Episode 167: The Culture Shifts That Will Increase Employee Retention & Profitability Today we are joined by Vanessa’s friend, coach, and mentor: Ron Harvey, the VP and chief operating officer of Global Core Strategies & Consulting. Harvey and his team work with leaders to develop strong work cultures within their organizations, build diversity, equity, and inclusion programs, and retain top talent. In this episode, Harvey is sharing his expertise on the culture shifts that will increase employee retention and profitability. Some key takeaways from this episode include: Our core values are the GPS for the people in our organization. They are more than pretty words on a website; they are the guide from where we are to where we want to be as a company. 2024 is already starting as a tumultuous year from global and political perspectives, but the best thing we can do as leaders is listen. If we can stick to the company's core values and listen to each other, we can move forward together. Culture is how we behave, and how we behave impacts our bottom line. If you want to improve your profits and retention, pay attention to your culture. Disaster Recovery Journal: Register for DRJ’s weekly (Wednesday) webinar series Register for DRJ Spring 2024: Unleashing the Power of Resilience Asfalis Advisors: Apply to be a guest on the podcast Download the 5 Step Crisis Strategy Connect with the podcast! Email us: podcast@drj.com Website Twitter LinkedIn YouTube Vanessa Mathews, host Vanessa Mathews is the founder and chief resilience officer of Asfalis Advisors, where they are focused on protecting the legacy of the leaders they serve through business resilience. Before becoming an entrepreneur, Mathews developed global crisis management and business continuity programs for government and private sector organizations to include Lowe’s Companies, Gulfstream Aerospace, and the Department of Homeland Security. Book Mathews as a speaker  Jon Seals, producer Jon Seals is the editor in chief at Disaster Recovery Journal, the leading magazine/event in business continuity. Seals is an award-winning journalist with a background in publication design, business media, content management, sports journalism, social media, and podcasting. KEYWORDS: Workplace culture, leadership skills, DE&I, diversity and inclusion, profitability, core values, retaining talent

Episode 166: The Impact of ESG on Business Continuity ESG – which stands for environmental, social, and governance investing – is a way for investors to evaluate risk and social responsibility before investing in companies. In this episode, we’ll be sharing some specifics of ESG, how it can affect your organization’s business continuity practices and decisions, and why you might consider becoming an ESG-compliant organization. Source: Global Risk Management Institute: What Is ESG? Some key takeaways from this episode include: ESG stands for environmental, social, and governance. ESG investors want to put their money into companies that are making a positive impact in these three areas. The policies that fall under ESG have been highly politicized, which has made companies hesitant to implement new policies. However, investors still want to see these impactful policies in place, regardless of the political landscape. Millennials and Gen Z highly value companies who have ethical business practices and support social causes. They want to work for companies who are making a positive impact, no matter the industry. Disaster Recovery Journal: Register for DRJ’s weekly (Wednesday) webinar series Register for DRJ Spring 2024: Unleashing the Power of Resilience Asfalis Advisors: Apply to be a guest on the podcast Download the 5 Step Crisis Strategy Connect with the podcast! Email us: podcast@drj.com Website Twitter LinkedIn YouTube Vanessa Mathews, host Vanessa Mathews is the founder and chief resilience officer of Asfalis Advisors, where they are focused on protecting the legacy of the leaders they serve through business resilience. Before becoming an entrepreneur, Mathews developed global crisis management and business continuity programs for government and private sector organizations to include Lowe’s Companies, Gulfstream Aerospace, and the Department of Homeland Security. Book Mathews as a speaker  Jon Seals, producer Jon Seals is the editor in chief at Disaster Recovery Journal, the leading magazine/event in business continuity. Seals is an award-winning journalist with a background in publication design, business media, content management, sports journalism, social media, and podcasting. KEYWORDS: ESG, environmental impact, social impact, org structure, DEI, ESG investing, ethical company, recruiting, retaining talent

Episode 165: Best Practices to Land Your Next Big Role | Resumes, Interview Tips, & More If you find yourself looking for a new role, you might be wondering how to set yourself apart in the application and interview process. Enter Kim Hooper, an HR manager for Asfalis and an award-winning security professional with more than 20 years of experience at companies like Wal-Mart and Amazon. In this episode, Kim is sharing her best tips and practices for polishing your resume, nailing the interview, and more! Resources mentioned: Security Industry Association Some key takeaways from this episode include: Always do your research on the company before your interview. What are their core values? Are there opportunities for community engagement within the organization? Write down the questions you have about the company, and bring a pen and paper to take notes. Keep your resume simple and easy to digest. Avoid templates that are so detailed or stylized that you forget to remove placeholder text, and don’t try to create a super colorful resume to stand out. It’s way more important that it’s legible and quick to scan. Pay attention to your digital footprint. Clean up your social media, make sure your email address and social media handles are professional, and maintain an updated and active LinkedIn profile. Disaster Recovery Journal: Register for DRJ’s weekly (Wednesday) webinar series Register for DRJ Spring 2024: Unleashing the Power of Resilience Asfalis Advisors: Apply to be a guest on the podcast Download the 5 Step Crisis Strategy Connect with the podcast! Email us: podcast@drj.com Website Twitter LinkedIn YouTube Vanessa Mathews, host Vanessa Mathews is the founder and chief resilience officer of Asfalis Advisors, where they are focused on protecting the legacy of the leaders they serve through business resilience. Before becoming an entrepreneur, Mathews developed global crisis management and business continuity programs for government and private sector organizations to include Lowe’s Companies, Gulfstream Aerospace, and the Department of Homeland Security. Book Mathews as a speaker  Jon Seals, producer Jon Seals is the editor in chief at Disaster Recovery Journal, the leading magazine/event in business continuity. Seals is an award-winning journalist with a background in publication design, business media, content management, sports journalism, social media, and podcasting.

