Podcasts about human factors

In Chilling Effects: Repression, Conformity, and Power in the Digital Age (Cambridge UP, 2025), Jonathon W. Penney explores the increasing weaponization of surveillance, censorship, and new technology to repress and control us. With corporations, governments, and extremist actors using big data, cyber-mobs, AI, and other threats to limit our rights and freedoms, concerns about chilling effects – or how these activities deter us from exercising our rights – have become urgent. Penney draws on law, privacy, and social science to present a new conformity theory that highlights the dangers of chilling effects and their potential to erode democracy and enable a more illiberal future. He critiques conventional theories and provides a framework for predicting, explaining, and evaluating chilling effects in a range of contexts. Urgent and timely, Chilling Effects sheds light on the repressive and conforming effects of technology, state, and corporate power, and offers a roadmap of how to respond to their weaponization today and in the future. You can find more information about Jon at his website: https://jonpenney.com/ Jake Chanenson is a computer science Ph.D. student and law student at the University of Chicago. Broadly, Jake is interested in topics relating to HCI, privacy, and tech policy. Jake's work has been published in top venues such as ACM's CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

Today, Steve speaks with James Wilkson, managing partner at AEC Global Search Consultants, an executive search and advisory firm. James and Steve discuss why today's leaders must be flexible and emotionally intelligent, who belongs in today's boardrooms, and how leaders can protect their personal brands online. Steve also asks James to look into the crystal ball.Key Takeaways: The most important trait for leaders today is flexibility. Today's leaders must understand the technology they're implementing in their organizations.  Almost everything you do is visible online today, so be careful and mind your behavior. Tune in to hear more about: Managing different generations in the workplace (4:18) How boards can upskill (12:31) What will surprise leaders a year from now (18:29) Standout Quotes: “I think AI, without a doubt is going to continue to accelerate and alter how we think, but just like anything else, it's just going to be an extremely robust tool down the line.” - James Wilkson “And leaders today, the leaders that are well-trained at being able to relate across generations and across technology are the ones that are going to continue being the leaders, and they're going to hone the next leadership team. The ones that are resistant and the ones that are frustrated, they're just not going to sustain leadership roles that much longer.” - James Wilkson “It's just a massive tsunami of discussion about AI and how it's going to change everything, and it is, but I think we're only going to briefly be led by this loss of work purpose, this loss of what... I think companies right now, the reason there's such a holdback on what do we do? We really slowed down hiring, are the entry level jobs all going to be gone? Yes, probably briefly because we're having a reaction, a knee-jerk reaction, but I think we're going to quickly find out that this is going to bring about a lot of different opportunity. So I think we'll plateau for a while, and then we'll begin utilizing humans in different roles that are still the same role that's just adapted itself to what technology has brought for us.” - James Wilkson Read the transcript of this episodeSubscribe to the ISF Podcast wherever you listen to podcastsConnect with us on LinkedIn and TwitterFrom the Information Security Forum, the leading authority on cyber, information security, and risk management.

In Chilling Effects: Repression, Conformity, and Power in the Digital Age (Cambridge UP, 2025), Jonathon W. Penney explores the increasing weaponization of surveillance, censorship, and new technology to repress and control us. With corporations, governments, and extremist actors using big data, cyber-mobs, AI, and other threats to limit our rights and freedoms, concerns about chilling effects – or how these activities deter us from exercising our rights – have become urgent. Penney draws on law, privacy, and social science to present a new conformity theory that highlights the dangers of chilling effects and their potential to erode democracy and enable a more illiberal future. He critiques conventional theories and provides a framework for predicting, explaining, and evaluating chilling effects in a range of contexts. Urgent and timely, Chilling Effects sheds light on the repressive and conforming effects of technology, state, and corporate power, and offers a roadmap of how to respond to their weaponization today and in the future. You can find more information about Jon at his website: https://jonpenney.com/ Jake Chanenson is a computer science Ph.D. student and law student at the University of Chicago. Broadly, Jake is interested in topics relating to HCI, privacy, and tech policy. Jake's work has been published in top venues such as ACM's CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems.

Today's political fiction is a spy novel, a Cold War comedy and a meditation on the nature of good and evil: Graham Greene's The Human Factor. Why has Greene so fallen out of fashion? What made the South African secret police his idea of pure evil? Was this book shaped by Greene's own experiences with ‘the third man' Kim Philby? And how did Greene prefigure the world of Slow Horses? Out now on PPF+: our latest bonus episode in which David talks to Luke Kemp, author of Goliath's Curse, about whether and how Ursula Le Guin's vision of a stateless world matches up to his own. To get this and all our bonus episodes plus ad-free listening sign up to PPF+ now https://www.ppfideas.com/join-ppf-plus Join us on Friday 19th June at the Regent Street Cinema in London for the final film in our current season: a screening of Never Let Me Go followed by a live podcast recording with geneticist and science writer Adam Rutherford. Tickets available now https://bit.ly/4x641XC You can find out everything you need to know about this podcast – who we are, what we do, plus merch, events and full lists of all episodes including PPF+ bonus episodes on our website https://www.ppfideas.com Next Time in Great Political Fictions: The Years Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

"It costs you nothing to be respectful, but it will cost you relationships if you assume the worst in other people every time." Former Salesforce Senior Director David Fung joins host Josh Seldin to tackle the ultimate challenge of matrixed organizations: how to get things done when you aren't the boss. David pulls back the curtain on the psychology of human behavior, showing leaders how to move away from command-and-control tactics and step into a culture of high-yielding influence. Josh and David explore the "What's in it for me?" (WIIFM) factor, why flatter organizations require a complete abandonment of corporate egos, and how to successfully hold peers accountable when deadlines slip. From building cross-functional "piggy banks" of trust to dealing with holiday weekend emergencies, this episode provides a sharp, real-world playbook on how to lead effectively using credibility, authentic connection, and strategic relevance. Key Takeaways: ✅ The Authority Fallacy: Why relying on a title or organizational hierarchy to drive priorities results in checked-out teams who only do the bare minimum. ✅ The Influencer Triad: Mastering the three requirements of non-authoritative leadership—establishing deep structural credibility, forging human connection, and maintaining radical relevance. ✅ Bypassing the Transactional Trap: How to stop treating corporate relationships like a fast-food order and start building genuine, proactive rapport across departments. ✅ Uncovering Hidden Leverage: Strategies for finding shared commonalities and collective alignment across seemingly disconnected departmental silos. ✅ Peer-to-Peer Accountability: A live roleplay framework for politely but firmly holding cross-functional colleagues accountable to their commitments through the lens of integrity. ✅ The True Cost of Respect: Understanding how a baseline of humility, transparency, and empathy acts as your most powerful currency for sustainable, long-term career success. Connect with David Fung: Podcast: https://coachfulcoaching.com/podcast Website: http://www.coachfulcoaching.com/ Contact Josh: leadinquarters@gmail.com Follow Leadership in Quarters: @leadinquarters on Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok Artwork: Adam Powell Music I Use: Bensound.com/royalty-free-music License code: RFDYFOWDK3BYX6UZ Artist: : Benjamin Tissot #LeadershipInQuarters #DavidFung #InfluenceWithoutAuthority #CrossFunctionalLeadership #CorporateCulture #ExecutiveCoaching #TechLeadership #JoshSeldin #YourGrowthAscent

Sponsor Medboard Medboard: https://www.medboard.com/EUROPEEurope Starts Regulating the Regulators - Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/977: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg_impl/2026/977/ojEUDAMED is mandatory - Panic is raising: https://health.ec.europa.eu/medical-devices-eudamed/overview_enGermany: https://www.bfarm.de/SharedDocs/Downloads/DE/Medizinprodukte/DMIDS-anleitung-anzeigepflichtige-mp-ivd.pdf?__blob=publicationFileBelgium: https://www.famhp.be/en/news/eudamed_clarifications_regarding_obligations_from_28_may_2026Portugal: https://www.infarmed.pt/web/infarmed/noticias/-/journal_content/56/15786/13092901AI Medical Devices - Timeline changed for AI ACT: https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2026/05/07/artificial-intelligence-council-and-parliament-agree-to-simplify-and-streamline-rules/Germany guidance: https://www.bundesnetzagentur.de/DE/Fachthemen/Digitales/KI/5_Innovationen/_DL/Roadmap_Pilot.pdf?__blob=publicationFile&v=5Spain new HTA - Royal Decree 415/2026: https://www.boe.es/boe/dias/2026/05/29/pdfs/BOE-A-2026-11587.pdfDenmark on languages - Reminder that there are requirements to follow: https://laegemiddelstyrelsen.dk/en/devices/registration-and-marketing/language-requirement/UKMHRA regulatory advice meetings - Pay and ask what you want: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/medical-devices-ask-for-a-regulatory-advice-meeting-from-the-mhraEasy Medical Device solutionsEasyIFU - electronic Instruction for Use: https://easyifu.comSmarteye - electronic Quality Management System: https://eqms-smarteye.com/Rest of the WorldFDA reinforce Human Factors expectations - This is not nice to have: https://www.fda.gov/regulatory-information/search-fda-guidance-documents/content-human-factors-information-medical-device-marketing-submissionsSaudi Arabia bundling criteria - More products in a single application: https://www.sfda.gov.sa/sites/default/files/2026-05/MDS-G28.pdfPodcastPodcast Nostalgia - Re-listen latest podcast episodes:Episode 390 - How can a proper intended use save your device with Kanrandeep Badwal: https://podcast.easymedicaldevice.com/390-2/Episode 391 - Feedback after 3 months of the new FDA QMSR is in place with Mathangi Srinivasan: https://podcast.easymedicaldevice.com/391-2/ Easy Medical DeviceConsulting activities (CE marking, Clinical Evaluation, QMS creation…) https://easymedicaldevice.com/services/mdr-ivdr-technical-documentation/BOSS Program: Back Office ServiceseQMS: https://easymedicaldevice.com/smarteye-eqms/EasyIFU: eIFU and Label creation: https://easymedicaldevice.com/easyifu/Authorized Representative in EU, UK and SwitzerlandMarket access all over the world: https://easymedicaldevice.com/services/market-access/Social Media to followMonir El Azzouzi Linkedin: https://linkedin.com/in/melazzouziTwitter: https://twitter.com/elazzouzimPinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/easymedicaldeviceInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/easymedicaldeviceThis podcast is hosted by Podcastics, the easiest platform to create and publish your podcast.

