By Christopher “Cush” Arrue
Earlier in April, Rob, my best bud and business partner, and I had the opportunity to head to Mansfield, Texas for a hog hunt. I’m not going to get into the hunt itself, as I’ve covered a similar story in a previous article. What I do want to emphasize, though, is the importance of plugging into a national media association, in our case, POMA, the Professional Outdoor Media Association.
For transparency, I serve as a POMA Board Director. I wasn’t paid for this trip, though I suppose you could argue it was a form of compensation but that’s beside the point.
We ended up in Mansfield through a public call POMA sent out to its media members. Rob and I, along with three others, were selected to attend. We joined Kevin Reese at the Sellmark Ranch for what turned into a three-day, turn-and-burn trip. Also in attendance were Tiff Thompson, Serena Juchnowski, and the King of One-Liners himself, Tom Claycomb.
Kevin kicked things off with a tour of their headquarters and operations. We got hands-on with some impressive optics and gear, along with a few things I can’t mention thanks to NDAs. The hunts themselves were fun. There’s nothing quite like sitting in a blind with your best bud, waiting on a hog. We even had the chance to take shots at a target a mile out from where we were ‘perched.’ which, I’ll admit, is something I’ve always wanted to say.
But the question is – what did this trip actually reinforce for me?
Connections matter. That's it, full stop.
POMA was founded back in 2005, the original founding board had one goal: meet the needs of media people in the outdoor, hunting, and shooting sports industries. As a board director I know what our mission is today: To empower outdoor communicators by promoting excellence in content creation, fostering business growth and connecting media professionals with industry leaders. We champion honest, responsible storytelling in traditional outdoor sports and conservation, while mentoring the next generation of media.
Why is that important to me? Well, I have a non-traditional way of getting into the outdoors and firearms space. As an agency owner, I’m constantly on the hunt for opportunities. As a 42 year old man, I want my connections to be genuine and natural, not forced by any accounts.
Enter Kevin Paulson. He introduced Rob and I to POMA and what they had to offer.
Our first year was an adventure in and of itself, this is a story for a later date and time. Not only did we connect with many genuine people, we got to experience creatives who are passionate about every aspect of what they do outdoors. It could be a traditional journalist who happens to be an outdoorsman, or an editor like Britney, who loves Grouse Hunting aka Clapping Birds, a colloquialism Rob and I started between the three of us, or someone like Kevin Paulson, whose an all-around connector but tied in to so many industries that you can't confine him to just one. I love that about him.
Admittedly, I hadn't planned on providing any historical references to this article, it’s what is currently pouring out. The aforementioned people are folks I love. Kevin has become a mentor to me, Britney is a sister. She took us on our first pheasant hunt last year some time and really? That's the goal of this article.
Sure, it's to emphasize why I think you should join POMA because of the amazing expeditions and adventures you’ll get to experience, but at its core, it's about the people. Do good by others and let your work speak for itself, and they'll do right by you.
When I look back on our time with POMA so far, it’s not the hunts or the trips that stand out first—it’s the people. It’s Kevin opening the door. It’s Britney inviting us into something new. It’s the countless conversations with folks who genuinely care about what they do and who they do it with.
That’s what connection looks like. And that’s what makes organizations like POMA worth being a part of.