Meet the Founders: New Store, Who Dis?

Hey there friends and family, 

We’re Corey and Toni, a couple from North Carolina with shared passions in motorsports, photography, nature, and self-defense.

We started The Outdoor and Defense Store (affectionately, “TOADS”) to help people like us find the tools and knowledge they need to have a better and safer time outdoors, no matter what they’re up to. Whether it’s small daily errands, or a week long road trip, we want to help you stay prepared.

Lil' Bit of History
Before opening TOADS,  we owned and operated a motorcycle repair shop in Sacramento, California for nearly 10 years. Starting in a 500 sq ft shop which was no more than a glorified two car garage, we worked our way up to a 3000 square foot warehouse.

"Starting in a 500 sq ft shop which was no more than a glorified two car garage..."

"We worked our way up to a 3000 sq ft warehouse."
Sacramento, California

We built the foundation of the business off hard, honest work and found joy in taking care of our customers, so much so that most of our customers turned into friends and family we still talk to today. We didn’t just help people keep their bikes healthy, we also taught them how to maintain their bikes themselves and how to ride better. A couple years into the shop life, we started working with local track day organizations to help riders improve on the racetrack. In 2019, we even had the opportunity to wrench for MP13 Racing in the MotoAmerica racing championship. (Which we are wrenching for them again this season as we currently write this.)

 

Pictured: Corey (black Ninja 300), followed by Toni (teal Ninja 300), followed by Mujahid (S1000R), a riding student turned friend!
Thunderhill Raceway @ Willows, California

Toni helping Melissa of MP13 during a stop in the pits for quick adjustments
Ridge Motorsports Park @ Shelton, Washington

Then 2020 hit, and life changed. During the off-season, we took a winter break to travel cross-country to see family on the east coast and something inside changed. Along the way, we visited various National Parks in the Southwest and the rest was history.

Since then
We have driven cross-country 11 times and counting.  We’ve visited timeless landscapes that make you want to cry because of the beauty. Our legs ached as we climbed the sand dunes in Death Valley and the twisty trails of Bryce Canyon. We’ve had our breath taken away after 10 miles of hiking then diving into freezing, alpine lakes in the Sawtooth Mountains. We’ve witnessed the bears of Yellowstone and Yosemite. We’ve experienced the humbling feelings of insignificance when you gaze upon the Utahan mesas and monumental rock walls of Zion. We’ve froze our asses off while tent-camping in sub-freezing temperatures chasing autumn colors in the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Truth is--exploring remote wilderness and discovering local wildlife through the lens of our cameras is our happy place.

Toni diving into Sawtooth Lake at 8500ft elevation in Stanley, Idaho

One of our campsites in the Blue Ridge Mountains in North Carolina

Corey taking in the view on top of Mesquite Flat sand dune in Death Valley, California

Nowadays
We’re living in North Carolina. Here is where we began delving deeper into the world of self-defense. As business owners, cross-country travelers, and remote explorers, a means of protection is always priority to us. As we navigated life, we encountered friends and family that would reach out to us regarding questions to their rights and options to self-defense in their everyday lives. The way the world is going, it’s something a lot of people are starting to take seriously. We realized there is a big need for education and self-defense awareness, so a couple years ago, we took it upon ourselves to get educated and work on certifications to help play our part. We took preparedness classes like Stop the Bleed, and became Range Safety Officer certified to gain general firearm safety knowledge and etiquette. In 2023, Toni became certified to teach Concealed Carry and Basic Handgun classes.

Ikillez putting in bite work training with Rob at Lion K9, Woodland, California

Toni instructing a Concealed Carry Class in Wake Forest, North Carolina

It doesn’t take long to figure out that the love for the outdoors, traveling, and self-defense all go hand in hand.

People want to have fun AND be safe at the same time any time they leave the house or visit nature. Over our last 10 years together, we’ve learned a lot of hard lessons navigating self-defense practices with business ownership in a populated city as well as traveling cross-country to remote terrains in various states.

So here we are now–from the single focal point of TOADS, we are ready to spread the love and knowledge about the right gear and best practices when it comes to enjoying the outdoors and exercising inalienable rights to personal defense.

We’re grateful you’re here and we hope you enjoy the ride.

Much love,
Corey & Toni