Shownotes
Anna Taylor joins State of the Second to tell the story behind Dean Adams, the concealed carry company she built after a frustrating start with her own first gun. In 2013 she was a stay at home mom with four young kids in a shady part of Kansas City called Grandview, and her husband at the time traveled often. The conversations around Sandy Hook and the fear of losing rights pushed her to get her concealed carry permit. The gun store handed her the "shrink it and pink it" girl gun, she got home, and she could not find education or a way to carry that was comfortable, safe, and actually worked. She locked the gun up. Then she cut out a computer mousepad, sewed it to her postpartum wrap corset, and the gun disappeared under her T-shirt. That was the first prototype. Many designs later she launched her first concealed carry corset and kept going with education and instructor training.
From that corset the line grew into thigh holsters built like shapewear, a bra holster, and concealed carry leggings. Anna walks John through the design priorities that separate a real holster from cloth: trigger protection, retention that does not slow your draw, consistent positioning that conceals on a woman's "squishy" spots, and a natural draw stroke that does not flag anyone with the muzzle. She also covers training as a mom, including running drills one handed while moving a child out of the way and covering a baby's ears on the draw. Her EDC is the P365, and she names her company after her grandfather, who taught her guns should be respected and not feared.
The conversation gets personal and practical. Anna wrote a book, Intuitive by Design: A Woman's Guide to Fear and Self Defense, centered on mindset as the first line of defense. She shares her own history of abuse and the night a false alarm finally broke fear's hold on her. The hosts cover the media narrative around domestic abuse survivors and firearms, the "gun bunny" debate in the industry, her strategy of marketing to women through the men who buy for them, and detailed situational awareness habits for parents at the store and in the parking lot. She closes by teasing new products, including a first collection of smart holsters that integrate with a cell phone as part of a safety plan.
Questions this episode answers
How did Anna Taylor go from a frustrated new gun owner to founding a concealed carry company?
In 2013, as a stay at home mom of four in Kansas City, Anna Taylor got her concealed carry permit but found no comfortable, safe way to carry the gun she was sold. With passion and a sense of duty rather than formal qualifications, she built a holster prototype and went on to launch Dean Adams.
What was the very first holster prototype she made, and how did it work?
She cut out a computer mousepad and sewed it to her postpartum wrap corset, which made the gun disappear under her T-shirt. After many design iterations, that first prototype became her concealed carry corset.
What makes a holster actually safe, and why is retention more than just cloth?
Anna says a real holster needs trigger protection, retention that holds the gun without slowing your draw, and consistent positioning that conceals on a woman's softer spots. It also has to allow a natural draw stroke that never points the muzzle at anyone.
How can a mom train and carry while holding or wearing a child?
Anna trains for it directly, running one handed drills while moving a child out of the way and covering a baby's ears on the draw. Her thinking is that under stress you default to how you've trained, so she practices the real scenario.
What is Anna's book Intuitive by Design about, and what changed her relationship with fear?
Intuitive by Design: A Woman's Guide to Fear and Self Defense centers on mindset as the first line of defense. Anna shares her own history of abuse and the night a false alarm finally broke fear's hold on her.
How should domestic abuse survivors think about owning and carrying a firearm?
Anna and the hosts discuss the media narrative around abuse survivors and guns, and her own experience as a survivor who decided she would do anything to stand between her kids and a predator. The episode frames firearm ownership as part of that survivor's safety plan.
What is the "gun bunny" debate, and how has the industry changed for women in 13 years?
The "gun bunny" debate weighs the industry's sexualized marketing against educated, serious female shooters. Anna reflects on how the gun store experience and the market for women have shifted over the 13 years since she started Dean Adams.
What situational awareness habits does Anna teach parents for the store and parking lot?
Anna teaches detailed awareness routines for parents at the store and in the parking lot, built on the idea that predators look for easy, weak targets. She also covers marketing to women through the men who buy firearms for them.
Chapters
- 00:00 — Meet Anna Taylor, founder of Dean Adams
- 00:38 — The 2013 backstory and the first gun
- 02:05 — The mousepad and corset prototype
- 03:43 — Walking through the product line
- 09:56 — Has the gun store experience improved for women?
- 12:31 — The book on fear and self defense
- 16:40 — Making the decision to act before the moment
- 18:17 — Training and carrying with kids
- 23:10 — Domestic abuse survivors and the Second Amendment
- 29:09 — Soapbox: gun bunnies vs. educated women
- 30:21 — Marketing to women through the men
- 34:54 — The next trends in women's concealed carry
- 40:02 — Situational awareness for parents
- 45:16 — Where to find Anna and what's coming next
About the guest
Anna Taylor is the founder and CEO of Dean Adams, a concealed carry holster company she started in 2013. At the time she was a stay at home mom with four young kids living in the Grandview area of Kansas City, where her husband at the time traveled a lot. After a frustrating experience trying to carry her first gun, she built a holster prototype from a computer mousepad sewn to her postpartum corset, then pursued firearms education and instructor training. Thirteen years later her line includes the concealed carry corset, thigh holsters, a bra holster, and concealed carry leggings. She is also the author of Intuitive by Design: A Woman's Guide to Fear and Self Defense, teaches private firearms classes, and offers a line of e-learning material. Her company is named after her grandfather, who taught her that guns should be respected and not feared.
Key quotes
"So with no qualification other than passion and a sense of duty, I thought, I'm going to do something about this." — Anna Taylor
"You have to have trigger protection, you have to have safe retention, but that doesn't slow down your draw." — Anna Taylor
"Because when the fear hits, when the emergency happens, you will default to how you've trained." — Anna Taylor
"I made the decision, I will do anything to stand between my kids and a predator." — Anna Taylor
"Predators are looking for easy, weak targets." — Anna Taylor
"He was big on family God, tradition, guns, his hunting, and taught me that guns should be respected and not feared." — Anna Taylor
Transcripts
Welcome to the State of the second podcast.