Episode 164: Should Brands Take a Political Stance? In 2024, we are entering election season, which in the U.S. has become more and more divisive over the last several years. In this episode, we are going to dig into whether businesses or brands should take political stances on divisive issues, and how you can choose to navigate this going into 2024. Some key takeaways from this episode include: There are two ways to approach conversations about politics at work. One, if a conversation is not going to be productive, then maybe the workplace isn’t the best place to have it. And two, is it going to cause harm to have that discussion? What are your company’s values, mission, and vision? If your brand takes a political stance, can it be backed up by the company values? If there’s not a connection, it can cause problems. Safety can be a factor with taking a political stance. It’s important to consider if taking a strong stance on something could result in workplace violence or threats to your employees. Disaster Recovery Journal: Register for DRJ’s weekly (Wednesday) webinar series Register for DRJ Spring 2024: Unleashing the Power of Resilience Asfalis Advisors: Apply to be a guest on the podcast Download the 5 Step Crisis Strategy Connect with the podcast! Email us: podcast@drj.com Website Twitter LinkedIn YouTube Vanessa Mathews, host Vanessa Mathews is the founder and chief resilience officer of Asfalis Advisors, where they are focused on protecting the legacy of the leaders they serve through business resilience. Before becoming an entrepreneur, Mathews developed global crisis management and business continuity programs for government and private sector organizations to include Lowe’s Companies, Gulfstream Aerospace, and the Department of Homeland Security. Book Mathews as a speaker  Jon Seals, producer Jon Seals is the editor in chief at Disaster Recovery Journal, the leading magazine/event in business continuity. Seals is an award-winning journalist with a background in publication design, business media, content management, sports journalism, social media, and podcasting. KEYWORDS: politics, election year, risk management, workplace safety, workplace culture

Episode 163: The Joy of Metrics + Training the Next Generation of Professionals Metrics are a huge factor in business continuity and allow us to evaluate and improve the effectiveness of our strategies. In this episode, we are joined by Dr. Bernard Jones, professor of homeland security and emergency management at St. John’s University. Throughout his career, he’s worked in several industries, including tech and data, healthcare, security, and higher education. Some key takeaways from this episode include: It’s really important to keep track of the key metrics within your organization, but measuring effectiveness comes down to how well you’re executing the BCP, and is senior leadership included in the conversation? Executive engagement is mandatory as a part of any continuity program. If they’re not bought into the plan, the processes, and the protocols, you don’t have an effective program. When it comes to leading the next generation of emergency management professionals, it’s important to understand modern and future impacts on the field, such as retrospective studies of the pandemic, and the effects of climate change. Disaster Recovery Journal: Register for DRJ’s weekly (Wednesday) webinar series Register for DRJ Spring 2024: Unleashing the Power of Resilience Asfalis Advisors: Apply to be a guest on the podcast Download the 5 Step Crisis Strategy Connect with the podcast! Email us: podcast@drj.com Website Twitter LinkedIn YouTube Vanessa Mathews, host Vanessa Mathews is the founder and chief resilience officer of Asfalis Advisors, where they are focused on protecting the legacy of the leaders they serve through business resilience. Before becoming an entrepreneur, Mathews developed global crisis management and business continuity programs for government and private sector organizations to include Lowe’s Companies, Gulfstream Aerospace, and the Department of Homeland Security. Book Mathews as a speaker  Jon Seals, producer Jon Seals is the editor in chief at Disaster Recovery Journal, the leading magazine/event in business continuity. Seals is an award-winning journalist with a background in publication design, business media, content management, sports journalism, social media, and podcasting. KEYWORDS: emergency management, homeland security, Gen Z, next generation, business continuity metrics, business continuity

