:32.790 Um, honestly it, so this is a classic thing when 00:31:32.790 --> 00:31:36.855 it comes to advertising and old-school guys, 00:31:37.125 --> 00:31:39.375 um, always say like, oh, you invest a 00:31:39.375 --> 00:31:40.245 thousand dollars. 00:31:40.245 --> 00:31:42.105 You need to get $3,000 out of it. 00:31:42.165 --> 00:31:44.294 And that means here, and it's like, you 00:31:44.294 --> 00:31:48.284 can't, in today's world, it's impossible to 00:31:48.465 --> 00:31:49.605 quantify that, right? 00:31:49.605 --> 00:31:51.585 Like, cause like what are they going to come 00:31:51.585 --> 00:31:54.435 in with a w a prize over cracker jack box? 00:31:54.435 --> 00:31:56.024 And then, you know that like, come on, like, you 00:31:56.024 --> 00:31:57.405 know, you can't do that. 00:31:57.405 --> 00:32:00.315 What you do is essentially, um, you'd 00:32:00.315 --> 00:32:01.695 listen to people when you're talking to them 00:32:01.845 --> 00:32:03.495 and they say, man, I saw your commercials 00:32:03.885 --> 00:32:05.804 that really awesome, or whatever, like love 00:32:05.804 --> 00:32:06.705 what you guys are doing. 00:32:06.735 --> 00:32:10.304 And that's how you gauge your feedback off of it. 00:32:10.304 --> 00:32:10.504 Right. 00:32:10.504 --> 00:32:12.195 And our commercials, they do great for us. 00:32:12.195 --> 00:32:16.850 And, you know, honestly, um, It's an, I like 00:32:16.850 --> 00:32:18.740 being creative and it's a creative outlet for me. 00:32:18.830 --> 00:32:22.220 And, uh, I'm just curious to when WildTV is just 00:32:22.220 --> 00:32:23.720 going to say, Hey man, we can't air this one. 00:32:24.800 --> 00:32:26.300 That's too many fart jokes or something 00:32:26.300 --> 00:32:27.020 like that so. 00:32:27.320 --> 00:32:28.880 Think of your commercials is that people 00:32:28.880 --> 00:32:29.930 want to share them. 00:32:30.140 --> 00:32:30.350 Yeah. 00:32:30.360 --> 00:32:31.730 They want to show them to other people 00:32:31.730 --> 00:32:33.890 because they're genuinely hilarious. 00:32:33.920 --> 00:32:34.240 Yeah. 00:32:34.240 --> 00:32:34.460 Yeah. 00:32:34.460 --> 00:32:36.020 The favorite one I did is actually not even a 00:32:36.020 --> 00:32:38.600 commercial is the, uh, liberal gun owner one. 00:32:38.600 --> 00:32:39.470 I don't know if you saw that. 00:32:39.560 --> 00:32:41.660 No, I don't think I've seen that one. 00:32:41.720 --> 00:32:42.050 All right. 00:32:42.050 --> 00:32:43.640 Well, I won't spoil it for you, but there's two 00:32:43.640 --> 00:32:47.270 flame throwers in it and, uh, we didn't even put, 00:32:47.270 --> 00:32:49.340 we just did that for a fun one for social media. 00:32:49.370 --> 00:32:52.040 Um, and like, that was just an example, like 00:32:53.075 --> 00:32:54.935 we gotta do this video, man cause it's, it's 00:32:54.935 --> 00:32:55.715 going to be hilarious. 00:32:56.285 --> 00:32:58.325 So yeah, that, one's a, that one's one of 00:32:58.325 --> 00:32:59.075 my favorites for sure. 00:32:59.315 --> 00:33:00.885 You know, uh, Colion Noir. 00:33:01.055 --> 00:33:01.355 Yep. 00:33:01.385 --> 00:33:01.595 Okay. 00:33:01.595 --> 00:33:03.815 So he's got the seven types of people that 00:33:03.815 --> 00:33:04.655 you see at a gun range. 00:33:04.685 --> 00:33:04.925 Yeah. 00:33:05.075 --> 00:33:07.115 Hilarious does a wicked job with that. 00:33:07.205 --> 00:33:07.415 Yeah. 00:33:07.775 --> 00:33:09.005 You guys going to do something like that? 00:33:09.305 --> 00:33:09.485 Yeah. 00:33:09.485 --> 00:33:10.245 We could for sure. 00:33:10.485 --> 00:33:12.065 Seven types of people you see coming into 00:33:12.065 --> 00:33:12.485 your gun store. 00:33:12.575 --> 00:33:12.815 Yeah. 00:33:12.815 --> 00:33:13.055 Yeah. 00:33:13.055 --> 00:33:14.645 That'd be, that'd be a fun one actually. 00:33:14.645 --> 00:33:15.845 Yeah, that'd be, that'd be cool. 00:33:15.875 --> 00:33:20.765 Um, maybe not in voting season, but maybe cause 00:33:20.765 --> 00:33:23.075 it's all, it's all anti-Trudeau stuff right 00:33:23.075 --> 00:33:24.995 now, but maybe we'll wait until after and 00:33:25.145 --> 00:33:26.495 we can have a different kind of crowd of 00:33:26.495 --> 00:33:27.395 people coming back in. 00:33:27.785 --> 00:33:28.715 Give it a few weeks. 00:33:28.745 --> 00:33:29.555 Yeah, exactly. 00:33:29.585 --> 00:33:30.335 Fingers crossed. 00:33:30.755 --> 00:33:32.555 Have you found that the crowd of people 00:33:32.555 --> 00:33:34.685 that you have coming in has substantially 00:33:34.715 --> 00:33:36.935 changed since, well, I don't know. 00:33:37.025 --> 00:33:38.435 Um, but a year and a half ago? 00:33:38.885 --> 00:33:39.305 Yeah. 00:33:39.485 --> 00:33:40.295 Yeah, for sure. 00:33:40.295 --> 00:33:43.535 It's uh, it's been crazy as far as that 00:33:43.535 --> 00:33:44.675 goes, like the S the. 00:33:46.275 --> 00:33:46.545 Yeah. 00:33:46.575 --> 00:33:48.855 I've had like everything, like, so when the 00:33:48.855 --> 00:33:52.305 pandemic, whatever the COVID first started 00:33:52.305 --> 00:33:56.475 there, I can't believe the types of people 00:33:56.475 --> 00:33:56.985 I had coming in. 00:33:56.985 --> 00:33:58.425 And I mean that as in like people I've 00:33:58.425 --> 00:34:00.285 never expected to see in a gun store, I had 00:34:00.315 --> 00:34:02.655 a mommy walking group come in with their 00:34:02.655 --> 00:34:03.765 babies and strollers. 00:34:04.035 --> 00:34:05.685 And they were like, I have my PAL, I've never 00:34:05.685 --> 00:34:07.425 used it before, but you know, blah, blah, blah. 00:34:07.455 --> 00:34:08.025 Here we go. 00:34:08.385 --> 00:34:10.215 And I'm like, what is happening right now 00:34:10.245 --> 00:34:12.465 is there's this like something happening 00:34:12.465 --> 00:34:14.205 I'm not aware of, but yeah, it's been crazy. 00:34:14.205 --> 00:34:16.485 Like, um, the types of people we've been 00:34:16.485 --> 00:34:17.715 having coming in and the like from 00:34:17.715 --> 00:34:19.005 different backgrounds and everything. 00:34:19.275 --> 00:34:19.995 It's awesome. 00:34:20.415 --> 00:34:22.589 You know, seeing people want to get 00:34:22.589 --> 00:34:24.419 educated about firearms and actually taking 00:34:24.419 --> 00:34:26.040 an active interest in them and right. 00:34:26.040 --> 00:34:28.710 And then, you know, once you become a firearms 00:34:28.710 --> 00:34:31.049 owner, because it's so tied to politics, right. 00:34:31.049 --> 00:34:33.480 You really start to paying attention to 00:34:33.480 --> 00:34:35.159 what's going on out there because it's just, 00:34:35.279 --> 00:34:36.089 it's part of your life. 00:34:36.089 --> 00:34:37.250 It affects you directly, right? 00:34:37.259 --> 00:34:39.870 Like, um, policies and stuff like that. 00:34:39.870 --> 00:34:42.120 So it's, it's not just about owning guns. 00:34:42.120 --> 00:34:44.609 I feel like having your gun license, uh, really 00:34:44.609 --> 00:34:47.520 opens up your, your thought processes to, you 00:34:47.520 --> 00:34:49.049 know, other stuff that's going on in the world. 00:34:49.679 --> 00:34:52.710 You know, when COVID hit my mother-in-law, 00:34:52.889 --> 00:34:55.199 who is the last person who should ever have a 00:34:55.199 --> 00:34:58.980 firearm says, Trav, I'm really thinking I should 00:34:58.980 --> 00:35:00.149 get myself a firearm. 00:35:00.180 --> 00:35:01.620 Can you tell me what I got to do here? 00:35:01.649 --> 00:35:04.890 And I saw, that was probably the aha moment 00:35:04.890 --> 00:35:07.049 for me, when I really saw the shift in people 00:35:07.049 --> 00:35:08.819 because that's one person who's always 00:35:09.359 --> 00:35:11.189 had a very negative view of firearms, 00:35:11.189 --> 00:35:14.040 to all of a sudden thinking, I'm scared 00:35:14.160 --> 00:35:16.529 and things are changing. 00:35:16.529 --> 00:35:17.939 And maybe I should be a little more 00:35:17.939 --> 00:35:21.075 proactive about my personal protection 00:35:21.075 --> 00:35:21.885 and self defense. 00:35:21.915 --> 00:35:25.235 And that's the faux pa to talk about in Canada. 00:35:25.235 --> 00:35:26.355 In the states, it's something that 00:35:26.745 --> 00:35:27.405 people talk about. 00:35:27.435 --> 00:35:29.325 There are sections in the criminal code that do 00:35:29.325 --> 00:35:32.205 permit for it and all the rest, but it's something 00:35:32.205 --> 00:35:36.615 that in the firearms community, nobody 00:35:36.615 --> 00:35:37.455 wants to talk about. 00:35:37.815 --> 00:35:38.235 Yeah, for sure. 00:35:38.235 --> 00:35:40.905 I mean, it's, it's faux pa and I think 00:35:40.905 --> 00:35:43.965 it's more so, depending on who's in power. 00:35:44.115 --> 00:35:47.025 Um, but it's funny to see, and I don't mean 00:35:47.025 --> 00:35:50.115 this in a negative way, but, um, you know, as 00:35:50.115 --> 00:35:53.775 soon as you realize that, um, something serious 00:35:53.775 --> 00:35:57.375 can happen and, you know, you help might not 00:35:57.375 --> 00:35:58.365 be a phone call away. 00:35:59.085 --> 00:36:02.595 You know, every, you know, hardcore anti-gun 00:36:02.595 --> 00:36:04.395 this and anti-gun that they're, they're lining 00:36:04.395 --> 00:36:06.885 up to, to buy guns and like that's okay. 00:36:06.885 --> 00:36:07.965 And I don't mind that it's great. 00:36:07.965 --> 00:36:09.135 The more that are out there, the harder 00:36:09.135 --> 00:36:09.945 they are to take away. 00:36:10.665 --> 00:36:14.460 Um, but you know, it's interesting that 00:36:14.640 --> 00:36:17.310 that's what it takes for people to open up 00:36:17.310 --> 00:36:19.410 their, um, mindset. 00:36:19.710 --> 00:36:21.960 You know what I mean, to do that. 00:36:21.960 --> 00:36:25.470 Whereas for me, you know, got, a gun to 00:36:25.470 --> 00:36:30.569 me is not this glowing sphere of hot energy 00:36:30.569 --> 00:36:31.200 or anything like that. 00:36:31.440 --> 00:36:33.629 It's just, it's a tool, you know, you hunt 00:36:33.629 --> 00:36:35.730 with it, you shoot it, it is what it is. 00:36:35.759 --> 00:36:37.379 If it's unloaded it, ain't going to do 00:36:37.379 --> 00:36:40.080 anything, you know, so it's interesting the 00:36:40.080 --> 00:36:41.759 than the past year and a half, the types of people 00:36:41.759 --> 00:36:42.629 we've been seeing and. 00:36:43.529 --> 00:36:46.319 Um, what's really cool is them coming into 00:36:46.319 --> 00:36:48.029 the store and then realizing that it's 00:36:48.029 --> 00:36:49.740 like, it's not like the movies were not where 00:36:49.740 --> 00:36:52.710 some crotchety old guns or where, you know, we 00:36:52.710 --> 00:36:54.240 don't want to help people and stuff like that. 00:36:54.240 --> 00:36:57.330 We, we, we do take an interest in, you know, 00:36:57.330 --> 00:37:00.180 I call it our customer success in, you know, 00:37:00.540 --> 00:37:01.680 firearm ownership so. 00:37:02.310 --> 00:37:02.759 Cool. 00:37:02.819 --> 00:37:03.120 Yeah, man. 00:37:03.509 --> 00:37:08.370 Well, with the, um, operating a firearms 00:37:08.370 --> 00:37:11.565 business is so heavily regulated. 00:37:11.654 --> 00:37:14.865 It's a weird thing because it's so tightly 00:37:14.865 --> 00:37:18.044 controlled in some ways and so unbelievably 00:37:18.044 --> 00:37:19.875 gray and other ways. 00:37:19.904 --> 00:37:20.115 Yeah. 00:37:20.115 --> 00:37:22.665 I think you, I think, you know, a lot about that. 00:37:22.845 --> 00:37:23.644 Um, but yeah. 00:37:23.644 --> 00:37:25.004 I do know a lot about that. 00:37:25.365 --> 00:37:26.205 It's insane, man. 00:37:26.205 --> 00:37:28.335 Like, um, and that's what's really frustrating 00:37:28.335 --> 00:37:31.785 is that a lot of people like, like I'll just 00:37:31.785 --> 00:37:32.294 throw it out there. 00:37:32.294 --> 00:37:34.754 Like the, the ban that happened a year ago 00:37:34.754 --> 00:37:36.315 with the OIC, right? 00:37:36.315 --> 00:37:39.075 Like everyone thought like, oh my God, like, 00:37:39.075 --> 00:37:41.145 yay, rah, rah, that was on the other, on 00:37:41.145 --> 00:37:42.044 the anti-gun side. 00:37:42.044 --> 00:37:43.935 And then like you just like pick the top 00:37:43.935 --> 00:37:45.015 scab off that right. 00:37:45.015 --> 00:37:47.565 And it's just utter and I'm sorry for 00:37:47.565 --> 00:37:48.765 my french, dog shit. 00:37:49.424 --> 00:37:51.404 Like you can tell that no thought or 00:37:51.435 --> 00:37:52.335 effort went into it. 00:37:52.335 --> 00:37:53.205 And it's the same thing. 00:37:53.205 --> 00:37:55.065 Like it is a tightly controlled industry, 00:37:55.065 --> 00:37:57.765 but there's not a lot of guidance from anyone as 00:37:57.765 --> 00:38:01.634 to, like there's no 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 step as to, 00:38:02.024 --> 00:38:03.645 you know, what kind of security you need, what 00:38:03.645 --> 00:38:06.915 kind of, um, you know, what kind of records 00:38:06.915 --> 00:38:08.625 you need to keep and all this kind of stuff. 00:38:08.625 --> 00:38:11.370 It's like, here's the goal, figure out 00:38:11.370 --> 00:38:11.970 how to get there. 