Shownotes
In this episode of State of the Second, hosts Kaylee and John sit down with Jennifer, the director of sales and marketing at Urban Chic. The brand makes stylish everyday carry accessories with integrated Level 3A ballistic protection, built with DuPont Kevlar and patented technology. Founded in 2018, the company set out to bring personal protection into a genuine leather bag that looks like an everyday purse, rather than the tactical, pink-camo gear that dominated the market for women. Jennifer explains that the protective insert adds only 17 ounces to the bag, so it stays discreet instead of feeling like a bulletproof vest.
The conversation centers on what makes the product different. The patent is in how the bag deploys on the body. A loose Kevlar insert held up to yourself carries a high risk of the bullet ricocheting, so the insert is measured to fit a specific bag and deploys with a neck strap and waist strap that absorb the blow. Level 3A protection covers standard handgun rounds up to .44 Magnum and is also stab proof. After launch, the team realized the real audience was people who want to carry and protect themselves at the same time. They went to SHOT Show two years in a row to confirm it, partnered with Rounded for a universal holster insert that fits inside a zipper pouch, and shifted their marketing toward the firearms community.
Jennifer and the hosts dig into who buys the bags and why. The biggest demographic is men buying for the women in their life, plus parents sending kids off to college where campus carry and even pepper spray may not be allowed. The team is exploring more options for men, travel, and undercover law enforcement, and gets frequent requests for children's backpacks they have not yet pursued. Kaylee and John tie it all back to personal responsibility, the on-ramp into the self defense journey, and the rise of off body carry, agreeing on one rule throughout: options are good as long as you practice with them.
Questions this episode answers
What is Level 3A ballistic protection and what rounds does it stop?
Level 3A protection covers standard handgun rounds up to .44 Magnum, and it is also rated stab proof. Urban Chic builds this rating into its bags using DuPont Kevlar and patented technology.
What makes Urban Chic's bag different from a plain Kevlar insert you hold up to yourself?
A loose Kevlar insert held up to yourself carries a high risk of the bullet ricocheting. Urban Chic's patent is in how the insert is measured to fit a specific bag and deploys with a neck strap and waist strap that absorb the blow.
How much weight does the ballistic insert add to the bag?
The protective insert adds only 17 ounces to the bag, so it stays discreet and reads like an everyday purse rather than feeling like a bulletproof vest.
Can you carry a firearm in the bag, and how does the holster option work?
Yes. Urban Chic partnered with Rounded for a universal holster insert that fits inside a zipper pouch, so the bag supports both ballistic protection and concealed carry at the same time.
Who is actually buying these ballistic bags and why?
The biggest demographic is men buying for the women in their life, along with parents sending kids off to college where campus carry and even pepper spray may not be allowed.
Why did Urban Chic shift its marketing toward the firearms community after launch?
After launch the team realized the real audience was people who want to carry and protect themselves at the same time. They confirmed it at SHOT Show two years running, then partnered with Rounded and moved their marketing toward the firearms community.
Do the ballistic panels expire, and is there a warranty?
The summary does not specify a panel shelf life, but the episode covers the panels and a 10-year warranty in its discussion of how the insert is built and maintained.
How was Urban Chic founded and what was the original idea?
The company was founded in 2018 by an attorney who started it as a passion project after seeing mass shootings, aiming to put real personal protection into a genuine leather bag that looks like an everyday purse.
Chapters
- 00:00 — Welcome and intro to Urban Chic
- 00:53 — Founded in 2018: protection in an everyday bag
- 01:51 — The patent: how the bag deploys on the body
- 03:35 — Adding the universal holster with Rounded
- 04:48 — Barriers and misconceptions buyers have
- 06:08 — Who it's for: college, teachers, everyone
- 07:09 — Level 3A rating and stopping power
- 08:11 — Dual-purpose bags and women in the space
- 13:43 — How the insert is built and removed
- 14:41 — Panel shelf life and the 10-year warranty
- 14:57 — Customer stories and range demos
- 19:01 — Demand for children's backpacks
- 21:11 — How the founder built and patented the bag
- 25:11 — From the Soapbox: off body carry and practice
- 30:47 — Undercover law enforcement use
- 31:24 — Deployment time and closing
About the guest
Jennifer is the director of sales and marketing at Urban Chic, a brand that makes stylish everyday carry accessories with integrated Level 3A ballistic protection. She came from a legal industry background rather than firearms, and says her husband is in the gun space as a personal hobby, so she was familiar with it before joining professionally. The company was founded in 2018 by an attorney who started it as a passion project after seeing mass shootings. [VERIFY guest's last name]
Key quotes
"it's the bag you hope you never have to use because it's there if you need it." — Jennifer
"if you just had a Kevlar insert and you just held it up to yourself, the risk of the bullet ricocheting is very high." — Jennifer
"after we launched the product, we realized it's actually for people who are wanting to carry and protect themselves at the same time." — Jennifer
"the stronger the self defense culture is, the stronger the second Amendment community is." — Kaylee
"off body carry is not bad. It's an option. It adds to your repertoire." — John
"our biggest demographic is men buying it for women in their life." — Jennifer
Transcripts
Welcome to Gun Owners of America State of the second podcast.