Episode 162: Artificial Intelligence in Business Continuity | Use Cases, Risks, and Our Favorite AI Tools At the recent DRJ conference in Phoenix, the topic everyone wanted to talk about was AI (artificial intelligence). As tools like ChatGPT become more mainstream, the conversation is shifting to how we can actually use these tools in our industry. In this episode, we’re sharing some of the ways we’re using AI in our business, and how you can better leverage it as a tool for your own business. AI Tools: ChatGPT Captions.ai Claude.ai Prompt to train the AI chat on your business Some key takeaways from this episode include: Different AI tools can do different things. ChatGPT is great for coming up with ideas and written copy, but if you want to summarize or pull the main bullet points from a report, you can use a tool like Claude which can take in PDF files.  With ChatGPT, you may be tempted to ask generic prompts like “give me social media topics for a business continuity brand” or “produce a business continuity plan for XYZ,” but the more specific you can be with the prompt, the better the responses you’ll get back.  Make sure you don’t use any personal or private information, and be careful about importing documents that aren’t publicly available or contain sensitive information. Always get input from your security team before using any AI tools. Disaster Recovery Journal: Register for DRJ’s weekly (Wednesday) webinar series Register for DRJ Spring 2024: Unleashing the Power of Resilience Asfalis Advisors: Apply to be a guest on the podcast Download the 5 Step Crisis Strategy Connect with the podcast! Email us: podcast@drj.com Website Twitter LinkedIn YouTube Vanessa Mathews, host Vanessa Mathews is the founder and chief resilience officer of Asfalis Advisors, where they are focused on protecting the legacy of the leaders they serve through business resilience. Before becoming an entrepreneur, Mathews developed global crisis management and business continuity programs for government and private sector organizations to include Lowe’s Companies, Gulfstream Aerospace, and the Department of Homeland Security. Book Mathews as a speaker  Jon Seals, producerJon Seals is the editor in chief at Disaster Recovery Journal, the leading magazine/event in business continuity. Seals is an award-winning journalist with a background in publication design, business media, content management, sports journalism, social media, and podcasting.

Episode 161: Supply Chain Resilience in the Wine & Spirits Industry Supply chains continue to be a trending topic, and in this episode, we’re digging into managing and troubleshooting supply chains for the wine and spirits industry. We’re joined by John Liuzzi, the national director for business continuity for Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits, who is running a “dream team” of business continuity professionals in his industry to share his insights, plus how business continuity challenges differ in the public vs. private sectors. Some key takeaways from this episode include: Some of the top challenges John’s team is planning for include natural disasters, product availability, and inflation affecting pricing and sales.  They have tools to track everything, including weather all over the world since that can affect manufacturing and shipping, and social media mentions of their brand as well as their suppliers’ brands. Having executive support is crucial for the success of your business continuity team. When the financial support and full trust is there, you can build an unstoppable business continuity program in your organization. Disaster Recovery Journal: Register for DRJ’s weekly (Wednesday) webinar series Register for DRJ Spring 2024: Unleashing the Power of Resilience Asfalis Advisors: Apply to be a guest on the podcast Download the 5 Step Crisis Strategy Connect with the podcast! Email us: podcast@drj.com Website Twitter LinkedIn YouTube Vanessa Mathews, host Vanessa Mathews is the founder and chief resilience officer of Asfalis Advisors, where they are focused on protecting the legacy of the leaders they serve through business resilience. Before becoming an entrepreneur, Mathews developed global crisis management and business continuity programs for government and private sector organizations to include Lowe’s Companies, Gulfstream Aerospace, and the Department of Homeland Security. Book Mathews as a speaker  Jon Seals, producer Jon Seals is the editor in chief at Disaster Recovery Journal, the leading magazine/event in business continuity. Seals is an award-winning journalist with a background in publication design, business media, content management, sports journalism, social media, and podcasting. KEYWORDS: Wine and spirits, beverage industry, business continuity, risk tracking, business continuity tools, supply chains

Episode 160: Leadership Risks You Need to Prepare For Leadership is a major factor in how smoothly your emergency management and business continuity plans are created and implemented, so in this episode, we are sharing some of the top leadership risks to prepare for in order to have a stronger team. The article Vanessa references for this episode is from Forbes on “Navigating Leadership Challenges in a Rapidly Changing World.” Some key takeaways from this episode include: Your ability to manage and regulate your own emotions during a crisis is crucial. According to Forbes, “EQ is so effective that the overall success of the business can improve by 37.2% in the first year” of improving EQ across leadership. We need our teams to be rested, ready, and responsive during a crisis, which means we need to be invested in their wellness. Create wellness programs and incentives, invite guest speakers to speak to nutrition and fitness, and encourage workers to take breaks and time off. Not being proactive about social issues is a major risk. You want to be clear on your stances before you are forced to make a statement or response, and you need to be able to point to your mission, vision, and values to back that statement up. Disaster Recovery Journal: Register for DRJ’s weekly (Wednesday) webinar series Register for DRJ Fall 2023: Focus on Resiliency Asfalis Advisors: Apply to be a guest on the podcast Download the 5 Step Crisis Strategy Connect with the podcast! Email us: podcast@drj.com Website Twitter LinkedIn YouTube Vanessa Mathews, host Vanessa Mathews is the founder and chief resilience officer of Asfalis Advisors, where they are focused on protecting the legacy of the leaders they serve through business resilience. Before becoming an entrepreneur, Mathews developed global crisis management and business continuity programs for government and private sector organizations to include Lowe’s Companies, Gulfstream Aerospace, and the Department of Homeland Security. Book Mathews as a speaker  Jon Seals, producer Jon Seals is the editor in chief at Disaster Recovery Journal, the leading magazine/event in business continuity. Seals is an award-winning journalist with a background in publication design, business media, content management, sports journalism, social media, and podcasting. KEYWORDS: Leadership, risks to watch, business continuity, leadership trends, emotional intelligence, training, social justice issues

