This year for International Women’s Day, we are celebrating the outdoors and those who make it a better place for all. We want to shine a spotlight on some amazing women in the outdoors – leaders, role models, mentors, mothers, sisters, and daughters – by sharing their stories, words of advice and encouragement for other women. We want to uplift and empower all the women who share the outdoors. One of the women we are proud to call our friend and partner at Savage is Julianna Crowder. This is her story!

Julianna Crowder

I am the founder of A Girl & A Gun Women's Shooting League. Ten years ago, I was building my business as a firearms instructor and noticed I didn't have a lot of female clients.  I set out to find out why and turned their reasons for "no" into "yes".  It was really an accident how this all came to be and the biggest blessing.  

My advice for women in the outdoors: Don't ever let anyone tell you "it can't be done.” Sixteen years ago, I entered the industry with many not understanding what I was trying to do.  Especially when talking about women in large groups, communication is absolutely the most important part.  Learning how to hear each other is key!

How I Got Started:  I had a small circle of people that took me under their wings so to speak. It was the game changer for me because they each individually believed in what I was doing and each individually taught me the industry from their perspectives and experience.  I had a VP of a firearms company, a marketing guy, the leading female instructor of the industry at the time, and some very enthusiastic friends that made introductions to people to see what magic I would create on my own. 

How I support other women: We do this every day at A Girl & A Gun.  Some days it is just sharing my personal journey on social media saying I am doing it, you can too.  Other days it is being present and available to someone that needs to ask questions or just needs to validate her experiences. I have had the humbling honor to have women seek me out as a friend and mentor, or those that said I heard you speak at an event 6 years ago and here I am today.  I have the best job in the world that I get to encourage women everyday directly or indirectly.

Why I’m proud to be a woman in the outdoors: I am proud to be a woman in the outdoors because of the community we have fostered together.  Not just the "women's community" but everyone... men and women.  I believe that there is a new understanding between us all on how we measure participation and success, less judgement on goals and the "why" behind what we choose to do.  The attitude that the 2A community is for everyone and at what level you want to be a part of it, the door is open.   

Challenges women face in the outdoor industry: I see less of the "good ole boy" slamming doors in my face at ranges or business meetings.  I do see more of wanting a piece of the pie that is the women's market that we cultivated and not really understanding why they want it beyond the bottom line of their annual sales goals and target markets.  

How I overcome challenges: We are always prepared to talk numbers because we know that is important, but we are also always prepared to talk about the real people that make up A Girl & A Gun.  We share strong bonds that goes beyond the range, by knowing our members we are keeping in touch with their needs and only putting quality brands in front of them. 

Follow A Girl & A Gun @agagclub

Read more Women in the Outdoors stories!