Speaker A:I'm Kayleigh.
Speaker B:And I'm John.
Speaker B:And today we're joined by Jennifer, the director of sales and marketing over at Urban Chic.
Speaker B:Urban Chic creates stylish everyday carry accessories with Integrated Level 3 a ballistic protection designed to provide practical personal safety in emergency situations.
Speaker B:They're using Dupont, Kevlar and patent technology.
Speaker B:The brand focuses on turning normal carry items and into discrete protective gear people can deploy quickly when it matters most.
Speaker B:Did I get that all right, Jennifer?
Speaker C:Yes, absolutely.
Speaker C:You did great.
Speaker B:So go ahead and kind of give a little bit of backstory for the folks on why Urban Chic is around, why you guys decided to kind of create these.
Speaker B:They're very stylish.
Speaker B:They're not what you would call what we're used to in our.
Speaker B:In our industry.
Speaker B:That tactical kind of look.
Speaker C:Yes, absolutely.
Speaker C:Yep, that's exactly right.
Speaker C: You know, we were founded in: Speaker C:And not even just everyday carry bag, but everyday bag for teachers, moms, you know, women.
Speaker C:And we also have men, men's bags and briefcases as well.
Speaker C:But really a nice, genuine leather bag that is your everyday purse, but that has this patented protection inside, which is that.
Speaker C:That insert that you spoke about, and that only adds 17 ounces to the bag.
Speaker C:So it's not like you're lugging around a huge bulletproof vest.
Speaker C:It's very discreet, but it protects you.
Speaker C:And our patent comes from actually how it's deployed.
Speaker C:So if you just had a Kevlar insert and you just held it up to yourself, the risk of the bullet ricocheting is very high.
Speaker C:So this, our patented protection is actually how it's deployed on the body.
Speaker C:And on our website, we have examples of that.
Speaker C:But when you actually deploy the bag around your body with our straps, the insert is created to absorb the blow and protect you against it.
Speaker C:So that's really where I think what sets us apart.
Speaker C:Not only the stylish part of it, but our patent also is like a huge, huge part of the protection that makes us different.
Speaker B:Why did the.
Speaker B:The owner get into, like, designing it more stylish?
Speaker B:Why?
Speaker B:What was his passion driven behind it over, you know, everything else that was currently on the market.
Speaker B:Why did he think he could do something a little bit better and get around that?
Speaker C:Yeah, I think he really wanted to give people the option of a really nice, stylish bag without it being like you said in the.
Speaker C:In the opening.
Speaker C:So tactical.
Speaker C:So, like, I've heard a lot of feedback that it was mostly pink camo out there and that was like the, the for women especially, but something that you would feel comfortable bringing out in everyday life.
Speaker C:Like I said to work for men, like a nice briefcase, a very nice leather.
Speaker C:All of our stitching is very nice too.
Speaker C:So something that's going to hold up and different options to a tote bag.
Speaker C:More of like a briefcase.
Speaker C:We have like more of a nylon bag, a show, you know, a crossbody bag.
Speaker C:Something that gives you different options for the style part.
Speaker C:But that it's like we always say, it's the bag you hope you never have to use because it's there if you need it.
Speaker C:But if you don't need it, you can still wear it every day and it could be your favorite bag.
Speaker B:Now is the product more designed around being bulletproof or is it designed to be both a bulletproof option and an EDC carrying option, kind of something where you would stow your gun into things like that?
