Meet Shelley Hill, co-owner and instructor at The Complete Combatant. Working with her for this Gal Gab feature was my first time meeting this lovely lady, and she is just a joy. Both quite qualified and dedicated to her work, Shelley aims to teach awareness and self-defense to prevent anyone from becoming a victim.
Something I love about Shelley, is that she considers being a lifelong student an accomplishment. This is such a rare and beautiful thing. She does love to teach, though. Shelley is an HK brand ambassador and holds several pistol, non-lethal, less-than-lethal and health and safety instructor certifications through the NRA, Force Science Institute and several other respected institutions. She just became certified as a Force Science De-Escalation instructor and, at the time of this publication, had enrolled in the Force Science Analyst Certification program. If you’d like to train with Shelley, she teaches in person, online and at several national conferences.
Away from The Complete Combatant, Shelley Hill is the president of Blue Line Ponies, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing service horses with a safe and comfortable retirement range. This saves them from kill pens and abusive homes when these horses are retired from jobs such as search-and-rescue. Here at The WON, Shelley pens informative advice about self-defense and situational awareness.
Read on to see Shelley’s answers to our six Gal Gab questions.
Describe a typical day in your work life.
Oh my, I am afraid that my day is not very exciting to others. I get up around 7:15 a.m. and take care of two dogs and three horses. Once that is done, I head to my office, where I will spend the next eight-to-nine hours working on The Complete Combatant, Image Based Decisional Drills, LockedIn Grip and annual events. I spend roughly two hours a day on social media and other styles of marketing to promote the different sides of our business.
#1 piece of advice you would give other females who want to break into the industry?
Nowadays, you need to be well rounded when it comes to self-protection. It’s not all about the gun. Knowing ways to avoid a potentially dangerous situation is as important as being proficient with your firearm.
What motivates you?
People motivate me. I love to see good first decisions when it comes to self-protection. I also get motivated by the sub-optimal first decisions because now I get a chance to work with them. What a wonderful job I have, given the opportunity to be a positive influence on good first decisions.
Most unexpected thing you’ve learned, while working in this industry?
Honestly, I learned that not everyone is a good teacher. Just because you have a military/law enforcement background or you have graduated from a pistol instructor class, does not mean you can communicate with others. For some people, communication and coaching comes easy, for others, not so much. Know who you are. If you are going into a field where communication is of the utmost importance, please study the art of communicating so you can pass on your wonderful knowledge onto other with ease.
Favorite product in the outdoor or shooting market right now?
LockedIn Grip! Heee! Want a slip free grip? Have you ever had to “milk or re-grip” that prefect grip because you “lost” it? Want to create a better connection to the “action” of shooting your firearm? LockedIn Grip can help with all of these issues and more! This is The Complete Combatant’s sports chalk that keeps your hands free of moisture during shooting, while providing a heightened connection to your firearm through a superior LockedIn Grip.
Let’s have some fun … what weapon would you use to battle a giant?
Hummmm, “hand-to-hand” battle means that the giant is probably under six-to-nine feet from me, which also means I have no choice, so the fight is on. I am hoping that he is slow and has underestimated me. Goal – I need to stop him from doing what he is doing. First, I need to fight like heck to earn enough space for me run or get to a tool. Since my everyday carry items are usually a firearm and pepper spray, I am heading straight to my gun and firing from the retention position. Since he is a giant and he is so much bigger than me, that firing rounds from retention may not go where expected. Firing from retention usually means the bullets will hit in the pelvis area, but with a giant, it will probably land somewhere on the leg. I pray that multiple rounds are enough to slow him down so I can beat feet to safety!
Visit Shelley Hill at her website, The Complete Combatant.
"Anna" is a teenage girl who loves to write, read, and do just about anything artsy. She enjoys writing about nature crafts and her experiences while learning to hunt and cook wild game. Anna firmly believes that backyard chickens lay the best eggs and that spending time outside with her flock every morning will start the day off happily. She is extremely grateful to her best friend, who inspired her to really take writing seriously. You can find her lost in her latest idea or listening to her sister "Rose" read book quotes. View all posts by Anna
