Empowering Women in Hunting and Shooting: Lessons from Benelli's Kathy Meyers

In this episode of “Amateurs and Experts” podcast, hosts Erica Chin and Jessica Adanich are joined by Kathy Meyers from Benelli at Shot Show 2024. The conversation spans a range of topics including the allure of Benelli firearms, hunting experiences, and the importance of team building within companies. She shares humorous and enlightening anecdotes from her hunts, including the challenges of early mornings and the cold. Kathy's stories not only entertain but also highlight the camaraderie and skill involved in hunting, and the significance of supporting women and youth in hunting and shooting sports.

A huge thanks to Otis Technology for generously providing us with booth space at Shot Show. They not only gave us a prime spot but also furnished us with a top-notch podcasting booth, allowing us to warmly welcome our guests and create some podcasting magic.

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Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Welcome to Amateurs and Experts Podcast.

SPEAKER_02 0:02

We are women who shoot, hunt, and fish. I'm Erica Chin. And I'm Jessica Adnish. We are here at SHOT Show 2024. It's the morning of Wednesday, second day on the show floor, and we're recording from Otis Technology Booth in the main room.

SPEAKER_00 0:18

It is a great day. We had a great day yesterday, and we're gonna have fun today with Kathy from Benelli. Kathy Myers, she's on the show with us. Welcome, Kathy.

SPEAKER_01 0:29

Thank you. Hi ladies, thanks for having me. I really appreciate it.

SPEAKER_00 0:33

Oh my gosh, we're excited to have you on. Benelli, I mean, of course, everybody loves Benelli, right? Right. That's right. I mean, um, that's actually what I what I use for three gun is a Benelli M2, and it is smooth. Um, of course, we got it a little tricked out for three gun, but it's smooth, it's fast, it's accurate. Um I I had a couple other guns that I use that were pretty cool, but um, you know, you always go back to the Benelli. It's like um, I don't know, it's it's like the uh fuzzy blanket that you that you use, like it's just comfortable.

SPEAKER_01 1:12

It's simply perfect, like we like to say. It's perfect, yes. Yeah, why change from perfection? Exactly, right? Great, stick with what you like, stick with what you know. That's right.

SPEAKER_00 1:22

Yeah, and also, I mean, I like to go hunting with it. I've never been bird hunting, but um, you know, we have the 13 plus one. So uh I would have I I I mean I'm gonna put a long dowel in there, uh huh. But um, but I mean I wish I could just load it up.

SPEAKER_01 1:41

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 1:44

But that's not that's that's not yeah, no, no. Um, and they as I go out there, I'm sure people will be like, what? Yeah. Like, what you can't have that, right? Yeah. Yeah. So um I know that you hunt a little bit.

SPEAKER_01 2:05

A little, yes. I've a little bit of bird hunting. So yeah, I've been duck, goose, dove, pheasant.

SPEAKER_00 2:13

That's more than a little bit.

SPEAKER_01 2:15

Yeah, it's a lot big.

SPEAKER_02 2:16

Like you just listed five birds, I feel like. That's five more than I've got.

SPEAKER_01 2:23

Who do you hunt with? Um, my co-workers, actually. Oh, really? Yeah, yeah. We we hunt together. So I haven't been, I do want to go turkey. I haven't been turkey hunting yet. And um, I would I don't I'm not not a hundred percent sure about a deer yet, you know. It's like, can I shoot a deer? You know, I don't know if I can do that personally.

SPEAKER_00 2:45

Yeah, you know, um the first time I went hunting, I did shoot a hog and a doe. Oh and I have to say, I was wondering if I could also, and um, you know, it's like you kind of have to think about it. Is this is this something that you can you take a life, right? And then secondly, is um the thing that that was always in my head is this is not going to waste, this is actually feeding my family. Right, and it's good eats.

SPEAKER_01 3:15

It is. I mean, I love deer. Deer is great, I love it, but I've just never been deer hunting, and I'm like, oh.