Speaker A:My name is John and today we're joined by Anna Taylor.
Speaker A:Anna is the founder and CEO of Dean Adams, creating innovative concealed carry holsters for law enforcement and everyday citizens.
Speaker A:Recognizing educators and content creators.
Speaker A:She's known for her Vera educational comedic firearms content.
Speaker A:Anna, how are you?
Speaker B:I'm wonderful.
Speaker B:It's nice weather here in Myrtle beach as opposed to the Midwest.
Speaker A:Yeah, I, I came from Phoenix and got here, it was cold for me, unfortunately.
Speaker A:So tell me a little bit about the, tell the audience a little bit about the backstory, how you started the company, why you started the company, all that stuff.
Speaker B:Yep.
Speaker B: So in: Speaker B:I had four young kids and I lived in a pretty shady part of Kansas City called Grandview.
Speaker B:And there was a lot of crime in the area.
Speaker B:My husband at the time traveled a lot, so I was home with the kids and I just felt really vulnerable.
Speaker B:I wanted to be able to protect us and I couldn't.
Speaker B:I really didn't know where to start.
Speaker B:The conversations about Sandy Hook were going on, you know, the talk of losing our rights, things like that really pushed me to go ahead and get my concealed carry.
Speaker B:I started with my first gun.
Speaker B:They sort of at the gun store handed me the shrink it and pink it girl gun and you know, the gun that felt nice in my hand.
Speaker B:I got home and I really didn't know what, what to do with it.
Speaker B:I couldn't find education, I couldn't find a way to carry it that was comfortable and actually worked and was safe.
Speaker B:So I ended up getting pretty frustrated and just locking it up.
Speaker B:And it became increasingly frustrating because I had gone to all the time and expense to get my gun, to get my permit and all these things, and I still couldn't carry.
Speaker B:My youngest brother was on his sixth deployment.
Speaker B:My best friend's husband had been gone for years being deployed and I thought, here I am trying to carry and I can't.
Speaker B:So with no qualification other than passion and a sense of duty, I thought, I'm going to do something about this.
Speaker B:And I ended up figuring out a kind of a holster idea when I, I cut out a computer mousepad and I sewed it to my postpartum like wrap corset and the, the.
Speaker B:So where the gun was positioned on my body and the way that it felt and moved and it just disappeared under my T shirt, I'm like, this works for me.
Speaker B:And many, many designs later, I've launched my first concealed carry corset.
Speaker B:I also started Getting as much education as I could.
Speaker B:And I started taking training classes.
Speaker B:I mean, starting with even reading the manual that came with my, with my gun.
Speaker B:Anything that I could to start educating myself.
Speaker B:And then I evolved into instructor training and had the opportunity to train with some incredible companies all around the country.
Speaker B:And here I am 13 years later.
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Speaker A:You started off with the corset and then you've kind of evolved that into a number of different products, kind of go through your product line.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:So it started with the classic corset.
Speaker B:I had tried seven different types of holsters.
Speaker B:The IWB didn't work for me because with small kids, you know, you have to take it off, set it down when you go to the bathroom.
Speaker B:It was also bulky and uncomfortable.
Speaker B:I tried a purse carry.
Speaker B:I'd made a rule, if I ever take my purse off, it goes in the safe.
Speaker B:And it was one trip to the grocery store with the kids and I had set it down in the van while I was putting groceries in and all that.
Speaker B:And I went to go drive and I thought, crap, I did it.
Speaker B:I broke my rule.
Speaker B:And it just.
Speaker B:The closest thing was a belly band that worked for me, but it still printed so bad it would fall out.
Speaker B:My gun would fall out if I bent over.
Speaker B:So it just didn't work.
Speaker B:So that's kind of the concept that I started with.
Speaker B:Okay, so the corset.
Speaker B:So the corset has come a long way since then.
Speaker B:With my education, I learned more about what a safe holster entails.
Speaker B:You have to have trigger protection, you have to have safe retention, but that doesn't slow down your draw.
Speaker B:It has to be comfortable and it needs to conceal and be consistent.
Speaker B:Your gun shouldn't shift or move once you're holstered.
Speaker B:So in learning my draw positions, a proper draw from concealment, I was able to design.
Speaker B:And another thing about all my Holsters is they holster your gun on a squishy spot.
Speaker B:Okay.
Speaker B:So rather than many of the traditional holsters or men's holsters that would holster on your.
Speaker B:On your hip.
Speaker B:So three o', clock, you're on your hip bone.
Speaker B:Six o', clock, you're on your tailbone.
Speaker B:So that one is incredibly painful, and it doesn't help with concealment at all.
Speaker B:So focusing on appendix, but also higher than appendix, where it's not jabbing your pubic bone or jabbing into your ribs, that's a great squishy spot for women to conceal.
Speaker B:It's also a protective.
Speaker B:A naturally protective spot that we are aware of as our tummy and then being able to holster on her thighs.
Speaker B:So that was the next big thing that came in for me, was I started wearing business skirts, things like that, or wanting to wear a skirt to church.
Speaker B:And the thigh holsters that were available were just a joke.
Speaker B:I mean, for starters, if you put a rubber.
Speaker B:I mean, I've.
Speaker B:You know, I got squishy thighs.
Speaker B:Most women do.
Speaker B:And you put a rubber band on one thigh, you know, that's going to not look so good under a skirt and to make some uneven.
Speaker B:And it just didn't work.
Speaker B:And they could also slide down, you know, I had a meeting one day, and it was a little bit early, and so I was sitting in my car and I decided to go into a store and walk past the no gun site.