00:38:12.570 --> 00:38:15.570 And that's, can be really frustrating um, 00:38:15.630 --> 00:38:18.750 in general, but can also be very detrimental to 00:38:18.960 --> 00:38:22.710 new businesses opening up and people who, you know, 00:38:23.160 --> 00:38:25.200 and the other thing too, province to province. 00:38:25.320 --> 00:38:28.620 Um, you know, as you know, depending on who's 00:38:28.620 --> 00:38:31.020 doing inspections and all this kind of stuff, like 00:38:31.050 --> 00:38:31.920 the rules are different. 00:38:32.100 --> 00:38:34.710 Like you can have one year everything's great. 00:38:35.220 --> 00:38:37.080 The next year, you're the worst gun store ever. 00:38:37.080 --> 00:38:39.510 And you need to completely pull, tear 00:38:39.510 --> 00:38:41.250 everything apart and rebuild, you know, 00:38:41.250 --> 00:38:42.810 whatever aspect they're not happy with. 00:38:43.290 --> 00:38:45.020 So it can be really discouraging and, 00:38:45.030 --> 00:38:47.970 uh, it really can ruin, you know, put 00:38:47.970 --> 00:38:48.720 it on the far end. 00:38:48.720 --> 00:38:50.250 I think it would ruin a lot of people's lives. 00:38:50.550 --> 00:38:53.160 Does, so it really can. 00:38:53.190 --> 00:38:55.230 And I agree with that in the, when it comes 00:38:55.230 --> 00:38:57.780 down to the ambiguity in the grayness of 00:38:57.780 --> 00:39:01.080 it, you can just, as a general firearms owner, 00:39:01.080 --> 00:39:02.790 people know you can call up, you can talk 00:39:02.790 --> 00:39:05.520 to one representative on one day and get one 00:39:05.520 --> 00:39:06.990 answer and you can get a completely different 00:39:06.990 --> 00:39:07.900 answer on the next day. 00:39:07.930 --> 00:39:08.940 And they. 00:39:09.960 --> 00:39:11.595 Or just bloody checking a PAL. 00:39:11.805 --> 00:39:12.165 Right. 00:39:12.194 --> 00:39:12.825 Validity. 00:39:12.825 --> 00:39:14.294 You know, you get three different 00:39:14.294 --> 00:39:15.464 answers with three different phone calls. 00:39:15.705 --> 00:39:17.115 Do I need their phone number? 00:39:17.115 --> 00:39:18.134 Do I need their address? 00:39:18.134 --> 00:39:19.214 Do I need their blood type? 00:39:19.214 --> 00:39:19.904 Do I need this? 00:39:20.145 --> 00:39:22.365 Do I need the last five digits after the decimal? 00:39:22.694 --> 00:39:23.504 All this kind of stuff. 00:39:23.924 --> 00:39:25.665 And you know, you can call one person with 00:39:25.665 --> 00:39:28.395 just a name and date of birth and a PAL and 00:39:28.395 --> 00:39:29.234 they'll say yes or no. 00:39:29.265 --> 00:39:30.524 Then the other person will say, no, you 00:39:30.524 --> 00:39:32.004 need this set of rules and then no, 00:39:32.024 --> 00:39:33.765 you need, you know, going down the line. 00:39:33.765 --> 00:39:34.924 And it's, it's crazy. 00:39:35.115 --> 00:39:37.125 So from an individual owner standpoint, 00:39:37.154 --> 00:39:38.024 that's frustrating. 00:39:38.265 --> 00:39:38.654 Oh yeah. 00:39:38.685 --> 00:39:41.835 From a firearms business owners standpoint, 00:39:41.895 --> 00:39:44.595 this is your livelihood and one person's 00:39:44.595 --> 00:39:47.714 opinion on policy, not necessarily legislation 00:39:47.714 --> 00:39:51.225 or regulation, one person's opinion can 00:39:51.285 --> 00:39:54.495 make or break what you're doing until you find 00:39:54.495 --> 00:39:56.794 another opinion that's contrary or that, that. 00:39:57.105 --> 00:39:58.634 Yeah, my mortgage doesn't get paid. 00:39:59.294 --> 00:39:59.955 You know what I mean? 00:39:59.955 --> 00:40:00.705 It's not, for me. 00:40:00.705 --> 00:40:03.435 It's not like, oh, I don't get to go shoot 00:40:03.435 --> 00:40:04.575 my 22 this weekend. 00:40:04.575 --> 00:40:06.825 For me, it puts food on my table. 00:40:06.825 --> 00:40:08.115 It's how I pay my mortgage. 00:40:08.115 --> 00:40:09.404 It's everything. 00:40:09.555 --> 00:40:10.754 Does that sit in the back of your head? 00:40:10.785 --> 00:40:11.625 Oh, constantly. 00:40:11.714 --> 00:40:12.384 How can it not? 00:40:12.384 --> 00:40:12.605 Right. 00:40:12.605 --> 00:40:12.975 Totally. 00:40:12.975 --> 00:40:15.555 And especially when it comes to things like 00:40:15.555 --> 00:40:17.845 that should be so simple and cut and dry as pol, 00:40:17.865 --> 00:40:21.044 as firearm policy, um, that it's interpreted 00:40:21.105 --> 00:40:22.995 20 different ways by 20 different people. 00:40:22.995 --> 00:40:25.035 And no one really knows the answer. 00:40:25.064 --> 00:40:28.030 It's like, as I just said that it sounds insane, 00:40:28.210 --> 00:40:30.560 but if you're a Canadian gun owner, you know. 00:40:30.970 --> 00:40:31.190 Well, it 00:40:31.210 --> 00:40:31.780 is insane. 00:40:31.900 --> 00:40:32.170 Yeah. 00:40:32.500 --> 00:40:35.680 And not only that it can affect your livelihood, 00:40:35.890 --> 00:40:37.720 it can affect your personal freedom as well. 00:40:37.879 --> 00:40:38.409 For sure. 00:40:38.409 --> 00:40:42.110 100%, there was, um, the gentleman 00:40:42.210 --> 00:40:43.430 Sureshot in Poco. 00:40:43.430 --> 00:40:44.875 I dunno if you remember that shop there. 00:40:45.175 --> 00:40:47.995 Yeah, actually I've probably got a file here 00:40:47.995 --> 00:40:50.065 that, uh, that he handed over to me because. 00:40:50.065 --> 00:40:51.925 Yeah, he's one of the nicest dudes. 00:40:52.315 --> 00:40:52.995 So nice. 00:40:53.005 --> 00:40:56.785 And he grew up, uh, my wife grew up, uh, in the 00:40:56.785 --> 00:40:58.165 same complex as he was. 00:40:58.255 --> 00:41:01.345 And, uh, when he opened Sureshot the that's, what 00:41:01.345 --> 00:41:01.995 it was called, right? 00:41:01.995 --> 00:41:02.335 Mhmm. 00:41:02.335 --> 00:41:02.585 Yeah. 00:41:03.315 --> 00:41:04.745 I remember like walking into that place, I 00:41:04.765 --> 00:41:07.285 was like, this is the dopest gun store I've 00:41:07.285 --> 00:41:08.005 ever walked into. 00:41:08.005 --> 00:41:09.985 I was like, he had everything bad-ass 00:41:10.345 --> 00:41:11.905 that every gun store should have had, he 00:41:11.905 --> 00:41:14.595 had bulk ammo, he had tons of handguns. 00:41:14.935 --> 00:41:16.345 It was so, and him and his wife were the 00:41:16.345 --> 00:41:18.085 nicest people right. 00:41:18.085 --> 00:41:21.155 And, and, you know, his story is a prime example. 00:41:21.155 --> 00:41:22.045 It is so sad. 00:41:22.195 --> 00:41:22.405 Yeah. 00:41:22.435 --> 00:41:23.215 It it's ridiculous. 00:41:23.245 --> 00:41:25.285 And the worst part about it is he was a 00:41:25.285 --> 00:41:28.585 sacrificial lamb at a point where, uh, gangs 00:41:28.585 --> 00:41:31.675 and, um, you know, shootings were happening 00:41:31.705 --> 00:41:35.605 and he was just, they needed somebody to, um, 00:41:36.595 --> 00:41:38.695 I don't know, like make a headline and he knew. 00:41:39.779 --> 00:41:41.520 Yeah, it was just super sad and he never 00:41:41.520 --> 00:41:42.330 did anything wrong. 00:41:42.330 --> 00:41:44.879 And that's an example of worst case 00:41:44.879 --> 00:41:45.930 scenario obviously. 00:41:46.220 --> 00:41:48.810 Somewhere floating around in a secure filing 00:41:48.810 --> 00:41:51.779 cabinet, I've got I've was asked to opine on 00:41:51.779 --> 00:41:52.919 his case at one point. 00:41:53.669 --> 00:41:56.609 And so I got to look at the ins and outs 00:41:56.609 --> 00:41:58.890 of what happened to him, into his wife. 00:42:00.029 --> 00:42:05.220 And it was extremely troubling to look 00:42:05.250 --> 00:42:07.439 at the process that he was put through. 00:42:07.560 --> 00:42:10.410 Now, he was an immigrant, I believe 00:42:10.410 --> 00:42:12.509 he did, he, he had full Canadian citizenship. 00:42:12.689 --> 00:42:13.279 Oh, I don't know. 00:42:13.359 --> 00:42:14.759 I don't know the extent of that part. 00:42:14.759 --> 00:42:15.060 Right. 00:42:15.569 --> 00:42:17.910 So I'm looking through the video clips that 00:42:17.910 --> 00:42:20.970 were provided over of the take-down and the raid. 00:42:21.120 --> 00:42:27.210 Um, essentially, uh, he was being accused of, um, 00:42:27.299 --> 00:42:28.420 a whole bunch of things. 00:42:28.480 --> 00:42:30.375 Like a whole bunch of things. 00:42:30.375 --> 00:42:33.375 None of which had any, any, uh, value 00:42:33.375 --> 00:42:34.215 that I could see. 00:42:34.305 --> 00:42:35.775 Or like basis in reality. 00:42:35.835 --> 00:42:38.295 Or any basis in reality, uh, this was 00:42:38.295 --> 00:42:41.955 during a time when a magazine importation was 00:42:41.985 --> 00:42:46.125 permitted, provided, it was, uh, pinned and, uh. 00:42:46.155 --> 00:42:46.395 Yeah. 00:42:46.605 --> 00:42:48.705 And I dunno, you can correct me if I'm wrong. 00:42:48.705 --> 00:42:50.715 It wasn't that just like a paper, like, it was 00:42:50.715 --> 00:42:53.595 like a flip of the switch paperwork kind of thing 00:42:53.595 --> 00:42:54.285 that happened to him. 00:42:54.285 --> 00:42:54.945 Like it was. 00:42:54.975 --> 00:42:57.175 He had it as a condition on his business license. 00:42:57.175 --> 00:42:57.475 Yeah, that's what. 00:42:57.475 --> 00:42:59.085 That he was able to take these things in. 00:42:59.085 --> 00:43:02.115 And so what happened from my recollection 00:43:02.115 --> 00:43:06.665 here, uh, was that, I think it was a relative 00:43:06.665 --> 00:43:08.955 of his, had shipped some magazines up from the 00:43:08.955 --> 00:43:12.365 states up to a, um, like a ups store or something 00:43:12.365 --> 00:43:14.535 like this, but they were all properly pinned. 00:43:14.555 --> 00:43:17.135 They're all a legal, everything as it ought to 00:43:17.135 --> 00:43:20.825 be, there may have been something overlooked on 00:43:20.825 --> 00:43:23.045 the export side from US. 00:43:23.045 --> 00:43:25.025 I'm not sure I'm not, I don't know the 00:43:25.025 --> 00:43:27.665 US ,laws in an out, but not none of that 00:43:27.665 --> 00:43:28.535 was being alleged. 00:43:28.865 --> 00:43:30.905 All I recall is looking back on it saying like, 00:43:30.905 --> 00:43:32.645 if they wanted to try and make something, maybe 00:43:32.645 --> 00:43:35.165 they could try and do something there, but it 00:43:35.165 --> 00:43:38.075 went to the, I think it was a ups postal store 00:43:38.075 --> 00:43:38.885 or wherever it was. 00:43:39.665 --> 00:43:42.245 I came to the customs first, customs looks 00:43:42.245 --> 00:43:44.285 at it, police say, send it on through. 00:43:44.555 --> 00:43:47.255 And we'll send one of our guys to act as a 00:43:47.255 --> 00:43:48.575 post office person. 00:43:48.575 --> 00:43:50.255 And so when he comes through, then we can 00:43:50.255 --> 00:43:53.615 verify, and we can do a bit of a, uh, a takedown. 00:43:54.404 --> 00:43:56.294 Anyways, they do that and they don't take 00:43:56.294 --> 00:43:57.254 them down at the store. 00:43:57.254 --> 00:43:59.595 They give him the stuff he's got this package, 00:43:59.625 --> 00:44:02.714 which arguably he's got no idea what's in it. 00:44:03.404 --> 00:44:05.895 Maybe he does, maybe he doesn't, I don't know. 00:44:06.314 --> 00:44:09.194 Um, and they take them down to the front of his 00:44:09.194 --> 00:44:12.404 store saying that he's now importing magazines. 00:44:12.734 --> 00:44:15.825 Well, that was the valid business condition that 00:44:15.825 --> 00:44:16.785 he had on his license. 00:44:16.785 --> 00:44:19.515 They've didn't lock him up, I believe 00:44:19.515 --> 00:44:21.254 they detained his wife for a bit. 00:44:21.285 --> 00:44:22.365 They went to his house. 00:44:22.365 --> 00:44:23.595 Yeah, they raided his house and they're 00:44:23.595 --> 00:44:25.185 like, he's got a sawed off shotgun. 00:44:25.214 --> 00:44:26.415 And then they had it on the front 00:44:26.415 --> 00:44:27.134 page of the paper. 00:44:27.134 --> 00:44:28.394 And it was just like a regular shotgun. 00:44:28.394 --> 00:44:30.585 And armor piercing ammunition, right? 00:44:30.975 --> 00:44:33.345 All of these things, none of which is illegal. 00:44:33.705 --> 00:44:35.325 None of the points that he did and 00:44:35.325 --> 00:44:37.095 the crown council that was involved. 00:44:37.095 --> 00:44:38.924 I happened to know that crown council 00:44:39.555 --> 00:44:42.785 and I've had numerous conversations with them. 00:44:44.294 --> 00:44:47.085 Uh, offered him some deals and said, 00:44:47.145 --> 00:44:48.765 tell you what, we'll make it all go away. 00:44:48.795 --> 00:44:50.295 You just agree to this, we can make 00:44:50.295 --> 00:44:50.835 it all go away. 00:44:50.835 --> 00:44:52.555 You agree to that, we'll make it all go away. 00:44:52.555 --> 00:44:54.495 And the deals got diminishing more and more 00:44:54.495 --> 00:44:57.225 until finally they came out and they said they 00:44:57.225 --> 00:44:59.174 essentially held his wife hostage, his wife who's 00:44:59.174 --> 00:45:02.444 having medical problems and they ruined him. 00:45:02.595 --> 00:45:05.565 They ruined this one firearms business owner 00:45:05.595 --> 00:45:07.365 due to his lack of understanding of the 00:45:07.365 --> 00:45:11.625 Canadian legal process and bully tactics. 00:45:11.714 --> 00:45:13.214 Guilty through due process. 00:45:13.515 --> 00:45:13.754 Right. 00:45:13.785 --> 00:45:14.895 It's something that floats around in 00:45:14.895 --> 00:45:16.214 our industry quite a, quite a bit. 00:45:16.424 --> 00:45:16.754 Right. 