Episode 159: Wildfire Preparedness and Emergency Management While the top disaster threat in California is still earthquakes, wildfires have gotten a lot of attention over the last few years. We’re seeing wildfires affect more of North America recently, so in this episode, Leslie Luke, the deputy director of the Los Angeles County Chief Executive Office at the Office of Emergency Management, is here to share his expertise. Leslie covers the training and exercise objectives, communication skills, and community education that are all needed to prepare for and fight wildfires. Some key takeaways from this episode include: One of the biggest parts of wildfire preparedness is educating residents and the community about evacuation preparedness, which includes telling people to have their important documents and belongings ready to go as soon as they’re told to evacuate. Many of the natural disasters hitting California are “no notice” events, so emergency management teams are reacting to them. That means training and exercises will revolve around evaluating the disaster and making decisions as quickly as possible. From an emergency management standpoint, the jurisdiction wherever the fire originates is responsible for mitigating the fire. Teams should be ready to step in and help a smaller jurisdiction if asked. Disaster Recovery Journal: Register for DRJ’s weekly (Wednesday) webinar series Register for DRJ Fall 2023: Focus on Resiliency Asfalis Advisors: Apply to be a guest on the podcast Download the 5 Step Crisis Strategy Connect with the podcast! Email us: podcast@drj.com Website Twitter LinkedIn YouTube Vanessa Mathews, host Vanessa Mathews is the founder and chief resilience officer of Asfalis Advisors, where they are focused on protecting the legacy of the leaders they serve through business resilience. Before becoming an entrepreneur, Mathews developed global crisis management and business continuity programs for government and private sector organizations to include Lowe’s Companies, Gulfstream Aerospace, and the Department of Homeland Security. Book Mathews as a speaker  Jon Seals, producer Jon Seals is the editor in chief at Disaster Recovery Journal, the leading magazine/event in business continuity. Seals is an award-winning journalist with a background in publication design, business media, content management, sports journalism, social media, and podcasting. KEYWORDS: Wildfires, emergency management, disaster preparedness, california wildfires, climate change, environmental justice

Episode 158: How Prepared Is Your Business? | 5 Metrics & KPIs You Should Be Tracking for Business Resilience We’ve spent years helping businesses rethink how to measure the effectiveness of their resiliency program. In fact, we have a 200 question input form that examines just this. While this podcast episode is not long enough to share all 200 questions, we’d like to offer five metrics or key performance indicators (KPIs) you can use to help you assess your business resilience. Some key takeaways from this episode include: What gets funded gets managed. When you can show how certain risks and initiatives are being reflected in a profit & loss statement, you’ll be able to get buy-in from leadership to closely track those initiatives and get more funding to support them. Track your implementation. Do you have clear lines of authority and succession defined? Are procedures in place and are they communicated so that information can move across your organization? What is your organization’s public information system, and do you have a crisis communications team or point of contact? How information is distributed to the public during and after a crisis is crucial for managing that crisis, and for your reputation. Disaster Recovery Journal: Register for DRJ’s weekly (Wednesday) webinar series Register for DRJ Fall 2023: Focus on Resiliency Asfalis Advisors: Apply to be a guest on the podcast Download the 5 Step Crisis Strategy Connect with the podcast! Email us: podcast@drj.com Website Twitter LinkedIn YouTube Vanessa Mathews, host Vanessa Mathews is the founder and chief resilience officer of Asfalis Advisors, where they are focused on protecting the legacy of the leaders they serve through business resilience. Before becoming an entrepreneur, Mathews developed global crisis management and business continuity programs for government and private sector organizations to include Lowe’s Companies, Gulfstream Aerospace, and the Department of Homeland Security. Book Mathews as a speaker  Jon Seals, producer Jon Seals is the editor in chief at Disaster Recovery Journal, the leading magazine/event in business continuity. Seals is an award-winning journalist with a background in publication design, business media, content management, sports journalism, social media, and podcasting. KEYWORDS: business continuity, business resilience metrics, key performance indicator, program assessment, program evaluation, preparedness training