Speaker B:And I thought, nobody's going to know, but I had a gun on my thigh and I'm standing around.
Speaker B:Of course, this is early on, so I think everybody can see my gun, you know, so I'm.
Speaker B:I'm paranoid, but I'm like, I'm good.
Speaker B:And I'm standing there and my gun starts sliding down my thigh.
Speaker B:And I'm like, oh, no, they're gonna come and get me.
Speaker B:It's all over.
Speaker B:So I ended up kind of having to, like, wobble out of the store, but that can just.
Speaker B:That just can't happen.
Speaker B:And so I. I designed a thigh holster that is basically shapewear.
Speaker B:So it's a full short that shapes your thighs, shapes your butt, shapes your waist and.
Speaker B:And conceals your gun on the inside squishy spot of your thigh or on the outer thigh.
Speaker B:And then I also just this last year released the 2.0, so you actually have a second holster that's around your waistband.
Speaker B:So that's the thigh holster.
Speaker B:Then we've got the bra holster.
Speaker B:It's the problem that I found with most.
Speaker B:Oh, the other thing about the thigh holster is the grip would stick out on the inside of your thigh and, and it would hit your other thigh and there's a nerve that goes down the inside of your thigh.
Speaker B:And I can't explain how painful it is to have something poking that.
Speaker B:And so the way that I designed the opening compartment of the holster part is it tucks the grip down in there and so it redirects the grip to the back.
Speaker B:And then with the sleek fabric, even without the thigh gap, you just don't even notice it's there.
Speaker B:So it's very comfortable.
Speaker B:It has built in trigger guard, breakaway retention tab and then the underbra holster.
Speaker B:The problem that I found because the concept is amazing to be able to, you know, use what you've got to conceal, right?
Speaker B:So being able to holster on your bra or under your boobs or whatever you can do.
Speaker B:The options that were available, there was no way to draw without flashing or flagging someone with your muzzle as you're drawing.
Speaker B:And it also the positioning was not conducive to concealment.
Speaker B:So by adjusting the direction you're able to in the bra holster, draw your natural draw without flagging anyone.
Speaker B:So also there's trigger protection built in with the breakaway retention tab.
Speaker B:The corsets have a, they come with a universal trigger guard.
Speaker B:There's also an, there's an industrial strength Velcro that's down inside the lining of the holster compartment where you can attach your IWB if you prefer to have your iwb.
Speaker B:I know everybody, I love that I do some competition and I just love that click of the Kydex when you pop, you know, pop your gun down in your holster.
Speaker B:And so I like having that added safety in my soft garments.
Speaker B:So there's also the leggings, concealed carry leggings and thick same principles apply.
Speaker B:Natural draw, stroke, trigger protection, retention and like works with your lifestyle, works with how we move and operate as women.
Speaker B:So let's see, is that everything?
Speaker B:I'm always adding something new, but yeah,.
Speaker A:No, I love that.
Speaker A:And especially that you're, you're.
Speaker A:There's a retention aspect.
Speaker A:Most of the products out there are just like cloth and they sit there and to think ahead of it and go into the retention aspect shows that you're really looking at the safety.
Speaker A:Especially when you said without flagging people, that's something that's huge because a lot of people don't realize that when they're doing that.
Speaker A:Now you started off, I want to go into your journey a little bit because you touched on that you started off, you went to the gun store, they did the shrinking and Pinkett thing to you.
Speaker A:Do you think if you.
Speaker A:Where you're at now compared to where you are, then has.
Speaker A:Have you gone into a gun store again and been like, okay, things are getting better.
Speaker A:They're not telling me to get the shrink it and pink it, or do they actually listen to what you wanted and didn't just try to sell you something that you weren't going to use?
Speaker B:I think that, well, the.
Speaker B:The industry overall, the manufacturers have come out with more practical guns that aren't just making it pink.
Speaker B:But, you know, thinking, my.
Speaker B:My EDC is the P365.
Speaker B:I love it because it's your.
Speaker B:You have the higher magazine capacity.
Speaker B:It's a hybrid, so it's a hybrid magazine.
Speaker B:So it's stuck not quite a single stack, but it's not quite as thick and fat as a double stack.
Speaker B:So, you know, as.
Speaker B:As a woman, I want, no matter what I'm wearing, I would like to be able to carry the most compact gun as possible.
Speaker B:So they're adding functionality to.
Speaker B:To it based around a woman's needs, not just changing the color.
Speaker B:So.
Speaker B:So, for starters, you know, the guns that people are being directed to, that women are being directed to actually do solve problems better than they used to.
Speaker B:There weren't modifications and changes made previously, but I'm definitely seeing a lot of that.
Speaker B:That's great.
Speaker B:And.
Speaker B:And, you know, bless their heart.
Speaker B:Many of the men in the beginning at the gun store, they had good intentions that they didn't know.
Speaker B:You know, a lot of the.
Speaker B:A lot of the men will, you know, be the one purchasing the gun for their girlfriend, mom, wife, whatever, and they want to just put a.45 in their hand because that's what works for them.
Speaker B:But.
Speaker B:But then, you know, education, they're.
Speaker B:They're learning that they're kind of just happy as long as they're carrying something that they can feel confident with.
Speaker B:So there's definitely an evolution that's happened there, which is great.
Speaker A:No, I couldn't agree more.
Speaker A:As a.
Speaker A:As a man who has a life and has bought her multiple guns now.
Speaker A:Yeah, I've learned very quickly that I cannot train her because I let somebody else do it, because not only because I'm her husband, but also because I'm her husband and she doesn't want to listen to me.
Speaker A:So.
Speaker A:So, you know, when I went to go get her first gun and I let her pick out her first gun, she.
Speaker A:I was like, do you like this, does it fit good in your hand?