00:45:16.785 --> 00:45:19.004 You're not guilty of anything you're guilty 00:45:19.004 --> 00:45:21.345 through the process is what makes you guilty. 00:45:21.345 --> 00:45:23.384 It makes you broke, it makes you unable 00:45:23.384 --> 00:45:24.765 to do anything else. 00:45:25.035 --> 00:45:25.275 Right. 00:45:25.305 --> 00:45:28.785 So, yeah, that's, it's an unfortunate part of 00:45:28.785 --> 00:45:29.625 what we do, you know. 00:45:29.685 --> 00:45:32.504 So what do you do to protect 00:45:32.504 --> 00:45:33.315 yourself from that? 00:45:34.575 --> 00:45:35.145 Oh, man. 00:45:35.145 --> 00:45:36.795 I mean, you've always got to stay on top 00:45:36.795 --> 00:45:41.865 of, you know, any changes in legislature. 00:45:42.885 --> 00:45:45.495 I've always had a thing, like always 00:45:45.495 --> 00:45:46.425 go above and beyond. 00:45:46.515 --> 00:45:49.695 If they, if the goalpost is a hundred yards 00:45:49.725 --> 00:45:51.315 go 300 yards, like, you know what I mean? 00:45:51.315 --> 00:45:53.925 Like always go above and beyond, that way there's 00:45:53.925 --> 00:45:56.145 no question like that. 00:45:56.925 --> 00:45:58.095 It's all about intent, right? 00:45:58.285 --> 00:46:00.155 That's what everything boils down to in the, 00:46:00.155 --> 00:46:01.065 in the legal world. 00:46:01.515 --> 00:46:05.385 Um, and if you show intent that you were 00:46:05.385 --> 00:46:06.915 doing the right thing and you wanted to do 00:46:06.915 --> 00:46:08.625 the right thing, it covers you to an extent. 00:46:08.655 --> 00:46:10.815 I mean, at the end of the day, it's ultimately 00:46:10.815 --> 00:46:14.685 up to crown and whoever else to do what they want 00:46:14.685 --> 00:46:17.295 to do, but it's always about covering your ass 00:46:17.295 --> 00:46:19.305 and just doing as much as you possibly can. 00:46:19.485 --> 00:46:19.995 Um. 00:46:20.055 --> 00:46:21.915 Does that alienate the client base because 00:46:21.915 --> 00:46:23.215 you're going to have client base who're like, 00:46:23.235 --> 00:46:25.395 this is a bare minimum that you have to meet and 00:46:25.395 --> 00:46:26.625 why are you going above? 00:46:26.925 --> 00:46:27.195 Yeah. 00:46:27.225 --> 00:46:31.665 I mean, we, we have certain things we will 00:46:31.665 --> 00:46:34.605 abide by and like, or not abide by, but like 00:46:34.605 --> 00:46:36.825 certain measures we do take as a business that's 00:46:36.825 --> 00:46:37.845 not forced upon us. 00:46:38.295 --> 00:46:40.455 Um, but there's certain things we just like 00:46:40.545 --> 00:46:43.740 that we've, that have been requested of 00:46:43.740 --> 00:46:45.660 us on that we just flat out won't do. 00:46:45.660 --> 00:46:46.850 And like a big ones, obviously 00:46:46.850 --> 00:46:49.529 non-restricted's, um, stuff like that. 00:46:49.529 --> 00:46:51.089 It's, it's not required. 00:46:51.210 --> 00:46:52.680 It's none of our business, you 00:46:52.680 --> 00:46:53.190 know, move on. 00:46:53.200 --> 00:46:55.470 It's not like I know some companies do record 00:46:56.669 --> 00:46:57.660 non-restricted stuff. 00:46:57.750 --> 00:47:01.050 Um, but yeah, I mean, It's all about the ebb 00:47:01.050 --> 00:47:02.700 and flow of what works for your company and 00:47:02.700 --> 00:47:05.070 what your, you know, and what's your, essentially 00:47:05.070 --> 00:47:06.990 what you're willing to die on the cross, on what 00:47:06.990 --> 00:47:08.280 it boils down to, right? 00:47:08.280 --> 00:47:10.590 Like something, something, you know, is 00:47:10.650 --> 00:47:12.990 either right or wrong and you go down that 00:47:12.990 --> 00:47:14.880 route and our customers are always covered. 00:47:15.030 --> 00:47:18.090 So it's never a case where we're going 00:47:18.090 --> 00:47:19.380 to take advantage of our customers. 00:47:20.255 --> 00:47:21.605 Sure to fashion whatsoever. 00:47:21.785 --> 00:47:22.235 Totally. 00:47:22.295 --> 00:47:25.955 We do what we can on our end and Jesus take the 00:47:25.955 --> 00:47:26.765 wheel on the rest of it. 00:47:26.915 --> 00:47:27.245 Yeah. 00:47:27.695 --> 00:47:30.154 Well, you know, dying on the cross bout some 00:47:30.154 --> 00:47:32.705 of these things are sometimes you look at it 00:47:33.455 --> 00:47:35.915 and you might have your own personal political 00:47:35.915 --> 00:47:37.685 feelings on something, but then you have to 00:47:37.775 --> 00:47:40.235 take into account the repercussions of what 00:47:40.235 --> 00:47:42.575 those feelings will have for you, your 00:47:42.575 --> 00:47:43.625 wife, do you have kids? 00:47:43.745 --> 00:47:44.465 No, no kids. 00:47:44.525 --> 00:47:44.855 I got. 00:47:46.945 --> 00:47:49.685 And a, and your coworkers and those who work 00:47:49.685 --> 00:47:51.545 with you and you have to start trying to 00:47:51.575 --> 00:47:52.415 juggle all of that. 00:47:52.415 --> 00:47:55.025 I mean, it's not for the faint of heart. 00:47:55.115 --> 00:47:55.865 It's definitely not. 00:47:55.955 --> 00:47:57.605 To get into business. 00:47:57.695 --> 00:48:00.125 There's a reason why my solitude spot is a bar. 00:48:02.785 --> 00:48:04.415 It's not for the faint of heart to get into 00:48:04.415 --> 00:48:05.675 a firearms business. 00:48:05.705 --> 00:48:06.575 Oh, definitely not. 00:48:07.135 --> 00:48:11.150 , but if you follow your heart, like what you're 00:48:11.150 --> 00:48:13.610 talking about, what would you, what advice would 00:48:13.610 --> 00:48:15.440 you give to somebody who says, look, I really 00:48:15.440 --> 00:48:16.460 want to get into this. 00:48:16.640 --> 00:48:20.780 Like for me personally, I tell my kids, if 00:48:20.780 --> 00:48:22.250 you want to get into a firearms business, 00:48:22.760 --> 00:48:23.540 that's up to you. 00:48:23.840 --> 00:48:24.680 You're on your own though. 00:48:24.980 --> 00:48:26.660 I mean, it's not something that I'm 00:48:26.660 --> 00:48:30.980 going to support because there are easier ways to 00:48:31.040 --> 00:48:33.530 generate a living, but it might not necessarily 00:48:33.620 --> 00:48:35.930 necessarily align with what your passions are. 00:48:36.260 --> 00:48:36.830 Yeah, for sure. 00:48:36.830 --> 00:48:41.900 I mean, I learned pretty quick on, um, that, um, 00:48:42.710 --> 00:48:44.870 you know, my mother died when I was very young, 00:48:44.870 --> 00:48:46.040 so, or when I was young. 00:48:46.220 --> 00:48:50.240 So I knew that I did not want to live a life. 00:48:50.510 --> 00:48:53.420 Like it's a mundane box, filing paperwork. 00:48:53.780 --> 00:48:56.785 I knew that that's a risk I was willing to take. 00:48:57.355 --> 00:48:59.455 Um, but as far as like somebody wanting to get 00:48:59.455 --> 00:49:01.705 into it, um, w always find somebody who's 00:49:01.705 --> 00:49:05.125 smarter than you, and just learn as much as 00:49:05.125 --> 00:49:07.855 you can from them and be humble about what you 00:49:07.855 --> 00:49:10.375 thought the answer was, versus what reality is. 00:49:11.035 --> 00:49:12.625 Um, and be able to accept that. 00:49:12.625 --> 00:49:15.925 And like a prime example is like, it's hard, 00:49:16.165 --> 00:49:19.975 like getting approvals and licensing and, you 00:49:19.975 --> 00:49:21.475 know, the inspections and everything to 00:49:21.475 --> 00:49:22.555 open up a business. 00:49:22.645 --> 00:49:25.345 And, you know, you have to jump through the 00:49:25.345 --> 00:49:26.575 hoops and it's expensive. 00:49:26.965 --> 00:49:29.185 Um, and it is what it is. 00:49:29.185 --> 00:49:32.305 But at the end of the day, if firearms is 00:49:32.305 --> 00:49:35.125 your passion, then I mean, who cares? 00:49:35.185 --> 00:49:36.415 I mean, it's, it is what it is. 00:49:36.415 --> 00:49:37.955 You're either doing it or you're not, and. 00:49:38.335 --> 00:49:38.665 Right. 00:49:39.145 --> 00:49:40.465 The strong will get through it. 00:49:40.465 --> 00:49:42.235 And the guys who weren't meant to do it, 00:49:42.595 --> 00:49:43.945 you know, there'll be doing something else. 00:49:43.975 --> 00:49:45.055 They'll find an excuse. 00:49:45.565 --> 00:49:46.735 It was the recession, or. 00:49:46.735 --> 00:49:47.195 Yeah exactly. 00:49:47.255 --> 00:49:48.055 It was COVID. 00:49:48.245 --> 00:49:48.955 Exactly right. 00:49:48.955 --> 00:49:50.815 There's always an excuse not to do what you 00:49:50.815 --> 00:49:52.255 really want in life. 00:49:52.285 --> 00:49:54.415 And I, I'm very lucky and don't get me wrong. 00:49:54.415 --> 00:49:58.795 Like you know, I will say I worked my way 00:49:58.795 --> 00:50:00.565 through it, but, or worked my way to where 00:50:00.565 --> 00:50:05.605 I'm at, but, um, you know, it is possible to 00:50:05.605 --> 00:50:08.125 do, um, you just got to grind it out and if you 00:50:08.125 --> 00:50:10.315 really love what you're doing, it's, it never 00:50:10.315 --> 00:50:11.305 really feels like work. 00:50:11.425 --> 00:50:11.995 You know what I mean? 00:50:12.025 --> 00:50:13.765 Even on like the worst days I ever, like, 00:50:13.765 --> 00:50:15.685 we always say it in the shop, like, you 00:50:15.685 --> 00:50:17.485 know, still better than filing paperwork. 00:50:17.755 --> 00:50:19.195 Like even if you're having the worst day, 00:50:19.435 --> 00:50:20.935 it's like, yeah, man, I'm still, but it's 00:50:20.935 --> 00:50:23.545 still better than, you know, a mundane job where 00:50:23.545 --> 00:50:25.105 you're not passionate about what you're doing. 00:50:25.105 --> 00:50:25.855 And, you know. 00:50:27.055 --> 00:50:29.845 You know, from a, uh, from the scariness side 00:50:29.875 --> 00:50:33.175 of operating a firearms business where the, the 00:50:33.175 --> 00:50:37.345 election happening next week, it could, um, 00:50:37.465 --> 00:50:40.015 well this one comes out the election happening 00:50:40.195 --> 00:50:41.875 probably that day. 00:50:42.985 --> 00:50:45.355 Um, could change everything for you. 00:50:45.475 --> 00:50:47.045 Yeah, for sure it can. 00:50:47.694 --> 00:50:48.355 How would you. 00:50:49.285 --> 00:50:51.205 I I've always looked at as, you know, if 00:50:51.205 --> 00:50:54.415 they outlawed firearms, maybe you only, the 00:50:54.535 --> 00:50:55.615 businesses have firearms. 00:50:55.615 --> 00:50:57.205 There's still a business model in place. 00:50:57.205 --> 00:50:58.675 There's always something that you can jump 00:50:58.675 --> 00:51:00.955 to if they say, Hey, uh, you can only use 00:51:00.955 --> 00:51:01.585 the indoor ranges. 00:51:01.585 --> 00:51:01.855 Okay. 00:51:01.855 --> 00:51:02.875 Set up an indoor range. 00:51:02.905 --> 00:51:04.105 Hey, these guns are illegal. 00:51:04.105 --> 00:51:07.015 Great, get it on the business license, work 00:51:07.015 --> 00:51:09.265 within the framework and then have the, there's 00:51:09.265 --> 00:51:13.645 always a business model regardless of how things 00:51:13.645 --> 00:51:16.345 work, but it does get harder and harder. 00:51:16.345 --> 00:51:18.835 How would you pivot essentially? 00:51:18.865 --> 00:51:19.255 Oh yeah. 00:51:19.255 --> 00:51:20.935 That's a, we actually. 00:51:21.595 --> 00:51:22.985 Cause I know you've thought about this. 00:51:22.985 --> 00:51:23.425 Oh yeah. 00:51:23.425 --> 00:51:24.475 I mean you have to, right. 00:51:24.475 --> 00:51:26.095 I mean, it is what it is like honestly, like 00:51:26.095 --> 00:51:27.715 one day someone could just flip a switch and 00:51:27.715 --> 00:51:29.005 it's not just like, oh, you know, you can't 00:51:29.005 --> 00:51:30.595 even pivot you're toast. 00:51:31.465 --> 00:51:33.655 Um, so you know, we'll talk about it 00:51:33.655 --> 00:51:35.005 in two breaths there. 00:51:35.005 --> 00:51:36.665 I mean the first one they flipped the switch, 00:51:37.115 --> 00:51:39.995 guns, guns are gone like overnight, like hand 00:51:39.995 --> 00:51:42.655 'em in, jackbooted thugs knocking on your door, 00:51:42.745 --> 00:51:43.615 all that fun stuff. 00:51:43.675 --> 00:51:43.945 Right. 00:51:44.365 --> 00:51:47.965 The crew guys I have, um, between my Craig, 00:51:48.065 --> 00:51:50.995 my partners, Craig and Marco, um, and the guys 00:51:50.995 --> 00:51:53.575 who work for me, like they're my family and 00:51:53.695 --> 00:51:55.705 whatever I'm doing, they're coming with me. 00:51:55.705 --> 00:51:57.415 Whether it's another business 00:51:57.415 --> 00:51:58.345 venture or whatever. 00:51:58.825 --> 00:52:01.345 Um, I'm making sure that my guys are 00:52:01.795 --> 00:52:02.245 coming with me. 00:52:02.245 --> 00:52:03.865 Cause they're, they're what makes the shop. 00:52:03.865 --> 00:52:07.365 I mean, you know, we can do as much as we can 00:52:07.385 --> 00:52:09.055 ordering and stuff like that at the end of the 00:52:09.055 --> 00:52:11.395 day, like I can't run the shop on myself, Craig 00:52:11.395 --> 00:52:13.195 can't run the shop, Marco can't run the shop, you 00:52:13.205 --> 00:52:14.935 got to have a good solid group of guys with you. 00:52:15.535 --> 00:52:18.835 Um, in regards to pivoting, I mean, you 00:52:18.835 --> 00:52:22.825 know, we, you know, you could pivot to, 00:52:23.155 --> 00:52:28.990 um, outdoor stuff, you know, like that's kind 00:52:28.990 --> 00:52:29.710 of our main thing. 