Angie Thomas honorably served our country as part of the U.S. Army during the era of Desert Storm, and her adventures included time in Saudi Arabia, which was an eye opener, with particular regard to the treatment of Saudi women. She met and married Richard Thomas, who also served in the Army, and put in a full 20 years as an enlisted man. When 9/11 happened, their youngest child was only a few months old, and all of a sudden personal vulnerability and the ability to protect oneself took on a new meaning for both of them.
Angie’s dad was also retired military, and both her parents instilled in her a sense of situational awareness. She learned to change a tire in 5 minutes so she wouldn’t be stranded on the side of the road, and her mother taught her to never leave a beverage or a meal unfinished or unattended, even if she was out with friends. She learned to hold her keys between her fingers when she was approaching her car, and to walk with a purpose wherever she went. All of this served her well, but when she learned about a direct sales company called Damsel In Defense, she knew she had found her passion, and Richard knew it, too. She did her “due diligence,” looked into the company, and says with confidence that Damsel is “the 2nd best career choice,” being handily won out by being a wife, mom, and grandmother.
Damsel in Defense was started 5 years ago by two young professional women by the name of Mindy Lin and Bethany Hughes, and the company’s mission is “to equip, empower and educate women to protect themselves and their families.” Their products are powerful and non-lethal, developed by experts in the field of self defense, and helpful for any woman, irrespective of their background. In this short time, Damsel In Defense has received the Direct Selling Association Rising Star Award, and they have also achieved what is known as the Standard for Trust accreditation with the Better Business Bureau. Mindy and Bethany are joined by their spouses as part of Damsel’s corporate team, along with other seasoned professionals, and the company is headquartered in Boise, Idaho. They are busy moms and dads, and Damsel also is involved in faith-based efforts to rescue girls from sex trafficking both here and abroad, through what is known as the Damsel House Project.
Their products are high quality, reasonably priced and well-packaged, and include things such as pepper spray, an auto emergency kit, striking tools for runners, a stun guns, including one that looks like a camera, and more. Just the sound of the stun gun would be enough to make a would-be attacker think twice, and the jolt will most definitely cause enough pain that the attacker would be distracted long enough to provide the user time to get away. I asked Angie if she had any personal testimonies as to the efficacy of Damsel products, and she said, “I heard from one of my customers, a college student, that it had worked and protected her from an assault by her own roommate.” “You can travel just about anywhere with them,” Richard told me, and Damsel products are described as being “Security On The Go.” Angie added that she feels so much better having their teen aged daughter equipped to protect herself in a firm and non-lethal manner when she is away from home. The Thomas’ daughter is part of Angie’s Damsel team, something about which Angie is both proud and happy.
Other Damsel In Defense products include Digital Defense, which provides Social Media Monitoring to protect your teens. Safe Hearts, which teaches young children personal safety with strangers and how to resist negative peer pressure, and the Daphne Concealed Collection, handbags, clutches and more to keep your personal protection tools out of sight. “Fashion has never felt so safe,” is the tagline for the Daphne lines.
Damsel In Defense also offers a business opportunity, and Angie is in the process of expanding her team. During the month of September, which is the company’s anniversary, the fee to become a Damsel Pro is $99, and Angie said, “you will receive $315 worth of product,” generous by any measure.
I asked her, “Do guys ever become reps?” She answered, “Oh, yes, they have their own tag line called ‘Men Behind The Mission’.” Men are a critical part of Damsel’s founding as well as their success. The company’s promise is, “We’ve got your back. For life.” They provide a life time warranty on all products against manufacturer’s defect.
If you are interested in either purchasing a product, hosting a presentation, or joining Angie’s team, you can contact her at 256-652-0187, at amrthms@gmail.com, or at mydamselpro.net/Thomas. Whatever you choose, you’ll be glad you decided to become a part of what is becoming known as “the Damsel Movement.”
By: Ali Elizabeth Turner