🧭 REBEL Rundown 🔑 Key Points 🧩 Human Factors: The unseen behaviors, distractions and considerations critical in emergency medicine and the ICU, influencing patient care beyond just medical knowledge.🎯 System Design: Effective system design directly impacts team performance by creating environments that facilitate optimal decision-making. 🏥 Real-world Application: The application of human factors in healthcare leads to better team dynamics, reduced stress, and improved patient outcomes. 👷🏽‍️It’s Everyone’s Job: Building a culture of adaptability and openness to change can lead to better healthcare delivery, communication and interprofessional relationships🛠️ Practical Solutions: Start the conversation in departments for actionable and pragmatic changes to current healthcare environments to enhance practitioner efficiency and patient care quality. Click here for Direct Download of the Podcast. 👀Previously Covered and Related Content: REBEL EM: Titles Don’t Make LeadersREBEL MIND: Moving from Junior to Senior Leadership in Emergency CareREBEL MIND: The Dunning-Kruger EffectREBEL MIND: Growth vs Fixed Mindset 📝 Introduction Welcome back to Rebel MIND, the podcast where we sharpen the person behind the practitioner. MIND stands for Mastering Internal Negativity during Difficulty. This series emphasizes productivity, provider performance, and team optimization to ensure we are at our best during high-pressure situations. In this episode, host Dr. Mark Ramzy chats with special guests and master educators about the concept of human factors.Dr. Chris Hicks is an emergency physician and trauma team leader at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto, Assistant Professor in the Department of Medicine at the University of Toronto, and co-founder of Advanced Performance Healthcare Design, a physician-led simulation and design group. Dr. Andrew Petrosoniak is an emergency physician and trauma team leader at St. Michael’s Hospital, and Medical Director of the Unity Health Toronto Simulation Program. He’s an Assistant Professor at the University of Toronto where his research focuses on simulation for systems and design improvement and optimizing the care of the bleeding patient. Along with Dr. Hicks, he’s also President of Advanced Performance Healthcare Design, a consulting firm that works with high-performance teams and uses simulation to enhance and design better healthcare spaces Cognitive Question How can the integration of human factors improve decision-making and performance in emergency medicine and critical care environments? ️What are Human Factors? In the context of healthcare, human factors encompass the interplay between humans, the systems they work within, and the effectiveness of their interactions. It includes elements like communication, system design, environmental conditions, and behavioral patterns affecting individual and team decision-making processes. It’s the collective impact of individual behaviors, team dynamics, and the physical environment on performance and outcomes. The aim is to eliminate issues arising from human error by creating systems and environments that naturally guide and support optimal performance. 🏥How This Applies to the Emergency Department or ICU? Efficient integration of human factors in high-pressure settings like the Emergency Department (ED) or Intensive Care Unit (ICU) helps mitigate the risks associated with stressful and chaotic environments. By focusing on system designs that account for human behavior, healthcare professionals can reduce errors, enhance team coordination, and ultimately improve patient care. This is crucial as teams are often required to make rapid, life-saving decisions in these environmentsThe design of clinical spaces can either hinder or help efficient care. Poorly arranged equipment or cluttered workspaces increase stress and impede decision-making. Implementing structured design principles, such as dedicated equipment zones and clear visual cues, can streamline workflows and enhance team coordinationIt actually helps pave the way for more efficiency because you end up “working smarter instead of harder”.It speaks directly to the Daniel Kahneman’s theory of Type 2 Thinking – which is a slow, analytical cognitive process requiring deliberate thoughtWe’ll likely create a whole dedicated episode to this but if you want to read more ahead of time on it, check out his book Thinking, Fast and Slow ⏩Immediate Action Steps for Your Next Shift **Assess Your Environment**: Take note of any clutter, noise, or layout issues in your workspace that could hinder optimal performance. Identify problem areas that could be optimized.**Recognizable Hard-Stop** – Implement a “Stop-Point” Check for areas or issues that involve more than just patient safety (ie. workflow inefficiencies, sign-out, throughput, etc). Use predefined benchmarks during procedures to ensure clarity and efficiency.**Foster Open Communication** – Encourage an environment where every team member feels comfortable discussing their thoughts and decisions without fear of judgment.**Prototype Solutions** – Work with colleagues to identify problems and brainstorm quick, cost-effective solutions that could be tested in your department.**Role Clarity and Preparation** – Ensure roles are clearly defined and team members are prepared with necessary resources readily available during high-stakes scenarios.**Test and Refine** – Conduct quick pilot tests of new setups or processes during quieter times and gather feedback from your team. Conclusion Human factors play a critical role in shaping healthcare outcomes. Through structured system designs and attention to team dynamics, it is possible to reduce inefficiencies and enhance both patient care and provider well-being. It requires a shift in perspective from seeing design and systems as separate from human behaviors, to seeing them as intricately linked. By incorporating these principles, healthcare professionals can create environments that inherently support better, safer, and more effective patient care. 🚨 Clinical Bottom Line Incorporating human factors into healthcare isn’t just about preventing errors—it’s about creating an ecosystem where the healthcare team is empowered to perform at their best, even under the most challenging conditions. Implementing small, iterative changes can create a meaningful impact, paving the way for improved systems and processes. This starts by redesigning systems and environments with human factors in mind, which can significantly improve both the efficiency of care delivery and the safety of the healthcare environment. Further Reading Petrosoniak A, Hicks C. M&M rounds 2.0: the future of performance improvement. CJEM. Feb 2025PMID: 39979684Petrosoniak A, Hicks CDesign, build, train, excel: Using simulation to create elite trauma systems. International Anesthesiology Clinics. Publish Ahead of Print.Request the Article herePetrosoniak A, Hicks C, et al. Design Thinking-Informed Simulation: An Innovative Framework to Test, Evaluate, and Modify New Clinical Infrastructure. Simul Healthc. 2020 Jun 2020.PMID: 32039946Bleetman A, et al.Human factors and error prevention in emergency medicine. Emerg Med J. May 2012PMID: 21565880Hayden EM, et al.Human Factors and Simulation in Emergency Medicine. Acad Emerg Med. 2018 Feb 2018PMID: 28925571 Meet the Authors Mark Ramzy, DO Co-Editor-in-Chief Cardiothoracic Intensivist and EM Attending RWJBH / Rutgers Health, Newark, NJ Chris Hicks, MD, Med Co-Founder of Advanced Performance Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine, University of Toronto, Canada Andrew Petrosoniak, MD, MSc Co-Founder and President of Advanced Performance Medical Director of Unity Health Toronto Simulation Program Showing Slide 1 of 3 The post REBEL MIND – Human Factors: The Hidden Architecture of Emergency & Critical Care Medicine appeared first on REBEL EM - Emergency Medicine Blog.