00:52:29.740 --> 00:52:30.580 That would be your thing, right? 00:52:30.580 --> 00:52:33.100 Like I'm a gear guy, I'm a gear nut, I love gear. 00:52:33.100 --> 00:52:34.900 Back, like I got this ridiculous 00:52:34.900 --> 00:52:36.010 backpack collection. 00:52:36.790 --> 00:52:38.200 I just, I don't know what it is, man. 00:52:38.200 --> 00:52:40.450 I just buy backpack after backpack and 00:52:40.870 --> 00:52:42.820 you know, like just different stuff right? 00:52:42.820 --> 00:52:45.280 Like I got the, this new Mystery Ranch, one that 00:52:45.280 --> 00:52:47.440 came in with a that's like the wax canvas. 00:52:47.470 --> 00:52:47.710 Yeah. 00:52:47.770 --> 00:52:49.000 I just thought that was just like, that's 00:52:49.000 --> 00:52:50.860 it, man, that's that's backpack forever. 00:52:51.100 --> 00:52:51.310 Right. 00:52:51.310 --> 00:52:53.230 Before that was an Arc'Teryx and all those 00:52:53.230 --> 00:52:56.110 kinds of stuff and knives and out, you know, 00:52:56.170 --> 00:52:58.240 that's other aspects of being gun owners, right? 00:52:58.240 --> 00:52:59.920 Like you're always, you're usually outdoors 00:52:59.920 --> 00:53:02.050 and we're doing something in regards 00:53:02.110 --> 00:53:04.180 to that and like making outdoors, comfortable. 00:53:04.410 --> 00:53:07.690 You know, like chairs and stuff like 00:53:07.690 --> 00:53:09.190 that and cookware. 00:53:09.610 --> 00:53:10.930 So we'd probably do something like that, 00:53:10.930 --> 00:53:13.780 but honestly, like it would have to be like 00:53:13.930 --> 00:53:15.250 worst case scenario. 00:53:15.310 --> 00:53:19.360 Like I, like guns are my thing, guns, I live, 00:53:19.360 --> 00:53:20.350 breathe and die guns. 00:53:20.560 --> 00:53:22.060 I got a sense that you're kind of like 00:53:22.060 --> 00:53:24.760 me and so far is I'm extremely obstinante. 00:53:25.410 --> 00:53:29.380 I can be extremely, um, strong-willed and pig 00:53:29.380 --> 00:53:30.280 headed about things. 00:53:30.280 --> 00:53:35.770 And as I look at the gun path, um, there's always 00:53:35.770 --> 00:53:36.760 a way to make it work. 00:53:36.800 --> 00:53:37.130 Oh yeah. 00:53:37.570 --> 00:53:40.945 But, maybe taking a bit of a step back 00:53:40.945 --> 00:53:42.775 and saying, is there a better way that we can 00:53:42.775 --> 00:53:45.265 service a customers and service a client base? 00:53:45.265 --> 00:53:47.605 And as opposed to just trying to fight 00:53:47.875 --> 00:53:50.005 the current head on, can we ride this 00:53:50.005 --> 00:53:50.925 current in order to? 00:53:50.925 --> 00:53:51.035 Yeah. 00:53:51.035 --> 00:53:53.215 Well, I mean, there's so many, this is the thing, 00:53:53.215 --> 00:53:55.105 and this has been in the past like five years, 00:53:55.375 --> 00:53:57.925 there is some amazing Canadian companies. 00:53:58.105 --> 00:54:00.175 This is the thing, what I was from the start of 00:54:00.175 --> 00:54:01.375 the business, I never understood why there 00:54:01.405 --> 00:54:04.315 weren't more Canadian companies building guns, 00:54:04.765 --> 00:54:05.935 like from scratch, right. 00:54:05.935 --> 00:54:08.005 Because you don't, if it's non restricted, 00:54:08.125 --> 00:54:10.165 then the FRT becomes an opinion. 00:54:10.825 --> 00:54:11.065 Right. 00:54:11.065 --> 00:54:11.785 And stuff like that. 00:54:11.785 --> 00:54:13.405 And then, so you got these new companies, 00:54:13.405 --> 00:54:15.955 like, you know, um, Kodiak Defense. 00:54:15.955 --> 00:54:16.134 Yep. 00:54:16.375 --> 00:54:16.924 You've got. 00:54:16.964 --> 00:54:17.374 Oh they're great. 00:54:17.374 --> 00:54:17.584 Yeah. 00:54:17.584 --> 00:54:18.735 Spectre Ballistics. 00:54:19.035 --> 00:54:21.540 Uh, you've got Maple Ridge Armory. 00:54:22.420 --> 00:54:23.040 Ultimatum. 00:54:23.100 --> 00:54:24.290 Yeah, Ultimatum. 00:54:24.320 --> 00:54:24.450 IBI. 00:54:24.450 --> 00:54:27.480 Yeah, IBI, you know, PGW, you got KDX, you got all 00:54:27.480 --> 00:54:28.650 these amazing companies. 00:54:28.650 --> 00:54:28.890 Right. 00:54:29.130 --> 00:54:32.490 And then like, um, the fastest response, you 00:54:32.490 --> 00:54:36.300 know, to the change in, you know, the OIC ban, 00:54:36.630 --> 00:54:38.850 you know, um, Maple Ridge Armory came out with 00:54:38.850 --> 00:54:41.610 the, uh, the, sorry, the Renegade, which 00:54:41.610 --> 00:54:42.210 is the straightened. 00:54:42.660 --> 00:54:42.760 Right. 00:54:42.760 --> 00:54:45.120 I'm like, that's what this industry needs, it 00:54:45.120 --> 00:54:46.830 needs people like that. 00:54:46.830 --> 00:54:48.990 So that companies like us have something 00:54:48.990 --> 00:54:51.210 to pivot to, some different product right. 00:54:51.420 --> 00:54:52.920 And it's still a fantastic product. 00:54:52.920 --> 00:54:55.440 It's very, well-made, it has its purpose. 00:54:55.770 --> 00:54:59.280 Um, it may look like an AR, but it's not, but 00:54:59.280 --> 00:55:01.380 it's super cool to go shoot a deer with it. 00:55:01.500 --> 00:55:02.400 Uh, you know. 00:55:02.490 --> 00:55:04.260 You know, you're highlighting something, 00:55:04.350 --> 00:55:05.820 that's just kind of clicking in the back 00:55:05.820 --> 00:55:09.180 of my head because I couldn't agree more, 00:55:09.270 --> 00:55:11.130 you're 100%, right. 00:55:11.160 --> 00:55:13.170 That is what our market needs. 00:55:14.095 --> 00:55:17.605 And we have had people like that who pivot 00:55:17.605 --> 00:55:19.855 quite quickly and they will find, I don't 00:55:19.855 --> 00:55:23.305 want to say loopholes because that's how it's 00:55:23.305 --> 00:55:25.045 some people will, will define, Hey, you're 00:55:25.045 --> 00:55:26.125 just working a loophole. 00:55:26.215 --> 00:55:27.655 No, it says it's legal. 00:55:28.225 --> 00:55:30.295 So I'm making it based on the framework 00:55:30.295 --> 00:55:31.105 that you've provided. 00:55:31.225 --> 00:55:31.585 For sure. 00:55:31.645 --> 00:55:32.395 Joe Dlask. 00:55:32.455 --> 00:55:32.695 Yeah. 00:55:32.785 --> 00:55:35.275 And he would do that over and over again. 00:55:35.305 --> 00:55:38.005 I mean, he's done it with the 22 megs for the. 00:55:38.005 --> 00:55:39.175 Yeah, the tough 22. 00:55:39.325 --> 00:55:39.685 Right. 00:55:39.715 --> 00:55:41.455 And he would did it with like pump action 00:55:41.455 --> 00:55:43.175 AR is back in the day and he did. 00:55:43.175 --> 00:55:44.405 I remember those. 00:55:44.405 --> 00:55:44.765 Remember those? 00:55:44.765 --> 00:55:45.145 Those things were rad. 00:55:45.515 --> 00:55:45.585 Yeah. 00:55:45.585 --> 00:55:47.875 And he, over and over again, he's doing these 00:55:47.875 --> 00:55:50.755 pivoting, but the one thing in that whole 00:55:50.755 --> 00:55:55.495 piece of the puzzle, which I find, um, very 00:55:55.495 --> 00:55:59.465 difficult is the amount of love that a company 00:55:59.485 --> 00:56:02.035 will feel when they do that pivot, everyone 00:56:02.035 --> 00:56:03.685 says, Hey, we love and let's get behind them. 00:56:03.685 --> 00:56:06.625 And how quickly everybody runs away the second 00:56:06.625 --> 00:56:08.125 that things look a little bit scary. 00:56:08.125 --> 00:56:11.725 I have seen Joe drag through the mud on online 00:56:11.725 --> 00:56:14.905 forums for only doing things that are perfectly 00:56:14.905 --> 00:56:18.865 legal and that the firearms community wants. 00:56:18.985 --> 00:56:20.605 So the level of sticktuitiveness 00:56:20.665 --> 00:56:22.195 and co-operation. 00:56:22.315 --> 00:56:24.475 That's a canadian gun owner thing then. 00:56:24.475 --> 00:56:28.915 That's, if there's one thing that just drives me 00:56:28.915 --> 00:56:32.125 nuts about Canadian gun owners, it's that exactly 00:56:32.125 --> 00:56:34.735 what you just described it we're were own 00:56:34.735 --> 00:56:35.935 worst enemy sometimes. 00:56:35.935 --> 00:56:36.425 Why? 00:56:36.625 --> 00:56:36.815 Why? 00:56:36.835 --> 00:56:37.255 I have no idea. 00:56:37.255 --> 00:56:39.385 You got a guy like any company who's willing 00:56:39.385 --> 00:56:41.605 to, like, for example, what Joe is doing. 00:56:41.905 --> 00:56:47.095 He's, um, pushing the envelope of taking people 00:56:47.095 --> 00:56:48.475 to task, essentially. 00:56:48.715 --> 00:56:51.655 The people that say, you know, they say, 00:56:51.685 --> 00:56:53.815 oh, this is what, you know, the pump action 00:56:53.815 --> 00:56:56.125 AR oh, no, that's not okay because it's, it's 00:56:56.155 --> 00:56:57.295 like, no, it is okay. 00:56:57.415 --> 00:57:00.205 And that's how not just, you know, that, 00:57:00.205 --> 00:57:01.915 but other innovations are made that way. 00:57:01.915 --> 00:57:02.185 Right. 00:57:02.215 --> 00:57:02.635 Right. 00:57:02.845 --> 00:57:03.235 But yeah. 00:57:03.265 --> 00:57:06.505 I mean, gun owners, holy moly, man. 00:57:06.505 --> 00:57:08.215 Like they. 00:57:08.215 --> 00:57:08.785 Like Kodiak. 00:57:09.145 --> 00:57:09.535 Yeah. 00:57:09.535 --> 00:57:11.275 Like it's unbelievable. 00:57:11.275 --> 00:57:15.175 Like why, how vicious we can be to each other. 00:57:15.175 --> 00:57:16.915 And it's like a company, like, yeah, example 00:57:16.915 --> 00:57:20.245 like the Kodiak WK fiasco or whatever 00:57:20.245 --> 00:57:21.055 happened there right? 00:57:21.145 --> 00:57:21.205 Yeah. 00:57:21.970 --> 00:57:24.670 Like, are you guys kidding me? 00:57:24.670 --> 00:57:28.240 Like, did they brought to market a Canadian, 100% 00:57:28.240 --> 00:57:31.750 Canadian made semiauto, non-restricted firearm, 00:57:32.560 --> 00:57:35.320 during like one of the worst firearms ban 00:57:35.320 --> 00:57:37.420 since like the assault ban in 72 or whatever 00:57:37.420 --> 00:57:38.590 70, whatever it was. 00:57:39.100 --> 00:57:41.260 And it's like, what is wrong with you people? 00:57:41.260 --> 00:57:47.920 Like the company like, reverse five 00:57:47.920 --> 00:57:51.070 years ago and you did there wasn't a world 00:57:51.130 --> 00:57:54.280 where there'd be a sub $1,500 Canadian made 00:57:54.560 --> 00:57:56.770 223 that takes AR mags that's non-restricted. 00:57:56.970 --> 00:57:57.120 Right. 00:57:57.120 --> 00:57:58.060 Doesn't, doesn't exist. 00:57:58.090 --> 00:57:58.360 Right. 00:57:58.990 --> 00:58:00.850 You know, but there it is during one 00:58:00.850 --> 00:58:01.450 of the worst times. 00:58:02.680 --> 00:58:05.800 And, you know, people, people chose their sides 00:58:05.800 --> 00:58:07.960 of who they thought was right and wrong and. 00:58:07.990 --> 00:58:08.410 Right. 00:58:08.770 --> 00:58:09.100 You know. 00:58:09.250 --> 00:58:11.080 That's uh, so. 00:58:11.110 --> 00:58:12.130 We sell Kodiak by the way. 00:58:12.310 --> 00:58:12.790 Yeah. 00:58:12.970 --> 00:58:14.110 And I love Kodiak. 00:58:14.730 --> 00:58:15.340 Great guys. 00:58:15.700 --> 00:58:16.510 Awesome guys. 00:58:16.510 --> 00:58:16.720 Yeah. 00:58:17.080 --> 00:58:17.260 Uh. 00:58:17.270 --> 00:58:19.840 They, they were one of the first people I met, 00:58:19.960 --> 00:58:23.170 um, in the industry that like I dealt with. 00:58:23.170 --> 00:58:23.330 Yeah. 00:58:23.680 --> 00:58:26.560 Um, way back the, the two brothers and. 00:58:26.560 --> 00:58:26.830 Yeah. 00:58:26.930 --> 00:58:29.520 Just like the nicest guys on earth. 00:58:29.540 --> 00:58:30.610 Funny story about them. 00:58:30.700 --> 00:58:30.970 Yeah. 00:58:31.030 --> 00:58:32.410 So, you know, their shops right around 00:58:32.410 --> 00:58:33.160 the corner from us. 00:58:33.280 --> 00:58:34.090 Oh, I did not know that. 00:58:34.090 --> 00:58:34.330 No. 00:58:34.330 --> 00:58:34.600 Okay. 00:58:34.600 --> 00:58:38.365 So, I get there, there was a guy in this 00:58:38.365 --> 00:58:40.435 building complex that we're in right now and 00:58:40.435 --> 00:58:42.865 he would sleep upstairs in his shop and he 00:58:42.865 --> 00:58:44.845 says, oh no, it's a caretaker suite right. 00:58:44.875 --> 00:58:46.765 Even though I think actually this unit 00:58:46.795 --> 00:58:48.685 that we have here is a one license when 00:58:48.685 --> 00:58:49.765 that to be caretaker. 00:58:49.885 --> 00:58:50.935 Anyways, I digress. 00:58:51.485 --> 00:58:55.225 I get this like blurry cell phone pictures 00:58:55.525 --> 00:58:59.035 from him and he sending me pictures cause I 00:58:59.035 --> 00:59:02.515 guess the two brothers had rented a shop here 00:59:02.515 --> 00:59:05.545 and they're unloading a big old van full of 00:59:05.605 --> 00:59:08.785 Russian military looking crates and stuff. 00:59:09.175 --> 00:59:10.765 And he sending me all these services, all 00:59:10.765 --> 00:59:14.035 these nervous pictures, and I said, I'm going 00:59:14.035 --> 00:59:14.845 to contact the police. 00:59:14.845 --> 00:59:16.015 I'm going to contact this and I'm like, 00:59:16.555 --> 00:59:17.605 just hold on. 00:59:17.635 --> 00:59:18.925 This, isn't a Steven Seagal movie going down. 00:59:18.925 --> 00:59:20.635 Right, exactly. 00:59:21.205 --> 00:59:22.995 Just hold on a little bit right. 00:59:23.685 --> 00:59:26.395 Anyways, I think he actually did end up 00:59:26.395 --> 00:59:28.915 contacting somebody in all of this and. 00:59:29.860 --> 00:59:32.290 I, uh, while he's trying to contact, I 00:59:32.290 --> 00:59:34.180 contacted one of the firearms officers. 