September 3, 2024 • 22 mins
Welcome to HeadHuntersNW Podcast! I'm Shaylene Keiner, an executive recruiter with a passion for the global defense, small arms and shooting sectors. Join me as I sit down with top executives and industry leaders to dive deep into the world of global manufacturing, service companies, non-profits and more. Together, we explore the latest trends, innovations, and the inspiring stories behind the people who drive this dynamic industry forward. Whether you're a seasoned pro or just curious about what makes this world tick, you're in for engaging conversations that go beyond the surface. Let's uncover the fascinating stories and insights that shape the global defense, small arms and shooting sectors. Subscribe now and become a part of our community!
In this episode of the Headhunter's Northwest podcast, Shaylene welcomes Sam Lutz, General Manager of the Dallas Gun Club. They discuss the club's rich history, unique amenities, and family-oriented atmosphere. Sam shares insights on membership, the importance of gun clubs, and his personal journey in the shooting industry. This episode provides an in-depth look at one of Dallas's best-kept secrets and explores career opportunities in this thriving community.
Connect with the Dallas Gun Club
https://www.dallasgunclub.com/
Explore Careers:
https://www.dallasgunclub.com/careers
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00:00 Introduction and Special Guest Announcement
00:18 Meeting Sam Lutz and the Dallas Gun Club
02:48 Exploring the Dallas Gun Club
04:12 Membership and Opportunities at the Club
08:46 Sam Lutz's Journey to General Manager
13:11 Joining and Participating in the Club
20:50 Conclusion
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:01):
Hello, everyone.
Welcome to the next episode ofHeadhunter's Northwest podcast.
I I do have yet another special guest.
I probably say this all the time, but Iso adore the people that I get to work
with and I just see there's so many.
Just how much they do to help ourindustry that each one is so unique and
(00:23):
I welcome you Sam this is Sam Lutz whois the general manager of the Dallas
gun club and Well, Sam, i'm gonna letyou talk in a minute But I want to tell
people how we met because I think thisis very special This is very much what
our industry means to me and I think tomost people I got a call from some guy
(00:45):
out of the blue named nick And neededmaybe to talk with me about some help that
you all needed at the Dallas gun club.
And Sam, you were busy or you wereheaded to go to a medical procedure.
So Nick is one of the board membersor was, and then he, he was so
sweet and he's, you know, so good.
(01:07):
His background is soprofessional that I was.
Just totally impressed with nick he knewwhat he was asking about and looking for
and so as time went on I got to talk withsam And as it turned out you guys were
looking for someone to come in and helpyou with membership And I thought oh,
(01:28):
this is not a normal search I work on.
I don't know.
I just don't know well, then I got a callfrom chris dolnak at the nssf and he He
really is the magic behind our industry.
He truly is.
He's like, he's like one of theseunsung people who know how to network.
He just has a nose for it.
(01:49):
So he must have sensed thatI was thinking, I don't do
recruitments for gun clubs.
This doesn't, this doesn't work.
This is not a good use of time.
I'm not going, I just, I can't do this.
He called me, said, no, Shailene,listen, you need to talk to these people.
This Dallas gun club is the club.
It's like the place everybody knowsabout it, apparently, except me.
(02:09):
So I, I, I was, I said, okay, I'll do it.
Whatever I need to do.
So lucky for me.
You guys retained us and lucky for me.
I got on a plane and flew to Dallasand What a mind blowing experience.
First of all, I blew past the entranceWhen I got great directions, I blew you
(02:31):
don't even know this gun club's there.
You don't even know It's the best keptsecret, but yet i'm sure everybody in
dallas knows about it apparently in theentire gun world But I didn't until then
And you guys were so kind when I came out.
I, I got to meet you guys, but Iwant our audience to hear from you,
(02:53):
Sam, tell us about the gun club.
And then when you tell us aboutthe gun club, I really want to
talk about why gun clubs, everyoneshould belong to a gun club.
I mean, they really should.
It's a place for family.
It's a place for business, but I'll letyou tell people because I want them to
get a visual on what this gun club is.
(03:15):
It's a It's the most beautifulplace I think I have been
in a very, very long time.
What a gem.
Well, Shelly, thank you so much.
Appreciate that.
So we have 600 acres rightinside, outside Dallas.
And you know, we, we offer all theshotgun disciplines at the facilities.
We have ski trap, American trapHallease, sporting clays, feet task.
(03:40):
We have an internationalski range, a bunker range.
We just had a Olympian comefrom the club to win two medals.
We also have a rifle and pistol range,but all this is set on 600 acres here.
We have a beautiful clubhouse witha, a scratch kitchen, a curated bar.
You know, we do social events.
private events registeredshooting tournaments.
(04:03):
You know, the club is so wellrounded and there's so much
to offer here right in Dallas.
