Podcasts about Disaster recovery

Over the past 12 years, Jamaica has faced up to challenging hardships in order to earn hard won gains in terms of ordering the economy, reducing the debt to GDP ratio from 150% to 60% and reducing unemployment to 3.3%. It was, in short, an incredible success story. And then in November 2025, the island was struck by Hurricane Melissa, leaving the country in tatters. The two main industries of tourism and agriculture have been severely damaged and the outlook appears bleak.However, on The LatinNews Podcast this week, we speak to Caribbean economist Marla Dukharan who believes, in spite of the tragedy that befell Jamaica, that there are reasons to remain positive, as the platform for growth and recovery remain intact for the island nation. For Dukharan, Jamaica's human capital, economic know-how, strong diaspora, resilience fund and CRIFF agreement will help the recovery. Questions remain, of course, as to how to mitigate climate events of this nature in the future and how to reform the nature of international aid donations. Follow LatinNews for analysis on economic, political, and security developments in Latin America & the Caribbean. Twitter: @latinnewslondon LinkedIn: Latin American Newsletters Facebook: @latinnews1967 For more insightful, expert-led analysis on Latin America's political and economic landscape, read our reports for free with a 14-day trial. Get full access to our entire portfolio.

Thomas English talks with a guest from the U.S. Small Business Administration to talk about disaster loans and individual assistance residents can receive. The guest is Raenada Mason, a public information officer in the SBA's Office of Disaster Recovery and Resilience. In this program she discusses the disaster loans that the SBA provides and details the interest rates and monetary amounts available. She also discusses eligible property, loan requirements as well as refinancing and funding mitigation.  

In this second part of our conversation with Jim McParland, we move from the technical to the deeply personal. Jim opens up about the emotional weight of a career spent on the front lines of disaster — the moments that stay with you long after the noise fades, and the quiet burden carried by those who've seen the very worst of human tragedy. From the aftermath of catastrophic earthquakes to the heartbreak of lives lost despite every effort, Jim shares what it truly means to live with the memories that come from decades in rescue work.This episode pulls no punches. It explores the unseen toll of international deployments from the exhaustion, the moral weight of decision-making, and the struggle to switch off when you return home. It's raw, honest, and necessary listening for anyone who wants to understand the human side of Search and Rescue. This is the story behind the uniform and the second part of a powerful two-part episode with Jim McParland.Connect with Jim HEREAccess all episodes, documents, GIVEAWAYS & debriefs HEREPodcast Apparel, Hoodies, Flags, Mugs HEREPODCAST GIFT - FREE subscription to essential Firefighting publications HERE A big thanks to our partners for supporting this episode.GORE-TEX Professional ClothingMSA The Safety CompanyIDEXFIRE & EVACUATION SERVICE LTD HAIX Footwear - Get offical podcast discount on HAIX HEREXendurance - to hunt performance & endurance 20% off HERE with code ffp20Lyfe Linez -  Get Functional Hydration FUEL for FIREFIGHTERS, Clean no sugar  for daily hydration. 80% of people live dehydratedSend us a textSupport the show***The views expressed in this episode are those of the individual speakers. Our partners are not responsible for the content of this episode and does not warrant its accuracy or completeness.*** Please support the podcast and its future by clicking HERE and joining our Patreon Crew

Jim McParland's career reads like a blueprint for courage, discipline, and service. After joining West Midlands Fire Service in 1995, he quickly became part of the UK International Search and Rescue Team, deploying to some of the world's most severe disaster zones. From the wreckage of the Christchurch earthquake to the chaos of the 2023 Turkey earthquake and the flooding in Malawi, Jim has been at the sharp end of international disaster response. His decades in the field, leading teams through devastation and recovery, reflect a lifetime dedicated not only to saving lives but also to building capability, trust, and professionalism in others.This episode gives listeners an unfiltered look into that world. The reality of search and rescue, the split-second decisions that define an operation, and the leadership qualities that hold teams together under extreme pressure. You'll learn what international deployments demand of a responder, how coordination unfolds amid catastrophe, and how resilience and preparation make the difference between control and chaos. This is Part One of a two-part conversation with Jim McParland, a story of skill, service, and staying left of bang.Connect with Jim HEREAccess all episodes, documents, GIVEAWAYS & debriefs HEREPodcast Apparel, Hoodies, Flags, Mugs HEREPODCAST GIFT - FREE subscription to essential Firefighting publications HERE A big thanks to our partners for supporting this episode.GORE-TEX Professional ClothingMSA The Safety CompanyIDEXFIRE & EVACUATION SERVICE LTD HAIX Footwear - Get offical podcast discount on HAIX HEREXendurance - to hunt performance & endurance 20% off HERE with code ffp20Lyfe Linez -  Get Functional Hydration FUEL for FIREFIGHTERS, Clean no sugar  for daily hydration. 80% of people live dehydratedSend us a textSupport the show***The views expressed in this episode are those of the individual speakers. Our partners are not responsible for the content of this episode and does not warrant its accuracy or completeness.*** Please support the podcast and its future by clicking HERE and joining our Patreon Crew

Welcome to the award-winning The Hill Country Podcast. The Texas Hill Country is one of the most beautiful places on earth. In this podcast, Hill Country resident Tom Fox visits with the people and organizations that make this the most unique area of Texas. This week, Tom welcomes  Lamar Davis to discuss the multifaceted aspects of disaster recovery, focusing on the roles of mental health, and Abby Filyaw joins us to discuss substance abuse recovery. Lamar shares his background in government service and his current role as a disaster recovery coordinator for the Rio Texas Conference of the United Methodist Church. They discuss the phases of disaster response and the importance of long-term recovery plans. Abby discusses her work with the Hill Country Council on Alcohol and Drug Abuse, emphasizing the increased risk of substance use disorders following traumatic events. The conversation covers the importance of mental health support, the role of clergy, and the broad impacts of disasters like Katrina and local floods. They also touch on the community's need for collective support and the ongoing nature of grief and recovery. Key highlights: Understanding Disaster Recovery Mental Health and Long-Term Recovery Substance Abuse and Community Support Personal Reflections and Community Impact Clergy and Community Resilience Lessons from Past Disasters Resources: Other Hill Country Focused Podcasts Hill Country Authors Podcast Hill Country Artists Podcast Texas Hill Country Podcast Network Cover Art Nancy Huffman

In this episode, hosts Lois Houston and Nikita Abraham, along with Principal OCI Instructor Orlando Gentil, break down the differences between Infrastructure-as-a-Service, Platform-as-a-Service, and Software-as-a-Service.   The conversation explores how each framework influences control, cost efficiency, expansion, reliability, and contingency planning.   Cloud Tech Jumpstart: https://mylearn.oracle.com/ou/course/cloud-tech-jumpstart/152992 Oracle University Learning Community: https://education.oracle.com/ou-community LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/oracle-university/ X: https://x.com/Oracle_Edu   Special thanks to Arijit Ghosh, David Wright, Kris-Ann Nansen, Radhika Banka, and the OU Studio Team for helping us create this episode. ----------------------------------------------------- Episode Transcript: 00:00 Welcome to the Oracle University Podcast, the first stop on your cloud journey. During this series of informative podcasts, we'll bring you foundational training on the most popular Oracle technologies. Let's get started! 00:25 Nikita: Welcome to the Oracle University Podcast! I'm Nikita Abraham, Team Lead: Editorial Services with Oracle University, and with me is Lois Houston, Director of Innovation Programs. Lois: Hey there! Last week, we spoke about how hypervisors, virtual machines, and containers have transformed data centers. Today, we're moving on to something just as important—the main cloud models that drive modern cloud computing. Nikita: Orlando Gentil, Principal OCI Instructor at Oracle University, joins us once again for part four of our discussion on cloud data centers.  01:01 Lois: Hi Orlando! Glad to have you with us today. Can you walk us through the different types of cloud models?  Orlando: These are commonly categorized into three main service models: Infrastructure-as-a-Service, Platform-as-a-Service, and Software-as-a-Service. Let's use the idea of getting around town to understand cloud service models. IaaS is like renting a car. You don't own the car, but you control where it goes, how fast, and when to stop. In cloud terms, the provider gives you the infrastructure—virtual machines, storage, and networking—but you manage everything on top—the OS, middleware, runtime, and application. Thus, it's like using a shuttle service. You bring your bags—your code, pick your destination—your app requirements, but someone else drives and maintains the vehicle. You don't worry about the engine, fuel, or routing planning. That's the platform's job. Your focus stays on development and deployment, not on servers or patching. SaaS is like ordering a taxi. You say where you want to go and everything else is handled for you. It's the full-service experience. In the cloud, SaaS is software UXs over the web—Email, CRM, project management. No infrastructure, no updates, just productivity.  02:32 Nikita: Ok. How do the trade-offs between control and convenience differ across SaaS, PaaS, and IaaS? Orlando: With IaaS, much like renting a car, you gain high control. You are managing components like the operating system, runtime, your applications, and your data. In return, the provider expertly handles the underlying virtual machines, storage, and networking. This model gives you immense flexibility. Moving to PaaS, our shuttle service, you shift to a medium level of control but gain significantly higher convenience. Your primary focus remains on your application code and data. The provider now takes on the heavy lifting of managing the runtime environment, the operating system, the servers themselves, and even the scaling. Finally, SaaS, our taxi service, offers the highest convenience with the lowest control level. Here, your responsibility is essentially just using the application and managing your specific configurations or data within it. The cloud provider manages absolutely everything else—the entire infrastructure, the platform, and the application itself. 03:52 Nikita: One of the top concerns for cloud users is cost optimization. How can we manage this? Orlando: Each cloud service model offers distinct strategies to help you manage and reduce your spending effectively, as well as different factors that drives those costs. For Infrastructure-as-a-Service, where you have more control, optimization largely revolves around smart resource management. This means rightsizing your VMs, ensuring they are not overprovisioned, and actively turning off idle resources when not in use. Leveraging preemptible or spot instances for flexible workloads can also significantly cut costs. Your charges here are directly tied to your compute, storage, and network usage, so efficiency is key. Moving to Platform-as-a-Service, where the platform is managed for you, optimization shifts slightly. Strategies include choosing scalable platforms that can efficiently handle fluctuating demand, opting for consumption-based pricing where available, and diligently optimizing your runtime usage to minimize processing time. Costs in PaaS are typically based on your application usage, runtime hours, and storage consumed. Finally, for Software-as-a-Service where you can consume a ready-to-use application, cost optimization centers on licensing and usage. This involves consolidating tools to avoid redundant subscriptions, selecting usage-based plans if they align better with your needs, and crucially, eliminating any unused license. SaaS costs are generally based on subscription or per user fees. Understanding these nuances is essential for effective cloud financial management.  05:52 Lois: Ok. And what about scalability? How does each model handle the ability to grow and shrink with demand, without needing manual hardware changes? Orlando: How you achieve and manage that scalability varies significantly across our three service models. For Infrastructure-as-a-Service, you have the most direct control over scaling. You can implement manual or auto scaling by adding or removing virtual machines as needed, often leveraging load balancers to distribute traffic. In this model, you configure the scaling policies and parameters based on your specific workload. Moving to Platform-as-a-Service, the scaling becomes more automated and elastic. The platform automatically adjusts resources based on your application's demand, allowing it to seamlessly handle traffic spikes or dips. Here, the provider manages the underlying scaling behavior, freeing you from that operational burden. Finally, with Software-as-a-Service, scalability is largely abstracted and invisible to the user. The application scales automatically in the background, with the entire process fully managed by the provider. As a user, you simply benefit from the application's ability to handle millions of users without ever needing to worry about the infrastructure. Understanding these scaling differences is crucial for selecting the right model for your application's need.  07:34 Join the Oracle University Learning Community and tap into a vibrant network of over 1 million members, including Oracle experts and fellow learners. This dynamic community is the perfect place to grow your skills, connect with likeminded learners, and celebrate your successes. As a MyLearn subscriber, you have access to engage with your fellow learners and participate in activities in the community. Visit community.oracle.com/ou to check things out today!  08:05 Nikita: Welcome back! We've talked about cost optimization and scalability in cloud environments. But what about ensuring availability? How does that work?  Orlando: Availability refers to the ability of a system or service to remain accessible in operational, even in the face of failures or extremely high demand. The approach of achieving and managing availability, and crucially, your role versus the provider's differs greatly across each model. With Infrastructure-as-a-Service, you have the most direct control over your availability strategy. You will be responsible for designing an architecture that includes redundant VMs, deploying load balancers, and potentially even multi-region setups for disaster recovery. Your specific roles involves designing this architecture and managing your failover process and data backups. The provider's role, in turn, is to deliver the underlying infrastructure with defined service level agreements, SLAs, and health monitoring. For Platform-as-a-Service, the platform itself offers a higher degree of built-in, high availability, and automated failover. While the provider maintains the runtime platform's availability, your role shifts. You need to ensure your application's logic is designed to gracefully handle retries and potential transient failures that might occur. Finally, with Software-as-a-Service, availability is almost entirely handled for you. The provider ensures fully abstracted redundancy and failover behind the scenes. Your role becomes largely minimal, often just involving a specific application's configurations. The provider is entirely responsible for the full application uptime and the underlying high availability infrastructure. Understanding these distinct roles in ensuring availability is essential for setting expectations and designing your cloud strategy efficiently. 10:19 Lois: Building on availability, let's talk Disaster Recovery. Orlando: DR is about ensuring your systems and data can be recovered and brought back online in the event of a significant failure, whether it's a hardware crash, a natural disaster, or even human error. Just like the other aspects, the strategy and responsibilities for DR vary significantly across the cloud service models. For Infrastructure-as-a Service, you have the most direct involvement in your DR strategy. You need to design and execute custom DR plans. This involves leveraging capabilities like multi-region backups, taking VM snapshots, and setting up failover clusters. A real-world example might be using Oracle Cloud compute to replicate your VMs to a secondary region with block volume backups to ensure business continuity. Essentially, you manage your entire DR process here. Moving to Platform-as-a-Service, disaster recovery becomes a shared responsibility. The platform itself offers built-in redundancy and provide APIs for backup and restore. Your role will be to configure the application-level recovery and ensure your data is backed up appropriately, while the provider handles the underlying infrastructure's DR capability. An example could be Azure app service, Oracle APEX applications, where your apps are redeployed from source control like Git after an incident. Finally, with Software-as-a-Service, disaster recovery is almost entirely vendor managed. The provider takes full responsibility, offering features like auto replication and continuous backup, often backed by specific Recovery Point Objective (RPO) and Recovery Time Objective (RTO) SLAs. A common example is how Microsoft 365 or Salesforce manage user data backups in restoration. It's all handled seamlessly by the provider without your direct intervention. Understanding these different approaches to DR is crucial for defining your own business continuity plans in the cloud. 12:46 Lois: Thank you, Orlando, for this insightful discussion. To recap, we spoke about the three main cloud models: IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS, and how each one offers a different mix of control and convenience, impacting cost, scalability, availability, and recovery.  Nikita: Yeah, hopefully this helps you pick the right cloud solution for your needs. If you want to learn more about the topics we discussed today, head over to mylearn.oracle.com and search for the Cloud Tech Jumpstart course. In our next episode, we'll take a close look at the essentials of networking. Until then, this is Nikita Abraham… Lois: And Lois Houston, signing off! 13:26 That's all for this episode of the Oracle University Podcast. If you enjoyed listening, please click Subscribe to get all the latest episodes. We'd also love it if you would take a moment to rate and review us on your podcast app. See you again on the next episode of the Oracle University Podcast.