00:59:34.180 --> 00:59:35.800 I said, is there any business here? 00:59:35.830 --> 00:59:37.180 And he's like, nope, nope, there isn't. 00:59:37.390 --> 00:59:38.830 And I'm like, are you sure? 00:59:39.280 --> 00:59:40.510 And he comes back a little bit later. 00:59:40.510 --> 00:59:42.170 He's like, okay, hold on, I just double 00:59:42.170 --> 00:59:43.690 checked, yes, new business in there. 00:59:43.870 --> 00:59:46.390 Anyway, so it didn't help these two brothers that 00:59:46.390 --> 00:59:47.500 they're taller than me. 00:59:47.530 --> 00:59:48.640 I'm 6'6". 00:59:48.760 --> 00:59:48.910 Yeah. 00:59:49.120 --> 00:59:49.840 And these guys. 00:59:49.840 --> 00:59:50.990 Two monsters, probably in trench coats. 00:59:51.190 --> 00:59:51.830 Yeah, they were. 00:59:51.830 --> 00:59:51.950 They were. 00:59:51.950 --> 00:59:52.060 Yeah. 00:59:52.060 --> 00:59:52.890 Leather jackets. 00:59:53.020 --> 00:59:53.270 Yeah. 00:59:53.680 --> 00:59:56.620 Man they look like just Russian mafia, 00:59:56.650 --> 00:59:58.930 but they are the salt of the earth. 00:59:59.340 --> 01:00:00.680 Oh go, like, yeah. 01:00:01.210 --> 01:00:02.440 Probably some of my favorite people. 01:00:02.500 --> 01:00:02.800 Yeah. 01:00:02.850 --> 01:00:03.279 Agreed. 01:00:03.319 --> 01:00:04.940 Just awesome guys. 01:00:05.200 --> 01:00:05.440 Yeah. 01:00:05.590 --> 01:00:10.390 So again, why, why do we eat our own from a 01:00:10.420 --> 01:00:12.640 gun owner standpoint, but even more from the 01:00:12.640 --> 01:00:14.050 business standpoint, cause the gun owners 01:00:14.050 --> 01:00:15.730 don't see all the drama that goes on. 01:00:15.730 --> 01:00:19.090 But by businesses, once you reach a certain level 01:00:19.090 --> 01:00:21.130 in the firearms business industry, I think there's 01:00:21.130 --> 01:00:23.560 a general understanding and people realize 01:00:23.620 --> 01:00:24.250 we're in this together. 01:00:24.940 --> 01:00:25.450 Yeah, for sure. 01:00:25.450 --> 01:00:28.960 I think that, uh, it's a lot of like my nut, like 01:00:28.990 --> 01:00:31.210 this is my, my thing. 01:00:31.210 --> 01:00:34.450 And a lot of people in the industry, I guess, 01:00:34.600 --> 01:00:36.700 you know, this is just my take on it, but like 01:00:37.060 --> 01:00:41.170 feel owed, like to some extent or another, in 01:00:41.380 --> 01:00:44.140 a business transaction or, you know, however 01:00:44.140 --> 01:00:47.260 it goes and um, yeah. 01:00:47.260 --> 01:00:50.320 I just think that you get stuck in that rut, right? 01:00:50.320 --> 01:00:51.940 Like you just see the carrot in front 01:00:51.940 --> 01:00:54.400 of the nose and you just kinda keep going 01:00:54.400 --> 01:00:58.195 after it when there's a much wider picture 01:00:58.195 --> 01:00:59.155 to be taken from it. 01:00:59.905 --> 01:01:02.695 You know, I've always, uh, I've looked at it 01:01:02.785 --> 01:01:04.525 and I've got a couple different theories on it. 01:01:04.855 --> 01:01:07.765 One, from the business standpoint, there is 01:01:07.765 --> 01:01:11.635 a very low barrier of entry to start a firearms 01:01:11.635 --> 01:01:14.895 business if you've got the cahones to do it. 01:01:14.895 --> 01:01:15.355 Exactly. 01:01:15.355 --> 01:01:15.535 Yeah. 01:01:16.945 --> 01:01:19.975 Once you get the checks and check marks on from 01:01:19.975 --> 01:01:21.415 the firearms program and. 01:01:22.930 --> 01:01:26.050 So consequently that will bring in people who might 01:01:26.050 --> 01:01:29.110 not have as much business acumen as somebody gets 01:01:29.110 --> 01:01:32.120 into a higher barrier to, of entry position. 01:01:32.140 --> 01:01:34.390 Like if you're a lawyer, I'm sure everyone's 01:01:34.390 --> 01:01:35.140 going to have drama. 01:01:35.140 --> 01:01:36.820 They're all gonna have their things, but a 01:01:36.820 --> 01:01:39.310 law firms, different practices by the time 01:01:39.580 --> 01:01:41.770 they're operating, they probably have a general 01:01:41.770 --> 01:01:43.690 understanding of how everyone works together. 01:01:44.080 --> 01:01:46.150 That low barrier of entry and lack of sort 01:01:46.150 --> 01:01:48.760 of business acumen can create the, this 01:01:48.760 --> 01:01:50.920 is my nut, this is my thing, and nobody 01:01:50.920 --> 01:01:51.670 else could have it. 01:01:51.700 --> 01:01:52.260 I can see that. 01:01:52.260 --> 01:01:52.520 Exactly. 01:01:52.690 --> 01:01:52.930 Yeah. 01:01:53.200 --> 01:01:57.340 And then the other one that I see pretty big is, 01:01:57.400 --> 01:02:00.100 with all the rules that are put on to firearms 01:02:00.170 --> 01:02:05.680 owners, I think there's a level of wanting to have 01:02:05.680 --> 01:02:07.960 some sort of ownership or things within your 01:02:07.960 --> 01:02:10.840 own locus of control that firearms owners will 01:02:10.840 --> 01:02:13.690 start creating their own rules on top of the rules 01:02:13.690 --> 01:02:14.590 that are already there. 01:02:14.620 --> 01:02:16.150 This is where you see, like, they talk 01:02:16.150 --> 01:02:18.400 about range Nazis, or they talk about. 01:02:18.640 --> 01:02:19.060 Fuds. 01:02:19.230 --> 01:02:21.130 Right or fuds and everyone says, well, 01:02:21.130 --> 01:02:22.060 you can't have this. 01:02:22.060 --> 01:02:23.860 You can only do this or whatever it might 01:02:23.860 --> 01:02:27.250 be because I, and I could be off base. 01:02:27.250 --> 01:02:27.910 Maybe the listeners. 01:02:27.910 --> 01:02:29.170 No like I could see that too. 01:02:29.170 --> 01:02:32.200 Like, uh, you know, like, oh, if AR's didn't 01:02:32.200 --> 01:02:35.380 exist, no one would even care about my little 22 01:02:35.380 --> 01:02:36.320 pump act, or whatever. 01:02:36.320 --> 01:02:36.540 Right. 01:02:36.540 --> 01:02:37.150 You know what I mean? 01:02:37.540 --> 01:02:39.770 We're, we're like beaten dogs, right. 01:02:39.770 --> 01:02:41.970 Always cowering, always sort of hiding in the 01:02:41.970 --> 01:02:44.440 corner saying, well I can't advertise 01:02:44.440 --> 01:02:46.990 like this because people will get mad. 01:02:46.990 --> 01:02:49.330 Or I can't talk openly about the fact 01:02:49.330 --> 01:02:50.290 that I own firearms. 01:02:50.290 --> 01:02:52.330 And this is where one of the places where 01:02:52.330 --> 01:02:55.855 The Silvercore Podcast is, I'm able to bring 01:02:55.855 --> 01:02:57.535 on people who have a passion for what they 01:02:57.535 --> 01:02:59.665 do and share that passion with others. 01:02:59.995 --> 01:03:03.715 Because firearms, like you mentioned earlier, 01:03:03.955 --> 01:03:05.245 anybody listening to this already 01:03:05.245 --> 01:03:07.525 knows, that they're inanimate objects. 01:03:07.615 --> 01:03:09.535 They're only as evil as a person who has it. 01:03:09.565 --> 01:03:11.995 Yes, a firearm in the hands of a person with 01:03:12.025 --> 01:03:13.405 ill intent is scary. 01:03:13.795 --> 01:03:16.225 A firearm, but a person of ill intent 01:03:16.225 --> 01:03:17.515 is a scary, period. 01:03:17.755 --> 01:03:17.935 Yeah. 01:03:17.945 --> 01:03:19.225 I've been doing this for over a decade and 01:03:19.225 --> 01:03:21.145 the only time I've been heard as stubbing my 01:03:21.145 --> 01:03:22.395 toe on a case ammo. 01:03:23.575 --> 01:03:24.115 Yeah. 01:03:24.835 --> 01:03:25.345 Done that. 01:03:27.355 --> 01:03:32.560 So I think with the OIC that came out, like 01:03:32.590 --> 01:03:36.340 I'm sure given, uh, Wanstalls demographic 01:03:36.370 --> 01:03:39.040 and business model, that must have hurt. 01:03:39.430 --> 01:03:39.880 Oh yeah. 01:03:40.000 --> 01:03:43.930 I mean, there's, there's nobody who thinks, like 01:03:43.960 --> 01:03:45.700 we love tactical stuff. 01:03:45.880 --> 01:03:47.710 Like that's, that's kinda my thing. 01:03:47.710 --> 01:03:49.780 Like I love modern kind of style 01:03:49.780 --> 01:03:50.770 military firearms. 01:03:51.130 --> 01:03:52.990 That's what I enjoy the most. 01:03:53.080 --> 01:03:55.810 Um, so yeah, like it was a big kick to the, 01:03:56.380 --> 01:04:03.085 the, the, the bits, but, um, again, like I 01:04:03.085 --> 01:04:03.685 don't know, it's hard. 01:04:03.685 --> 01:04:05.545 Like the OIC wasn't a surprise, right? 01:04:05.545 --> 01:04:08.125 Cause the OIC was talked about months beforehand 01:04:08.125 --> 01:04:10.195 and it was like, oh, he's going to do it on when 01:04:10.225 --> 01:04:12.025 you know, what's her name from New Zealand comes 01:04:12.025 --> 01:04:13.315 and then he was going to be like this, that, 01:04:13.315 --> 01:04:13.795 and the other thing. 01:04:14.185 --> 01:04:17.395 So like, it's kinda like, you know, you, you kind 01:04:17.395 --> 01:04:19.885 of knew it was coming, but, um, I mean, I didn't 01:04:19.885 --> 01:04:22.375 think it would be to the extent of, I mean, 01:04:22.555 --> 01:04:26.905 what it was like, it was like, it was crazy. 01:04:27.235 --> 01:04:28.855 And it was just like, again, that was what I 01:04:28.855 --> 01:04:30.685 had mentioned like you scratch the top off. 01:04:30.685 --> 01:04:32.455 It, there's a coffee company in there and, 01:04:32.455 --> 01:04:35.095 uh, a website and you know, whatever else 01:04:35.635 --> 01:04:36.655 that they put in there. 01:04:37.495 --> 01:04:41.620 Um, but yeah, we were able, well first off 01:04:41.620 --> 01:04:43.780 we were in the pan, the middle of the pandemic. 01:04:43.780 --> 01:04:45.660 So stock was hard to get in anyways. 01:04:46.060 --> 01:04:50.080 Um, and two, like we saw it coming, we made 01:04:50.080 --> 01:04:52.000 our adjustments as far as inventory and stuff. 01:04:52.330 --> 01:04:54.580 And then, yeah, we were, we were one of 01:04:54.580 --> 01:04:57.340 the lucky ones that didn't, um, really get 01:04:57.340 --> 01:04:58.330 dinged too hard by it. 01:04:58.360 --> 01:05:00.430 We didn't have a lot of inventory left. 01:05:00.460 --> 01:05:03.550 Um, um, so that was good for us. 01:05:03.610 --> 01:05:04.180 Um, but yeah. 01:05:04.180 --> 01:05:04.720 That was lucky. 01:05:04.840 --> 01:05:05.800 Yeah, it was, it was lucky. 01:05:05.800 --> 01:05:06.940 There was some businesses that got 01:05:06.940 --> 01:05:08.370 hit like super hard. 01:05:08.370 --> 01:05:08.640 Yes. 01:05:08.640 --> 01:05:10.720 And like we're talking in the hundreds of thousands 01:05:10.720 --> 01:05:13.330 of dollars of inventories of not millions. 01:05:13.390 --> 01:05:14.300 Just sitting there now. 01:05:14.300 --> 01:05:15.910 Yeah, now it's all rusting and, 01:05:16.990 --> 01:05:18.040 uh, you can't do anything with it. 01:05:18.040 --> 01:05:19.390 And like, that was the classic that the, 01:05:19.450 --> 01:05:20.710 oh, you can send them back to the states. 01:05:20.740 --> 01:05:22.280 No you can't. 01:05:22.280 --> 01:05:26.530 You know, typical don't think anything 01:05:26.560 --> 01:05:28.120 through liberal government, you know? 01:05:28.210 --> 01:05:29.260 Oh, you just send them back down where 01:05:29.260 --> 01:05:29.890 they came from. 01:05:30.550 --> 01:05:31.240 You can't do that. 01:05:31.270 --> 01:05:32.170 You can't do that, man. 01:05:32.200 --> 01:05:33.580 But thanks for telling us we can. 01:05:34.180 --> 01:05:36.490 Um, so yeah, like we were, we were really 01:05:36.490 --> 01:05:37.240 lucky in that regard. 01:05:37.240 --> 01:05:39.610 So the whole thing is, is to keep, uh, an ear 01:05:39.610 --> 01:05:43.030 down to, uh, what's going on in the industry. 01:05:43.360 --> 01:05:46.240 And also like never assume a liberal 01:05:46.240 --> 01:05:48.700 government is not going to do the craziest shit 01:05:48.700 --> 01:05:50.890 you can imagine, like, you know what I mean? 01:05:50.890 --> 01:05:52.780 Like going into it. 01:05:52.840 --> 01:05:53.080 Yeah. 01:05:53.320 --> 01:05:55.300 The best predictor of future performance 01:05:55.300 --> 01:05:56.000 is past performance. 01:05:56.020 --> 01:05:56.560 Exactly. 01:05:56.740 --> 01:05:58.660 And every single time, there's the 01:05:58.660 --> 01:06:00.040 same common trend. 01:06:00.490 --> 01:06:02.500 I personally don't think they care one way or the 01:06:02.500 --> 01:06:04.900 other about firearms, has got zero to do with 01:06:04.900 --> 01:06:05.890 the issue of firearms. 01:06:06.160 --> 01:06:08.990 It's to create opposition. 01:06:09.175 --> 01:06:09.745 Yeah, sure. 01:06:09.745 --> 01:06:12.235 It's now conservatives like guns, we 01:06:12.235 --> 01:06:12.985 don't like guns. 01:06:12.985 --> 01:06:13.825 Rah, rah, rah. 01:06:14.035 --> 01:06:15.355 Conservatives are baby killers. 01:06:15.385 --> 01:06:15.955 Yeah, exactly. 01:06:15.955 --> 01:06:16.405 Yeah, exactly. 01:06:16.465 --> 01:06:18.475 Stand, you know, jump on your soap box and 01:06:18.475 --> 01:06:20.695 do your thing, you know, hopefully this go 01:06:20.695 --> 01:06:22.075 around, he's got enough going for him but. 01:06:22.615 --> 01:06:25.165 So that was the OIC. 01:06:25.555 --> 01:06:25.735 Yeah. 01:06:25.755 --> 01:06:28.315 But then COVID hit and I seen a quote in the 01:06:28.315 --> 01:06:31.195 paper, I think a 200% was the thing that 01:06:31.435 --> 01:06:32.695 sticks out in that quote. 