Donnie and David continue their Women in Pyro mini-series for Season 3. This week, Stacy Schneitter, Blake President of NFA and Co-Owner of Schneitters Fireworks in St. Joseph, Missouri, joins the podcast to discuss the family business and its origins. It all began 130 years ago as a sporting goods store that imported firework samples. Interestingly, the fireworks business was the one that took off.

Stacy briefly touched upon the tariffs and how NFA and APA have to combat them and advocate for exceptions.

Stacy shares her experiences as a woman in the industry and the challenges she has faced. Donnie and David encourage listeners not to miss this great conversation with the industry’s most highly regarded women-owned fireworks business!

This week’s cake review sponsored by PGI:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jrlPaQUhBZQ

-- Winda Fireworks - PROFESSOR PYRO P5214 U16 Shots 200G

Pyro New sponsored by Dominator Fireworks:  https://vancouver.citynews.ca/2025/05/08/vancouver-honda-celebration-of-lights-canadian-lineup/

Check out our Podcast Sponsor Cobra Firing Systems and more information around Cobra-Con: https://www.cobrafiringsystems.com/

Pyro Unleashed Final 5 sponsored by muuxBRD: https://muuxbrd.com/

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In Episode 14 of Season 3, Donnie and David engage in a conversation with AJ Burns, a multifaceted figure in the pyrotechnics industry. AJ holds various positions, including North Regional Sales Rep for NCI, 1st VP of PGI, APA Board Members, NFA Chairperson for Memberships, and Treasurer of the American Pyrotechnics Safety and Education Foundation.

Throughout the episode, they delve into various aspects of the industry, covering different associations and clubs. While they briefly touch upon the recent tariff news, their primary focus is on fireworks safety. As we approach the 4th of July, it’s crucial to prioritize safety. AJ shares valuable information from the APSEF and provides guidance on how to ensure a safe 4th of July season. For more information, visit https://www.celebratesafely.org/.

This week’s cake review sponsored by PGI: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uolw-qb7NKw
Hammer and Anvil - Beware 25 Shot - C202502

Pyro New sponsored by Dominator Fireworks:  https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cp31gnn93kvo

Check out our Podcast Sponsor Cobra Firing Systems: https://www.cobrafiringsystems.com/

Pyro Unleashed Final 5 sponsored by muuxBRD: https://muuxbrd.com/

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Brandon Schmidt, also known as @Firecat8 from YouTube, joins Donnie and David to talk about Brandon's journey in pyro.  As with most pyro's, he started as a kid and as he got older the passion grew.  When he started attending demo's he realized there was a market for videos of cakes.  That was the birth of Firecat8.   

Brandon also shares more about his camera setup and some tips for those that are new or curious about getting started.

This week’s cake review sponsored by PGI:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5tGpU8Q0rk
Cowboy Fireworks- CB525C12 - Texas Tornado

Pyro New sponsored by Dominator Fireworks:  ••https://krdo.com/news/2025/04/29/police-investigate-dangerous-fireworks-incident/

Check out our Podcast Sponsor Cobra Firing Systems: https://www.cobrafiringsystems.com/

Check out our newest sponsor Finale Fireworks:  https://finale3d.com/ 

Pyro Unleashed Final 5 sponsored by muuxBRD: https://muuxbrd.com/

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Donnie and David returned from Cobra-Con with a fresh perspective on the overall event.  They dive into how the event itself went and go into discussion around all of the shows.  They even talk about some of the issue that came up during the closing show.

This week’s cake review sponsored by PGI:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfytOAw8aVc
Raccoon - RA500394 - Navy Seals New 1500G Consumer Finale Set 156 Shots

Pyro New sponsored by Dominator Fireworks:  https://www.americanpyro.com/advocacy

Check out our Podcast Sponsor Cobra Firing Systems: https://www.cobrafiringsystems.com/

Check out our newest sponsor Finale Fireworks:  https://finale3d.com/ 

Pyro Unleashed Final 5 sponsored by muuxBRD: https://muuxbrd.com/

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Cobra Con 2025 Week is here! In this episode, all three Cobra Con ProAm competitors join the podcast to share their journey and the reasons behind their participation in the inaugural Cobra Con ProAm Competition.

Listen in as Michael Karr, JP Hansen, and Nathan Dexter reveal the secrets behind their shows and give you insights into what you may or may not not see in their shows.

Join us this week, April 10th to 12th, in Muncie, Indiana, for Cobra Con.

