I like when people reach out to me and ask to be on the show. It’s challenging because I don’t get to go everywhere. Often, I have a “reason” to be in the area or going through the area. Maybe I’m going to GRPC or NRA AM or on a road trip for something else. Will Workman reached out to me and asked about being in the show. He’s in West Virginia and not too far off I-81, so I reached out and set up a time to film the show. Yes, I’ve got a goal to film a show in every state! I’ve done shows in 34 states so far!
I was heading from Nashville back to Massachusetts, with a pit stop at the Buc-ee’s and Bud’s in Sevierville, TN, and I was able to listen to all of Will’s YouTube videos. He’s got a channel with lots of great content in it, so you need to check it out. I stayed at a shady hotel and met Will in the morning.
Will grew up in West Virginia, shooting mostly long guns with his family and doing some hunting. Most folks in WV are “Second Amendment friendly,” but not everyone has a defensive mindset about firearms. When he was around 20 years old, his mindset started to change, and he started shooting handguns. In his area when he was growing up, concealed carry wasn’t something people did. He got his carry permit when he turned 21 and started more training for himself.
He went to college and wanted to be a police officer or a US Marshall and get a degree in criminal justice. The group he was with did some beginner-level training, shooting handguns and shotguns, and he thought this was the way to go. During this process, he founded the Active Self Protection YouTube channel. This formed his thoughts and feelings about concealed carry and training. Seeing what folks were doing online and comparing himself, he knew he needed to up his skills and abilities. Doing IDPA (International Defensive Pistol Association) was good practice for him, and got him shooting and moving.
In 2022, he went to the Active Self Protection National Conference. There he made a number of new friends in the training world. Adam Winch made a big impact on Will and his training and shooting. The class was shooting from uncomfortable positions, but they also helped with his overall shooting fundamentals. The course that really had an impact on him was Deliberate Coaching with Brian Hill (RSWC #089).
Back in Bluefield, he was helping friends and churchmates. He was helping people with fundamentals but also picking a good gun and holster for them. This is when he started to journey into becoming an instructor. During his courses, people would ask questions and he would answer them and write them down. He took those questions and turned it into the Workman Protection Training YouTube channel.
Will recently took a leap! He left a position as a probation officer in Virginia, working with juveniles. He was just enough “law enforcement” to have a badge and some powers, but it was also a lot of family counseling. But he’s left the job to go full time to instructing and YouTube’ing.
His YouTube channel really has a lot of information on it that you will find interesting, entertaining, and useful. Will and his wife have a photography business so he uses his lighting skills and artistic eye while making the videos. There’s a bit of everything from holsters, gear, and some trauma first aid, too.
We talked about the Virginia permit vs. West Virginia and why people get a permit in either state, particularly the ones who live near the WV/VA state line. You’ll get a lot from the conversation with Will and from his channel.
Favorite quotes:
- “I just kinda started doing stuff on my own and just wasn’t really satisfied with where I was.”
- “I knew enough to know that I really enjoyed helping people out.”
- “Being able to get to know like minded people and find out why they’re doing what they’re doing.”
- “The people that are really serious about training is such a small community, that you end up running into people in completely other parts of the country.”
- “People want the fun gun stuff, they don’t want the practical stuff.”
About Riding Shotgun With Charlie
Riding Shotgun With Charlie isn’t about firearms. It is about having an intimate conversation with 2 people talking. You’re the fly on the rearview mirror. Many of the passengers are involved in the firearm community.
This is a more intimate conversation than a phone, radio, or Skype interview. You get to see the passengers. And you’ll see where the road and the conversation take you!