You know, like you said, itwas kept secret if you will.
When I got here, memberships were full.
There was a waiting list,which we up that number.
That's why we reached out to yourselfand look for a membership director.
But there's so much to do at this club.
(04:24):
The networking, it's a family atmosphere.
You know, the word gun clubsometimes gets a little lost.
That's like a good old man'sclub or good old boys club.
And that is not what we are.
We We're open to the families youknow, that's the women and children
are huge in this industry to keep thissport alive and to keep it growing.
(04:45):
And I'm a big believer in that.
This is like, to me, when I walked inthere and I looked around and I came
on a quiet day, because you guys havelots of events, lots of competitions.
And you even told me about there'sall kinds of Christmas events
and other parties and things.
This is really the place.
(05:05):
To be, if I lived in Dallas, Iwould belong to this gun club.
Of course, you'd have to approve me.
I guess.
I don't know if I get approved, but Ijust think it's the thing to do with
your family because it's very familyoriented and yet you could still go
off and do ladies clubs, you could havemen's clubs, you could do, you know,
there's all kinds of things to do there.
(05:26):
It's not one dimensional at all.
That's right.
You know, we cater obviously to shootingand the shooting sports, but we have
so many social events that happenedto the club, whether it be wine
pairing like you said we do Christmasparties and just get togethers.
It's really nice.
You can come out for dinner andyou don't even have to shoot
and just talk about shooting.
(05:47):
Talk about the industry.
There's so many great business menand women that are around this.
This beautiful city and theyget to come here and, and
unwind in the shooting sports.
And you guys have a restaurant there,like you mentioned a bar, High-End
Kitchen and chef that works there.
And I know you must alwaysneed to add to your help.
(06:10):
So I bet there is an opportunity here.
For not only people who are members,but this would be a great way if
you're looking for a job in the areaNot only is it just beautiful grounds.
I mean, it's just gorgeous But it isnot only a gorgeous place to work But
it is a place where you meet a lot ofbusiness owners and a lot of other people.
(06:32):
This is a very great place to connectand work individuals and down to e all
wrapped up into the s you know, we, we arevery we have a very diverse co be in the
(06:54):
shooting sports You know, it's it's funny.
You have really good employeesand your members that that
hold these big companies here.
They kind of steal your employeeswhen they find the good ones.
So we're always hiring.
We're always looking.
We're we since I've been here, we'veexpanded on every department here.
So yes, we're always looking, alwayshiring, especially if you're in in
(07:17):
in the industry, which that poolhas been shrinking over the years.
So just finding that diverseperson is really important to us.
Yeah.
Someone who loves is passionateabout the sport, but maybe is in the
restaurant industry or maintenance.
Anything like that, I thinkthis would be what a bonus.
I mean, when I was younger and startedout in my career, I worked in many
(07:42):
a restaurant, which I think Almost.
We should, first of all, have everyonebe required to go into our military,
but that's, I digress, but I dothink the restaurant industry and
some sort of service is so valuableto your makeup as a human being.
That if I would have ever dreamedin a million years, there was an
(08:02):
opportunity like this to go and workat a club, that would be a no brainer.
I mean, what a phenomenal opportunity.
So I guess if you're in the area or ifyou know of someone that maybe is looking
for work, I would encourage you to reachout to the Dallas Gun Club and we'll
be posting a career link on this this.
(08:23):
platform.
So whether it's YouTube or Spotify orwhatever, wherever you're listening
to this, you can find that link.
And then you could alsolook it up on dallasgunclub.
com.
Isn't that the, the website, Sam?
I thought it was.
Absolutely.
So how does one become a generalmanager of this phenomenal
(08:44):
club that everyone knows about?
How, how did you ever get into this?
I would love, I'm sure peopleare listening thinking, how
do I become a general manager?
How did you start inthis, this whole path?
I'd love to hear that.
You know, it's very interesting.
I, I started in the industryby, by becoming a shooter.
I my, my, both my parentswere avid trap shooters.
(09:05):
I'm originally from Pennsylvania andI started trap shooting, believe it
or not, when I was eight years old.
Competing when I was nine.
I just absolutely fell inlove with the industry.
I mean, I knew from that moment, believeit or not, at that very young age I
wanted to be a part of it, whether thatat the time I thought it'd be awesome
to be a, you know, professional shooter.
(09:25):
But you know, over years Istarted shooting sporting clays.
international double trap.
I was on the U.
S.
A.
Shooting team for a couple of years,and I realized after all those events
and traveling that, you know, Ijust wanted to be in the industry.
I wanted to learn howthe business side worked.
I wanted to lead people, manage people.
(09:48):
And you know, I worked at a sportingclay range growing up, started all the
way at the bottom as a trapper and apuller, and I got to shoot and compete
and also make money in the sport.
