We recently connected with Taalyr Claridge and have shared our conversation below.

Taalyr, appreciate you joining us today. Let’s jump right into how you came up with the idea?

In 2015, I was alone with my young child in a private residence when an active shooter situation took place on the property. I had no training in emergency response skills, and it was all I could do to muster the bravery to dial 911. That was the day that I decided I would never be caught without a plan to protect myself or my loved ones again. I have since spent a number of years training in various self-defense and emergency response techniques to ensure that I was living life prepared, rather than scared.

In truth, that difficult situation in 2015 taught me the hard way what most of us already know, but choose to ignore; that danger can strike at any moment, and that we will always be first on the scene of our own emergency. This knowledge lit a fire inside me to help other people become more situationally aware, and better able to respond in unexpected scenarios. Finally, in the early months of 2023, my husband and I launched our brand, Church and State Designs, in an effort to provide people with more effective and fashionable options by which to carry their self-defense and emergency response tools.

After searching for safe and versatile purse options that allowed me to store my emergency tools, but also aligned with my unique style preferences, I was coming up short. It was out of this struggle that I designed and, together with my husband, manufactured our first Security Detail Insert. This revolutionary bag insert drastically changed the way that I was able to carry my preferred emergency tools, and we knew we could not just keep it for ourselves.

We now partner with ethical leather artisans across the globe for our bag designs, and proudly manufacture the inserts that come with each bag in our workshop in Montana, USA. Since our launch, we have received incredible feedback on our products, which reassures us that we are in the right market at exactly the right time. We are so thankful for the chance to help more people on their self-reliance journeys, and proud that sharing our story has birthed a community of like-minded individuals who believe in the massage of preparing and protecting human life.

Taalyr, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

When I was six years old I took my first ballet class which gave me an outlet for my intrinsic love of art and activity. It took off and I spent my formative years training ballet while homeschooling. I have never been the type of artist that creates pictures, rather I was always drawn to art that moves. This is perhaps why I have always adored fashion as something that moves and flows with someone, and can also tell a story about a person that even words could not convey.

I did not come from a highly affluent family, but my untraditional upbringing gave me what I believe to be one of the most valuable gifts a human can receive, and that is the knowledge that there is value, and even belonging, in hard work and sacrifice. Moreover, it is okay to be different. As early as I can remember, I always thought of myself as a melting pot of a person. born to a native American midwife, and a father who grew up in farm country working since childhood, and then served in the United Sates military, I have learned a lot about both sides of my history. I have deep empathy for the suffering that my ancestors endured, and a deep appreciation that I, as a Native American woman myself, live in a country where I can aspire to do or build anything that I wish, because of those who have fought and even died for my freedom.

As I grew older I continued to dance classical ballet, which took me on many trips and offered numerous occasions for hard work and art to come together in my life. As an adult, I became a ballet instructor and choreographer. It was not until I was married and had children of my own that I truly began to think of the concept of legacy, and question what type of world I want to leave behind for my progeny. Looking around, I now recognize every human being as someone’s baby, and a life worthy of protection. In a world that has become increasingly polarized, it is a travesty that this concept has become so muddied.

The lessons I have gained from my upbringing and from starting my own family have brought me to a realization that life without our values is a life of emptiness. So, when my oldest child was still a toddler, I began traveling to underserved communities to bring quality dance education to those who would not otherwise have a chance to benefit from it. You never know when you are teaching the next Maria Tallchief, or Baryshnikov, and I do not want people to miss out on their own value on my watch.

Fast forward to our launch of Church and State Designs, I knew I wanted to start our business with that same care and love for people that I did in my years as an instructor. The decade leading up to this launch gave me a new found zeal for personal protection. Having been in a life-altering emergency myself, I knew first hand how quickly a situation can turn bad. Additionally, I am very close to people who work in law enforcement, and have noticed an extreme uptick in violent crime in recent years. I knew from talking with the general public, attending board meetings, listening to news, and hearing from law enforcement officials as well as victims of crimes, that our world is not getting any safer. In truth, if we are not prepared to respond to our own emergency, our safety is little more than an illusion.