SPEAKER_02 3:23

But I I totally get that. When I joined Woma and we started this podcast, I said, I've never done hunting, like never in my life. I was on the range, you know, clays. That's what our family does. But hunting, I'm like, oh, can I? Yeah, like even fishing, I'm like, but it's still a fish.

SPEAKER_00 3:41

But it's delicious.

SPEAKER_02 3:42

Yes, yes, the best. Oh, I'm I'm easing off of that. Okay. Before we we started, we were talking about crab and how delicious crabs. I have no problem inhaling.

SPEAKER_00 3:53

Yeah, none at all. Lanny, the first thing Lanny told me was um, because she was actually there for my first hunt, and Lanny Barnes, and she said, don't look in the eyes. And I was like, Okay, yeah, okay. But um, you know, I mean, not that I'm bar a barbarian or anything, but that didn't bother me because I was still thinking about the process of I'm not gonna waste anything. Right. I mean, my dog is 110 pounds and she was on the bones and and conservation.

SPEAKER_02 4:24

Conservation.

SPEAKER_00 4:26

And then also um, my daughter is always like, Mom, good eats, good eats, you know. Yeah, that's great. If we if she sees a deer, she'll take a picture and be like, good eats. So it's just that providing for the family and you know, all the all the fun stuff. So um the experience was was amazing.

SPEAKER_01 4:45

Yeah, that's good. Yeah, maybe one of these days. I'll let you ladies know when that happens. Yes, I want to hear about it. We'll have to have you back on again. Yes, yes.

SPEAKER_00 4:54

So um so duck hunting. I've never been duck hunting. So can you kind of tell us uh what's what's involved? Like I've never even seen a blind. Have we? But did you do the blind thing?

SPEAKER_01 5:05

We did, you know. I am I'm gonna be truthful. I'm not an early riser. I hate having to get up and being in the blind at six o'clock in the morning.

SPEAKER_00 5:14

What about the cold? Was it cold?

SPEAKER_01 5:15

Um, you know what? We went in January, and I will say it wasn't that cold for some uh, which is a blessing, you know. That is good. You know, I'm over here dressed to the nines, three layers on the case. Just to make race trying to make race, you know, you're waddling to the blind, trying not to fall. So, but it it was it was a lot of fun. Went with mom, the marketing team from Benelli. We went and um first time, first time ever duck hunting. And um, I was nervous, you know, because I'm like, I don't know what to do. I'm with my boss, and I'm really nervous now. That's a whole other area. You know, I'm like, oh my god, he's a pro shooter, you know, he's really good, and I'm like, and I'm not so but I, you know, um you we sit there and you wait. They try to call the ducks in when they see them, you know, and then they'll let you know when it's time to shoot, you know. The guy will tell you, okay, they're coming in, go ahead and shoot. And um, my boss was in the middle, I was on the left, or our and our god was on the right, and he's like, shoot. And I was like, so I did, and he's like, You got it. I was like, what? He goes, Yeah, that was yours. And I was like, No way. He's like, Yeah, then he's like, now you gotta go get it and wring the neck if it's not dead. I was like, What? You're like uh no one informed me. Right. I was like, are you? I was like, you're kidding me, right? He goes, No, I'll do it for you. But they're like, seriously, that's what you have to do. And I was like, Oh, so the but the dog went and got it and everything, so retrieve the duck for me. And and then um we were the lucky ones, and our blind, we like were shooting like crazy. All the other blinds was quiet. There was like three three different blinds, and so we we between me and my boss, we got about six ducks. I got two, he got four. Yeah, so then we're like, okay, we're gonna go back in. And it was early, it was like nine o'clock in the morning when we went back to the lodge. So, because we wanted to give the other guys a chance to shoot. They want to get all the birds, right? You know, I was like, dang, I was excited. I was like, Yeah, let's be out some more, you know. That was fun. I like winning.

SPEAKER_00 7:18

Yeah, but you're back for breakfast and coffee.