In this episode of Veteran Business Radio, Lee Kantor interviews Saul Cruz, a veteran and franchise owner of 1-800 Packouts in South Miami. Saul shares his transition from military service to running a content restoration business, helping homeowners and businesses recover after disasters. He discusses the appeal of franchising, the challenges of building referral networks, […]

From hangar fires to cyberattacks to PR nightmares—every aviation company will face a crisis at some point. This workshop from ABCI breaks down how to prepare, respond, and recover without losing your business or your reputation. Join me (Paula Williams) and the ABCI team plus Ericka Essington of ‪@AirNurses‬ as we walk through real [...]

Steve Gruber is joined by Scott Sandell, Franchise Development at PuroClean, and Keegan Trudgen, a top franchise owner with 14 locations, to explore the power of the PuroClean system. They discuss how the franchise helps families and businesses recover from disasters, the importance of servant leadership, and what it takes to build a successful, scalable business. Learn why PuroClean is recession-resilient, community-focused, and offers a proven path to business growth. Visit PuroClean.com to learn more!

How do you manage for failure? While at KCDC, Richard chatted with Amy Norris about building a culture that supports dealing with failure in a healthy way. Amy focuses on clear communication - about expectations, positive feedback, negative feedback, and more! The challenge is creating a safe place for people to ask questions and talk clearly about what they see happening in the environment. We can only get better when we can see the problems folks are having - it takes time, patience, and lots of communication to make that happen! LinksAtlas 9Recorded August 14, 2025

Welcome to the award-winning The Hill Country Podcast. The Texas Hill Country is one of the most beautiful places on earth. In this podcast, Hill Country resident Tom Fox visits with the people and organizations that make this area of Texas so unique. This week, Tom welcomes back Dalton Rice, City Manager of Kerrville, to discuss the city's ongoing recovery efforts following a recent disaster. Dalton details the three key phases of recovery: search and rescue, debris removal, and long-term rebuilding. He shares insights into the challenges faced, ranging from missing persons to economic recovery, with a particular focus on small businesses and parks. Dalton highlights the contributions of various entities, including local organizations, state and federal agencies, and volunteers. He also speaks about the strategic operations within the Emergency Operations Center and how the city managed resources and coordination during and after the crisis. He emphasizes the unique collaborative spirit in Kerrville and the importance of public-private partnerships in disaster recovery. Finally, he discusses future challenges and the anticipation of the holiday season as a time for community resilience and reflection. Key highlights: Search, Recovery, and Debris Management Economic Recovery Efforts Rebuilding Parks and Recreation Public-Private Partnerships Disaster Preparedness and Response Federal and State Coordination Challenges Ahead Resources: City of Kerrville Other Hill Country Focused Podcasts Hill Country Authors Podcast Hill Country Artists Podcast Texas Hill Country Podcast Network Cover Art Nancy Huffman

In this episode of Small Biz Florida, recorded live at the 2025 Small Business Success Summit in Tampa, host Tom Kindred welcomes Secretary Kelly, Secretary of Florida Commerce. With a background in education and economic development, Secretary Kelly shares how Florida Commerce is driving forward statewide initiatives that support small business owners—from Main Street to rural communities. The discussion covers Florida's top priorities: expanding access to capital, empowering rural entrepreneurs, strengthening disaster preparedness through Florida Disaster Biz, and showcasing the state's national leadership in business creation and workforce development. Secretary Kelly also highlights the historic deployment of $250 million through the State Small Business Credit Initiative, as well as the state's momentum in talent development, job growth, and economic resilience. Whether you're running a business in the city or a small town, this episode offers actionable insights into how Florida is building one of the strongest small business ecosystems in the country. This podcast episode was recorded live at the 2025 Small Business Success Summit hosted at the Grand Hyatt Tampa Bay. This podcast is made possible by the Florida SBDC Network and sponsored by Florida First Capital. Connect with Our Guest: FloridaDisaster.biz

A California bill allocating millions of dollars to help foster children recover from natural disasters moves closer to being passed. KCSB's Emerson Good spoke with a non-profit about the importance of the bill's potential policies.

When Hurricane Helene tore through western North Carolina a year ago, it left behind washed-out roads, flooded homes, and communities cut off from each other. For first responders, the storm was more than just a headline, it was a fight to save lives.In this episode of Stories of Appalachia, we sit down with Kevin Behm, a firefighter and first responder with the Nebo Fire Station in McDowell County, North Carolina, who lives in Marion. Kevin was on duty the night Helene hit and in the days that followed. He shares what it was like working that night and on the days that followed, navigating road closures and flooding and seeing firsthand how his neighbors pulled together in the aftermath of the storm.It's another one of the Stories of Appalachia.Thank you for listening.

Rachael Lee—aka my pick for “Queen of FEMA”—joins me to rip the curtain back on how small businesses really win FEMA work. We unpack why readiness beats rushing to a disaster site, the exact first steps (check the Disaster Recovery box in SAM, register on FEMA's vendor portal, tune your capability statement + NAICS to the work you can perform), and how to get on the radar before the storm by plugging into primes on vehicles like LOGCAP and WEXMAC and showing up at FEMA Industry Days posted on SAM.gov. Rachael explains FEMA's speed expectations—be able to mobilize in 24–48 hours—and shares war stories like a student who lost a tasking when she couldn't field 35 trucks by Friday. We also bust myths (you rarely start with a direct FEMA prime), and map the real path: subcontract with primes already on the vehicle, deliver, then scale. Rachael's background is stacked: 8 years Army (92A supply), contracting roles with KBR, and now consulting teams that carry clients from registrations to project execution. She helped a client win a $2.8B global MAC, and breaks down the surge in FEMA-relevant vehicles—WEXMAC 2.0 ($2.8B, awarded 12/24/2024) rolling into 2.1 at $10B—plus how notices flow to primes and why being on their lists matters. If you're serious about disaster response, this episode is your lifeboat: research your niche, verify margins on FPDS.gov, get your docs tight, register with primes, and be ready to move at a moment's notice. Connect with Rachael: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/rachael-consulting-llc/  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100090054228009  Twitter: Rachael's Consulting (@RachaelsCo81056) Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@rachaelconsulting 

In this episode, Professor Stephen Goldsmith speaks with Dr. Andrew Schroeder of Direct Relief and CrisisReady. They discuss how cities can break down data silos and build integrated, actionable platforms to better respond to public health and environmental emergency. Schroeder explains the role of emerging technologies like AI and cloud data platforms, the importance of recruiting data talent in city government, and practical frameworks for connecting health and environmental data. He also previews a joint workshop on urban heat crises, highlighting the need for simulation, coordination, and a people-centered approach to data-driven disaster management.Music credit: Summer-Man by KetsaAbout Data-Smart City SolutionsData-Smart City Solutions, housed at the Bloomberg Center for Cities at Harvard University, is working to catalyze the adoption of data projects on the local government level by serving as a central resource for cities interested in this emerging field. We highlight best practices, top innovators, and promising case studies while also connecting leading industry, academic, and government officials. Our research focus is the intersection of government and data, ranging from open data and predictive analytics to civic engagement technology. We seek to promote the combination of integrated, cross-agency data with community data to better discover and preemptively address civic problems. To learn more visit us online and follow us on Twitter. 

Looking for more DTP content? Check us out at www.thereadinesslab.com/dtp-links

How do you keep a computer running non-stop? This week Technology Now explores the world of fault tolerant computing. We dive into how fault tolerance works, what industries use it, and why such a useful form of computing isn't as ubiquitous as we might expect. Casey Taylor, Vice President and General Manager HPE Nonstop Compute tells us more. This is Technology Now, a weekly show from Hewlett Packard Enterprise. Every week, hosts Michael Bird and Aubrey Lovell look at a story that's been making headlines, take a look at the technology behind it, and explain why it matters to organizations.About Casey Taylor: https://www.linkedin.com/in/getcaseytaylorOur previous episode with Casey: https://hpe.lnk.to/missioncriticalfaSources:https://edition.cnn.com/2024/07/24/tech/crowdstrike-outage-cost-causehttps://edition.cnn.com/2024/07/24/tech/crowdstrike-outage-cost-causehttps://www.kovrr.com/reports/the-uk-cost-of-the-crowdstrike-incidenthttps://science.nasa.gov/mission/voyager/mission-overview/https://science.nasa.gov/mission/voyager/where-are-voyager-1-and-voyager-2-now/A. Avizienis, G. C. Gilley, F. P. Mathur, D. A. Rennels, J. A. Rohr and D. K. Rubin, "The STAR (Self-Testing And Repairing) Computer: An Investigation of the Theory and Practice of Fault-Tolerant Computer Design," in IEEE Transactions on Computers, vol. C-20, no. 11, pp. 1312-1321, Nov. 1971, doi: 10.1109/T-C.1971.223133. https://www.cs.unc.edu/~anderson/teach/comp790/papers/Siewiorek_Fault_Tol.pdf

This episode is presented by Create A Video – The erosion of public trust has been going on for decades, but it fell off the proverbial cliff during the past five years. Time is running out to re-orient ourselves to a high trust society. Help Pete’s Walk to End Alzheimer’s! Subscribe to the podcast at: https://ThePetePod.com/ All the links to Pete's Prep are free: https://patreon.com/petekalinershow Media Bias Check: GroundNews promo code! Advertising and Booking inquiries: Pete@ThePeteKalinerShow.com Get exclusive content here!: https://thepetekalinershow.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The U.S. Small Business Administration's Office of Disaster Recovery and Resilience stands ready to help victims of tornadoes and hurricanes.

We'd love to hear from you. What are your thoughts and questions?In this episode, Dr. Allen Lomax discusses the critical role of public adjusters in navigating insurance claims, particularly after disasters. Joined by Andy Gurczak, founder of All City Adjusting, they explore how public adjusters can help clients recover more from their insurance claims, share case studies, and provide insights on the claims process. The conversation emphasizes the importance of being proactive in preparing for disasters, understanding insurance policies, and knowing when to seek professional help to ensure fair compensation.Main Points:Public adjusters can significantly increase claim payouts.It's crucial to contact a public adjuster early in the claims process.Insurance adjusters may miss critical details in claims.Homeowners should document damage thoroughly after a disaster.Saying less to insurance companies can prevent claim delays.Regular policy reviews can uncover missing coverages.Many insurance policies have more exclusions than inclusions.Public adjusters often provide free policy reviews for clients.Understanding your policy is essential for effective claims.The burden of proof lies with the insured, not the insurer.Connect With Andy Gurczak:andy@allcityadjusting.comallcityadjusting.comhttps://www.facebook.com/allcityadjusting/https://www.linkedin.com/in/andy-gurczak-528b9b64/

Today we focus on something every self storage operator hopes they never have to face—but absolutely need to be ready for: disasters. When the worst happens, every decision matters. Kevin Leebrick and Scott McLaughlin join Tommy and Melissa to share real stories from their own crisis experiences—fires, floods, and more—and the lessons they've learned the hard way. We cover: What to do (and avoid) in the first 24–48 hours after disaster strikes How to support distressed staff and tenants Dealing with insurance gaps, communication breakdowns, and repair delays How to prep your facility now: checklists, safeguards, and budgets What disasters aren't typically covered by insurance Tips for multi-site operators and high-risk areas like flood zones The top 3 pieces of advice our guests would give to every operator Disasters don't wait. This episode gives you the tools to prepare, respond, and recover stronger. This webinar originally aired on August 21, 2025 . Watch the YouTube replay- Disaster Prep & Recovery Webinar Guests: Kevin Leebrick (NoDa Self Storage) & Scott McLaughlin (Sentry Self Storage Management) Hosts: Tommy Nguyen & Melissa Huff Brought to you by the teams at StoragePug and Lighthouse Storage Solutions

Small towns don't just recover slower after disaster—they're often forgotten altogether. In this episode, Leigh Brown exposes the deep inequalities she's witnessed firsthand in Western North Carolina's long road to recovery. From government red tape to rising property taxes, this is a raw look at what happens when working-class communities are pushed to the margins.   Key takeaways to listen for Why disaster relief often favors urban areas over rural ones The hidden financial toll of rebuilding for low-income, generational homeowners How property tax hikes after disaster can force people off their land The overlooked role of elitism in disaster planning and recovery Why preserving small-town economies and culture is essential to America's future   Resources mentioned in this episode American Red Cross Samaritan's Purse   Are you ready to make a difference? Go to https://www.patriotrelief.org to learn more.   Connect with Leigh Please subscribe to this podcast on your favorite podcast app at https://pod.link/1153262163, and never miss a beat from Leigh by visiting https://leighbrown.com. DM Leigh Brown on Instagram @ LeighThomasBrown.