As I developed a product to allow me to safely carry personal protection tools, I knew that I could not be the only one in need. And I was right. Everywhere I looked, concealment purses had common issues:
1. They were made to house only firearms. This works okay for me as I have training in using firearms, but I do not always wish to house one in my bag. Not everyone is on the same journey and some are not comfortable using a firearm.
2. In the bags that were made just for firearms, the only options were soft-material holsters which did not provide adequate trigger guard for a firearm, and could lead to accidental discharge of a weapon. This poses a serious and relevant safety concern among firearms and non-firearms carriers alike.
3. Even if I purchased a regular bag and added tools or hard-holstered firearm of my own, there is no way to keep all of the tools in one easy-to-access and safe location. Anyone who has been in an emergency will tell you that seconds can literally mean life or death, and you may not have time to fumble for the appropriate tools to use in a given situation.
4. As if the above complaints were not enough to cause a semblance of stress to the aspiring self-protector, concealment bags are often bulky and obvious, which poses more than one problem. Firstly, I do not always want to carry a large bag, and even prefer a clutch now that my children are out of the diaper phase. Secondly, if I am concealing any type of self-defense tool, I do not want it to be obvious to the world. The very word “concealment” paints a picture of discrete options that would not be apparent to anyone but you.

In short, in 2023 we should not have to compromise style for personal safety, or the other way around. I am proud to have developed a product that marries the two together in the most functional and versatile way possible. With our inserts, you can safely and securely store a wide range of items to meet your specific safety needs, including pepper spray, knives, tasers, tourniquets, flashlights, bandages, hard-holstered firearms, and more. The unique “taco shape” of our purse insert creates a sleek appearance, reducing any printing from the outside of the bag, and making it possible to store your most important items in something as slim as our beautifully crafted leather clutches. Sturdy hook and loop backing makes a way for the insert to stay put inside of your bag, so that you can draw your needed tool without risk of the whole unit coming out with it.

Just as in regular life, a business without values is not a business worth building. At Church and State Designs, our values are Truth, Action, and Freedom. That is how we choose to run our business, and how we strive to live our lives. When customers purchase from our brand, they are supporting those same values and allowing us to continue advancing the mission of personal protection, preparation, and regard for human life. And that is something that we will always stand for.

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

As my faith has always been a driving factor in the decisions that I make, the bible has influenced me more than any other book/video/essay that I have ever consumed. Understanding that there is more to life than simply business and physical success not only makes me braver and enables me to stand boldly for my values, but also gives me peace that surpasses understanding. I know that if my business failed tomorrow, I am still here on purpose and for a purpose. My mission does not change, my resolve is always kindled, and my power to overcome is not my own-thank God. When I am living life from my convictions, loving people for the works of art that they are, and fighting for a future beyond my own life, my priorities are in alignment and I fulfilled as a leader, a mother, and an entrepreneur.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

All great intellects over the centuries have one commonality from what I can see, and that is their ability to think outside of the proverbial box. I could say that I am on a mission to empower women and men to protect their families, and it would be the truth. But beyond that, there is a core message that rings truer in my ears than any other. In order for change to occur, we must be willing to think differently. We must step outside of the status quo and to see that it is a big world with a great many problems, but also an abundance of beauty.

One of the great beauties of creation is our very human gift of reason and free thought.
If you think of all of our modern day conveniences, such as electricity, vehicles, internet, they all came about because someone saw a need and knew that there had to be a better way. Moreover, that even if there was not a better way, they would know that they at least tried.
The underlying message that rings throughout our work with Church and State Designs is that “there is a better way”. We want to encourage others to look beyond the political divides that so often blind us, and see the vulnerability of the human condition, and the great need to protect it.
But, in order to do that, we must be willing to step outside of the box.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://churchandstatedesigns.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/churchandstatedesigns/?igshid=MDM4ZDc5MmU%3D

Image Credits
Taalyr Claridge, Church and State Designs