The Mingle's Reviews

First, I would like to say THANK YOU! to Shelley Hill for creating this wonderful annual event, The Mingle! This was my 4th year attending and it gets better and better every year! The event provides some of the best training around and packs it into two awesome days! Making new friends and seeing ‘old’ friends is just icing on the cake.

I happily received the coveted, signed ‘card’! You EARN this card! Five yards, five rounds in five seconds from the draw on a 3”x5” card. Applying all that we learned from Brian Hill and remembering his words of advice, “Don’t try harder! Try medium!” 😊

Thank you, The Complete Combatant, Brian and Shelley Hill for hosting this event each year!

Thank you, Brian Hill for an excellent class on Cognitive Stacking! We do tend to focus solely on draw and marksmanship skills and forget to practice essential skills like dropping what’s in your hand and take decisive action, one hand and off hand shooting, moving from less lethal to lethal action and making no-shoot decisions.

Thank you, Sara Cade Hauptman and PHLster for the awesome Concealment Mechanics class! I learned a ton of useful information that will help me help my clients and myself with achieving better concealment and making better gear choices.

Thank you, Howie Marbury & Shannon Pable for the always fun challenge on the HK range! While I didn’t have a great score, I had a ton of fun and identified a few things to work on at home. I love the Justin Dyal 5x5 drill.

Thank you, Kaery Dudenhofer for your most-excellent Precision Pistol class! It really tested my patience and will be something I continue to work on regularly. “Keep pressing…keep pressing…keep pressing…”

Thank you to all the Assistance Instructors, Medical Team and Safety Officers: Active Self Protection; Stephannie Weidner, Neil Weidner and “The Range Monkey” Natalee Weidner. The Complete Combatant; Clint Brooks, Mike Rossi, Christopher Bean and Steve “The Magnificent” Havey. Pickens County Sportsman’s Club; Chris Barrett. HK; Bill Dermody.

Thank you to the members of Team Mingle that kept things running smoothly, herded cats, got us through registration, fed us and cleaned up after us! Elaine Cook, Tamara Kosoris, Bobbi Duck, Anya Alexandre`, Harriett Williams, Christa Forrester, Karen Farthing, Courtney Beadnell, Karen Whitlock!

Thank you to our photographers/videographers, Chris North and Karen Farthing!

Thank you Pickens County Sportsman’s Club for hosting The Mingle! Beautiful facilities! Your community is lucky to have you and The Mingle attendees appreciate you!

Thank you to all the awesome Sponsors - Financial, Door Prizes and SWAG! You make it both affordable and FUN for us to attend this high-quality training and networking event!

And to all my fellow The Mingle attendees, it was great to spend time with you, shooting, talking, laughing and I hope to see you all again next year!

Thank you all for an outstanding The Mingle experience! It’s my favorite weekend every year!

Kindest Regards,
Kandy Harrell, CEO, Instructor
Gray Lady Self Defense LLC

Shelley,

The Mingle exceeded my wildest expectations, not only did I get to work with some of the best firearm trainers in the world, I had a chance to meet up with so many women in the industry and get to know them, spend time with them, and train with them. Seeing long time friends, and cultivating relationships with new ones was a joyous and rejuvenating experience.

Working with ASP, TCC, and PHLster was among the best experiences I've had in firearms. The instructors are top notch and honestly, it seemed like they had a little of bit of magic when it came to pulling out the best performance in me!

Attending an event that I wasn't part of running or hosting, was an amazing experience. I was so happy to be teamed up in the same group as Robyn from AG&AG. We finally got to meet in person, and we really hit it off.

I'm so grateful for Active Self Protection, The Complete Combatant, PHLster, HK, and all of the amazing volunteers and sponsors that gave their time and resources to us and this event.

I can't thank you enough for putting this together. You are a truly unique and special woman and I am blessed to be able to associate with you. This is an event that will be on my calendar every year. We NEED this. Coming together to re-energize, cheer each other on, and lift each other up. You're an angel! I could go on for hours, I've talked about little else since I returned from Georgia. Looking forward to seeing you soon.

Sincerely,

Michelle Camp
President
TWAW Shooting Chapters, Inc. DBA
ARMED WOMEN of AMERICA
(801) 694-4127 | [email protected]
ArmedWomen.Org (TWAWShootingChapters.org)

Trying to pick your favorite part of #themingle23 is like trying to pick a favorite child. You may have one but you absolutely love them all and you’ll never tell.

To the lady behind it all Shelley Luehder Hillyou are a beautiful, lovely soul and I feel fortunate to have been invited to the The Mingle: Openness to Experience and get my infamous Hug.

Brian Hill‘s class was all I expected & more. I Will absolutely be back to train with The Complete Combatant.

I have so many takeaways from the team at Active Self Protection
Stephanie & Kaery Dudenhofer that I can’t wait to implement in class.

What a phenomenal group, looking forward to future training with you ladies.

HK showed up and showed out lol. Gun giveaways, challenge shoots. It was a great time. I got to shoot Howie Marbury personal gun (no pressure) thanks Howie!