As storms grow stronger and insurance becomes harder to access, Floridians are looking for answers—and support. The Florida Office of Insurance Regulation (OIR) is working to stabilize the insurance market while giving homeowners the tools to build resilience before disaster strikes. Florida Insurance Commissioner Mike Yaworsky discusses the launch of new wind mitigation resources, the expansion of the My Safe Florida Home program, and how Florida is investing in smarter, safer homes through inspections, grants, and homeowner education. He also explains how these efforts are helping to attract more insurers back into the state and keep premiums manageable. Whether you're a homeowner navigating insurance decisions or a policymaker seeking scalable solutions, get insight into how state-led strategies can empower people to protect what matters most. Mike Yaworsky has served as Florida's insurance commissioner since March 2023. Prior to his position his was the vice chairman of the Florida Gaming Control Commissioner and was OIR's chief of staff from 2017 to 2021. Prior to joining OIR, Yaworsky served as legal counsel for the Georgia Office of Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner.   More Links and Information  Check out more Fors Marsh Media Connect or partner with Fors Marsh Explore My Florida Home to apply for a free inspection or grant Keep up to date with OIR's resources, information, and more 

In this conversation, Mark Grossman, a consultant and founder of Claim Help Me, discusses the complexities of navigating insurance claims for homeowners, particularly in the aftermath of disasters. He emphasizes the importance of understanding the role of public adjusters, the challenges homeowners face when dealing with insurance companies, and the ethical concerns surrounding fire chasers. Mark provides insights into how homeowners can protect themselves and make informed decisions during stressful situations.   Professional Real Estate Investors - How we can help you: Investor Fuel Mastermind:  Learn more about the Investor Fuel Mastermind, including 100% deal financing, massive discounts from vendors and sponsors you're already using, our world class community of over 150 members, and SO much more here: http://www.investorfuel.com/apply   Investor Machine Marketing Partnership:  Are you looking for consistent, high quality lead generation? Investor Machine is America's #1 lead generation service professional investors. Investor Machine provides true ‘white glove' support to help you build the perfect marketing plan, then we'll execute it for you…talking and working together on an ongoing basis to help you hit YOUR goals! Learn more here: http://www.investormachine.com   Coaching with Mike Hambright:  Interested in 1 on 1 coaching with Mike Hambright? Mike coaches entrepreneurs looking to level up, build coaching or service based businesses (Mike runs multiple 7 and 8 figure a year businesses), building a coaching program and more. Learn more here: https://investorfuel.com/coachingwithmike   Attend a Vacation/Mastermind Retreat with Mike Hambright: Interested in joining a “mini-mastermind” with Mike and his private clients on an upcoming “Retreat”, either at locations like Cabo San Lucas, Napa, Park City ski trip, Yellowstone, or even at Mike's East Texas “Big H Ranch”? Learn more here: http://www.investorfuel.com/retreat   Property Insurance: Join the largest and most investor friendly property insurance provider in 2 minutes. Free to join, and insure all your flips and rentals within minutes! There is NO easier insurance provider on the planet (turn insurance on or off in 1 minute without talking to anyone!), and there's no 15-30% agent mark up through this platform!  Register here: https://myinvestorinsurance.com/   New Real Estate Investors - How we can work together: Investor Fuel Club (Coaching and Deal Partner Community): Looking to kickstart your real estate investing career? Join our one of a kind Coaching Community, Investor Fuel Club, where you'll get trained by some of the best real estate investors in America, and partner with them on deals! You don't need $ for deals…we'll partner with you and hold your hand along the way! Learn More here: http://www.investorfuel.com/club   —--------------------

⬥GUEST⬥Tobias Halmans, OT Incident Responder | GIAC Certified Incident Handler | Automation Security Consultant at admeritia GmbH | On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tobias-halmans/⬥HOST⬥Host: Sean Martin, Co-Founder at ITSPmagazine and Host of Redefining CyberSecurity Podcast | On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/imsmartin/ | Website: https://www.seanmartin.com⬥EPISODE NOTES⬥Business continuity planning is a familiar exercise for most IT and security leaders—but when you move into operational technology (OT), the rules change. In this episode of Redefining CyberSecurity, Sean Martin talks with Tobias Halmans, an incident responder at admeritia, who helps organizations prepare for and respond to incidents in OT environments. Tobias shares why disaster recovery planning in OT requires more than simply adapting IT frameworks. It demands a change in approach, mindset, and communication.OT engineers don't think in terms of “ransomware readiness.” They think in terms of safety, uptime, manual fallback options, and how long a plant can stay operational without a SCADA system. As Tobias explains, while IT teams worry about backup integrity and rapid rebooting, OT teams are focused on whether shutting down a system—even safely—is even an option. And when the recovery plan depends on third-party vendors, the assumptions made on both sides can derail the response before it begins.Tobias walks us through the nuances of defining success in OT recovery. Unlike the IT world's metrics like mean time to recover (MTTR), OT environments often hinge on production impacts and safety thresholds. Recovery Time Objectives (RTOs) still exist—but they must be anchored in real-world plant operations, often shaped by vendor limitations, legacy constraints, and tightly regulated safety requirements.Perhaps most importantly, Tobias stresses that business continuity planning for OT can't just be a cybersecurity add-on. It must be part of broader risk and operational conversations, ideally happening when systems are being designed or upgraded. But in reality, many organizations are only starting these conversations now—often driven more by compliance mandates than proactive risk strategy.Whether you're a CISO trying to bridge the gap with your OT counterparts or an engineer wondering why cyber teams keep showing up with playbooks that don't fit, this conversation offers grounded, real-world insight into what preparedness really means for critical operations.⬥SPONSORS⬥LevelBlue: https://itspm.ag/attcybersecurity-3jdk3ThreatLocker: https://itspm.ag/threatlocker-r974⬥RESOURCES⬥Inspiring Article: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/sarah-fluchs_notfallvorsorge-in-der-ot-traut-euch-activity-7308744270453092352-Q8X1⬥ADDITIONAL INFORMATION⬥✨ More Redefining CyberSecurity Podcast: 

Why are we still talking about virtualization? This week, Technology Now is returning to a classic topic in computing: Virtualization. So, what's changed in the landscape that's bought virtualization back into the limelight, and how is it being used in our current technological landscape? Brad Parks, Chief Product & Go To Market Officer at HPE's recently acquired Morpheus Data, tells us more.This is Technology Now, a weekly show from Hewlett Packard Enterprise. Every week, hosts Michael Bird and Aubrey Lovell look at a story that's been making headlines, take a look at the technology behind it, and explain why it matters to organizations.About Brad Parks: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brad-parks-b190464/Sources:https://www.techtarget.com/searchitoperations/feature/The-history-of-virtualization-and-its-mark-on-data-center-managementhttps://inventivehq.com/history-of-virtualization/

⬥GUEST⬥Tobias Halmans, OT Incident Responder | GIAC Certified Incident Handler | Automation Security Consultant at admeritia GmbH | On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tobias-halmans/⬥HOST⬥Host: Sean Martin, Co-Founder at ITSPmagazine and Host of Redefining CyberSecurity Podcast | On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/imsmartin/ | Website: https://www.seanmartin.com⬥EPISODE NOTES⬥Business continuity planning is a familiar exercise for most IT and security leaders—but when you move into operational technology (OT), the rules change. In this episode of Redefining CyberSecurity, Sean Martin talks with Tobias Halmans, an incident responder at admeritia, who helps organizations prepare for and respond to incidents in OT environments. Tobias shares why disaster recovery planning in OT requires more than simply adapting IT frameworks. It demands a change in approach, mindset, and communication.OT engineers don't think in terms of “ransomware readiness.” They think in terms of safety, uptime, manual fallback options, and how long a plant can stay operational without a SCADA system. As Tobias explains, while IT teams worry about backup integrity and rapid rebooting, OT teams are focused on whether shutting down a system—even safely—is even an option. And when the recovery plan depends on third-party vendors, the assumptions made on both sides can derail the response before it begins.Tobias walks us through the nuances of defining success in OT recovery. Unlike the IT world's metrics like mean time to recover (MTTR), OT environments often hinge on production impacts and safety thresholds. Recovery Time Objectives (RTOs) still exist—but they must be anchored in real-world plant operations, often shaped by vendor limitations, legacy constraints, and tightly regulated safety requirements.Perhaps most importantly, Tobias stresses that business continuity planning for OT can't just be a cybersecurity add-on. It must be part of broader risk and operational conversations, ideally happening when systems are being designed or upgraded. But in reality, many organizations are only starting these conversations now—often driven more by compliance mandates than proactive risk strategy.Whether you're a CISO trying to bridge the gap with your OT counterparts or an engineer wondering why cyber teams keep showing up with playbooks that don't fit, this conversation offers grounded, real-world insight into what preparedness really means for critical operations.⬥SPONSORS⬥LevelBlue: https://itspm.ag/attcybersecurity-3jdk3ThreatLocker: https://itspm.ag/threatlocker-r974⬥RESOURCES⬥Inspiring Article: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/sarah-fluchs_notfallvorsorge-in-der-ot-traut-euch-activity-7308744270453092352-Q8X1⬥ADDITIONAL INFORMATION⬥✨ More Redefining CyberSecurity Podcast: 

Dr. Erika Felix, PSY, discusses the psychological impact of natural and human-caused disasters, offering clinical strategies and protective factors that support healing in individuals and communities. Interview with Elizabeth Irias, LMFT. Earn CE credit for listening to this episode by joining our low-cost membership for unlimited podcast CE credits for an entire year, with some of the strongest CE approvals in the country (APA, NBCC, ASWB, and more). Learn, grow, and shine with Clearly Clinical Continuing Ed by visiting https://ClearlyClinical.com.

Disaster Recovery with ZFS: A Practical Guide, The best interfaces we never built, Choose Tools That Make You Happy, open source has turned into two worlds, TrueNAS CORE is Dead – Long Live zVault, You should start a computer club in the place that you live, and more NOTES This episode of BSDNow is brought to you by Tarsnap (https://www.tarsnap.com/bsdnow) and the BSDNow Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/bsdnow) Headlines Disaster Recovery with ZFS: A Practical Guide (https://klarasystems.com/articles/disaster-recovery-with-zfs-practical-guide/?utm_source=BSD%20Now&utm_medium=Podcast) The best interfaces we never built (https://www.chrbutler.com/the-best-interfaces-we-never-built) News Roundup You Can Choose Tools That Make You Happy (https://borretti.me/article/you-can-choose-tools-that-make-you-happy) I feel open source has turned into two worlds (https://utcc.utoronto.ca/~cks/space/blog/tech/OpenSourceTwoWorlds) UPDATE 2 – TrueNAS CORE is Dead – Long Live zVault (https://vermaden.wordpress.com/2024/04/20/truenas-core-versus-truenas-scale/#truenas-core-dead-long-live-zvault) You should start a computer club in the place that you live (https://startacomputer.club) Tarsnap This weeks episode of BSDNow was sponsored by our friends at Tarsnap, the only secure online backup you can trust your data to. Even paranoids need backups. Feedback/Questions Brad - syslogng issue (https://github.com/BSDNow/bsdnow.tv/blob/master/episodes/618/feedback/Brad%20-%20syslogng%20issue.md) Send questions, comments, show ideas/topics, or stories you want mentioned on the show to feedback@bsdnow.tv (mailto:feedback@bsdnow.tv) Join us and other BSD Fans in our BSD Now Telegram channel (https://t.me/bsdnow)

Key Takeaways for local government's emergency management and response:Best practices in governmental preparedness.How to address the entire community.Ways to leverage technology to enhance information management and situational awareness.Cooperation with FEMA.Implement actionable review and continuous improvement.Featured Guest:John Antapasis, Emergency Management Director, Fire Rescue, City of TampaVoices in Local Government Podcast Hosts:Joe Supervielle and Angelica WedellResources:ICMA Recovery ResourcesICMA Annual Conference, October 25-29 in Tampa

      Learn when to evacuate or shelter in place, how to protect your home's structural integrity, and essential swiftwater navigation skills. Discover why FEMA's 100-year flood maps fall short and how First Street Foundation's models reveal hidden risks. Sara also covers real-time weather monitoring and equipping your attic as a last resort. Plus, hear how Texas First Responders, the Cajun Navy, and HEB Disaster Relief are aiding Kerrville's recovery—and how you can help via the Kerr County Flood Relief Fund. Tune in to prepare for rising waters and support Texas communities in crisis. Visit changingearthseries.com for resources and ways to donate. Learn when to evacuate or shelter in place, how to protect your home's structural integrity, and essential swiftwater navigation skills. Discover why FEMA's 100-year flood maps fall short and how First Street Foundation's models reveal hidden risks. Sara also covers real-time weather monitoring and equipping your attic as a last resort. Plus, hear how Texas First Responders, the Cajun Navy, and HEB Disaster Relief are aiding Kerrville's recovery—and how you can help via the Kerr County Flood Relief Fund. Tune in to prepare for rising waters and support Texas communities in crisis. Visit changingearthseries.com for resources and ways to donate.

