We’re delighted to kick off the first in our series of “Women You Should Know” with Kimberly Kolb Eakin. Kimberly recently released an adult coloring book, Full Metal Coloring: A Book of Downrange Reflection, that features 2 TeamWON contributors – Smith & Wesson competition shooters Julie Golob and Randi Rogers. Find out where Kimberly has been and what she plans for the future in this profile.
The WON: What do you tell people when they ask what you do?
Kimberly: I’m a retired sergeant (20 years in US Army). I was on the US Army Shooting Team for 5-1/2 years in the 1990s. I shot Service Pistol (.22, 9mm, and .45). I’m also an “entrepreneur on hiatus.” I sold my first business 5 years ago and turned my attention to raising our children. Now that the children are older (10 and 12), I work part time (about 40 hours/week) on different interesting projects. I am incurably curious and spend each morning studying leadership, business and social science.
The WON: Why a coloring book?
Kimberly: Happily, women are well acquainted with the trend of adult coloring and its stress-relieving benefits. While there are numerous coloring books on the market, none of them appealed to the outdoor sportsperson. So I drew from my shooting background and military experience to create iconography that would be attractive to veterans, hunters, law enforcement and other firearms enthusiasts. Not to get on my soapbox, but these folks seemed greatly under served and would naturally benefit from a bit of fun and relaxation.
Full Metal Coloring quickly evolved into more than a coloring book. It wasn’t enough for me to merely create pages to color. I wanted to create an experience. So I boldly solicited world-class firearms professionals for their input. And the magical thing is … they said “yes!” and gave it to me. Every page has their influence.
The WON: What’s the response been?
Kimberly: Very warm! The book has been reviewed favorably in several online publications. The online comments that followed were very positive. The men are just now catching on to adult coloring, but the overwhelming personal feedback I get is “Cool!” Recent highlights include a national radio interview with Tom Gresham on his show, GunTalk, a 2-page spread in Guns & Ammo‘s current issue of The Book of the AR and interacting with Julie Golob’s fabulous fans on Facebook Live during a recent giveaway for National Coloring Book Day. That was too much fun!
My favorite reaction was from a gentleman who bought a copy because his wife recently suffered a stroke and she is now into coloring. He said with Full Metal Coloring, he has something to color beside her.
The WON: Do you color? 😉 What medium do you use?
Kimberly: I actually like to paint by numbers (Let the giggles ensue!), but it’s much more convenient for me to break out the coloring pencils. Our kids and I color in books as a family activity. Our current favorite is Lost Oceans by Johanna Basford.
Download your own Julie Golob coloring page here.
The WON: Why did you choose Randi and Julie as two reps for the shooting world?
Kimberly: I went straight to the top when I made my initial asks from the shooting world. Julie and Randi represent two of the world’s greatest shooting athletes. I just had to have them be part of this project. Thankfully, they both agreed. In fact, it was their enthusiasm to participate that gave me the resolve to finish the book. Julie and Randi are not only world champions in their respective sport, but they also are strong, classy, and smart women.
The WON: Is there another one in the works?
Kimberly: I’ve had a lot of ideas since I published this book and fans have given me more great suggestions.
Download your own Julie Golob coloring page here. It features Julie Golob, world champion competition shooter and ambassador for the shooting sports. Check back monthly for future downloads from this book.
Order Full Metal Coloring: https://www.amazon.com/Full-Metal-Coloring-Range-Reflection/dp/0990575497
Publisher/Editor Barbara Baird is a freelance writer in hunting, shooting and outdoor markets. Her bylines are found at several top hunting and shooting publications. She also is a travel writer, and you can follow her at https://www.ozarkian.com. View all posts by Barbara Baird