Speaker A:All that stuff she learned, she didn't like it after we bought it, which I was perfectly fine with.
Speaker A:And then I found a couple other guns that she really liked and, and bought them for her over the years.
Speaker A:But that is, there's something that I. I'm seeing a trend change that there's more women focused guns because the women's market is one of the largest growing markets right now.
Speaker A:So there's that.
Speaker A:Now you, not only are you an inventor of holsters and concealed care gear, but you're also an author and your book talks about the fear of concealed carrying.
Speaker A:You know, kind of dive in why you wrote the book and kind of what the book is all about.
Speaker B:So Intuitive by Design, A Woman's Guide to Fear and Self Defense is primarily focused on mindset, which is your first line of defense.
Speaker B:You know, we're taught as women and young girls to be polite, to quiet our gut, what our gut is telling us our gut.
Speaker B:And fear is our natural.
Speaker B:I mean, it's our natural alarm system.
Speaker B:And we're taught to suppress that.
Speaker B:And so the book actually talks about my journey that I went through from being abused as a child, going through multiple assaults, things like that, where I was taught I was, I was programmed by fear to freeze, to be submissive to, you know, fear was not a good thing.
Speaker B:And so it talks about my journey of when that, when that switch was flipped for me.
Speaker B:And you know, it was a moment that I was very long story off to read the book, but I. I found myself, I was in a house that I was living temporarily in with my four kids after my divorce and I heard glass break and I had my gun next to me and I froze.
Speaker B:I thought, nothing is going.
Speaker B:I'm not going to let anybody get near my kids, no matter what happens.
Speaker B:I had trained.
Speaker B:I was in the process of launching the business.
Speaker B:I was feeling confident, but when that glass broke, I froze.
Speaker B:And you know, it ended up later on, you know, I figured it out that some roommates had dropped a glass bottle in the garage and it turned out okay.
Speaker B:But I was so angry at how I responded that I, you know, how could I have, how could I have done that?
Speaker B:And I ended up sticking up some of those infrared like alarms that go off when you open a door.
Speaker B:And it was two more times before I moved out of the house that actually the alarms went off in the night because the adhesive had failed and fallen.
Speaker B:So it inadvertently trained me because there were two other times in the night that that happened.
Speaker B:And there was just this one final time when the alarm went off and I did, I froze again.
Speaker B:And it was like something deep inside me finally said, no, not this time.
Speaker B:And it actually, in that moment not only broke just the fear, that hold that, the hold that fear had on my body, but you know, the abuse that had caused that fear.
Speaker B:And when I chose to move, I mean, something just happened.
Speaker B:All of a sudden I felt so powerful.
Speaker B:I had laser sharp vision.
Speaker B:I remember feeling like I could shoot an ant at 50 yards.
Speaker B:I couldn't, but I felt so sharp.
Speaker B:And that was the first time I experienced the adrenaline and fear working in my body to make me a.
Speaker B:Whatever tool I needed to be at that time to protect my family.
Speaker B:And that changed.
Speaker B:So in this book I talk about how to, you know, common dangers in our community, where, where predator predators are, how they operate and how to listen to your gut.
Speaker B:So that's primarily what the, what the book's at about.
Speaker B:One of the books that I enjoyed reading that helped me work through a lot of this is Gavin de Becker's book, the Gift of Fear.
Speaker B:So it's very, very much in line with the same principles.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:And fear is a very powerful thing when you've changed your, your mindset and kind of got into that, that I'm my own self protector and I'm the protector of my children.
Speaker A:How, how did that go in your head?
Speaker A:Was it, did you mentally have to train yourself to think that way or was it just like a switch turned on and you're like, this is what I gotta do?
Speaker B:Absolutely.
Speaker B:Every, this is something that, you know, everyone, when you choose to carry, you have to go through these scenarios.
Speaker B:This is part of the training.
Speaker B:Because when the fear hits, when the emergency happens, you will default to how you've trained.
Speaker B:And if you haven't thought through scenarios, then when your brain isn't working right and your facts are skewed, you're not going to be able to make those decisions.
Speaker B:So you have to make a lot of these decisions ahead of time.
Speaker B:Like, you know, early on I had to ask myself, could I shoot someone?
Speaker B:And it was like, well, you know, maybe I could talk to them about Jesus first or maybe I could change their mind or something.
Speaker B:And it was like, no, that's just, that's not, you know, I watched several videos of attacks that had happened and you know, a lot of these predators could be on drugs or they're not, I mean, they're inherently evil.
Speaker B:They're not going, they love the, the, the vulnerability.
Speaker B:They So I had, once my kids came into the picture, it was one thing trying to defend myself or thinking about defending myself.
Speaker B:But once my kids came into the picture and knowing the type of evil is out there, I made the decision, I will do anything to stand between my kids and a predator.
Speaker B:And for me then it was a no brainer.
Speaker B:So now if I'm in that situation, I don't have to make that decision.
Speaker B:My decision making is using the OODA loop, focusing on observing the situation, being able to act quickly, reassessing and without having to make all of those moral decisions in the moment.
Speaker B:That makes sense.
Speaker A:No, that makes perfect sense as a mom when you're training and doing these things because I know there's a lot of, there's women that listen and would want to know when you're training, how do you take the kid factor into your training?
Speaker B:So I mean, so for starters, my kids have been around guns since they were nursing and I had one holstered right next to them.
Speaker B:So we have very much in our household they have been raised to respect them, to understand them, just to you know, be shooting them safely, operating them from an early age and also the mindset and what was the question again?
Speaker A:So like if when you're out, out and about and you have your kids with you, you know, the training thing that you go into when you grow, training, you know, when you have your kids, how do you.
Speaker B:Yeah, okay, so also maneuvering with the kids.
Speaker B:So not just the kids safety around firearms, but also.