Staci Miller, founder of Gen UX Consulting, shares her winding path from fashion design and psychology to human factors engineering in MedTech. Staci explains what human factors is—through stories from World War II aviation and modern healthcare—and why the FDA now mandates usability work to reduce catastrophic use errors. She breaks down formative versus summative/validation studies, the role of risk documentation (URRA/UFMEA), and why founders should think about usability as early as they think about risk. Staci also opens up about the challenge of starting a second business after losing her first in 2008, how she built Gen UX from $0, and the leadership lessons behind year-over-year growth.   Guest links: https://www.genuxconsulting.com/ | https://www.linkedin.com/company/gen-ux-consulting/  Charity supported: Feeding America Interested in being a guest on the show or have feedback to share? Email us at theleadingdifference@velentium.com.  PRODUCTION CREDITS Host & Editor: Lindsey Dinneen Producer: Velentium Medical   EPISODE TRANSCRIPT Episode 081 - Staci Miller [00:00:00] Lindsey Dinneen: Hi, I'm Lindsey and I'm talking with MedTech industry leaders on how they change lives for a better world. [00:00:09] Diane Bouis: The inventions and technologies are fascinating and so are the people who work with them. [00:00:15] Frank Jaskulke: There was a period of time where I realized, fundamentally, my job was to go hang out with really smart people that are saving lives and then do work that would help them save more lives. [00:00:28] Diane Bouis: I got into the business to save lives and it is incredibly motivating to work with people who are in that same business, saving or improving lives. [00:00:38] Duane Mancini: What better industry than where I get to wake up every day and just save people's lives. [00:00:42] Lindsey Dinneen: These are extraordinary people doing extraordinary work, and this is The Leading Difference. Hello, and welcome back to another episode of The Leading Difference podcast. I'm your host, Lindsey, and today I'm delighted to welcome as my guest, Staci Miller. Staci is the founder at Gen UX Consulting. Her expertise is in applying user-focused research to develop innovative solutions, and it's essential to the growth of any technology organization. As a detail-oriented and tenacious executive in human factors engineering and UX design, she has a proven record of elevating the end user experience and achieving targeted client outcomes. She has created innovative medtech and big tech solutions through a comprehensive user-centered development process, leveraging artificial intelligence and industry agnostic design tools to optimize products and services. In her current role with Gen UX, she's a key leader facilitating strategic company growth plans and service offerings while managing the capacity and workflow of the UX HF design team. Well, Staci, welcome to the show. I'm so excited to talk with you today. [00:01:49] Staci Miller: Me too. I've been looking forward to it all week, so I'm very excited to be here. And I don't know what the day has in store. I, I know that there was like a, a, a kit that you sent out and I didn't read it on purpose, so everything's gonna be organic. [00:02:03] Lindsey Dinneen: Perfect. Those are my favorite conversations anyway, so I'll take it and run. Some people I know really love to have the questions ahead of time, and others are just like, "Yeah, I don't want to know. I'm just gonna go off the cuff. Here we go." So, brilliant. All right, well, let's start, if you don't mind, by sharing a little bit about yourself, your background, and what led you to medtech. [00:02:24] Staci Miller: That is, those are my favorite questions. So, I have a background in fashion design, psychology. I spent most of my classes in cognitive psych, but it wasn't like a difference of degree, it was just psychology. And then I have a master's degree in human factors and ergonomics. So I went the psychology route and the design route. That's kind of my background. So when I graduated my master's degree, through my master's program, I was able to intern for both years and one was in tech, big tech. I interviewed and landed a, great one year long internship at Samsung, which was actually supposed to be just three months, and I stayed there for a full year. So they kept me through my whole, my whole semester, which is something they don't normally do, which was really fun. I mostly just said, "Hey, can I stay here for the year?" And they're like, "Great, no problem. Sure. We'll figure it out like that seems like a good option. We like you, you like us. Cool. We'll do that." And my second internship was in medical device at a company called Interface and Analysis. My, that was actually my internship. My second one was at Samsung, so I got to really look in like I, I guess you got the curtain. If you think about Wonderland and Oz and the curtain and being able to pull back the curtain between both industries, what did I like better? I ended up liking medical better, mostly because the research was more structured and not necessarily conversations about, "Yeah, so how do you feel about that? Did you like it?" Like to me, that's not really. What I would consider the best opportunity to gain data. Data to me, like there has to be like a clear objective as to what you're doing, the whys behind it, and what do you wanna learn. And I found that in, when I worked with engineers in medtech, they definitely had things that they wanted to learn, whereas in tech, they just had so much money. They were like, "Yeah, let's just see what people think about this." And I'm. Okay. And then when I would be really structured and I was working with people who didn't have backgrounds in research, had very strong, very good backgrounds in design, like legitimately awesome, they were leading the research and they were missing the boat. So the narratives started to be focused on the N of one. This one person said this really interesting thing, so let's base our whole design off of what they said. And I'm like, "Dude, wait a second. Wait a second. All of them said this thing about the design though, and like we have four or five data points about when you ask this question." They're like, "Yeah, but that's not interesting." And I was like, "Okay, keep my mouth shut. I got it. Move on." Like from that moment forward, I, it wasn't like "Staci, don't talk, it was more like this is how we design based on the narratives that we've learned how to, how to research on." And so it wasn't as I would say-- it wasn't considering the actual 360 view of the user. It was considering the really cool thing that happened this one time that was like totally an outlier. And it happened consistently when I was working in big tech. So I was like, uh, medtech, probably more my speed. And then my first job was at Abbott. [00:05:39] Lindsey Dinneen: Nice. [00:05:40] Staci Miller: And I ended up there. Yeah, [00:05:41] Lindsey Dinneen: Okay, great. Well. [00:05:42] Staci Miller: Cool. [00:05:43] Lindsey Dinneen: Lots of questions based on this incredible background. I want to go back a little bit. So fashion design, was this something that you grew up thinking, "Oh, this is what I wanna do and be okay?" Right. All right, so... [00:05:57] Staci Miller: it's all I ever wanted and I did that. So... [00:06:00] Lindsey Dinneen: Yeah. [00:06:02] Staci Miller: That's a, that's a great question. I think that my interest in fashion peaked around when I was 12 years old and during the time, Cindy Crawford and Naomi Campbell, and I was so fascinated by how beautiful these women were. And, and fashion was a thing in the nineties. There was like a lot of Dolce and Gabana around, and I loved it. And I couldn't wait to get my new print of Vogue every, every season. I loved Harper's Bizarre, and I would just pull pictures out of these models and what they were wearing. And then I would start you know, freehanding stuff and things like that. And I think a lot of people do that when they're really interested in clothing and things like that. And if you really think about it, fashion is art that people wear. So I was very attracted to that part of it. And it's all I wanted to do. So after high school, I went to FIDM and studied fashion design. And right outta FIDM, I started my first company in fashion design, and I was a clothing manufacturer, and we had 500 open doors in the United States and in Canada, and I was hoping to expand, but unfortunately 2008 hit and they hit it hard and fast and I lost most of my managing capital in the year that I think was my tipping point. So it was the, the year that I finally got a lot of traction and had a lot of repeat business and a lot of new business as well. And a lot of those new businesses just refused orders. Just from the east coast to the west, and it was just tons of money out that wasn't gonna come in. So there was really no way to, make that work after that, like I lost literally all the money I had in my business in like the span of, I would say three, four weeks. It was just mortifyingly scary. But I was young and people who are young are resilient and they move on and they find a new dream. And it took me a minute, like I didn't really know what the french toast I was gonna do. And I was like, well, I was still planning on staying in fashion and long, short, I was offered a job to do and run production for a one, a different company. So make sure that their goods were produced on time. Deal with the, the timing of all the orders, making sure the product line. So it was basically operations for manufacturing. And I was super excited about the job and I moved back to my parents' house at the time because things were just that tight financially for me. My parents were like, "Yeah, just, you know, come back, we'll figure it out." And I remember saying to my mom and dad, I'm like, "If this job falls through, do you mind if I just go back to school and stay here?" And they both started to laugh at me like, "Your job is fine, but if the sure why, why not?" And they, they thought it was crazy. And then I ended up back in school. So, they were like, "Whoa, that was really insane," 'cause that was in the end of 2008, starting 2009. And so the company rescinded their offer and they were really like, so sad about it, but they went to a market to sell their clothes and they got zero orders that year or something like close to that. So it was just, it was just a really intense time in the fashion industry and I was looking for jobs and I wasn't getting anywhere. So I only had an AA, and at the time that really didn't matter, but I went back to school and I'm like, "If I'm going back to school this late in age, I'm getting a master's degree." I had no idea what I was gonna get a master's degree in. I was like. I like clothes and design. We'll figure it out from there like that. And I was like, "Well, maybe I'll be..." this is crazy. But I was thinking about being a lawyer, like a property law lawyer. So, because when you are a designer in clothing, people can just knock you off. And you've seen that happen like pretty much everywhere. And people can just take advantage of your intellectual property and never pay you for it if they change enough of it. And so I was like, "You know, this would be something I'd probably be good at." So I went back to school thinking I was gonna go into that type of law. I took psychology courses and I took philosophy courses. And philosophy courses really do lean you, get you thinking very specifically about law. That's what philosophy was basically geared towards anyways. And you take these psychology courses and they're about people and how people process information, how people behave based on their behavior and things like that. So I thought the combination would be really good. Well, I ended up not liking, I did like philosophy, but philosophy's "let's think about thinking about it." And psychology is-- which is great. It's great, but psychology is like more applicable when you're interacting with others. And I found it super fascinating. And then I got really into like cognitive psychology and I'm like, "What the french toast am I gonna do with this? I can't do anything with cognitive psychology. Like I need to make money. I'm a grownup. This isn't ah, I'm gonna study underwater basket weaving and come out and go work in communications at Fox." Like I had to have an actual plan. So in my college at the time, there were these classes and they were like introductory to what you can do with your degrees. And that's literally where I found human factors. And there weren't very many schools that did it, but I was taking most of my classes at that point in cognitive psychology, which is how people process information, not their feeling based stuff. Like I didn't wanna have conversations with people about their feelings. Get that off of me. Like that's not, that's not my jam. I'm like, "Sorry, you're sad, but I'm not sad and I don't wanna be sad, so I'm gonna keep, keep going." And I'm like, "How am I gonna work this into my, you know, I love design, I wanna keep that in my background, and how am I gonna, what am I gonna do?" And so the study of human factors really is the intersection of design and research, and how people interact with said products based on the design. And you get to research that. And I'm like, "Sold. Good. I'm, I can do this. This is like this, I didn't even know this thing existed." This is crazy good. And I never looked back. [00:11:49] Lindsey Dinneen: Yeah. [00:11:50] Staci Miller: I got into a master's program the next year. I, and because I was in that specific program in San Jose State, that's why it was so easy for me to work for Samsung because it was in my backyard. And that's why it was easy for me to work for Interface Analysis because Tony was the owner of that company. Tony, he was my professor. So he just was like hiring people and I, I answered his response and I was like, "Hey, I, I'm looking for something." Do you like, he didn't say it was his company. He said, "I have a friend looking" and I'm, you know, like when I know I need to make some money, I'm gonna try to hustle up and make some money. So I'm like, "Hey, I'm open to that." He's like, "Why don't you come by my office and we'll talk?" And I was like, "That's weird." He said It was for some other, I'm like, "Sure, no problem." So I go to his office and he offered me an internship right then and there 'cause it was for me. "I just wanted to see who would respond," 'cause you are the only person that responded. I'm like, "Guess you're gonna hire me then." [00:12:37] Lindsey Dinneen: Amazing. All right. That's great. Thank you so much for that background. And it is so interesting how sometimes our paths are very, very windy to get to where we end up being and we Yeah, exactly. What, what ends up being a really good fit. But, so can you explain a little bit more about human factors, especially, maybe to help folks who have maybe some misconceptions or don't fully understand what it is just in general, but then also relate it specifically to medtech and why it's so important within the medtech industry? [00:13:11] Staci Miller: I can give you a story that probably would do both. So human factors was, was actually founded pretty recently in our timeline of psychology and understanding people. In World War II, there were a whole bunch of fighter pilots ejecting themselves from planes that caused, even in World War II, millions of dollars to produce and nobody could figure out what the problem was. They checked the planes. The planes were operating correctly. They did psychology, like psychological backgrounds on the people who are fighter pilots. I mean, they have to, to get into the military and to fly those planes, you have to be pretty good under pressure. They interviewed them, they were fine. They didn't have any breakdown of stress, and it wasn't happening on a small scale. This was happening on quite a large scale. So they, again, they went, they're like, "Okay, okay." Well, the military went back and " Well, it has to be the plane." So they looked through the plane, wasn't the plane, talk to the people, wasn't the people. So then the psychologist started to ask questions. They're like, "Well, if you're saying that it's not the person's emotional state and you're saying it's not the plane, well then what happened? Something had to happen. Something changed. What changed?" It turned out that the engineers had moved the throttle button with the ejection button in the planes. [00:14:31] Lindsey Dinneen: Oh. [00:14:31] Staci Miller: So the pilots were originally trained to hit the throttle button on the certain side that the throttle button was in the cockpit. So instead of hitting the throttle, because that was their original training, they hit the ejection button. So they ejected themselves out of the planes, which is why human factors was born. Those little changes that people don't understand about human beings. So when we learn something for the first time, because like even if you think about being a kid or being a baby, or learning a really tough lesson, right? You remember that lesson. And so what happens is that's your default setting. "This is the lesson I've learned. This is how I react." Now for that lesson, it doesn't matter if it's like an emotional exchange or if it's a physical one. So because they were taught where the, the pilots were taught specifically where the throttle was in the first place when they were under attack and they were in a high cognitive loaded space, they went back to their original training. [00:15:30] Lindsey Dinneen: Mm-hmm. [00:15:32] Staci Miller: And then the engineers were like, "Well, we told them. We told them." So, so, because they didn't wanna take the blame, right? Nobody wanted to take the blame ruining millions of dollars of planes. So this same type of thing happens in the medical industry. I mean, you can see it pretty easily, right? So you're trained on System X. There's an update, a 510K release to it. The system works differently. Errors are made, people are hurt. [00:15:57] Lindsey Dinneen: Mm-hmm. [00:15:58] Staci Miller: That's how it translates to medical. So aviation was a really big part of human factors and it still is to this day. Like NASA used to hire quite a few of my classmates. And I know that Boeing and a lot of those other, even BMW hire people that do what I do for a living and test the responses during drive time. And if you think about it, if you look at a Tesla versus a BMW, those are very different driving experiences. Like I had to relearn how to drive a Tesla, right? And like it has a one pedal situation. So now when I get into regular cars, I'm like, "Wait, what? What am I doing? What? What kind of car is this? Like how do I drive this thing again?" I know that sounds silly, but it, it's true 'cause you kind of just get used to the thing that you have. And that's exactly why human factors is prevalent in medical device or in aviation or in, you know, like any kind of like navigation systems. The reason the FDA mandated it is because a lot of products were coming to market and there was a very large influx of critical catastrophic errors in hospitals. People were suffering consequences of bad interfaces or lack of instructions on products. I know that there were a lot of intravenous medications given that weren't supposed to be IV medications in like in certain-- yes, you're supposed to inject it, but not. Intravenously and those charged caused people to perish. So that's when the FDA stepped in and said, "Okay, we were asking you as a favor to do these usability studies, but now officially they're part of your risk requirements and they're part of your requirements to get to market." And I think that happened about the time I graduated grad school, around that time. So about 15, 16 years ago. [00:17:50] Lindsey Dinneen: Okay. Yeah. Well that's a fascinating story, and I'm sorry that that is the impetus for the results that we have today, but also how incredible that that is something that's being prioritized and mandated now. And I'm wondering too, when a startup company is developing their technology, how soon should they be thinking about human factors, usability, UX/UI. [00:18:17] Staci Miller: As fast as they're thinking about risk. if you're already thinking about risk at phase zero, that's when you should be thinking about usability and UI and interactions based on user processes, because that's when this kind of conversation really needs to start with regulatory, with your team, with the engineers. So even if you don't have a human factors engineer on staff, like you can find a company that can give you like some fractional support, just, you know, to talk to and to understand what their, what, what their responsibilities are, and what their requirements are to get to market. I have found that a lot of founders don't think that it's a requirement. And I, and I'm really not sure why, but that's been happening a lot lately. [00:18:59] Lindsey Dinneen: Yeah. So because it's a requirement, because you should be thinking about it from the get go, what are some things that you've seen work really well in terms of, putting together this kind of this testing and whatnot versus things that might seem like they could work. Like perhaps somebody feels that they could maybe do some of this testing themselves. You know, just, just things that maybe people who aren't really familiar with all the regulations would perhaps do, and that could cause problems down the road. [00:19:32] Staci Miller: So there's a, these are all really great questions and let's, let's unpack the idea of research, right? So some people think that research is finding out if somebody is happy about a product and would use it, like product market fit, right? Some people do marketing for that, and I can, that's the type of research that is not technically human factors, but it is something that Gen UX can do, right? So it's just research. I, I call it like insert white meat or insert protein. We can do the research, right? So when it comes down to it, there's, I would say that research is split into two buckets, which is UX/UI, which is very popular and people understand that, which is a formative in the FDA guidance and then validation slash summative. So the validation studies are very clean cut. So I'll explain those first. And they are to validate that the user can use the system in its environments safely. So the alpha for that is the user is successful at using this product and the uses, uses and use environments correctly and safely. And this is all based on your risk documentation from your URRA or your UFMEA. Some people use ADFMEA, which is based on design, and I suggest that they don't use that because that focuses more on the system than it does on the user. And the FDA has really cracked down on that. So if you are a founder and you think you can get just one system, ADFMEA, you are probably already starting off on the wrong foot. Make sure you have your own usability. Because human factors work really focuses on two things in the medical industry. One, it focuses on helping develop the device while breaking down risks. So