And I knew, you know, you goback to high school and ask
you, what do you want to be?
(10:08):
And I always knew I wantedto be in this industry.
I just didn't know exactly what Iwas going to be in the industry.
You know, there's so many differentavenues where you can go and be a rep
for a gun manufacturer or clothing.
And you know, when I got the taste ofunderstanding the business side of it.
I dug everything I could.
(10:29):
I wanted to learn every Avenue.
You know, I instructed for years.
I set targets for different tournaments.
But, but there was no thrill to me,like actually learning the business
side of it read a very successfulsporting clay range in Pennsylvania.
And, you know, I wanted to grow myportfolio and the Dallas gun club was
(10:50):
looking for a new general manager withdifferent ideas and expand what they
have started from, you know, they're78 years old which, which is amazing.
But, you know, they were going throughkind of a different time and they wanted
to get some new blood in, if you will.
And I just, I looked at whereit was located and I just saw
(11:13):
tons of opportunities, all theshooting disciplines that was
offered, a restaurant, a bar.
And I just I, I took the,took the chance, if you will.
And, you know, I, I really,you know, I wake up every day.
I'm a very, very lucky person.
I have a beautiful wife thatsupports me in this industry.
I have three amazing children and,and I wake up and I absolutely
(11:36):
love being in this industry.
I wouldn't.
Wouldn't be doing anything else.
When you pull down that longdriveway every morning, don't you
just go, wow, this is amazing.
You don't go to work in a downtowncorporate office, that you have
security badge that you have toshow and, you know, go through
all of these things to get there.
And park is a hassle.
You, you drive, you pullinto this beautiful green.
(11:59):
Long driveway and on eitherside is just these gorgeous.
Probably the wrong word is runway, right?
What are those called?
I don't know, but they're gorgeous.
I want to say fairwayand that's golf, right?
Looks like a golf course though.
It's so beautiful.
Absolutely.
Yeah.
You know, that's a really important, youknow, just the appearance of coming in.
(12:24):
I mean, you go from this eightlane highway into this beautiful
oasis and it takes you awayfrom where you think you are.
You don't even hear the highway.
You don't hear it here.
It's amazing.
It's amazing.
It's like you're on vacationand it is such a hidden gem.
You have, you know, really, Idid go do that huge loop de loop.
(12:45):
I'm sure everyone does it,but it is so beautiful.
When you pull in there, you'rejust, ah, this is gorgeous.
And the clubhouse is beautiful.
You know, I'm sure any events, andI can't imagine how many people
must take photographs as far as, youknow, if you have events and things,
it's, it's stunning and it's silent.
Like you said, it's so quiet there.
(13:06):
Absolutely.
So it's a getaway every day.
Yeah.
Now tell us about some of the thingsthat have to do with a gun club.
When, you know, when I was in Oregonand I joined a gun club out there,
it was a big thing for me personally.
I wanted to know I could do itbecause they had qualifying.
(13:28):
So it was a little different, notjust, just focused on a narrow area.
It was mostly about targetpractice and things.
So I had to qualify to be able togo, which for me, it was a big deal.
And there were almost nowomen back then at all.
So it was really intimidating.
And it wasn't like your club, youknow, it was not as welcoming, I
(13:49):
would say, whereas your club, there'sno intimidation factor at all.
I didn't feel like you walk inand, and everyone is welcome.
You know, you're, you're,it's just a vibe that you get.
So when someone wantsto be a member there.
What, what are the steps that they take?
I know you've got information on yourwebsite, but kind of walk us through that
(14:10):
because a gun club is kind of, for peoplewho don't know it, it's really, it's
not as intimidating as one might think.
There's no like hidden veil here.
It's.
Yeah.
You know, it's, it's, it's a greatquestion because, you know, we have a
membership director that, that shalenethat you did an amazing job sourcing of
and, and you know, he'll give a tour.
You know, there's a lot of, even thoughwe have a rich history here, there is
(14:34):
still a lot of people in the industrythat are new shooters or, Mm-Hmm.
go to public ranges that.
Don't exactly know what we do, right?
So they'll get a tour to the facility.
And then from there, if they'reinterested, you know, they go
through an application process andan interview process, just explaining
exactly what we do and get alittle bit of background from them.
(14:57):
Then they get voted in by theboard of directors and, you know,
it's pretty much that simple.
But You know, most new members that,like I said, that are either new
to shooting or just in that publicworld you know, they kind of get
intimidated 'cause of the Yeah.
The no sign at the front gate and Yeah.
You know, obviously the lock gate.
But once they get inside theyrealize, well, it's, it's, you know.
(15:20):
There's reasons for that and what we offerand how open arms we are with everybody.
Yeah.
There is, there's nothinghere to be intimidated about.