It was an amazing weekend. Can’t wait until next year!
Jennifer O'Brien

WOW… what a fantastic weekend! I wish I had had time to take more photos but I was sort of busy (please add them in the comments )! Over 80 women from all over the US that are in the Firearms training business (most are instructors) gathered together for The Mingle: Openness to Experience to train, network, and have fun!! I was honored to co-instruct the Heckler & Koch block with the fabulous Howie Marbury and our wonderful AI, Karen Whitlock and assisted by Bill Dermody with HK (thank you Bill for loaning all of the wonderful HK gear and donating the ammo)! And thank you Shelley Luehder Hill & Brian Hill and The Complete Combatant for all you do (6 months of exhausting work goes on behind the scenes) and hosting this annual event! There were several training blocks going on simultaneously with top notch nationally recognized instructors… I know the ladies got so much out of the weekend! Thank you ladies for trusting us with your training

This event is a fundraiser for Broken Chains International and Racheal's Rest. Shelley Hill is the one of the founders of Racheal's Rest and Brian Hill is a past Board Member of Racheal's Rest. Racheal’s Rest, is a 5 day restorative retreat program that is designed to address the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of survivors. We exist to help women and children who experienced sexual abuse or acts of violence regain their balance in life.

Shannon Carr Pable

This weekend was INCREDIBLE! I had so much fun! The classes were awesome, the instructors were amazing and the fellowship was wonderful!

It was so good to see friends from all over, to finally meet fb friends face to face and to make new friends! The Mingle 2023 is such a very special event. Women from all over the country who are like minded come together to enjoy two days of shooting and learning!

A HUGE THANK YOU goes out to Shelley Luehder Hill and Brian Hill for being our FABULOUS hosts!

Ranae Owens Knapp

My trip to Georgia last week for The Mingle: Openness to Experience was amazing!!! My mom and I had an absolute blast and were able to do some sight-seeing along the way.

For those that are not familiar with The Mingle, it is an invite only event for women in the firearms industry. We have a ton of sponsors, door prizes, guest speakers, and guest instructors. It is essentially a 2-day training and networking event for female firearm instructors. This was unlike any other opportunity or training event I have ever attended. The participants are all “vetted” by staff before being invited. So it is the “who” of many of us in this industry. Lots of familiar names and faces. The experience was very unique and I really enjoyed myself. I am used to being either the only female instructor at a training event, or maybe one of only a handful at most. So being completely surrounded by so many gracious, strong, & very talented women all weekend was very refreshing. As an added bonus I got to see some of my favorite ladies like Christa Clayton Forrester, Robyn Sandoval, Elizabeth Saunders, Dakota Adelphia just to name a few!!

On day one, we started with Opening Statements from Shelley Luehder Hill and Brian Hill. We then learned that there were 85 participants signed up, a few were unable to make it but we still had an amazing turnout for this very special event. No stone was left unturned by The Mingle staff. We had tables, chairs, canopies, delicious food catered on both days, clean potties, and plenty of water and snacks all weekend long.
Instructors and Range Staff for the weekend were as follows: (sorry if I forgot to list anyone…Shelley and her team organized an amazing event and I know she had worker bees all over and I appreciate everyone’s hard work).
Brian Hill
Kaery Dudenhofer
Steph, Neil & Natalee Weidner
Steve Havey
Chris Barrett
Chris Bean
Clint Brooks
Mike Rossi
Sarah Cade Hauptman
Howie Marbury
Shannon Carr Pable
Karen Whitlock
Our training blocks covered a variety of things related to speed, accuracy, mental aspects that are important in our success whether it be on the range or in other settings, holster/concealment mechanics, and a super fun shoot- thanks to Heckler & Koch Shooting and The Complete Combatant!!
I hope to be able to return next year and continue my journey with these ladies!! Thank you Shelley and Brian for everything!

Jamie Meyer

Pretty late posting about our recent adventure to Georgia. I have been nonstop since returning. So while I have a stint of being a passenger instead the driver I suppose I better post about it. Karen Farthing and I attended our 4th The Mingle: Openness to Experience conference, hosted by The Complete Combatant. For those that may be unfamiliar, it is an invite only event for women in the firearms industry. Shelley Luehder Hill and Brian Hill work tirelessly every year to put this on and every year we have attended it has been better each time. This year we received instruction from Brian Hill, Active Self Protection, Howie Marbury, and Sarah Hauptman of PHLster. I can confidently say I got the most out of this year.

What I loved most about The Mingle was being with folks from California, New York, Arizona, New Jersey, and beyond. Folks with varying political beliefs, religions and ideologies, yet we all were able to be amongst each other and be there on shared common ground.
I shared a cabin with some pretty awesome ladies, and I was able to snag some stickers from my new friends from California.

