This marks the 250th column I have written for the Concealed Carry Report. In two months, I will have added my thoughts to this august collection of insights for a full four years. It is amazing to think about how far we have come and the number of people we have helped. It is truly humbling. I am a firm believer that if something we do helps just one person, we have succeeded.
When you strip away everything else, the USCCA is here to help people. Our Self-Defense SHIELD provides members with the best possible legal protection during what would otherwise be their darkest days. Through our Education and Training Division, we teach people the skills they need to stay alive. The Content Team gathers and disseminates some of the finest information in the world. The award-winning staff works with the best writers and subject matter experts in the industry to provide this information in any format you might wish to consume it. We work to give you the information you need even before you know you need it.
Four years ago, every element of Concealed Carry Magazine passed through a computer screen sitting on top of a little pressed-board desk in a sweltering upstairs bedroom of my little house. That shabby desk still sits in the corner of that tiny bedroom, but today the Content Team at the USCCA has grown to 13 people. We have a 10,000-square-foot studio and office complex and staff members working on all manner of content elements from West Bend, Wisconsin to St. Paul, Minnesota to Birmingham, Alabama to Atlanta, Georgia. And we have freelancers across the country.
The amazing thing about this team is the cohesion with which we work to create the elements our readers, viewers and listeners seek out from us every day. Watching the team grow and develop and working with the individual members who constantly strive to create innovative and informative content is humbling. Our standing goal is simple: each element better than the last.
You have seen that in every issue of Concealed Carry Magazine. What you haven’t seen are the animated discussions among team members as we strive to build a better magazine. Does anyone remember the first episode of Into the Fray back in March of 2014? Take a look:
That episode of Into the Fray was shot with hand-me-down studio lights and a canvas painter’s tarp for a background. Tyler, who was freelancing his video skills for the USCCA at the time, angrily voiced his displeasure. I was able to convince him that we had to prove the concept first, and then we could expand and improve.
Tyler now works here full-time as a video production specialist and his technical skills have made our Proving Ground training videos into an award-winning series dedicated to bringing new skills to shooters of all levels. I truly think he has pulled Into the Fray into something I can be proud of, too. Daniel, our video production assistant, brings unmatched editing skills and work ethic like I have never seen.
Carla, who copy edits every word I write and nearly every word you read from the USCCA, makes sure all the rest of us are clear, to the point and accurate. She rightly questions a lot of what we do. She also produces this Concealed Carry Report from top to bottom. Salute!
Beth, Jared and Ed deftly guide our freelance writers through the process of getting their good ideas into a form suitable for publication in Concealed Carry Magazine and other USCCA outlets. And Kurt has his finger on the pulse of just about every special project that comes up.
Last but certainly not least, Ken and Dusty make everything look good. I would put this two-man design team up against any “big name” agency or publishing house in the country. Talk about vision and talent.
So, yeah … after 250 editions of the Concealed Carry Report, all I can say is, “Thanks to this crew, you can look for it again next week.”
Related: Lights, Camera, Reaction! Into the Fray Video Blog Begins