A vulnerability in sudo brings up concerns about feature-creep, and makes us consider alternatives. Plus Broadcom starts auditing VMware customers, and how to decide which outbound ports to open on a large network's firewall.   Plugs Support us on patreon and get an ad-free RSS feed with early episodes sometimes Disaster Recovery with ZFS: A […]

A vulnerability in sudo brings up concerns about feature-creep, and makes us consider alternatives. Plus Broadcom starts auditing VMware customers, and how to decide which outbound ports to open on a large network's firewall.   Plugs Support us on patreon and get an ad-free RSS feed with early episodes sometimes Disaster Recovery with ZFS: A... Read More

Welcome to another episode of Women Petprenuers Presents Family Readiness Podcast! In today's episode, hosts Mary Oquendo and Kate Klasen, dive into two important topics every pet professional should have on their radar: disaster preparedness and peer support in the grooming industry. First, Mary shares actionable steps for preparing your business for the unexpected—from setting up cloud-based folders for vital documents and photos, to building a simple (and, yes, laminated) checklist that can secure your insurance, receipts, and records before disaster ever strikes. If you've wondered how to be truly ready when things go sideways, you'll want to grab a notepad for this one. Then, Kate introduces peer support for the pet professional community, drawing from her work with Bishop's Mission and her experience as a first responder. They discuss why having a confidential, judgment-free support group matters, how these Zoom calls work, and how anyone struggling can reach out for help. With practical tips and heartfelt conversations, this episode is a must-listen for anyone who wants to ensure their pet care business—and their mental health—is ready for whatever comes next. Grab your snacks (or, if you're the hosts' pets, try to snag a few extra treats), and settle in for a conversation full of insight, support, and that signature friendly banter.

John Mills, FEMA External Affairs Officer Region 7 joins the show to talk about FEMA recovery centers in the area.

Get ready to unpack some wild real estate stories and political showdowns with former McDowell County Commissioner and longtime real estate professional Andy Webb. From dealing with aggressive Treasury agents to local water wars and property tax debates, this conversation dives deep into the gritty realities faced by property owners in Western North Carolina. Tune in for an eye-opening discussion about community trust, government overreach, and why local knowledge trumps federal oversight every time.   Key takeaways to listen for What happens when a Treasury agent demands local property? Why FEMA's disaster response sparked local outrage The big questions after a natural disaster changes property lines forever A dramatic battle between counties for the lifeblood of community growth How skyrocketing property values impact local families and community futures   Resources mentioned in this episode FEMA Patriot Relief    About Andrew WebbAndrew is a former McDowell County Commissioner and a seasoned real estate professional who began his journey in banking with Northwestern Bank. Having earned his broker's license in 1976, he has deep roots in Western North Carolina and a clear-eyed perspective shaped by decades in both private entrepreneurship and public service. Known for his independent spirit and candid approach, Andrew's experiences shed light on the complicated intersection of real estate, politics, and community.   Connect with Andrew Email: andrewkwebb56@gmail.com  Connect with Leigh Please subscribe to this podcast on your favorite podcast app at https://pod.link/1153262163, and never miss a beat from Leigh by visiting https://leighbrown.com. DM Leigh Brown on Instagram @ LeighThomasBrown.   Sponsors "You Ask. Leigh Answers." Your Affordable Coaching Program Hey there, real estate pros! Are you ready for some more Leigh Brown wisdom in your life? Then don't miss out on my brand-new program, "You Ask. Leigh Answers." It's your exclusive gateway to the insights and advice you need to supercharge your real estate business. With "You Ask. Leigh Answers." you get Direct Access to Leigh Brown, directly! Expert Coaching, Community Connection, and Extensive Resources. Whether listening to this on the go or watching at home, sign up today at Answers.RealEstate and take your business to the next level. Trust me, you'll be glad you did!  

Santosh Kaveti is the CEO and Founder of ProArch. He has over 18 years of experience as a technologist, entrepreneur, investor, and advisor. Santosh's vision and leadership have propelled ProArch to become a dominant force in key industry verticals, such as Energy, Healthcare & Lifesciences, and Manufacturing, where he leverages his expertise in manufacturing process improvement, mentoring, and consulting00:00 Intro03:48 Protect what matters the most12:32 Talking to the client. What is worth protecting24:27 Proarch29:30 The Cultural fit with acquisition 36:40 Disaster Recovery39:50 What do you think AI is going to do?43:55 Im too small to get attacked--------------------------------------------------------------To learn more about Santosh visit https://www.linkedin.com/in/santoshkaveti/To learn more about Dark Rhiino Security visit https://www.darkrhiinosecurity.com--------------------------------------------------------------

Santosh Kaveti is the CEO and Founder of ProArch. He has over 18 years of experience as a technologist, entrepreneur, investor, and advisor. Santosh's vision and leadership have propelled ProArch to become a dominant force in key industry verticals, such as Energy, Healthcare & Lifesciences, and Manufacturing, where he leverages his expertise in manufacturing process improvement, mentoring, and consulting00:00 Intro03:48 Protect what matters the most12:32 Talking to the client. What is worth protecting24:27 Proarch29:30 The Cultural fit with acquisition 36:40 Disaster Recovery39:50 What do you think AI is going to do?43:55 Im too small to get attacked--------------------------------------------------------------To learn more about Santosh visit https://www.linkedin.com/in/santoshkaveti/To learn more about Dark Rhiino Security visit https://www.darkrhiinosecurity.com--------------------------------------------------------------

Part 1 - Alicia Barnes, Principal, Rittenhouse Consulting LLC (JV, DBE/GVI/Community Liaison), Patrick Vivot, President of the Vivot Group of Companies, David Marmasse, Caribbean Director at Americaribe LLC and Tom Thrasher, General Manager of Suffolk Construction join Neville James to discuss this joint venture responsible for rebuilding six critical institutions on St. Thomas, five schools and one administrative building as part of the Office of Disaster Recovery's (ODR) Rebuild USVI initiative.

In episode 231 of America Adapts, host Doug Parsons speaks with Robin Keegan, a nationally recognized leader in disaster recovery, resilience, and climate adaptation. With senior roles at FEMA and HUD during the Biden-Harris Administration—and a pivotal role in Louisiana's post-Katrina recovery—Robin brings unmatched insight into how federal recovery systems work, and more importantly, how they fail. As the current administration actively undermines the government's ability to prepare for and respond to climate disasters, Robin offers a frank assessment of what's at stake and what a truly equitable, climate-ready recovery system should look like. She also shares lessons from her time on the frontlines and how she's now helping communities adapt before the next crisis hits. It's a great episode focusing on community adaptation! Check out the America Adapts Media Kit here! Subscribe to the America Adapts newsletter here. Donate to America Adapts Listen to America Adapts on your favorite app here! Facebook, Linkedin and Twitter: https://www.facebook.com/americaadapts/ @usaadapts https://www.linkedin.com/in/doug-parsons-america-adapts/ Links in this episode: President Trump appoints new members to FEMA Review Councilhttps://www.ems1.com/disaster-management/president-trump-appoints-new-members-to-fema-review-council Doug Parsons and Speaking Opportunities: If you are interested in having Doug speak at corporate and conference events, sharing his unique, expert perspective on adaptation in an entertaining and informative way, more information can be found here! Facebook, Linkedin and Twitter: https://www.facebook.com/americaadapts/ @usaadapts https://www.linkedin.com/in/doug-parsons-america-adapts/ Donate to America Adapts   Follow on Apple PodcastsFollow on Android Now on Spotify! List of Previous Guests on America Adapts Follow/listen to podcast on Apple Podcasts. Donate to America Adapts, we are now a tax deductible charitable organization! The 10 Best Sustainability Podcasts for Environmental Business Leadershttps://us.anteagroup.com/news-events/blog/10-best-sustainability-podcasts-environmental-business-leaders Join the climate change adaptation movement by supporting America Adapts!  Please consider supporting this podcast by donating through America Adapts fiscal sponsor, the Social Good Fund. All donations are now tax deductible! For more information on this podcast, visit the website at http://www.americaadapts.org and don't forget to subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts.   Podcast Music produce by Richard Haitz Productions Write a review on Apple Podcasts ! America Adapts on Facebook!   Join the America Adapts Facebook Community Group. Check us out, we're also on YouTube! Executive Producer Dr. Jesse Keenan Subscribe to America Adapts on Apple Podcasts Doug can be contacted at americaadapts @ g mail . com