If your team is running exercises where everyone is just going through the motions, you’re missing some key blind spots in your processes. In this replay episode, Rick Christ, a senior consultant at Crisis Prevention and Response, Inc. and a FEMA Master Exercise Practitioner, lays out his seven deadly sins of crisis management exercises. From focusing on shiny objects to exercising too big, Rick covers the mistakes you might be making and how to avoid each one moving forward. Resources mentioned: “The 7 Deadly Sins of Emergency Management,” presentation by former FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate Some of the key takeaways include:  Many times, we do exercises to make us look good, instead of exercising to failure. We need to make sure we’re conducting exercises that show us our blind spots and shortcomings so we can make them better, not so we can practice what we already do well. Focus on small scale drills and functional exercises. When you’re running through an entire scenario, it takes forever to organize and you lose a lot of opportunity to fine tune the details. Run one section of the scenario several times, and iterate on it each time. Looking at your risk assessment regularly is what will keep you on top of the game. It will show your capabilities, what you need to focus on in exercises, and how the news and weather are going to affect your business that day. Disaster Recovery Journal: Register for DRJ’s weekly (Wednesday) webinar series Register for DRJ Fall 2023: Focus on Resiliency Asfalis Advisors: Apply to be a guest on the podcast Download the 5 Step Crisis Strategy Connect with the podcast! Email us: podcast@drj.com Website Twitter LinkedIn YouTube Vanessa Mathews, host Vanessa Mathews is the founder and chief resilience officer of Asfalis Advisors, where they are focused on protecting the legacy of the leaders they serve through business resilience. Before becoming an entrepreneur, Mathews developed global crisis management and business continuity programs for government and private sector organizations to include Lowe’s Companies, Gulfstream Aerospace, and the Department of Homeland Security. Book Mathews as a speaker  Jon Seals, producer Jon Seals is the editor in chief at Disaster Recovery Journal, the leading magazine/event in business continuity. Seals is an award-winning journalist with a background in publication design, business media, content management, sports journalism, social media, and podcasting. KEYWORDS: emergency management, disaster preparedness, FEMA, disaster training, scenario exercises, crisis management

In light of the Supreme Court recently ruling against affirmative action, in this episode we’re sharing clips from our past episodes on higher education. From the experience of leaders and students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU), to the future of security and DEI efforts on college campuses, we hope this episode spotlights the forward progress we’ve seen in higher education despite the SCOTUS ruling. Episodes referenced: Ep. 103: The Future of HBCUs and Higher Education Ep. 55: Important Issues Facing Campus Public Safety Ep. 118: Strategic Communication Methods for DEI Ep. 54: Transitioning from an HBCU to a Career in Emergency Management Some of the key takeaways include:  Losing affirmative action could mean fewer students of color in emergency management and business continuity programs, which means a less diverse workforce for years to come. And it already wasn’t very diverse to begin with! The highest priority in higher education institutions should be education. Safety is important, but ultimately the goal of a college or university is to educate its students. In our field, it’s our job to keep safety at the forefront so students can just focus on learning. Putting together a committee for diversity and inclusion efforts is fine, but it’s not enough. The initiative and investment needs to come directly from the CEO of the company or the president of the university.  Resources mentioned: Listen to Episode 146:  Human Resources Strategies for Building Culture and Acquiring Talent with Marie Mann Disaster Recovery Journal: Register for DRJ’s weekly (Wednesday) webinar series Register for DRJ Fall 2023: Focus on Resiliency Asfalis Advisors: Apply to be a guest on the podcast Download the 5 Step Crisis Strategy Connect with the podcast! Email us: podcast@drj.com Website Twitter LinkedIn YouTube Vanessa Mathews, host Vanessa Mathews is the founder and chief resilience officer of Asfalis Advisors, where they are focused on protecting the legacy of the leaders they serve through business resilience. Before becoming an entrepreneur, Mathews developed global crisis management and business continuity programs for government and private sector organizations to include Lowe’s Companies, Gulfstream Aerospace, and the Department of Homeland Security. Book Mathews as a speaker  Jon Seals, producer Jon Seals is the editor in chief at Disaster Recovery Journal, the leading magazine/event in business continuity. Seals is an award-winning journalist with a background in publication design, business media, content management, sports journalism, social media, and podcasting. KEYWORDS: diversity, equity, inclusion, DEI, higher education, affirmative action, SCOTUS, campus safety, HBCU

Episode 155: Answering the Tricky Questions and Critics about Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion In this episode, we are continuing the conversation from our DEI Microsimulation at the DRJ Spring 2023 conference and addressing some lingering questions from the audience. Vanessa is joined by Lisa Jones, the BC general manager at Control Risks, and James Green, the co-founder of Illuminate Advisory. Together, Lisa and James are co-founders of the Resilience Think Tank Advisory.  Some of the key takeaways include:  If you feel like management is just “checking the box” when it comes to DE&I initiatives, address it with them strategically. Have conversations with them about what retention and recruiting look like without a diverse applicant pool and how it will affect the organization. DE&I can become a very emotional and heated discussion, so consider the emotional intelligence of everyone involved before entering the conversation. Consider the ideas and perceptions that everyone is coming to the table with and use those to remove the barriers to entry. Some folks may have disabilities they’ve chosen not to disclose. Create a culture of trust where people feel comfortable asking for things like being camera off on a zoom call, working from home on a particular day, etc. Resources mentioned: Listen to Episode 146:  Human Resources Strategies for Building Culture and Acquiring Talent with Marie Mann Disaster Recovery Journal: Register for DRJ’s weekly (Wednesday) webinar series Register for DRJ Fall 2023: Focus on Resiliency Asfalis Advisors: Apply to be a guest on the podcast Download the 5 Step Crisis Strategy Connect with the podcast! Email us: podcast@drj.com Website Twitter LinkedIn YouTube Vanessa Mathews, host Vanessa Mathews is the founder and chief resilience officer of Asfalis Advisors, where they are focused on protecting the legacy of the leaders they serve through business resilience. Before becoming an entrepreneur, Mathews developed global crisis management and business continuity programs for government and private sector organizations to include Lowe’s Companies, Gulfstream Aerospace, and the Department of Homeland Security. Book Mathews as a speaker  Jon Seals, producer Jon Seals is the editor in chief at Disaster Recovery Journal, the leading magazine/event in business continuity. Seals is an award-winning journalist with a background in publication design, business media, content management, sports journalism, social media, and podcasting. KEYWORDS: Diversity, equity, inclusion, DE&I, brand reputation, talent acquisition, employee retention, company culture