Speaker C:Yeah, so we, it started as bulletproof bag for personal protection.
Speaker C:The more feedback that we heard people wanted it to be both.
Speaker C:So your everyday carry plus the bulletproof.
Speaker C:So we partnered with Rounded, a company that made us a universal holster insert that you can add on to our website that actually fits securely in one of our zipper pouches inside.
Speaker C:And it's a universal holster in there.
Speaker C:So it can be both.
Speaker C:Or if you don't want to carry that, you know, if you're not carrying that day, you can remove that universal holster and just have it be the bulletproof bag.
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Speaker A:Just kind of transitioning into people that are wanting to maybe purchase this kind of bag.
Speaker A:You know, what are the big kind of barriers that you see, the misconceptions out there, you know, just kind of on the front end that people have as potential objections to a bag like this?
Speaker C:Yeah, Absolutely.
Speaker C:I think sometimes people think, you know, if you're going to buy it for someone that it's because they're going to get shot.
Speaker C:And it's that that's not the case at all.
Speaker C:It's just, it's that level of peace of mind more like so you have it just in case.
Speaker C:I think some people think I'm never going to need that.
Speaker C:But I'm sure that's what everyone thinks, that they're in an emergency situation.
Speaker C:They never think to find themselves there.
Speaker C:So it's more to have peace of mind, knowing that you have that and using it in everyday situations.
Speaker C:Because unfortunately that is sometimes when it's an emergency situation at the grocery store, at the movie theater, at a school though, I mean, it's very unfortunate, but that is where these emergencies are happening.
Speaker C:So it's not just to wear when you're feeling in danger, but it's more to have that peace of mind every day.
Speaker C:Like I said, when you're out with your kids, when you're just going to normal stores, I think it's a misconception is that you only need it if you're going to what you perceive as a dangerous environment when really it could be used every day.
Speaker B:Is this product more focused for like the somebody who's in a business environment, like somebody who's around, or is this also focused around like college age kids and things like that?
Speaker C:Kind of, yeah, I mean, absolutely.
Speaker C:I think it could be for everyone, to be honest.
Speaker C:I think that you could, you could use it.
Speaker C:A lot of people buy it for their younger daughters going to college or going into a professional setting.
Speaker C:Like I said, teachers is a big one too, unfortunately.
Speaker C:But I think also we're, we're looking to expand our styles into more of multiple demographics.
Speaker C:So more not like I said, nylon crossbody bags for men, more bags for travel.
Speaker C:So we have some different options coming out that I think could appeal to everyone because I truly believe it's a bag for everyone.
Speaker C:Because everyone could use that peace of mind and protection and also to make your everyday carry bags.
Speaker C:That also is, is huge for those.
Speaker B:I know we touched on this, what the rating is.
Speaker B:But for the people out there who might not understand these ballistic ratings, what are we looking at with the stopping power of the bag?
Speaker C:So level three A protection and that is basically the way I describe is it's protection for any standard handgun basically.
Speaker C:So that goes up to.44 Magnum.
Speaker C:So that will protect against basically anything.
Speaker C:And it's also stab proof, which we also market as well, so it will also absorb a blow up a knife if you're ever in a situation like that.
Speaker B:Why?
Speaker B:What made you guys go with 3A over something that would stop like a rifle rounder?
Speaker C:I think it's just more because of our patent.
Speaker C:That's what it covers with absorbing the blow.
Speaker C:So it's not that, you know, it may stop more than that, but it's about the actual impact that it's going to have on your body and ricocheting that bullet.
Speaker C:So that's what we, we found to be the most successful to actually stop and that we can confirm would help actually save your life.
Speaker A:I want to kind of go into, you know, the dual purpose of your bags because you talk about how you guys have the add on options for the universal holster.
Speaker A:What do you see most often as kind of the trends in the marketplace when people are looking for some a complete system in the bag?
Speaker A:You know, we know that women are the fastest growing demographic when it comes to the second amendment space.
Speaker A:So I guess kind of go into more of not just who is buying your bags but, but the why behind these purchases are and why they're happening.
Speaker C:Yeah, I think like you said, women especially, it's growing, but it's.
Speaker C:They're still new to the space and that's why there's not a lot of products that are actually for women in this space.
Speaker C:I think that's growing a lot.
Speaker C:I think that the people buying it and that's where we originally heard that feedback from.