if you have mitigations and your system's designed a certain way to avoid a risk, that's very important, and that's really also usability testing. And I can explain this in two ways. I've worked at Meta, I've worked at Samsung, I've worked at a lot of different big tech companies, and I've worked at a lot of medtech companies. So I think that people think that human factors is different than user research, and they're right. Human factors is much harder than user research. And you really actually need a background in research methods and an understanding of how the application of research works. Formatives can be used for two reasons. One, to support the need of the product in use and to check how people are actually using the system in real life. So sometimes people are really good at thinking-- so engineers are amazing at building systems, right? I can't do what they can do. I'm not gonna pretend like I can. What I can do is help them build it for their end user, because a lot of the times engineers think very differently than the average human being. They're much more educated. Schooling for engineering is extremely difficult. A lot of it's mathematical computations, understanding actual physical properties of things in their environments and how that they work, right? So those are the things that engineers think about all day long. That's fine. I think about the user all day long. So you can create a system that an engineer thinks that is fine, but then the user is " I don't really know how to use this. What are you talking about?" Right? And so that's what user research informatives avoid. They avoid, they break down risk and they are able to help form the product. So those, those user research studies, like before, let's say phase zero to phase four in a market cycle, if phase five is market release, are for those things. And then as you get later in the cycle, you wanna do more rigid research, that's really breaking down the risk and really focusing on the user interactions within the system and med device. And making sure that they're assessing the risk based on your user, but they're very specific to the user interactions that are critical tasks and higher. Or things that lead up to the critical test and come away. So like you have to be able to do the steps before, do the thing that's really hard to do, that could hurt somebody and then make sure coming away from them you don't cause any harm either. That's the best way to look at these types of tests. And we do the exact same thing in validation for systems. So, in software you test to see if the software can do the thing that it's supposed to do. When you check that box, the software does the thing and it did it, and we're good to go. You do the same thing with mechanical engineering. The system has this, this range of motion here and this range of motion here, and it doesn't deviate from plus X to plus Y and therefore the system does what it's supposed to say. So you're verifying and validating that the system does what the system is planned to do. It's really no different in users, it's just that you're dealing with human beings and it's not, it doesn't work the same way, right? Because like people are variables no matter what. And that was really long worded. So there's like tons of different research to do, but if you don't do your summative and you don't do your risk documentation, you're not getting to, you're not gonna get to market approval. Just, there's no way. [00:24:34] Lindsey Dinneen: Yeah. Thank you. Yeah, that is incredibly helpful insight. And you know, so I wanna go back to, you had this company before, right? So you had already built a business and it was thriving, and then unfortunately life intervened a little bit. When you went to start Gen UX, did you have moments... [00:24:57] Staci Miller: Of PTSD? [00:24:58] Lindsey Dinneen: Of, yeah. [00:25:01] Staci Miller: Yes. [00:25:01] Lindsey Dinneen: Yeah. [00:25:02] Staci Miller: Yeah. I had major PTSD. Like I, so the concept of Gen UX was a play on words like, so I'm a Gen Xer, no biggie, but like I think that every Gen Xers, millennials, I feel like both of our generations very much identify with our generation. And I thought it would be kind of a fun play on words to identify to people that are also Gen Xers that, yeah, we do UX work and we're Gen UX, as a Generation X, like it was very important, right? So I kind of came up with that idea, thought it was cute. But at the time I was working for Meta, and Meta had been doing quite a bit of layoffs at the time. Nothing wrong with that, that happens with every company. But I have survived in Medtronic and Abbott and all these other companies. I had survived so many rounds of layoffs. I'm like, "One day my number is gonna be, it's just, it's just gonna happen." So, we started at Meta internally, really like they, they were very open and honest with people. They're like, "This is when this is gonna happen. We are gonna lay off more people. This is when this round is gonna happen. We're gonna lay off more people, and then this is the final round and this is when we're gonna lay off these people." So each of our groups of things like, so it was like engineers, lawyers, researchers. Like we, we had timelines that we knew if, if it was gonna happen, this is when it was gonna happen, this would be the day. [00:26:17] Lindsey Dinneen: Yeah. [00:26:17] Staci Miller: So I started to really think about what that meant, and I'm like, "Okay, well I'm not gonna start looking for jobs right away because I want my severance package." I definitely wanted that 'cause I, and then I wanted a break if I could have it. So I was like, okay. I, in between working at I was working at EDA as a contractor and that was super fun. Like I had my own time kind of, and I enjoyed the work and I got put on other projects whenever they needed me. And it was like, but I was constantly on a project, so I'm like, "I, maybe I'll go into doing IC work by myself" and I'm like, "No, I can't make enough. If I'm gonna do this, I'm gonna build something." And then I'm like, well, I started to talk to my friends every single one of my friends, including Interface Analysis' owner, Tony Andre was like, "Start your own business, Staci. Start your own consulting firm, just do it. Don't even look back. Just do it. People will end up coming to you because you know how to do this." He's like, he's it's, "You know, the first years they are what they are and everybody knows what that looks like. It's, it's rough. You have, it's like a mental game. You're like, I am gonna do this. And you just have to be consistent and can continue down your path. And more and more people will show up." And that's been true every year. But that's how GenX was started. And yes, there was this whole trepidation about, "Am I gonna make it? Am I gonna make it through this?" And I was like, "You know what, Stac, you're starting in a recession in your, in your industry. If you can get it done, if you can get two years in and be successful, you're fine." I'm in year three. [00:27:50] Lindsey Dinneen: Yeah! [00:27:51] Staci Miller: Yeah, I mean, year three, woohoo. And we're increasing 50% year over year in year three, and I started it with $0. So, and I'm not, I'm not saying like a hundred to 50, like $50 to a hundred, we're, we're talking a couple hundred thousand dollars here, a couple hundred thousand there. But it's modest and I do expect that growth, and I do expect that to continue. And the other thing I think about is becoming very malleable in, in your spaces, like what's working for you and what doesn't work for you. But I feel like that's kind of off topic from what you asked. But yeah, I had PTSD gave myself at least two years and I'm like, "I can do anything for two years. If it doesn't work out, you know, like I have everything that I have and I can go back into corporate if I need to." And I really, I really was tripping, like just to be nineties about it, I was tripping. Like I was really like, "You know, I don't know." And my husband was like. He was my biggest cheerleader. He was like, "You've gotta do this. He's you're gonna, you're gonna be able to do this. You have something that I don't have. You're really great at networking people like you." I'm like, "Do they really like what?" And he's, " No, people like being around you. You make friends easy and people really do enjoy being around you and they like know that you're smart and you're gonna be able to do this." So, that's how this all started. And yes, I was really freaked out when I first started, but every day when I had bad days, I'm like, "Everything always works itself out." [00:29:14] Lindsey Dinneen: Yeah. [00:29:14] Staci Miller: "Have you ever not been in a situation where everything works itself out?" "No. No." So I'm like, "Well, if I, if it doesn't, I'll get a new dream, but I don't-- once you hit this, this year, like year three and you know you're still growing, you don't have to get a new dream, you just keep going and you're like, this dream is happening. I'm gonna keep it going." [00:29:34] Lindsey Dinneen: Yeah. What was it like building a team? Did you start off as a one-woman show, or did you have support at the beginning? How did that work? [00:29:43] Staci Miller: So at first, actually my designer's father was working with me and he called me out of the blue and he's " Hey. I have this client, she doesn't have any human factors person working with her, but I know that she needs it and do you wanna talk to her? I know you're not working at Meta," because I put on my, oh. LinkedIn profile Open to Work. So he called me like within two days, like seriously, like people started to call me and that was when I was already like, "I'm gonna do my own thing. I'm just gonna do my own thing." So the universe just brought me a gift, right? And I met this first client and I started to work with her, and at first everything was super cool. The first year it was great, and I really liked working with her, but she also needed a couple of other things. She needed an IFU and she needed design quality assurance. I'm like, "Check, check. I can get both those things done." So I called my friend Maria, "Hey, do you wanna work with me? She's " Hey. Yeah, totally." Because we had already worked together and we knew each other pretty well. So it wasn't like it was difficult to make that connection. And, and she knows my personality. I know her personality, and I know we both work extremely hard and we have that in common. So I wasn't, never, would I be worried about Maria. And then I found I wasn't, I didn't even have a designer yet on staff. And I found someone who used to do instructions for use for a different company I worked for. I called him like, "Hey, can you do this?" He's " Yeah, yeah." So I got all that done for this other client. I'm like, "I can do this. I can do this. I can, I can find people." I know so many intelligent people who love what they do and have a fire for it every day. And then the evolution started to happen. And then I asked someone to work with me to do sales, and then they said, "Yes." And then we started to pitch people that I was friends with and knew, and sometimes they said yes, and sometimes they said no. I think the first year, I think I pitched over like $4 million in business and I got 20,000. No, I got, I got 80,000, something like that. Something, something small and I'm like, "Why am I pitching so much? This is like taking so much time outta my day," that I found someone to work with me. His name was Adam and I still actually work with Adam and he, but he's a big picture guy and he started to work with me a little bit and help me like navigate through some things. Even to this day, we talk and he's not fully, fully, fully on onboarded, but if, if some. Of the clients that he lands do come on board, he will be back on board and he will be working with me again. And then I had a salesperson this last year and I realized just I needed more of a hunter-gatherer. So like we're just going in a different direction, right? So I had that, and then last year my goal was to bring my designer Maddie on full-time. And I was able to do that too. So everything that I've kind of just said, "I'm gonna do this this year, I've been able to do this year." And I'm not taking this lightly. Like I have a board of directors, which are people who are, have different perspectives on finance because that's my weakest link, I would say. A professor at UCLA, his name's Sean Pat, also a good friend of mine. He's on my board. And my brother-in-law and my nephew, who is new in his life and on his journey, is on my board as well, and I kind of wanted him on my board so he can see what it looks like to be an entrepreneur and see what growth looks like year over year because he is already working for companies. He's, he's like 25, I think, and he's already being groomed to be in upper management. He's got upper management written all over him as like the, as like people would say in like cute little circles. And then my my brother-in-law, he is one of the CFOs at Mayo Clinic, so these are people who have some in medical, some in finance, some in finance, in medical, just helping me like grow. I throw things past them and they help, you know, make decisions for the year. And they tell me like, they give me feedback and, and work through things that I'm doing and what they think is right, what they don't think is right. And sometimes I listen, sometimes I don't. You know, like... [00:33:28] Lindsey Dinneen: Well, yeah. [00:33:29] Staci Miller: Just really depends like where I'm at and what I wanna do and where we wanna grow. [00:33:34] Lindsey Dinneen: Yeah. Excellent. Okay. So I'm curious, especially within medtech specifically, are there moments that really stand out to you as just affirming, "Oh my goodness, I am in the right place at the right time." [00:33:49] Staci Miller: Things keep happening, so, every time I speak, like I, I spoke at Project Medtech, people bombarded me. They're like, "We wanna work with you. We wanna work with you. We should talk, we should talk." Anytime I go to a symposium I walk away with two or three leads. People coming up to me, "Oh, do you do this thing? We should really talk. We should really talk." So, just being in the situation like that kind of tells me that I'm in the right direction. And the other thing is we're growing year over year. If you take a 10,000 foot view of where I was year one versus year three now, very, very different. Extremely different. And like I said, I do have, I do have other consultants that work with me. I don't want you to think it's just like a two person shop. It's not, there's other consultants that work with me but they're as needed. They're not full employees, which I think is really helpful in a situation like this. If you're a founder starting up from scratch and you're not, you don't have, I'm not trying to get angel investors. I'm not trying to get people to push money into my company. I am building it literally from zero to whatever it is that I make. And so that, that's a, what I would call like a slow burn of, you have to build your foundation, you have to manage to the capital that you do have, and then you, then you go to the next level and you do the same thing and then you do the same thing. And there's a lot of consistency with the business now, and I see a lot of people targeting me for that consistency. And as, as we are growing, like people are engaging with us on a different level, which is exciting to see. That's always exciting. [00:35:20] Lindsey Dinneen: Yes. [00:35:20] Staci Miller: That's kind of how I know. Yeah. [00:35:23] Lindsey Dinneen: I love that. Awesome. Okay, so pivoting the conversation a little bit just for fun. [00:35:28] Staci Miller: Cool. [00:35:30] Lindsey Dinneen: Imagine that you were to be offered a million dollars to teach a masterclass on anything you want. Could be within your industry, but it doesn't have to be. What would you choose to teach? [00:35:40] Staci Miller: That's a great question. I love, I think it's very important when you do what you do for a living to have something that isn't that for yourself. So I, there's very specific ways as to how I unwind at the end of the day. One of those things is cooking. I would totally do a masterclass in being a home chef. Like I'm, I'm not even a chef like that. I've never gone to culinary school, but I absolutely, I make my own breads. I make chutney sometimes when, when I want some. I would do a masterclass on-- I'm not Gordon Ramsey. I'm not Thomas Keller. Here's what it looks like to be a home cook. And here's the, the five things that you actually need. And this is what you should learn how to make first. Like I remember the first time I was trying to make pasta or something, I boiled the water to death. There was no water left in the pond. Like I didn't even know what I was doing. I, maybe I walked away from it, I don't know, but I destroyed the pot. My mom's " What were you doing?" I was like, "Making pasta." And she's " What, what, what happened? You ruined the pot." I'm like, "I'm not, I just did it wrong." So I would probably do a masterclass in how to just take that first step learning how to make your own food, right? And talk about food 'cause I like food. There you go. That's what I would do. [00:36:52] Lindsey Dinneen: Love it. I love food and I love talking about it. So, that sounds like a great class. [00:36:58] Staci Miller: I would do, I would totally do it. [00:36:59] Lindsey Dinneen: Okay, and then how do you wish to be remembered after you leave this world? [00:37:07] Staci Miller: This might be dating me, but Roy Orbison who wrote the song, "Pretty Woman" that was also in the movie, "Pretty Woman" wrote that he "just wanted to be remembered." And I thought that was really interesting. And I think that everybody knows that song knows that it's the guy like, I don't know if you know like the artist, but I think even to this day, that song, generationally, people know that song. I don't know how I wanna be remembered, but this is how I wanna impact the world. So it's kind of like that, but kind of not. I believe that knowledge transfer is the most powerful thing that we have amongst generations. And I want the next generation to be better than me, which is probably, in my opinion, I'm kind of kind of strict about this, probably a tall order, 'cause I'm like very picky. But, I have mentored and, and taught people my craft, and I want them to be better than me so they can mentor people and be better at this craft. So if I leave one mark on this world, it's that I have taught somebody what I know how to do and I expect them to do it better than me. And I don't mentor just anybody. So if I'm mentoring you is, and I'm putting all this energy into you, you better, you better bring it. And the people that I have worked with and have mentored are doing extremely well in their careers, and that's, that's kind of a thing that I like about, like what we do and how I do it. So I don't know if I would be specifically remembered for that, but I do know that it would move our industry forward and that makes me happy. [00:38:39] Lindsey Dinneen: I love that. That's a beautiful legacy. All right, and then final question. What is one I know, what is one thing that makes you smile every time you see or think about it? [00:38:52] Staci Miller: When I see what I'm building or, or how I'm building it in the future and I really go deep within my, my consciousness about this is what I'm gonna do next. This is how I'm gonna do it. This is what makes me feel really alive. I get so excited. I get like goosebumps. I start smiling. I, I'm a big-- I don't know if you do this, Lindsey, but I do this-- I kind of dance around a little bit. Like I dance when I'm making food, I dance and most people dunno that about me. But I, but my closest friends I remember I was working with this one guy and he looks at me, he's " Do you ever stop dancing?" I'm like, "Nope. Nope, Nope. Gotta dance." So all that stuff like starts to happen. And I just get really excited about the things that I'm trying to build, what I'm trying to master in my own world, what I'm trying to create. And that's what gives me like so much excitement. And then a number two would be my cats, because they're ridiculous and I love them and they give me so much love and they make me smile all the time too. [00:39:52] Lindsey Dinneen: Oh yes, those are great answers. I love that so much. It is exciting to see. Dreams come true. I can totally understand that answer of getting the, the excitement, the tingles, and then yeah, I, yeah, I, I obviously relate to dancing around all the time, and especially like celebratory dances. They're, my celebratory dances are the goofiest, most ridiculous things you've ever seen, but I'm happy! So. [00:40:20] Staci Miller: As long as you're happy, that's all that really matters, right? Like that vibe that you're putting out there and the happiness and the giddiness, like the things that I'm building in my mind, like they haven't happened yet, but I'm dancing like they have, you know, because I hope that they do. Like there you go. And I think that's important. I love it. [00:40:35] Lindsey Dinneen: True embodiment of the vision. I love it. Well, well, Staci, this has been a great conversation. Thank you so much for your insights and your stories, and we are so honored to be making a donation on your behalf today to Feeding America, which works to end hunger in the United States by partnering with food banks, food pantries, and local food programs to bring food to people facing hunger, and also they advocate for policies that create long term solutions to hunger. So thank you so much for choosing that charity to support. And gosh, I just wish you the most continued success as you work to change lives for a better world. [00:41:15] Staci Miller: Thank you, thank you. It was so much fun being with you today. I appreciate this and it was so much fun to talk about. And yeah, I can't wait to see you in the next couple weeks too. So we'll see each other soon. [00:41:26] Lindsey Dinneen: Yay! Sounds good. Well, thanks again and have the best rest of your day. [00:41:32] Dan Purvis: The Leading Difference is brought to you by Velentium Medical. Velentium Medical is a full service CDMO, serving medtech clients worldwide to securely design, manufacture, and test class two and class three medical devices. Velentium Medical's four units include research and development-- pairing electronic and mechanical design, embedded firmware, mobile app development, and cloud systems with the human factor studies and systems engineering necessary to streamline medical device regulatory approval; contract manufacturing-- building medical products at the prototype, clinical, and commercial levels in the US, as well as in low cost regions in 1345 certified and FDA registered Class VII clean rooms; cybersecurity-- generating the 12 cybersecurity design artifacts required for FDA submission; and automated test systems, assuring that every device produced is exactly the same as the device that was approved. Visit VelentiumMedical.com to explore how we can work together to change lives for a better world.

