Thank You DD214 Wish I had said it sooner
RIP Don and Thank You.
MDS had been pointed out to me by another firearms instructor as a place to post/list the courses I was teaching. I posted a few classes in the training section of the forum and was immediately PM'd by a few members including DD214. They all asked the same question, who was I and did I have the proper credentials to teach the classes I was offering? I sent off a response with copies of said creds and the post were allowed to stay.
Several months later I took notice of the an upcoming Meet and Greet to be held in California, MD. It was in an Irish pub which has since been closed, the name escapes me. I knew several members of MDS from shooting IDPA at Sanners Lake SC so I felt comfortable going and taking my wife along. We arrived and were quickly greeted by Don. He introduced himself and told me he would like to talk privately before I left. We stepped out on the back patio which was empty at the time and he asked me to list Genesis Firearms as an IP. He explained that it wouldn't cost me anything, so I decided to give it a try. I didn't know how much that would jump start my business. I don't even think he knew.
Fast forward a year and I was in a bad position. Construction work had slowed down to a crawl and I was out of work. My only income came from the classes I was teaching. Advertising is a huge expense and Don refused to take anything for being an IP at the time. Honestly I didn't have the money to pay him but I felt I should offer. I was out of work for nearly 6 months. I attempted to list a class somewhere in Maryland every weekend. The members of MDS keep our classes full and because of that I kept our mortgage up to date. Several of my former co-workers lost their homes that year. We weren't living high on the hog but the bills were paid.
I can't say how my family and I would have made it through those lean times if it weren't for Don simply being kind and inviting me to sign up as an IP.
I haven't been on the forum as much over the past few years. To many excuses to list as to why that is. I to have made many great friends many of which I now call Brother. Don did this for so many of us and we only think to recognize his work now that he is gone.
Thank you Don, I wish I had said it sooner.
RIP Don and Thank You.
MDS had been pointed out to me by another firearms instructor as a place to post/list the courses I was teaching. I posted a few classes in the training section of the forum and was immediately PM'd by a few members including DD214. They all asked the same question, who was I and did I have the proper credentials to teach the classes I was offering? I sent off a response with copies of said creds and the post were allowed to stay.
Several months later I took notice of the an upcoming Meet and Greet to be held in California, MD. It was in an Irish pub which has since been closed, the name escapes me. I knew several members of MDS from shooting IDPA at Sanners Lake SC so I felt comfortable going and taking my wife along. We arrived and were quickly greeted by Don. He introduced himself and told me he would like to talk privately before I left. We stepped out on the back patio which was empty at the time and he asked me to list Genesis Firearms as an IP. He explained that it wouldn't cost me anything, so I decided to give it a try. I didn't know how much that would jump start my business. I don't even think he knew.
Fast forward a year and I was in a bad position. Construction work had slowed down to a crawl and I was out of work. My only income came from the classes I was teaching. Advertising is a huge expense and Don refused to take anything for being an IP at the time. Honestly I didn't have the money to pay him but I felt I should offer. I was out of work for nearly 6 months. I attempted to list a class somewhere in Maryland every weekend. The members of MDS keep our classes full and because of that I kept our mortgage up to date. Several of my former co-workers lost their homes that year. We weren't living high on the hog but the bills were paid.
I can't say how my family and I would have made it through those lean times if it weren't for Don simply being kind and inviting me to sign up as an IP.
I haven't been on the forum as much over the past few years. To many excuses to list as to why that is. I to have made many great friends many of which I now call Brother. Don did this for so many of us and we only think to recognize his work now that he is gone.
Thank you Don, I wish I had said it sooner.