Speaker C:At first we thought we were actually marketing more towards people who were afraid of guns.
Speaker C:And after we launched the product, we realized it's actually for people who are wanting to carry and protect themselves at the same time.
Speaker C:So that's why we added that universal holster.
Speaker C:I think that what people really care a lot about is that they still have a bag that can fit all their normal everyday stuff.
Speaker C:Our purses that we always bring around and also have that personal protection.
Speaker C:So I have people who use the tote as a diaper bag, you know, that can fit all the stuff for their babies for them.
Speaker C:A laptop, we have a laptop insert as well and then still have that level.
Speaker C:So I think of course it's women buying our bags, it's a lot of men buying our bags for women.
Speaker C:But I think that the quality of the bag is very important.
Speaker C:We source all of our leather from Africa and it's a beautiful hide.
Speaker C:When you open the bag, the dust bag that it comes with, you can smell the genuine leather.
Speaker C:So I think that's really important to people too.
Speaker C:It's a very well made product that ships from the U.S. you know, it's founded in the U.S. we take a lot of pride in how, how good the quality of the bag is apart from the bulletproof part of it.
Speaker C:So even if we were selling this without the bulletproof bag, it would still be marketed as a luxury bag.
Speaker C:That insert is just for that additional peace of mind.
Speaker C:It just, it makes everything better.
Speaker C:And then the insert, the universal holster is even, is even better.
Speaker C:You know, that's the sweeter part of the deal too, that you can actually carry with it.
Speaker A:I love what you talked about as far as, you know, people wanting to take their protection seriously.
Speaker A:You know, we have a saying, a GOA or definition of what a gun rights activist is.
Speaker A:And it's someone who takes personal responsibility, not only in the use of their firearms, but in the defense of their right to own them.
Speaker A:And I think it's that personal responsibility piece that has resonated with so many new gun owners that want to protect themselves.
Speaker A:And it's been the cornerstone and foundational piece of gun ownership that, you know, predates the US Right.
Speaker A:And so I, I love that you're seeing that connection in your product where people are wanting the bag that can do everything because they're taking that personal responsibility for themselves.
Speaker A:They're becoming their own first responder.
Speaker A:And I think that's a really good sign of where people are when they're coming into this movement.
Speaker C:Yeah, I couldn't have said it better myself.
Speaker C:That's an amazing way to put it.
Speaker C:Yes, absolutely.
Speaker A:As liberty loving Americans, we know how important it is to put your money where your values are.
Speaker A:And that is why we are proud to partner with Right to Bear.
Speaker A:Right to Bear is a cornerstone in the community for self defense protection and we are proud to be offering an exclusive discount.
Speaker B:Use code GOA at checkout to save 15% off lifetime of your membership.
Speaker B:Again, that's code GOA to save 15% off on the lifetime of your membership.
Speaker B:Now you stated that you originally thought your key demographic was going to be people scared about gun.
Speaker B:You know, how did that make you guys shift when you started seeing more people who were into guns kind of get into this and change those demographics.
Speaker C:Yeah, it was very quickly after we launched it and I said, you know what, I think this is actually a product.
Speaker C:Like I think we're looking at this the wrong way.
Speaker C:So we actually went to shot show two years in a row as really just to see like, is this the type of, is this our Demographic, is this the community that we need to be pushing towards?
Speaker C:And it absolutely was.
Speaker C:The feedback that we had was exactly right.
Speaker C:Those people that are wanting to take responsibility, they've never seen a product like this before.
Speaker C:They want to be able to protect themselves and kind of take control of that narrative and have something that's not literally wearing a bulletproof vest to the grocery store, but have something that is a really good option for them.
Speaker C:So we have done a couple other shows, we've had great feedback and I realized this is where we need to be because these are the people that truly get it.
Speaker C:Like this group of people understand the risks and they understand that they need to protect themselves, their families and also like we said, be able to carry as well.
Speaker C:So we shifted to that and we realized this is where we're meant to be now.
Speaker B:The, the just.
Speaker B:So I want to, because I want to clarify the.
Speaker B:The panel that's sewn in, correct, it's.
Speaker C:Actually zipper, so it has a separate zipper pouch.
Speaker C:So it is removable.
Speaker C:But our patent is for it with our bags because it's measured to fit directly in there.
