This week’s guest calls himself a thorn in the side of the resilience industry. He doesn’t believe in documented plans, leveraging Mike Tyson’s quote – “Everybody has a plan until you get punched in the face.”   Simply put, heeees baaaack!

Hello everyone and welcome to episode 158 of the Resilient Journey podcast, presented by the Resilience Think Tank.

This week, resilience antagonist Mark Armour joins the podcast to talk about how to prepare and empower organizations without using documented business continuity plans. He believes organizations can have a great deal of capability without a plan. For him, our industry focuses too much on documentation and not enough on capability.

Mark and Mark talk about the difference between plans and planning.  And they discuss the difference between capability and compliance.

Be sure to follow The Resilient Journey!  We sure do appreciate it!

Learn more about the Resilience Think Tank here.

Want to learn more about Mark? Click here or on LinkedIn or Twitter.

Special thanks to Bensound for the music.

The last several weeks of the 2024 hurricane season have been devastating for many in Florida and Georgia. Hurricanes Helene and Milton have seemingly popped up out of nowhere, leaving destruction in their wake.

Hello everyone and welcome to episode 157 of the Resilient Journey podcast, presented by the Resilience Think Tank.

This week, we’re happy to be joined once again by meteorologist Staci Saint-Preux who talks about the 2024 hurricane season. Did it meet expectations? How can powerful storms like Helene and Milton form quickly and still be so powerful? She reminds us why it’s so important to listen to weather experts when bad weather is approaching.

She provides some advice to those responsible for business continuity and crisis management when it comes to weather related events.

And, Staci explains what Storm-Geo is all about.

Be sure to follow The Resilient Journey!  We sure do appreciate it!

Learn more about the Resilience Think Tank here.

Want to learn more about Mark? Click here or on LinkedIn or Twitter.

Special thanks to Bensound for the music.

The Resilient Journey is here to help resilience professionals learn more about adjacent disciplines. Last week Mads Paerregaard shared important details about physical security. This week, we dive into the world of crisis communications.

Hello everyone and welcome to episode 148 of the Resilient Journey podcast, presented by the Resilience Think Tank.

This week, Mark welcomes Stephanie Craig, the President of Kith – a crisis management consulting firm that helps clients prepare for, manage, and navigate high-profile crises. Stephanie explains that when it comes to crisis communications, the goal is to always protect reputations.

She and Mark talk about the who, what and how of crisis communications, the importance of knowing your stakeholders and the value of pre-drafted templates. Stephanie explains why trust and clarity are critical to effective communications. Let’s find out why.

Be sure to follow The Resilient Journey!  We sure do appreciate it!

Learn more about the Resilience Think Tank here.

Want to learn more about Mark? Click here or on LinkedIn or Twitter.

Special thanks to Bensound for the music.

October is cybersecurity awareness month. As a resilience professional, you need to understand what’s going on behind the scenes of a ransomware attack, and we’ve got the right guest for you.

Hello everyone, welcome to episode 58 - as the Resilience Think Tank presents the Resilient Journey podcast!

Today I’m joined by Supervisory Special Agent Ken Schmutz from the FBI Cyber Task Force.

Listen as Agent Schmutz walks us through the various stages of a ransomware attack, shares his views about the importance of having a response plan in place, gives insight into what you can expect when you engage law enforcement, and he provides us with the FBI’s official recommendation about whether or not you should pay a ransom.

Be sure to follow The Resilient Journey!  We sure do appreciate it!

Learn more about the Resilience Think Tank here.

Want to learn more about Mark? Click here or on LinkedIn or Twitter.

Special thanks to Bensound for the music.

As the world begins to crawl out from under the rock that was the COVID-19 pandemic, people are gathering again at conferences. Today, we get a recap of one of the biggest Resilience themed conferences in North America – DRJ Fall 2022.

Hello everyone, welcome to episode 56 - as the Resilience Think Tank presents the Resilient Journey podcast!

Today I’m joined by two co-founders and managing partners of the Resilience Think Tank, and presenters at DRJ Fall 2022 – Lisa Jones and James Green.

This week Lisa, James and I talk about the importance of networking at conferences – even if you’re not comfortable with mingling.

I get James and Lisa to talk about their favorite speakers and share a little from their presentation about finding the next generation of resilience professionals.

Be sure to follow The Resilient Journey!  We sure do appreciate it!

Learn more about the Resilience Think Tank here.

Want to learn more about Mark? Click here or on LinkedIn or Twitter.

Special thanks to Bensound for the music.

When we think about the resilience of our organizations, we all think about the elephants in the room – but how much attention do we give to the elephants and the donkeys? The midterm elections are right around the corner.

Hello everyone, welcome to episode 55 - as the Resilience Think Tank presents the Resilient Journey podcast! Today I’m joined by chairman and founder of Washington, D.C.-based organization - The Hawthorn Group. John Ashford has provided senior counsel to clients in all 50 states and several countries, drawing from public affairs and communications experience.

This week John and I discuss the pushback organizations could face when social responsibility turns to social advocacy. We talk about the Four Ps that will likely impact the upcoming midterm elections – and therefore could impact the resilience of corporate America, specifically:

• Polling
• Partisanship
• Passion
• Populism

Be sure to follow The Resilient Journey!  We sure do appreciate it!

Learn more about the Resilience Think Tank here.

Want to learn more about Mark? Click here or on LinkedIn or Twitter.

Special thanks to Bensound for the music.

