We Are Two Days Away!

Wow! We are two days away from opening!! This is exciting and scary all at the same time. We always knew we wanted to be business owners, and we are stoked that this type of business is what we are pursuing. We have been fortunate along the way, with certain processes going much quicker than expected, being able to attend SHOT Show at the last minute, wholesalers that are great to work with, a marketing and branding guru that loves what we're doing and has run with it... the list could go on and on.

We are looking forward to growing this business from a gear and accessories retail online store to a full gun store that has firearms, a lot more gear and accessories than we are starting out with, educational classes, events, and more!

Every business starts somewhere. Some start small, some start big. Some have investors, some do not. We fall into the small, no investor category which allows us flexibility to learn and grow exponentially! We are so happy you are on this journey with us. We have had so much positive feedback and engagement from our supporters. Thank you, all, so much for the Facebook page likes, the Instagram following, the sharing of our posts, and the time you take to support us in this endeavor. It means the world to us!

Shoot On!

Diva Dawn

It's Been Awhile...

Hey everybody! It has been awhile since we've blogged. We have been busy setting up the e-Commerce website, receiving and processing inventory, signing up for some fantastic events and getting a little range time in between all of the above!

We only have 9 days until opening!!! Can you believe how fast this is all coming together? We can't, either! We've got that hustle and motivation, though, so the sky is the limit!

Here is a list of gear we will be carrying:

Range Bags - Great assortment (including Mossy Oak and Muddy Girl)

MagLulas/Magazine Loaders - Pink, Purple, and Black

Pistol Rugs (Large) - Leopard, Mossy Oak w/Pink Trim, Black w/Pink Trim

Concealed Carry - Can Can Concealment IWB Holsters, Gun Toten Mamas Purses

Targets - Mostly 8 inch, some 12 inch; color explodes on impact so you can easily see your shot 

Hearing Protection - Electronic and Non-Electronic, many colors

Eye Protection - SSP Eyewear, multiple frame colors and lens colors

Non-Lethal Protection - Stun Guns and Pepper Spray

Sleepwear - Grey w/Camo accents, Pink/Mauve with Camo Accents, Camo w/Pink Accents

Lingerie - Camo with Aqua Accents and Camo with Cranberry Accents

Shooting Diva Swag - T-Shirts, Tumblers/Coffee Mugs, Koozies

We can't wait!! Only 9 more days and counting! Ahhhhhhhhhhhh! :)

Shoot On!

Diva Dawn

3 More Weeks Until the Store is Open!

Happy Monday morning, Shooting Diva followers! There are only 3 weeks left until the e-Commerce store opens. How exciting! We will have everything you need to get started at the range, as well as concealed carry purses and holsters, and non-lethal options as well. We cannot wait to share our passion for the shooting sports with you!

March 1st is the Grand Opening date! 

We will have:

Range Bags
Eye Protection
Hearing Protection
Pistol Rugs
Targets
Magazine Loaders
Concealed Carry Inside the Waist Band (IWB) holsters
Concealed Carry Purses
Stun Guns
Pepper Spray
Camo Sleepwear
Camo Lingerie

Be sure to keep an eye out for our updates!

Shoot On!
Diva Dawn

4 MORE Reasons to Shoot

You've been waiting for the follow up... We have been very busy wrapping up the odds and ends needed to open on March 1st. Orders have been placed (our first shipment came last night - yay!) Nevertheless, as promised, here are 4 MORE reasons to go to the shooting range:

1) Physical Fitness - say what? Yes, whether you are shooting handguns, rifles, or shotguns, it promotes physical fitness. Is it the same as running a mile or doing 50 burpees or 25 overhead presses? No. BUT, it absolutely requires and builds arm strength, solid core, controlled breathing and much more. Physical discipline is a little known side affect to shooting. Worried that you might not be strong enough? Start with a lower caliber firearm. I can say with great confidence that if you are worried about your strength and start with a .22 pistol instead of a .45 you will enjoy shooting much more than if you started with the .45. My goodness, that would probably just scare you away - even if you ARE physically fit already. The smaller the gauge/caliber, the less recoil there is, the easier it is to shoot.

2) Mental Discipline - target shooting, skeet shooting, etc. all requires a great deal of focus. Each type of shooting requires different methods to accurately hit your target. Pistol shooting, for instance, requires that you hold the pistol in one position and focus on the front sight to hit your target (there is much more to it than this, but this is one example.) Skeet shooting; however, requires you to "lead" the target you are trying to hit. In other words, you are swinging your shotgun to hit the target and after you have pulled the trigger, you are going to keep swinging to complete the rotation; this provides follow through. The more mental discipline you have, the more you are able to maintain a level head in the face of pressure or adversity. This affect can trickle into your personal life - not a bad side effect, right?

3) Liberty - this is probably one of the biggest arguments in America right now. Our Pledge of Allegiance does in fact say "with liberty and justice for all," yet so many are against gun ownership right now. They say "guns kill people." Well, an inanimate object cannot kill someone on its own accord. If so, we would say "knives kill people" or "cars kill people" or "spoons kill people." People are afraid of guns. We get it, we really do. It is important that we continue to practice our right to liberty and educate those who do not understand why we feel so strongly about this. Our forefathers put the 2nd Amendment in our Constitution for a reason - so that we may all have the right to protect ourselves and our families. I encourage everyone to be a part of the solution instead of the problem. Take a friend to the shooting range and have an adult conversation about it. Do some research first so you are prepared and have true knowledge to fall back on. Shooting ranges are not the place for heated arguments!

