Mike Jasper is a current college football coach and former player in the National Football League. In this episode, he shares how being a black man living in the south has made his journey into bowhunting different than most...and how you might be able to learn from his experiences to improve your relationships with new customers.

Beyond the Bow, Presented by ATA

033: The Draw - Mike Jasper: College Football Coach & Former NFL Player's Journey Into Bowhunting

Kurt speaks with fellow ATA staffer, Samantha Seaton, to discuss an upcoming segment of the Beyond the Bow podcast - The Draw. These special episodes, hosted by Seaton, will turn the focus to the customer. Archers and bowhunters are what make this industry, and each of them has a different story of what they shoot, how they hunt, and most importantly - the draw that keeps them behind the bow.

032: The Draw with Samantha Seaton

Korbin's Archery (Seminole, TX) has established itself as a successful archery pro shop. In this episode, hear from owner Korbin Williams as he shares some advice on what has brought about this success. Korbin also shares a crucial mistake that caused a major disruption for his business in hopes that fellow retailers can learn and avoid encountering a similar situation themselves.

032: Retail Lessons Learned with Korbin Williams

Your ATA has established a great working relationship with the Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies, and continues to participate in that organization's efforts to protect game populations and promote bowhunting. In this episode, ATA vice president & chief conservation officer Dan Forster joins Kurt to talk with Mark Tisa of the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries & Wildlife. We discuss some current projects funded by federal excise tax dollars paid on archery equipment, and also the emphasis on gathering hunter data from across the country so industry businesses and wildlife agencies can make informed decisions.

031: Conservation & Bowhunting - How ATA and AFWA Work Together for the Future of our Sport

Growing archery participation has consistently ranked at the top of the list when ATA members are asked what is going to have the biggest impact on their business going forward. One of the most effective ways to grow participation is recruiting and retaining new archers, but to truly expand the reach of the industry we must look outside of our current circles. In this episode, Sam Seaton (ATA), Immanuel Salas (Texas Parks & Wildlife), and Mike Jasper (Bethel University) discuss their experiences in archery and how the ATA is working to not only identify areas in need of improvement, but also to create a plan to act upon them with the goal of a bigger, better, and more inclusive archery industry.

030: Uncomfortable Conversations - Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the Archery Industry

The NASP program has served as an introduction to archery for students throughout the country, but like most organizations has had to adapt its offerings to adhere to COVID-19 guidelines. In this episode, Kurt talks with Stephanie Rustad (NASP) and Lisa Frye (KY Fish & Wildlife) about where the NASP program started, how its currently adapting, and where there's more room for members of the archery industry to get connected to create new customers and move them along the pathway beyond NASP.

029: Talking NASP with Stephanie Rustad & Lisa Frye

This podcast is a preview of the content available in the Archery Industry Masterclass. Presenter, Hank Yacek, gives insights on training your staff on the products carried in your store. In the age of the internet, it's not about memorizing facts and figures, but more about helping your customer find the right product to suit their needs and increase their enjoyment of archery. Visit archerytrade.org to learn how you can sign up for the Masterclass and access even more valuable content on business operations, coaching, marketing, and bow technician skills.

028: Archery Industry Masterclass Preview - Product Knowledge Management with Hank Yacek

This episode is a preview of a virtual Coffee Talk to be held as part of ATA 2021 Online. Kurt and Troy Fowler talk about building heavier arrows with high forward of center to improve bow hunting success and how this type of product offering can give retailers one more way to better serve all types of customers.

027: ATA 2021 Online Preview - Heavy Arrow Setups for Customer Success

Getting the most out of your employees means building a culture within your business that makes them feel valued while also encouraging collaboration and taking chances. It won't happen overnight, and it definitely won't happen by itself. In this episode, Rick Kinsey (Owner, Kinsey's Inc.) discusses his strategy for building a positive culture and the role leadership plays in moving the process forward.

026: Create a Positive Business Culture with Rick Kinsey

Mitch Haifley and Jeff Miller of Vantage Point Archery (VPA) share how they have established and grown VPA through producing their own quality products and branching out into other manufacturing opportunities.

025: Diversifying and Growing as a Small Archery Buiness - Vantage Point Archery

Recruitment, Retainment, and Reaction of archers and bowhunters...That's what the R3 movement is all about! This episode includes a recording from an R3 Coffee Talk held at the 2020 ATA Trade Show where panelists Dan Forster (ATA), Kristen Black (CAHSS), and Josh Gold (ATA) discuss how R3 programs are essential for the future of our industry and answer questions from ATA members in attendance.

024: What is the R3 Movement?

Many small businesses in the archery industry took advantage of the Paycheck Protection Program to keep employees on payroll as they were forced to close or modify business operations. We are now nearing the end of the 8 week covered period, and the application for loan forgiveness has been released by the Small Business Administration. Nathan Fitzgerald of BKD CPAs & Advisors shares insights into the Paycheck Protection program and how ATA member companies can ensure they have all the necessary information to take advantage of loan forgiveness and tax credits. 

023: What You Need to Know About the Paycheck Protection Program with Nathan Fitzgerald, BKD CPAs & Advisors

Owning and operating an archery business during the COVID-19 pandemic is not easy. In this episode, TJ Hofhines, owner of Dead-On Archery is Boise, Idaho talks about how he has been proactive in understanding restrictions in his area and how he has found a way to keep pressing forward and serving customers.

022: Retail Insights - COVID-19 Business Strategies with TJ Hofhines, Dead-On Archery

Is your archery business meeting the needs of all types of customers? Countless individuals, both seasoned archers and new shooters, are gaining interest in simpler forms of archery - traditional recurves, longbows, and competition barebows. Many archery businesses are missing out on revenue because they simply don't have the equipment or expertise in this category. Matt Zirnsak (The Push Archery) and Frank McDonough (Grass Hollow Archery & The Barebow Project) share their perspectives on how people are getting involved and what the industry can do to serve them.

021: Serving Traditional & Barebow Archers with Matt Zirnsak & Frank McDonough

In this episode, recorded from the floor of the #ATA2020 Trade Show, Kurt talks with Heath and Julie of Young Guns Archery about their efforts to promote archery participation. Finding properly sized equipment can be challenging for youth archers, especially when they are competing at a high level. Young Guns helps retain more youth archers by allowing them to try a variety of appropriately sized bows in their mobile shooting trailer.

020: Equipping Youth Archers with Young Guns Archery

The podcast where we talk shop with some of the major players in the archery industry and get insights into the business behind the sport of archery. Created to give ATA members and partners a platform to share information with their peers and the general archery community.

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Beyond the Bow, Presented by ATA

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