Check out our Podcast Sponsor Cobra Firing Systems https://www.cobrafiringsystems.com/

Finale Fireworks:  https://finale3d.com/ 

Pyro Unleashed Final 5 sponsored by muuxBRD: https://muuxbrd.com/

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In Episode 10, the Pyro Unleashed Crew talks to the KCAP and MoPyro competitors in this year’s Spirit of 76 Missouri Showdown on April 26th.   Curtis Bertolde from KCAP and David Thompson from MoPyro join the podcast to talk about how they got into pyro and ended up as the representatives from their respective pyro clubs.

This week’s cake review sponsored by PGI:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rw9izunZfBk
RIAKEO Fireworks - RK52512 - 1.4G CAKE “MAX LOAD #49” 12 shots 36mm

Pyro New sponsored by Dominator Fireworks:  https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cpv4n79m7l0o

Check out our Podcast Sponsor Cobra Firing Systems and more information around Cobra-Con: https://www.cobrafiringsystems.com/

Check out our newest sponsor Finale Fireworks:  https://finale3d.com/ 

Pyro Unleashed Final 5 sponsored by muuxBRD: https://muuxbrd.com/

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Jonathan McCormick, a prominent figure from Cobra-Con, joins Donnie and David to discuss all aspects of the event. The trio delves into the intricate details of the show, providing a daily breakdown of activities. They cover various sessions and discuss some of the top 5 sessions currently registered for. Additionally, they delve into the new pro-am competition, explaining the rules for each show.

This week’s cake review sponsored by PGI:  https://youtu.be/3mo8iw5yN-s?si=LvydCC0InPMk6VbQ
-- AzuraBurst by Raccoon Fireworks 

Pyro New sponsored by Dominator Fireworks:  https://www.wmtw.com/article/maine-firework-explodes-in-lewiston-apartment/64040773

Check out our Podcast Sponsor Cobra Firing Systems and more information around Cobra-Con: https://www.cobrafiringsystems.com/

Check out our newest sponsor Finale Fireworks:  https://finale3d.com/ and https://muuxbrd.com/

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Donnie and David continue their Women in Pyro mini-series for Season 3. This week, Sabrina Nickels, a talented Sales Manager from American Wholesale Fireworks, joins the podcast for our second Women in Pyro episode. Sabrina shares her heartfelt and unapologetic experiences as a woman in this industry.

We delve into Sabrina’s journey into the fireworks world and how she secured her dream job at American Wholesale Fireworks. Additionally, we explore the business model at AWF and discuss the impact of tariffs on their operations.

This week’s cake review sponsored by PGI:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUdQB6zdmZI 
-- Sitting Bull by Black Scorpion Fireworks

Pyro New sponsored by Dominator Fireworks:  https://mitchellnow.com/news/236632-fireworks-to-return-to-mount-rushmore-for-u-s-250th-birthday-celebration-in-2026/

Check out our Podcast Sponsor Cobra Firing Systems and more information around Cobra-Con: https://www.cobrafiringsystems.com/

Check out our newest sponsor Finale Fireworks:  https://finale3d.com/

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In this episode, Donnie and David invite Miles from Precision Pyro and several Discord followers to join them for a chat about AI Scripting, tariffs, and PyroJam entries.

Travis, Zach, and Curtis from KCAP also joined the conversation to share their thoughts and opinions on the topics. Don’t miss out on one of the podcast’s greatest episodes yet!

This week’s cake review sponsored by PGI:  https://www.dpfireworks.com/video/PFX5653.mp4 
-- Dominator - Nighttime Smke Cake

Pyro New sponsored by Dominator Fireworks:  https://www.civilbeat.org/2025/02/fireworks-seizure-honolulu-port-points-federal-failure/

Check out our Podcast Sponsor Cobra Firing Systems and more information around Cobra-Con: https://www.cobrafiringsystems.com/

Check out our newest sponsor Finale Fireworks:  https://finale3d.com/ and https://muuxbrd.com/

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In Episode 6, Sean Philpot, the owner of Balistic Fireworks in Adelaide, Australia, joins the show to discuss the differences in fireworks regulations between Australia and the United States. They reveal that consumer fireworks are essentially banned in almost all of Australia, except for a single day in a single state.

A particularly intriguing question from the Discord community was about the taste of Vegemite sandwiches. Tune in to hear Sean’s response to this question!

This week’s cake review sponsored by PGI:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZVR4V-WfVU 
-- Fairy Tale by Pyro Planet

Pyro New sponsored by Dominator Fireworks:  https://kutv.com/news/local/crack-in-firework-tube-caused-catastrophic-failure-in-stadium-of-fire-mishap

Check out our Podcast Sponsor Cobra Firing Systems and more information around Cobra-Con: https://www.cobrafiringsystems.com/

Check out our newest sponsor Finale Fireworks:  https://finale3d.com/

Send us a text

linktr: https://linktr.ee/pyrounleashedpodcast