Speaker C:We don't want someone taking out our insert and putting it in their own bag because it's not going to deploy the same because someone else's bag doesn't have the straps, the neck strap and the waist strap that would actually be deployed on the body and.
Speaker C:But it is removable.
Speaker C:And that way you can also clean the bag or anything that you need to do with that.
Speaker C:But it is, it's zippered into the back side of the bags.
Speaker B:Now with those panels.
Speaker B:Is there any like misconceptions people have?
Speaker B:Because I've heard people say like sometimes those panels have shelf lives, they have some dates.
Speaker B:So things like that.
Speaker B:Is that something that you've heard or any of those misconceptions that you can kind of debunk?
Speaker C:Yes, we, I believe that There is a 10 year warranty and we would replace those.
Speaker C:The insert of the bag.
Speaker C:Obviously the bags don't expire.
Speaker A:So walk us through, you know, some of the stories that you've seen from customers.
Speaker A:You know, how are people using this on the range as far as, you know, practicing their carry, practicing with your alls bags.
Speaker A:Success stories of people who have purchased your product, feel confident in your product and are using it in day to day life.
Speaker A:Hopefully they've not encountered a negative situation.
Speaker A:But you know, just kind of walk us through some of the ways that you're seeing these bags out in the wild, so to speak.
Speaker C:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker C:Absolutely, yes.
Speaker C:Luckily our bag has not been used in a, a dangerous situation.
Speaker C:But we have a lot of people, you know, in the wild, like you said.
Speaker C:We have actually for sale at a couple gun ranges across the US local places.
Speaker C:And we've actually done some demos at ranges where we put the bag and actually shoot it in a demo bag to show that the bullets don't go through it.
Speaker C:So those are on our website as well, which was very fun to shoot and to kind of show people in real time.
Speaker C:And as far as, you know, who's buying them, our biggest demographic is men buying it for women in their life.
Speaker C:So their wives, their mothers, their children, you know, more teen to adult children.
Speaker C:But we have a lot of people who buy it for their daughters and sons going to college.
Speaker C:That's probably one of our biggest from what we've heard, organic growth has been people going to college and wanting their child to be safe because they're probably leaving the house for the first time where they may have felt like they could protect them, but now they're going out on their own.
Speaker C:And then the other ones are a lot of people buying them for their wives.
Speaker C:And we've heard a lot of people who maybe they carry the, you know, the husband, but their wife doesn't yet.
Speaker C:And so they're saying, well, here's this bag because it's a level of protection that you could have if you don't want to carry.
Speaker C:So, so we've had a lot of that demographic as well.
Speaker A:I think that's really interesting that you're talking about, you know, this being a potential on ramp and you're talking about, you know, husbands purchasing incentive for wives that might not want to carry yet or students that, you know, in, in many places in the country they don't have campus carry yet.
Speaker A:And so the only level of protection that you can send your kids into the world with is, you know, I've even heard some college campuses aren't even allowing pepper spray anymore.
Speaker A:So this would be the kind of the only option in some cases.
Speaker A:And so I think it's an important building block.
Speaker A:And oftentimes I think in the gun world we don't focus enough on what is going to be the on ramp for people to feel confident, to get started in their self defense journey.
Speaker A:Because we know that once they feel comfortable and confident with a firearm, they're going to probably buy more than one firearm.
Speaker A:They're going to start having preferences and those sorts of things.
Speaker A:But those foundational pieces, what gets them interested, what starts that journey is so important to building the culture where it's not as easily taken down by mainstream media or by politicians.
Speaker A:Because the stronger the self defense culture is, the stronger the second Amendment community is.
Speaker A:And those ideas and those concepts, those fundamentals don't change.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:And so again, it kind of goes back to that personal responsibility.
Speaker A:But I think it's very interesting that so many parents and husbands are finding this as that first step into the self defense journey of their spouse and their kids.
Speaker C:And we have had another demographic that we've had a lot of inquiry about, but we haven't stepped into that space is backpack, like children's backpacks.
Speaker C:You know, that wasn't really.
Speaker C:While of course it is very necessary, unfortunately sometimes our owner, he started it as a luxury bag.
Speaker C:So he's like, I don't know if we want to get into child backpacks because it's someone really going to buy their kid a leather backpack and you know, with like our high quality stitching and hardware and all of that.