As resilience professionals we spend time each day thinking about and working to make sure our organizations are able to withstand a disruption. But, do we give the same consideration to our own careers?

Hello everyone, welcome to episode 54 - as the Resilience Think Tank presents the Resilient Journey podcast!  Today I’m joined by industry leader, hiring and data research pro Cheyene Marling.

This week Cheyene and I cover everything from how to prepare for a day you hope never happens, quiet quitting – from a couple of different points of view and what the business continuity and resilience industry looks like right now.

• Is it time to make a move?
• What about remote working?
• How are salaries doing in our industry?

Be sure to follow The Resilient Journey!  We sure do appreciate it!

Learn more about the Resilience Think Tank here.

Want to learn more about Mark? Click here or on LinkedIn or Twitter.

Special thanks to Bensound for the music.

Sometimes a small investment of time can reap huge benefits. Taking a few minutes to reflect gratitude or to work out, or to listen to today’s guest drop some solid advice for being successful at work.

Hello everyone, welcome to episode 53 - as the Resilience Think Tank presents the Resilient Journey podcast! Today I have some excellent advice for everyone.

My guest this week has her roots in homeland security and has transitioned to the private sector in various roles related to resilience and crisis management. I’m joined by Tina Klaskala and we’re talking what it takes to successfully lead as a woman working in a male dominated industry. Listen as Tina and I discuss:

• Why it’s time to flip the script
• The importance of being committed and tenacious
• How to be your authentic self, even though you’re imperfect

Be sure to follow The Resilient Journey!  We sure do appreciate it!

Learn more about the Resilience Think Tank here.

Want to learn more about Mark? Click here or on LinkedIn or Twitter.

Special thanks to Bensound for the music.

When I was a little kid and I had to race my big brother, I’d ask for a head start so that I had a fighting chance. Well, think about how valuable it would be if you could get a head start when responding to a crisis.

Hello everyone, welcome to episode 52 - as the Resilience Think Tank presents the Resilient Journey podcast!

Today we celebrate 52 weekly episodes! The end of our first year!

My guest this week is Pete O’Dell, CEO of Swan Island Networks and we’re talking about threat monitoring.

Listen as Pete and I discuss:

• The benefits of not flying blind
• What it means to be “left of boom”
• The value of integrating technology and process
• Risk identification and response best practices

Be sure to follow The Resilient Journey!  We sure do appreciate it!

Learn more about the Resilience Think Tank here.

Want to learn more about Mark? Click here or on LinkedIn or Twitter.

Special thanks to Bensound for the music.

Welcome to the resilient journey podcast. Today we start a new 20-minute format to make the podcast easier to listen to. And today, I turn the reigns of the podcast over to two co-founders of the Resilience Think Tank.

Hello everyone, welcome to episode 51 - as the Resilience Think Tank presents the Resilient Journey podcast! Today I turn the show over to Resilience Think Tank co-founder Lisa Jones who interviews Milena Meneva. Their conversation: The next generation of resilience professionals.

Listen as Lisa and Milena discuss:

• How a disruption kick started Milena’s own resilient journey
• The value of networking, listening to podcasts and webinars
• How stepping out of your comfort zone can propel your career
• And the best career advice you can receive

Be sure to follow The Resilient Journey!  We sure do appreciate it!

Learn more about the Resilience Think Tank here.

Want to learn more about Mark? Click here or on LinkedIn or Twitter.

Special thanks to Bensound for the music.

Today, we’re going back to April of 2013. To Boston. To the Marathon.

Hello everyone, welcome to episode 50 - as the Resilience Think Tank presents the Resilient Journey podcast! This week I am joined by former FBI Analyst John Petrozzelli who was an intelligence analyst leading a team in the forensic investigation of the Boston Marathon bombing.

Listen as John and I talk about his investigation into the digital lives of the terrorists, as we identify seven key crisis management takeaways including:

• The importance of building relationship before the crisis
• Why you need to challenge your assumptions
• Why cyber and forensics may come into play even during a non-cyber incident
• The reality of trauma affecting those managing the crisis

Be sure to follow The Resilient Journey!  We sure do appreciate it!

Learn more about the Resilience Think Tank here.

Connect with John here.  

Want to learn more about Mark? Click here or on LinkedIn or Twitter.

Special thanks to Bensound for the music.

There is a term that people use to describe what your mind does at time of crisis. Some do it more than others. More seasoned professionals hardly do it at all. The term is fog of war and the goal to is reduce it.

Hello everyone, welcome to episode 49 - as the Resilience Think Tank presents the Resilient Journey podcast! This week we continue our conversation about software as I’m joined by Chris Britton, Co-founder of RockDove Solutions.

Listen as Chris and I talk about how using crisis management software can reduce the fog of war. We also discuss:

• The importance of having a complete view of your operation
• The value of bringing people together during a crisis
• Techniques for improved stakeholder communications
• And…why you should be thinking about specific scenarios as you develop playbooks.

Be sure to follow The Resilient Journey!  We sure do appreciate it!

Learn more about the Resilience Think Tank here.

Connect with Chris here.  

Want to learn more about Mark? Click here or on LinkedIn or Twitter.

Special thanks to Bensound for the music.

There are times where going old school is perfectly acceptable. I love a good charcoal barbecue, or listening to jazz on vinyl. But when it comes to business continuity management – the old tools just don’t cut it.