01:06:32.695 --> 01:06:33.025 Yeah. 01:06:33.085 --> 01:06:33.475 Yeah. 01:06:33.535 --> 01:06:34.855 Holy crow. 01:06:35.035 --> 01:06:38.755 Yeah, the, the COVID hit, uh, the COVID 01:06:38.875 --> 01:06:41.615 for us was, the COVID, I sound, whatever. 01:06:41.635 --> 01:06:44.395 Um, yeah, it was insane for us, like it 01:06:44.395 --> 01:06:45.685 was, it was bananas. 01:06:45.835 --> 01:06:51.985 So, um, the, when it first started, it was 01:06:52.585 --> 01:06:55.300 like our shelf was cleaned out in, like 01:06:55.300 --> 01:06:57.020 every single gun I had, like guns that 01:06:57.040 --> 01:06:59.890 even sucked that, like, they have nothing 01:06:59.890 --> 01:07:01.810 to do with anything other than a fun gun. 01:07:01.840 --> 01:07:04.180 Like everything was, was selling, all my ammo. 01:07:04.450 --> 01:07:07.330 I ran out of shotgun ammo, like immediately, 01:07:07.660 --> 01:07:09.790 uh, anything, 12 gauge was gone. 01:07:10.090 --> 01:07:12.760 Um, yeah, it was crazy. 01:07:13.210 --> 01:07:13.660 Crazy. 01:07:13.750 --> 01:07:15.400 Are you seeing a second wave of that 01:07:15.400 --> 01:07:16.150 kind of happen? 01:07:16.390 --> 01:07:16.810 Yeah. 01:07:16.940 --> 01:07:18.280 With the election coming up. 01:07:18.310 --> 01:07:19.840 With the election coming up for sure. 01:07:19.840 --> 01:07:21.370 And then everyone's so, you know, they don't 01:07:21.370 --> 01:07:22.720 know what's coming, you know, we're going 01:07:22.720 --> 01:07:25.060 into fall here and, you know, Delta variants, 01:07:25.060 --> 01:07:27.130 this Zulu variants that, whatever right. 01:07:27.130 --> 01:07:27.430 Right. 01:07:27.820 --> 01:07:28.450 Who knows. 01:07:28.450 --> 01:07:30.220 But, um, it's definitely interesting. 01:07:30.250 --> 01:07:31.930 I've never worked in the industry. 01:07:31.930 --> 01:07:32.860 I've worked, oh, sorry. 01:07:32.860 --> 01:07:33.760 I've worked in the industry for 01:07:33.760 --> 01:07:34.330 a very long time. 01:07:34.330 --> 01:07:38.290 I've never seen uh, so many people who 01:07:38.290 --> 01:07:40.270 historically aren't gun owners coming in saying, 01:07:40.390 --> 01:07:44.230 I need self-defense and I'm just like, we're 01:07:44.230 --> 01:07:45.430 not allowed to say that. 01:07:45.970 --> 01:07:46.870 Like it's crazy. 01:07:46.870 --> 01:07:48.250 And people are like, I don't even, I don't care. 01:07:48.730 --> 01:07:50.440 Like, that's why I'm buying it and I went and 01:07:50.440 --> 01:07:53.920 got my gun license and, you know, I don't care. 01:07:53.920 --> 01:07:54.790 I just want a shotgun. 01:07:55.720 --> 01:07:57.940 And I'm like, okay, well, here you go. 01:07:57.940 --> 01:08:00.760 Like, you know, like, cool, I, I'm 01:08:00.760 --> 01:08:01.300 down with that. 01:08:01.300 --> 01:08:03.000 Like, it's a reality of the fact that 01:08:03.010 --> 01:08:04.690 he's, you know, it's a reality of life. 01:08:04.690 --> 01:08:06.620 Like it is what it is. 01:08:06.620 --> 01:08:08.250 People have to be able to defend themselves. 01:08:08.250 --> 01:08:08.370 Yeah. 01:08:08.370 --> 01:08:09.910 There is a legal framework in place 01:08:09.910 --> 01:08:10.670 that allows for it. 01:08:10.670 --> 01:08:11.800 And like, when COVID kicked off there 01:08:11.800 --> 01:08:12.580 and everything was. 01:08:13.405 --> 01:08:15.145 Um, selling out everywhere and like, 01:08:15.145 --> 01:08:16.975 you didn't know how crazy people were 01:08:16.975 --> 01:08:17.604 going to get right. 01:08:17.665 --> 01:08:19.975 I mean, luckily, you know, everyone kept calm, 01:08:20.245 --> 01:08:21.115 cool and collective. 01:08:21.925 --> 01:08:23.965 Um, but yeah, like that's the first time ever. 01:08:23.965 --> 01:08:26.545 I've seen that, like influx and the 01:08:26.545 --> 01:08:29.785 influx of like people who historically 01:08:29.845 --> 01:08:32.155 have no interest in firearms, just buying 01:08:32.155 --> 01:08:33.145 whatever went, bang. 01:08:34.260 --> 01:08:35.010 Which I'm okay with. 01:08:35.700 --> 01:08:36.540 Yeah, exactly. 01:08:36.540 --> 01:08:39.930 Just introduce a brand new group of people. 01:08:39.930 --> 01:08:40.360 And a lot 01:08:40.380 --> 01:08:41.250 of them, it's interesting. 01:08:41.250 --> 01:08:43.770 A lot of them have come back and it's become 01:08:43.770 --> 01:08:45.000 a part of their life. 01:08:45.030 --> 01:08:47.160 It's actually a hobby and what it was originally 01:08:47.160 --> 01:08:48.569 just a worry purchase. 01:08:49.050 --> 01:08:50.309 And a lot of people are like, oh, it's, you 01:08:50.309 --> 01:08:51.350 know, it's not that bad. 01:08:51.649 --> 01:08:52.860 You know, it's kind of cool. 01:08:53.020 --> 01:08:53.260 Yeah. 01:08:53.469 --> 01:08:53.569 Yeah. 01:08:53.790 --> 01:08:55.139 And now they've got a garden and a bunch 01:08:55.139 --> 01:08:55.800 of toilet paper. 01:08:55.830 --> 01:08:56.430 Yeah, exactly. 01:08:56.430 --> 01:08:57.059 Yeah, no doubt. 01:08:57.059 --> 01:08:58.080 You know, when those little, you know, 01:08:58.110 --> 01:09:00.479 little, uh, war gardens and everything 01:09:00.479 --> 01:09:00.930 to get the little. 01:09:01.180 --> 01:09:02.790 And they know how to make bread. 01:09:02.850 --> 01:09:03.780 Yeah, exactly. 01:09:03.780 --> 01:09:03.960 Yeah. 01:09:04.110 --> 01:09:04.350 Yeah. 01:09:05.370 --> 01:09:08.309 So tell me about the social media side. 01:09:08.399 --> 01:09:12.059 You took that social media from nothing grown 01:09:12.059 --> 01:09:14.969 into something pretty, pretty spectacular. 01:09:15.000 --> 01:09:17.370 And I think, cause you mentioned earlier, 01:09:17.370 --> 01:09:18.840 you said, you know, follow your dream. 01:09:18.840 --> 01:09:21.389 And the social media part is a very big 01:09:21.420 --> 01:09:22.350 part of what we do. 01:09:22.410 --> 01:09:22.649 Yeah. 01:09:23.120 --> 01:09:25.825 What, what have you learned on that? 01:09:25.854 --> 01:09:27.745 And would you have any advice to anybody 01:09:27.745 --> 01:09:29.785 else who wants to kind of grow that their, 01:09:29.785 --> 01:09:30.715 their social media? 01:09:30.805 --> 01:09:31.375 Yeah, for sure. 01:09:31.375 --> 01:09:36.354 I mean, um, Wanstalls social media is my 01:09:36.354 --> 01:09:39.205 baby, a hundred percent like that, I started 01:09:39.205 --> 01:09:39.835 it from nothing. 01:09:40.194 --> 01:09:42.385 I had a very clear plan of where I wanted it 01:09:42.385 --> 01:09:46.165 to go and I feel like it's, uh, it's pretty, I 01:09:46.165 --> 01:09:47.274 like where it's at now. 01:09:47.395 --> 01:09:52.795 Um, the biggest advice I would give people, um, 01:09:52.815 --> 01:09:54.805 and it's probably not popular advice, would be 01:09:54.805 --> 01:09:59.525 if you get a bad review online, or if someone has 01:09:59.535 --> 01:10:01.915 something negative to say about your company, one, 01:10:01.945 --> 01:10:04.945 do the research as to how the, what happened with 01:10:04.945 --> 01:10:06.385 the transaction, where the breakdown with the 01:10:06.385 --> 01:10:08.815 customer was, because there's always two sides 01:10:08.815 --> 01:10:09.684 to every story right. 01:10:09.715 --> 01:10:15.295 And like, we've, I mean, it's retail and it's 01:10:15.295 --> 01:10:17.395 people's money and they get really hotheaded and 01:10:17.395 --> 01:10:18.325 all that kind of stuff. 01:10:18.565 --> 01:10:22.150 But if you were in fact in the right, you tell, 01:10:22.210 --> 01:10:24.240 you go on to the bad Google review, you go 01:10:24.250 --> 01:10:25.510 into the bad Facebook review and be like, 01:10:25.510 --> 01:10:27.160 Hey man, you're being unreasonable and this 01:10:27.160 --> 01:10:29.160 is how it went down and you just lay it down. 01:10:29.190 --> 01:10:30.460 I've seen those on your. 01:10:30.590 --> 01:10:30.950 Yeah man. 01:10:30.950 --> 01:10:32.920 And you know, when we first started that, 01:10:33.070 --> 01:10:35.590 uh, you know, it wasn't popular with the 01:10:35.590 --> 01:10:37.510 ownership at the time of Wanstalls, but I said, 01:10:37.510 --> 01:10:39.280 Hey man, like, we didn't do anything wrong here. 01:10:39.580 --> 01:10:40.900 And it's important people know that. 01:10:40.900 --> 01:10:42.430 And if you just put the information out there, 01:10:42.910 --> 01:10:44.260 you know, people take what they will from it. 01:10:44.260 --> 01:10:45.490 But at least now they have two 01:10:45.490 --> 01:10:46.960 sides of the story. 01:10:47.620 --> 01:10:49.530 And the other big part of that too, where, 01:10:49.530 --> 01:10:51.910 where it's easy to, you know, sling mud back. 01:10:52.360 --> 01:10:56.560 Um, if you did screw up own it and just 01:10:56.560 --> 01:10:57.550 say, Hey man, I'm. 01:10:57.550 --> 01:10:58.360 A thousand percent. 01:10:58.390 --> 01:10:58.810 Yeah, man. 01:10:58.850 --> 01:11:00.730 You just say, listen, I'm sorry that 01:11:00.730 --> 01:11:02.230 this is how this transaction went down. 01:11:02.230 --> 01:11:04.510 I apologize, I've made, you know, I've talked 01:11:04.510 --> 01:11:06.190 to the staff, make sure it doesn't happen again. 01:11:06.490 --> 01:11:08.320 Cause there comes to a point in a conversation, 01:11:08.350 --> 01:11:11.440 like when there's a whole conversation that happens 01:11:11.440 --> 01:11:13.270 before a bad review or anything like that. 01:11:14.170 --> 01:11:17.800 And, and I understand it as a customer, as a 01:11:17.800 --> 01:11:20.890 consumer product, you just, the answer is, 01:11:21.010 --> 01:11:22.030 you know, piss off. 01:11:22.660 --> 01:11:23.860 I don't want to deal with you guys anymore. 01:11:23.860 --> 01:11:25.780 Here's your bad review and you move on, right? 01:11:25.780 --> 01:11:27.070 Whether you're right or you're wrong. 01:11:27.490 --> 01:11:29.050 I understand that point where you just 01:11:29.050 --> 01:11:31.270 stopped communicating with it, with the shop. 01:11:31.540 --> 01:11:33.640 But it's important that the business and 01:11:33.640 --> 01:11:35.890 whoever's, you know, in whatever business 01:11:35.890 --> 01:11:38.500 you're doing, if you do screw up own it, learn 01:11:38.500 --> 01:11:40.600 from it and make sure the public knows that 01:11:40.600 --> 01:11:41.890 you did screw up right? 01:11:41.890 --> 01:11:43.600 So it's not just a bunch of reviews, you 01:11:43.830 --> 01:11:46.960 know, throwing back and saying, Hey, this is 01:11:46.960 --> 01:11:48.820 what actually happened and blah, blah, blah. 01:11:48.850 --> 01:11:50.470 You know, it does happen from time to 01:11:50.470 --> 01:11:52.090 time and we are human. 01:11:52.090 --> 01:11:53.140 That's the other thing people need to 01:11:53.140 --> 01:11:55.510 understand is we are human, we're not robots. 01:11:55.510 --> 01:11:56.920 We're not mad, you know, and we're not 01:11:56.920 --> 01:11:58.120 Walmart or Costco. 01:11:58.900 --> 01:12:02.200 We don't, we don't have a 365 day return 01:12:02.200 --> 01:12:04.150 policy and you can bring it in covered in mud 01:12:04.150 --> 01:12:05.770 and blah, blah, blah. 01:12:05.950 --> 01:12:06.200 Right. 01:12:06.559 --> 01:12:08.470 We're a privately owned business and, 01:12:08.740 --> 01:12:11.525 you know, everyone has to be reasonable 01:12:11.525 --> 01:12:12.305 in the transaction. 01:12:13.415 --> 01:12:13.595 Yeah. 01:12:13.595 --> 01:12:15.485 That's one of the things that I see some 01:12:15.665 --> 01:12:19.565 businesses trying to do is a compete on price 01:12:19.565 --> 01:12:21.845 alone because they've got the Walmarts out 01:12:21.845 --> 01:12:24.625 there and they've got the, uh, the Costco's. 01:12:24.695 --> 01:12:28.325 And I see that if, if that's your main 01:12:28.325 --> 01:12:30.335 motivating factor, your, of course is going 01:12:30.335 --> 01:12:32.045 to be people who are always price shopping. 01:12:32.195 --> 01:12:32.405 Yeah. 01:12:32.915 --> 01:12:35.525 But especially in the world where you're trying 01:12:35.525 --> 01:12:38.075 to set up a relationship, because if you purchase a 01:12:38.075 --> 01:12:40.175 firearm, there's going to be ancillary purchases, 01:12:40.245 --> 01:12:42.335 might be holsters, there might be ammunition, 01:12:42.335 --> 01:12:43.595 there might be extra magazines, there's all 01:12:43.595 --> 01:12:44.255 these other things. 01:12:44.495 --> 01:12:46.855 And then it might break and you might need, so. 01:12:46.905 --> 01:12:47.465 Exactly. 01:12:47.605 --> 01:12:49.025 You're in the business of, is setting 01:12:49.025 --> 01:12:50.045 up relationships. 01:12:50.315 --> 01:12:51.325 That's what we look for yep. 01:12:51.425 --> 01:12:51.725 Right. 01:12:51.725 --> 01:12:53.885 And those relationships are worth something. 01:12:53.945 --> 01:12:56.975 And there shouldn't, customers shouldn't 01:12:56.975 --> 01:12:58.685 be looking at the bottom of the barrel 01:12:58.685 --> 01:13:00.425 because they know that that relationship 01:13:00.425 --> 01:13:02.799 is going to be worth what they paid for it. 01:13:02.860 --> 01:13:03.129 Yeah. 01:13:03.190 --> 01:13:05.170 I mean, that's a, an aspect. 01:13:05.170 --> 01:13:07.209 A lot of people bring up with me that we're 01:13:07.209 --> 01:13:08.289 not always the cheapest. 01:13:08.530 --> 01:13:08.740 Sure. 01:13:09.190 --> 01:13:10.600 And I just tell them I'm not looking to 01:13:10.600 --> 01:13:11.139 be the cheapest. 