SPEAKER_01 7:23

Well, yeah, and we were sitting in the lodge waiting on everybody else to come in, you know. And it was, I mean, it was a nice lodge, you know, they took very, very good care of us, breakfast, like you said, lunch, and then, you know, gave um it was called Black Pearl Lodge, and the um lady that also runs it has a cookbook and she gave each of us a cookbook. Yeah, yeah, there's so many duck recipes in there, which means everything was delicious. It was delicious. Like I was, oh yeah.

SPEAKER_00 7:55

So does Benelli have any openings? I'd like to be part of that family.

SPEAKER_02 8:01

Well, if you go to our website, there might be something available. If you see myself uh podcasting alone next year, Erica's gonna be on the vanelli team.

SPEAKER_00 8:15

Possibly, possibly, it will have to say I wouldn't fault you. I wouldn't there. It sounds like a fun time. And I've I mean, I've never been duck hunting, so if that would get me in the door for duck hunting, I think I'd have to I'd have to sign up.

SPEAKER_02 8:30

Make her sign a contract that she has to be there a certain amount of time. Otherwise, she'll be there for a week duck hunting and be like, please.

SPEAKER_01 8:36

No, no, no. I'd be okay with that. No, I think she would stay. We're the great company.

SPEAKER_02 8:41

So well, and I love that you know, you guys do stuff inside as a team. Yeah, a lot of companies, no matter the industry, they don't do like team building things, and I think that speaks volumes to the brand and the company that you hang out together, you do fun things, and in the industry that you work in.

SPEAKER_01 8:58

Yeah, it is, it's it's a great, like I said, it's a great company, and the team, you have to have the team building. You know, you you really have to have that. So it's great to be able to go out and hunt or go bowling or go axe throwing, you know. So we you know, we we do a bunch of things together, even even if it's just dinner, you know, just going to have dinner just uh and some drinks just to relax.

SPEAKER_00 9:22

That's that's great, yeah. Because then you get to know each other, you get to know uh personalities and strengths and weaknesses and and annoyances, it's ugly as I look at Erica.

SPEAKER_02 9:38

I said to her this morning, this is so going down a rabbit hole, but I was like, I think I'm doing better with my OCD this year, and she's like, You are. And I'm the one that's like over the edge this year. Yeah, my name is now turned into a verb. I'm like, you're jessing now, and you calm down. But it is important.

SPEAKER_01 9:58

It is, yeah, it is, it is. I mean, you spend most of your days with them. You know, that's that's your second family. It is, you know, so do we get on each other's narms? Of course. But you know, do we love each other? Of course. You know, nobody's shot each other. No, we have not. Yeah, right now huge plus.

SPEAKER_03 10:18

Right, right, isn't it?

SPEAKER_01 10:19

It is, it is. Yeah, nobody I would have a job if I did. True. Um, how long have you been with Badelli? It may, it'll be 19 years. That's fantastic.

SPEAKER_02 10:33

Yeah. That in itself speaks volumes too. Absolutely.

SPEAKER_00 10:36

Yeah. Well, if you guys are working as a cohesive team and doing team building and really working on relationships and and uh, you know, in addition to um your job, but just on the outside too, it kind of makes you want to stay there because you have all those relationships. Right. And you guys, I mean it seems like you guys are, you know, having fun together. And uh, so it's not like um, oh god, I have to go to work today. It's like I'm gonna go to work with all my friends, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 11:06

You know, COVID was a little hard. You're working from home, you don't get to see your teammates only on Teams or Zoom, you know. So it's nice going into the office now and be able to see everybody and and talk to them, you know. So I get I get distracted though. I'm not gonna lie. I'll go. I can talk to some people for hours, and I'm like, I gotta get back to my desk. I can't work. So that's right, I work here. This isn't just a social.

SPEAKER_00 11:31

This isn't a social hour. So, Kathy, you've uh been involved with Woma and our She Never Quit event that we put on every year. It's um event that we fundraise for first responders, female first responders and veterans. And you actually have uh been been our contact for Benelli, and and we usually have a Benelli to to auction off. Yes. And that's amazing. What um, I mean, I'm sure you get hit up all the time for donations. Yes, yeah. And so what really draws you to to give to our charity?