Human Factors and Ergonomics (HFE) is the discipline that focuses on understanding and optimising interactions between humans and system components to enhance performance, safety, health and wellbeing. Human Factors Integration (HFI) is the process by which HFE knowledge, principles and methods are utilised throughout the system lifecycle to support the design of safe, usable and effective components. In this presentation, we outline the new Austroads Guidelined for Human Factors Integration in Road Transport (HFI-RT). The HFI-RT guideline provides road transport system stakeholders with information to support the consideration and application of HFE knowledge, principles and methods during the design, implementation and operation of road transport system components (e.g. vehicles and in-vehicle technologies, traffic control devices, signage, roads and roadsides, advertising, training and education programs, policies and procedures). During the presentation, we will provide an overview of the HFI-RT guideline and demonstrate it via a case study focused on driver distraction.

L'ensemble des liens utiles : Envie de vous inscrire à Yaniro Minute ? 1 conseil par newsletter. 1mn de lecture ? C'est ici : https://www.yaniro.co/yanirominuteEnvie d'envoyer à vos managers la version auto-administrée de notre formation au management ? C'est ici : https://yanirowiki.co/kitEt pour retrouver les meilleures pratiques RH directement dans notre Yaniro Wiki c'est ici : https://yanirowiki.co/Résumé de l'épisodeDans ce nouvel épisode du Human Factor, Jean-Daniel Guyot, CEO et co-fondateur de Memo Bank, nous illustre ses apprentissage sur la relation CEO/RH. Voici les points principaux :  Importance de la Culture d'Entreprise:Nécessité d'une culture axée sur les personnesCommunication et empathie avec les collaborateursCréation de processus de recrutement solides et adaptésRôle Crucial des RH:Les fondateurs doivent être les premiers responsables RHIntroduire la fonction RH dès que les responsabilités dépassent les capacités des fondateursComportements et Limites:Établir des limites claires pour les comportements inacceptablesMaintenir une ambiance de travail respectueuse et productiveVous pouvez contacter Jean-Daniel sur LinkedInRessources recommandées par Jean-Daniel :Pour les CEO : Les livres de Andrew Grove, comme Le management multiplicateur ou Seuls les paranoïaques surviventPour les RH : ne pas hésiter des livres d'une culture différente (ce sont souvent des livres américains) pour trouver des inspirations et avoir une vue transverse de son métier / Regarder la série Silicon ValleyBonjour et bienvenue dans le podcast du HUMAN FACTORJe m'appelle Alexis Eve et tous les mercredis je vais à la rencontre des plus belle startups pour construire avec vous la collection des meilleures pratiques RH de l'écosystème.Ne vous embêtez pas à prendre des notes, on s'en occupe pour vous ! Vous pouvez retrouver le meilleur de cet épisode et de tous les autres dans le Yaniro Wiki. La bible des meilleures pratiques RH dans un Notion. Rémunération, Recrutement, Cooptation : tout y est !Pour découvrir le Yaniro Wiki allez tout simplement sur www.yaniro.co/wiki et ajoutez la page en favori pour l'avoir sous la main quand vous en aurez besoin L'ensemble des liens utiles : Envie de vous inscrire à Yaniro Minute ? 1 conseil par newsletter. 1mn de lecture ? C'est ici : https://www.yaniro.co/yanirominuteEnvie d'envoyer à vos managers la version auto-administrée de notre formation au management ? C'est ici : https://yanirowiki.co/kitEt pour retrouver les meilleures pratiques RH directement dans notre Yaniro Wiki c'est ici : https://yanirowiki.co/

David Whitaker in conversation with David Eastaugh  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJlsU1DVu30 Music For Pleasure was formed in Leeds, England in 1979, comprising David Whitaker - synths and keyboards, Mark Copson - vocals, Ivor Roberts - bass and Chris Oldroyd - drums. They released several 7'' singles and two albums ("Into The Rain" and "Blacklands"). They were heavily influenced by Punk and Krautrock and are still seen as a very much underrated band of the 80's. "Madness At The Mission" comes from their first 7'' single "The Human Factor    

Cybersecurity is often framed as a technology problem. Andrew Reeves argues it is fundamentally a human one. Dr Miah Hammond-Errey sits down with Dr Andrew Reeves, Deputy Director of UNSW's Institute for Cyber, registered organisational psychologist and cybersecurity leader, to examine what psychology reveals about attack, defence and victimhood in cybersecurity. From the power of cyber deception, to why security awareness training can backfire, to what cognitive load means for the people defending our networks, this is a conversation about the human factors that determine whether cybersecurity actually works.Andrew and Miah discuss the collaborative research project between UNSW's Institute for Cyber and Strat Futures, mapping the cybersecurity implications of emerging technologies in Australia over the next two to five years. Andrew shares what the data is revealing about the convergence of AI, biotechnology and brain-computer interfaces, why the most critical developments will come from how technologies interact rather than any single breakthrough, and what the tension between sovereign capability and international collaboration means for Australian organisations. They also discuss cyber security lessons from the golden age of piracy, the psychology of leadership under fatigue, and what forest bathing has to do with making better decisions.

Do ergonomic devices like split keyboards and vertical mice help with comfort and health?If you're a heavy computer user there are an increasing variety of weird and wonderful options to help improve your comfort and reduce the risk of aches and pains associated with 'Repetitive Strain Injury' (RSI).Listener Tim is curious whether ergonomic tools—such as split keyboards, alternative layouts, or vertical mice—could optimise his professional setup as a software engineer.To find out, presenter Greg Foot does a deep-dive into the evidence alongside Nichola Adams, from the Chartered Institute of Ergonomics and Human Factors; and Ben Vallack, who runs a YouTube channel all about workflow and design.And if you're interested in this topic, we have a companion episode on Standing Desks - available along with all our other episodes on BBC Sounds.All of our episodes start with YOUR suggestions. If you've seen an ad, trend or wonder product promising to make you happier, healthier or greener, email us at sliced.bread@bbc.co.uk OR send a voice note to our WhatsApp number, 07543 306807.RESEARCHER: PHIL SANSOM PRODUCERS: SIMON HOBAN AND GREG FOOT

Do ergonomic devices like split keyboards and vertical mice help with comfort and health?If you're a heavy computer user there are an increasing variety of weird and wonderful options to help improve your comfort and reduce the risk of aches and pains associated with 'Repetitive Strain Injury' (RSI).Listener Tim is curious whether ergonomic tools—such as split keyboards, alternative layouts, or vertical mice—could optimise his professional setup as a software engineer.To find out, presenter Greg Foot does a deep-dive into the evidence alongside Nichola Adams, from the Chartered Institute of Ergonomics and Human Factors; and Ben Vallack, who runs a YouTube channel all about workflow and design.And if you're interested in this topic, we have a companion episode on Standing Desks - available along with all our other episodes on BBC Sounds.All of our episodes start with YOUR suggestions. If you've seen an ad, trend or wonder product promising to make you happier, healthier or greener, email us at sliced.bread@bbc.co.uk OR send a voice note to our WhatsApp number, 07543 306807.RESEARCHER: PHIL SANSOM PRODUCERS: SIMON HOBAN AND GREG FOOT

How do great companies stay distinctive when everything around them is pushing them toward sameness? In this episode of the Innovation Storytellers Show, I sit down with Anthony Reeves, speaker, consultant, and author of Eat the Donkey: Why Great Companies Embrace Discomfort, for a conversation about creativity, brand identity, AI, and why discomfort may be one of the most valuable forces in innovation. Anthony shares how growing up in the Australian outback shaped his understanding of progress, boredom, resilience, and the creative power of empty space. From LVMH and Amazon to WPP, Nike, Jaguar, Kohler, and Southwest Airlines, he explains why the strongest brands know when to evolve and when to protect what made them matter in the first place. The conversation also moves to the tension leaders face in the age of AI. As companies chase efficiency, optimization, and automation, Anthony warns that many risk becoming average by design. We discuss why human creativity, curiosity, and distinctiveness matter even more as technology pulls everyone toward the same answers. This is a conversation about brand courage, creative restlessness, and the difference between useful discomfort and unsafe pressure. How can companies use AI without losing the very human qualities that make them worth choosing? Listen in, and share your thoughts.  

In this episode of The Firefighters Podcast, we explore incident command, cognition and the art of decision making on the fireground. This is not just a conversation for commanders. It is for every firefighter, because every person on the incident ground is making decisions that shape outcomes. From situational awareness and recognition primed decision making to THINCS, decision controls, stress, fear, ego, culture and command mindset, this episode looks at how firefighters think under pressure, how good decisions are built, how poor decisions emerge, and why the future of firefighter safety depends on cognitive agility, self awareness and the ability to think clearly in chaos. Get this as an article CLICK HEREAccess all episodes, documents, GIVEAWAYS & debriefs HEREPodcast Apparel, Hoodies, Flags, Mugs HERE Please check out our Partners supporting this episode areWilliam Wood Watches - Discount code FFPODCAST gives the user 10% off full range on websiteFIRST TACTICAL- tactical gear for elite operatorsGORE-TEX Professional ClothingMSA The Safety CompanyJAFCOIDEXFIRE & EVACUATION SERVICE LTD Send us Fan MailSupport 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

Recovering the Internet: How Big Tech Took Control-And How We Can Take It Back (Columbia Global Reports, 2026)is an indictment of how Big Tech cloaks ruthless commercial exploitation in the language of free speech. Olivier Sylvain, a leading legal scholar and former senior advisor at the Federal Trade Commission, exposes the incentives behind social media design, revealing how they trap users in cycles of addiction, misinformation, and harm—from fatal TikTok challenges to AI chatbot codependency. With clarity and urgency, Sylvain dismantles the libertarian mythology that shaped internet law and calls for a new legal regime that protects users over platforms. Recovering the Internet is a powerful, original intervention into the most urgent policy debate of our time—what it will take to reclaim the digital public sphere. Find out more here Jake Chanenson is a computer science Ph.D. student and law student at the University of Chicago. Broadly, Jake is interested in topics relating to HCI, privacy, and tech policy. Jake's work has been published in top venues such as ACM's CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

Recovering the Internet: How Big Tech Took Control-And How We Can Take It Back (Columbia Global Reports, 2026)is an indictment of how Big Tech cloaks ruthless commercial exploitation in the language of free speech. Olivier Sylvain, a leading legal scholar and former senior advisor at the Federal Trade Commission, exposes the incentives behind social media design, revealing how they trap users in cycles of addiction, misinformation, and harm—from fatal TikTok challenges to AI chatbot codependency. With clarity and urgency, Sylvain dismantles the libertarian mythology that shaped internet law and calls for a new legal regime that protects users over platforms. Recovering the Internet is a powerful, original intervention into the most urgent policy debate of our time—what it will take to reclaim the digital public sphere. Find out more here Jake Chanenson is a computer science Ph.D. student and law student at the University of Chicago. Broadly, Jake is interested in topics relating to HCI, privacy, and tech policy. Jake's work has been published in top venues such as ACM's CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/public-policy

Recovering the Internet: How Big Tech Took Control-And How We Can Take It Back (Columbia Global Reports, 2026)is an indictment of how Big Tech cloaks ruthless commercial exploitation in the language of free speech. Olivier Sylvain, a leading legal scholar and former senior advisor at the Federal Trade Commission, exposes the incentives behind social media design, revealing how they trap users in cycles of addiction, misinformation, and harm—from fatal TikTok challenges to AI chatbot codependency. With clarity and urgency, Sylvain dismantles the libertarian mythology that shaped internet law and calls for a new legal regime that protects users over platforms. Recovering the Internet is a powerful, original intervention into the most urgent policy debate of our time—what it will take to reclaim the digital public sphere. Find out more here Jake Chanenson is a computer science Ph.D. student and law student at the University of Chicago. Broadly, Jake is interested in topics relating to HCI, privacy, and tech policy. Jake's work has been published in top venues such as ACM's CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/science-technology-and-society

Recovering the Internet: How Big Tech Took Control-And How We Can Take It Back (Columbia Global Reports, 2026)is an indictment of how Big Tech cloaks ruthless commercial exploitation in the language of free speech. Olivier Sylvain, a leading legal scholar and former senior advisor at the Federal Trade Commission, exposes the incentives behind social media design, revealing how they trap users in cycles of addiction, misinformation, and harm—from fatal TikTok challenges to AI chatbot codependency. With clarity and urgency, Sylvain dismantles the libertarian mythology that shaped internet law and calls for a new legal regime that protects users over platforms. Recovering the Internet is a powerful, original intervention into the most urgent policy debate of our time—what it will take to reclaim the digital public sphere. Find out more here Jake Chanenson is a computer science Ph.D. student and law student at the University of Chicago. Broadly, Jake is interested in topics relating to HCI, privacy, and tech policy. Jake's work has been published in top venues such as ACM's CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/law