Courtney McCarthy Beadnell-The Bulwarks

This past weekend was spent at #themingle23 in Talking Rock, GA at Pickens County Sportsman's Club hosted by Brian Hill & Shelley Luehder Hill of The Complete Combatant. This event is an invitation-only event for females in the firearms industry. My involvement is as an A Girl and A Gun Women's Shooting League certified firearms instructor and A-Team member, an NRA - National Rifle Association of America firearms instructor a USCCA certified instructor as well as an Image Based Decisional Drills instructor. I’m a Board Member for Hold My Guns and Cyrena Training / Wellington Training is a training company Janet Bryan and I run together.
This was my first year at The Mingle: Openness to Experience and I enjoyed getting to hang out with lots of great women in the industry many from AG & AG as well as Armed Women of America.
My travel buddies Janet Bryan, Jessamy Bright and I stayed in a lovely cabin in the woods and beside the river in Ellijay, GA which was a perfect retreat for relaxing and gut-busting laughter
Our training was stellar and included sessions with Brian Hill who helped us keep clear goals in mind, Howie Marbury and Bill Dermody of Heckler & Koch where we were able to try out some amazing and shoot their freedom seeds! Sarah at PHLster taught us about sweet spots and how to poke & check.
We we’re definitely challenges by the Active Self Protection team who quite frankly blew my I’m definitely going to keep pressing keep pressing keep pressing!

Thanks to Shelly and Brian Hill, Clint Brooks, Bobbi Duck, Tamara Kosoris Harriett Grant Williams and ALL for helping to make this event such a success! It was great to see my AG & AG sisters and AWA friends be able to train together and experience camaraderie. I quite frankly didn’t know what to expect after just coming from an incredible AG & AG National Conference and was very pleased with the relaxed, safety-focused atmosphere yet intense training opportunities. I just knew it was going to be good because well, The Complete Combatant! There are lots of nuggets running around in my head right now from each of the training blocks. I also cannot believe that you and H&K have given us the generous opportunity to purchase a little something-something at a 40 percent discount!

We had SO MUCH fun with the hashtag challenge so thank you for the opportunity to be creative with my travel mates 😆😆😆
Thank you for my fabulous prize of the NAR FA kit and 🐜 Patch! Looking forward to Mingle 2024!

Blessings to you, Brian and the whole Mingle Crew!

Sharon Williston-Benadum,
MA, LPCC-S, LICDC, SAP

When a training organization you believe in spearheads a training event for ladies in the industry PLUS fundraisers to benefit a cause you also believe in, you get behind it. And that’s exactly what we did with The Mingle. I attended a Complete Combatant course last summer with my daughter and, while we are both at very different levels in our progression, we both learned a lot – a true sign of a great school. We were both so thoroughly impressed that when Shelley told me about the good work they were doing with Racheal’s Rest, I knew it would be a great fit for HK. Not only did we sponsor the event, I also sent a colleague who has been looking for a quality training opportunity. The Mingle checked a lot of boxes for us at Heckler & Koch in 2019. We plan to return again in 2020.
Bill Dermody
Director of Marketing
Heckler & Koch, USA

CLICK HERE: This is a review of The Mingle. What is The Mingle? Shelley Hill explains it best on their website The Complete Combatant. In short The Mingle is an INVITE ONLY VIP event for women in the firearms/self defense industry featuring top-tier instructors and presenters. This was my second year attending this premier firearms training event.

Kandy Harrell of Gray Lady Self Defense, LLC in the greater Charleston/Summerville, SC area.

Preface: I respectfully request that you consider reading My testament in THIS post coming from the viewpoint ——— as a Stay At Home Mom, USN Veteran, VFW Female Comrade Member who lost all confidence in her “abilities.” (“This IS NOT A FEEL Sorry for Me”) THIS IS a pure, hardworking, straightforward desire to regain confidence. MY Confidence.
Today at day 2 of The Mingle 2021 was the Absolute Most Freaking Amazing Day of my firearm education and career! Straight to the point for the first timed drill of the day I was at 4.1 seconds. The owners of The Complete Combatant(Shelley Luehder Hilland Brian Hill) put together a team of phenomenal Trainers/Coaches and Volunteers (with the help of Sponsors,) so dang good, that I EXCEEDED my own personal goal. Any guesses on my last timed drill of day????? Better yet, I will tell You! .88 seconds! Not 1.0, or 2.0 seconds BUT .88 seconds!!!! (THIS IS NOT A TYPO!) And it gets better.
My card was signed by Shelley! WHY? Because I got all 5 of my shots in 1 card. AND... I received a score of a 96 on another timed target! And it was ALL on my iron sights!
Just so we are abundantly clear on this. Today was a game changer for me. Yes, my scores are freaking awesome! But the real game changer was HOW I POSITIVELY talked to myself thru out the entire day! And how I SET MYSELF UP BY ENVISIONING WHAT AND HOW I WAS GOING TO COMPLETE MY TASK. Why? Because that’s what Brian and Shelley believed and encouraged ME to do.
There’s a reason why I travel from Summerville, SC to Dahlongea, GA for training. Today, today, TODAY ————- it all came together for me. And I was told something that I will never ever forget because for the respect I have for these people. “Bobbi Jo, I’m very proud of You,” Brian Hill (May 23, 2021.)
Hey Brian and Shelley, I am coming back to you and earning my first ever Ant Patch! Why? Because, I know I can freaking do it because of your believing in what I can do and NOT what I can’t do! It would be my extreme honor to wear your brand/Insignia, after I earn it with your blessing. (Get it ready, cause I’m coming to earn it.)
In the next few weeks, I will be updating and thanking others. For right now, I am owning today with gratitude!
To my husband Craig Duck, “Thank You” for supporting and pushing me to regain my confidence! With you being the sole money maker in our home, you have never once said “No” to me traveling and coming to these confidence - life building trainings. (Even with you working 6 plus months without a day off, only once XX weeks.) And you haven’t hesitated in taking on my “job” in our home, so I could do this.
FYI, my no hugging policy goes back into effect immediately. It was more important for me to step out of my comfort zone today, to let others to rejoice in THEIR affirmation of steadfast dedication in their personal and professional “identities...” I promise to pay it forward with gratitude and earnest, everything I have received in gaining my confidence back.
Bobbi D.