Hello everyone, welcome to episode 48 - as the Resilience Think Tank presents the Resilient Journey podcast! This week I’m joined by Marie-Helene Primeau, Executive Vice President at Premier Continuum and Senad Cehajic, Director of Business Continuity and Corporate Security at OMERS. And this week, we’re talking about BCM Software.

Listen as Marie and Senad share two perspectives of BCM software, one as the service provider and the other as the customer. We discuss:

• The advantages of using software to manage your BC program
• Some misconceptions about using software
• Must have features
• Ways to justify the expense to senior leaders

Be sure to follow The Resilient Journey!  We sure do appreciate it!

Learn more about the Resilience Think Tank here.

Connect with Premier Continuum here.

Want to learn more about Mark? Click here or on LinkedIn or Twitter.

Special thanks to Bensound for the music.

From time to time, we all struggle with aspects of our job that are less familiar to us. You may have worked in the resilience industry for a number of years, but never had reason to focus on an adjacent discipline. The Resilient Journey is here to help.

Hello everyone and welcome to episode 147 of the Resilient Journey podcast, presented by the Resilience Think Tank.

This week, Mark welcomes Mads Paerregaard, CEO of Human Risks.  Mads and Mark are talking about physical security risk and the natural connection it has with resilience. They talk about the value of understanding the business and communicating in clear business language.

Mads says that by understanding the criticality of specific facilities, we can establish appropriate security measures and resilience strategies. And…Mads give advice to resilience professionals who don’t have a lot of experience with physical security.

Be sure to follow The Resilient Journey!  We sure do appreciate it!

Learn more about the Resilience Think Tank here.

Want to learn more about Mark? Click here or on LinkedIn or Twitter.

Special thanks to Bensound for the music.

I’ve been in the business continuity and resilience industry for over 20 years and I still make it a point to be like a sponge and try to learn something new every day. That approach is even more critical for those who are new to the industry.

Hello everyone, welcome to episode 47 - as the Resilience Think Tank presents the Resilient Journey podcast! My guest this week is friend, and co-conspirator James Green.

Listen as James introduces the spotlight of the Resilience Think Tank in Q3 of 2022 – The Next Generation of Resilience Professionals. James and I cover:

• 5 things that new professionals can do to broaden their horizons
• Why it’s okay to change your point of view
• The value of taking a long-term view of life and your career

And it wouldn’t be an interview with James Green if there wasn’t a controversial moment.

Be sure to follow The Resilient Journey!  We sure do appreciate it!

Learn more about the Resilience Think Tank here.

Want to learn more about Mark? Click here or on LinkedIn or Twitter.

Special thanks to Bensound for the music.

I want you to picture yourself in a long hallway. On the walls, as far as you can see, there are pictures. Framed photographs of organizations entrenched in a public crisis. I’m curious, what companies come to mind?

Hello everyone, welcome to episode 46 - as the Resilience Think Tank presents the Resilient Journey podcast! This week I’m joined by Larry Walsh, Vice Chairman of the Hawthorn Group a public affairs firm that has been helping organizations for over 30 years.

More and more issues are playing out in the public arena – and dragging corporations into them.  A crisis can damage a company’s reputation. Larry gives us some great insights including:

• That what CAN be known, WILL be known
• When you should respond to negative comments on social media
• That values are the foundation of a company’s reputation

Be sure to follow The Resilient Journey!  We sure do appreciate it!

Learn more about the Resilience Think Tank here.

Connect with The Hawthorn Group here.

Want to learn more about Mark? Click here or on LinkedIn or Twitter.

Special thanks to Bensound for the music.

I have been doing business continuity and resilience a long time and I’m going to admit something to you. This week’s guest introduces a concept that I have almost completely overlooked throughout my career. Personal preparedness as part of a resilience strategy.

Hello everyone, welcome to episode 45 - as the Resilience Think Tank presents the Resilient Journey podcast!

This week I’m joined by Bob Keller. I saw Bob speak at a conference recently and knew he was the perfect guest for the podcast. Listen as Bob explains:

• That corporations need to consider the human element of their continuity plans
• Why we need to push personal preparedness as part of the BCM program
• The fact that the business is only as resilient as their plan – but the plan is only as effective as the people who run it!

Be sure to follow The Resilient Journey!  We sure do appreciate it!

Learn more about the Resilience Think Tank here.

Connect with Bob here.

Want to learn more about Mark? Click here or on LinkedIn or Twitter.

Special thanks to Bensound for the music.

If I’m 100% honest, I don’t know why cheerleaders have to spell everything. “Be aggressive. B-E aggressive. B-E  A-G-G-R-E-S-S-I-V-E.  What’s the point?

Hello everyone, welcome to episode 44 -  as the Resilience Think Tank presents the Resilient Journey podcast! This week I’m joined by Michele Turner. Michele is going to spell for us today as she walks us through her methodology for business continuity program development.

This is based on Michele’s latest book Lessons Learned: Short Stories of Continuity and Resilience.

As we work our way through the word “PARSE”, we will discuss:

• Tips if you’re having trouble getting executive level support
• Making sure your program demonstrates VALUE
• The use of Risk Assessments 
• How sometimes we need to slow down to speed up
• Why it’s important for you to have a personal career strategy
• How our unique view of the organization can help develop resilience strategies

Be sure to follow The Resilient Journey!  We sure do appreciate it!

Learn more about the Resilience Think Tank here.

Connect with Michele here.