SPEAKER_01 12:10

Because it's um one, I am a big supporter of uh women in the outdoors. I really am, but you know, it's not just a man's world, you know, it's a woman's world too. We can be out there doing the same thing. Yeah, so we really do love to support women in the outdoors a big time. But we also like to support our youth out in the outdoors, you know. I mean, that's you have to get the guns into these hands. You know, you have to teach them the proper way to handle the gun, proper way to hunt, proper way to shoot, you know. So you can definitely we will support you guys a hundred percent all the way.

SPEAKER_00 12:51

We really appreciate that. You're welcome. You're welcome. So, next question is when are you coming to our event?

SPEAKER_01 12:57

Um, you know what? I will try to make. I don't know when is your event this year?

SPEAKER_00 13:03

It's the last weekend of April.

SPEAKER_01 13:05

Okay, so that won't happen, unfortunately. I am um a new grandmother, so my grandson, thank you. He'll be a year in uh in the April. So push that out to May. We'll we'll have to change our dates, huh?

SPEAKER_02 13:22

Yeah, yeah. That's worth it. We'll give you the pass. Thank you.

SPEAKER_01 13:27

Yeah, yeah. Way more it is. That's my little man. So yeah, yeah. But I would definitely love to come out and to that event.

SPEAKER_00 13:36

Yeah, we would love you to come and uh experience what what every other lady that goes to the event experiences. Yes, I would love that. Yeah, it's a it's really amazing the um camaraderie and and you learn a lot, and every year is different.

SPEAKER_02 13:54

It is, and I think, you know, we were talking yesterday about how it really allows women to feel empowered and get that confidence in the group, but then they go home and they're even more empowered if they're doing things that maybe they wouldn't do. You know, they try something at the event and then they go home when they have that confidence to try even maybe something more new. Right. Um, which is really and then bring their family into it.

SPEAKER_01 14:15

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 14:16

That's the great thing is that you know, happy wife, happy, happy life, you know. If if the wife does something, then maybe everybody's gonna do it.

SPEAKER_01 14:23

Right, yeah, exactly. Like my kids, um, they did they didn't start shooting until I started working at Benelli, you know, and now they both love it, they shoot all the time, they go to the range, you know, they don't do hunting or anything. Yeah, try to take my son on a goose hunt with me, and he was like, No, mom. And I was like, why not? It would be so much fun. He's like, No. Okay, so but he does. He he'll go to the range all the time. My my daughter goes with her husband, so you know, we are a gun family, you know. We are a family that shoots together, a family that stays together, exactly. Like, so we've got my son-in-law starting to do it too. So, you know, that's great.

SPEAKER_00 15:02

It is, it is. I love that you want to take your family and show them. Oh, I do know like hunting and stuff like that. And I think as moms, as mama bear, right? Right, you kind of want to teach that to your to your children and your family. I know Deb, she always brings up if you teach teach the mom a skill, she will teach the whole family and her friends, you know. And when you teach a guy a skill, he keeps it so for sure.

SPEAKER_01 15:28

Yes. Yeah, that's like my dad is a big, big gun advocate, you know, loves it. I don't I can't even tell you how many he has. Never ever let me shoot until I told him I was working for Benelli.

SPEAKER_02 15:43

He probably was so excited.

SPEAKER_01 15:46

Yeah, like uh, I mean, I used I was in the military before, and when I joined the military, he was still never let me shoot any of his guns. Really? Yes. And then when I was like that, I'm working for Benelli now, a shotgun company. Oh, really? And I was like, Yeah. Next time I went up to his house, we were out outside, he was like, Come on, let's go shooting. I was how many years ago behind you and you're like, is someone is are you asking me?

SPEAKER_00 16:10

You know, it's like you were you were military and he's like, not my guns, you're not shooting my guns.

SPEAKER_02 16:17

It's like what? For America, but not in the backyard. And thank you for your service. Yes, thank you. You're welcome. Thank you. Thank you. That's that's that is nice though, that now you have that connection with your yeah, yeah, yes.

