We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Tom Spisz. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Tom below.

Alright, Tom thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you tell us about an important lesson you learned while working at a prior job?

The most important lesson that I have learned at a prior job is; it’s not who’s right, it’s what’s right. Far to often an individual in the workplace will pull rank on an inferior employee just because they want the team to utilize their idea. Knowing or avoiding the thought that their idea is truly not the best for the situation. This can lead to failed projects, team destruction, and loss in profit for the company. As a team, regardless if the person has been there for 1 month or 1o years, the consensus should always be determined by what is right for the project not who thought of the solution

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Every Person has a different beginning to their Legacy. Mine begins with my parents, the instictual drive past down from my Father, and instilled core values. I’ve come to realize today the truth is, it actually began sooner; the day I took my first step. That is an incredible scary moment for children, but we all eventually have to take make that motion.
As far as I can remember, around the age of 4 or sooner, I constantly asked to go out in the woods with my Father to join him in his hunt, with hope of a blessed return with the game that he sought out at the time. At times we would leave empty handed and other times we left the woods with joy and excitement to carry out organic meat that would feed the family. I was immediately drawn to every aspect of hunting. Bow, Firearm, and just being in the woods, it didn’t matter I was happy.
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I immediately wanted a bow and was gifted the little red compound bow. Right away I had a natural eye hitting the the center. This natural eye, my amazing my parents, went out and purchased tournament arrows and set me on my way to 3D tournaments. As I grew, the targets were able to be shot at from a farther distance and the bows got bigger and better. Every time I was shooting a bow nothing else mattered, the stressors of life went away. Just a peaceful motion of drawing the bow and releasing the arrow. My Father told me that if I stuck with not only Hunting, but archery in particular, big things could happen in my future. He was right.

At the age of 12, legal age to take a deer by bow in Michigan at the time, I took my first deer. Every hunting season from there on I went on and hunted. I had my successful seasons as well as unsuccessful, but every time leaving the woods with a learning experience and looking at ways I can better myself for the next hunt. But this isn’t “Beyond the Bow.”

In 2013, I sat down and thought, “I wanted to do more with archery, something that many have not attempted.” I wanted to take a passion of mine that is mentally uplifting and therapeutic and do something amazing with it. I contacted a Hospital that treated individuals for various illnesses and asked if I could host an archery shoot to benefit the cause there. Upon approval I attempted this journey, but after a few months in, I realized I was being faced with failure due to a lack of financial sources and structure. This didn’t stop me, failure pushed me forward. 90% is mental the other 10% is what you put in.
There is 86,400 seconds in a day and it takes just 1 second to initiate change! I took the necessary means to initiate this breathtaking change; including networking individuals, a study during my college education, and research to develop a nonprofit organization. After dedicated time, filings and two years of patience, in 2015 I was able to incorporate a nonprofit 501c3 charitable organization, known as Shoot for Life, Corp with a purpose driven mission as my vision. This charitable corporation was developed to directly help individuals through designed programs at our events and work with organizations that research and/or treat life-altering illnesses. Little did I truly recognize at the time that this idea is my WHY and our why is our PURPOSE.

I wanted to bring a charitable organization that used the passion many have for archery and outdoor activities to help raise funding and awareness for various illnesses from PTSD to childhood illnesses. There is an outstanding amount of hunters, archers and outdoor enthusiast across the world that love to support a a great cause, hospital, research, facility, etc. So why not combine the best of both worlds for the great purpose? Today we are now helping veterans, first responders, and those who face PTSD discover a new place of peace by getting them behind a bow, to change their focus, and to help people find a new means of finding relief when practicing with their bow.

This is my, “Beyond the Bow.” I encourage others to go beyond the bow; help teach a child or adult to shoot bow, help out an organization that incorporates what you love to do to help others, or help out your local archery facility with an event that helps others by any means. When your purpose comes around, seize it, don’t turn the other way. You are your own limit.

What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?

The best source of new clients for me is not social media, traditional, shows, etc… the best source of new clients for me is word of mouth. To this day word of mouth is the best most cost effective source of marketing for new clients.

Any advice for managing a team?

Always lead. Your task is to ensure your team feels respected, welcomed, and served. If they feel that, the team will serve you and grow your company. Further, trust … trust is big. If you hire someone on your team for a specific job that comes with a level of authority, let them do that job as intended. You hired someone smarter than you for that position, watch them work and do not micromanage.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.shootforlife.org
• Instagram: @shoot.for.life
• Facebook: @shootforlifecharity