Want to learn more about Mark? Click here or on LinkedIn or Twitter.

Special thanks to Bensound for the music.

Tabletops, functional exercises. We’ve run them and have a pretty good idea of what to do. When you think about running an exercise, you might feel like you know all there is to know. What if I said I could teach you something new?

Hello everyone and welcome as the Resilience Think Tank presents the Resilient Journey Podcast. Welcome to episode 43. This week I’m joined by Lester Chng, former naval officer and head of Cyber and Crisis Security Exercise Management at Bank of Montreal. In this episode you’re going to learn something new about exercising.

Today we discuss:

• How to leverage exercising to enhance our operational resilience
• How to use drills as part of effective exercises
• What do we mean by exercise workshops?

The bottom line is – we are going to make a positive impact on the way we think about exercising.

Be sure to follow The Resilient Journey!  We sure do appreciate it!

Learn more about the Resilience Think Tank here.

Connect with Lester here.

Want to learn more about Mark? Click here or on LinkedIn or Twitter.

Special thanks to Bensound for the music.

When you think of the great resignation, what do you imagine? Do you picture mid to upper level executives switching jobs?

What about minimum wage earners? Do you think about them? What about the anti-work movement? How can that affect your organization’s resilience?

Hello everyone and welcome as the Resilience Think Tank presents the Resilient Journey Podcast.

Welcome to episode 42. This week I’m going to speak about the anti-work movement and:

• How staffing shortages are affecting the service industry
• How minimum wage jobs are likely to affect your supply chain
• Why staffing shortages matter
• And a couple of things you can be looking out for within your own organization.

Be sure to follow The Resilient Journey!  We sure do appreciate it!

Learn more about the Resilience Think Tank here.

Want to learn more about Mark? Click here or on LinkedIn or Twitter.

Special thanks to Bensound for the music.

According this week’s guest, recent events related to gun violence in the United States reinforce the need for every employer, organization or municipality to make sure they are prepared. This is – foreseeable risk.

Hello everyone and welcome as the Resilience Think Tank presents the Resilient Journey Podcast. My guest this week is Steve Crimando, a subject matter expert and trainer specialized in human factors/behavioral sciences in homeland and corporate security, anti-terrorism, violence prevention and intervention, emergency and disaster management. This week, Steve and I discuss:

• How organizations can prepare for violence in the workplace
• How sticky phrases can help drive home key messages in high stress situation
• Why you need to be surgical in your delivery of messages during a crisis
• And an interesting take on the fact that every crisis has a human aspect to it.

Learn more about the Resilience Think Tank here.

Connect with Steve Crimando here.

Want to learn more about Mark? Click here or on LinkedIn or Twitter.

Special thanks to Bensound for the music.

According to the Gun Violence Archive, a mass shooting is when there are 4 or more victims in a single incident. The US has experienced over 50 mass shootings, with more than 70 dead and nearly 300 wounded, and that’s in May of 2022 alone!

Hello everyone and welcome as the Resilience Think Tank presents the Resilient Journey Podcast. Welcome to episode 40. My guest this week is preparedness expert Vince Davis and if you haven’t guessed it, our topic is gun violence, specifically mass shootings in the US.

This week, Vince and I discuss:

• Is this a gun problem or a morality issue?
• What is “the bad man drill”?
• What you should be doing within your own organization to be as ready as possible for an active shooter event.

Be sure to follow The Resilient Journey!  We sure do appreciate it!

Learn more about the Resilience Think Tank here.

Connect with Vince Davis here.

Want to learn more about Mark? Click here or on LinkedIn or Twitter.

Special thanks to Bensound for the music.

If you’re a business continuity professional, this is a topic that deserves your attention. It will help your organization be more resilient and I would encourage you to pay attention to the next 28 minutes or so.

Hello everyone and welcome as the Resilience Think Tank presents the Resilient Journey Podcast. Welcome to episode 39.. This is part 2 of my conversation with Vice President of Marketing for R3 Continuum – Jamie Gassmann. This week, Jamie explains:

• How a more resilient workforce allows your organization to bounce back faster
• Some misconceptions about mental health in the workplace
• And we discuss how a leader can be effective in a crisis situation when they’re struggling to deal with it themselves.

But first, here’s a brief word from Ashley at the Resilience Think Tank.

Be sure to follow The Resilient Journey!  We sure do appreciate it!

Learn more about the Resilience Think Tank here.

Connect with Jamie Gassmann here.

Learn more about R3 Continuum here.

Want to learn more about Mark? Click here or on LinkedIn or Twitter.

Special thanks to Bensound for the music.

Hello everyone and welcome as the Resilience Think Tank presents the Resilient Journey Podcast.

Welcome to episode 38.

My guest this week is Vice President of Marketing for R3 Continuum – Jamie Gassmann. In the first of 2 episodes with Jamie, we discuss an area of focus for the think tank in Q2 – mental health.

Jamie and I will cover an area that should get your interest as a business continuity and resilience professional – the idea that business resilience has to start with your people.

Jamie will catch us up on trends related to stress in the workplace as people return to the office.

Be sure to follow The Resilient Journey!  We sure do appreciate it!

Learn more about the Resilience Think Tank here.

Connect with Jamie Gassmann here.

Learn more about R3 Continuum here.

Want to learn more about Mark? Click here or on LinkedIn or Twitter.

Special thanks to Bensound for the music.