01:13:11.139 --> 01:13:11.449 I don't. 01:13:11.990 --> 01:13:12.699 Good for you. 01:13:12.730 --> 01:13:16.840 I don't want to be, I'm not a one, one, 01:13:16.870 --> 01:13:18.340 the fact is I got to make a living. 01:13:18.730 --> 01:13:18.969 Right. 01:13:19.000 --> 01:13:21.370 That's just is what it is to, you 01:13:21.370 --> 01:13:23.379 know, classic line. 01:13:23.379 --> 01:13:24.100 You can, what is it? 01:13:24.100 --> 01:13:25.750 Speed, service and quality. 01:13:25.750 --> 01:13:26.559 You only pick two. 01:13:26.559 --> 01:13:27.289 Two, but not three. 01:13:27.340 --> 01:13:27.820 Exactly. 01:13:27.820 --> 01:13:28.059 Right. 01:13:28.059 --> 01:13:30.639 And there are some shops in Canada, even in the 01:13:30.639 --> 01:13:32.440 gun industry that like, you know, it's all 01:13:32.440 --> 01:13:36.580 about price and that's it and that's fine. 01:13:36.580 --> 01:13:38.530 And for some people that's a very 01:13:38.530 --> 01:13:39.219 important part. 01:13:39.219 --> 01:13:42.610 And Hey man, like I love saving a few bucks, but 01:13:42.610 --> 01:13:45.360 I'm the kind of guy is when I, I go somewhere. 01:13:46.255 --> 01:13:48.055 I build a relationship with the people 01:13:48.115 --> 01:13:49.435 that I buy from. 01:13:49.525 --> 01:13:49.975 Right. 01:13:50.485 --> 01:13:51.595 That's the aspect of it. 01:13:51.655 --> 01:13:54.265 A lot of the times it is, if people ask me to price 01:13:54.265 --> 01:13:57.055 match, I can usually do something, but you know, 01:13:57.385 --> 01:13:59.355 I'll put it out here for everyone to hear. 01:13:59.485 --> 01:14:01.255 I'm not always the cheapest and I don't, 01:14:01.285 --> 01:14:02.425 and that's intentional. 01:14:02.695 --> 01:14:04.345 It's not for any other reason. 01:14:04.645 --> 01:14:07.165 Um, the service and the quality we try 01:14:07.165 --> 01:14:10.345 to give our customers requires it sometimes, 01:14:10.735 --> 01:14:13.525 uh, other times, you know what people just 01:14:13.525 --> 01:14:15.445 assume we're more expensive and we're not. 01:14:15.955 --> 01:14:17.515 You know, sometimes we're a lot cheaper. 01:14:17.665 --> 01:14:19.435 Oh you got great prices and a lot of things. 01:14:19.465 --> 01:14:19.765 Yeah. 01:14:19.795 --> 01:14:21.355 But a lot, you know, that's the one thing 01:14:21.355 --> 01:14:23.245 I have heard is people say that and 01:14:23.365 --> 01:14:24.115 I, you know, it is. 01:14:25.000 --> 01:14:26.920 We're not looking to be a bargain bin shop, 01:14:26.980 --> 01:14:28.750 um, bargain bin shops don't stick around. 01:14:29.170 --> 01:14:29.530 That's just. 01:14:30.219 --> 01:14:32.049 Well, you guys have been around for quite a long 01:14:32.049 --> 01:14:35.530 time, but you know, part of that process is you're 01:14:35.530 --> 01:14:37.240 training your clients. 01:14:37.240 --> 01:14:38.590 You're training your customers. 01:14:39.010 --> 01:14:40.480 You're, you're telling them how you would 01:14:40.480 --> 01:14:41.320 like to be treated. 01:14:41.350 --> 01:14:43.150 And you're showing that through example 01:14:43.150 --> 01:14:44.170 of how you treat them. 01:14:44.559 --> 01:14:45.160 A hundred percent. 01:14:45.219 --> 01:14:46.900 It's same in the reviews as well. 01:14:47.260 --> 01:14:50.680 I mean, you could try and placate all the 01:14:50.680 --> 01:14:52.510 people who were being wholly unreasonable, 01:14:52.510 --> 01:14:54.610 then all you're gonna do is invite more people 01:14:54.610 --> 01:14:56.799 to be unreasonable to copy of that example. 01:14:57.010 --> 01:14:57.580 A hundred percent. 01:14:57.580 --> 01:15:00.160 And it's like, you know, once you, once you'd 01:15:00.160 --> 01:15:01.330 bend over once, right. 01:15:01.750 --> 01:15:06.520 And, you know, do your, I don't want to say 01:15:06.520 --> 01:15:08.530 it like that, but like somebody who's just 01:15:08.530 --> 01:15:10.690 re blatantly being unreasonable for the sake 01:15:10.690 --> 01:15:11.710 of being unreasonable. 01:15:13.450 --> 01:15:16.480 Like, we're not interested or I'm 01:15:16.480 --> 01:15:17.830 not saying I'm not interested, but it's 01:15:17.830 --> 01:15:19.840 like, that's not a relationship that's 01:15:19.840 --> 01:15:22.180 gonna last because it's just, you're just going 01:15:22.180 --> 01:15:24.370 to skip across, across, across until somebody, 01:15:24.850 --> 01:15:26.770 you know, bends over and says, okay, yeah, I'll 01:15:26.860 --> 01:15:27.850 do whatever you want. 01:15:27.850 --> 01:15:29.860 Please don't leave me a bad Google review. 01:15:30.370 --> 01:15:33.250 Um, but the reality, the fact is those are 01:15:33.520 --> 01:15:34.600 few and far between. 01:15:34.630 --> 01:15:35.050 They really are. 01:15:35.080 --> 01:15:41.530 Um, there are some places that, um, inspire that 01:15:41.530 --> 01:15:44.710 kind of mentality and that, you know, there are 01:15:44.710 --> 01:15:46.870 some, a few places on the internet that, that is 01:15:47.719 --> 01:15:49.820 somewhere that people. 01:15:49.850 --> 01:15:50.629 Yeah, Gun Nutz. 01:15:51.160 --> 01:15:51.840 Yeah, I'll say it. 01:15:52.889 --> 01:15:54.049 Yeah, Canadian Gun Nutz. 01:15:54.049 --> 01:15:54.619 Damn. 01:15:55.109 --> 01:15:56.800 I think that's part of the, uh, the business 01:15:56.800 --> 01:15:59.410 model from a, the fellow who runs it. 01:15:59.440 --> 01:15:59.710 Yeah. 01:15:59.740 --> 01:16:01.360 I mean, and that is a place. 01:16:01.360 --> 01:16:03.490 And like, you know, I, I was on Gun Nutz. 01:16:03.730 --> 01:16:05.889 I started on Gun Nutz in 2007 back then it was 01:16:05.889 --> 01:16:08.695 a like a real resource from the Canadian 01:16:08.695 --> 01:16:09.505 firearms community. 01:16:09.565 --> 01:16:11.275 What I see, and I don't know if it, maybe I'm 01:16:11.275 --> 01:16:14.725 jaded because now I'm in the industry, but 01:16:15.535 --> 01:16:18.025 it's pretty, it that you go to that dealer 01:16:18.025 --> 01:16:20.305 for a man, there's some crazy shit people 01:16:20.305 --> 01:16:21.115 are posting on there. 01:16:21.115 --> 01:16:23.605 And it is like, unbelievable. 01:16:23.605 --> 01:16:27.445 Like people won't even call the store to try 01:16:27.445 --> 01:16:28.285 to remedy the problem. 01:16:28.285 --> 01:16:30.615 They'll just immediately dump on them. 01:16:30.855 --> 01:16:31.265 But if 01:16:31.285 --> 01:16:33.205 you pay X amount of money, you can have all 01:16:33.205 --> 01:16:34.315 of that stuff removed. 01:16:34.615 --> 01:16:34.945 Yeah. 01:16:35.305 --> 01:16:39.775 And I, um, the paranoid, the suspicious side of 01:16:39.775 --> 01:16:43.105 me has always leaned to whenever I see 01:16:43.105 --> 01:16:44.545 these things happening, cause I've dealt with 01:16:44.545 --> 01:16:45.265 them in the past. 01:16:45.775 --> 01:16:48.985 Uh, it seems like it's actually encouraged to 01:16:49.285 --> 01:16:50.995 crap on another business. 01:16:51.385 --> 01:16:53.725 So that business will then in turn, be 01:16:53.725 --> 01:16:57.145 encouraged to pay money to that a media outlet. 01:16:57.865 --> 01:17:00.685 To have that negative content removed. 01:17:00.775 --> 01:17:00.925 Yeah. 01:17:00.955 --> 01:17:02.305 Maybe I'm off base, but that's been 01:17:02.305 --> 01:17:03.115 my observation. 01:17:03.415 --> 01:17:03.625 Yeah. 01:17:03.625 --> 01:17:05.965 Well, I mean, we've been on CGN since it started. 01:17:05.995 --> 01:17:10.105 Um, and uh, this year we decided to not renew 01:17:10.585 --> 01:17:13.645 on there, um, for a multitude of reasons. 01:17:13.645 --> 01:17:16.675 One, the one we just talked about. 01:17:16.675 --> 01:17:16.975 Right. 01:17:17.065 --> 01:17:22.225 Um, two, I want to explore other advertising 01:17:22.225 --> 01:17:22.795 opportunities. 01:17:22.795 --> 01:17:22.975 Sure. 01:17:23.065 --> 01:17:25.315 Um, I've got some pretty cool ideas I want to 01:17:25.315 --> 01:17:28.195 do, and that requires money and that website 01:17:28.195 --> 01:17:29.095 ain't cheap to be on. 01:17:29.415 --> 01:17:30.205 No, not at all. 01:17:30.205 --> 01:17:32.095 It is pretty pricey. 01:17:32.155 --> 01:17:34.465 Um, so yeah, this will be the first year we 01:17:34.465 --> 01:17:36.595 don't won't renew on it and you know what I 01:17:36.595 --> 01:17:41.695 hope, um, I don't know, whatever, if it helps, 01:17:41.695 --> 01:17:44.935 it doesn't help, I just hope other dealers on 01:17:44.935 --> 01:17:47.545 there realize that it's not the be all end all 01:17:47.545 --> 01:17:49.555 center of the universe for firearms ownership. 01:17:49.585 --> 01:17:50.395 There's a lot of people who have no 01:17:50.395 --> 01:17:51.235 idea what it is. 01:17:52.075 --> 01:17:56.940 Um, and to like, you know, our customers 01:17:56.940 --> 01:17:57.750 know who we are in. 01:17:57.750 --> 01:17:58.020 Right. 01:17:58.049 --> 01:17:59.610 You know, we've been on that site for a 01:17:59.610 --> 01:18:03.030 very long time and, um, it's just time to 01:18:03.990 --> 01:18:05.010 check other stuff out. 01:18:05.219 --> 01:18:07.110 You know, I don't begrudge anybody from 01:18:07.110 --> 01:18:09.240 wanting to make a living regardless of 01:18:09.240 --> 01:18:11.910 the price they want to charge for it, on 01:18:12.059 --> 01:18:14.879 CGN for example, it's really, really expensive. 01:18:15.420 --> 01:18:18.299 My concern about that platform was 01:18:18.299 --> 01:18:20.760 essentially how it was set up as a very 01:18:20.760 --> 01:18:23.730 negative environment, in my opinion. 01:18:24.360 --> 01:18:28.139 And particularly in a way that attacks 01:18:28.139 --> 01:18:30.990 businesses that are not sponsoring dealers and. 01:18:31.010 --> 01:18:32.100 Oh yeah, I see what you're saying. 01:18:32.219 --> 01:18:35.190 And that feeds into an eat your own mentality. 01:18:36.760 --> 01:18:38.379 It's got enough traction. 01:18:38.469 --> 01:18:40.059 I mean, when that one started up, it 01:18:40.059 --> 01:18:41.980 was just a bulletin board system type 01:18:41.980 --> 01:18:43.090 thing back in the day. 01:18:43.090 --> 01:18:45.340 And, uh, uh, they got booted off their 01:18:45.340 --> 01:18:47.740 other system and the owner, uh, there, he 01:18:47.740 --> 01:18:48.570 says, well I know. 01:18:48.570 --> 01:18:50.889 I'll just, I got a domain, I'll start it up. 01:18:50.889 --> 01:18:52.209 And he kinda got the thing rolling. 01:18:52.809 --> 01:18:55.240 Um, it's got traction, it's got a lot of 01:18:55.240 --> 01:18:56.799 people on there who are knowledgeable. 01:18:57.010 --> 01:18:59.260 But just like you are training your 01:18:59.260 --> 01:19:00.219 own customers. 01:19:00.610 --> 01:19:02.080 I believe they've been training their 01:19:02.080 --> 01:19:04.299 own user base in such a way that is rather 01:19:04.299 --> 01:19:08.049 toxic for the Canadian firearms culture. 01:19:08.240 --> 01:19:08.830 A hundred percent. 01:19:08.980 --> 01:19:10.389 And then there's other stuff too. 01:19:10.389 --> 01:19:13.270 Like, um, there's been a shift on that site to 01:19:13.330 --> 01:19:16.780 some pretty weird shit being posted on there. 01:19:17.260 --> 01:19:20.514 Um, in regards to like, You know, conspiracy 01:19:20.514 --> 01:19:21.594 theory stuff and. 01:19:22.455 --> 01:19:23.885 Gets a little fringe lunatic. 01:19:23.885 --> 01:19:24.205 Yeah. 01:19:24.205 --> 01:19:24.985 And you know what I mean? 01:19:24.985 --> 01:19:27.295 And like, that's kind of where that was more 01:19:27.295 --> 01:19:29.455 of my portion of, it was like, I was just like, 01:19:29.455 --> 01:19:31.045 I've seen them kind of, what's getting posted 01:19:31.045 --> 01:19:33.025 in the forums and I'm like, oh man, like, it's. 01:19:33.495 --> 01:19:34.365 It doesn't speak to my values. 01:19:34.455 --> 01:19:35.065 It doesn't speak. 01:19:35.125 --> 01:19:35.305 Yeah. 01:19:35.305 --> 01:19:36.475 It doesn't speak to my values. 01:19:36.504 --> 01:19:39.655 I don't like, you know, it's just not 01:19:39.655 --> 01:19:41.575 what I don't want to be associated with, 01:19:41.785 --> 01:19:45.235 you know, with crazy conspiracy theories 01:19:45.264 --> 01:19:48.025 and, you know, anti-this anti that. 01:19:48.145 --> 01:19:50.215 Um, there's some stuff that gets posted on 01:19:50.215 --> 01:19:52.705 there and then it's just, it is what it is. 01:19:52.705 --> 01:19:53.754 It's, it's an internet, it's a 01:19:53.754 --> 01:19:54.565 free internet forum. 01:19:54.775 --> 01:19:55.135 It is. 01:19:55.244 --> 01:19:56.365 And you know, my intention with a 01:19:56.365 --> 01:19:59.334 podcast is always to impart some positivity 01:19:59.334 --> 01:20:01.645 and I'm not trying to impart negativity here 01:20:01.645 --> 01:20:02.315 at on one particular. 01:20:02.334 --> 01:20:03.985 But it's a, it's a known thing though, right? 01:20:03.985 --> 01:20:05.514 Like, I didn't want to say it. 01:20:05.514 --> 01:20:06.745 You brought it up and. 01:20:07.015 --> 01:20:08.605 Well the reason why to go further. 01:20:08.995 --> 01:20:11.004 Why we've, I've wanted to go further into 01:20:11.004 --> 01:20:14.950 this anyways is because Ifigure,, they have 01:20:14.950 --> 01:20:16.180 enough people on there. 