Speaker C:So we, we get that question very often through our website and in person, but it's just not a space that we've, that we've gone into yet.
Speaker C:I think our inserts would obviously work there, but we haven't, we haven't kind of gone into.
Speaker C:I think that's a whole different demographic when you're talking about your younger children.
Speaker C:But I know people are very, very interested in that.
Speaker B:I just applaud you guys for thinking outside of the box when it comes to the level of personal protection.
Speaker B:Because for years it was like tactical and nylon and not stylish, just buckles and, and molly rigs and all that stuff.
Speaker B:And now to see a product where it's more focused on the quality and the luxury of being able to not only have something that's high quality, but also look good carrying it and then it doesn't.
Speaker B:It's discreet, it's not standing out from the crowd like, hey, look at me, I've got this awesome tactical backpack.
Speaker C:Right, right, right, exactly right.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker C:It's so true.
Speaker C:And that's why I think he really.
Speaker C:And all the photo shoots that we've done and all the product development that we did was all very like, let's carry this like it's a normal bag and let's see.
Speaker C:And you know, you really would never know.
Speaker C:And because it only adds 17 ounces, like I said, it's not super heavy, you can add your other stuff, your heavy wallet, your laptop, your iPad, and it's not going to be like so Ridiculous that you have to be lugging it around.
Speaker C:It's also safe to fly with.
Speaker C:So that's another thing.
Speaker C:You know, you can.
Speaker C:It can be on your airplane bag, and it's like that.
Speaker C:It's totally safe to fly and travel with as well.
Speaker C:Like, you had said that you can't carry everywhere, but you can carry this bag everywhere.
Speaker B:So I want to rewind a little bit.
Speaker B: So in: Speaker B:Was he working on this for a while or was this just something that he just was like, hey, this is a passion project of mine.
Speaker B:I just kind of want to get into it and do it?
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker C:So he's an attorney by trade, but he had this passion after seeing mass shootings and seeing all these unfortunate events.
Speaker C:He has children and grandchildren himself, and he thought it was exactly right, a passion project.
Speaker C:But he said, I'm going to make sure, I think from being an attorney, that this is actually a patented product.
Speaker C:I'm not just going to put something on the market and promise people that it could potentially save their lives.
Speaker C:You know, we want to make sure that this is really, you know, airtight.
Speaker C:So he went through that whole process, which took many years to have it be a patented product.
Speaker C:And I think that.
Speaker C:And also he took a long time to source the leather and the hardware.
Speaker C:So the hardware's from Italy, the leather is from Africa, like South Africa.
Speaker C:So he made sure that everything was very, very genuine, that the stitching was nice.
Speaker C:He's had actual designer people who, you know, own some of these designer brands, that the stitching is better on this than some of these luxury brands out there.
Speaker C:So he made sure that not only like this, the style and the actual production of this bag was so luxury, but he also took the time to do all of the research on the.
Speaker C:The Kevlar insert and on that patent to make sure that this was something that he wasn't just throwing out there to people and saying, use this, and hopefully it helps.
Speaker C:He actually went through and made sure that all of this was, you know, exactly how it should be before we put it on the market.
Speaker C:And even that first year or two was really still developing who our target demographic was.
Speaker C:Who's interested in this?
Speaker C:What should our price point be?
Speaker C:You know, I mean, we really took the time to kind of.
Speaker C:To kind of really ramp it up.
Speaker B:Now, I've got kind of a personal question for basically for you and the whole company.
Speaker B:Were you guys in the firearms space or looking at the firearms space before you got into this?
Speaker B:And then if you weren't you know, how have you felt coming into the firearms space and the people around you and the people you've met?
Speaker C:No, we were not.
Speaker C:We both were in a different legal industry basically.
Speaker C:My husband has his kid, you know, my husband is more in the gut, just personal, hobby wise, in the gun space.
Speaker C:So I've been very familiar with it, but not from a my career standpoint.
Speaker C:No.
Speaker C:And it's, it's been very interesting.
Speaker C:I mean like I said, we went to shot show which was so overwhelming in a good, good way.
Speaker C:I don't know if either of you have ever attended that, but it was absolutely unbelievable to see how many people were there and I think that really showed.
Speaker C:Like this industry is huge and growing and yeah, it's been fascinating to see.
Speaker C:It's a whole different world.