It's, it's a beautiful place tocome and socialize and obviously
enjoy, enjoy the shooting sports.
In my world, as a small businessowner, that would scream right off.
(15:41):
I'd have to get that approved by myCPA, but you know, and do you guys,
I Is there an opportunity there for,let's say you're a new shooter or you're
interested in joining something, butmaybe, you know, you're maybe not going
to fit in at the yacht club becausethat's a very expensive entry point.
And golf is great for sure.
We all know how valuable golf is, butmaybe that's not your thing, or maybe it
(16:05):
is, and you want to try something new.
Is there an opportunityfor your members to.
Find people that can instruct themand teach them and help them purchase
the tools that they need becausethis is all very intimidating stuff.
If you don't know what you're lookingfor, you know, it's, it would be great
(16:25):
to go to the store and buy a hammer, butyou're looking at 30 different hammers.
You have no idea whichone you need, right?
It's the same thing withany sort of firearm.
Yeah, absolutely.
You know, that's what you'll findabout our club is we have instructors
that are resident instructors thatwill help anyone, you know, through
through all the shooting disciplines.
But you walk through the doorhere at the Dallas Gun Club.
(16:47):
Everyone will help.
Everyone will hand you all those.
You talk about different handles,all the different firearms.
We love talking about them Welove helping source and getting
you the right information.
That's the, that's, that's one ofthe best things about this community.
And I know, I know, you know, thatwith the shooting industry, you know,
everyone, it's a small community andeveryone helps, you know, especially
(17:08):
with the, with the getting newshooters into this community you know,
Everyone helps us as much as they can.
Sometimes there's too muchinformation out there, right?
But you know, those items to helpstart and get yourself really going
the resources are amazing here.
Yeah.
All the gear that goes with a sport likethis, it's not something you just walk
(17:33):
into Cabela's or you know, somewhereat your local gun store, for instance.
And they don't always have everythingthat you would need and you wouldn't even
know what to ask for maybe So even if youread all about it and magazines and you
watch as many youtube videos as you canThere's real there are real people here
at the gallet dallas gun club that canpoint you in the right direction for one
(17:57):
on one instruction or someone that willhelp you figure out what, you know, which
parts of this sport are you interested in?
And then you guys also haveevents so where Pete, your
members can come and observe.
In a safe environment, you know, and thisis what I think people don't realize is
you go to a gun club And a lot of thevetting and the reason that they you
(18:20):
have an application process Is to helpthat new person learn the safety steps
because It's not that anyone thinksthey're that collaboratively of as a
group You have the same thing in a yachtclub and the same thing in a golf club
You There's all these things that theywant everyone to know what the steps are.
(18:43):
And so it's not nearly asscary as one would think.
Cause I know when I went tothat club, I was terrified.
I was shaking my boots and I think I wasonly one of two women in a class of 40.
And Yeah.
And not everyone passed the class.
Not everyone could hit the target which,you know, there's another story in
(19:03):
itself, but I was very proud of myselfand it's a very independent thing.
I think that the firearms industryto me is like Like, I guess if you're
in, you know, riding motorcycles, ifyou're into motorcycles, like when I
bought a Harley and I got my Harleyand I rode around, I was so proud
of myself that I came back alive.
(19:24):
You know what I mean?
It was so scary, you know, it'sgot its own lingo and its own
clothing and its own expectations.
And again, those had safety meetingsat the beginning of the ride, right?
Well, I think that the gun club, theDallas Gun Club in particular, is so
well known and so it's just such, it'sjust up here in the bar of gun clubs
(19:47):
that I think people should realize it'ssuch a special, special opportunity.
They shouldn't miss out on itbecause you can gain so much
and there's so much pride.
From teaching your kids how to take onthis sport and competing yourself, you
know, is such a big deal to say, I did it.
I did it.
That's right.
You're used to it, Sam.
(20:08):
You've done this since you're eight.
We, we we have new member orientationsand just real get togethers where, you
know, you don't have to come, but ifyou would like to, you can, and we,
we go over all the different shootingdisciplines, but you know, again, here
at the Dallas gun club, we have state.
National world champions and Olympians.
(20:31):
So, you know, depending on what disciplineyou want to do, we got you covered.
You come out and you will, you willdefinitely learn that discipline
and you'll get paired up with theright person shooting among the pros.
That's exactly never knowwho's standing next to you.
That that is very true.
Very true.
That is really great.
Well, I, I cannot thank youenough for the opportunity you
(20:54):
guys taking a chance on me.
And you know, your board members thatI was fortunate enough to interact
with were just really fantastic.
And they made me giggle.
And they're, they're just greatpeople, real professionals that
have made this, you know, a timecommitment for them that they're
willing to give back to their clubs.