Recovering the Internet: How Big Tech Took Control-And How We Can Take It Back (Columbia Global Reports, 2026)is an indictment of how Big Tech cloaks ruthless commercial exploitation in the language of free speech. Olivier Sylvain, a leading legal scholar and former senior advisor at the Federal Trade Commission, exposes the incentives behind social media design, revealing how they trap users in cycles of addiction, misinformation, and harm—from fatal TikTok challenges to AI chatbot codependency. With clarity and urgency, Sylvain dismantles the libertarian mythology that shaped internet law and calls for a new legal regime that protects users over platforms. Recovering the Internet is a powerful, original intervention into the most urgent policy debate of our time—what it will take to reclaim the digital public sphere. Find out more here Jake Chanenson is a computer science Ph.D. student and law student at the University of Chicago. Broadly, Jake is interested in topics relating to HCI, privacy, and tech policy. Jake's work has been published in top venues such as ACM's CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/technology

Recovering the Internet: How Big Tech Took Control-And How We Can Take It Back (Columbia Global Reports, 2026)is an indictment of how Big Tech cloaks ruthless commercial exploitation in the language of free speech. Olivier Sylvain, a leading legal scholar and former senior advisor at the Federal Trade Commission, exposes the incentives behind social media design, revealing how they trap users in cycles of addiction, misinformation, and harm—from fatal TikTok challenges to AI chatbot codependency. With clarity and urgency, Sylvain dismantles the libertarian mythology that shaped internet law and calls for a new legal regime that protects users over platforms. Recovering the Internet is a powerful, original intervention into the most urgent policy debate of our time—what it will take to reclaim the digital public sphere. Find out more here Jake Chanenson is a computer science Ph.D. student and law student at the University of Chicago. Broadly, Jake is interested in topics relating to HCI, privacy, and tech policy. Jake's work has been published in top venues such as ACM's CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/book-of-the-day

In this episode of The Health Literacy 2.0 Podcast, show host and author of The Wellbeing Effect, Seth Serxner, sits down with Hamid Ghanadan, CEO and founder of Linus, for a candid conversation about the future of healthcare, the challenges eroding trust, and new approaches to health literacy for both patients and providers.With over 30 years of leading Linus - a consulting firm helping healthcare organizations develop strategy and conduct research - Hamid Ghanadan brings a wealth of experience at the intersection of science, innovation, and communication. He's recently spearheaded major studies like Health 2035, collaborating with HSBC Innovation Banking, and has a passion for making complex medical information more accessible and usable for everyone.Seth and Hamid Ghanadan discuss:☑️ Shifting the Dialogue: Hamid Ghanadan challenges the common focus on patient health literacy, suggesting that real change comes from understanding natural learning and rethinking how information is delivered.☑️ The Erosion of Trust: 57% of new physicians foresee declining trust between patients and doctors in the next decade, with trust eroding in both directions—clinician to patient, and vice versa.☑️ Root Causes of Misinformation: 79% of surveyed physicians point to social media (and emerging AI) as major drivers of health misinformation and distrust.☑️ From Teaching to Learning: Hamid Ghanadan argues it's time to move from a "teaching" mindset to "learning," leveraging methods that invite genuine engagement and reduce resistance.☑️ Science's Usability Problem: Drawing from his own scientific training, Hamid Ghanadan illustrates that the real barrier is not access, but how usable and relatable scientific information is for both professionals and the public.☑️ The Power of Games & Stories: Core tools for boosting health literacy (and scientific understanding) are storytelling and game-based learning, both of which can engage audiences and break down orthodoxies—even among scientists themselves.☑️ Hope from the Next Generation: While young clinicians see big challenges, they're driven by a desire to help humanity, are pro-technology, and want to shift focus toward prevention, wellness, and deeper patient relationships.☑️ The Human Factor in Adherence: The most effective health interventions are often simple—like doctors taking two minutes for genuine human connection, which can boost treatment adherence enormously.☑️ Imagining the Future: True cost decline in healthcare may only come with radical realignment of incentives—and possibly through leveraging AI for “access abundance,” freeing doctors to become advisors and coaches rather than bureaucratic operators.☑️ Empathy First: Hamid Ghanadan closes by emphasizing the transformational role of empathy and curiosity, both for better patient outcomes and more effective professional engagement.For anyone interested in how healthcare must evolve—through more human connection, smarter communication, and authentic learning—this conversation offers crucial insights and hope for a better future.Learn About EdLogicsWant to see how EdLogics' gamified platform can boost health literacy, drive engagement in health and wellness programs, and help people live happier, healthier lives?Visit the EdLogics website: www.edlogics.com.Get Seth's BookCheck out The Wellbeing Effect by Seth Serxner.

Buckle up for a wild ride...Amit and Jeff jet off to Sydney, Australia to chat with Stavros Prineas of Nepean Hospital: Anesthesiologist, human factors expert, raconteur, lover of dad jokes, and all around good guy! (ok, we didn't fly there, but one day...). How to set up your block area, Feng shui, darts, ABBA, Inigo Montoya, identity hats, Seinfeld junior mint references, Émile Chartier quotes...we cover a LOT of ground in this fun and engaging episode.    Join us each month for another sassy conversation about anesthesiology, emergency medicine, critical care, POCUS, pain medicine, ultrasound guided nerve blocks, acute pain, and perioperative care!   

Episode: 1560 In which we 'look' at the world through a narrow slit.  Today, we look at the world through a narrow slit.

Casinos operate at the intersection of entertainment, cash, and compliance—making AML in gaming fundamentally different from banking. In this episode, John Byrne sits down with Paul Camacho, Vice President of Compliance at Yamava' Resort & Casino and former IRS‑CI Special Agent in Charge, to unpack what AML professionals outside the gaming industry often misunderstand. Paul shares insights from both the law‑enforcement and casino sides, including why most illicit funds enter casinos through spending, not laundering; how gambling addiction creates unique fraud and AML risks; and why observation and human intelligence matter as much as analytics. The conversation also explores public‑- private partnerships, casino typologies such as illegal sports betting and cash-intensive fraud, emerging risks highlighted in the National Money Laundering Risk Assessment, and how to move beyond “check‑the‑box” AML training. This episode offers a rare, practical look at how effective casino AML programs balance regulation, culture, and real‑world risk.

Adrian Goldberg and Byline Times editor in chief Hardeep Matharu reflect on the importance of human connection in the age of apps, AI and remote working.   Produced in Birmingham, UK by Adrian Goldberg. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Show NotesToday we are fortunate to be talking with, John Lenneman and Josh Domeyer from Toyota's Collaborative Safety Research Center.John Lenneman is a Senior Principal Research Scientist at Toyota's Collaborative Safety Research Center and has over 25 years of human factors experience. He has worked in automotive, consumer products, and health and wellness. Before Toyota, he worked at General Motors R&D, and Newell Brands. John holds a Ph.D. in Applied Experimental Psychology from Central Michigan University and a Master's in Industrial Engineering from the University of Michigan  He has authored numerous publications and book chapters and holds over 20 patents. His work spans driver behavior, vehicle automation, advanced driver assistance systems, human-centered design, and health and wellness program development Josh Domeyer is a Principal Scientist and has worked at Toyota for 14 years. Before that, he conducted research in both academic and industrial settings. Josh has Ph.D. in Industrial and Systems Engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a Master's in Experimental Psychology from Central Michigan University. He has over 50 peer reviewed publications and conference proceedings and over 20 patents. His work applies advanced computational techniques to risky driving behavior and naturalistic use of driving automation. Learn more about John + JoshConnect with John on LinkedInConnect with Josh on LinkedInSee more of their workWhere to find the hosts:Brian MoonBrian's websiteBrian's LinkedInBrian's TwitterLaura MilitelloLaura's websiteLaura's LinkedInLaura's Twitter

Cybersecurity isn't just about technology—it's about people.In this episode, Keith Weatherford, Director of IT Security at Bealls, breaks down how modern cyber threats actually work—from phishing attacks and ransomware to AI-driven scams and deepfakes.Why are humans still the biggest vulnerability?How are companies defending themselves against rapidly evolving threats?And what role will AI play in both attacking—and protecting—businesses?Keith shares real-world examples, lessons learned, and how building awareness across an organization can be the strongest line of defense.If you think cybersecurity is just an IT problem - think again.Episode Timeline:00:00:00 Introductions00:01:46 What is Phishing?00:07:30 Global Hacks00:12:13 Keys to Success00:13:58 Bealls Internal Security00:18:07 Biggest Threat00:20:39 AI for Protection00:34:01 What keeps you up?00:35:23 Blackmail00:37:35 What If Scenario?00:43:46 Closing#CyberSecurity #AI #CyberThreats #DataSecurity #Phishing #Ransomware #Deepfake #BusinessLeadership #RiskManagement #Technology #CyberAwareness #Leadership

Join us for the April edition of the Simulcast Journal Club, hosted by Vic Brazil and Ben Symon. In this episode: Gen AI to help simulation debriefers, adding masks to mannikins, a dive into quantitative methods, reclaiming the systems identity of human factors, and ‘simulosophists'.     The April papers  Tscholl DW, Ebensperger M, Rahrisch A, Wang H, Heckel H, Thomasius M, et al. Generative AI in simulation debriefings: an exploratory study using the Team-FIRST framework and qualitative feedback from simulation experts and learners. Adv Simul (Lond). 2026;11:14.   Schlegel C, Schmitz FM, Bauer D. Let's face it. Individualizing a manikin by means of a lifecast face increases the flow that students experience during simulation training: results from randomized controlled pilot trial. J Healthc Simul. 2025.   Chadwick LM, O'Dea A. Reclaiming the Systems Identity of Human Factors and Ergonomics in Healthcare. Hum Factors Healthc. 2026:100130.   Gonzalez-Caminal G, Castillejos-Gallego L, Gomar-Sancho C. Simulosophists: evolving the professional identity of simulation practitioners. Adv Simul (Lond). 2026;11:21.  Another great month on Simulcast.  Happy listening     Don't forget – Simulation Reconnect in Singapore July 16/17  Registration open now - HERE    

On this episode Fred and Gregg welcome David Wang, MD, Executive Vice President at IKS Health. A nationally recognized physician executive with more than 75 peer-reviewed publications, Dr. Wang brings a rare multi-perspective vantage point to healthcare transformation: practicing emergency medicine and palliative care physician; management consultant; builder of value-based care programs; and, most recently, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Medical Officer at Mass Advantage, a provider-owned Medicare Advantage plan, where he oversaw total cost of care, quality, risk adjustment, member experience, and network strategy. To stream our Station live 24/7 visit www.HealthcareNOWRadio.com or ask your Smart Device to “….Play Healthcare NOW Radio”. Find all of our network podcasts on your favorite podcast platforms and be sure to subscribe and like us. Learn more at www.healthcarenowradio.com/listen

This Week:  Consider The Human Factors We launch our coverage of the 2026 Nonprofit Technology Conference with an NTC perennial: Rubin Singh. This year, he asks you to consider the human side of tech that impacts your CRM, and really, … Continue reading →

The episode where people get controlled psychically, via manipulation, and with whatever Daleks use. Can the Daleks who have the Human Factor do cute things? In this podcast, we don't remember what we did while under Dalek control. This episode was recorded on 21 February 2026. Email us at thedoctorswatcher@gmail.com. I guess people listen to podcasts on YouTube now? Follow us on Tumblr at the-doctors-watcher. I finally made us a Bluesky account. Check out Circuit 23's music at http://soundcloud.com/circuit23 and email him at circuit.23@gmail.com. Listen to his album “Mens Vermis” at https://circuit23.bandcamp.com/album/mens-vermis. The font “Doctor Who” (https://www.dafont.com/doctor-who.font) by “JJE990” is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-commercial license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/).

In this episode of Psychology and Stuff, Dr. Alison Jane Martingano sits down with Dr. Jason Harman, an Associate Professor of Psychology and Human Factors at Michigan Technological University, to explore how we learn from experience when making decisions. They discuss how memory, frequency, and feedback shape our choices over time, why early experiences can have such a lasting impact, and how rare events can sometimes mislead our decision-making. The conversation also dives into real-world applications, including police training, risk-taking, and how people make split-second judgments. Dr. Harman also shares his work on gamified personality assessment, using interactive storytelling and game-like environments to measure behavior in new ways. Listen in to learn more about how our past experiences shape the decisions we make—and why changing those patterns can be harder than we think.