01:20:16.240 --> 01:20:18.100 Maybe if enough people start talking and 01:20:18.100 --> 01:20:21.130 noticing they will make a shift because there's 01:20:21.130 --> 01:20:23.830 a real valuable resource in every single forum 01:20:23.830 --> 01:20:26.590 to be able to help businesses and help 01:20:26.620 --> 01:20:28.960 help the industry as opposed to continuing 01:20:28.960 --> 01:20:29.860 that, eat your own. 01:20:29.980 --> 01:20:30.670 Yeah, exactly. 01:20:30.670 --> 01:20:31.990 And then, like, I probably, you know, 01:20:32.559 --> 01:20:34.389 like with that base that's on there. 01:20:34.389 --> 01:20:35.380 If they've all got to get. 01:20:36.115 --> 01:20:39.355 Like, and the mentality and the mentality changed 01:20:39.355 --> 01:20:43.975 from, um, a bargain kind of who's selling what 01:20:43.975 --> 01:20:47.635 for the cheapest and, um, you know, shitting 01:20:47.635 --> 01:20:49.945 on other businesses and even businesses that are 01:20:49.975 --> 01:20:52.525 on there that paid money on their get crapped on 01:20:52.525 --> 01:20:53.395 all the time on there. 01:20:53.575 --> 01:20:53.905 Right. 01:20:54.055 --> 01:20:54.325 Right. 01:20:54.325 --> 01:20:57.415 And then it's up to the business to like, 01:20:57.415 --> 01:20:58.914 monitor, not just their forums, but 01:20:58.914 --> 01:21:00.445 the other forums of people could be like, 01:21:00.445 --> 01:21:01.165 it's this whole thing. 01:21:01.165 --> 01:21:04.525 But anyways, um, it could be like one of 01:21:04.525 --> 01:21:06.415 the biggest resources, the Canadian firearms 01:21:06.415 --> 01:21:06.985 owners, right? 01:21:06.985 --> 01:21:10.045 Like if, uh, the tone of it just changed and 01:21:10.165 --> 01:21:14.004 whatnot, um, it could be like a serious, 01:21:14.065 --> 01:21:18.219 serious place for people to get together 01:21:18.219 --> 01:21:20.020 and make some change. 01:21:20.080 --> 01:21:22.690 But I mean, at its current, what it is 01:21:22.690 --> 01:21:23.590 currently, I mean. 01:21:23.969 --> 01:21:24.170 Yeah. 01:21:24.559 --> 01:21:25.180 Is what it is. 01:21:25.630 --> 01:21:28.330 Maybe, you know, I've seen others try to 01:21:28.330 --> 01:21:30.340 set up other forums, but no, one's really 01:21:30.340 --> 01:21:32.639 kind of gotten the traction that that has. 01:21:33.070 --> 01:21:36.430 If you're listening to this, give us a call. 01:21:36.430 --> 01:21:38.960 We'd be happy to give you some ideas on, 01:21:38.960 --> 01:21:41.740 on ways that you can, uh, or give me a call. 01:21:41.740 --> 01:21:42.719 I don't wanna speak for you Matt. 01:21:43.719 --> 01:21:45.969 Give you some ideas on ways that you can really 01:21:46.000 --> 01:21:48.280 positively impact the firearms community. 01:21:48.670 --> 01:21:48.940 Yeah. 01:21:49.389 --> 01:21:50.490 And they're not big changes. 01:21:50.760 --> 01:21:51.000 No. 01:21:51.199 --> 01:21:51.910 Like it's not. 01:21:52.289 --> 01:21:53.830 It wouldn't be like an overhaul or 01:21:53.830 --> 01:21:54.469 anything like that. 01:21:54.469 --> 01:21:56.755 Like it'd just be some small stuff and. 01:21:56.755 --> 01:21:56.905 Yeah. 01:21:57.205 --> 01:21:59.665 It'd be, it'd be, it'd be back to being a 01:22:00.085 --> 01:22:02.515 epicenter of Canadian firearm ownership. 01:22:02.515 --> 01:22:03.295 Cause it used to be that. 01:22:03.295 --> 01:22:03.475 Right. 01:22:03.475 --> 01:22:04.895 Back in '04. 01:22:04.915 --> 01:22:07.735 It was gun guys just by posting reviews and 01:22:07.855 --> 01:22:08.785 look at this cool thing. 01:22:08.785 --> 01:22:09.655 Look at that cool thing. 01:22:09.655 --> 01:22:10.735 And then I just kind of feel like 01:22:10.735 --> 01:22:11.545 it's veered off to. 01:22:12.715 --> 01:22:15.085 You know I had a, uh, actually in the process 01:22:15.085 --> 01:22:18.775 of selling it, but firearms, canada.com. 01:22:19.195 --> 01:22:21.415 So that's one that I've had for, 01:22:21.475 --> 01:22:22.345 geez I don't know. 01:22:22.375 --> 01:22:26.395 It's been around since '01 and, uh, man, the 01:22:26.395 --> 01:22:28.375 amount of hate that I got on that one 01:22:28.405 --> 01:22:31.105 from, uh, from Gun Nutz in particular. 01:22:31.105 --> 01:22:32.755 Cause it had to buy and sell and, and Gun Nutz 01:22:32.755 --> 01:22:34.435 was just like I ain't got to set up a buy and sell. 01:22:35.035 --> 01:22:39.025 Um, it was, uh, was eye opening. 01:22:39.135 --> 01:22:43.495 And um, where I've always taken the approach 01:22:43.495 --> 01:22:45.325 of how can I help out another business? 01:22:45.445 --> 01:22:45.745 Yeah. 01:22:45.775 --> 01:22:46.315 How can I. 01:22:47.435 --> 01:22:48.745 Maybe it says laziness. 01:22:48.835 --> 01:22:50.215 Maybe it's just me being lazy. 01:22:50.215 --> 01:22:51.445 I don't want to do it all myself. 01:22:51.655 --> 01:22:51.895 Yeah. 01:22:51.925 --> 01:22:52.255 Right. 01:22:52.285 --> 01:22:54.115 I, I want it, I want to do it with other people 01:22:54.115 --> 01:22:54.885 who are like-minded. 01:22:54.885 --> 01:22:55.405 Yeah, totally. 01:22:55.405 --> 01:22:56.965 Who are moving in the same direction. 01:22:57.015 --> 01:22:58.165 Yeah, different ideas. 01:22:58.345 --> 01:22:58.795 Right. 01:22:59.515 --> 01:23:00.565 So anyways. 01:23:00.925 --> 01:23:06.325 Um, so finding people to work at your, uh, your 01:23:06.325 --> 01:23:08.395 establishment there, your fine establishment. 01:23:08.545 --> 01:23:08.845 Yeah. 01:23:09.025 --> 01:23:10.295 That's probably really, really easy. 01:23:10.295 --> 01:23:10.595 Right. 01:23:10.595 --> 01:23:12.735 Ha! 01:23:12.735 --> 01:23:14.525 I don't care 01:23:14.545 --> 01:23:15.385 what anybody says. 01:23:15.385 --> 01:23:17.245 It is tough to find people these days, man. 01:23:17.335 --> 01:23:18.415 Holy Crow. 01:23:18.445 --> 01:23:18.685 Yeah. 01:23:18.775 --> 01:23:21.295 And just, um, it was tough before 01:23:21.295 --> 01:23:23.365 the pandemic, after the pandemic, 01:23:23.365 --> 01:23:24.595 it's just, yeah. 01:23:24.625 --> 01:23:25.715 It's, it's super tough. 01:23:25.945 --> 01:23:28.015 Are people still being incentivized to 01:23:28.135 --> 01:23:30.065 basically not work like when COVID first hit? 01:23:30.065 --> 01:23:30.985 Yeah, why would you, right? 01:23:31.015 --> 01:23:31.315 Yeah. 01:23:31.345 --> 01:23:34.495 You know, it's and that's the thing is so many 01:23:34.495 --> 01:23:38.155 people were unemployed, um, and need to start 01:23:38.155 --> 01:23:40.045 working, but they have to start working at 01:23:40.045 --> 01:23:41.665 the bottom, but what's the point of working 01:23:41.665 --> 01:23:44.155 at the bottom and not getting paid as much as 01:23:44.155 --> 01:23:44.875 if you were unemployed. 01:23:45.265 --> 01:23:46.015 Right. 01:23:46.425 --> 01:23:47.245 You hear what I'm saying? 01:23:47.275 --> 01:23:49.375 Or even if it's just a couple of hundred extra 01:23:49.375 --> 01:23:51.565 bucks, but now you're working 40 hours a week. 01:23:51.595 --> 01:23:51.945 Right. 01:23:51.995 --> 01:23:52.525 That's the point. 01:23:52.675 --> 01:23:52.915 Yeah. 01:23:52.975 --> 01:23:53.215 Right. 01:23:53.215 --> 01:23:56.965 So, um, yeah, no, it's, it's always, you know, 01:23:56.995 --> 01:23:58.555 there's always, it's always tough because 01:23:58.555 --> 01:23:59.515 you get the point of entry of having 01:23:59.515 --> 01:24:00.295 a firearms license. 01:24:00.685 --> 01:24:01.375 There's your first one. 01:24:01.375 --> 01:24:05.155 So there it goes, call it 50% of the workforce 01:24:05.155 --> 01:24:08.005 or 60% of the workforce, whatever it is, then you 01:24:08.015 --> 01:24:10.825 got to have somebody come in, who realizes that? 01:24:11.815 --> 01:24:12.445 Who treats it? 01:24:12.595 --> 01:24:14.005 Like what? 01:24:14.035 --> 01:24:14.695 There's two things. 01:24:14.725 --> 01:24:16.615 There's the job description of, Hey man, 01:24:16.615 --> 01:24:17.485 it's a part-time thing. 01:24:17.515 --> 01:24:18.355 You get the discount. 01:24:18.895 --> 01:24:20.935 I need you on Saturdays and whatever other days. 01:24:20.995 --> 01:24:21.325 Right. 01:24:21.355 --> 01:24:21.745 That's cool. 01:24:21.745 --> 01:24:24.145 That's easy finding those people's stuff. 01:24:24.205 --> 01:24:25.645 Then you got to, if you want to find somebody 01:24:25.645 --> 01:24:26.905 who's going to last long and grow with 01:24:26.905 --> 01:24:30.415 your business, that's even harder because the 01:24:30.415 --> 01:24:32.365 mentality of starting at the bottom and working 01:24:32.365 --> 01:24:35.710 your way up, like a, to me, it's second 01:24:35.710 --> 01:24:38.559 nature, but I've slowly learned over the years. 01:24:38.559 --> 01:24:40.120 That is, it is not normal. 01:24:40.290 --> 01:24:40.590 No it isn't. 01:24:40.590 --> 01:24:42.610 And a lot of people aren't interested in it. 01:24:42.610 --> 01:24:42.850 Right. 01:24:42.850 --> 01:24:44.440 Everyone wants to come and it'd be the boss. 01:24:45.130 --> 01:24:46.270 And even if like, you know what I mean, if 01:24:46.270 --> 01:24:48.040 you've got, if you went to college and all that 01:24:48.040 --> 01:24:49.660 kind of stuff, that doesn't help you in 01:24:49.660 --> 01:24:50.440 the firearms community. 01:24:50.500 --> 01:24:52.480 Well, they see the trappings of what 01:24:52.480 --> 01:24:53.650 success can bring. 01:24:53.800 --> 01:24:54.070 Yeah. 01:24:54.219 --> 01:24:57.280 But they don't see all the difficulties 01:24:57.340 --> 01:24:59.080 that you've had to go through and continue 01:24:59.080 --> 01:25:01.180 to go through on a routine basis in order 01:25:01.180 --> 01:25:02.920 to have those traffics. 01:25:02.950 --> 01:25:03.700 Yeah, exactly. 01:25:03.700 --> 01:25:03.940 Right. 01:25:03.940 --> 01:25:06.550 So, um, we've been really lucky recently it got 01:25:06.550 --> 01:25:07.780 some really solid dudes. 01:25:07.870 --> 01:25:10.120 Um, but yeah, it's, it's, it's tough. 01:25:10.120 --> 01:25:12.790 And like, you know, there's, there's a 01:25:12.790 --> 01:25:14.290 few gun shops in the lower mainland here 01:25:14.290 --> 01:25:16.570 and it's like, we're all trying to pull the 01:25:16.570 --> 01:25:18.580 same people essentially right, you know. 01:25:18.760 --> 01:25:20.740 Um, so yeah, it can be tough. 01:25:20.830 --> 01:25:24.130 Um, but yeah, I mean, you know, if you want 01:25:24.130 --> 01:25:25.690 to work in the firearms community, I will tell 01:25:25.690 --> 01:25:28.550 you right now that, uh, let's go get the job and 01:25:28.550 --> 01:25:29.920 then start at the bottom, work your way up and 01:25:29.980 --> 01:25:30.700 you'll be there forever. 01:25:30.910 --> 01:25:32.410 So it's super simple, man. 01:25:32.410 --> 01:25:36.969 Like gun shops, every shop I've worked at, um, 01:25:37.420 --> 01:25:39.639 you know, the guys who stick out like become, 01:25:39.670 --> 01:25:41.020 you become essential to the business. 01:25:41.200 --> 01:25:41.559 Totally. 01:25:41.770 --> 01:25:43.420 We need you and you become part 01:25:43.420 --> 01:25:43.870 of the family. 01:25:43.870 --> 01:25:45.170 And that's the thing with gun shops. 01:25:45.610 --> 01:25:46.990 I don't know about other, I know of the 01:25:46.990 --> 01:25:47.830 places I've worked. 01:25:48.340 --> 01:25:51.610 Um, I consider every one of my employees, like, 01:25:51.610 --> 01:25:52.510 we're like a big family. 01:25:52.879 --> 01:25:54.580 We hang out, we all go shooting together. 01:25:54.580 --> 01:25:57.030 We all, you know, go to the pub together and 01:25:57.030 --> 01:25:57.820 we all hang out, right. 01:25:58.180 --> 01:26:00.730 So that's what it ends up being, right. 01:26:00.730 --> 01:26:02.350 So it can be super cool. 01:26:02.350 --> 01:26:03.969 It can be just as fun as you think 01:26:03.969 --> 01:26:04.540 it's going to be. 01:26:04.750 --> 01:26:05.880 It just requires a little bit of work. 01:26:06.270 --> 01:26:06.360 Yeah. 01:26:06.360 --> 01:26:06.800 That's all it is. 01:26:07.200 --> 01:26:08.050 There's a lot to learn. 01:26:08.320 --> 01:26:09.670 You guys are hiring right now aren't you? 01:26:09.910 --> 01:26:13.360 Uh, no, uh, we just filled a spot, but we 01:26:13.360 --> 01:26:15.820 might need somebody coming up here, but yeah. 01:26:16.270 --> 01:26:17.830 Well, if you got a, if you have an 01:26:17.830 --> 01:26:18.570 interest to work in. 01:26:18.580 --> 01:26:20.200 We're always looking for resumes people. 01:26:20.380 --> 01:26:20.770 Yes. 01:26:20.770 --> 01:26:21.340 Send 'em on in. 01:26:21.370 --> 01:26:22.360 Yeah, for sure. 01:26:22.420 --> 01:26:23.530 Check the website for details. 01:26:23.719 --> 01:26:24.610 No doubt 'eh. 01:26:25.960 --> 01:26:26.570 Oh man. 01:26:26.800 --> 01:26:27.010 Yeah. 01:26:27.460 --> 01:26:28.990 Anything that we haven't covered that we should. 01:26:29.590 --> 01:26:30.220 I don't know, man. 01:26:30.220 --> 01:26:32.740 I feel like we had a pretty, pretty rad chats. 01:26:32.770 --> 01:26:33.630 I do too. 01:26:33.680 --> 01:26:33.960 Yeah man. 01:26:34.050 --> 01:26:34.450 Really enjoyed it. 01:26:34.450 --> 01:26:35.290 It was a lot of fun thank you very 01:26:35.290 --> 01:26:35.860 much for having me. 01:26:36.010 --> 01:26:46.650 Thank you for being on The Silvercore Podcast.