Episode 154: What We Can Learn from the Silicon Valley Bank Failure and Leadership in Risk Management The Silicon Valley Bank failure sent a strong ripple effect through the financials of several prominent companies, and instilled some fear that other banks might fail as well. In this episode, we’re joined by Chris Holmes, the co-founder and CEO of RiskVersity, to explain what happened with SVB, where we’re still feeling the effects, and what you need to know to protect yourself. Connect with RiskVersity: LinkedIn  Facebook Twitter Some of the key takeaways include:  The Silicon Valley Bank failure is still having a ripple effect that affected small regional banks, but is now impacting systemically important banks (AKA banks that are “too big to fail”), showing that risk exists for all institutions. Another ramification we might see is an impact on commercial real estate. Properties like strip malls and apartment complexes could see mortgage rates see exponential increases that will make already rising rental rates even less affordable. Two numbers you should always pay attention to are your assets and liabilities. If you see the assets of your bank decrease while liabilities increase, it could be a sign they’re in trouble. Sign up for our Four Corners newsletter for exclusive content, bonus interviews, and more. Disaster Recovery Journal: Register for DRJ’s weekly (Wednesday) webinar series Register for DRJ Fall 2023: Focus on Resiliency Asfalis Advisors: Apply to be a guest on the podcast Download the 5 Step Crisis Strategy Connect with the podcast! Email us: podcast@drj.com Website Twitter LinkedIn YouTube Vanessa Mathews, host Vanessa Mathews is the founder and chief resilience officer of Asfalis Advisors, where they are focused on protecting the legacy of the leaders they serve through business resilience. Before becoming an entrepreneur, Mathews developed global crisis management and business continuity programs for government and private sector organizations to include Lowe’s Companies, Gulfstream Aerospace, and the Department of Homeland Security. Book Mathews as a speaker  Jon Seals, producer Jon Seals is the editor in chief at Disaster Recovery Journal, the leading magazine/event in business continuity. Seals is an award-winning journalist with a background in publication design, business media, content management, sports journalism, social media, and podcasting. KEYWORDS: Silicon Valley Bank, bank failure, bank bailout, risk leadership, risk management, interest rates, commercial real estate, leadership development

Episode 153: Growing and Developing the Leaders in Your Organization Developing leaders in your organization is mutually beneficial for your employees and the organization. In this episode, Debbie Maples, the VP of global safety and security at Salesforce, joins us to share why developing leaders is more important than ever, and how you can empower the leaders in your organization. Some of the key takeaways include:  Leaders can be born or made, it’s not necessarily one or the other. Some people do have natural leadership abilities, but whether they do or not, it’s our responsibility to nurture the leadership skills in everyone. If you’re really good at what you do, it’s easier to do things yourself, but that’s also the selfish choice. Share your knowledge freely and empower the people around you with those skills. We are living in unprecedented times that will only get more complicated in the future. We need to build teams with specialized leaders that can handle unpredictable situations. Sign up for our Four Corners newsletter for exclusive content, bonus interviews, and more. Disaster Recovery Journal: Register for DRJ’s weekly (Wednesday) webinar series Register for DRJ Fall 2023: Focus on Resiliency Asfalis Advisors: Apply to be a guest on the podcast Download the 5 Step Crisis Strategy Connect with the podcast! Email us: podcast@drj.com Website Twitter LinkedIn YouTube Vanessa Mathews, host Vanessa Mathews is the founder and chief resilience officer of Asfalis Advisors, where they are focused on protecting the legacy of the leaders they serve through business resilience. Before becoming an entrepreneur, Mathews developed global crisis management and business continuity programs for government and private sector organizations to include Lowe’s Companies, Gulfstream Aerospace, and the Department of Homeland Security. Book Mathews as a speaker  Jon Seals, producer Jon Seals is the editor in chief at Disaster Recovery Journal, the leading magazine/event in business continuity. Seals is an award-winning journalist with a background in publication design, business media, content management, sports journalism, social media, and podcasting. KEYWORDS: Leadership, leadership development, leadership skills, security leaders, business continuity leaders, business resilience

