Can You Defend Yourself?
Welcome back to the Solidarity podcast
where we share stories to connect with one another, find comfort in life’s challenges & to celebrate the solidarity that is, being a woman.
I have a really special episode for ya’ll today: our first ever Solidarity interview! Today I have joining me Self Reliance Coach and Firearms Instructor, and my Instagram friend, Casey. Casey has played a huge part in helping me gain confidence as I set out in my journey of improving my self defense skills this last summer. She has been an incredible resource and I have learned so much from her content. I definitely recommend giving her a follow, even if you’re not comfortable with firearms- actually, especially if you aren’t because Casey gives a well-rounded look at the world of self defense and the options you have. Her mission is to help 10,000 women become confident in their ability to protect themselves through situational awareness with or without a firearm. I relate to Casey because she, like me, is a mom who simply wants to make sure she can protect her kids. She shared with me that when her husband deployed for the first time, she did not realize how much she relied on him for the safety of herself and her family. That did not sit well with her, so she took a deep dive into learning how to be her own first responder and found it was her calling to share and help others do the same. She became a USCCA firearms instructor and consider herself a situational awareness expert. A few fun facts about Casey: She loves Harry Potter, she said “she was the kid who dressed in a cloak and pointy hat at the movie theaters when a new movie came out.” I didn’t grow up with Harry Potter but I have read some of the books and the writing is incredible! She also shared that she lives in a converted school bus with her family, which they converted themselves. It’s seriously awesome, make sure to follow her on Instagram to see it sometime! I’m low-key obsessed with mini houses/converted buses but I don’t think I could ever actually live in one. Casey also is far more adventurous than I will ever be as she cycled across the country after graduating college. I could never.
Casey’s story has inspired me and as I was thinking about who I wanted to bring on the show to talk about this topic that is becoming really dear to my heart, I knew I wanted Casey because not only is she relatable, but she’s knowledgable and approachable. The world of self defense can be really overwhelming, especially if you knew nothing about it going into it. This is a topic that is not talked about enough amongst women, yet we are at the most risk for violence and depending on our demographic and other factors, some women are at even higher risk than others. I know it can be easy to think that it will never happen to you, but that’s just not a feasible way to think.
Personally, I struggled with being a Christian and feeling like if I carried or trained that I wouldn’t be trusting God, but I learned quickly that evil is all around and that there is no reason that I cannot take precautions and trust God. I am responsible for stewarding my body and protecting myself and my son. I have a responsibility to preserve life and if that means that I can preserve our lives and the lives of those around me against forces of evil, until God calls me home, then I am all in.
Alright I’m going to stop rambling now and get to the good stuff.
Note:
I apologize that due to the length of this episode I was not able to do a written transcript. I have time stamps and resources cited below.
Join me in welcoming Casey!
3:20 - What propelled you to start taking an interest in you personal safety and how did you get involved in the CC community?
7:49 - Why are you passionate about women’s self defense?
9:46 - What are you certifications and do you have any career goals?
11:18 - Has your hearing loss impacted or influenced your journey with self defense?
14:35 - Are there any statistics about women’s safety that you want all women to know?
19:08 - What do you wish all women knew about keeping themselves safe?
19:37 - Why do you think women get so overwhelmed when it comes to the idea of defending themselves?
22:18 - What would you say to women who think that in order to defend themselves that they have to carry a firearm?
24:30 - What do you recommend if someone isn’t comfortable or isn’t ready to carry a firearm, as their EDC?
25:25 - What is your favorite self defense tool other than your firearm?
28:30 - Do you think there is a process that women should go through if and when they do decide to start carrying?
30:30 - How do you educate yourself on the laws?
32:41 - What advice do you have for women who do carry when it comes to training regularly?
36:31 - Let’s talk about how to prepare yourself in any situation, regardless of tools that you have access to, circumstances and location.
43:01 - Outside of self defense tools, what tools do you always like to keep on you or in your vehicle?
45:30 - Let’s talk about situational awareness- what do you look for when you’re out in public?
56:00 - How do you recommend women set themselves up in their home and vehicles for success?
1:03:00 - Did your view on self defense change when you became a mother?
