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“For the first two days without it, I felt crippled… I bought the full subscription and never looked back.”
About the Business
Theodore is the founder of The OA Firearms, a training business that grew directly from his own experience. After moving from Jamaica to the U.S., he was introduced to firearms by friends. What initially felt intimidating became more approachable after relocating to New Jersey, where he obtained his license, bought his first firearm, and began spending more time at the range—often bringing friends who were new to it.
As people at the range began assuming he was already an instructor, Theodore pursued formal certifications, traveling across multiple states to train and qualify. Today, he works with a wide range of clients—from civilians to law enforcement—running both individual and group trainings. The business remains largely a solo operation, with Theodore handling calls, bookings, instruction, and administration himself.
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The Challenge
Theodore’s business depends on balancing two things at once: being fully present during training, where focus and safety matter, and staying responsive to a steady stream of inbound interest. Managing both without distraction is critical—missed calls can mean lost opportunities, while interruptions during sessions can compromise the quality of the work itself.
That combination creates a brutal tension: when he’s teaching, his phone keeps buzzing. He might get a short break—but not enough time to properly call people back, write notes, and follow up with the right details.
“Even if I’m teaching in the classroom, the phone is buzzing off, I get a ten-minute break — sometimes I don’t have time to write stuff down.”
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Before Beside, the hardest part for Theodore wasn’t just missing calls—it was the mental load of trying to remember them. Many conversations ended with follow-ups like “I’ll send you an email” or “I’ll send you more information,” leaving him to reconstruct what each person actually wanted after the fact.
That often led to awkward follow-up calls, where he had to ask clients to repeat their needs simply because the context was lost. With more than 100 calls per week—often over 10 per day—relying on memory alone became a real operational risk rather than a sustainable workflow.
The Switch
Theodore found Beside through Instagram, where the seven-day trial was the hook. But what convinced him wasn’t the idea—it was how quickly the workflow became essential: recordings, transcripts, end-of-call to-dos, and daily roundups.
“After the seven days, the first two days without it I felt like I was crippled. I bought the full subscription.”
The Transformation and Impact
With Beside in place, Theodore effectively added a receptionist layer to his business. Calls are answered automatically, common questions are handled using information from his website, and each caller’s intent is captured without requiring his immediate attention. In many cases, callers get what they need without a callback at all.
When follow-up is needed, Theodore no longer relies on memory. He can quickly review summaries, search past calls, or replay recordings to respond with full context. This makes follow-ups faster, more accurate, and less mentally taxing.
Most importantly, callers don’t feel ignored when he’s unavailable. Someone responds, gathers the details, and sets the expectation of a callback—keeping people engaged instead of bouncing.
“They didn’t feel like they were left hanging, they’re waiting for me to call them back, they aren’t moving their business to the next company.”
Confidence during classes (and even in loud environments)
When the phone rings mid-class, Theodore can continue teaching without interrupting the experience for the people in front of him, while still ensuring inbound leads are captured properly. This allows both current clients and prospective callers to feel equally important.
In certain environments—such as the range—answering calls simply isn’t realistic. In those moments, having a dependable front line becomes even more critical, ensuring that no opportunity is lost simply because picking up the phone isn’t possible.
Time saved
Theodore estimates saving three to four hours per day. The gain doesn’t come from calls disappearing, but from eliminating rushed callbacks, mental reconstruction of conversations, and unnecessary follow-ups just to regain clarity.
“At least three or four hours a day, I’m not worried about rushing; the first communication is done.”
What this changed
- Reliable intake at high volume — 100+ calls/week becomes manageable because every call produces a record and next steps.
- Better training experience — he stays focused on the people in the room instead of constantly context-switching.
- Fewer “memory resets” — no more awkward callbacks asking people to repeat what they said.
- Stronger conversion — callers feel acknowledged and are more likely to wait for Theodore’s callback instead of dialing competitors.
- Operational clarity — summaries, searchable history, and pinned calls turn scattered conversations into a real system.
The Human Story
Theodore didn’t plan to build a business—he just wanted to learn enough to help his friends. But as he saw how difficult it was for newcomers to find clear, trustworthy information, he decided to become a resource: someone people could reach, even late at night. At the same time, he didn’t want accessibility to come at the expense of his personal life. As he explains, when he’s with his kids, he doesn’t have to rush to answer the phone—and customers still don’t feel like they’re not being served.
“Information is really hard to find. I pride myself on being a resource. My phone lines are open late.”
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Beside supports that promise without demanding he sacrifice his time, his teaching, or his family life.
At a Glance
- Business: The OA Firearms
- Team: Mostly solo + contractors for larger classes
- Inbound volume: 10+ calls/day; 100+ calls/week
- Before: constant buzzing, memory strain, rushed callbacks
- Now: call recording + summaries + searchable history; better follow-up; fewer lost leads
- Time saved: ~3–4 hours/day