Diversity, equity and inclusion has been all over the news recently. In fact, DEI is everywhere – from the corporate boardroom to the political arena. This week’s guest knows a thing or two about diversity and she says “DEI is going to win!”

Hello everyone and welcome to episode 146 of the Resilient Journey podcast, presented by the Resilience Think Tank.

This week, Mark welcomes guest co-host Lisa Jones. Lisa and Mark are joined by Dee C. Marshall, CEO and Managing Partner of Diverse and Engaged.  In this important episode Dee explains that we are experiencing what she calls “DEI 4.0” and tells us what’s going on with DEI globally.

Lisa asks if organizations rushed to implement DEI and what’s the reason for the recent change in direction. They discuss American privilege and if American culture really cares about the well-being of its people.

Be sure to follow The Resilient Journey!  We sure do appreciate it!

Learn more about the Resilience Think Tank here.

Want to learn more about Mark? Click here or on LinkedIn or Twitter.

Special thanks to Bensound for the music.

The phrase "May you live in interesting times" is an expression that is claimed to be an ancient Chinese curse. While it might sound like blessing, it rarely is. Living through the pandemic and now the great resignation, these are indeed interesting times.

Hello everyone and welcome to episode 37 of the Resilient Journey. My guest today is one of those people we claim needs no introduction. Industry icon Margaret Millett joins me this week on the podcast as we talk about the great resignation.

Listen as Margaret discusses how the great resignation may create critical gaps in your organization, how to adjust business continuity practices to help organizations be more prepared, and why you might even want to consider changing some things in your BIA.

We also get into some practical advice for helping business continuity and resilience professionals head off some problems before they occur.

To connect with Margaret, click here.

Want to learn more about Mark? Click here or on LinkedIn or Twitter.

Special thanks to Bensound for the music.

If you’ve never had to respond to a cyberattack or been forced to make difficult time-sensitive decisions, and if you haven’t given serious thought to how you would respond, it’s safe to say you could be headed for a whole lot of trouble.

Hello everyone and welcome to episode 36 of The Resilient Journey podcast, sponsored by ClearRisk.

Today I want to get you started on the road to effectively responding to a cyberattack.

We will discuss why this isn’t just an IT problem, how to involve your crisis management team and how to be as prepared as possible to make those difficult decisions.

Cyber crime is on the rise, and with everything going on in the cyber world, can you really afford not to pay attention?

Be sure to follow The Resilient Journey!  We sure do appreciate it!

Big thanks to my friends at ClearRisk for sponsoring The Resilient Journey!

Want to learn more about Mark? Click here or on LinkedIn or Twitter.

Special thanks to Bensound for the music.

As a Business Continuity or Crisis Management professional, it’s important for us to understand the human side of a disruptive event. And if we have insights into the best way to help employees after a trauma, we’re one step ahead of the game.

Welcome to episode 35 of the Resilient Journey podcast, sponsored by ClearRisk.

Today I’m joined by Jody Copeland, a registered psychotherapist.

Listen as Jody tells us what employers should do to support employees post-trauma, the effects of an unsupported employee and Jody encourages employers to get curious about their employees after a traumatic event.

And if you’re struggling with something you just can’t shake, Jody has some advice for you too.

Be sure to follow The Resilient Journey!  We sure do appreciate it!

Big thanks to my friends at ClearRisk for sponsoring The Resilient Journey!

Want to learn more about Jody?  Click here

Email Traci directly here: info@beyondtrc.com  

Want to learn more about Mark? Click here or on LinkedIn or Twitter.

Special thanks to Bensound for the music.

My friends at the Resilience Think Tank have a series of articles called “What Resilience Means to Me”.

For some resilience is operational or organizational. But for others, it’s deeply personal.

Hello everyone and welcome to episode 34 of The Resilient Journey podcast sponsored by ClearRisk.  Today we get personal. My guest is Traci Powell.

Traci is the founder of a woman’s counseling and trauma recovery center called The Rebuilt Woman.

Traci is a survivor of childhood sexual and emotional abuse and today she is dedicated to providing help to lead her patients to true, lasting healing.

We’re going to talk about everything from overcoming trauma to how to reconnect with yourself and those closest to you.

Big thanks to my friends at ClearRisk for sponsoring The Resilient Journey!

Want to learn more about Traci and The Rebuilt Woman?  Click here

Email Traci directly here: traci@therebuiltwoman.com  

Want to learn more about Mark? Click here or on LinkedIn or Twitter.

Special thanks to Bensound for the music.

Practically every practitioner in the world knows that we have to do it. Some do it. And some do it very well. Some don’t do it at all. We’re talking about exercising today on the Resilient Journey.

Hello everyone and welcome to episode 33 of the Resilient Journey podcast sponsored by ClearRisk. Today we’re talking to a man who runs exercises for a living. Rob Burton is my guest today. Listen as Rob describes five steps to meaningful exercises, the importance of having a solid scenario and why having meaningful exercises will demonstrate the value of your program to your organization.

And – what makes an exercise successful?

Be sure to follow The Resilient Journey!  We sure do appreciate it!

Big thanks to my friends at ClearRisk for sponsoring The Resilient Journey!

Want to learn more about Rob?  Click here

Here’s the link to the ICMC 2022 Conference – Click here

Want to learn more about Mark? Click here or on LinkedIn or Twitter.

Special thanks to Bensound for the music.

I’ve always said that the main reason I started this podcast was because I love asking questions and gathering information that helps other people grow. My guest today feels exactly the same way.

