What happens when an engineer, shooter, and Tactical Games athlete looks at the gear everyone is using and says, “There has to be a better way.” That’s basically how Jacked Rabbit Plates came to life. In this episode of Discomfort Required, I sit down with Nick Dinsmore, the guy behind Jacked Rabbit Plates, to talk about how he found the Tactical Games, why he got hooked on the sport, and how competing exposed a massive gap in the gear market. We talk about the crossover between CrossFit and Tactical Games, the evolution of the sport, early division rules, and what it actually takes to compete at a high level when you're carrying a shitload of weight and trying to move fast. Nick breaks down how he went from engineering and practical shooting to designing his own plates, testing prototypes with athletes, and eventually launching Jacked Rabbit in 2022. But this conversation isn't just about gear. We get into what it's actually like to build a company from the ground up — figuring out production, dealing with demand, learning how to delegate, and realizing that you can't do everything yourself forever. And one of the biggest things we talk about? Time. Because whether you're building a business, chasing performance, or trying to get better at anything, there's only so much of it. Growth comes with sacrifice. Success isn't always convenient. And, as Nick puts it: “Time is finite.” This was a f*****g fun conversation and a deep dive into Tactical Games, entrepreneurship, gear development, and what happens when you decide to stop accepting “good enough.” In this episode, we get into:How Nick went from engineering, hunting, practical shooting, and music to Tactical GamesHow he discovered Tactical Games and immediately got hookedThe crossover between CrossFit and Tactical GamesThe early days of the sport and how the divisions have evolvedRed dots, TAC division, and the decisions athletes have to make when choosing their setupWhy traditional plate carriers weren't really built for the demands of Tactical GamesHow Nick started designing his own platesTaking an idea from “this should work” to an actual productTesting prototypes with athletes and getting real-world feedbackLaunching Jacked Rabbit in August 2022Why weight, profile, and movement matter so much in Tactical GamesThe evolution from plates into vests, placards, and future productsWhat it takes to actually scale a product-based businessLearning to delegate and letting go of doing everything yourselfThe biggest mindset shifts Nick has experienced as a business ownerWhy building a business means making some serious tradeoffs with your timeWhat makes the Tactical Games community differentWhat's next for Jacked RabbitAnd where Nick is headed next in competitionFind Jacked Rabbit Plates HERE! Jacked Rabbit Plates Instagram
