The US Concealed Carry Association (USCCA) Expo took place April 13-15, 2018 in Louisville, KY. While attending the Expo, TFB writer Rachel Y got to catch up with USCCA president and founder, Tim Schmidt.

Rachel: Where did all of this start? Did you envision something like this (weekend) from USCCA’s inception?

Tim: Oh, definitely not. It started with my own self-defense awakening, spurred by my own entrepreneurial spirit. I started with a print magazine and with the help of my team have built the program from there.

Rachel: I see you partnered with the National Shooting Sports Foundation and that Project Childsafe has a booth here this weekend as well.

Tim: Oh yes. We’ve worked closely with NSSF over the past 4 years and Project Childsafe is an important part of USCCA’s mission to arm our loyal members with the tools they need to safely and confidently protect themselves and their loved ones with the utmost peace of mind.

Rachel: What’s next for USCCA?

Tim: Our goal is to have 1 Million members and we’ll reach that goal by the year 2022. We’ve already saved thousands of lives through our educational programs. And of course, to ensure that as many gun owners as possible are responsibly armed.

Rachel: Any words of wisdom I can leave with our readers?

Tim: Absolutely! A lot of people plan for what happens before they’re involved in an incident where they may have to use their firearm. Many people plan for what happens during an incident where they may have to use their firearm. If you’re going to own a firearm, make sure you know what you’ll do before, during, and AFTER any incident involving a gun. It’s our duty as responsible gun owners.

Find out more about Tim’s vision and the US Concealed Carry Association here: https://www.usconcealedcarry.com/

Rachel Y and Tim Schmidt – president and founder of USCCA.