Riding Shotgun with Charlie: From Digital Marketing to Concealed Carry
Earlier this year, I had the chance to sit down with Charlie Cook, host of the Riding Shotgun with Charlie podcast, for a fun and fast-paced interview during the NRA Annual Meetings in Atlanta. This one’s a little different—recorded on Radio Row as an audio-only pit stop episode—but it’s packed with stories about my unconventional path into the firearms industry, the origin of ConcealedCarry.com, and what it’s like running multiple firearm-related businesses.
🔊 Listen to the full interview below:
What We Talk About
Here’s a quick rundown of what we cover in this episode:
- How I got started in the firearms world as a digital marketer-turned-firearm instructor
- The surprising failure that led to my first certification in firearms training
- The early days of building ConcealedCarry.com as a national instructor network
- The value of SEO and digital tools in growing a firearms business
- Why I acquired KSG Armory and how shared infrastructure makes scaling efficient
- The birth of the RangeTech shot timer—and why it was nearly scrapped
- Our revolver holster revival and the “Revolver Resurgence” trend
- What goes into producing hundreds of podcast episodes and millions of downloads
- The reality of podcasting for a living (spoiler: it’s not easy checks in the mail)
Charlie and I also geek out a bit about appendix carry gear, how holster length affects comfort, and the magic of purple grips on J-frames. It's a candid and entertaining conversation, I think you’ll enjoy.
Want More?
Check out our podcast, the Concealed Carry Podcast, and follow us on social for daily clips, training tips, and gear reviews. You can also learn more about the brands I mentioned in the episode: