SHOT Show 2016 Highlights

Mom: Are you planning on coming home for your birthday?

Me: Probably not, I'm not sure what I'm doing. I wish I was going to be in Vegas for my birthday.

Mom: What's in Vegas?

Me: SHOT Show! But I have no way of getting in and it's the best opportunity for me! All the big names will be there and I need to network!

Mom: I'm calling Todd. YOU HAVE TO BE THERE!

Within 20 minutes my stepdad, Todd, had a badge waiting for me at Sands Expo through his company, Radical Firearms. I remember thinking "This can't be real!" then quickly coming to the realization that I had a plane ticket to buy, a room to book, clothes to shop for and pack, business cards to print off, an entire week of clients to cram into a few days, and a schedule to make because I wasn't flying to Vegas to play. I was ready to work. I was ready to get in front of all the poeple that inspire me daily and make an impression, so that's exactly what I did! I can't possibly put everything into words, but I'd like to highlight my top 10 moments of my first experience at SHOT Show, in no particular order.

1. Moose On The Loose 5K hosted by Jules McQueen & Cameron Hanes

I did not plan my trip around this, but I knew it was meant to be when I realized I had a good chance of making this run IF I wore my running gear on the plane and went straight to the race. Everything went as planned and I had the privilege of running next to the Under Armour Hunt girls, Jules McQueen (who I had recently done a podcast with) and her husband, Cameron Hanes who is a hulk, The Crush (Lee & Tiffany), Melissa Bachmann, John & Jenny Rivet who I dream of hunting with one day, the guys from Hushin and MTN Ops, and many more. I showed up to the race terrified that I would be last, then realized that showing up and simply finishing is what matters. For the record, I was nowhere near last!

2. Sportsman's Box members

At the end of August 2015, I applied to be a Field Operative for The Sportsman's Box. For those who may not be familiar with this company, it's a brilliant monthly subscription (similar to Dollar Shave Club, Birch Box, Bark Box, etc) that sends 3-5 quality items each month that retail for more than your subscription. Literally every item is amazing and it's great exposure for companies wanting to get their brand to the right audience. Sportsman's Box is the reason I'm now sponsored by Hardy Facepaint, which is one of the items included in my box during the fall. I spent a large portion of my entire week with the two men that started this monthly subscription company, both of which are humble, professional, truly genuine people with an awesome product. I also met a fellow Field Operative, Allie, who lives in Idaho and continues to inspire me daily. I'm thankful to be apart of a strong group of passionate outdoorsman and it was so much fun attending meetings, celebrating my birthday, and making memories at SHOT with them!

3. AirBnB Experience

If you know me at all, I like to save money and I'm a huge fan of using AirBnB. It's a much more affordable way to see the world and save money for essentially a bed to rest your head. I knew I would be away from my room 90% of the time, so I stayed with the sweetest, most accomodating couple in Vegas about 5 miles off the strip. This is an awesome way to see what the locals do as well, rather than having a typical touristy experience whenever you're traveling. Although completely disconnected from the convention, it's important for me to share this hidden gem with others who may be on the fence about using it. I've yet to have one bad experience, in fact, all of my travels through AirBnB have been wonderful. I felt safe and welcomed with open arms. Simply read the reviews and/or message the host directly with any questions you have. Happy travels!

4. Tim Thomason with Nature Blinds

I'm not exactly sure how to put this man into words that accurately describe him. I can tell you that when I talked to my family members, I kept reverting back to the word "angel," because he has such a strong presence about him and loves nothing more than to give, then give some more, until he has nothing left to give. I'll never forget when he stopped me at the top of the escalator, shook my hand, and said "I'm a huge fan of you and your husband, I follow you on Instagram and I love everything that y'all are doing. Come by our booth tomorow because I have a birthday present for you and a gift to take to him!" I spent some time with him every day after that, and have continued to keep in touch with him since I made it home. He has a BRILLIANT product that he personally designed and patented

immediately, with a story that will bring tears to your eyes. I'm proud to say that he manufacturers his blinds out of the great state of Texas and has built an empire that will only continue to grow. He was the most unexpected connection I made the entire week and I'm forever grateful. Check out his product here.

