How He Built a Pro-Second Amendment Startup... | Ryan Spadafore | DSH #2064
7/14/202637 min
What happens when a Second Amendment startup gets blocked by banks, payment processors, and social media, then still keeps growing? In this Digital Social Hour episode, Sean Kelly sits down with Ryan Spadafore, co-founder and CEO of Atrius Development Group, to discuss firearms culture, entrepreneurship, government overreach, payment processing problems, Shot Show, veteran-led teams, faith, freedom, and building a brand in one of the most restricted industries in America. Ryan explains why Atrius is bigger than a product company. To him, it is about rights, responsibility, community, and creating a positive shift inside the firearms space. He also shares how his company dealt with shadow banning, banking issues, payment processor shutdowns, and the difficulty of growing a business that cannot rely on normal advertising. The conversation also covers California gun laws, the Second Amendment, mental health, word-of-mouth marketing, range events, veteran hiring, building with his best friend Malcolm, faith under pressure, and why performance matters more than online noise. This episode is about freedom, resilience, entrepreneurship, and what it takes to build a company when the system makes the path harder. CHAPTERS 0:00 Freedom, Performance, and the Opening Claims 0:35 Ryan Spadafore From Atrius Development Group 1:05 Shot Show, Product Launches, and Early Feedback 2:27 Entering the Firearms Industry 3:58 California, Gun Laws, and Government Overreach 5:10 The Second Amendment and Personal Responsibility 7:09 Mental Health, Safety, and Cultural Reactions 8:01 Changing Laws and the Firearms Market 10:17 Banking Issues, Shadow Bans, and Payment Processors 12:51 Growth, Veterans, Faith, Freedom, and Final Thoughts WHAT YOU’LL LEARN 🔫 Why Ryan believes firearms culture is shifting 🇺🇸 How he views the Second Amendment and personal freedom 🏛️ Why he believes some state laws create unnecessary restrictions 💳 How payment processors and banks create challenges for firearms companies 📱 Why social media makes growth harder in restricted industries 🤝 How word of mouth and live events helped Atrius grow 🪖 Why veterans became a major part of the team culture 🧠 Why Ryan sees the gun debate as a mental health issue 🙏 How faith helps him handle pressure and uncertainty 💼 What it takes to build a business when normal systems push back 🎙️ APPLY OR CONNECT 👉 Interested in being a guest? Apply here: https://www.digitalsocialhour.com/apply 📩 Business Inquiries & Sponsorships sean@digitalsocialhour.com 👤 GUEST Ryan Spadafore: https://www.instagram.com/spadafwrd/ https://www.instagram.com/atriusdev/ https://x.com/atriusdev?lang=en 🎧 LISTEN TO THE PODCAST 🍏 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/digital-social-hour/id1676846015 🎵 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5Jn7LXarRlI8Hc0GtTn759 📸 Follow the Host Sean Kelly on Instagram: @seanmikekelly ⚠️ DISCLAIMER The views and opinions expressed by guests on Digital Social Hour are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the host, Sean Kelly, or the Digital Social Hour team. The host and producers are not responsible for statements, claims, or opinions shared by guests during the show. This content is intended for informational and entertainment purposes only and should not be considered legal, medical, financial, or professional advice. Listeners are encouraged to do their own research and consult qualified professionals when appropriate. While we aim to share accurate and reliable information, no guarantees are made regarding completeness or accuracy. 🔥 Stay tuned for more conversations with creators, founders, and innovators shaping the digital world. KEYWORDS Ryan Spadafore, Atrius Development Group, Digital Social Hour, Sean Kelly, Second Amendment, firearms industry, Shot Show, entrepreneurship, payment processing, shadow banning, veteran business, freedom Visit Our Website at https://digital-social-hour.simplecast.com/ Presented by https://podgo.io/ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Clips
Transcript preview
First 90 secondsRyan Spadafore· Guest0:00
The thing with this, it's like, you know, it's bigger than product and branding, right? It's freedom. It was here before I was here. It's gonna be here long after I'm dead, you know? So it's like it's tied to something bigger than just the business, you know? And so I think we're tapping kinda like the warrior class of people. Fortunately, as long as you got the side of the people, man, you know, a lot of people talk in this world, especially in our industry, they run their mouths. But, uh, for us, it's, you know, performance is the gold standard, right? So it's all about action in this world, and we kinda put our money where our mouth is.
Sean Kelly· Host0:28
[camera clicking] All right, guys. Got Ryan on the show today, uh, co-founder and CEO of Atreus Development Group back in Vegas. Just had a really successful SHOT Show here, and already back in town, huh?
Ryan Spadafore· Guest0:44
Yeah. Back at it, man. Appreciate you having me on, man.
Sean Kelly· Host0:47
Absolutely, man.
Ryan Spadafore· Guest0:47
Yeah.
Sean Kelly· Host0:48
Yeah, you... We were talking out there how successful SHOT Show went, so that must have been a good feeling for you.
Ryan Spadafore· Guest0:51
Yeah, yeah. SHOT Show was great. Um, you know, it was, uh... It's been a pretty exciting kinda like eight months leading up to it since our launch. We, uh, we were kinda in the trench, so we didn't really know, you know, uh, what the feedback was like. Obviously, it's kinda different online versus in reality.
Sean Kelly· Host1:10
Yeah.
Ryan Spadafore· Guest1:10
Um, but yeah, man, it was amazing, and it just showed like all the hard work that we kinda been putting in and kinda bringing a positive shift to the gun culture. Um, but the feedback was great. You know, our range day was a hit, and, uh, the response was a blessing.
Sean Kelly· Host1:23
Yeah. So what exactly were you, uh, selling or demonstrating?
Ryan Spadafore· Guest1:26
Yeah. So we, uh, we developed basically, me and my, uh, best friend Malcolm,