Podcast: Play in new window
Welcome to the very first official episode of Everyday Marksman Radio. I’m super excited to have you here. This first episode is an introduction to me, the podcast, and what you can expect in the future.
"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat."
The above is one of my favorite quotes of all time. I’d seen it several times in my life, but never hit me more than when I was distraught over my performance in a tough military competition, and my commander put a hand on my shoulder and pointed to a framed copy of it on the wall of his office. It stuck with me ever since.
Links/Resources Mentioned in this Episode
- Everydaymarksman.co
- Twitter: @evrydaymarksman
- IG: @everydaymarksman
First Things First
Before I get into things, I just want to say thank you to everyone who has been sticking with me for the last several months while I got this off the ground. The words of encouragement and enthusiasm really did make a difference in helping me push to the finish line.
I reference the quote above and the my commander because its about a lesson I’ve had to relearn again and again over time.
Don’t let perfection be the enemy of good enough
As I learn this whole podcasting thing, it’s not going to be perfect. But that’s ok. Rather than spend countless hours recording, re-recording, and editing, let’s just get it out there and make it work.
Episode Time Stamps
- My background (2:46)
- What we do at The Everyday Marksman (9:17)
- Why start a podcast? (13:44)
- What should you expect (15:30)
My Background
So if you don’t know me yet, my name is Matt Robertson and I run The Everyday Marksman.
I’ve always been “the adventurous type,” much to the chagrin of my mother. I spent 10 years as an officer in the US Air Force, though I don’t think that qualifies me as an expert in marksmanship. You see, my specialty was nuclear weapons and ICBMs. Marksmanship and shooting just happen to be something I’m very enthusiastic about.
One of the big things that came out of that career was instructor experience. I spent most of those 10 years as both an informal and formal instructor, ultimately earning the qualification of Master Instructor prior to leaving for the private sector.
I came to the shooting sports the same way as most millennials: video games. That grew into playing paintball, and eventually my first real range session. I shot all through college and my professional career.
The rest of my life is filled with moments that emphasize the importance of self-reliance and survival skills.
What we do at The Everyday Marksman
The Everyday Marksman is a resource of information. It started as a personal blog about getting better at shooting, but now it’s about more than that. It’s a blog about personal growth through the learning and application of tactical skills.
My goal is to build a better culture, both for the shooting sports and the country at large.
When I talk about tactical skills, I don’t mean cheesy marketing speak. I’m referring to military skills that used to be common knowledge among citizens. In an effort to build I better class of citizen, I want to bring these skills back into the forefront.
With that, The Everyday Marksman is about more than marksmanship. We cover topics encompassed by physical fitness, survival skills, mindset, gear, and more.
Why Start a Podcast?
I love writing, and you probably already know that if you’ve been through my longer articles.
Reading a long article is not always practical for most people. We all have busy lives and sitting down and taking the time to read a 3000-word post doesn’t always happen.
So reason number one for the podcast is that it’s easier to consume. You can listen to it while you’re commuting to work, exercising, or doing chores.
Reason number two is that podcasts have a slightly different audience, so it gives me a chance to find new members to bring into the community.
The third reason is that podcasts are more personal. It isn’t just written words on the page, but my voice. You can hear the inflections, imperfections, and humanity. I think there’s something really neat about that.
On a selfish note, I also started the podcast as a way to improve my own speaking skills. Knowing good speaking techniques is one thing, taking the time to really practice it (especially in front of others) is another thing entirely.
What You Should Expect
Going forward, you should expect a mixture of solo episodes and interviews with experts.
Solo episodes should run between 15-25 minutes. Interviews will usually be 45-60 minutes. Early in the podcasts’ lifecycle, episodes will arrive every other week while I learn the ins and outs of audio processing. As I get a handle on it, the frequency may increase to once per week.
Wrapping Up
The best way to get a hold of me is through the website at everydaymarksman.co, from there you have access to my social media channels, subscribe links, and our community forum.