Speaker C:And like I said, I knew that from my husband and my family.
Speaker C:But from a professional standpoint, it's been very interesting to be a part of.
Speaker A:If you're like me, you are probably slightly addicted to your phone and that means it is incredibly important who you choose as your cell phone provider.
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Speaker A:It's now time for my favorite segment of the show which is from the Soapbox where we dive into the spicier side of topics.
Speaker A:And so what are some of the things that you see from what you've experienced within firearm ownership where people think that they've got all of their bases covered?
Speaker A:Where are the blind spots that they're not thinking through as far as their everyday protection is concerned?
Speaker C:From what I've seen in the industry, I guess the people that I know or personally and professionally, they take their laws and carrying very seriously.
Speaker C:I think that that's part of this industry.
Speaker C:People are, are from what I know, very on top of it.
Speaker C:You know, they they keep their firearms safe, they keep their personal protection top of mind, which is why this product exists, of course.
Speaker C:So I'm really, I'm not.
Speaker C:I'm not sure from what I've seen.
Speaker C:I see.
Speaker C:I don't see a ton of blind spots, I guess, from the demographic that we're going towards.
Speaker C:But if you see one that you think would be with this, please jump in.
Speaker B:I think the bag is the most overlooked thing I really do.
Speaker B:And it has a lot to do with the bag is the last thing you think of.
Speaker B:You're like, I just need a bag that holds a bunch of stuff.
Speaker B:And so you buy a bag that holds a bunch of stuff, but you don't think about the style of the bag, the look of the bag, until you start getting further deeper in your journey and you're like, oh, well, I need a bag that holds medical in my gun.
Speaker B:And it's gotta look like a bag and not like a giant billboard that says, hey, I may have a gun on me, and all that stuff.
Speaker C:I think also, like, at Shot show, we saw a couple products that were like, were leggings that could, you know, you can carry.
Speaker C:They have like the extra protection there.
Speaker C:I think women's clothing, it's harder to carry.
Speaker C:So as far as the carrying part of that goes, depending on what you're wearing, it's nice to have a bag that can fit yourself, be bulletproof and have a carry, because I think women's pants and outfits sometimes aren't always you're not able to carry like men do.
Speaker C:So that's huge too.
Speaker B:Have you guys gotten pushback on the.
Speaker B:On the product from.
Speaker B:From certain sides of.
Speaker B:In demographics?
Speaker C:Yeah, we.
Speaker C:I mean, a lot of the, the pushback is, you know, what are you guys so afraid, like, you really think that something bad, you know, I think it's always like, that's never going to happen to me.
Speaker C:I don't need to spend that money on a bag because I don't, you know.
Speaker C:Our pushback basically has been that we have had some pushback online about our pricing, strictly because they haven't felt the leather.
Speaker C:They are not reading what a genuine bag this is.
Speaker C:So they probably think that it's overpr.
Speaker C:When we've had the bag in person with people, everyone loves it.
Speaker C:They think it's a bargain based on the.
Speaker C:The amazing feel of it.
Speaker C:But I think a lot of the pushback has been.
Speaker C:They think that it's a bit, I don't want to say overdramatic, you know, overdramatic.
Speaker C:They Think that nothing's ever going to happen to me, which I know all, all of us has probably thought that and God forbid that it did, but that's in our biggest pushback is that it seems maybe like an overkill, but I think the people that get it are like, no, this could be useful.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:I mean, in the past, products similar to yours or things like that, they, they tend to be, sometimes they're made in China or made somewhere with like fake leather.
Speaker B:So I can see, understand that, that pushback and then getting into like, hey, this is real leather.
Speaker B:This is not pleather.
Speaker B:This is not something fake.
Speaker B:It's or faux.
Speaker B:It's.
Speaker B:This is real quality product.
Speaker A:I will just say, as somebody who has purchased their fair share of bags, seen even more bags in the conciliacary space, the amount of growth in style points that we have seen in the last, really, truly, like three years is amazing because when concealed carry bags first hit the market, I thought they were gonna flop because they were not, they were not good.
Speaker A:They looked real, real bad.
Speaker A:But you know, I think especially as more women have gotten involved, more designers have gotten involved, as the space is growing with more women, we're seeing growth and it's good to see women carry.
Speaker A:Obviously, the preference will always be on body.