Phil is a Consultant in Emergency Medicine and Pre-Hospital Care, with over two decades of experience and a background that spans ambulance services, air ambulance, and national-level major incident response. He's currently a Medical Director at South Western Ambulance Service and has provided expert evidence to major public inquiries including Manchester Arena and Bondi Junction.This episode is brought to you in collaboration with the Blue Light Show 2026, taking place on the 1st and 2nd of July in London. It brings together leaders and frontline professionals from across policing, fire, ambulance and public safety to learn from real incidents and improve how we work together moving forward.Phil educates us about the care gap, what happens when patients aren't reached quickly enough, how decision-making under pressure really works, and why the first few minutes, sometimes even seconds, can determine who lives and who dies.We also challenge whether we've overcomplicated our response systems, and whether in trying to make things safer, we're actually creating delays that cost lives.Access all episodes, documents, GIVEAWAYS & debriefs HEREJoin me at Blue Light Show in London in JulyPodcast Apparel, Hoodies, Flags, Mugs HERE our partners supporting this episode.GORE-TEX Professional ClothingFIRST TACTICAL- tactical gear for elite operatorsMSA The Safety CompanyJAFCOIDEXFIRE & EVACUATION SERVICE LTD Send us Fan MailSupport 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 CrewSend us Fan MailSupport 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

The episode where Jamie and Kemel have a tussle, and develop a crush. Can the Daleks analyze emotion to figure out the Human Factor? In this podcast, we have a roof dangler, so we were able to continue. This episode was recorded on 17 January 2026. Email us at thedoctorswatcher@gmail.com. I guess people listen to podcasts on YouTube now? Follow us on Tumblr at the-doctors-watcher. I finally made us a Bluesky account. Check out Circuit 23's music at http://soundcloud.com/circuit23 and email him at circuit.23@gmail.com. Listen to his album “Mens Vermis” at https://circuit23.bandcamp.com/album/mens-vermis. The font “Doctor Who” (https://www.dafont.com/doctor-who.font) by “JJE990” is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-commercial license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/).

Join Ellen & Dalton Mason, creator and bird parent behind Apollo and Frens, for a look into life alongside the world-famous African grey parrot. You may have seen their videos on social media showing off Apollo's incredibly impressive vocabulary, answering questions and even speaking in full sentences, which have earned the bird a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records in 2025 - on top of all the pistachios, of course. We discuss animal cognition and what makes parrots such great models for animal intelligence, the brain soup machine, bird-proofing a home, parrots video calling each other, and so much more. Works Cited: "Birds have primate-like numbers of neurons in the forebrain" - Seweryn Olkowicz et al., PNAS, June 2016 "Birds of a Feather Video-Flock Together: Design and Evaluation of an Agency-Based Parrot-to-Parrot Video-Calling System for Interspecies Ethical Enrichment" - Rebecca Kleinberger et al., Proceedings of the 2023 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, April 2023 African Grey Parrot flight calls: Peter Boesman, XC719450. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/719450 Links: Learn more about Apollo and Frens on their website: https://apolloandfrens.com/ Follow Apollo and Frens on YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok! For more information about us & our podcast, head over to our website! Follow Just the Zoo of Us on BlueSky, Facebook, Instagram & Discord! Follow Ellen on Instagram or BlueSky!  

Join Ellen & Dalton Mason, creator and bird parent behind Apollo and Frens, for a look into life alongside the world-famous African grey parrot. You may have seen their videos on social media showing off Apollo's incredibly impressive vocabulary, answering questions and even speaking in full sentences, which have earned the bird a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records in 2025 - on top of all the pistachios, of course. We discuss animal cognition and what makes parrots such great models for animal intelligence, the brain soup machine, bird-proofing a home, parrots video calling each other, and so much more. Works Cited: "Birds have primate-like numbers of neurons in the forebrain" - Seweryn Olkowicz et al., PNAS, June 2016 "Birds of a Feather Video-Flock Together: Design and Evaluation of an Agency-Based Parrot-to-Parrot Video-Calling System for Interspecies Ethical Enrichment" - Rebecca Kleinberger et al., Proceedings of the 2023 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, April 2023 African Grey Parrot flight calls: Peter Boesman, XC719450. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/719450 Links: Learn more about Apollo and Frens on their website: https://apolloandfrens.com/ Follow Apollo and Frens on YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok! For more information about us & our podcast, head over to our website! Follow Just the Zoo of Us on BlueSky, Facebook, Instagram & Discord! Follow Ellen on Instagram or BlueSky!  

Lirone Glikman is a globally recognized expert, keynote speaker, and bestselling author specializing in business relationships, personal branding, and global business growth, based on a method she developed. She is the founder of The Human Factor by Lirone Glikman, a global firm with two main services: founder-led branding to founders and executives, helping them build credibility through U.S. Tier-1 media, podcasts, and LinkedIn. Lirone is also an international keynote speaker on business relationships and personal branding for growth. With experience across 28 countries, she has worked with Fortune 500 companies, governments, universities, and startups. She is the author of The Super Connector's Playbook and an executive director at the United Nations' NGO Committee on Sustainable Development.   Socials:   Website: www.LironeGlikman.com/tscp-book Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lirone.glikman LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lironeglikman YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@UCyXQS5cDSNv64FVNXdSMgCA   Summary:   In this episode, Lyndsay Dowd welcomes Lirone Glikman, a global thought leader who has advised major brands like Meta, Microsoft, and the United Nations. Lirone shares her personal story of moving to Australia and New York as a "dreamer" with limited English and zero connections, only to build a career as a world-renowned expert in relationship strategy. The conversation dives deep into moving past the "cringe" of traditional networking and instead focusing on authentic, strategic visibility and the power of internal trust to drive measurable business growth.   Key Takeaways:   - Normalize Social Anxiety - The 80/20 Rule of Small Talk - The Four Ps of Common Ground - Know, Like, Trust, Collaborate - Strategic Visibility over Bragging   Episode Chapters:   [00:00:27] – Three core lessons for today's episode [00:00:57] – Guest Intro: Who is Lirone Glikman? [00:02:07] – Lirone's Journey: From Sydney to New York City [00:05:40] – Why we "cringe" at networking and how to fix it [00:07:08] – Gamifying your relationship goals [00:08:36] – The Stages of Connection: Know, Like, Trust, Collaborate [00:09:53] – Mastering Small Talk with the "Four Ps" [00:13:41] – The "Invitation": Balancing the flow of conversation [00:14:45] – Storytelling: Tailoring your pitch for your audience [00:17:12] – Building a Personal Brand: Modesty vs. Speaking Up [00:20:44] – Trust as Currency: The hidden power of Internal Trust [00:26:16] – Where to connect with Lirone Glikman

On this episode of Culture & Compliance Chronicles, Amanda Raad and Nitish Upadhyaya from Ropes & Gray's Insights Lab, and Richard Bistrong of Front-Line Anti-Bribery, are joined by neuropsychologist Sarah Zheng to explore the human factor in cybersecurity. The conversation delves into the psychology behind hacking, the role of emotions and context in falling for scams, and the evolving risks posed by emerging technologies like AI and brain-computer interfaces. Sarah shares insights from her research at the Dawes Centre for Future Crime and her book, The Psychology of Cybersecurity, highlighting the importance of operational resilience and creative approaches to cyber awareness. Listeners will learn practical strategies for building a culture of psychological safety and reporting, as well as actionable steps to enhance organizational cyber resilience. 