My signed-by-Shelley Luehder Hill card! It will get a frame and appropriate place of honor on the wall in my office/dry fire space. This success came after numerous failures and a lot of hard work, coaching and a ton of positive support from my fellow attendees and the instructors, AIs and RSOs. Thank you for the invite to #TheMingle2021!
Kandy H.

Great weekend training with nearly 60 other women in the firearms industry with Brian Hill, Shelley Luehder Hill, Steph Weidner of ASP at the home of The Complete Combatant. Met some old friends and made some new ones as well.

What do you do when you’ve got a broken wrist? Feel like a beginner and work the support side draw and shoot support hand only. Alternative method used for racking the slide (safely, I may add) and it made for a humbling training weekend.

Still not too shabby - and yes Shelley, with my glasses on it’s a double on the one….
Cindy B.

So, for those of you who didn’t know, I did a thing with Shannon this weekend called “The Mingle”.....and it was AWESOME!!!!!!
See all of my Mingle swag below... and I also won 4 books (a series) each one signed by the author that I can’t wait to read.
The instructors and coaches were fantastic. This was my 1st Mingle and all of the ladies who attended were extremely welcoming, kind and a lot of fun. They were a really awesome group of women and I am happy to say that I made some new friends.
I can’t believe how much I learned. Can we talk about drawing from a holster? It’s not as easy as you think it is. That was only the 2nd time I attended a class that included it. I was able to improve my draw speed from 4 seconds to 1 second by the end of the class, which was pretty amazing. That is something I will continue to work on. Thank you Stephannie Johnson Weidner, Active Self Protection and Brian Hill.
Shelley Luehder Hill and her husband Brian are fantastic hosts and coaches. I highly recommend training with them if you have the opportunity. You can Google The Complete Combatant - they are also on FB.
Check out Active Self Protection too, they are also on FB and have a bunch of educational videos on YouTube. You will be glad you did.
The Mingle sponsors were very generous and their donations are very much appreciated - thank you to all the sponsors!
I am already looking forward to The Mingle 2022 and trying to win that purple
Enigma in the Fall!!!
Oh, and of course, seeing my cutie-patootie cow friend again lol. Yes, I am a dork, and yes, the cow picture is included below for your enjoyment.
You’re welcome
Sponsors:
Phlster, Heckler & Koch, Glock, Trigger Time, GA Gun Club, Active Self Protection, The Complete Combatant, Grunt Goat, Big Tex Ordnance, Mary Yungberg,Dark Star Gear ... these are just the ones I remember!
Stacy D.

This thank you is long overdue. Six months just flew by!

First, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to Shelley for all her hard work putting on The Mingle! Your heart shows in everything you do and everyone you come into contact with. You're a special lady!

2020 was my first year attending The Mingle. What a phenomenal experience! The training provided was top-notch! The opportunity to get to know other women in the industry and expand our knowledge as shooters, coaches and instructors was an honor and a privilege. Making new friends with like-minded women from all over the country was an added bonus.

Claude, Brian and Shelley are great instructors and helped every lady improve and shine on the range. The assistant instructors offered great insights and advice too. The facilities, vendors, donors, raffles and giveaways were really outstanding. Even the lunch on Day Two was wonderful.

This event is so well organized and was totally worth my time and travel. Honestly, it's the biggest bang (pun intended) for your buck you'll find anywhere. Knowing that the fundraising was going to Racheal's Rest and the next year's The Mingle made it even more special.

I would also like to thank Active Self Protection for the awesome sweatshirt that I won! I'm a huge fangirl of ASP and everyone at ASP, and red just happens to be my favorite color! I have been wearing it proudly throughout the Winter months and cool Spring mornings.

And last, but certainly not least, Thank You, HK and and KG Armory! I won the Day Two drawing for the HK VP9 and a custom holster from KG Armory. I love them both very much!

I am looking forward to all the wonderful things I'll be learning at The Mingle 2021! See you soon!