Speaker A:I know somebody is angrily typing a comment somewhere right now at that statement of concealed carry.
Speaker A:Bags have gotten better and they'll say in all caps, you should always be on body carry.
Speaker A:That's not always possible.
Speaker A:So this gives options.
Speaker A:Options are good as long as you practice with those options.
Speaker B:Well, the rise of off body carry has gone through the roof in the last three years.
Speaker B:I hope people are understanding that off body carry is not bad.
Speaker B:It's an option.
Speaker B:It adds to your repertoire.
Speaker A:Yes, big word.
Speaker A:But practice what you plan to do.
Speaker B:Yes, 100%.
Speaker B:Always practice.
Speaker A:Always, always be practicing.
Speaker C:You know, another demographic too that I forgot to touch on when we first launched that we're still in the works with is undercover law enforcement.
Speaker C:Because we thought, you know, they, and that is a very specific demographic, but they can't wear a vest out if they're undercover somewhere.
Speaker C:So we also thought that this would be a really big one for police departments because they could give a woman that's in the field this bag and it is discreet enough to where they would have that personal protection there too.
Speaker C:So that was another one that we're still, you know, always targeting.
Speaker C:But that is one that I think could really benefit from this as well.
Speaker A:You talked about how it's deployed with the straps from the moment that you come in contact with a threat to the bag, being able to be deployed in its proper manner, how much time generally elapses because seconds matter in these situations.
Speaker A:Yes, especially when you're talking about drawing a firearm, being able to protect yourself in multiple ways, protect your kids in many situations.
Speaker A:I know that you said that you have products that are used as like diaper bags.
Speaker A:Walk us through that deployment timeframe.
Speaker C:Yes, it is.
Speaker C:Second.
Speaker C:So the, the back of the bag has two small snaps at the top and bottom.
Speaker C:And then the elastic that makes the strap go on.
Speaker C:The waist and the neck are coiled inside.
Speaker C:So it's after you have the snap, you just pull and it goes around and you know, two times around the waist and around the neck.
Speaker C:So it can be deployed in just a few seconds.
Speaker C:But I also, of course, always encourage everyone practice that to practice because that could be.
Speaker C:Those can be recoiled and put back in.
Speaker C:But practice deploying at home.
Speaker C:We have a how to video on our website and social media pages.
Speaker C:I think that that's really important to know exactly how to deploy the bag.
Speaker C:But you can have it fully on your, on your body like that within seconds.
Speaker B:People think they're never going to be in that situation.
Speaker B:Is it just a difference in mindset for.
Speaker B:Because the gun community is very preparedness focused on, you know, hey, I want to be prepared for this, I want to be prepared for that.
Speaker B:Is it just a mindset change with certain demographics or is it just a pushback that people just are like, why would I need this?
Speaker B:Why would I want it?
Speaker B:And then you kind of talk to them and hey, this is why this product exists.
Speaker B:Because of this.
Speaker B:Do they change their mind?
Speaker B:Like, how does that go for you guys?
Speaker C:Yeah, I think that sometimes people think that if they're going to have this bag, they need to be wearing it deployed like at all times.
Speaker C:I think people have a different, a little bit of a misconception about that, that it is just a normal bag.
Speaker C:It has normal zippers, normal pouches, normal clasp like any other bag.
Speaker C:So I think, yes, after it's kind of explained like that.
Speaker C:And also it's explained where we source all of our products too.
Speaker C:There is definitely a shift in that.
Speaker C:Maybe it's, you know, maybe there'll be people that will never buy them.
Speaker C:But you know, I think that after people have seen it or at least hear all right off the bat, they, they think this is a great idea, then this is something that, you know, they know someone in their life that would use it well.
Speaker B:Jennifer, thank you for joining us.
Speaker B:As a thank you, you'll be receiving a gift from Palmetto State Armories, our sponsor of our gift for our guests for stay this one.
Speaker B:So they'll shoot you an email after the show to get you all set up on that.
Speaker C:Thank you so much, Jennifer.
Speaker B:Again, we appreciate you being on the show.
Speaker B:Guys, make sure to like, share and subscribe.
Speaker B:Hit the little bell for notification.
Speaker B:Make sure to sign up for goals happening August 1st and 2nd in Des Moines, Iowa.
Speaker B:Goa's 50th anniversary and we'll catch you on the next episode.