SPEAKER_01 16:35

And then he even bought my sister a little handgun, you know, so for protection. Yeah, yeah. I was like, yeah, and you're you're finally starting to get it, Dad.

SPEAKER_00 16:46

Finally starting to get it. He was like, I'll I'll let you shoot my guns if I could shoot your guns. Yeah. That's what it was.

unknown 16:53

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 16:53

What you got? Yeah. Can we try to bring it to the table? That's that's definitely it's a dad thing.

SPEAKER_02 17:04

It is. Yes, yeah. I know the first uh firearm that my dad bought me, he's got a slew of them as well. It was it had a shark on it. Ruger came out with a few I love sharks. Yeah. And Ruger came out a couple years ago with a series of 22s that on the stock had eagles and sharks, and they did an engraving on it. He saw this gun, like an hour later was bought. He's like, You have a gun on the way. My mom's like, So that's all it took was a shark on the stock? And he's like, Yeah. Now the collection's just building. Yeah, you know.

SPEAKER_00 17:36

That's awesome.

unknown 17:38

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 17:38

My dad used to hunt and fish and everything, and um, he never took me. And he took my brother and sister. Oh, and I was the youngest. I was, you know, I was the kid after the boy. Yeah. So same.

unknown 17:53

Same. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 17:55

But you know, I am the only one in the family that hunts and fishes now and and shoots.

SPEAKER_01 18:01

Same. Yeah. I mean, my dad would take us fishing, never, like I said, never shooting. Fishing, yes, we would always go out fishing, and um, but I am the only one in the family that hunts or shoots. I mean, sorry, hunts or fishes. So yeah.

SPEAKER_00 18:16

And and I remember just a couple of times going fishing with my dad, but I was an annoying kid too, and he probably was just like, never again, because as soon as we would get like wherever we were going, I'm like, gotta go to the bathroom, right? And he's like, We're not going back to the dock. Right, right, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 18:34

Unless you can be standing up by a tree. Are we done yet? Are we gonna go, you know, get some snacks? You know, we sway with it. We still do that. Okay, let's can we be real? Like, I still have to go to the bathroom and I want snacks.

SPEAKER_00 18:47

Yeah, that's true. That's true. But we're old enough to pack our own. Yeah, and we can go to the bathroom, we can find it on our own. Right. Yeah. So, you know, I was that annoying kid, and so he was probably like, not again. I think I did go a cut a very few times. Um, but now it's like, you know, being a part of Woma and stuff like that, really, I mean, Deb has opened my eyes to all the worlds of uh outdoors and um archery, like I got a bow last year and stuff like that. So, you know, it's just it it this this uh community is always supportive, very encouraging to do more. Yes, right? Oh, you you want to do that, let's go do it, you know? And um kind of like how Benelli is is you know, does with their with their staff, like, hey, let's go hunting and let's go do this together. And I think that is amazing.

SPEAKER_01 19:42

It is, like it's uh it's it's a great company, it really, really is. And I I like I've been there 19 years, so I'm not going anywhere. You know, I'm not so it's it's a great company, they really take care of their employees, you know. We like to have a good time, just like anybody else, you know. So yeah, yeah. Are you so far going well? Yesterday we were crazy busy. Like every time I turn around, there there was people in the booth. So it's it's been going really well.

SPEAKER_02 20:12

Boom and banelli. Yeah, there you go.

SPEAKER_01 20:15

So hopefully, you know, we're hoping today's gonna be just as great as yesterday was, and you know, finish out the week strong. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 20:23

Any any um new products or anything that you are like, this is what I shoot, I love it. Um, I know my M2 is, I mean, if it's like a glove, it feels great. Um, is there a specific gun that you like to shoot?