Kindest Regards,
Kandy Harrell
Summerville, SC

These are the top three reasons I support The Mingle:
1. I think it’s vital to have good representation of women in the firearms and self-defense industry. Women are a quickly growing demographic in this area.
2. Ensuring those women have a forum to network, gain knowledge, and gain competence together is also important.
3. Brian and Shelley Hill do things right, and attract top talent.
Tim Reedy
TDR.Training

This was my second year to attend The Mingle and what can I say other than Wow!, Shelley is unstoppable. Where does she get her energy, I haven’t a clue but if I could bottle some and sell I’d be a rich woman! On the second day of the Mingle we were all out at their Dahlonega gun range where Brian does a wonderful job delivering firearms information and instruction to women, not only in the self-defense industry, but to women new to shooting. I am very impressed by the level of professionalism and the safety precautions adhered to during our day of shooting. A big SHOUT OUT!! goes to Claude Werner for sharing his extensive knowledge of self-protection and situational awareness.
See ya next year!
Kay Jones, Monroe Ga.

Archetype of the Gun is proud to be a sponsor and donor to The Complete Combatants annual “Mingle.” I became aware of Brian, Shelley and the work they were doing through mutual friends and the Rangemaster Instructor group. Their methods, business practices and commitment to the community is why I chose to support them in their efforts with Racheal's Rest. The Mingle isn’t just an excuse to get together and shoot. Pairing it with a Nationwide Training Giveaway not only generates funds for Racheal's Rest, it enables people the opportunity to receive some amazing training for next to nothing. Since this is the same goal as my scholarship program, it only made sense to donate a course to the raffle as well. I look forward to continuing my support of this great event.
-Erik Tweedt- Owner/Lead instructor

My first year attending The Mingle was May 2019 and my expectations were blown away! Surrounding yourself with like-minded women doesn’t happen everyday and Shelley knows how to bring some amazing women together. From the lecture with Lee Weems of First Person Safety on the legal side of self-defense, to networking, to amazing food, to door prizes....you can’t miss Day 1. For Day 2, The Complete Combatant also knows how to bring the best trainers together. Brian Hill and Claude Werner were both so knowledgeable and super patient in helping me with the firearm skills. Shelley's Image Based Decisional Drills was very unique and eye opening! I can’t thank you all enough for organizing such an amazing event! I walked away with so much and can’t wait for another year. In fact, multiple people from the Heckler & Koch family have attended classes from The Complete Combatant and have plans to attend again.
Angela Harrell of HK USA

I was delighted to attend The Mingle for the first time this year, and did it ever surpass my expectations! Given I shoot in Lady GADPA matches and have been a long-time marksman shooter/forever student/defense industry enthusiast, I’ve had the privilege to network with some of the most talented ladies in the state of GA. I’ve been aware for years through these acquaintances of the valuable training and fundraising Shelley and Brian bring to our community. Their heart for the defense industry came through all aspects of this event, from the educational presentation, catering, door prizes and training. On a personal note, I’ve been deeply passionate about empowering and educating women on all aspects of self-defense since my carry weapon protected me from a potentially life-threatening situation at a gas station one fateful night 5 years ago. My gratitude for leaders like Shelley and Brian Hill is endless! My favorite highlight of The Mingle was meeting so many talented sportswomen, survivors, trainers, advocates and leaders from various states! These are the kind of friends we should all want in our corner. I highly recommend this event!
Sarah Browning

Why did I want to sponsor the Mingle? And how does this support the 2a, as a whole? We wanted to be a part of The Mingle event because I want to be supportive of women in the firearms industry. While the number of women in the 2a community is exponentially on the rise, it can still feel like a man’s world sometimes and be a bit isolating. Making relationships and business contacts with other like minded women has been such a joy to me personally, that I wanted to support other women in that same endeavor. I also have a heart for the work that Racheal’s Rest does and would support that work in any way I can. (Can I add here that I am huge Shelley and Brian groupie? I know anything they are involved in will be worthwhile and top quality and I want to be part of it?) Something like this event can have a big impact on the 2a community because it energizes the attendees. It gives them focus and new contacts and ideas. I also think there is this stereotype (that is getting less accurate every day) of the gun community being a bunch of OFWGs that vote Republican and attend a Christian church every Sunday morning. (Old, fat, white guys) I think the ability for real, normal, laughing, every day women to get together is a great opportunity to show the country a more realistic face of the average gun owner. If you ask someone to picture the average gun owner in America, they probably won’t picture a suburban mom dropping her kids off at school, or a busy professional business woman, or a person of color, or an elderly woman, or a liberal, or an atheist, These are some of the realistic faces of the gun community and this is a great event to represent and celebrate that.
John Correia, Stephanie Weidner and Neil Weidner
Active Self Protection

The Mingle was a time for me to meet other woman who share a passion for self empowerment and the 2nd Amendment. I was happy to have spent the weekend with these wonderful strong minded women and learn new skills. Day 1 was a meet and greet and Day 2 was on the range. After a long hot day training I was thrilled to hear my raffle ticket number called by Angela of HK! I was very fortunate to be the recipient of a new HKVP9SK and 2 kydex holsters by Gabe New of KSG Armory. I am loving all the handouts and gifts from the sponsors of The Mingle. As continue on my journey I hope to be a part of future Mingle events.
Mary Ann S. of Georgia

My 3rd year attending the Complete Combatant's The Mingle was nothing short of awesome. Women from all walks of life coming together with a common interest to better educate ourselves with professional speakers of varied tactical topics and experiences. Great information to teach our own clients and students. The shared food and fellowship among the women who attended gave us a chance to continue to grow as colleagues, friends and sisters year after year...
The money raised for the featured charity affiliated with The Mingle definitely make the whole event a success...
Kimberly Noel Boenker of Georgia

