Daily Inspiration: Meet Kimberly Stevens

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kimberly Stevens.

Hi Kimberly, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I was at a women’s retreat about 15 years ago. I had just gotten my permit to carry a concealed firearm. Some of the women had very strong opinions about the subject. When I went home, I told my husband I wanted to learn more and maybe become an instructor one day and help women overcome their fear. A few years later, when all of my kids were in school, I decided I would look into what I would need to do to become a firearm instructor. I signed up for a class. When I got there, I was so nervous! I was the only woman. Everyone else was either Law Enforcement or ex-military. When I had to introduce myself, I stood and said “My name is Kim. I am a stay-at-home mom and I want to teach my friends so they aren’t afraid of firearms.” And I didn’t pass out. whew!

After introductions, the instructor told us to pair up and prepare a lesson to teach. I was thinking, shouldn’t I have a little more training first? My partner and I went up and taught a section. We finished and I sat there waiting for the feedback. Everyone had the same thing to say. I surprised them and did a great job. I passed the class and became a firearm instructor in 2013. A month later I got in a car accident. I was lucky to be alive. I couldn’t go to the range or even practice shooting. I had physical therapy for a long time. When I was finally to a point where I could use my arms and hands, I started teaching. I taught friends at first. Just the basic pistol class. After a while, I wanted to learn more. Over the years I have taken several courses that improve my skills and teaching. I also started to shift why I was teaching. I had met so many women who had been in dangerous situations from being robbed at gunpoint, to being stalked and threatened by a violent ex to grandmas that wanted to protect their precious grandbabies.

It has truly been an amazing journey. I have several certifications. I’m a Range Safety Officer and Refuse to Be a Victim presenter through the NRA. I am an ALIVE Active Shooter Survival Instructor, I sell nonlethal protection through Damsel in Defense as in an Independent Damsel Pro. I have taken training to learn how to de-escalate situations and take down active shooters. I pass my knowledge on to others in hopes that they never find themselves in a life-or-death situation, but if they do, they will have the mindset and skill to know what to do. I teach private classes so people can ask all the questions they want and take the time to go over things thoroughly. I have been told I take a holistic approach to teaching. I’m not really sure what that means, but I try my best to be a calming voice in a loud world.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
My car accident set me back. I had memory issues and had surgery on my left shoulder that was pretty intense. My wrist was injured on my right hand and my fine motor skills were not there. It took a lot of work to try and overcome all of that.

There are still days I struggle with the lingering effects, but I just keep pushing myself. In the town where I lived, I would get flipped off because my car had my nickname “Concealed Carry Kim” I would smile and shake my head knowing that if anything ever happened, I would be there ready to protect innocent life.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am a female firearm instructor. My main focus is training women to be able to safely and confidently handle a firearm. I have had many people come to me who have already taken a concealed carry course and leave my class knowing so much more. I include mindset in my class. You have to have the proper mindset to carry because when you do, that means you are ready to protect life at all costs.

If you are not ready, you are potentially putting yourself in a dangerous situation. I work with individuals to help them figure out what type of protection they are comfortable with. I sit down and listen to my students. I want to know if they are scared or if they have had a bad experience. I want to show them they can confidently carry a firearm. I will sit down and help you clean your firearm. Taking it apart and putting it back together can be intimidating, but is oh-so empowering once you do it!

Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc?
A few of my favorite books are first and foremost, my scriptures. “The Gift of Fear” and “Protecting the Gift” both by Gavin De Becker “Verbal Judo” By George Thompson, Ph.D., and Jerry Jenkins, “Eat That Frog” By Brian Tracy, “Trigger Points” By Mark Follman, and “The New Super Power for Women” By Steve Kardian.

Pricing:

• $100 Private training up to 4 hours
• Speaking Varies by Group starting at $200 and up
• Pepper spray, stun guns, and other non-lethal protection start at $20 and up
• ALIVE active shooter survival course for personal or business starting at $75 per person (group discount available)

Contact Info:

• Website: www.cck-co.com
• Instagram: Instagram.com/concealed.carry.kim
• Facebook: facebook.com/concealedcarrykim
• Youtube: youtube.com/@concealedcarrykim
• Other: mydamselpro.net/concealedcarrykim

Image Credits
Kim and Wil Stevens