1:04:00 - How are you talking about self defense or planning to talk about it with your littles?
1:10:00 - Are there any misconceptions about cc that you want to dispel?
1:12:56 - Do you have any cc tips or tricks you wish to share?
1:14:28 - What is your go-to outfit and accessories for cc? Recommendations on gear? Do you have a favorite set up?
1:18:30 - Resources that you would share with women who are on this journey to become more self aware?*
1:23:33 - Why did you start Koa, tell us a little bit about this?
1:25:00 - Do you have any projects or resources that you’d like to share?
*Resources*
SELF DEFENSE:
Warrior Poet Society Network: it’s like Netflix but has a bunch of awesome training (firearms and self defense) as well as fun shows
Tim Larkin has a great book about real life violence/ assaults (When Violence Is The Answer) and has self defense training programs.
Tony Blauer also teaches great self defense tactics.
Craig Douglass is another great self defense teacher. He has a few series on the Warrior Poet Society Network.
SITUATIONAL AWARENESS:
Gary Quesenberry has awesome books about situational awareness.
INTRO TO FIREARMS:
@armed_and_styled (Tessah) on Instagram and YouTube - she also works with Phlster Holsters.
Phlster Holsters on YouTube.
Langdon Tactical on YouTube.
@casualandtactical (Elizabeth) on Instagram - she has an awesome E-book for new firearm owners.
@pinotandpistols (Monica) on Instagram has a great blog.
@Freedom.Concealed on Instagram is great for how to conceal with different outfits.
@ThinBlueLifestyle (Fran) on Instagram has overall situational awareness tips and firearm content.
USCCA has a ton of training videos for their members - they provide insurance in case someone needs to use their weapon in self defense. Even if all the signs point to self defense, it can get very costly. So they help provide lawyers and cover fees.
OVERALL SURVIVAL:
Amber Elle has a great Instagram and blog. She also works with Field Craft Survival who focuses on both firearms/ self defense and preparedness against anything such as natural disasters.
Fieldcraft Survival on Youtube and Instagram
PRODUCTS:
@Elegantandarmed (Natalie) on Instagram has a great blog, she also works with @DarkAlleyDenim (Joel) on creating neat products. They’re coming up with awesome tops that use creative designs to help conceal better.
BRAIN GAMES:
Active Self Protection on Youtube - they have a lot of videos of crimes and assaults. I like to watch their videos to create “what if?” scenarios and think about what I would do if I was in that situation. It’s also a great way to learn what assaults look like, especially in the moments leading up to the assault. They give great advice on the videos they share too.
DEEP DIVE INTO FIREARMS:
Thank you so much for listening in this week.
You can find Casey on Instagram @caseylynnetactics and be sure to stay tuned for her upcoming launches!
DM me on Instagram @riley_quin or shoot me an email riley@rileyq.com and let me know what you’re going through and if there is a specific topic you want me to talk about and if I haven’t experienced it, I’ll find someone who has to come and chat with us. If you want to share your story, check out my website rileyq.com and under the “Connect” tab click “Tell your story” and submit it either for right here on the podcast or I can share it on Instagram- even anonymously! I just really want to get back to why I created this space, which is to share our experiences and our stories to find solidarity, even in the hardship because you’re not alone. Someone has always walked before you and someone is always walking beside you and behind you so we must share. We are not meant to live in isolation.
I’d love to have you on my monthly “Coffee Dates” email list, you can sign up on my website or click the link below in the show notes. You can follow me on Instagram @riley_quin and check out my new account @furtherandfree as I am relaunching my virtual assistant business to help women further their businesses and creative endeavors by taking tasks off their plates and freeing up their time to work on their God-given gifts! If you know of someone who is looking to hire a bit of help, please send them my way, it would mean the world. If you feel called to, please share with a woman who you know needs to be strengthened and encouraged. It would mean the world to me if you’d leave a podcast review on Apple podcasts and let me know your favorite part of this week’s episode. Thanks again & be sure to subscribe and we’ll meet back here next Wednesday for a new episode.
As always, I’m so glad you’re here. You’re wanted, needed and loved. I see you, I hear you and you my love, by the grace of God, you are enough.