When I first heard word of The Mingle earlier this year, it sounded like an event that I didn’t want to miss. One day of meeting and connecting with like-minded women, and another day of range training with top-tier instructors.....what more could a gun girl want?! The event Shelley and The Complete Combatant put on far exceeded my expectations and will be marked on my calendar for years to come! The day one social event was a great way to socialize and make friends, topped off with delicious food and a great lecture from Lee Weems. The range day was ran very efficiently and took place on their private range....an excellent range facility. Being able to train with fantastic, reputable trainers in a friendly environment surrounded by other women made for a great time and I was able to take home new skills and strategies to continue improving my shooting technique. I look forward to attending future events and hope that if you are on the fence, you decide to join in too!
McKenzie H. of Tennessee 2019

The Mingle was a blast -- literally and figuratively. I very much enjoyed the opportunity to network with other women in the self-defense industry and especially enjoyed the training provided on both days which included a great mini-class on the legal aspects of self-defense from Lee Weems of First Person Safety and several hours of hands-on live fire training at their private Dahlonega range. I can't imagine having finer instructors, RSOs and AIs than Brian, Shelley, Claude, Steve, Gedde, and Shannon...I even picked up some fantastic shooting tips from my fellow attendees like the author Liz Lazarus. Also, the food at Mari's Cucina and Social House in Alpharetta was delicious! The Complete Combatant is an outstanding organization and The Mingle is a one-of-a-kind event. Shelley and Brian Hill have put together an incredible program that I hope to attend next year!
Patty M-M of Georgia

I just want to thank Shelley, Brian, Claude, Lee and all the coaches and others involved in The Mingle 2019. It ranks up there among the best training experiences I've had. The organization (Shelley), quality of instruction (Brian, Claude, Gedde, Steve, Shelley, and Shannon) on Day 2, and fellowship (all the wonderful women) and Lee's presentation on Day 1 were incredible. Thanks also to Chris for the photography with a bit of gun talk included. Shelley, please keep the Image Based Decisional Drill in future classes. It is an efficient, effective way to give a lot of the lessons usually learned in extensive role-play scenarios. What a great idea! I look forward to getting together again next year!
Diedra S. of Tennessee

Have you donated to a good cause lately?
In 2018 I was asked to speak on a Polite Society Podcast, along with guest Shelley Hill. Shelley and her husband run their own self-defense school, The Complete Combatant, and is also strongly involved in a non-profit organization called Racheal’s Rest. Racheal’s Rest hosts retreats for women and children that have been involved in domestic violence incidents along with other assistance to help them recover. The podcast I took part in is very compelling and can be heard here. Shelley is hosts a get together for women in Alpharetta, Georgia in May, called “The Mingle.” I mention this because the local ladies from the Network might like to attend, but the bigger goal for The Mingle is the Nationwide Training Giveaway fundraiser for Racheal’s Rest and The Mingle. This fund raiser is a raffle for training courses from many of the top instructors in the country, where purchasing a $25 ticket designated for a particular trainer/course might just allow you to attend that several hundred dollar course for the $25 ticket price. The Network was also asked to donate three memberships (2018 and 2019), so your $25 ticket could also go towards receiving another year of membership in the Network for $25. You need to purchase a separate ticket for each different training course or Network membership for which you want to be considered, one ticket doesn’t cover all of them. Complete information can be seen on their website a couple months before each Mingle. This is a worthwhile event, and if you are like me and like to occasionally do things for other people that makes you feel good, then this here is one of those things. Maybe if enough current Network members will make the $25.00 donation to buy a ticket for the Network, we can take home the top raffle ticket seller BRAGGING RIGHTS trophy!
Marty Hayes

Wiltshire Defense is very pleased to be among the sponsors lending a hand in helping women in the firearms industry gain knowledge and meet other ladies in the second amendment community. Self-Defense in Georgia is a respected and established right but we cannot rest on our laurels and assume it will always be protected. Liberty demands vigilance. One of the best ways to protect our rights is to foster the expansion of the rights of others across our region and the nation. The leaders who will attend The Mingle are in a position to accomplish this goal. Wiltshire Defense is a 2nd Amendment supporter, we want to help ladies build individual knowledge and skill and we support female leadership in the 2nd Amendment Community. Wiltshire Defense is pleased to support Racheal’s Rest in their efforts to help survivors of sexual abuse and acts of violence. A sponsorship for The Mingle allows the opportunity to do both. The Complete Combatant is hosting this event so ladies in the firearms industry have opportunities and choices. We are proud to sponsor this event and the leaders who will attend as they advocate, support, and fight for self defense rights and especially as those rights pertain to women. Second Amendment rights are Women’s Rights! As the father of three daughters and as an advocate for the right of self-defense in Georgia and Second Amendment rights I am thrilled to sponsor and support “The Mingle 2019”. Second Amendment rights are essential Women’s Rights. -Mo Wiltshire