(21:14):
So I think that you're very fortunateindeed, what a wonderful place to work.
And I would encourage anyonelistening to this or watching
this on YouTube, seriously take areally big look at Dallas gun club.
If you know anyone that is lookingfor work that loves our industry,
man, I would jump all over that.
I would, and you should totallybe a member if you're in the area.
(21:38):
I'm sure there's lots of people thatare members that aren't even in the
area and they fly in and come and visit.
So I know that too.
Well, thank you very much, Sam.
I appreciate you sharing withus about your career path.
I, what a fortunate man you are.
I knew some of that, butI didn't know all of it.
What a great thing.
(21:59):
Thank you for being the guest onHeadhunters Northwest podcast and we'll
wrap it up there and we look forward tohaving you listen to our next podcast.
Thank you very much.
Hello, everyone.
Welcome to the next episode ofHeadhunter's Northwest podcast.
I I do have yet another special guest.
I probably say this all the time, but Iso adore the people that I get to work
with and I just see there's so many.
Just how much they do to help ourindustry that each one is so unique and
(00:23):
I welcome you Sam this is Sam Lutz whois the general manager of the Dallas
gun club and Well, Sam, i'm gonna letyou talk in a minute But I want to tell
people how we met because I think thisis very special This is very much what
our industry means to me and I think tomost people I got a call from some guy
(00:45):
out of the blue named nick And neededmaybe to talk with me about some help that
you all needed at the Dallas gun club.
And Sam, you were busy or you wereheaded to go to a medical procedure.
So Nick is one of the board membersor was, and then he, he was so
sweet and he's, you know, so good.
(01:07):
His background is soprofessional that I was.
Just totally impressed with nick he knewwhat he was asking about and looking for
and so as time went on I got to talk withsam And as it turned out you guys were
looking for someone to come in and helpyou with membership And I thought oh,
(01:28):
this is not a normal search I work on.
I don't know.
I just don't know well, then I got a callfrom chris dolnak at the nssf and he He
really is the magic behind our industry.
He truly is.
He's like, he's like one of theseunsung people who know how to network.
He just has a nose for it.
(01:49):
So he must have sensed thatI was thinking, I don't do
recruitments for gun clubs.
This doesn't, this doesn't work.
This is not a good use of time.
I'm not going, I just, I can't do this.
He called me, said, no, Shailene,listen, you need to talk to these people.
This Dallas gun club is the club.
It's like the place everybody knowsabout it, apparently, except me.
(02:09):
So I, I, I was, I said, okay, I'll do it.
Whatever I need to do.
So lucky for me.
You guys retained us and lucky for me.
I got on a plane and flew to Dallasand What a mind blowing experience.
First of all, I blew past the entranceWhen I got great directions, I blew you
(02:31):
don't even know this gun club's there.
You don't even know It's the best keptsecret, but yet i'm sure everybody in
dallas knows about it apparently in theentire gun world But I didn't until then
And you guys were so kind when I came out.
I, I got to meet you guys, but Iwant our audience to hear from you,
(02:53):
Sam, tell us about the gun club.
And then when you tell us aboutthe gun club, I really want to
talk about why gun clubs, everyoneshould belong to a gun club.
I mean, they really should.
It's a place for family.
It's a place for business, but I'll letyou tell people because I want them to
get a visual on what this gun club is.
(03:15):
It's a It's the most beautifulplace I think I have been
in a very, very long time.
What a gem.
Well, Shelly, thank you so much.
Appreciate that.
So we have 600 acres rightinside, outside Dallas.
And you know, we, we offer all theshotgun disciplines at the facilities.
We have ski trap, American trapHallease, sporting clays, feet task.
(03:40):
We have an internationalski range, a bunker range.
We just had a Olympian comefrom the club to win two medals.
We also have a rifle and pistol range,but all this is set on 600 acres here.
We have a beautiful clubhouse witha, a scratch kitchen, a curated bar.
You know, we do social events.
private events registeredshooting tournaments.
(04:03):
You know, the club is so wellrounded and there's so much
to offer here right in Dallas.
You know, like you said, itwas kept secret if you will.
When I got here, memberships were full.
There was a waiting list,which we up that number.
That's why we reached out to yourselfand look for a membership director.
But there's so much to do at this club.
(04:24):
The networking, it's a family atmosphere.
You know, the word gun clubsometimes gets a little lost.
That's like a good old man'sclub or good old boys club.
And that is not what we are.
We We're open to the families youknow, that's the women and children
are huge in this industry to keep thissport alive and to keep it growing.
(04:45):
And I'm a big believer in that.
This is like, to me, when I walked inthere and I looked around and I came
on a quiet day, because you guys havelots of events, lots of competitions.
And you even told me about there'sall kinds of Christmas events
and other parties and things.
This is really the place.