Hello everyone and welcome to episode 32 of the Resilient Journey podcast, sponsored by ClearRisk. Today I’m joined by a really interesting guest – Alex Fullick joins me for a very important conversation about how we as Resilience professionals need to continue to evolve and grow. We talk about why we need to be collaborative, adaptive and flexible and what topics we need to be paying attention to right now.

Be sure to follow The Resilient Journey!  We sure do appreciate it!

Big thanks to my friends at ClearRisk for sponsoring The Resilient Journey!

Want to learn more about Alex?  Click here or email him at mailto:alex@stone-road.com

Want to learn more about Mark? Click here or on LinkedIn or Twitter.

Special thanks to Bensound for the music.

Hello everyone and welcome to episode 31 of the Resilient Journey podcast, sponsored by ClearRisk. Today I’m joined by the CEO of SEMO Electric Cooperative. He’s the host of the Friday Feature, a short weekly video clip of positivity. His name is Sean Vanslyke, and he is a leader. And that’s what we’re going to discuss today – leadership.

Listen as Sean provides six tips for being a leader, even if you’re a team of one. He discusses how to remain positive if things go wrong. And I even get a little personal with a story of my own.

Be sure to follow The Resilient Journey!  We sure do appreciate it!

Big thanks to my friends at ClearRisk for sponsoring The Resilient Journey!

Want to learn more about Sean?  Click here.

Catch two of Sean’s favorite Friday Features here:

#13: https://youtu.be/GKYVQu91iG4

#46: https://youtu.be/p2vLCysMzwE

Want to learn more about Mark? Click here or on LinkedIn or Twitter.

Special thanks to Bensound for the music.

Hello everyone and welcome to Episode 30 of the Resilient Journey podcast, sponsored by ClearRisk.

My guest this week – Alexandra Hoffmann joins us from France, as we kick off a two-part series on leadership.

Listen today as Alexandra reminds us why we can’t interchange the terms business continuity and resilience, she talks about the leadership skills resilience professionals need to demonstrate and explains how to handle situations when you need to ask for help, and discusses how being a CEO and mother isn’t for the faint of heart. Be sure to follow The Resilient Journey!  We sure do appreciate it!

Big thanks to my friends at ClearRisk for sponsoring The Resilient Journey!

Want to learn more about Alexandra?  Click here.

Want to learn more about Mark? Click here or on LinkedIn or Twitter.

Special thanks to Bensound for the music.

Hello everyone and welcome to episode 29 of The Resilient Journey podcast, sponsored by ClearRisk.

Today I’m joined by author, speaker and professor, Dr. Samantha Montano.

• Listen as Dr. Montano speaks of inconvenient truths related to emergency management post Katrina, and discusses changes in our climate that should cause risk managers and resilience professionals to take notice.
• I ask her why certain demographics deny climate change and how to combat skepticism. 

Be sure to follow The Resilient Journey!  We sure do appreciate it! 

Big thanks to my friends at ClearRisk for sponsoring The Resilient Journey!

Want to learn more about Dr. Montano?  Click here.

Learn more about Samantha’s book “Disasterology”.  Click here.

Want to learn more about Mark? Click here or on LinkedIn or Twitter.

Special thanks to Bensound for the music.

Hello everyone and welcome to a special edition of the Resilient Journey podcast sponsored by ClearRisk.

Today I’m joined by the Chief Strategy Officer for N-Ix, Nazariy Zhovtanetskyy.

I interviewed Nazarii from his home in western Ukraine on March 3, 2022 – one week after Russian troops began their invasion of Ukraine.

Nazariy’s company, N-Ix is a software development company. They have 1,800 employees, with 1,000 in or around Lviv in the west and the remainder were based in Kyiv and Kharkiv.

Their story is one of resilience in action. It’s impressive. It’s worth listening to.

Be sure to follow The Resilient Journey!  We sure do appreciate it!

Big thanks to my friends at ClearRisk for sponsoring The Resilient Journey!

Want to learn more about N-iX?  Click here.

Want to learn more about Mark? Click here or on LinkedIn or Twitter.

Special thanks to Bensound for the music.

Gilda Radner said “Life is about not knowing, having to change, taking the moment and making the best of it without knowing what’s going to happen next.”  Change is inevitable. So we asked today’s guest how to deal with change and she said:  Get Over It.

Hello everyone and welcome to episode 145 of the Resilient Journey podcast, presented by the Resilience Think Tank.

This week we are joined by professional motivational speaker and fire ball – Anne Bonney. Anne and Mark walk through the 5 Ps of Navigating Change. Anne encourages us to dance in the discomfort zone, focus on what we can control – and how to know when to Punch It Margaret!

They talk about that inner voice of doubt and Anne explains that often, the last mile is the hardest.

And find out what Anne means when she tells us what is “huglier importer” than offering help to someone.

Be sure to follow The Resilient Journey!  We sure do appreciate it!

Learn more about the Resilience Think Tank here.

Want to learn more about Mark? Click here or on LinkedIn or Twitter.

Special thanks to Bensound for the music.

Hello everyone and welcome to Episode 27 of the Resilient Journey podcast sponsored by ClearRisk. Today I’m joined by the COO of Orpheus Cyber, Karla Reffold.

Listen as Karla provides practical advice about understanding risks related to cyber and supply chains, she talks about managing your vulnerabilities effectively and explains the difference between vulnerabilities and threats.