I had the distinct honor of spending some time with two very special friends Raggin Compton, Liz Lazarus (yes! The famous author) in May at the Mingle and then a training day sponsored by The Complete Combatant. I loved meeting so many amazing women in the firearms industry at The Mingle INCLUDING THE Corky Hamilton... I’m still star struck.
On Day 1 we listened to a great speaker, had good food, received door prizes, and got to eat some of Shelley Hill’s special birthday cake! Then, on Day 2, we spent the day on their beautiful range with 3 great training blocks! I made new friends, learned new tactical strategies, passed the qualification!!! I can’t wait until next year!!!
Nanci Robinson of Florida

On May 19, 2018, I traveled to Mari’s Cucina and Social House in Johns Creek, Georgia, with several of my Alabama friends and fellow firearms instructors to attend a special, women’s-only networking event for the firearms community. This event is the brainchild of Shelley Hill of The Complete Combatant. Shelley was initially inspired by the successful women’s meet-and-greet at the 2017 SHOT Show, and she wanted to see something similar take place in the Atlanta area. “I was on a mission,” she says, “and The Complete Combatant now hosts our annual women’s event called ‘The Mingle.’ Attendees of the second annual gathering enjoyed giveaways, delicious food, great conversations and a presentation from Claude Werner, the Tactical Professor, on some myths and misnomers within our industry. Between a nationwide online training raffle and a Glock raffle, The Mingle helped to raise $5,725. The proceeds will be split between The Mingle 2019 and Racheal’s Rest, a nonprofit organization that offers counseling and retreat programs designed to address the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of survivors of abuse. I thoroughly enjoyed everything about The Mingle, especially seeing old friends and meeting new ones. Beyond taking home a variety of goodies and information from sponsors (along with a head full of ideas from spontaneous interactions with other participants), it was great to hear some thoughts from others about the purpose and effect of the event. FULL ARTICLE HERE
Beth Alcazar USCCA

What a great weekend! This 2 day format was outstanding.
The 1st day started with Lee Weems of First Person Safety giving an awesome presentation on "Standing Your Ground". His many years as a LEO has given him great insight to the legal systems and his simple presentation was easy to understand and adept to personal experiences. Then there was many great "give a ways" that are always useful.

Day 2 started out beautifully at The Complete Combatant Range in Dahlonega, with Shelley & Brian Hill welcoming all the ladies. We got to shoot a few of the HK pistols to start off the day of shooting. Brian Hill gave us some lessons on pistol shooting (fundamentals and developing the concealed draw) along followed with Claude Werner (some excellent dry fire practice and close range marksmanship). Then Shelley finished up with her Image Based Decisional Drills, which I enjoyed this the most! Hoping she will market this for sale sometime. This was a great teaching tool. The day finished up with all the ladies putting what they learned into action and shooting a drill which we all passed. But none of this holds a candle to what the one of the main reasons for having this weekend and that is a Nationwide Training Giveaway and other fundraisers to help support Racheal's Rest and the great work they do to support victims of sexual abuse. I hope to do this again next year and I think it would be awesome to bring another lady with me to learn during this awesome weekend! Thank you to Shelley, Brian, Lee & Claude for a great weekend.
Reba Hennigan of Texas 2019

I first met Shelley and Brian Hill at a class with Lee Weems in January 2018 (and it was a chilly 18 degree day!)... and by coincidence, was already signed up for their Complete Combatant Class the following weekend. It was awesome to see instructors continuing their own education process. I quickly realized that they are not only excellent in knowledge and skill in the field of defensive shooting, martial arts, but some of the best instructors I’ve met... truly their name ‘The Complete Combatant’ is well suited!

Aside from their business, Shelley and Brian are genuinely good people doing amazing things... The Mingle is one of them... a fundraiser for the non-profit organization Racheal’s Rest (you can read more about that from their website). I first attended the Mingle in 2018 and had a wonderful time; networking with like minded women in the firearms industry. So when Shelley asked if I could help out this year, I was all in... such a great cause and a fun event. Last year Claude Werner (The Tactical Professor) spoke and this year Lee Weems (First Person Safety) spoke to the group; both of these gentlemen are a wealth of information! This year, Shelley added a Day 2 for The Mingle, a day at the range (8:30am-6:00pm) . We had amazing 2 hour time slots of range time (at their private Dahlonega outdoor range) with Brian Hill, Claude Werner, and Shelley Hill. I was honored to be an assistant instructor and RSO for the day.

Also, wanted to give a shout out to Mari’s Cucina & Social House for catering and opening their restaurant doors for us (delicious food for the event!). Thank you Glock and HK for their pistol give-always! Yep, two women won firearms! Also, thank you Chris North for photographing the event. So many folks to thank ...who helped sponsor the event and donated items to fill our huge swag bags!! THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!
Shannon Pable of Georgia 2019

I have only known Shelley and Brian of The Complete Combatant for a couple of years but in that time they have shown a unique ability to do the work. Be it at the Mixed Martial Arts gym they run, the range they train on, or where I have spent the most time with them, at The Mingle. The Mingle is meant to bring like-minded 2nd amendment women together to network, learn and be successful on the range and off. It truly is a unique experience and I have had the pleasure to be a part of in the past and hopefully long into the future. If you have the chance to train with or just know and be around Shelley and Brian ... you will be better for it.
Chris North of Georgia 2019