(05:05):
To be, if I lived in Dallas, Iwould belong to this gun club.
Of course, you'd have to approve me.
I guess.
I don't know if I get approved, but Ijust think it's the thing to do with
your family because it's very familyoriented and yet you could still go
off and do ladies clubs, you could havemen's clubs, you could do, you know,
there's all kinds of things to do there.
(05:26):
It's not one dimensional at all.
That's right.
You know, we cater obviously to shootingand the shooting sports, but we have
so many social events that happenedto the club, whether it be wine
pairing like you said we do Christmasparties and just get togethers.
It's really nice.
You can come out for dinner andyou don't even have to shoot
and just talk about shooting.
(05:47):
Talk about the industry.
There's so many great business menand women that are around this.
This beautiful city and theyget to come here and, and
unwind in the shooting sports.
And you guys have a restaurant there,like you mentioned a bar, High-End
Kitchen and chef that works there.
And I know you must alwaysneed to add to your help.
(06:10):
So I bet there is an opportunity here.
For not only people who are members,but this would be a great way if
you're looking for a job in the areaNot only is it just beautiful grounds.
I mean, it's just gorgeous But it isnot only a gorgeous place to work But
it is a place where you meet a lot ofbusiness owners and a lot of other people.
(06:32):
This is a very great place to connectand work individuals and down to e all
wrapped up into the s you know, we, we arevery we have a very diverse co be in the
(06:54):
shooting sports You know, it's it's funny.
You have really good employeesand your members that that
hold these big companies here.
They kind of steal your employeeswhen they find the good ones.
So we're always hiring.
We're always looking.
We're we since I've been here, we'veexpanded on every department here.
So yes, we're always looking, alwayshiring, especially if you're in in
(07:17):
in the industry, which that poolhas been shrinking over the years.
So just finding that diverseperson is really important to us.
Yeah.
Someone who loves is passionateabout the sport, but maybe is in the
restaurant industry or maintenance.
Anything like that, I thinkthis would be what a bonus.
I mean, when I was younger and startedout in my career, I worked in many
(07:42):
a restaurant, which I think Almost.
We should, first of all, have everyonebe required to go into our military,
but that's, I digress, but I dothink the restaurant industry and
some sort of service is so valuableto your makeup as a human being.
That if I would have ever dreamedin a million years, there was an
(08:02):
opportunity like this to go and workat a club, that would be a no brainer.
I mean, what a phenomenal opportunity.
So I guess if you're in the area or ifyou know of someone that maybe is looking
for work, I would encourage you to reachout to the Dallas Gun Club and we'll
be posting a career link on this this.
(08:23):
platform.
So whether it's YouTube or Spotify orwhatever, wherever you're listening
to this, you can find that link.
And then you could alsolook it up on dallasgunclub.
com.
Isn't that the, the website, Sam?
I thought it was.
Absolutely.
So how does one become a generalmanager of this phenomenal
(08:44):
club that everyone knows about?
How, how did you ever get into this?
I would love, I'm sure peopleare listening thinking, how
do I become a general manager?
How did you start inthis, this whole path?
I'd love to hear that.
You know, it's very interesting.
I, I started in the industryby, by becoming a shooter.
I my, my, both my parentswere avid trap shooters.
(09:05):
I'm originally from Pennsylvania andI started trap shooting, believe it
or not, when I was eight years old.
Competing when I was nine.
I just absolutely fell inlove with the industry.
I mean, I knew from that moment, believeit or not, at that very young age I
wanted to be a part of it, whether thatat the time I thought it'd be awesome
to be a, you know, professional shooter.
(09:25):
But you know, over years Istarted shooting sporting clays.
international double trap.
I was on the U.
S.
A.
Shooting team for a couple of years,and I realized after all those events
and traveling that, you know, Ijust wanted to be in the industry.
I wanted to learn howthe business side worked.
I wanted to lead people, manage people.
(09:48):
And you know, I worked at a sportingclay range growing up, started all the
way at the bottom as a trapper and apuller, and I got to shoot and compete
and also make money in the sport.
And I knew, you know, you goback to high school and ask
you, what do you want to be?
(10:08):
And I always knew I wantedto be in this industry.
I just didn't know exactly what Iwas going to be in the industry.
You know, there's so many differentavenues where you can go and be a rep
for a gun manufacturer or clothing.
And you know, when I got the taste ofunderstanding the business side of it.
I dug everything I could.
(10:29):
I wanted to learn every Avenue.
You know, I instructed for years.
I set targets for different tournaments.
But, but there was no thrill to me,like actually learning the business
side of it read a very successfulsporting clay range in Pennsylvania.
And, you know, I wanted to grow myportfolio and the Dallas gun club was
(10:50):
looking for a new general manager withdifferent ideas and expand what they
have started from, you know, they're78 years old which, which is amazing.