As a bonus, Karla gives us some great advice how we can all encourage our daughters and grand daughters to get into the cyber industry.

Be sure to follow The Resilient Journey!  We sure do appreciate it!

Big thanks to my friends at ClearRisk for sponsoring The Resilient Journey!

Want to connect with Karla? Click here.

Want to learn more about Orpheus Cyber?  Click here.

Want to learn more about Mark? Click here or on LinkedIn or Twitter.

Special thanks to Bensound for the music.

Hello everyone and welcome to episode 26 of the Resilient Journey podcast sponsored by ClearRisk. Today I’m joined by longtime member of the business continuity industry, fellow of the BCI and expert on supply chain resilience – Betty Kildow.

Listen as Betty provides practical tips for making supply chains more resilient.

Betty gives advice on how to leverage risks and vulnerabilities, shares what questions you need to ask your suppliers and explains how not to turn collaboration into a turf war.

Be sure to follow The Resilient Journey!  We sure do appreciate it!

Big thanks to my friends at ClearRisk for sponsoring The Resilient Journey!

Want to connect with Betty? Click here or at bettykildow@gmail.com

Want to learn more about Mark? Click here or on LinkedIn or Twitter.

Special thanks to Bensound for the music.

We talk about organizational resilience, operational resilience and personal resilience. But what about community resilience? And what about resilience in communities of color?

Hello everyone and welcome to episode 25 of the Resilient Journey podcast sponsored by ClearRisk. In this episode, I’m honored to be joined by founder and CEO of the Institute for Diversity and Inclusion in Emergency Management – Chauncia Willis. Listen as Chauncia shares how the I-DIEM is interrupting the cycle of bias, the impact of bias on employees and how a more diverse team leads to better outcomes post disaster.

Be sure to follow The Resilient Journey!  We sure do appreciate it!

Big thanks to my friends at ClearRisk for sponsoring The Resilient Journey!

Want to connect with Chauncia? Click here.

Check out Chauncia’s book Stretching. Click here.

Want to learn more about Mark? Click here or on LinkedIn or Twitter.

Special thanks to Bensound for the music.

We’ve all heard the popular idiom ‘work smart not hard’. Well, in 2022 there are a lot more tools at your disposal to not only help you work smarter, but also to make you more efficient.

Hello everyone and welcome to the Resilient Journey podcast, sponsored by ClearRisk. Today we are joined by Founder and CEO of ClearRisk – Craig Rowe. I asked Craig to join me today, not because he’s the CEO, or because he’s the sponsor of the program. Craig is here because of his insight regarding risk management and how software tools can free you up to tasks of higher value. Craig talks about the difference between having good data and good information – and points out where organizations often suffer when it comes to managing risk and resilience.

Be sure to follow The Resilient Journey!  We sure do appreciate it!

Big thanks to my friends at ClearRisk for sponsoring The Resilient Journey!

Want to connect with Craig? Click here.

Want to learn more about Mark? Click here or on LinkedIn or Twitter.

Special thanks to Bensound for the music.

The business continuity industry is at a very pivotal crossroad. Many people are asking about the difference between resilience and business continuity, or how to tie risk management and business continuity together – well this episode will help.

My guest this week is Sarah Garrington. Sarah is the head of resilience for a law firm based in the UK. She is a conference speaker and frequent podcast guest and is very well spoken on the topic of operational resilience, organizational resilience…and just resilience in general. In today’s episode Sarah explains the difference between business continuity and resilience and gives some practical advice for how resilience professionals can work with the risk management team and leverage data to make the organization more resilient.

Be sure to follow The Resilient Journey!  We sure do appreciate it!

Big thanks to my friends at ClearRisk for sponsoring The Resilient Journey!

Want to connect with Sarah? Click here.

Want to learn more about Mark? Click here or on LinkedIn or Twitter.

Special thanks to Bensound for the music.

Relationships are important in business. But what about the relationship between Risk Management and Resilience?

Hello everyone and welcome to episode 22 of the Resilient Journey podcast, sponsored by ClearRisk. This week I’m joined by one of the most dynamic business leaders I’ve ever had the opportunity to work for. He’s the Chief Risk Officer for OMERS in Toronto – it’s Rodney Hill. In this episode, Rodney discusses that relationship between risk management and resilience and how to how to identify those areas of the business that matter to your executives so that your actions get proper attention. He even discusses the right way to identify which risks deserve your attention.

Be sure to follow The Resilient Journey!  We sure do appreciate it!

Big thanks to my friends at ClearRisk for sponsoring The Resilient Journey!

Want to connect with Rodney? Click here.

Want to learn more about Mark? Click here or on LinkedIn or Twitter.

In last week’s episode, we took you inside the mind of a C Suite executive. This week, we’re going into a much scarier place – the mind of a consultant. And it’s not just any consultant – it’s ME!

Hello everyone and welcome to episode 21 of the Resilient Journey podcast sponsored by ClearRisk.  This week I’m your guest and I’m joined by Resilience Think Tank co-founder Ashley Goosman who is stepping in as guest host.

In this episode, Ashley asks me about resilience, we talk about the podcast – and a little later in the episode I give some advice to anyone who wants to be a consultant. We also talk about an old-time radio show’s influence on the Resilient Journey.

Be sure to follow The Resilient Journey!  We sure do appreciate it!

Big thanks to my friends at ClearRisk for sponsoring The Resilient Journey!

Want to learn more about Mark? Click Here or on LinkedIn or Twitter.

