There’s a video I always come back to. It follows a photographer walking alone back to his car after a shoot when masked men suddenly close in on him. They don’t chat. They don’t posture. They move with intention toward one goal: taking his gear.

What they don’t know is that he’s armed. He never fires a shot, but simply revealing his firearm and having the training to handle it safely is enough to send them running. That single moment very likely kept him alive.

The clip is a reenactment based on a real incident, but the threat it illustrates is happening more and more often in the real world.

You can watch the reenactment here:  Watch the video

You don’t need expensive gear to be seen as a target

In that story, the camera equipment is what catches the attackers’ attention. But here’s what I want people to understand: sometimes it isn’t gear that makes someone vulnerable. Sometimes it’s simply the fact that you’re alone, focused on your work, and in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Long before Weapon Brand existed, I worked in the mortgage world. No cameras, no expensive tools, no obvious valuables. I was just doing my job, trying to help a client refinance a home—and I was physically attacked.

There was no warning and nothing obvious to steal. I was simply an easy opportunity. That moment flipped a switch in me. It’s one of the reasons I’m so relentless now about personal safety, boundaries, and real-world training.

Whether it’s your equipment or just your presence, the wrong person can see you as a chance to get what they want.

Who really needs to hear this

We train a lot of people who never thought they’d be at risk until something happened that they couldn’t ignore. Many of them work alone, travel for work, or move in and out of unfamiliar spaces every day.

This includes people like:

• Photographers and videographers
• Contractors, tradespeople, and in-home service providers
• IT professionals and mobile technicians
• Delivery and courier drivers
• Medical staff transporting meds, supplies, or equipment
• Sales reps traveling with product samples, tech, or demos

Sometimes, the valuable gear is what draws attention. Sometimes it’s the pattern of you arriving and leaving alone. And sometimes, it’s just that someone decides you are the easiest option in that moment.

What we focus on at Weapon Brand

Our training isn’t just about the moment everything goes wrong. It starts much earlier—with how you think, what you notice, and how you set yourself up to be a harder target in the first place.

In our classes, we cover skills like:

• Recognizing common pre-attack behaviors and cues that predators share, no matter the setting
• Building practical situational awareness so you’re less likely to be surprised or cornered
• Understanding key vulnerable zones on the body and how to use simple, high-leverage strikes if physical defense is your only option
• For those who legally carry firearms, how and when to draw in a way that’s both responsible and defensible

Tools matter, but they’re not the whole story. Your awareness, decision-making, and training are what turn you into your own first line of defense.

If you send people into the field, their safety is your responsibility

If you run a business where employees drive to sites, carry equipment, enter homes or job sites, or work alone in public spaces, this isn’t just a “nice to have” topic. It’s a duty of care issue.

We design private, scenario-based trainings around the real risks your team faces. That might mean walking through how to approach a dark parking lot, how to manage an uneasy client in their home, or how to handle that moment when a stranger closes distance a little too quickly.

Replacing lost gear is frustrating and expensive—but it’s possible. Replacing a person is not.

I didn’t have access to this kind of training when I needed it most. That’s why I’m so committed to making sure individuals and teams have options, strategies, and skills long before they ever need them.

If you’d like to explore training for yourself or your team, you can start here:  WeaponBrand.com

— Jamie Anderson