Musings on “The Mingle”
I have had the privilege of training with, and alongside, Brian and Shelley of The Complete Combatant over the past several years and so I was more than happy to volunteer for this year’s Mingle. With the addition of an optional 2nd day of range training this year’s Mingle provided even more networking and educational opportunity for the women who were fortunate enough to attend. With concealed carry among women growing at a rate over 3x that of their male counterparts it is especially important that they have a means to meet, exchange ideas and form relationships. Day 1 activities this year included Lee Weems’ “Standing Your Ground” presentation on self-defense law and Day 2 you got the chance to train with Claude Werner, Brian Hill and Shelley Hill. Shelley designed an innovative drill that she called Image Based Decisional Drills. It was creative and very well received. Throw in raffles, some great swag and door prizes. With one lady winning a Glock and another winning an HK VP it makes me wish there was a Mingle for the guys! Kudo’s to both companies for their support.
In addition to helping for a great cause I was able to make connections with like minded individuals who are serious about protecting themselves and their families. And of course, the event raised over $3,000.00 for Racheal’s Rest and a matched amount for The Mingle 2020. To everyone involved I want to say thank you for your support and participation.
Steve Havey of Georgia

There isn’t a thank you big enough for Shelley and Brian Hill for hosting The Mingle. It’s an incredible opportunity for women involved in the firearms industry to meet, network and become friends in a smaller gathering that encourages conversation. The SWAG and the Nationwide Training Giveaway is over the top! Day 2 this year was an incredible opportunity to train with Brian, Shelley and Claude Werner. Shelley developed an Image Based Decisional Drill that was well thought out and eye opening. Looking forward to next year!
Kim S. of Georgia

I had the privilege to attend The Mingle for the second year in a row as a non industry guest. I learned so much both times and felt so proud to be among such amazing women! It is exciting to see the support for 2A and the empowerment of strong women that refuse to sit back but step forward to advance the cause for not only themselves but for each other. Impressive, informative, and important! Big thank you to Shelley and Brian for all you do to make this possible for us and for the support you give to Racheals Rest! Thanks to Claude Werner for last years presentation and Lee Weems for this years presentation, I look forward to learning more! Liz Lazarus was great to share a sneak peek into her new book, I look forward to reading it when it is done. Thank you to all the sponsors that make this unique event possible (the awesome swag bags!) and especially to Adam and Carrie at Mari’s Cucina for feeding us so well!
Tina Y. of Georgia

I just want to say thank you so much to Shelley and Brian, Lee, Claude and everyone else who was at Day 1 and coached our Mingle range day 2! Wow, were you guys organized. Everything was well thought out and planned and you made sure we stayed on schedule. We had fantastic drills presented to us, very good constructive feedback, and I always felt safe, partly due to a great group of women students, and partly due to the coaches and RSO's. Everyone worked together and helped each other as we learned new things (for some), or practiced things we already had in previous classes. This class was a great success for a first run being added to the Mingle! Please continue these in the future! Everyone should have a chance to attend this type of training. Thanks also to HK for the goodies, the drinks and snacks, and for anything else they contributed that we may not be aware of, including their time. Shelley, the Image Based Decisional Drills were great. That should become a class of its own at some point. Some of my favorite self defense classes have been the scenario based ones. They really make you think while also having to retain all of your fundamentals so that you can have the best possible outcome, which for some people is very hard if they haven't ever been put in situation where they have to use what they learn on the range while under stress. I Love Love Love the scenario based learning. You did an awesome job of putting that together and it was well thought out. So, Thanks again, Shelley, Brian and all the girls who made this a wonderful experience.
Wenda N. of Alabama

What’s great about this mingle…..
I was fortunate enough to be invited as a non-industry guest to the Complete Combatant’s 3rd Annual “The Mingle”. Shelley sat me with a group of heavy hitters in the firearms industry. Women passionate about the industry and highly recognized in their respective fields. Being a new shooter, I was both intimidated and excited to get to know these amazing women. The intimidation didn’t last long. Stories about *camping, hunting, fishing and of course shooting was intermixed with hair, nails and eating healthy tips. I felt like I found my tribe. Now I just need to catch up! Dear Santa, I want a gun for Christmas and don’t forget the gift cards to the Complete Combatant, responsible gun ownership is a must! We had the pleasure of hearing from Chief Deputy Lee Weems on "Standing Your Ground". I highly recommend his class if you are a gun owner…or not. It had a lot of good information on how to handle a situation that involves the police. It was eye-opening. My favorite moment of the day was hearing one of the ladies say (paraphrase) “That’s what is GREAT about The Mingle, we can sit here and talk about this kind of stuff and people don’t look at us like we are crazy.” I have been inspired by these empowered and brilliant women who LOVE what they do!
Gail C. of Georgia

This was my third year attending The Mingle, and it continues to get better!
Day 1 allowed me to make some great connections with other women in the industry and Day 2 allowed me to continue to hone my skills on the range.
Already looking forward to 2020!
Liz Lazarus

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