Speaker B:So the corset holster, for example, when I designed the corset holster, I was actually tandem nursing my two daughters.
Speaker B:So I had two babies on my lap, often at the same time.
Speaker B:I always had one on my hip and you know, I needed a holster that there that they could didn't bump into them in any uncomfortable ways.
Speaker B:And so the corset positions, that positions the gun in a safe way like that, in a comfortable way.
Speaker B:Being able to learn how to do everything one handed because you know, going through the motions and practicing, you know, if you're holding hand, holding a hand of your young child or you're a caregiver, going through the motions of how you're going to move them out of the way, how you're going to shift your body, doing your draws and your reloads and you know, manipulating everything one handed is, is, is really important when it comes to, to that.
Speaker A:So when you design this, you had in mind that your kids will be on you 99% of the time because as a mob that's normally what happens.
Speaker A:So taking that consideration with the design factor, you know, how do you tell moms when they come to you and they're like, hey, I want to get into this, but I'm worried.
Speaker A:My concerns are XYZ or hey, I see that your product holds.
Speaker A:You know, you've got the bra holster, you've got this, you know, why did you design it that way?
Speaker A:How, how do I carry with my kids?
Speaker A:Things like that?
Speaker B:Yeah, so it's, there's so many different needs and there's the different child's ages, you know, you may be when they're, when they're infants, you've got, you know, a bump in front.
Speaker B:If you're baby wearing, when they're a little older, you can carry them in back.
Speaker B:So changing the position and the holster that you're using based on that is important.
Speaker B:And also considering things like covering the baby's ears and grabbing arms out of the way all in one motion.
Speaker B:So you don't have arms, you know, little arms in the way on your draw so you're not sweeping any part of the baby on your draw.
Speaker B:You know, if she's carrying in front, then I might have her holster at more of a 4 o' clock position if she is.
Speaker B:Or also a thigh holster is an option.
Speaker B:But getting that motion, adding those steps, those standard draw steps, applying that to the situation and how you're carrying the baby.
Speaker B:For example, if she's wearing and carrying the baby in front, she's not moving a cover garment, she's using her support hand to cover baby's ears and grab a hand so that you can then go and draw.
Speaker B:So there's a lot of different considerations based on lifestyle and the age of the child.
Speaker A:Now if is there, and I don't know this for a fact, so I'm asking is, is there any classes where people can take who are getting into this with their children to train while they have their children with them?
Speaker B:To my knowledge, there are some small groups that are, that are doing classes that are specifically focused on that.
Speaker B:A lot of my training, I do private classes or just contract like private classes specific to what maybe a small group of women's needs are.
Speaker B:It's difficult to just do a blanketed class.
Speaker B:I don't find that as effective or a good use of my time.
Speaker B:But there are also some women I know.
Speaker B:Tatgirl Michelle, Michelle Waldron, she's awesome.
Speaker B:She shows a lot of videos on carrying, like when you're pregnant or caring with a child.
Speaker B:So she's actually done a lot of videos using my holsters and showing various ways to do that.
Speaker B:So really, the only people hitting that is specific influencers like that or myself or through private classes.
Speaker C:So.
Speaker A:So I want to kind of dive in a little bit more into your story.
Speaker A:We have an event coming up October 3rd in St. Louis called Safe where we're rewriting the narrative behind.
Speaker A:Behind gun ownership and domestic abusive survivors.
Speaker A:You know, how do you.
Speaker A:How have you combated that narrative, and how has that.
Speaker A:You've seen the narrative been pushed by the media, and what do you have.
Speaker B:To say to that as far as domestic abuse survivors practicing their Second Amendment right?
Speaker A:Correct.
Speaker B:That's a very touchy place because, you know, you can't.
Speaker B:She can't be.
Speaker B:She needs to be educated and can't paint herself in the corner of premeditation in any way.
Speaker B:That's, you know, very dangerous place to be while also having the right to defend herself.
Speaker B:So education is important there.
Speaker B:Navigating the laws and all of that is very difficult.
Speaker B:Specifically, what.
Speaker B:What would be a specific question about that?
Speaker A:There's a narrative out there that domestic abuse survivors shouldn't own guns or shouldn't be, you know, take their own personal responsibility in their hands while on the one side and on our side, where guns are tools to defend themselves and in using them and educating yourself and getting that tool.
Speaker B:So I think that we're taught.
Speaker B:So there.
Speaker B:I think there's two sides to it.
Speaker B:Oh, a woman that is actively in an abuse sit.
Speaker B:If she can be proactive enough to go buy a gun, then she should be proactive enough to try to get out of the situation.
Speaker B:That type of adult active abuse is not a position I have personally been in.
Speaker B:So I can't say that I understand what she's going through or how difficult that is, but I can say that I have been through some very difficult situations, and it does take.
Speaker B:It takes a lot of courage and strength to move forward out of a situation.
Speaker B:I would think she needs to get out of the situation.
Speaker B:And then you have the.
Speaker B:I mean, that's like, put it.
Speaker B:It's like, why I might not carry if I'm gonna do the.
Speaker B:All right, here's my little sidetrack here.
Speaker B:But if.
Speaker B:If, for example, I'm gonna do the stupid Walmart Black Friday at midnight thing where I know I'm going into a mob, you know, I. I feel like that's a situation, first of all, I would avoid.
Speaker B:But if I chose to do that, I'm not gonna go in carrying because I feel like I already know there's most likely gonna be a fight here.
Speaker B:And if I show up with a gun thinking there's gonna be a fight here and then I actually do have to use it, even if it's legitimate self defense, I feel like just this, that's putting yourself into a situation where it would be difficult to defend it, not being somehow premeditated.
Speaker B:So in that situation, I feel like the best case is just to get out of the situation and then you have survivors who are out of the situation.