Who knows the meaning of the term “Business Continuity management” without looking it up? Our guest this week, Alex Fullick, is intimately familiar with the term and its ramifications. I first met Alex when we were connected as participants in a conference in London this past October sponsored by Business Continuity International. The people involved with “Business Continuity management” were described to me as the “what if people”. They are the people no one pays attention to, but who plan for emergency and unexpected situations and events that especially can cause interruptions with the flow or continuity of business. Of course, everyone wants the services of the business continuity experts once something unforeseen or horrific occurs. Alex was assigned to introduce me at the conference. Since the conference I have even had the pleasure to appear on his podcast and now, he agreed to reciprocate.   Our conversation covers many topics related to emergencies, business continuity and the mindsets people really have concerning business flow and even fear. Needless to say, this topic interests me since I directly participated in the greatest business interruption event we have faced in the world, the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001.   Alex freely discusses fear, emergency planning and how we all can improve our chances of dealing with any kind of emergency, personal or business related, by developing the proper mindset. He points out how so often people may well plan for emergencies at work and sometimes they even take the step of developing their own business continuity mindset, but they rarely do the same for their personal lives.   Alex is the author of eight books on the subject and he now is working on book 9. You can learn more about them in our podcast show notes. I think you will gain a lot of insight from what Alex has to say and I hope his thoughts and comments will help you as you think more now about the whole idea of business continuity.       About the Guest:   Alex Fullick has been working in the Business Continuity Management, Disaster Recovery, and Operational Resilience industries as a consultant/contractor for just over 28 years. Alex is also the founder and Managing Director of StoneRoad, a consulting and training firm specializing in BCM and Resilience and is the author of eight books…and working on number nine.   He has numerous industry certifications and has presented at prestigious conferences around the globe including Manila, Seoul, Bucharest, Brisbane, Toronto, and London (to name a few). In July of 2017 he created the highly successful and top-rated podcast focusing on Business Continuity and Resilience ‘Preparing for the Unexpected'. The show aims to touch on any subject that directly or indirectly touches on the world of disasters, crises, well-being, continuity management, and resilience. The first of its kind in the BCM and Resilience world and is still going strong after thirty plus seasons, reaching an audience around the globe. Alex was born in England but now calls the city of Guelph, Ontario, Canada, his home. Ways to connect Alex:   www.linkedin.com/in/alex-fullick-826a694   About the Host:   Michael Hingson is a New York Times best-selling author, international lecturer, and Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe. Michael, blind since birth, survived the 9/11 attacks with the help of his guide dog Roselle. This story is the subject of his best-selling book, Thunder Dog.   Michael gives over 100 presentations around the world each year speaking to influential groups such as Exxon Mobile, AT&T, Federal Express, Scripps College, Rutgers University, Children's Hospital, and the American Red Cross just to name a few. He is Ambassador for the National Braille Literacy Campaign for the National Federation of the Blind and also serves as Ambassador for the American Humane Association's 2012 Hero Dog Awards.   https://michaelhingson.com https://www.facebook.com/michael.hingson.author.speaker/ https://twitter.com/mhingson https://www.youtube.com/user/mhingson https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelhingson/   accessiBe Links https://accessibe.com/ https://www.youtube.com/c/accessiBe https://www.linkedin.com/company/accessibe/mycompany/ https://www.facebook.com/accessibe/       Thanks for listening!   Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page. Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below!   Subscribe to the podcast   If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher. You can subscribe in your favorite podcast app. You can also support our podcast through our tip jar https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/unstoppable-mindset .   Leave us an Apple Podcasts review   Ratings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on Apple Podcasts, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute, please leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts.       Transcription Notes:   Michael Hingson ** 00:00 Access Cast and accessiBe Initiative presents Unstoppable Mindset. The podcast where inclusion, diversity and the unexpected meet. Hi, I'm Michael Hingson, Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe and the author of the number one New York Times bestselling book, Thunder dog, the story of a blind man, his guide dog and the triumph of trust. Thanks for joining me on my podcast as we explore our own blinding fears of inclusion unacceptance and our resistance to change. We will discover the idea that no matter the situation, or the people we encounter, our own fears, and prejudices often are our strongest barriers to moving forward. The unstoppable mindset podcast is sponsored by accessiBe, that's a c c e s s i capital B e. Visit www.accessibe.com to learn how you can make your website accessible for persons with disabilities. And to help make the internet fully inclusive by the year 2025. Glad you dropped by we're happy to meet you and to have you here with us.   Michael Hingson ** 01:21 Well, hello, everyone, wherever you happen to be, welcome to another episode of unstoppable mindset where inclusion, diversity and the unexpected meet and unexpected is anything that has nothing to do with inclusion or diversity. As I've said many times today, our guest is someone I got to meet last year, and we'll talk about that. His name is Alex Bullock, and Alex and I met because we both attended a conference in London in October about business continuity. And I'm going to let Alex define that and describe what that is all about. But Alex introduced me at the conference, and among other things, I convinced him that he had to come on unstoppable mindset. And so we get to do that today. He says he's nervous. So you know, all I gotta say is just keep staring at your screens and your speakers and and just keep him nervous. Keep him on edge. Alex, welcome to unstoppable mindset. We're really glad you're   Alex Fullick ** 02:19 here. Thanks, Michael. I really appreciate the invite, and I'm glad to be here today. And yeah, a little nervous, because usually it's me on the other side of the microphone interviewing people. So I don't fit in this chair too often   Michael Hingson ** 02:33 I've been there and done that as I recall, yes,   Alex Fullick ** 02:37 yes, you were a guest of mine. Oh, I guess when did we do that show? A month and a half, two months ago? Or something, at least,   Michael Hingson ** 02:45 I forget, yeah. And I said the only charge for me coming on your podcast was you had to come on this one. So there you go. Here I am. Yeah, several people ask me, Is there a charge for coming on your podcast? And I have just never done that. I've never felt that I should charge somebody to come on the podcast, other than we do have the one rule, which is, you gotta have fun. If you can't have fun, then there's no sense being on the podcast. So, you know, that works out. Well, tell us about the early Alex, growing up and, you know, all that sort of stuff, so that people get to know you a little bit.   Alex Fullick ** 03:16 Oh, the early Alex, sure. The early Alex, okay, well, a lot of people don't know I was actually born in England myself, uh, Farnam Surrey, southwest of London, so until I was about eight, and then we came to Canada. Grew up in Thunder Bay, Northwestern Ontario, and then moved to the Greater Toronto Area, and I've lived all around here, north of the city, right downtown in the city, and now I live an hour west of it, in a city called Guelph. So that's how I got here. Younger me was typical, I guess, nothing   Michael Hingson ** 03:56 special. Went to school, high school and all that sort of stuff. Yeah, yeah, no.   Alex Fullick ** 04:02 Brainiac. I was working my first job was in hospitality, and I thought that's where I was going to be for a long time, because I worked my way up to I did all the positions, kitchen manager, Assistant Manager, cooks, bartender, server, did everything in there was even a company trainer at one point for a restaurant chain, and then did some general managing. But I got to a point where computers were going to start coming in to the industry, and I thought, well, I guess I should learn how to use these things, shouldn't I? And I went to school, learned how to use them, basic using, I'm not talking about building computers and networks and things like that, just the user side of things. And that was, did that for six months, and then I thought I was going back into the industry. And no fate had. Something different for me. What happened? Well, my best friend, who is still my best friend, 30 years later, he was working for a large financial institution, and he said, Hey, we need some help on this big program to build some call trees. When you're finished, he goes, get your foot in the door, and you could find something else within the bank. So I went, Okay, fine. Well, they called the position business recovery planner, and I knew absolutely nothing about business recovery or business continuity. Not a single thing. I'd never even heard the term yeah and but for some reason, I just took to it. I don't know what it was at the time, but I just went, this is kind of neat. And I think it was the fact that I was learning something different, you know, I wasn't memorizing a recipe for Alfredo sauce or something like that, you know, it was completely different. And I was meeting and working with people at every level, sitting in meetings with senior vice presidents and CEOs and giving them updates, and, you know, a data analyst, data entry clerk, and just talking. And I went, This is so much fun, you know, and that's I've been doing that now for over 28 years.   Michael Hingson ** 06:14 Well, I I had not really heard much of the term business continuity, although I understand emergency preparedness and such things, because I did that, of course, going into the World Trade Center, and I did it for, well, partly to be prepared for an emergency, but also partly because I was a leader of an office, and I felt that I needed to know What to do if there were ever an emergency, and how to behave, because I couldn't necessarily rely on other people, and also, in reality, I might even be the only person in the office. So it was a survival issue to a degree, but I learned what to do. And of course, we know the history of September 11 and me and all that, but the reality is that what I realized many years later was that the knowledge that I learned and gained that helped me on September 11 really created a mindset that allowed me to be able to function and not be as I Put it to people blinded or paralyzed by fear, the fear was there. I would be dumb to say I wasn't concerned, but the fear helped me focus, as opposed to being something that overwhelmed and completely blocked me from being capable and being able to function. So I know what you're saying. Well, what exactly is business continuity?   Alex Fullick ** 07:44 You know, there are people who are going to watch this and listen and they're going to want me to give a really perfect definition, but depending on the organization, depending on leadership, depending on the guiding industry organization out there, business continuity, Institute, Disaster Recovery Institute, ISO NIST and so many other groups out there. I'm not going to quote any of them as a definition, because if I if I say one the others, are going to be mad at me, yell at you, yeah, yeah. Or if I quote it wrong, they'll get mad at me. So I'm going to explain it the way I usually do it to people when I'm talking in the dog park, yeah, when they ask what I'm doing, I'll say Business Continuity Management is, how do you keep your business going? What do you need? Who do you need the resources when you've been hit by an event and and with the least impact to your customers and your delivery of services, yeah, and it's simple, they all get it. They all understand it. So if anyone doesn't like that, please feel free send me an email. I can hit the delete key just as fast as you can write it. So you know, but that's what a lot of people understand, and that's really what business continuity management is, right from the very beginning when you identify something, all the way to why we made it through, we're done. The incident's over.   Michael Hingson ** 09:16 Both worked with at the Business Continuity international hybrid convention in October was Sergio Garcia, who kind of coordinated things. And I think it was he who I asked, what, what is it that you do? What's the purpose of all of the people getting together and having this conference? And he said, I think it was he who said it not you, that the the best way to think about it is that the people who go to this conference are the what if people, they're the ones who have to think about having an event, and what happens if there's an event, and how do you deal with it? But so the what if people, they're the people that nobody ever pays any attention to until such time as there is something that. Happens, and then they're in high demand.   Alex Fullick ** 10:03 Yeah, that that's especially that being ignored part until something happened. Yeah, yeah. Well, well, the nice thing, one of the things I love about this position, and I've been doing it like I said, for 28 years, written books, podcasts, you've been on my show, YouTube channel, etc, etc, is that I do get to learn and from so many people and show the value of what we do, and I'm in a position to reach out and talk to so many different people, like I mentioned earlier. You know, CEOs. I can sit in front of the CEO and tell them you're not ready. If something happens, you're not ready because you haven't attended any training, or your team hasn't attended training, or nobody's contributing to crisis management or the business continuity or whatever you want to talk about. And I find that empowering, and it's amazing to sit there and not tell a CEO to their face, you know you're screwed. Not. You know, you don't say those kinds of things. No, but being able to sit there and just have a moment with them to to say that, however you term it, you might have a good relationship with them where you can't say that for all I know, but it being able to sit in front of a CEO or a vice president and say, hey, you know, this is where things are. This is where I need your help. You know, I don't think a lot of people get that luxury to be able to do it. And I'm lucky enough that I've worked with a lot of clients where I can't. This is where I need your help. You know. What's your expectation? Let's make it happen, you know, and having that behind you is it's kind of empowering,   Michael Hingson ** 11:47 yeah, well, one of the things that I have start talking a little bit about with people when talk about emergency preparedness is, if you're really going to talk about being prepared for an emergency. One of the things that you need to do is recognize that probably the biggest part of emergency preparedness, or business continuity, however you want to term, it, isn't physical it's the mental preparation that you need to make that people generally don't make. You know, I've been watching for the last now, five or six weeks, all the flyers and things down here in California, which have been so horrible, and people talk about being prepared physically. You should have a go bag so that you can grab it and go. You should do this. You should do that. But the problem is nobody ever talks about or or helps people really deal with the mental preparation for something unexpected. And I'm going to, I'm going to put it that way, as opposed to saying something negative, because it could be a positive thing. But the bottom line is, we don't really learn to prepare ourselves for unexpected things that happen in our lives and how to react to them, and so especially when it's a negative thing, the fear just completely overwhelms us.   Alex Fullick ** 13:09 Yeah, I agree with you. You know, fear can be what's that to fight, flight or freeze? Yeah, and a lot of people don't know how to respond when an event happens. And I think I'm going to take a step back, and I think that goes back to when we're young as well, because we have our parents, our grandparents, our teachers, our principals. You know, you can go achieve your goals, like everything is positive. You can go do that. Go do that. They don't teach you that, yeah, to achieve those goals, you're going to hit some roadblocks, and you need to understand how to deal with that when things occur. And use your example with the fires in California. If you don't know how to prepare for some of those small things, then when a big fire like that occurs, you're even less prepared. I have no idea how to deal with that, and it is. It's a really change in mindset and understanding that not everything is rosy. And unfortunately, a lot of people get told, or they get told, Oh, don't worry about it. It'll never happen. So great when it does happen. Well, then was that advice?   Michael Hingson ** 14:25 Yeah, I remember after September 11, a couple of months after, I called somebody who had expressed an interest in purchasing some tape backup products for from us at Quantum. And I hadn't heard from them, and so I reached out, and I said, So what's going on? How would you guys like to proceed? And this was an IT guy, and he said, Oh, well, the president of the company said September 11 happened, and so since they did, we're not going to have to worry about that anymore. So we're not going to go forward. Or worth doing anything to back up our data, and I'm sitting there going, you missed the whole point of what backup is all about. I didn't dare say that to him, but it isn't just about an emergency, but it's also about, what if you accidentally delete a file? Do you have a way to go back and get it? I mean, there's so many other parts to it, but this guy's boss just basically said, Well, it happened, so it's not going to happen now we don't have to worry about it. Yeah,   Alex Fullick ** 15:27 like you hear on the news. Well, it feels like daily, oh, once in 100 year storm, once in 100 year event, once in 100 year this. Well, take a look at the news. It's happening weekly, daily, yeah, yeah. One in 100   Michael Hingson ** 15:44 years thing, yeah. Nowadays, absolutely, there's so many things that are happening. California is going through a couple of major atmospheric rivers right now, as they're now calling it. And so Southern California is getting a lot of rain because of of one of the rivers, and of course, it has all the burn areas from the fires. So I don't know what we'll see in the way of mudslides, but the rain is picking up. Even here, where I live, we're going to get an inch or more of rain, and usually we don't get the rain that a lot of other places get. The clouds have to go over a lot of mountains to get to us, and they lose their moisture before they do that. Yeah,   Alex Fullick ** 16:23 yeah. We just had a whole pile of snow here. So we had a snowstorm yesterday. So we've got about 20 centimeters of snow out there that hasn't been plowed yet. So bit of   Michael Hingson ** 16:36 a mess. There you go. Well, you know, go out and play on the snow. Well,   Alex Fullick ** 16:41 the dog loves it, that's for sure. Like troubling it, but, yeah,   Michael Hingson ** 16:46 I don't think my cat would like it, but the animal would like it. He'd go out and play in it. If it were here, we don't get much snow here, but Yeah, he'd play it. But, but it is. It is so interesting to really talk about this whole issue of of business continuity, emergency preparedness, whatever you want to consider it, because it's it's more than anything. It's a mindset, and it is something that people should learn to do in their lives in general, because it would help people be a lot more prepared. If people really created a mindset in themselves about dealing with unexpected things, probably they'd be a little bit more prepared physically for an emergency, but they would certainly be in a lot better shape to deal with something as like the fires are approaching, but they don't, but we don't do that. We don't teach that.   Alex Fullick ** 17:43 No, we it's interesting too, that a lot of those people, they'll work on projects in their organization, you know, and they will look at things well, what can go wrong, you know, and try to mitigate it and fix, you know, whatever issues are in the way or remove roadblocks. They're actually doing that as part of their project. But when it comes to themselves, and they have to think about fires or something like that, is now that won't happen, you know. And wait a minute, how come you've got the right mindset when it comes to your projects at work, but you don't have that same mindset when it comes to your own well being, or your families, or whatever the case may be. How come it's different? You go from one side to the other and it I've noticed that a few times with people and like, I don't get it. Why? Why are you so you have the right mindset under one circumstance and the other circumstance, you completely ignore it and don't have the mindset,   Michael Hingson ** 18:45 yeah, which, which makes you wonder, how much of a mindset Do you really have when it comes to work in all aspects of it? And so one of the things that I remember after September 11, people constantly asked me is, who helped you down the stairs, or was there somebody who was responsible for coming to get you, to take you downstairs and and the reality is, as I said, I was the leader. I was helping other people go downstairs. But by the same token, I'm of the opinion that in buildings like the World Trade Center towers, there is people talk about the buddy system. So if somebody is is in the building, you should have a buddy. And it doesn't even need to be necessarily, in the same office, but there should be an arrangement so that there is somebody looking out for each each other person. So everybody should have a buddy. I'm of the opinion it isn't a buddy. There should be two buddies, and at least one of them has to be outside of the office, so that you have three people who have to communicate and develop those lines of communications and work through it. And by that way, you you have a. Better chance of making sure that more people get whatever communications are necessary.   Alex Fullick ** 20:06 Yeah, you create your like a support network, absolutely,   Michael Hingson ** 20:10 and I think at least a triumvirate makes a lot more sense than just a buddy. Yeah,   Alex Fullick ** 20:14 you you might be freaked out, you know, nervous shaking, but with a couple of people standing there, you know, talking to you, you're going to come right back hopefully. You know, with that, the calmer, you know, stop shaking when a couple of people are there. Yeah, you a lot of times when you have the same one person doing it, usually, oh, you're just saying that because you have to. But when you two people doing it, it's like, okay, thank thanks team. You know, like you're really helping. You know, this is much better.   Michael Hingson ** 20:48 Yeah, I think it makes a lot more sense, and especially if one of them isn't necessarily a person who's normally in your work pattern that brings somebody in from someone with the outside who approaches things differently because they don't necessarily know you or as well or in the same way as your buddy who's maybe next door to you in the office, right across the hall or next door, or whatever. Yeah, yeah. I agree. I think it makes sense well, the conference that we were at a lot to well, to a large degree, and at least for my presentation, was all about resilience. What is resilience to you? How's that for a general question that   Alex Fullick ** 21:31 has become such a buzzword, I know it   Michael Hingson ** 21:35 really is, and it's unfortunate, because when, when we start hearing, you know, resilience, or I hear all the time amazing and so many times we get all these buzzwords, and they they really lose a lot of their value when that happens. But still, that's a fair question. I   Alex Fullick ** 21:53 do think the word resilience is overused, and it's losing its meaning. You know, dictionary meaning, because it's just used for everything these days. Yeah, you know, my neighbor left her keys. Sorry. Her daughter took her house keys this morning by accident. She couldn't get into her house when she got him back, and she had a comment where she said, you know, oh, well, I'm resilient, but really, you just went and got some Keith, how was that so? So I'm, I'm starting to get to the point now, when people ask me, you know, what's resilience to you? What's it mean to you? I just, I start to say, Now, does it matter? Yeah, my definition is fine for me, if you have a definition of it for yourself that you understand you you know what it means, or your organization has a definition, we'll take it and run. Yeah, you know what it means. You're all behind that. Meaning. We don't need a vendor or some other guiding industry organization to say this is, this must be your definition of resilience. It's like, well, no, you're just wordsmithing and making it sound fancy. You know, do it means what it means to you? You know, how, how do you define it? If that's how you define it, that's what it means, and that's all that matters. My definition doesn't matter. Nobody else's definition matters, you know, because, and it's become that way because the term used, you know, for everything these days. Yeah, I   Michael Hingson ** 23:30 think that there's a lot of value in if a person is, if we use the dictionary definition, resilient, they they Well, again, from my definition, it gets back to the mindset you establish. You establish a mindset where you can be flexible, where you can adapt, and where you can sometimes think outside the box that you would normally think out of, but you don't panic to do that. You've learned how to address different things and be able to focus, to develop what you need to do to accomplish, whatever you need to accomplish at any unexpected time.   Alex Fullick ** 24:06 Yeah, and you're calm, level headed, you know, you've got that right mindset. You don't freak out over the small things, you know, you see the bigger picture. You understand it. You know, I'm here. That's where I need to go, and that's where you focus and, you know, sweat all those little things, you know. And I think, I think it's, it's kind of reminds me that the definitions that are being thrown out there now reminds me of some of those mission and vision statements that leadership comes up with in their organizations, with all this, oh, that, you know, you read the sentence and it makes no sense whatsoever, yeah, you know, like, what?   Michael Hingson ** 24:45 What's so, what's the wackiest definition of resilience that you can think of that you've heard?   Alex Fullick ** 24:51 Um, I don't know if there's a wacky one or an unusual one. Um, oh, geez. I. I know I've heard definitions of bounce forward, bounce back, you know, agility, adaptability. Well, your   Michael Hingson ** 25:07 car keys, lady this morning, your house key, your house key, lady this morning, the same thing, yeah, yeah. I don't resilient just because she got her keys back. Yeah, really, yeah. Well,   Alex Fullick ** 25:17 that's kind of a wacky example. Yeah, of one, but I don't think there's, I've heard any weird definitions yet. I'm sure that's probably some out there coming. Yeah, we'll get to the point where, how the heck did are you defining resilience with that? Yeah? And if you're looking at from that way, then yeah, my neighbor with the keys that would fit in right there. That's not resilient. You just went and picked up some keys.   Michael Hingson ** 25:45 Yeah. Where's the resilience? How did you adapt? You the resilience might be if you didn't, the resilience might be if you didn't panic, although I'm sure that didn't happen. But that would, that would lean toward the concept of resilience. If you didn't panic and just went, Well, I I'll go get them. Everything will be fine, but that's not what people do,   Alex Fullick ** 26:08 yeah? Well, that that is what she did, actually. She just as I was shoveling snow this morning, she goes, Oh, well, I'll just go get her, get them, okay, yeah. Does that really mean resilience, or Does that just mean you went to pick up the keys that your daughter accidentally took   Michael Hingson ** 26:24 and and you stayed reasonably level headed about it,   Alex Fullick ** 26:28 you know, you know. So, you know, I don't know, yeah, if, if I would count that as a definition of resilience, but, or even I agree resilience, it's more of okay, yeah, yeah. If, if it's something like that, then that must mean I'm resilient when I forget to pull the laundry out after the buzzer. Oh yeah, I gotta pull the laundry out. Did that make me resilient? Yeah,   Michael Hingson ** 26:52 absolutely, once you pulled it out, you weren't resilient, not until then,   Alex Fullick ** 26:57 you know. So, so I guess it's you know, how people but then it comes down to how people want to define it too. Yeah, if they're happy with that definition, well, if it makes you happy, I'm not going to tell you to change   Michael Hingson ** 27:11 it. Yeah, has but, but I think ultimately there are some some basic standards that get back to what we talked about earlier, which is establishing a mindset and being able to deal with things that come out of the ordinary well, and you're in an industry that, by and large, is probably viewed as pretty negative, you're always anticipating the emergencies and and all the unexpected horrible things that can happen, the what if people again, but that's that's got to be, from a mindset standpoint, a little bit tough to deal with it. You're always dealing with this negative industry. How do you do that? You're resilient, I know. But anyway, yeah,   Alex Fullick ** 27:56 really, I just look at it from a risk perspective. Oh, could that happen to us? You know, no, it wouldn't, you know, we're we're in the middle of a Canadian Shield, or at least where I am. We're in the middle of Canadian Shield. There's not going to be two plates rubbing against each other and having an earthquake. So I just look at it from risk where we are, snowstorms, yep, that could hit us and has. What do we do? Okay, well, we close our facility, we have everyone work from home, you know, etc, etc. So I don't look at it from the perspective of doom and gloom. I look at it more of opportunity to make us better at what we do and how we prepare and how we respond and how we overcome, you know, situations that happen out there, and I don't look at it from the oh, here comes, you know, the disaster guy you know, always pointing out everything that's wrong. You know, I'd rather point out opportunities that we have to become as a team, organization or a person stronger. Yeah,   Michael Hingson ** 29:01 I guess it's not necessarily a disaster. And as I said earlier, it could very well be that some unexpected thing will happen that could be a very positive thing. But again, if we don't have the mindset to deal with that, then we don't and the reality is, the more that we work to develop a mindset to deal with unexpected things, the more quickly we can make a correct analysis of whatever is going on and move forward from it, as opposed to letting fear again overwhelm us, we can if we practice creating This mindset that says we really understand how to deal with unexpected situations, then we are in a position to be able to the more we practice it, deal with it, and move forward in a positive way. So it doesn't need to be a disaster. September 11 was a disaster by any standard, but as I tell people. People. While I am still convinced that no matter what anyone might think, we couldn't figure out that September 11 was going to happen, I'm not convinced that even if all the agencies communicated, they would have gotten it because and I talk about trust and teamwork a lot, as I point out, a team of 19 people kept their mouth shut, or a few more who were helping in the planning of it, and they pulled off something that basically brought the world to its knees. So I'm not convinced that we could have stopped September 11 from happening. At least I haven't heard something that convinces me of that yet. But what each of us has the ability to do is to determine how we deal with September 11. So we couldn't prevent it, but we can certainly all deal with or address the issue of, how do we deal with it going forward? Yeah,   Alex Fullick ** 30:52 I agree. I I was actually in a conversation with my niece a couple of months ago. We were up at the cottage, and she was talking about school, and, you know, some of the people that she goes to school with, and I said, Well, you're never going to be able to change other people. You know, what they think or what they do. I said, what you can control is your response. You know, if, if they're always picking on you, the reason they're picking on you is because they know they can get a rise out of you. They know they it. Whatever they're saying or doing is getting to you, so they're going to keep doing it because it's empowering for them. But you can take away that empowerment if you make the right choices on how you respond, if you just shrug and walk away. I'm simplifying it, of course, yeah, if you just shrug and walk away. Well, after a while, they're going to realize nothing I'm saying is getting through, and they'll move away from you. They'll they won't bug you anymore, because they can't get a rise out. They can't get a rise out of you. So the only thing you can control is how you respond, you know. And as you keep saying, it's the mindset. Change your mindset from response to, you know, I'm prepared for what this person's going to say, and I'm not going to let it bother me. Yeah?   