A New Home
Never heard of Aegis Solutions LLC? You’re not alone. It is very simply my one-man training company, established in 2010, which until today had no real web presence except for a Facebook page. While it hasn’t been a huge problem for me yet, the growing issue of social media censorship of firearms-related content convinced me that Aegis Solutions needed a new home.
When I decided to stand up my own blog site here at DeltaBravoCharlie.com, the obvious answer was to set up a section dedicated to the business. That said, I probably ought to offer a little bit of background on how Aegis Solutions came to be, and what services I offer when I put on that hat.
Ironically, my original intent had nothing to do with firearms training. In my everyday job at the time, one of my responsibilities was teaching a 2-hour seminar to managers on workplace violence. We covered identification and early warning signs of violence, and how to mitigate and avoid it from a manager’s perspective. It was an enjoyable class to teach, as the managers in attendance were almost always very switched on and eager to engage and learn. So much so, that it was common to have some of them hang around for a half-hour or more after class, continuing to discuss and ask questions. It was clear to me that there was very much a hunger for this sort of information.
As a result, I decided to become certified to instruct the National Rifle Association’s “Refuse To Be A Victim” personal safety seminar. I got my instructor certification from a nearby NRA Training Counselor, and incorporated Aegis Solutions LLC as a sole-proprietorship limited liability corporation in my state of residence, Kentucky. At the same time, it occurred to me that although RTBAV is not a firearms class, that questions could easily arise regarding guns for personal protection. It made sense that if someone were to say, “I don’t know anything about guns,” that I ought to be able to respond, “Well, I’m an Instructor, and I can teach you.”
So I also got my NRA Basic Pistol Instructor certification, simply to be able to add the “upsell” with a customer who might want to learn about guns. I had no real intention to get heavily into the firearms instruction side of things, but with a military and police background, I figured I could add that to my company’s offerings easily enough.
The next thing I know, I am being asked to conduct concealed carry classes in Ohio. I do, and before you know it, word of mouth starts spreading. Long story short, since the founding of the company, all I have done is firearms training…and almost exclusively concealed carry training. I have not sold a single RTBAV course in the nine years I have been in business!
That is not to say I am big time or anything. In fact, I am a very small, niche operation in that I have no facility of my own…no classroom, no range. My business model is as a mobile trainer who comes to your location, and as such I typically work with only family and friends. I have taught classes to as many as twelve students in a law office, or a single student on the kitchen table in their home. We will then go to a range facility which will allow us to shoot in order to fulfill the live fire requirements of the course.
Such an arrangement has its disadvantages, most notably that it is difficult or impossible to run large or regular classes which are open to the public, and that limits the profitability of the company a great deal. (Let’s just say I am mostly just moving money from one pocket to the other.) But the great advantage is that the very personal nature of my operation is that I have been able to reach people who I am quite sure would never have taken a concealed carry class otherwise. The fact that almost all of my students are people who already know me personally, and the ability to present the training in the comfort of their own home or office has proven to be hugely freeing to people who would never have done the class in a commercial public range setting.
Class photo with the late Louis Awerbuck, 2012
Of course, one of the biggest things I have gotten from the last nine years is that I have learned a lot, too. I take the title of “teacher” seriously, and in order to improve myself in that role have attended many training courses and schools. I’ve trained with Louis Awerbuck, Dave Spaulding, and John Farquhar, and been to Gunsite Academy a couple of times. I’ve also pushed myself into the competitive arena in order to keep my gunhandling and marksmanship skills sharp.
Shooting a USPSA match, 2012
Today I am teaching less often than before, as my friends and family “market” is pretty well saturated. That’s a good thing, since it means I have reached a good chunk of my personal circle and if they aren’t carrying concealed, they have at least been through the training and maybe learned a little something. That in itself is pretty satisfying.
The future? I’ll keep my certifications current and my shingle out. The training and competition I have done over the last nine years have broadened (slightly) what I am capable of teaching beyond basic pistol and concealed carry skills. I’m not advanced by any measure, but I have learned some skills “beyond the basics” which I can share through coaching sessions with individual students. If nothing else, I will share training tips, ideas, and lessons I have learned here on DBC. I look forward to continuing to learn and work with you.