Speaker B:And that's where I think, you know, education is really, really important.
Speaker B:Get, get.
Speaker B:You know, a restraining order is just a piece of paper.
Speaker B:You want to be able to defend yourself but also be able to make sure that you have worked through, you know, the mental aftermath of what you've had to experience.
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Speaker A:So we are at the halfway point which means it is time for our from the soaps box where we kind of get really spicy.
Speaker A:So what is your spicy take?
Speaker B:Spicy.
Speaker B:Spicy is a touchy topic in the gun world, especially as a woman.
Speaker B:So you know, the women in the gun industry, there's really two directions and you know, sex sells and there's always gonna be the gun bunnies and you know, they work at moving product.
Speaker B:However, I've had to be very, it was very difficult.
Speaker B:You know, the industry's come a long ways but getting into the gun world As a woman 13 years ago was very difficult.
Speaker B:It was very difficult to be taken seriously and I really have had to work hard to prove, to prove myself through education and confidence in a non sexual way.
Speaker B:If that makes sense.
Speaker A:100% Agree where you're coming from.
Speaker A:And the industry has really come a long way in the last 13 years where we're seeing more females get involved and it's less about the, the gun bunny and more about well educated, well spoken women who know the product and know what's going on and being there.
Speaker A:And I've heard it from, you know, our, our director of development marketing.
Speaker A:So female.
Speaker A:Her name is Kaylee, who's normally here.
Speaker A:Uh, but it, it is something that has changed and I'm, I'm glad to see the change because when I first started in the industry, it was the same thing.
Speaker A:I was like, why are we doing this?
Speaker A:It doesn't help anybody.
Speaker A:It's creating a stereotype that we don't need.
Speaker B:If you're, if you're just doing, if you're just using your looks to sell something pretty or to, you know, you're really doing a disservice to women.
Speaker B:Selling holsters that, or promoting holsters that are not safe, promoting unsafe gun handling because you haven't taken the time to learn how to properly hold a gun or shoot a gun.
Speaker B:That's really a very dangerous disservice to women.
Speaker B:And, but as you know, there's so many women who now are, they're beautiful, they're sexy and they are confident.
Speaker B:They know what they're doing, they know their stuff, they.
Speaker B:And I think that's the sweet spot.
Speaker B:So.
Speaker A:No, I couldn't agree more.
Speaker A:It's, it's, and it's a breath, breath of fresh air.
Speaker A:Seeing how just over the last six years that the change in the industry that we're coming, more female focus is not just shrink it and pick it.
Speaker A:It's becoming, with everything that's going on, it's not just, you know, you got to be a pretty face at the booth.
Speaker A:It's, you're there, you're knowledgeable, you're educated.
Speaker A:And even the consumer side, the younger generations that are coming into the segment are also the same way, where it's product focused and not just a pretty face standing there trying to push something.
Speaker B:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker B:And you know, for me, I learned early on and it makes a lot of sense.
Speaker B:You know, my company's named Dean Adam.
Speaker B:That was after my grandpa.
Speaker B:He was big on family God, tradition, guns, his hunting, and taught me that guns should be respected and not feared.
Speaker B:And he was one of the strong influences in my life that made me passionate about what I do now.
Speaker B:And that's this very similar story with a lot of women in America.
Speaker B:There was someone influential in their life, whether it was an uncle, grandpa, dad, boyfriend, husband.
Speaker B:And they're often seeking the approval of that male figure.
Speaker B:And so throughout my career, my target has actually been marketing towards men to women, roundabout through the men, by gaining the trust of the men and creating safe, family friendly content that the men feel comfortable sharing with the women.
Speaker B:You know, it's often the men that are buying the holsters for the women.
Speaker B:And so that's been one of my angles.
Speaker A:So let's kind of talk about your content that you put out touch on that and why you do it and how you do it and all that stuff.
Speaker B:One of the things that women find so difficult.
Speaker B:So it's, I mean, shooting is not normally the problem.
Speaker B:You know, you take a few safety classes, you take some shooting classes, but what it comes down to is feeling confident in your day to day, working it into your day to day life.
Speaker B:And often people have the problem of just trying to figure out how to conceal one gun.
Speaker B:Like how do I make this a part of my daily life?
Speaker B:And there's so many ways to do that and I've created so many ways to do that.
Speaker B:So primarily my, my content is showing.
Speaker B:Look, if I can, you know, I've, I've had many videos where I've concealed, I've worn multiple different types of holsters and carried four or five guns at a time.
Speaker B:Extra magazines, knife, flashlight, tourniquet, all on my body while wearing, while dressing like this.
Speaker B:So my point is not overkill on that.
Speaker B:But a lot of my videos push the fact that if I can do all of this, you can do it with just your one gun.
Speaker B:So that's, that's kind of the overall theme of a lot of my content, along with education and mindset you mentioned.
Speaker A:Focus on the men.
Speaker A:And it's very true.
Speaker A:The men are the ones who push the things to their wives or their girlfriends or so on and so forth.
Speaker A:You know, has that been working out for you?
Speaker A:You know, have you set, has it, have you seen any shift where the, it started off with a lot of men and the women are coming now?
Speaker B:Yes, yes.
Speaker B: last, since, especially since: Speaker B: So around: Speaker B:You know, there's all kinds of, of situations where women, they just want to, they, they want to be able to defend themselves.
Speaker B:And so there's definitely a rise in that.
Speaker B:And I say there's definitely been more of a flip and I have a lot more women following me now, sharing content now that I've been able to build trust with.
Speaker B:So there's definitely been a shift there.
Speaker A:I love that, I love hearing that as you're developing your products, you, you touched on, you talked about development and your products and things like that.
Speaker A:When you look at it, are you thinking, hey, does this need to be fashioned forward?
Speaker A:Do I have to worry about that?
Speaker A:Or is it just all about comfort, concealability and confidence?
Speaker B:Yeah, so it's always function first.
Speaker B:So training, training, training, you know, and then taking that knowledge that, that safety, that the dynamic of, of all of these elements that have to be there for safety, for usability and then I just, I create a solution.
Speaker B:I create a solution and then once it, it works and it's awesome and I'm confident using it myself, then I can make it whatever color I want.
Speaker B:I can add the lace, you know, and the ladies love it.
Speaker B:You know, the trinket and pinket guns were so embarrassing and such an insult in the beginning, but now that I can shoot and I feel confident shooting, I'll shoot whatever the heck color gun I want.
Speaker B:You know, I can add some bedazzles to it and, and it doesn't take away, away from, you know, from my confidence.
Speaker B:So that's kind of an evolution too.
Speaker A:But I love that.
Speaker A:Where do you see from, from the female side, where do you see the next trend in concealed carry for them is what the next trend in guns is for them?
Speaker B:All that stuff, the next trend.
Speaker B:I think that there's actually a lot of women that don't feel comfortable wanting or don't feel comfortable having a gun or carrying a gun.
Speaker B:I love seeing that there are more options coming out that are non firearm options.
Speaker B:I feel like being able to, or at the same time the women that do carry and are getting comfortable carrying on a daily basis, adding more tools to, to their carry, adding the tourniquet, learning how to use a flashlight, a knife, close quarters, things like that.
Speaker B:So being able to add those tools and integrate that into it is kind.
Speaker A:Of another step forward with women's concealed carry.
Speaker A:The trends that I'm seeing is, you know, we've got the joggers that's becoming really big and now the kind of like the off body carry with the, with the fanny packs and things like that.
Speaker A:Do you see anything else that kind of trending that way or do you make any suggestions to people who are getting into this?
Speaker A:You know, hey, try this first and then look at other things.
Speaker B:I am a Strong, strong advocate for on body carry.
Speaker B:The.
Speaker B:The fanny pack is, I believe, an improvement on purse carry.
Speaker B:And I would rather someone carry in a purse than not at all.
Speaker B:And for many women, that's the solution that works for them.
Speaker B:The fanny pack is still an item that can come, you know, be taken off of your body.
Speaker B:And I like the improvement because it has provided a faster access.
Speaker B:Many of the new fanny packs do have faster access than the purse carry does, so I would choose the new fanny pack options over purses.
Speaker B:As far as new trends forward, I know that I have new products coming out this year, so I can't tell you quite about all of those yet.
Speaker B:Um, but definitely some new evolutions happening there.
Speaker A:Now you.
Speaker A:You, I kind of want to touch on pers, Carrie, because you.
Speaker A:You talked about it at first where you broke your own rule and you realized it.
Speaker A:And there's a lot of women who feel comfortable doing that.
Speaker A:But at the same time, and when I was teaching classes, it was the same thing.
Speaker A:First carry was this big thing, and this was same.
Speaker A:About the same time frame.
Speaker A:You know, a lot of people don't think about where's the first place your purse goes when you go shopping?
Speaker A:It's right into the cart.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:So, you know, not to discourage anybody from caring, but have you seen that trend kind of go away or that.
Speaker A:That purse or the education becoming more prevalent where they're like, oh, now I understand that, like, that can be dangerous or it's not the safest way of doing this.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:So I don't see a lot of education on that.
Speaker B:I don't, sadly, I don't see a lot of education on that.
Speaker B:It's in my queue of things that I want to start teaching and doing more videos.
Speaker B:I added a branch of the website just a few months ago.
Speaker B:Dean Amsmarket.
Speaker B:So I'm now selling many different other people's items, including some.
Speaker B:Some purses.
Speaker B:So since I'm selling these items, I want to be able to be teaching women how to use them safely because there is a safe way to.
Speaker B:There's a safer way to do it.
Speaker B:You know, even just if you're gonna.
Speaker B:If you're gonna carry a purse, you know, a crossbody makes it more difficult to be.
Speaker B:To be grabbed or you're not usually going to take off your crossbody to set in your cart.
Speaker B:If it is going to be a crossbody, make sure that there's a quick release of some sort.
Speaker B:So, you know, they say that people could grab the strap and drag you away by the strap of your purse.
Speaker B:So being able to have a quick release.
Speaker B:I know with my teenage daughters they like to wear those fanny packs, not concealed carry fanny packs, but just fanny packs in general.
Speaker B:And so I've, you know, I've worked with them and we practiced.
Speaker B:If somebody grabs them and tries to drag them off with their fanny pack, they grab that and they let it go.
Speaker B:They release the fanny pack to let it go.
Speaker B:But, but then the sec.
Speaker B:The problem with that when you're carrying is there goes your gun too.
Speaker B:But at least that could be a deterrent to give you a chance to get away.
Speaker B:But it, it really doesn't make a lot of sense because if you're going to have a gun for protection, it's your gun shouldn't be your decoy.
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Speaker A:I want to talk touch on one more thing and that, that situational awareness, you touched on it earlier as a mom, as somebody who goes, you know, does the shopping and does things like that, you know, what is your situational awareness with the kids and what advice can you give people about situational awareness when it comes to being distracted?
Speaker A:Kids run around parking lots, you know, checking the car before you get into it.
Speaker A:All that situational things that you have to run through in your head while also dealing with people running around and kids crying and all that stuff.
Speaker B:Yeah, well, so I got remarried 10, we'll be going on 11 years and we became a blended family with seven kids together, all under the ages of maybe nine at one point.
Speaker B:No, under the ages of 13.
Speaker B:So we had seven kids under the ages of 13 and we actually did a lot of international travel with them and things like that.