Michael Hingson ** 32:08 Well, bullying is really all about that. Yeah, people can't bully if you don't let yourself be bullied. Yep, and whether it's social media and so many other things, you can't be bullied if you don't allow it and if you ignore it or move on or get help to deal with the issue if it gets serious enough, but you don't need to approach it from a shame or fear standpoint, or you or you shouldn't anyway, but that's unfortunately, again, all too often. What happens when we see a lot of teenage suicides and so on, because people are letting the bullies get a rise out of them, and the bullies win.   Alex Fullick ** 32:51 Yep, yep. And as I told her, I said, you just mentioned it too. If it gets out of hand or becomes physical, I said, then you have to take action. I don't mean turning around and swinging back. I said, No, step up. Go get someone who is has authority and can do something about it. Yeah, don't, don't run away. Just deal with it differently, you know. And don't, don't start the fight, because then you're just confirming that I'm the bully. I can do this again. Yeah, you're, you're giving them license to do what they want. Yeah, but stand up to them, or tell, depending on the situation, tell someone higher up in authority that can do something and make make a change, but you have to be calm when you do it.   Michael Hingson ** 33:39 I remember when I was at UC Irvine, when I was going to college, my had my first guide dog, Squire. He was a golden retriever, 64 pounds, the most gentle, wonderful dog you could ever imagine. And unfortunately, other students on campus would bring their dogs. It was a very big campus, pretty, in a sense, rural, and there were only about 2700 students. And a bunch of students would bring their dogs to school, and they would just turn the dogs loose, and they go off to class, and then they find their dogs at the end of the day. Unfortunately, some of the dogs developed into a pack, and one day, they decided they were going to come after my guide dog. I think I've told this story a couple times on on this podcast, but what happened was we were walking down a sidewalk, and the dogs were coming up from behind, and they were growling and so on. And squire, my guide dog, jerked away from me. I still held his leash, but he jerked out of his harness, out of my hand, and literally jumped up in the air, turned around and came down on all fours, hunkered down and growled at these dogs all in this the well, about a two second time frame, totally shocked the dogs. They just slunked away. Somebody was describing it to me later, and you know, the dog was very deliberate about what he did. Of course, after they left, he comes over and He's wagging his tail. Did I do good or what? But, but he was very deliberate, and it's a lesson to to deal with things. And he never attacked any of the dogs, but he wasn't going to let anything happen to him or me, and that's what loyalty is really all about. But if something had happened and that hadn't worked out the way expected, then I would have had to have gone off and and I, in fact, I did talk to school officials about the fact that these dogs were doing that. And I don't even remember whether anybody did anything, but I know I was also a day or so later going into one of the the buildings. Before he got inside, there was a guy I knew who was in a wheelchair, and another dog did come up and started to try to attack squire, this guy with in the wheelchair, pulled one of the arms off his chair and just lambasted the dog right across the head, made him back up. Yeah, you know. But it was that people shouldn't be doing what they allowed their dog. You know, shouldn't be doing that, but. But the bottom line is, it's still a lesson that you don't let yourself be bullied. Yeah, yep, and there's no need to do that, but it is a it's a pretty fascinating thing to to see and to deal with, but it's all about preparation. And again, if we teach ourselves to think strategically and develop that skill, it becomes just second nature to do it, which is, unfortunately, what we don't learn.   Alex Fullick ** 36:48 Yeah, I didn't know that as a kid, because when I was a little kid and first came to Canada, especially, I was bullied because, well, I had a funny voice.   Michael Hingson ** 36:57 You did? You don't have that anymore, by the way, no,   Alex Fullick ** 37:01 if I, if I'm with my mom or relatives, especially when I'm back in England, words will start coming back. Yeah, there are words that I do say differently, garage or garage, yeah. You know, I hate garage, but garage, yeah, I still say some words like that,   Michael Hingson ** 37:18 or process, as opposed to process.   Alex Fullick ** 37:21 Yeah, so, you know, there's something like that, but as a kid, I was bullied and I there was, was no talk of mindset or how to deal with it. It's either put up with it or, you know, you really couldn't turn to anybody back then, because nobody really knew themselves how to deal with it. Yeah, bullies had always been around. They were always in the playground. So the the mechanisms to deal with it weren't there either. It wasn't till much later that I'm able to to deal with that if someone said some of the things now, right away, I can turn around because I've trained myself to have a different mindset and say that, no, that's unacceptable. You can't talk to that person, or you can't talk to me that way. Yeah, you know, if you say it again, I will, you know, call the police or whatever. Never anything where I'm going to punch you in the chin, you know, or something like that. Never. That doesn't solve anything. No, stand up saying, you know, no, I'm not going to accept that. You know, which is easier now, and maybe that just comes with age or something, I don't know, but back then, no, it was, you know, that that kind of mechanism to deal with it, or finding that inner strength and mindset to do that wasn't there,   Michael Hingson ** 38:43 right? But when you started to work on developing that mindset, the more you worked on it, the easier it became to make it happen. Yep, agreed. And so now it's a way of life, and it's something that I think we all really could learn and should learn. And my book live like a guide dog is really all about that developing that mindset to control fear. And I just think it's so important that we really deal with it. And you know, in this country right now, we've got a government administration that's all about chaos and fear, and unfortunately, not nearly enough people have learned how to deal with that, which is too bad, yep, although,   Alex Fullick ** 39:30 go ahead, I was going to say it's a shame that, you know, some a lot of people haven't learned how to deal with that. Part of it, again, is we don't teach that as well. So sometimes the only thing some people know is fear and bullying, because that's all they've experienced, yeah, either as the bully or being bullied. So they they don't see anything different. So when it happens on a scale, what we see right now it. It's, well, that's normal, yeah, it's not normal, actually. You know, it's not something we should be doing. You know, you should be able to stand up to your bully, or stand up when you see something wrong, you know, and help because it's human nature to want to help other people. You know, there's been so many accidents people falling, or you'll need their snow removed, where I am, and people jump in and help, yeah? You know, without sometimes, a lot of times, they don't even ask. It's like, oh, let me give you a hand,   Michael Hingson ** 40:33 yeah. And we had that when we lived in New Jersey, like snow removal. We had a Boy Scout who started a business, and every year he'd come around and clear everybody's snow. He cleared our snow. He said, I am absolutely happy to do it. We we wanted to pay him for it, but he was, he was great, and we always had a nice, clean driveway. But you know, the other side of this whole issue with the mindset is if we take it in a more positive direction, look at people like Sully Sullenberger, the pilot and the airplane on the Hudson, how he stayed focused. He had developed the mindset and stayed focused so that he could deal with that airplane. That doesn't mean that he wasn't afraid and had concerns, but he was able to do something that was was definitely pretty fantastic, because he kept his cool, yeah,   Alex Fullick ** 41:23 I think he knew, and others in other situations know that if you're freaking out yourself, you're not going to fix the issue, you're going to make it worse. We see that in Hollywood tends to do that a lot. In their movies, there's always a character who's flipping out, you know, panicking, going crazy and making everything worse. Well, that does happen, you know, if you act that way, you're not going to resolve your situation, whatever you find yourself in, you know. And I tell people that in business continuity when we're having meetings, well, we'll figure it out when it happens. No, you don't know how you'll behave. You don't know how you'll respond when, oh, I don't know an active shooter or something. You have no idea when you hear that someone you know just got shot down in the lobby. Are you going to tell me you're going to be calm? You sorry? You know you're going to be calm and just okay, yeah, we can deal with it. No, you're going to get a wave of panic, yeah, or other emotions coming over you, you know. And you have to have that mindset. You can still be panicked and upset and freaked out, or however you want to describe that, but you know, I have to stay in control. I can't let that fear take over, or I'm going to get myself in that situation as well. Yeah, I have to be able to manage it. Okay, what do I have to do? I gotta go hide. You know, I'm not saying you're not sweating, you know, with nervousness like that, but you understand, gotta think beyond this if I want to get out of this situation. You know, I'm going to take these people that are sitting with me, we're going to go lock ourselves in the storage closet, or, you know, whatever, right? But have that wherewithal to be able to understand that and, you know, be be safe, you know, but freaking out, you're only contributing to the situation, and then you end up freaking out other people and getting them panicked. Course, you do. They're not, you know, they don't have the right mindset to deal with issues. And then you've got everyone going in every direction, nobody's helping each other. And then you're creating, you know, bigger issues, and   Michael Hingson ** 43:37 you lose more lives, and you create more catastrophes all the way around. I remember when I was going down the stairs at the World Trade Center, I kept telling Roselle what a good job she was doing, good girl. And I did that for a couple of reasons. The main reason was I wanted her to know that I was okay and I'm not going to be influenced by fear. But I wanted her to feel comfortable what what happened, though, as a result of that, and was a lesson for me. I got contacted several years later one time, specifically when I went to Kansas City to do a speech, and a woman said she wanted to come and hear me because she had come into the stairwell just after, or as we were passing her floor, which was, I think, the 54th floor. Then she said, I heard you just praising your dog and being very calm. And she said, I and other people just decided we're going to follow you down the stairs. And it was, it was a great lesson to understand that staying focused, no matter what the fear level was, really otherwise, staying focused and encouraging was a much more positive thing to do, and today, people still don't imagine how, in a sense, comet was going down the stairs, which doesn't mean that people weren't afraid. But several of us worked to really keep panic out of the stairwell as we were going down. My friend David did he panicked, but then he. He walked a floor below me and started shouting up to me whatever he saw on the stairwell, and that was really for his benefit. He said to have something to do other than thinking about what was going on, because he was getting pretty scared about it. But what David did by shouting up to me was he acted as a focal point for anyone on the stairs who could hear him, and they would hear him say things like, Hey, Mike, I'm at the 43rd floor. All's good here. Everyone who could hear him had someone on the stairs who was focused, sounded calm, and that they could listen to to know that everybody was okay, which was so cool, and   Alex Fullick ** 45:38 that that probably helped them realize, okay, we're in the right direction. We're going the right way. Someone is, you know, sending a positive comments. So if, if we've got, you know, three, if he's three floors below us, we know at least on the next three floors, everything is okay.   Michael Hingson ** 45:56 Well, even if they didn't know where he wasn't right, but even if he they didn't know where he was in relation to them, the fact is, they heard somebody on the stairs saying, I'm okay, yeah, whether he felt it, he did sound it all the way down the stairs. Yeah, and I know that he was panicking, because he did it originally, but he got over that. I snapped at him. I just said, Stop it, David, if Rosell and I can go down these stairs, so can you. And then he did. He focused, and I'm sure that he had to have helped 1000s of people going down the stairs, and helped with his words, keeping them calm.   Alex Fullick ** 46:32 Yeah, yeah. It makes a difference, you know. Like I said earlier, you doesn't mean you're still not afraid. Doesn't mean that, you know, you're not aware of the negative situation around you. It's and you can't change it, but you can change, like I said earlier, you can change how you respond to it. You can be in control that way, right? And that's eventually what, what he did, and you you were, you know, you were controlled going downstairs, you know, with with your guide dog, and with all these people following you, and because of the way you were, like, then they were following you, yeah, and they remained calm. It's like there's someone calling up from below who's safe. I can hear that. I'm listening to Michael. He'll tell his dog how well behaved they are. And he's going down calmly. Okay, you know, I can do this. And they start calming down,   Michael Hingson ** 47:28 yeah, what's the riskiest thing you've ever done? Oh, word. Must have taken a risk somewhere in the world, other than public speaking. Oh, yeah, public speaking.   Alex Fullick ** 47:40 I still get nervous the first minute. I'm still nervous when I go up, but you get used to it after a while. But that first minute, yeah, I'm nervous. Oh, that there's, I have a fear of heights and the so the the two, two things that still surprised me that I did is I climbed the Sydney bridge, Harbor Bridge, and, oh, there's another bridge. Where is it? Is it a Brisbane? They're both in Australia. Anyway. Climb them both and have a fear of heights. But I thought, no, I gotta, I gotta do this. You know, I can't be afraid of this my entire life. And I kept seeing all these people go up there in groups, you know, on tours. And so I said, Okay, I'm going to do this. And I was shaking nervous like crazy, and went, What if I fall off, you know, and there's so many different measures in place for to keep you safe. But that that was risky, you know, for me, it felt risky. I was exhilarated when I did it. Though, would you do it again? Oh, yeah, in a heartbeat. Now, there you go. I'm still afraid of heights, but I would do that again because I just felt fantastic. The other I guess going out and being self employed years ago was another risky thing. I had no idea, you know about incorporating myself, and, you know, submitting taxes, you know, business taxes, and, you know, government documents and all this and that, and invoicing and things like that. I had no idea about that. So that was kind of risky, because I had no idea how long I'd be doing it. Well, I started in what 2007, 2007, I think so, 18 years, yeah, so now it's like, I can't imagine myself not doing it, you know, so I'm but I'm always willing to try something new these days. You know, even starting the podcast seven and a half years ago was risky, right? I had no idea. Nobody was talking about my industry or resilience or business continuity or anything back then, I was the first one doing it, and I'm the longest one doing it. Um, I've outlived a lot of people who thought they could do it. I'm still going. So that started out risky, but now I. Imagine not doing it, yeah, you know. And you know, it's, you know, I guess it's, it's just fun to keep trying new things. You know, I keep growing and, you know, I've got other plans in the works. I can't give anything away, but, you know, I've got other plans to try. And they'll, they'll be risky as well. But it's like,   Michael Hingson ** 50:21 no, let's go for it. Have you ever done skydiving or anything like that? No, I haven't done that. I haven't either. I know some blind people who have, but I just, I've never done that. I wouldn't   Alex Fullick ** 50:32 mind it. It's that might be one of those lines where should I? I'm not sure about this one, you know, but it is something that I I think I wouldn't do it on my own. I think I would have to be one of those people who's connected with someone else, with someone   Michael Hingson ** 50:51 else, and that's usually the way blind people do it, needless to say, but, and that's fine, I just have never done it. I haven't ever had a need to do it, but I know I can sit here and say, I'm not afraid to do it. That is, I could do it if it came along, if there was a need to do it, but I don't. I don't have a great need to make that happen. But you know, I've had enough challenges in my life. As I tell people, I think I learned how to deal with surprises pretty early, because I've been to a lot of cities and like, like Boston used to have a rep of being a very accident prone city. Just the way people drive, I could start to cross the street and suddenly I hear a car coming around the corner, and I have to move one way or the other and draw a conclusion very quickly. Do I back up or do I go forward? Because the car is not doing what it's supposed to do, which is to stop, and I have to deal with that. So I think those kinds of experiences have helped me learn to deal with surprise a little bit too.   Alex Fullick ** 51:52 Yeah, well, with the skydiving, I don't think I'd go out of my way to do it, but exactly came along, I think I would, you know, just for the thrill of saying, I did it,   Michael Hingson ** 52:03 I did it, yeah, I went ice skating once, and I sprained my ankle as we were coming off the ice after being on the ice for three hours. And I haven't gone ice skating again since. I'm not really afraid to, but I don't need to do it. I've done it. I understand what it feels like. Yeah, yeah. So it's okay. Have you had any really significant aha moments in your life, things that just suddenly, something happened and went, Ah, that's that's what that is, or whatever.   Alex Fullick ** 52:30 Well, it does happen at work a lot, dealing with clients and people provide different perspectives, and you just, Oh, that's interesting, though, that happens all the time. Aha moments. Sometimes they're not always good. Aha moments, yeah, like the one I always remember that the most is when I wrote my first book, heads in the sand. I was so proud of it, and, you know, excited and sent off all these letters and marketing material to all the chambers of commerce across Canada, you know, thinking that, you know, everyone's going to want me to speak or present or buy my book. Well, ah, it doesn't happen that way. You know, I got no responses. But that didn't stop me from writing seven more books and working on nine. Now, there you go, but it was that was kind of a negative aha moment so, but I just learned, okay, that's not the way I should be doing that.   Michael Hingson ** 53:34 Put you in your place, but that's fair. I kind   Alex Fullick ** 53:37 of, I laugh at it now, a joke, but you know, aha, things you know, I You never know when they're going to happen.   Michael Hingson ** 53:47 No, that's why they're Aha, yeah.   Alex Fullick ** 53:51 And one of one, I guess another one would have been when I worked out first went out on my own. I had a manager who kept pushing me like, go, go work for yourself. You know this better than a lot of other people. Go, go do this. And I was too nervous. And then I got a phone call from a recruiting agency who was offering me a role to do where I wanted to take this company, but that I was working for full time for that weren't ready to go. They weren't ready yet. And it was kind of an aha moment of, do I stay where I am and maybe not be happy? Or have I just been given an opportunity to go forward? So when I looked at it that way, it did become an aha moment, like, Ah, here's my path forward. Yeah, so, you know. And that was way back in 2007 or or so somewhere around there, you know. So the aha moments can be good. They can be bad, and, you know, but as long as you learn from them, that's exactly   Michael Hingson ** 54:57 right. The that's the neat thing about. Aha moments. You don't expect them, but they're some of the best learning opportunities that you'll ever get.   Alex Fullick ** 55:06 Yeah, yeah, I agree completely, because you never know that. That's the nice thing, and I think that's also part of what I do when I'm working with so many different people of different levels is they all have different experiences. They all have different backgrounds. You they can all be CEOs, but they all come from a different direction and different backgrounds. So they're all going to be offering something new that's going to make you sit there and go, Oh, yeah. And thought of that before,   Michael Hingson ** 55:38 yeah. So that's, that's so cool, yeah,   Alex Fullick ** 55:42 but you have to, you know, be able to listen and pick up on those kind of things.   Michael Hingson ** 55:46 But you've been very successful. What are some of the secrets of success that that that you've discovered, or that you put to use?   Alex Fullick ** 55:55 For me, I'll put it bluntly, shut up and listen.   Michael Hingson ** 55:59 There you are. Yeah. Well, that is so true. That's true. Yeah.   Alex Fullick ** 56:03 I think I've learned more by just using my two ears rather than my one mouth, instead of telling people everything they you should be doing. And you know, this is what I think you should do. And like talking at people, it's so much better just talk with people, and then they'll, even if you're trying to, you know, really, really, really, get them to see your side, they will come onto your side easier and probably better if you let them realize it themselves. So you just listen, and you ask the odd probing question, and eventually comes around, goes, Oh, yeah, I get it. What you mean now by doing this and going, Yeah, that's where I was going. I guess I just wasn't saying it right, you know. And have being humble enough to, you know, even though I, I know I did say it right, maybe I just wasn't saying it right to that person, to that person, yeah, right way. So listening to them, and, you know, I think, is one of the big keys to success for me, it has, you know, and I've learned twice as much that way. And maybe that's why I enjoy answering people on the podcast, is because I ask a couple of questions and then just let people talk,   Michael Hingson ** 57:18 which is what makes it fun. Yeah,   Alex Fullick ** 57:21 yeah. It's sometimes it's fun to just sit there, not say anything, just let someone else do all the talking.   Michael Hingson ** 57:29 What you know your industry is, I would assume, evolved and changed over the years. What are some of the major changes, some of the ways that the industry has evolved. You've been in it a long time, and certainly, business continuity, disaster recovery, whatever you want to call it, has, in some sense, has become a little bit more of a visible thing, although I think people, as both said earlier, ignore it a lot. But how's the industry changed over time?   Alex Fullick ** 57:54 Well, when I started, it was before y 2k, yes, 96 and back then, when I first started, everything was it focused. If your mainframe went down, your computer broke. That's the direction everyone came from. And then it was you added business continuity on top of that. Okay, now, what do we do with our business operations. You know, other things we can do manually while they fix the computer or rebuild the mainframe. And then it went to, okay, well, let's bring in, you know, our help desk. You know, who people call I've got a problem with a computer, and here's our priority and severity. Okay, so we'll get, we'll respond to your query in 12 hours, because it's only one person, but if there's 10 people who have the issue, now it becomes six hours and bringing in those different aspects. So we went from it disaster recovery to business continuity to then bringing in other disciplines and linking to them, like emergency management, crisis management, business continuity, incident management, cyber, information security. Now we've got business continuity management, you know, bringing all these different teams together and now, or at least on some level, not really integrating very well with each other, but just having an awareness of each other, then we've moved to operational resilience, and again, that buzzword where all these teams do have to work together and understand what each other is delivering and the value of each of them. And so it just keeps growing in that direction where it started off with rebuild a mainframe to getting everybody working together to keep your operations going, to keep your partners happy, to keep your customers happy. You know, ensuring life safety is priority number one. When, when I started, life safety was, wasn't really thrown into the business continuity realm that much. It was always the focus on the business. So the these. The sky, the size and scope has gotten a lot bigger and more encompassing of other areas. And I wouldn't necessarily all call that business continuity, you know it, but it is. I see business continuity as a the hub and a wheel, rather than a spoke, to bring all the different teams together to help them understand, you know, hey, here's, here's how you've Incident Management, you know, help desk, service desk, here's how you help the Disaster Recovery Team. Here's how you can help the cyber team. Cyber, here's how you can actually help this team, you know, and being able to understand. And that's where the biggest change of things is going is now, more and more people are understanding how they really need to work together, rather than a silo, which you know, a lot of organizations still do, but it's those walls are starting to come down, because they can understand no One can do it alone. You have to work together with your internal departments, leadership, data analysts, who have to be able to figure out how to rebuild data, or your third parties. We need to talk with them. We have to have a relationship with them our supply chain, and understand where they're going, what they have in place, if we or they experience something. So it's definitely grown in size and scope   Michael Hingson ** 1:01:27 well, and we're seeing enough challenges that I think some people are catching on to the fact that they have to learn to work together, and they have to think in a broader base than they have in the past, and that's probably a good thing. Yeah, well, if, if you had the opportunity, what would you tell the younger Alex?   Alex Fullick ** 1:01:50 Run, run for the hills. Yeah, really, no, seriously, I kind of mentioned a couple of them already. Don't sweat the small things. You know, sometimes, yeah, and I think that comes down to our mindset thing as well. You know, understand your priorities and what's important. If it's not a priority or important, don't sweat it. Don't be afraid to take risks if you if you do your planning, whether it be jumping out of a plane or whatever, you know the first thing you want to do is what safety measures are in place to ensure that my jump will be successful. You know, those kind of things. Once you understand that, then you can make knowledgeable decisions. Don't be afraid to take those risks. And it's one of the big things. It's it's okay to fail, like I said about the book thing where you all those that marketing material I sent out, it's okay to fail. Learn from it. Move on. I can laugh at those kind of things now. You know, for years, I couldn't I was really like, oh my god, what I do wrong? It's like, No, I didn't do anything wrong. It just wasn't the right time. Didn't do it the right way. Okay, fine, move on. You know, you know, don't be afraid to fail. If, if you, if you fail and get up, well then is it really a failure? You learned, you got back up and you kept going. And that's the part of resilience too, right? Yeah, if you trip and fall, you get up and keep going. But if you trip and fall and stay down, well then maybe you are   Michael Hingson ** 1:03:30 failing. That's the failure. I mean, the reality is that it isn't failure if you learn from it and move on. It was something that set you back, but that's okay, yeah,   Alex Fullick ** 1:03:41 my my favorite band, Marillion, has a line in one of their songs rich. Failure isn't about falling down. Failure is staying down. Yeah,   Michael Hingson ** 1:03:50 I would agree with that. Completely agree   Alex Fullick ** 1:03:53 with it. He'll stand by it. W