Episode 152: Behind the Scenes of a Human Resources Case Study for a Retail Organization Vernetta Purcell-Morrow, the director of human resources for the Mecklenburg County Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) Board is back to share her experience hiring Asfalis Advisors to conduct an human resources audit. We’ll cover why Asfalis Advisors was selected, the findings from Vanessa’s team, and the results of their proposed solutions. Some of the key takeaways include:  Audits can incite some fear and tension, but choosing a team you trust that is going to be honest while being supportive is crucial to keep up morale during the process. No matter how much you want to improve, it doesn’t feel good to hear all the things you need to improve. Go into this process with a growth mindset and keep your key stakeholders in mind. If your company is trying to reach leadership to become a vendor, do your research on the company. Leaders are looking for people whose company values align with theirs, and who understand their mission and vision. Sign up for our Four Corners newsletter for exclusive content, bonus interviews, and more. Disaster Recovery Journal: Register for DRJ’s weekly (Wednesday) webinar series Register for DRJ Fall 2023: Focus on Resiliency Asfalis Advisors: Apply to be a guest on the podcast Download the 5 Step Crisis Strategy Connect with the podcast! Email us: podcast@drj.com Website Twitter LinkedIn YouTube Vanessa Mathews, host Vanessa Mathews is the founder and chief resilience officer of Asfalis Advisors, where they are focused on protecting the legacy of the leaders they serve through business resilience. Before becoming an entrepreneur, Mathews developed global crisis management and business continuity programs for government and private sector organizations to include Lowe’s Companies, Gulfstream Aerospace, and the Department of Homeland Security. Book Mathews as a speaker  Jon Seals, producer Jon Seals is the editor in chief at Disaster Recovery Journal, the leading magazine/event in business continuity. Seals is an award-winning journalist with a background in publication design, business media, content management, sports journalism, social media, and podcasting. KEYWORDS: human resources, HR audit, staffing shortage, retail, employee engagement, core values, mission and vision, company audit

Episode 151: Retail Industry Challenges – Staffing, Employee Burnout, Customer Behavior, and Community Engagement Today we’re joined by Vernetta Purcell-Morrow, the director of human resources for the Mecklenburg County Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) Board. In this episode, Vernetta shares her experience with supporting community engagement programs as a company, and the unique challenges that came with being an essential retail business during the pandemic, staffing shortages, and more. This episode is brought to you by OnSolve, the leading platform for crisis event management. Download the 2023 OnSolve Global Risk Impact Report at https://OnSolve.com/GRI.   Some of the key takeaways include:  With businesses where in-person staffing is essential, burnout can be a huge challenge. As an HR department, looking out for your workers and promoting self-care is important. In the retail industry, some of the top signs of burnout are absenteeism and customer complaints related to customer service. As an organization, donating a portion of your gross profits to a community organization is great, but you can expand that even more through community engagement programs. Sign up for our Four Corners newsletter for exclusive content, bonus interviews, and more. Disaster Recovery Journal: Register for DRJ’s weekly (Wednesday) webinar series Register for DRJ Fall 2023: Focus on Resiliency Asfalis Advisors: Apply to be a guest on the podcast Download the 5 Step Crisis Strategy Connect with the podcast! Email us: podcast@drj.com Website Twitter LinkedIn YouTube Vanessa Mathews, host Vanessa Mathews is the founder and chief resilience officer of Asfalis Advisors, where they are focused on protecting the legacy of the leaders they serve through business resilience. Before becoming an entrepreneur, Mathews developed global crisis management and business continuity programs for government and private sector organizations to include Lowe’s Companies, Gulfstream Aerospace, and the Department of Homeland Security. Book Mathews as a speaker  Jon Seals, producer Jon Seals is the editor in chief at Disaster Recovery Journal, the leading magazine/event in business continuity. Seals is an award-winning journalist with a background in publication design, business media, content management, sports journalism, social media, and podcasting. KEYWORDS: Business continuity, crisis management, human resources, staffing shortage, retail, employee engagement, community engagement, corporate social responsibility, core values