Speaker B:So and my awareness of trafficking and all of these things, there's so many things.
Speaker B:So that's on a big, a big scale.
Speaker B:But I started off early using trackers, you know, putting trackers on their body somewhere, whether it was a bracelet or in their shoe.
Speaker B:When we traveled through airports, things like that.
Speaker B:They also had a whistle on their wrist and identification.
Speaker B:As far as like running around at the store and things like that.
Speaker B:There's simple things that you can do and making sure that they're.
Speaker B:If there's one young enough to strap to your body, you know, do that.
Speaker B:Make sure that they are strapped in your, you know, in the seatbelt, in the cart.
Speaker B:Make sure that they're always in front of you.
Speaker B:If they're older and they're walking, they have to have a hand on the cart so they're always in front of you.
Speaker B:You're not.
Speaker B:You, you can position, you can triangulate your, you only have one door open when you're reloading into the car.
Speaker B:When you're loading kids into the car, only one door open at the time.
Speaker B:At a time.
Speaker B:Having your doors locked, you can triangulate your shopping cart to kind of block you in as a barrier while you're loading kids into the car.
Speaker B:Even if you have to set the kids in the car and then get in, lock the doors and then climb back and put them in your seats.
Speaker B:I mean, I've done things like that.
Speaker B:Paying attention, paying attention to, you know, have your list.
Speaker B:But don't stand there scanning through your phone, looking through or, you know, looking through for your list or whatever.
Speaker B:Even just a old fashioned paperless something that's just quick, just paying attention around you, keeping your kids in front of you where you can see where they are.
Speaker B:I had one situation at Walmart one time.
Speaker B:I had my girls in the cart with me and I had this guy that just kind of kept popping up everywhere we went.
Speaker B:And because I was paying attention, I noticed that he kind of kept popping up everywhere we went and finally kind of got a little closer.
Speaker B:And I've learned how to use my voice and this was a big thing for me because I'm a quiet person.
Speaker B:But as he got closer, he wanted to talk to me about light bulbs or something like that because we were in the light bulb and I just turned out, I turned to him and I said, what?
Speaker B:Like I scared the crap out of him.
Speaker B:And he went on about his way.
Speaker B:But I, you know, I wouldn't have.
Speaker B:There's so many things of these kids being grabbed from the grocery store.
Speaker B:I mean, anyways, even my teenage girls now that go to the store with grandma, I'm like, every time they go out the door, it's situational awareness.
Speaker B:Pay attention to what's going on around you and use your voice if you feel like somebody's getting close.
Speaker B:So.
Speaker A:Yeah, no, I agree with that.
Speaker A:I have, I've run into a similar, similar situation where somebody was following my wife at the, at the store.
Speaker A:She has terrible situational Awareness.
Speaker A:I've been trying to teach her it and I make fun of her for it because we've been even here in Myrtle Beach.
Speaker A:There was.
Speaker A:We were walking and there was just some guy who was being weird and I'm.
Speaker A:My light bulbs are going off and just so same thing.
Speaker A:We had a guy following her around the store and he was on his phone and talking to somebody in the parking lot.
Speaker A:And I finally was like, can I help you?
Speaker A:And he's like, oh.
Speaker A:And then he ran off.
Speaker A:And when he ran off was right by the checkout and I looked at the security guard and he's like, what is happening?
Speaker A:Why is this guy running?
Speaker A:Like, keep an eye on Graves license plate.
Speaker A:Because there's something going on here that you don't want.
Speaker A:Especially being in a border state like I am.
Speaker A:It is.
Speaker A:It's a fear because it's even a bigger fear because the border's right there.
Speaker B:Yeah, I've got one of those in Kansas City.
Speaker B:Yeah, so.
Speaker B:So, yeah, definitely.
Speaker B:And there's little things you can do ahead of time.
Speaker B:You know, park, park away from the crowd of cars.
Speaker B:You could probably use the steps anyways.
Speaker B:You know, don't be parking next to vans or a cluster of cars.
Speaker B:You know, that gives you an opportunity to scan the area before you even approach your vehicle.
Speaker B:Things like that you can do.
Speaker B:And also you look when you look alert and you've got your head up and you don't look super distracted.
Speaker B:I mean, they're looking for.
Speaker B:Predators are looking for easy, weak targets.
Speaker B:And if you're engaged in all of these things, you're engaged in your kids and your phone and all these things, you're an easy target.
Speaker B:So even just looking more confident, looking like you're paying attention is a deterrent right there.
Speaker B:There's just so many things that you can do.
Speaker A:No, I totally agree.
Speaker A:Well, we are at the point of wrapping up.
Speaker A:Is there any go ahead and shout out where people can find you anything you want to tell the folks, any secrets or hints or anything like that.
Speaker B:You can follow Dean Adams official on social media or annatalofficial.
Speaker B:I do lots of content and helpful shareable content and very exciting things coming out this year.
Speaker B:I can't go into it too much, but I will be launching the first collection of smart holsters that will actually integrate with your cell phone to help be part of your safety plan.
Speaker B:So also check out my book, Intuitive by Design and I have a line of elearning material as well.
Speaker A:Awesome.
Speaker A:Well, we appreciate you as a thank you for being on the show.
Speaker A:Palmetto State Armory is our sponsor for our gift for our guest for season three.
Speaker A:So you'll be receiving an email after this to get you all the gift.
Speaker B:Thank you.
Speaker A:All right, guys, thank you for watching.
Speaker A:Make sure to like, share and subscribe.
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Speaker A:The Gun Owners Advocacy and leadership summit happening August 1st and 2nd in beautiful Des Moines, Iowa.
Speaker A:This is Goa's 50th anniversary celebration.
Speaker A:Again, that's goals and we'll see you on the next one.
