Interview with David Brackman

Tiffany: When did you start your business?

David: I started my business in April 1st, 2 years ago today, so that would be 2008.

Tiffany: Why did you get started in this business?

David: Very interesting question because I’m a big avid hiker on the Appalachian Trail and I’ve hiked probably 4 full states of the Appalachian Trail in my spare time, that’s just what I love to do. There was a girl in my hiking club, she was 24 years old and you may recall hearing about this, she was taken up on Appalachian Trail, abducted, and held prisoner for 3 days in a tent. God only knows what went on there. And then she had her head cut off, he told her that he would let her go but he cut her head off with a rusty knife. Having 29 year old daughters that bothered me so much that at the time there are some places where you can carry guns, but as a hiker I never thought I would carry a gun, you know when your doing your pleasures in life you don’t think of taking a gun with you.. And when I came a cross Safety Technology I said BINGO! And I bought some tasers and sold them to the hiking club and it became very popular and someone said, “Hey, you need to take this other places”. And I really didn’t sign up for the intentions of doing it I just wanted to protect my hiking club. And now that I’ve tried a whole bunch of other things its just full blown right now. And that’s the true story that motivated me and it still is to this day. If I’m talking to someone at a gun show or somewhere and they ask me how I got started in this business, that’s my story. It’s not like I woke up one morning and said…hey I want to sell weapons. I was very motivated from the true story. She made a fatal error and she was hike alone.

I had also already signed a contract with Superior Bath Tubs I just hadn’t faxed in yet. They were going to give me the whole state of Georgia to sell to. They are probably wondering what happened to me….but I was that motivated once I heard what happened.

Tiffany: What were some of the obstacles you had to face and how did you overcome those obstacles?

David: Well, there still are a lot of obstacles everyday, whether you go to the trade shows or Chamber, you get a asked a lot if things. Are these legal? Can you do this…?. My biggest helpers along the way are the law enforcement.. They believe in tasers more than anyone else, because they use them. So I have at least 2 or 3 law officers with me at booths when I do guns shows or if I’m at the Chambers talking in the evenings, I belong to about 3 Chambers. I find one of the biggest obstacles is that if you really go out to the outer city, way out to the suburbs, the wealthier areas, they think crime is only for the downtown area. And they are harder to sell to, or they turn their nose up at you then if you were to go into a poor area of town. And if you do a home party or a booth out in the poor area you tend to do much better there than the wealthier area. And that really bothers me because the crime out here where I live is very high and it’s the richest little town in the state of Georgia and they aren’t aware of it they are oblivious to what’s going on they just turn their heads. Another obstacle that I face is going new to Chambers. Coming from the corporate world of 28 years and standing there shooting a stun gun, you know. I was accepted. It was very easy for me to do because I had no competition doing that. That attracts more attention than anywhere else. Again, you get a 50/50 split there. 50 percent thinks its crazy and the other 50 percent they have a daughter in college or a friend that has been attacked, once you get into peoples lives…..how many people have been affected by crime.

Tiffany: Right, that’s when it becomes personal.

David: Yeah, exactly, myself, my home has been broken into, my college apartment and my other home. I have had 3 break ins in my lifetime!

Tiffany: So, It’s been 2 years, how has this business changed your life?

David: It really has changed my life!!! This is totally different than anything I’ve ever done in my life. I was in the printing business and when I got drafted the military didn’t want me. So I never became a big handler of any type of weapon and the more I go along …let me just tell you how it is… There were 3 women at a boat show I was in, and they met me at my booth and these 3 women quit hiking after that young lady was murdered. I showed them how to fire a taser and the red laser will stop 90% of all attacks. I have 7 girls downtown at Georgia State and Georgia Tech, they had to open the taser on their attacker, never fired it, but with the red laser and their attacker ran. They called me and wrote me letters saying Thank you so Much! They were glad they didn’t have to use it but it stopped the attack. I personally get satisfaction in helping people that are nervous about using guns, to use a non lethal weapon and get their lives back. Like those 3 women from the boat show, they hiking again because they feel safe. And if I can change someone’s life, just one step, if it’s a single mother sleeping alone or there children in their house and they don’t want guns and I can put a stun gun or a taser in their hands and they can sleep at night…this is my self satisfaction, more than the sale. It is my satisfaction to help people feel better about themselves on a day to day basis.