Episode 150:  The Top Rising Risks You Need to Prepare For with Chris Hurst of OnSolve In this episode, we are unpacking data from the 2023 OnSolve Global Risk Impact Report, which details the most prominent risks and what to do with the data we’re seeing about these risks. To discuss these findings, we’re joined by Chris Hurst, vice president of value engineering at OnSolve. Resources: DRJ Spring 2023: What Will an Effective, Efficient Operational Risk and Resiliency Program Look Like in 2-4 Years? 2023 OnSolve Global Risk Impact Report This episode is brought to you by OnSolve, the leading platform for crisis event management. Download the 2023 OnSolve Global Risk Impact Report at https://OnSolve.com/GRI.   Some of the key takeaways include:  Over the last year, there have been an average of 10 incidents every minute in the U.S. There have been significant increases in incidents relating to extreme weather, infrastructure failures, and transportation incidents. Many infrastructure and transportation incidents are related to organizations being stretched extremely thin. There are more risks than ever before, so organizations need more resources to keep up. Data can help you make stronger, more strategic decisions when it comes to preparing for risks. Arming yourself with information can help you make the argument for more resources in your organization. Sign up for our Four Corners newsletter for exclusive content, bonus interviews, and more. Disaster Recovery Journal: Register for DRJ’s weekly (Wednesday) webinar series Register for DRJ Fall 2023: Focus on Resiliency Asfalis Advisors: Apply to be a guest on the podcast Download the 5 Step Crisis Strategy Connect with the podcast! Email us: podcast@drj.com Website Twitter LinkedIn YouTube Vanessa Mathews, host Vanessa Mathews is the founder and chief resilience officer of Asfalis Advisors, where they are focused on protecting the legacy of the leaders they serve through business resilience. Before becoming an entrepreneur, Mathews developed global crisis management and business continuity programs for government and private sector organizations to include Lowe’s Companies, Gulfstream Aerospace, and the Department of Homeland Security. Book Mathews as a speaker  Jon Seals, producer Jon Seals is the editor in chief at Disaster Recovery Journal, the leading magazine/event in business continuity. Seals is an award-winning journalist with a background in publication design, business media, content management, sports journalism, social media, and podcasting.

Episode 149:  Vanessa Mathews’ Origin Story – Growing a Business Resilience Company, Emergency Management Programs, and More! In this episode, we’re putting Vanessa in the hot seat! This week, her colleague Michelle Myrie from Asfalis Advisors interviews her on her education, building Asfalis Advisors, how the industry is shifting, and more. There are some incredible stories in this episode you don’t want to miss. Some of the key takeaways include:  Business resilience is needed in every industry and every type of company. As a field of study, homeland security and emergency management has evolved so students are encouraged to explore both the public and private sectors. There is a lot that goes into an “overnight success.” Asfalis Advisors will be 10 years old next year, and their recent explosive growth is a result of that decade of experience. The energy you bring to the table matters. Nobody cares about emergency management until an emergency happens. By being engaging and exciting, you get buy-in early in the game. Disaster Recovery Journal: Register for DRJ’s weekly (Wednesday) webinar series Register for DRJ Fall 2023: Focus on Resiliency Asfalis Advisors: Apply to be a guest on the podcast Download the 5 Step Crisis Strategy Connect with the podcast! Email us: podcast@drj.com Website Twitter LinkedIn YouTube Vanessa Mathews, host Vanessa Mathews is the founder and chief resilience officer of Asfalis Advisors, where they are focused on protecting the legacy of the leaders they serve through business resilience. Before becoming an entrepreneur, Mathews developed global crisis management and business continuity programs for government and private sector organizations to include Lowe’s Companies, Gulfstream Aerospace, and the Department of Homeland Security. Book Mathews as a speaker  Jon Seals, producer Jon Seals is the editor in chief at Disaster Recovery Journal, the leading magazine/event in business continuity. Seals is an award-winning journalist with a background in publication design, business media, content management, sports journalism, social media, and podcasting.

Episode 148:  Supporting the Next Generation of Hazard & Disaster Researchers We are looking to fill roles in our organizations with talented, diverse individuals. In this episode, Dr. Nnenia Campbell, a disaster sociologist and deputy director of the Bill Anderson Fund, is sharing how this organization provides mentorship and training for the next generation of hazard and disaster researchers. Learn more about The Bill Anderson Fund Connect with Nnenia Campbell on LinkedIn Some of the key takeaways include:  The Bill Anderson Fund was created to increase the number of underrepresented individuals in the hazard and disaster industry. They partner with companies to provide internship opportunities to graduate students. There is an equity lens we need to remember when it comes to disaster recovery. Underrepresented communities of color are deeply impacted by disasters, and we can positively impact these communities by diversifying the talent in our industry. If you’re interested in providing a paid research opportunity to fellows in the Bill Anderson Fund, you can learn more at https://billandersonfund.org/ways-to-give.  Sign up for our Four Corners newsletter for exclusive content, bonus interviews, and more. Disaster Recovery Journal: Register for DRJ’s weekly (Wednesday) webinar series Register for DRJ Fall 2023: Focus on Resiliency Asfalis Advisors: Apply to be a guest on the podcast Download the 5 Step Crisis Strategy Connect with the podcast! Email us: podcast@drj.com Website Twitter LinkedIn YouTube Vanessa Mathews, host Vanessa Mathews is the founder and chief resilience officer of Asfalis Advisors, where they are focused on protecting the legacy of the leaders they serve through business resilience. Before becoming an entrepreneur, Mathews developed global crisis management and business continuity programs for government and private sector organizations to include Lowe’s Companies, Gulfstream Aerospace, and the Department of Homeland Security. Book Mathews as a speaker  Jon Seals, producer Jon Seals is the editor in chief at Disaster Recovery Journal, the leading magazine/event in business continuity. Seals is an award-winning journalist with a background in publication design, business media, content management, sports journalism, social media, and podcasting.