SPEAKER_01 20:38

So honestly, I am a big affinity um 3.5 fan, which is Fronky. You know, so I that is my favorite gun. Um, but I do like the uh love the performance shop SBE3, you know, it's a pretty gun, shoots well, you know. Um that's if I say for a Benelli, that would be my favorite, is the SBE3. Um, but I my Fronky, I love my Fronky. That's what I caught my ducks with. And that's probably why I love my Frankie.

SPEAKER_00 21:10

I get that. Yeah. So when I start working for Benelli and am invited to these hunts and stuff, um, is it gonna be like, hey, come along and we'll supply you with guns?

SPEAKER_01 21:22

Oh, yes, we yes, definitely. If say if you don't want to take one of your own, you can borrow one from the company. Are you suddenly all lost them in a sinking boat and you and you need more? So I'll be your plus one, right, Erica? Yeah, okay. Yeah, so we we do. We do let the employees borrow guns and take them out.

SPEAKER_02 21:39

But that's the best way to honestly sell is to know what you're selling, to be experiencing it in the field.

SPEAKER_01 21:46

Yeah, because that's what I took the Frankie and I loved it. And since I got my two ducks with it, I was like, I'm buying it. And that's exactly what I did. I purchased the sinker. Yeah, so I'm like, great, yes.

SPEAKER_00 21:58

I I feel like If I worked for Benelli, I would have to have another gun safe because they would put a gun in my hand. I'm like, yeah, I need this one.

SPEAKER_01 22:06

That one, yeah, I'll take this.

SPEAKER_00 22:08

This one's now my favorite.

SPEAKER_02 22:11

Which really happens every shot. You know, you would you have a favorite gun and then you come here and you're like, oh, oh, I tried this at industry day. Oh, now this is my favorite. Now I need this.

SPEAKER_00 22:21

Yeah. So my husband, he got inundated with pictures uh for uh the industry day. Uh-huh. Um, because I shot a couple of guns and I'm like, yes, this is my very favorite. And then I go shoot something else. Okay, this is really what I want.

SPEAKER_01 22:36

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 22:36

Okay, no, this one, this one right here. And he's just like shaking his head, you know, because I sent him, I he he also shoots like three gun and and uh pistol and stuff like that. And um, when I went to leave for for shot show, he said, Wow, the tables have turned. Because the first time we came to Shot Show, he I was following him. I had no clue about guns. And now he's like, Wow, you know more people than I do.

SPEAKER_03 23:02

And they're like, Yes, hair toss.

SPEAKER_00 23:06

And I'm like, okay, he's like, you just have our agenda. And I'm like, yeah, we're going here, we're going here. And he's like, okay, let me just follow you. There you go.

SPEAKER_01 23:14

You know, yeah, take the lead.

SPEAKER_00 23:16

So, Kathy, if we want to get a hold of a Benelli or checkout for to work at Benelli, um, no, if we want Benelli products, how how what's the you know, how do we uh get in contact with Benelli?

SPEAKER_01 23:29

So you can always go to Benelliusa.com. Um, every product that we make um is provided on the online. And you would definitely have to go through one of our local dealers because we are dealer direct and we don't like have anyone can come into our building and purchase a gun. You know, you have to go through a dealer. We um don't do distribu distributors either. So and you can um find all our dealers online. All you gotta do is put in a zip code and it'll let you know within 10, 25, 50 mile radius as far as you want to go. Nice. And they'll um you can pick whatever dealer. And if the dealer doesn't have the gun in stock, just ask them to order it for you and they can do that. Perfect. It might be on back order, but you will get it.

SPEAKER_00 24:19

Well, great, Kathy. We uh really appreciate you coming out here and taking your time and and thank you for being on our amateurs.

SPEAKER_01 24:24

Thank you so much for Jessica and Erica. It was it was a lot of fun, so I really appreciate it.

SPEAKER_00 24:30

Good. Have a great show.

SPEAKER_01 24:31

Me too. Thanks.

SPEAKER_00 24:32

Thank you. Thank you for listening to Amateurs and Experts Podcasts. Like and follow the Woma on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn for more information and podcast updates.

SPEAKER_02 24:44

We'll see you here again soon on Amateurs and Experts.