Special thanks to Bensound for the music.

Do you want to advance your career? Have you often thought that you’d like to get inside the mind of your executives so that you knew what was important to them? Well, you’re in the right place because that’s exactly what we’re going to do.

Hello everyone and welcome to episode 20 of the Resilient Journey podcast, sponsored by The Resilience Think Tank. Today we have the privilege of speaking with a man who not only has spent the majority of his career on the "C Suite" – but he has helped more than two dozen of his colleagues attain that position as well. My guest today is Steve Strout. Steve is the President of Miovision. In addition to being a CEO, he’s been a CIO, COO, CISO, and CTO.

We’re going to learn some techniques for advancing your career, like gaining allies, building your sphere of influence and building a track record. 

Be sure to follow The Resilient Journey!  We sure do appreciate it!

Want to learn more about Steve?  Click Here

Want to learn more about Mark? Click Here.

Thank you for listening to The Resilient Journey podcast!

Please follow us on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music or wherever you listen - like Podbean for example.

This episode replays some of the best moments from our first "year" (We started in September).

Big thanks to my friends at ClearRisk for sponsoring The Resilient Journey!

Want to speak with Mark?  Reach out here.

If you are interesting in being a guest on the podcast, please let me know!

Special thanks to Bensound for the music.

Welcome to The Resilient Journey!

Today we wrap up an important and deeply personal conversation with Luke Bird on the topic of mental health and personal resilience in the face of a life changing crisis. Luke is a global award-winning continuity & resilience professional and Global Board Director for the BCI.

He’s also someone who recently experienced a mental health crisis after the sudden and unexpected loss of a sibling.  And today, Luke shares how to worked his way through the crisis.

Be sure to follow The Resilient Journey!  We sure do appreciate it!

Big thanks to my friends at ClearRisk for sponsoring The Resilient Journey!

Want to learn more about Luke?  Click Here

Want to speak with Mark?  Reach out here.

Special thanks to Bensound for the music.

In this week’s episode we’re going to look at things a little differently. Instead of looking at business continuity through your eyes, we are challenging you to look at your response plans through the eyes of first responders. And we have just the guest to do it.

Hello everyone and welcome to episode 144 of the Resilient Journey podcast, presented by the Resilience Think Tank.

This week we look at business continuity through the eyes of a first responder as we’re joined by Erik Endress, CEO of On Scene Technologies. Erik tells us what business continuity planners often overlook and how important communication is when it comes to getting first responders to the right spot, as quickly as possible.

Erik and Mark discuss things we need to keep in mind when it comes to accounting for our people after an evacuation. And they discuss Run, Hide, Fight techniques and once again – the importance of effective communications.

Be sure to follow The Resilient Journey!  We sure do appreciate it!

Learn more about the Resilience Think Tank here.

Want to learn more about Mark? Click here or on LinkedIn or Twitter.

Special thanks to Bensound for the music.

Do you consider yourself to be an emotionally strong person? Maybe you feel like you deal with difficult circumstances well? Let me ask you this, are you strong enough to admit when you need help?

Today we start an important and deeply personal conversation with Luke Bird on the topic of mental health and personal resilience in the face of a life changing crisis. Luke is a global award-winning continuity & resilience professional and Global Board Director for the BCI.

He’s also someone who recently experienced a mental health crisis after the sudden and unexpected loss of a sibling.  This is a special two-part episode that you’re going to want to share across your network..

Be sure to follow The Resilient Journey!  We sure do appreciate it!

Big thanks to my friends at ClearRisk for sponsoring The Resilient Journey!

Want to learn more about Luke?  Click Here

Want to speak with Mark?  Reach out here.

Special thanks to Bensound for the music.

We’ve all heard the phrase ‘fight fire with fire’, but how do you fight bias?  Do you fight bias with bias?  And how do you handle the very dangerous unconscious bias?

Hello everyone and welcome to the Resilient Journey podcast sponsored by ClearRisk.  Today we wrap up our series on diversity in the resilience industry by speaking with two of my co-founding members of the Resilience Think Thank, Lisa Jones and Andreas Bryant.  We’re going to talk about conscious and unconscious biases in the work place, educational biases, how confidence plays a part in how we respond to bias, mentorship and what we can do to be allies to those around us.

Be sure to follow The Resilient Journey!  We sure do appreciate it!

Big thanks to my friends at ClearRisk for sponsoring The Resilient Journey!

Want to learn more about Lisa?  Click here

Want to learn more about Andreas?  Click here

Want to learn more about the Resilience Think Tank?  Click here

Want to speak with Mark?  Reach out here.

Special thanks to Bensound for the music.

Hello everyone and welcome to Episode 15 of the Resilient Journey podcast sponsored by ClearRisk.  Today we continue our series on diversity in the resilience industry by speaking with my good friend and massive contributor to the resilience industry Rina Singh.

Rina is the host of the Resilience Pod podcast and is chair of the BCI’s women in resilience group.  She’s insightful and deliberate about empowering women in our industry to be more confident as they pursue their goals and work towards equity in the workplace.

Be sure to follow The Resilient Journey!  We sure do appreciate it!

Big thanks to my friends at ClearRisk for sponsoring The Resilient Journey!

Want to learn more about Rina?  Click here

You won’t want to miss Rina’s podcast – the Resilience Pod.  Click here

Want to speak with Mark?  Reach out here.

Special thanks to Bensound for the music.