5. Attending 16th Annual Outdoor Sportsman Awards or "Golden Moose Awards"

Several hours before the event began, I was invited to attend the awards at the Venetian, which is where you ultimately want to be on Thursday night of SHOT Show. I heard about it for several days but had accepted the fact that I wasn't going to be able to go, simply because it's by invitation only. I wish I would've had a video recording my expression when I found out I was going because my eyes teared up and my jaw dropped. It may not seem like a big deal to some, but to be at a formal event with all the big names I've watched over the years was just mesmerizing. I was sharing a room with dozens of hard-working, talented, successful individuals within an industry I'm working to break through. To add to that, Donald Trump spoke and John Fogerty performed. I quickly began to realize they are PEOPLE - they started somewhere just like I did, and they're humble enough to have a drink with the rookie (me) at the bar after the show. That's pretty neat!

6. Connecting with the Under Armour Hunt team

I don't want to focus too much on meeting the celebrities, but rather the moments that I had with those celebrities. With that being said, I will never forget the day that Tiffany Lakosky asked me to take my booty (that translates to shoe for all the men reading) off so she could read the brand name. She loved them so much she needed to know how to get some of her own! At the end of the day, I was icing my swolen feet because I made the decision to wear fringe booties with a large heel the entire day of the convention. I have never in my life felt so much pain in my feet when I got home, and I'd definitely never seen my toes look like sausages, but it was totally worth Tiff noticing them! Ha! With that being said, I also met and had genuine conversations with several of the other Under Armour Hunt girls, including Eva Shockey, Sarah Bowmar, Krysten McDaniel, Kristi Stevens, Rihana Ray, & Katie Muth. They are truly an empowering group of women that I would be honored to hunt with some day!

7. Job Offer

First let me say that the convention is so overwhelming when you first get there. You can't wrap your mind around the number of people passing you at all times. I felt so small walking up and down the aisle to visit the different booths. With that being said, when someone approaches you and strikes up a professional conversation to see what my interests and goals are, followed by a job offer on the spot, it makes you feel like you're doing something right. That could mean many things, but at some point someone noticed how I carried myself, how I communicated, and that I was extremely driven, and they wanted me to represent them. I knew nothing about this company at the time, and it's not a job I'd be interested in, but that doesn't matter. My point is, even when you feel like nobody is watching, they are. I learned the importance of walking with my head held high and being confident when I spoke to individuals, regardless of their social status. It was a great way to practice my networking skills and to be fearless when I handed them a card with nothing more than my blog, social media, and phone number.

8. Birthday Lunch & Dinner

I had the privilege of having lunch (I should say feast) with the Nature Blinds and Sportsman's Box crew for my birthday at Grand Lux, located within the Venetian. We talked about the outdoors, told stories, laughed, and prayed together before stuffing our faces! It was refreshing to be surrounded by people with such solid foundations and who were confident in their faith. I walked out of the restaurant fighting tears as I thought "This is right where I'm supposed to be." Later that evening, I was wined and dined by the gunsmiths at Radical Firearms. Imagine a table of roughly 10 men dressed in black surrounding me, and they're not exactly small men. Ha! I felt like I had bodyguards, and in a way I did. I felt safe considering they work for family. They surprised me with a birthday dinner at Nobu Japanese Restaurant, located at Caesar's Palace. I'm the biggest sushi addict and it was literally the best sushi I've ever had in my life. My stomach was aching by the end of the night from laughing so hard and I felt completely spoiled as I thought about my day. It was a birthday I'll never forget!

9. Meeting Matt Hughes

Well, if you didn't know already, I'm a huge UFC fan. I don't watch it religously by any means, but I think it's an amazing sport with truly talented people. While walking around the convention, I happened to look up and literally stopped dead in my tracks when I saw Matt Hughes doing a recorded interview with Otis Technology. He happened to look up at the same time, then smiled and waved to me during this video. A few minutes later he walked over to me and excitedly says "How are you?!" with a big hug. I was so confused until he quickly followed with "I know you don't I?" I responded with "No but can I get a picture with you??" Such a "fan" moment for me. He complimented my wedding ring and told me his wife loves jewelry and that Braxton did a good job. Yes, yes he did!

10. New Gear

If you've never been to SHOT, be prepared to take home lots of product! When you're visiting booths, people will hand you stuff left and right. Word got around that it was my birthday which resulted in me having more than average, but either way you will go home with gear. Also, the last day of SHOT you're allowed to purchase from the booths and they'll typically sell it for dirt cheap because they don't want to haul it back home. I decided to get an awesome deal on a Badland's camera pack and stuff it full of my new gear, which included MTN Ops supplements, Under Armour tank tops, Nature Blinds gear, a RealTree dog vest, a Havalon knife, and so much more. It worked out beautifully!