But, you know, they were going throughkind of a different time and they wanted
to get some new blood in, if you will.
And I just, I looked at whereit was located and I just saw
(11:13):
tons of opportunities, all theshooting disciplines that was
offered, a restaurant, a bar.
And I just I, I took the,took the chance, if you will.
And, you know, I, I really,you know, I wake up every day.
I'm a very, very lucky person.
I have a beautiful wife thatsupports me in this industry.
I have three amazing children and,and I wake up and I absolutely
(11:36):
love being in this industry.
I wouldn't.
Wouldn't be doing anything else.
When you pull down that longdriveway every morning, don't you
just go, wow, this is amazing.
You don't go to work in a downtowncorporate office, that you have
security badge that you have toshow and, you know, go through
all of these things to get there.
And park is a hassle.
You, you drive, you pullinto this beautiful green.
(11:59):
Long driveway and on eitherside is just these gorgeous.
Probably the wrong word is runway, right?
What are those called?
I don't know, but they're gorgeous.
I want to say fairwayand that's golf, right?
Looks like a golf course though.
It's so beautiful.
Absolutely.
Yeah.
You know, that's a really important, youknow, just the appearance of coming in.
(12:24):
I mean, you go from this eightlane highway into this beautiful
oasis and it takes you awayfrom where you think you are.
You don't even hear the highway.
You don't hear it here.
It's amazing.
It's amazing.
It's like you're on vacationand it is such a hidden gem.
You have, you know, really, Idid go do that huge loop de loop.
(12:45):
I'm sure everyone does it,but it is so beautiful.
When you pull in there, you'rejust, ah, this is gorgeous.
And the clubhouse is beautiful.
You know, I'm sure any events, andI can't imagine how many people
must take photographs as far as, youknow, if you have events and things,
it's, it's stunning and it's silent.
Like you said, it's so quiet there.
(13:06):
Absolutely.
So it's a getaway every day.
Yeah.
Now tell us about some of the thingsthat have to do with a gun club.
When, you know, when I was in Oregonand I joined a gun club out there,
it was a big thing for me personally.
I wanted to know I could do itbecause they had qualifying.
(13:28):
So it was a little different, notjust, just focused on a narrow area.
It was mostly about targetpractice and things.
So I had to qualify to be able togo, which for me, it was a big deal.
And there were almost nowomen back then at all.
So it was really intimidating.
And it wasn't like your club, youknow, it was not as welcoming, I
(13:49):
would say, whereas your club, there'sno intimidation factor at all.
I didn't feel like you walk inand, and everyone is welcome.
You know, you're, you're,it's just a vibe that you get.
So when someone wantsto be a member there.
What, what are the steps that they take?
I know you've got information on yourwebsite, but kind of walk us through that
(14:10):
because a gun club is kind of, for peoplewho don't know it, it's really, it's
not as intimidating as one might think.
There's no like hidden veil here.
It's.
Yeah.
You know, it's, it's, it's a greatquestion because, you know, we have a
membership director that, that shalenethat you did an amazing job sourcing of
and, and you know, he'll give a tour.
You know, there's a lot of, even thoughwe have a rich history here, there is
(14:34):
still a lot of people in the industrythat are new shooters or, Mm-Hmm.
go to public ranges that.
Don't exactly know what we do, right?
So they'll get a tour to the facility.
And then from there, if they'reinterested, you know, they go
through an application process andan interview process, just explaining
exactly what we do and get alittle bit of background from them.
(14:57):
Then they get voted in by theboard of directors and, you know,
it's pretty much that simple.
But You know, most new members that,like I said, that are either new
to shooting or just in that publicworld you know, they kind of get
intimidated 'cause of the Yeah.
The no sign at the front gate and Yeah.
You know, obviously the lock gate.
But once they get inside theyrealize, well, it's, it's, you know.
(15:20):
There's reasons for that and what we offerand how open arms we are with everybody.
Yeah.
There is, there's nothinghere to be intimidated about.
It's, it's a beautiful place tocome and socialize and obviously
enjoy, enjoy the shooting sports.
In my world, as a small businessowner, that would scream right off.
(15:41):
I'd have to get that approved by myCPA, but you know, and do you guys,
I Is there an opportunity there for,let's say you're a new shooter or you're
interested in joining something, butmaybe, you know, you're maybe not going
to fit in at the yacht club becausethat's a very expensive entry point.
And golf is great for sure.
We all know how valuable golf is, butmaybe that's not your thing, or maybe it
(16:05):
is, and you want to try something new.
Is there an opportunityfor your members to.
Find people that can instruct themand teach them and help them purchase
the tools that they need becausethis is all very intimidating stuff.