Hurricane Beryl and the May 2024 derecho showed the powerful and long lasting effects that a wide range of weather events can have. The federal government assessed $229 million in unmet need for home repair and personal property loss. Yet the City of Houston released its Action Plan in May, and there are $0 allocated to housing of any kind. On this episode of A Little Louder, we're joined by Maddie Sloan, Director of the Disaster Recovery and Fair Housing Project at Texas Appleseed. We discuss what is missing from this plan, and we hear directly from tenants who gave their feedback on the plan and what they want to see.If you'd like to particpate or offer comments, the City of Houston will have two virtual meetings on June 10th and June 12th. Written comments can be submitted to the city until Sunday, June 22nd. And all of this information can be found on the City of Houston's Housing Department website houstontx.gov/housing

Hurricane season is here, and waiting until the last minute to prepare is a recipe for disaster. In this essential episode of Ready Your Future, Todd shares his real-world experience surviving multiple hurricanes to deliver the ultimate hurricane preparedness checklist that could save your family's life. You'll discover why most people fail at hurricane preparedness and learn the critical before, during, and after strategies that separate prepared families from those left scrambling in the dark. This comprehensive prepper guide goes beyond basic survival tips to reveal advanced readiness strategies including generator management, food preservation without power, and how to build community goodwill during emergencies. Todd's nine-page hurricane preparedness checklist serves as your complete roadmap for weathering any storm, whether you're a seasoned prepper or just starting your preparedness journey. Learn why hurricane preparedness is universal preparedness, and how these same principles apply to any disaster scenario you might face. Download the free preparedness checklist and transform your family's ability to thrive during nature's most powerful storms. Download the FREE Hurricane Preparedness Checklist on Ready Your Future. Of Interest Join the Tribe For more about Todd and RYF Join the Exclusive Email Group The Christian Prepper Podcast Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/prepperwebsiteSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On Monday's show: Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has openly speculated about eliminating FEMA. Whether that happens or not, how would Greater Houston handle another hurricane -- or any other disaster -- if FEMA no longer existed or its role were changed?Also this hour: We offer Houstonians a chance to vent about their pet peeves about life in our city.And Jeff Balke updates us on the latest developments in sports.

