02. Case Study
Firefighter Knowledge
How I Turned a Niche Topic Into a National Product Line
The Situation
Originally founded as Chimney Safe Productions, Inc., the company was laser-focused on one training topic: chimney fires. But it quickly became clear that to serve firefighters more broadly—and scale—we needed a brand that allowed room to grow.
That’s when I proposed the name Firefighter Knowledge. It was instantly more credible, more expansive, and more in line with the larger mission of supporting firefighter training across multiple subject areas. The name changed, and a brand was born.
The Challenge
Build a national product, from scratch, on a niche subject—with a small team, a modest budget, and one expert voice. And do it in a way that would lay the groundwork for future growth in areas like mental health, job safety, and public education.
​
On top of that;
-
Fire departments operate on strict budgets
-
Volunteer departments require high-quality, low-cost training
-
The product had to be informative, well produced, and affordable
-
And we needed to generate sales before we were done producing the product
​
My Role
As President, I wore many hats (Marketing, Sales, Operations) and I led every part of the creative and operational process, including:
​
-
Company branding and naming
-
Co-writing and producing the training video script
-
Managing video production and packaging
-
Created email marketing campaigns and sales materials
-
Directed the development of a clean, functional website for purchasing and product info
-
Developed in-person and digital sales strategy
-
Tested different marketing channels for traction and ROI
​
The Result
Firefighter Knowledge launched its first product: a two-DVD training series with over 90 minutes of high-value instruction. Despite a limited budget, we achieved professional-level production and a polished brand presence.​
​
More importantly: we sold that product to over 500 fire departments and municipalities across the U.S. and Canada. The success came from a blend of smart, tactical marketing and boots-on-the-ground work:
​
-
Email campaigns to fire chiefs and training officers
-
Sales at live firefighter training events
-
Strategic partnerships and word-of-mouth
-
A website that converted
​​​
Behind the Scenes: What I Learned
At one point, a fire chief looked at our sleek website and said:​
​
“Well based on your pretty website, you guys must be making money hand over fist!”​​
​
It was a wake-up call. For this audience, polish can sometimes read as “too corporate.” While the website was beautifully designed, the perception created unintended friction. That insight reminded me of something every marketer needs to hear: the brand isn’t about what we think looks good—it’s about what builds trust with our buyers.
​
We adjusted our messaging and focused more on direct, personal outreach. For this audience, relationships beat clicks every time.
​​​
What Made It Work
Firefighter Knowledge succeeded not because we had the biggest budget or the flashiest design—but because we built it on:​​
​
-
A brand name that could grow with the company
-
A deep understanding of the audience
-
Smart, scrappy, tested marketing tactics
-
Respect for the boots-on-the-ground nature of our customers
-
A product that truly delivered value
​​​