If you don't know what you're lookingfor, you know, it's, it would be great
(16:25):
to go to the store and buy a hammer, butyou're looking at 30 different hammers.
You have no idea whichone you need, right?
It's the same thing withany sort of firearm.
Yeah, absolutely.
You know, that's what you'll findabout our club is we have instructors
that are resident instructors thatwill help anyone, you know, through
through all the shooting disciplines.
But you walk through the doorhere at the Dallas Gun Club.
(16:47):
Everyone will help.
Everyone will hand you all those.
You talk about different handles,all the different firearms.
We love talking about them Welove helping source and getting
you the right information.
That's the, that's, that's one ofthe best things about this community.
And I know, I know, you know, thatwith the shooting industry, you know,
everyone, it's a small community andeveryone helps, you know, especially
(17:08):
with the, with the getting newshooters into this community you know,
Everyone helps us as much as they can.
Sometimes there's too muchinformation out there, right?
But you know, those items to helpstart and get yourself really going
the resources are amazing here.
Yeah.
All the gear that goes with a sport likethis, it's not something you just walk
(17:33):
into Cabela's or you know, somewhereat your local gun store, for instance.
And they don't always have everythingthat you would need and you wouldn't even
know what to ask for maybe So even if youread all about it and magazines and you
watch as many youtube videos as you canThere's real there are real people here
at the gallet dallas gun club that canpoint you in the right direction for one
(17:57):
on one instruction or someone that willhelp you figure out what, you know, which
parts of this sport are you interested in?
And then you guys also haveevents so where Pete, your
members can come and observe.
In a safe environment, you know, and thisis what I think people don't realize is
you go to a gun club And a lot of thevetting and the reason that they you
(18:20):
have an application process Is to helpthat new person learn the safety steps
because It's not that anyone thinksthey're that collaboratively of as a
group You have the same thing in a yachtclub and the same thing in a golf club
You There's all these things that theywant everyone to know what the steps are.
(18:43):
And so it's not nearly asscary as one would think.
Cause I know when I went tothat club, I was terrified.
I was shaking my boots and I think I wasonly one of two women in a class of 40.
And Yeah.
And not everyone passed the class.
Not everyone could hit the target which,you know, there's another story in
(19:03):
itself, but I was very proud of myselfand it's a very independent thing.
I think that the firearms industryto me is like Like, I guess if you're
in, you know, riding motorcycles, ifyou're into motorcycles, like when I
bought a Harley and I got my Harleyand I rode around, I was so proud
of myself that I came back alive.
(19:24):
You know what I mean?
It was so scary, you know, it'sgot its own lingo and its own
clothing and its own expectations.
And again, those had safety meetingsat the beginning of the ride, right?
Well, I think that the gun club, theDallas Gun Club in particular, is so
well known and so it's just such, it'sjust up here in the bar of gun clubs
(19:47):
that I think people should realize it'ssuch a special, special opportunity.
They shouldn't miss out on itbecause you can gain so much
and there's so much pride.
From teaching your kids how to take onthis sport and competing yourself, you
know, is such a big deal to say, I did it.
I did it.
That's right.
You're used to it, Sam.
(20:08):
You've done this since you're eight.
We, we we have new member orientationsand just real get togethers where, you
know, you don't have to come, but ifyou would like to, you can, and we,
we go over all the different shootingdisciplines, but you know, again, here
at the Dallas gun club, we have state.
National world champions and Olympians.
(20:31):
So, you know, depending on what disciplineyou want to do, we got you covered.
You come out and you will, you willdefinitely learn that discipline
and you'll get paired up with theright person shooting among the pros.
That's exactly never knowwho's standing next to you.
That that is very true.
Very true.
That is really great.
Well, I, I cannot thank youenough for the opportunity you
(20:54):
guys taking a chance on me.
And you know, your board members thatI was fortunate enough to interact
with were just really fantastic.
And they made me giggle.
And they're, they're just greatpeople, real professionals that
have made this, you know, a timecommitment for them that they're
willing to give back to their clubs.
(21:14):
So I think that you're very fortunateindeed, what a wonderful place to work.
And I would encourage anyonelistening to this or watching
this on YouTube, seriously take areally big look at Dallas gun club.
If you know anyone that is lookingfor work that loves our industry,
man, I would jump all over that.
I would, and you should totallybe a member if you're in the area.
(21:38):
I'm sure there's lots of people thatare members that aren't even in the
area and they fly in and come and visit.
So I know that too.
Well, thank you very much, Sam.
I appreciate you sharing withus about your career path.
I, what a fortunate man you are.
I knew some of that, butI didn't know all of it.
What a great thing.
(21:59):
Thank you for being the guest onHeadhunters Northwest podcast and we'll
wrap it up there and we look forward tohaving you listen to our next podcast.
Thank you very much.
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