I’ve always said, “If you love what you do then the money will follow” and this business has truly truly been that way for me.

Not everyone is going to buy a taser not everyone is going to buy a stun gun, People may think you are crazy if you are at a booth .But you know what? 50% of people that come by and you put in their hands and they say, “you know, I have a daughter in college”. I can say that 97% of the parents buy!! Back to the obstacles, I always get asked, “Is this legal on campus?’ I say its a 2nd amendment, we still have a right to defend our selves in any way, just be responsible. If you think your child is responsible then put it in their hands, don’t go whipping a taser or stun gun out in the middle of class! Be responsible.

Tiffany: What advice would you give to someone else starting a business?

David: My biggest advice is go out and meet the public. I’m taking it to the public because I want to help that parent that is worried about their child on campus. I want to help that single parent that needs to feel secure when going to sleep at night. You have to find your niche and then go out and do it and stay with the principles. There are people out there that want to steal your dreams. And I never let anyone whether I was 20 or 50 something now, I will never let them steal my dreams of helping people. A lot of men come to my table at guns shows and say that their wife is uncomfortable handling a gun, let me bring her back tomorrow and show her these stun guns.
That’s my niche, is helping people. It never was to be a big internet guru or have a big store or anything. I really get self satisfaction helping people and helping them figure out that there is a way to protect yourself without carrying a gun.

Tiffany: What methods do you use for advertising?

David: I tried the magazine thing and that did not work for me and I don’t know why. That was in the beginning. My best advertising right now is showing up to chambers getting booths everywhere. I’ve been invited to churches and schools to talk. I use a flyer and business card and give them out to EVERYONE I meet. I went to Longhorn the other night and sold a TASER and 4 Pepper Sprays…just over dinner. Remember your best form of advertising is mouth, word of mouth. I even put a big ad at UGA and I thought I was going to get a lot of calls and I did not get one call! I have also been invited to retirement communities. So, my best form of advertising is being in the publics face. I’m my own source, I have tried other methods and they just don’t work for me.

I do free safety seminars to homes and offices…I only spend about 15 minutes talking about safety and then I demonstrate the TASER and I choose someone from the audience to shoot the TASER. I just ask that they provide a table so I can show and sell my products. I sponsored a hockey team for breast caner, that did cost a bit of money but I got a lot of responses from that!

Tiffany: What’s your favorite product?

David: My favorite product is the TASER. If you just point that red laser at someone they are fearful. You can also keep your distance.

Tiffany: What is the craziest story that a customer has told you?

David: Oh…I have a partner in South Florida, I met her at the Safety Technology meeting this past October, her name is Ellen DiPaolo. We will be standing in a boat show or a gun how and people just start spilling their guts at our booth. One lady came to our booth and said that her house was broken into and she was raped in front of her two kids. And beaten and she ended up buying a TASER a pepper spray and a stun gun. We get stories of parents whose daughters have bee raped on college campus an they only wished that their child had a TASER. I would say 50% of people that come to our booths have had something happen to them or know someone. And I hate to say it but they drive your sales.

Tiffany: Can you give me one of your internet marketing secrets?

David: Um…I do a lot of article writing and I have a friend in the chamber and I’ve loaded him up with free products and he has really loaded up my website with SEO. I think writing articles and single them out, pepper sprays or tasers and send them out. You would be surprised at how the search engines rank them.

Tiffany: Well, David I want to thank you for your time!

David: Thank you Tiffany. I thank you so much because with out you guys I would not be in business!

web site http://www.selfdefenseatl.com