4) Confidence - I mentioned earlier that people are afraid of guns. Guns are powerful weapons, no doubt! I am living proof that going to the shooting range and plinking brass inspires confidence. I, too, was afraid of guns for most of my life. I went shooting with my husband and some family members and absolutely fell in love with it. When taught to shoot properly, hitting those targets with more accuracy becomes a reality. With confidence, comes less fear. The more you practice and handle a gun, the less afraid of it you will become. This is so, so important!

We hope you enjoyed reading 4 MORE reasons to shoot. If any of the reasons we have presented intrigue you, let us know. We are keeping a list of people who have mentioned to us they would like to start shooting, learn how to shoot, etc. Our plan is to hold a range day at a local range to introduce target shooting to this group of folks. Once we have our training certifications, we will be teaching classes through the NRA and hopefully USCCA. We look forward to plinking targets with you one day soon!

Shoot On!

Diva Dawn

4 Reasons to Shoot

Over the last few months, we have found that people are intrigued by the term "shooting sports" when we explain why we are opening this store. When we say that the store will cater more to the female shooter than the average gun store does, the most common reaction is "well, sure - self defense is a must these days!" It is so much more than self defense, and even if your only reason IS self defense, you still need to go to the range and practice shooting the firearm that you keep by your bedside, carry on your person, in your vehicle, in your purse, etc. Practice is KEY to good self defense, and there are many other reasons to shoot, too. Here are a few reasons we shoot:

1) Fun - yes, we said it, we shoot for FUN! While Marty is great at just about every sport he tries, Dawn has to work a little harder at it. Well, the day she realized she was halfway decent at target shooting, the fun they have together with this sport escalated! Marty never thought he would hear Dawn ask to go to the shooting range or be excited to go when he asked if she wanted to. Now, they have fun together "plinking brass". It makes for a fun day date or family outing if you bring the kids along.

2) Education - speaking of kids, target shooting is a great opportunity to teach children the basics of shooting and the safety aspects of shooting. You can teach them and implement the four safety rules of shooting while there:

        1) Treat all guns as if they are always loaded

        2) Never point a gun at anything you are not willing to destroy

        3) Keep your finger off the trigger until you're ready to shoot

        4) Always be aware of your target and what's behind it

3) Self Defense - this is what most individuals naturally think of when we talk firearms with them. It is a major reason to have a firearm. If you plan to use firearms for self defense, it is important that you go to the range often and shoot with the firearm or firearms that you carry for self defense. Most ranges will not allow you to pull from a holster and shoot, but some will. If the ranges do not allow this, and you want to practice drawing from your holster, there are molded firearms that replicate a large number of firearms that you can purchase and use for this practice.

4) Competition - who doesn't love a great competition, right? As with any sport, shooting sports are competitive, too. There are so many shooting competitions - 3 gun, Conventional Pistol, High Power Rifle, Smallbore Rifle, Skeet Shooting, and many more. All of these encourage practice with a firearm, safety, and unconventional situations which could help in - wait for it - everyone's favorite reasons to say firearms are necessary - self defense!

These are just a few reasons to go out to the shooting range, or family farm, and have some good, safe fun with target shooting. There are many other reasons we haven't mentioned (like hunting!) but we will save those for another day. Until then...

Shoot On!

The Shooting Diva

SHOT Show was awesome!

SHOT Show was awesome! Dawn attended SHOT University, which was full of timely and useful information regarding e-Commerce, marketing, and compliance. There were so many vendors, and we were not able to see all of them. Most vendors were helpful and supportive of our new startup, some not so much. 

We have some vendors we are looking to carry in our store and are excited about offering their products to you, our consumers! The Shooting Diva is not just about firearms; we realize there is so much more to it. We will offer range gear, concealed carry gear, non-lethal options (think pepper spray and stun guns), scopes, and much more. The offerings will grow as we do. 

Check out the vendors we have our eyes on in the pictures below. We have also shared some "fun" pictures from the SHOT Show. Dawn realized she watches too much reality TV when she got super excited to see these folks. Gabby Franco was on Top Shot, Season 4. She had a lot of great advice she shared with Dawn. The best piece of advice being "whatever you are, be the best at it". Dawn also met Missy and Godwin, from Duck Dynasty. She got a little TOO excited when talking with Missy, and we don't think Missy was able to get a word in edgewise (so sorry, Missy!) Godwin was great to chat with. They are all very down to earth and fantastic people.

It's Time For SHOT Show 2019!

We are headed to NSSF's SHOT Show 2019 this week! This is a huge win for us, since we are just starting up. One of the first things we did when organizing and developing our start-up was join NSSF - National Shooting Sports Foundation; The Firearms Industry Trade Association. This is probably the smartest move we made. Not everyone gets to attend SHOT Show. You have to be approved by NSSF to attend, and it's a pretty big deal in the firearms industry. 

What is SHOT Show? It is the annual Shooting Hunting Outdoor Tradeshow. There are over 1,600 exhibitors and 12 miles of floorspace - whoa! Companies, like ours, can attend and meet with manufacturers and distributors directly. There are also lots of new and cool gadgets, gear, and products that we get to see.

SHOT University is part of SHOT Show. It is a one day event, where businesses can attend seminars on topics related to their niche in the market, as well as ATF Compliance, First Shots Range Development, and many other fantastic topics related to the firearm business industry. Dawn will be attending SHOT University this year and she is stoked!

Be sure to follow us on Instagram - @theshootingdiva, and on Facebook - The Shooting Diva LLC. We'll be sure to post pictures of our adventures this week!

Shoot On!

The Shooting Diva