Listen, Watch, & Support DTP:  www.thereadinesslab.com/dtp-linksBoost the signal with a $5 monthly donation! Become a TRL Insider Member with a ton of extra content!--------------The more you worry about the future, the less you enjoy the present.” Many working for federal agencies, such as FEMA, are worried about the future because of things happening in the present.For that reason, the Disaster Tough Podcast returns with a timely conversation with former FEMA Administrator Pete Gaynor. Pete served at the highest levels of FEMA and the Department of Homeland Security during President Trump's first term.Since then, he has been providing his expertise in the private sector, including his current role as Vice President of Resiliency and Disaster Recovery at Hill International, Inc.In this episode, Pete shares his thoughts on the current situation at FEMA amid recent reductions in workforce within the agency. He also discusses what employees and emergency management professionals can do to remain viable and ready in the face of uncertainty.He and host, John Scardena, point out the difficulties that EM professionals run into when it comes to response because of bureaucracy.He says the expectations often differ from the process and final response.As such, he calls for systems to be put in place so that state and local agencies have more ability to respond first, and only request federal assistance when necessary.--------------Impulse: Bleeding Control Kits by Professionals for Professionals:https://www.dobermanemg.com/impulse Doberman Emergency Management Group provides subject matter experts in planning and training: www.dobermanemg.com

This episode is presented by Create A Video – Lisa Sorg from Inside Climate News reports the NC Commerce Department has hired a firm to oversee Hurricane Helene disaster recovery in Western North Carolina. But the firm lost a contract for poor performance in disaster recovery in Eastern NC just a few years ago. Plus, no charges filed over a disturbance between Congressman Chuck Edwards and a Rotary Club member in Asheville. Subscribe to the podcast at: https://ThePetePod.com/ All the links to Pete's Prep are free: https://patreon.com/petekalinershow Media Bias Check: If you choose to subscribe, get 15% off here! Advertising and Booking inquiries: Pete@ThePeteKalinerShow.comGet exclusive content here!: https://thepetekalinershow.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How does the legacy of racial covenants impact housing equity and even fire recovery?   Host Curtis Chang welcomes Jasmin Shupper, visionary founder and CEO of Greenline Housing Foundation, to explore how racial injustice magnifies the impact of natural disasters. Together, they dive into the devastating effects of the LA fires—particularly the Eaton Fire in Altadena—where Black homeowners have faced disproportionate losses due to historical practices like redlining and racially restrictive covenants. Jasmin shares how her mission to close the racial wealth gap and prevent mass displacement offers a path toward real estate justice, resilience, and renewal. She also reflects on her personal journey from Chicago's South Side to leading national efforts for housing equity and disaster recovery.   Resources mentioned in this episode: Remembering the subprime mortgage crisis 40 Acres and a Mule (video) Pasadena Community Foundation: the Altadena Builds Back Foundation Richard Rothstein's The Color of Law Richard Rothstein on Fresh Air: How The U.S. Government Segregated America Stanford uses AI to find: Racially Restrictive Covenants  Redlining in real estate: How discriminatory practices still affect Black communities   Aftermath of the Eaton Fire in Altadena: All Altadena Land Owners Impacted by Eaton Fire Have Turned in Right of Entry Forms Looting Fuels 250% Crime Surge in Fire-Devastated Altadena These theater kids rise from the ashes of the Eaton fire   More from Jasmin Shupper & Greenline Housing: Learn More about Greenline Housing Foundation Greenline's work with Eaton Fire victims: https://greenlinehousing.org/eaton-fire/ PBS features Greenline's work after the wildfires LAist features Greenline's development work to keep Altadena diverse CBS News features Greenline and real estate after the Eaton Fire   Follow Us: Good Faith on Instagram Good Faith on X (formerly Twitter) Good Faith on Facebook   Sign up: Redeeming Babel Newsletter

May 8, 2025: Dr. Susan Ibanez, CIO of Southeast Georgia Health System, discusses the challenges and opportunities of being the organization's first-ever CIO at her health system. What does it look like to build the CIO role from the ground up? How do you balance addressing technical debt while simultaneously driving digital transformation at a smaller health system? Ibanez also offers valuable insights on the importance of professional certifications, networking, and the evolving role of the modern CIO—no longer just a tech job, but requires business acumen, strategic vision, and financial expertise. Key Points: 06:18 Community and Regional Challenges 10:25 Addressing Technical Debt and Cloud Strategies 15:29 Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity 18:34 AI and Future Technologies 21:24 Professional Development and Certifications 24:14 Advice for Aspiring CIOs X: This Week Health LinkedIn: This Week Health Donate: Alex's Lemonade Stand: Foundation for Childhood Cancer

When you feel the energy of RSAC week starting to build, you know it's going to be a memorable one. Conversations, collaborations, learning, connecting—it's what this community thrives on. And ahead of the big week, we had a chance to catch up with Sterling Wilson, Field CTO at Object First, to talk about their vision for data resilience and why backup security can't be an afterthought anymore.Sterling's career path reads like a masterclass in data protection. After working deep in the trenches as a Microsoft and virtualization architect for both government and private sectors, he transitioned into the vendor space—eventually joining Veeam Software, where he became immersed in the world of backups and data resilience. That journey eventually brought him to Object First, and it's clear that passion for simplifying security while strengthening infrastructure hasn't faded.One of the major shifts we talked about is how the world of cybersecurity is now fundamentally interconnected. Sterling emphasized what we've said many times ourselves: it's no longer about isolated tools or technologies. It's about how everything fits together. And at the center of it all? Data.Object First is hitting RSAC with a mission: making backup security radically simple without compromising strength. Their “Ootbi”—short for Out Of The Box Immutability—makes protecting backup data straightforward, automatic, and resilient. No special configuration needed. No extra security knowledge required. Just plug it in and let the design do the work.We loved hearing how Object First applies core Zero Trust principles—like assuming breach and strict segmentation—not to networks or apps, but directly to backup storage. It's a philosophy Sterling calls “Zero Trust Data Resilience.” Especially in a world where admins are juggling multiple roles, budgets are tighter, and attacks are getting smarter (yes, AI is helping the bad actors too), reducing complexity while increasing protection is a game-changer.Sterling also shared a hard truth that many organizations are realizing too late: a lot of backup storage solutions weren't built for today's threat landscape. They weren't designed with security-first thinking. Object First aims to fix that by focusing on simplicity, immutability, and speed—not just in backup, but in recovery when it matters most.If you're heading to RSAC 2025, make sure you swing by Booth S260 to check out Object First in person. There'll be demos, trivia, swag, and a few surprise announcements. Plus, Sterling will be speaking at the Insights Theater (South Expo Booth 2151) on April 30 at 10:30 AM. He'll dive deeper into what Zero Trust Data Resilience really means—and why it's time to rethink how we secure our most valuable digital assets.And if you can't make it to San Francisco? Don't worry—we'll be recording another conversation with Sterling on location during the conference, going even deeper into these critical topics. Be sure to follow our On Location coverage to stay connected with everything happening during RSAC 2025.The future of security isn't just about new firewalls, AI-driven analytics, or policy updates. It's about protecting what matters most—our data—with approaches that are built for the challenges of today, not yesterday. And with companies like Object First pushing the boundaries, we think the conversation around data resilience is about to get a whole lot louder.Guests:Sterling Wilson | Field CTO | Data Resilience Strategist | ZTDR AdvocateLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sterling-wilson-007______________________________Resources:Learn more about Object First: https://itspm.ag/object-first-2gjlLearn more and catch more stories from Object First: https://www.itspmagazine.com/directory/object-firstImmutable Storage for Everyone.Ransomware-proof and immutable out-of-the-box, Ootbi delivers secure, simple, and powerful backup storage: https://itspm.ag/objectzlju____________________________Keywords:RSAC 2025, backup security, data resilience, immutable storage, zero trust, object first, ootbi, zero trust data resilience, cybersecurity conference, backup protection, Veeam, ransomware, disaster recovery, storage security, simple cybersecurity, RSAC, securing backups, infosec, infosecurity_______________________Learn more and catch more stories from RSA Conference 2025 coverage: https://www.itspmagazine.com/rsa-conference-usa-2025-rsac-san-francisco-usa-cybersecurity-event-infosec-conference-coverage______________________Catch all of our event coverage: https://www.itspmagazine.com/technology-and-cybersecurity-conference-coverageWant to tell your Brand Story Briefing as part of our event coverage? Learn More