From combat missions in the F-22 Raptor to more than five months aboard the International Space Station, Lt. Col. Nichole “Vapor” Ayers '11 has seen it all. SUMMARY In this episode of Long Blue Leadership, Col. Ayers reflects on mentorship, teamwork and building the next generation of warriors and astronauts.   SHARE THIS EPISODE LINKEDIN  |  FACEBOOK     TOP 10 TAKEAWAYS 1. Leadership is fluid: sometimes you lead, sometimes you follow. On Dragon and the ISS, command shifted between Anne McClain and Takuya Onishi. Everyone alternated between being commander and flight engineer, showing that strong teams normalize moving between leading and supporting roles. 2. Team care starts with self‑care. Vapor repeatedly links sleep, rest, hydration, and health to leadership performance. You can't be present for others if you're exhausted or burned out; taking care of yourself is a leadership duty, not a luxury. 3. People first, mission second (to enable mission success). Whether on deployment with 300 personnel or in space with 7, she focuses on taking care of the human—family issues, logistics, burnout, and emotions—trusting that performance and mission execution follow from that. 4. Trust is built long before the crisis. ISS emergency training with all seven crew, plus years of joint training in multiple countries, builds shared understanding and trust. When emergencies happen, the crew isn't figuring each other out for the first time. 5. Quiet, thoughtful leadership can be incredibly powerful. Takuya Onishi's style—observant, calm, speaks only when it matters, and brings thoughtful items for others—shows that you don't need to be loud to command respect. When he spoke, everyone listened. 6. Leadership means being fully present, especially on others' hard days. In both combat and space, you can't “hide” when someone's struggling. Being reachable, attentive, and emotionally available is a core leadership behavior, not a soft add‑on. 7. Normalize mistakes and share lessons learned. From F‑22 sorties to NASA operations, it's expected that you openly admit errors and pass on lessons so others don't repeat them. A culture where “experience is what you get right after you need it” only works if people share that experience. 8. Plan for “seasons” of intensity, not permanent balance. She frames life as seasons: some are sprints (deployments, intense training, big trips); others are for recovery. Wise leaders anticipate these cycles, push hard when needed, then deliberately create room to reset afterward. 9. Model the behavior you want your team to adopt. If the commander is always first in, last out, everyone else feels pressure to match that. By visibly protecting her own rest and home life, she gives permission for others to do the same and avoid burnout. 10. Lean on—and be—a support system. Her twin sister, long‑term friends, and professional peers form a lifelong support network she turns to when she fails, doubts herself, or hits something “insurmountable.” Great leaders both rely on and serve as those trusted people for others.     CHAPTERS 0:00:00 – Introduction & Vapor's Journey (Academy, F‑22, NASA) 0:00:38 – Launch Scrub, Second Attempt & What a Rocket Launch Feels Like 0:03:33 – First Moments in Space, Floating & Seeing Earth (Overview Effect) 0:06:11 – Leadership & Teamwork in Space: Roles, Trust, and Small-Crew Dynamics 0:10:19 – Multinational Crews & Leadership Lessons from Other Cultures 0:14:47 – No‑Notice F‑22 Deployment & Leading a Squadron in Combat 0:18:14 – Managing Burnout: Scheduling, Human Factors & “Crew‑10 Can Do Hard Things” 0:19:46 – Self‑Care as Team Care: Seasons of Life, Rest, and Being Present 0:26:02 – Family, Being an Aunt, and Balancing a Demanding Career 0:28:14 – Life After Space: Mentoring New Astronauts & Evolving as a Leader     ABOUT NICHOLE BIO U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Nichole "Vapor" Ayers is a trailblazing pilot, leader and astronaut whose journey began at the United States Air Force Academy, where she graduated in 2011 with a degree in mathematics. An accomplished F-22 Raptor pilot, Ayers is one of the few women ever to fly the world's most advanced stealth fighter — and she's one of even fewer to command them in formation for combat training missions. Col. Ayers earned her wings through years of training and operational excellence, logging over 200 flight hours in combat and playing a critical role in advancing tactical aviation. Her exceptional performance led to her selection in 2021 by NASA as a member of Astronaut Group 23, an elite class of 10 chosen from among 12,000 applicants. As a NASA astronaut candidate, Col. Ayers completed intensive training at Johnson Space Center, which included spacewalk preparation, robotics, survival training, systems operations and Russian language. Now qualified for spaceflight, she stands on the threshold of a new chapter that led her to the International Space Station. Throughout her career, Col. Ayers has exemplified the Academy's core values of Integrity First, Service Before Self and Excellence in All We Do. Her journey from cadet to combat aviator to astronaut is a testament to resilience, determination and a passion for pushing boundaries.   LEARN MORE ABOUT NICHOLE NASA Astronaut Nichole Ayers   CONNECT WITH THE LONG BLUE LINE PODCAST NETWORK TEAM Ted Robertson | Producer and Editor:  Ted.Robertson@USAFA.org Send your feedback or nominate a guest: socialmedia@usafa.org   Ryan Hall | Director:  Ryan.Hall@USAFA.org  Bryan Grossman | Copy Editor:  Bryan.Grossman@USAFA.org Wyatt Hornsby | Executive Producer:  Wyatt.Hornsby@USAFA.org     ALL PAST LBL EPISODES  |  ALL LBLPN PRODUCTIONS AVAILABLE ON ALL MAJOR PODCAST PLATFORMS     FULL TRANSCRIPT SPEAKERS Host: Lt. Col. (Ret.) Naviere Walkewicz '99 Guest: Lt. Col. Nichole "Vapor" Ayers '11   Col. Naviere Walkewicz 0:00 Vapor, welcome to Long Blue Leadership. We are so thrilled you're here. Col. Nichole “Vapor” Ayers 0:11 Thank you. Thanks for having me. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 0:12 Absolutely. So the cadets get to spend some time with you at NCLS. Here the Long Blue Line is going to get to hear from you. And you know, we can actually go through the list. You know, F-22 pilot, USAFA 2011 graduate, you've been in combat, you're a NASA pilot. The list is probably shorter what you haven't done. But, frankly, I'm just excited that you're here on Earth with us, because the last time we spoke, you called me from outer space. Col. Nichole “Vapor” Ayers 0:35 Yeah, that was a lot of fun. That was a lot of chat with you then too. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 0:38 So let's just jump right in. So if we can just kind of catapult you, and let's do it in the way that they that NASA does, into space, maybe starting with the countdown, and then the Gs you take, what is that experience like? And maybe, what are some things you were thinking about in those moments? Col. Nichole “Vapor” Ayers 0:53 Oh, yeah. So, you know, we launched on March 14. First attempt was March 12, and we actually scrubbed the first launch. So we got all the way down to T minus 42 minutes right before we armed the launch escape system. So that's kind of a big milestone on the countdown. We were having issues with some hydraulics in the clamp that actually holds on to the rocket wall and then let's go. We weren't quite sure whether it was gonna let go, so they scrubbed the launch then, and it was a fascinating — you don't feel like you've got a ton of adrenaline going, but, you know, you feel kind of like you're in a sim. We do some really phenomenal training. And so when you're sitting on top of the rocket, it feels like you're in a simulator, except it's breathing and living, and the valves are moving, and you can hear the propellant being loaded and all of that. And so there's a very real portion to launch date. But then, coming down off of that adrenaline, we got a day off, thankfully. We could just kind of rest and relax and then go again. So everything went smoother the second try. Of course, you know, everybody's nerves are a little less, and everything was — it just felt calmer the whole way out. But, yeah, when that countdown hits zero, I like to say you're being slingshotted off the Earth. That's how it felt. You know, in that moment, you're going. There's over a million pounds of thrust, and it's going. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 2:10 I mean, that sounds like a lot. I can't really fathom in my mind what that feels like. Can you describe it? Col. Nichole “Vapor” Ayers 2:17 You know, so I talked about in an F-22 and an afterburner takeoff, which is the most thrust that we have basically in any airplane on Earth. You know, you get set back in your seat really far. And, if you think of an airliner takeoff, you kind of get set back in your seat a little bit. Multiply that by, like, 10 or 20, and then that happened for nine minutes straight on a rocket. You're just being forcefully set back in your seat for nine minutes straight and just thrown off of the Earth, and in nine minutes, you're in orbit. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 2:49 So when you had your practice, did you experience that level for that long as well? Col. Nichole “Vapor” Ayers 2:54 For the simulators? So they can't that. We can't necessarily simulate the Gs in the sim. So that's like the one part that, you know, we go through the whole launch, but you're sitting at one G the whole time, and throughout the launch, you know, the Gs build, then we back off the thrust and the Gs build again, and then you have an engine cut off. And I like to explain, like, if you could visualize, like an old cartoon, and everybody's in the car driving, and Dad slams on the brakes, and everybody hits the windshield. And then he slams on the gas again, and everybody goes back to their seats. Like, that's what it felt like when the engine cut off and, you know, main engine cuts off, and then within a few seconds, the second engine lights, and you're set back in your seat again. So I like to give that visual. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 3:33 That's really helpful, actually. Wow. OK, so you're there, you're in space. And I guess my first question would be, what's something that, in that moment, you're either thinking or you're just, are you still just orienting yourself? What is that like? Col. Nichole “Vapor” Ayers 3:45 Oh, man, you know, we're still in the seats for the first few moments in space, and we have to open the nose cone. There's some other things that are happening on the spacecraft, and getting ready for a burn, for a phasing burn, to get up to and catch up with the International Space Station. But, you know, then eventually you get to unbuckle and get out of your seat and floating for the first time. I got out of my seat and I'm floating there. It felt like, you know, Captain Marvel when she's, like, hanging out. Yeah, that's, that's how I felt. And, you know, I like to give the visual, because it's like, it's just nothing you've ever experienced in your life, you know. And then you look out the window and the view is something, it's indescribable. You know, I don't think we have the right words in the English language to describe what it feels like to look back at Earth from space. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 4:35 Was there a moment when you're looking out at Earth — did you kind of play back just different things in your life? Did you think about, you know, significance of things, or, like, scope of things, or even just the vantage point? Did it kind of just change things or were you just in awe at the moment? Col. Nichole “Vapor” Ayers 4:49 No, I think, you know, we talked about the overview effect, when astronauts specifically look back at Earth, and it hits everybody kind of differently. And for me, I think the biggest thing you know, when you look at a map of the states or a map of the world, you know, every country is a different color, or every state's a different color, and there are lines that describe the borders, right? And those don't exist in in space. Those don't exist like when you can't see different colored states, right? But you can see the Grand Canyon, and you can see the mountains, and you can see the Amazon, and you can see the desert in Africa. And you get to, you know, you get to learn the world geography by colors and terrain. And it's just a really good reminder that, you know, we're all humans, and we're all on this little fragile marble, just trying to take care of each other and trying to take care of Earth. And so I think that's what hit me the most, was just there are no borders, and we're all the same. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 5:44 Gosh, well, it's a unique and probably highly impressive team that you're with. I mean, we know the road to get to becoming a NASA astronaut is certainly one that is very difficult. Starts from many, many, in the 1000s, down to 10. And so, you know, when we think about leadership, and I've heard you share this before with others, you talk about teamwork and leadership, maybe explain a little bit what that's like in space when you're all so highly effective leaders. You know, what does that look like? Col. Nichole “Vapor” Ayers 6:12 That's a great question. You know, I think for us, it is a very fluid movement, right? You lead one day; you follow the next. And you know, I'll give you an example. So Anne McClain was the commander of SpaceX Crew-10 for NASA. So she was in charge of Crew-10 is our ride up to the space station, and our ride home, right? It's the capsule, the rocket and the capsule. And then we were on Expedition 73 aboard the International Space Station, where Takuya, who it was, Takuya Onishi, who was our mission specialist on Dragon, soon as we crossed into the hatch and he took command. He is now the commander of the Space Station, and Anne and I are flight engineers, and so it's a pretty fluid movement in terms of leading and following. But ultimately, you know, it's just about being a good team and taking care of each other. And I think that being a good leader is taking care of other people. And, you know, we talk about team care — self-care, and team care are like the huge parts that we actually train and learn about at NASA as we go through our training, because you're on this really small space in the vacuum of space for five-plus months at a time, and it's — there are only seven people up there and everybody's going to have a bad day. We're all humans, and you can't, there's no hiding.   Col. Naviere Walkewicz 7:30 What's a bad day like in space?   Col. Nichole “Vapor” Ayers 7:32 People make mistakes, right? We're all human. You might make a mistake on something, you might mess up a procedure. You hope that it's not something that causes a safety incident, right? The main goal for me, at least, was, I know I'm going to make mistakes. As long as I'm not unsafe, I'll be happy. And I think that a lot of us have that conscious decision-making process. But I think that we're also humans and have Earth lives, and your Earth life doesn't stop when you go to space. And so bad days could be something going on at home. Bad days could be something going on in space. Could be an interaction that you had with somebody on the ground that, you know, there's a lot of communication that happens between us on the ground. There are thousands of humans on the Earth that keep the Space Station running. So that day could be anything but it's tough to hide up there. Here, you can kind of like, duck and cover and maybe you just spend the day in an office. But it doesn't happen up there. We have to continue to work and continue to function. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 8:32 So you mentioned that there are seven of you in this tight space. Now, when you go up there, your crew, is it the same seven?   Col. Nichole “Vapor” Ayers 8:38 For the majority of the time. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 8:42 OK, excellent. So one of the things we think about whenever we're leading or we're working with teams is trust, and obviously you have a great amount of trust with the crew that you're going up there with. But then you mentioned you went on to the ISS and you're working with others. What does that look like when it's someone maybe you haven't worked as closely with in a really important mission? Col. Nichole “Vapor” Ayers 9:03 So for the seven expedition members, we actually do train together for a little bit of it, not nearly as closely as, you know, the four of us training for Dragon mission. But because the most dynamic parts are launch and landing, we do a lot of training together, just as the four of us, but we train all over the world. So we go to Japan and Germany and Canada, and we go to, you know, Hawthorne, California, and we go to Russia, and we train with them, and we learn about the Russian segment, and we train with our fellow cosmonauts there. And we do emergency training specifically all together, because it takes all seven of us in an emergency doing the right thing and knowing everybody's roles. And so we train that together as well. And then anytime you're in the same country or same city together, then you get to spend the time outside of the training to get to know each other. And so you actually know your crew fairly well. But obviously, everybody's from a different nation. And we had Americans, we had a Japanese astronaut, we had Russians, so you learn everybody's culture, and it's actually, you know, to your point on being in that small — and not necessarily knowing everybody. There's also a cultural aspect; we get to know each other. We get to learn about other people's cultures and figure out how to communicate and live and work, even across the whole world. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 10:19 What was something that you learned from another culture of astronaut, maybe in the leadership realm, or just something that you took away, that's really something that surprised me, or like to emulate? Col. Nichole “Vapor” Ayers 10:30 I love Taku's leadership style. So Takuya Onishi — he's one of those more quiet humans, and he's super kind, but he is the most intelligent human I've ever met, and he is super-efficient with everything he does, and he pays attention to all of the little things. And so he only speaks up when he thinks something needs to be changed, or when he thinks that, like, we need to go in a different direction, otherwise, he's pretty happy to let you go, like, let you go as far as you want to go on something. And then when he thinks you're gonna run off a cliff, he pulls you back. So when he speaks, everybody listens. And I love that. I think some of that is cultural, obviously, him being from Japan, but I think it's also just his personal leadership style, but I learned a ton from him in terms of how to interact with people, how to let people be themselves, but also how to run a ship, and everybody knew exactly who was running the ship. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 11:22 Wow. And it shows that respect lens that you're just kind of talking about when he spoke. Everybody listens. Is that something that you feel you already had that kind of leadership style or is that something that you've kind of evolved in yourself? Col. Nichole “Vapor” Ayers 11:37 I like to think that that's the way that I lead. That's kind of how I try to be a leader. But we're not perfect, right? Nobody's perfect. And watching him, you know, taking notes from how he interacted with everybody, the things that he thought of, the things that he brought with him for us on station, you know, we get a very limited amount of stuff, personal things that we get to bring with us. And he brought things for the crew that were like, huge milestones for professional careers. You know, just the attention to detail on the human beings around him was pretty phenomenal. So it's one of the things I'm working on to be better at, because I like to think I'm good at it. But I saw the master work. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 12:18 I love that. And something you said about him, he always has attention to detail, and he saw the little things. He paid attention to the little things. I remember a past conversation we had. You had a little nugget from Col. Nick Hague, also USAFA — '98 I believe. And I think he said to you, something about, you know, “Nicole, don't forget that you're squishy,” or something like that. And so have you had more of those moments in there where they're like little nuggets or little moments that actually give you a big return or big lessons in your life? Col. Nichole “Vapor” Ayers 12:46 Oh, definitely, yeah, that one's a funny one, because the space station is metal. Everything is metal, and it's hard and so we still have weight, well, mass. We still have mass. We don't have weight, right, because we're in microgravity. But if you're cooking around a corner and you run into a handrail, it's gonna hurt, you know, if you imagine going 10 or 15 mph into something metal, it's gonna hurt — you're squishy. So that was a great lesson in slowing down and making sure you're watching your surroundings. But one of the things that Anne McClain says that cracks me up, but every time it happens, like, “Yep, this is definitely—," she says, “Experience is that thing you learn right after you need it.” And so we had a lot of those moments where you learn a lesson and you're like, “Ah, I wish I knew that five minutes ago.” And so that's something that applies everywhere. Experience is that thing you always needed right before that happened. But we also like to say Crew-10 can do hard things. That's another thing that was just kind of our motto, whether it's training — some of the training can be really physically demanding. It's really mentally demanding. And it's a lot of travel. When you get assigned to a mission, it's probably a year and a half to two years of training, and then you're gone for six months. So out of that two to two and a half years, you're not home for over a year. So you're all over the world, traveling to train and work. And like I said, we're all humans. We have Earth lives, we have homes, you get situations back home. And so navigating personal lives, navigating professional lives, navigating tough training. Crew-10 can do hard things. We like to say that. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 14:22 I like that. It also talks a bit about your grit. Crew-10 grit. So, talking about hard things, I'd like to take us to the time when you've been piloting the F-22 and you've seen combat. I heard you speaking a little bit before about a no-notice deployment. Let's visit that time in your life. What were you doing? What was your role, and what was something you experienced? Col. Nichole “Vapor” Ayers 14:47 Sure. So I was actually flying the day that we got notified. And, you know, just a standard training sortie — had landed, and some of the maintainers were like, “Hey, have you heard what's happening?” And I was like, “No, what's happening?” And then we had a big squadron meeting, and that's when we got notified, like, “Hey, we're deploying.” We were on the GRF, is what it was called at the time, Global Response Force, and I think some of that structure has changed since I left that squadron, but we knew that once we were on the GRF, there was a chance that we would get activated and get moved somewhere. Didn't necessarily expect it to be quite that quick. I think it was like the next week we got this deployment. So we got notified on a Thursday, I think, and then on Monday, I was taking off.   Col. Naviere Walkewicz 15:31 Oh, really no notice.   Col. Nichole “Vapor” Ayers 15:33 Yeah, so, four days later, we were taking off, and then seven days later, we were flying missions from — we were stationed at Al Udeid Air Base, so we're flying out of Al Udeid within a week. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 15:45 How many with you?   Col. Nichole “Vapor” Ayers 15:47 So when we deploy, we actually deploy with our maintenance squadrons, 300 people. Twenty to 30 of them are the pilots, and then the rest are the maintainers. And so it's the entire squadron. We morph into an expeditionary squadron. And so there are 300 people that head out. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 16:03 So I imagine, you know, on top of the fact that it was such a rapid movement, there's probably things that people had to obviously work through family. This needs to happen. But what were some things that you experienced in that deployment, or even in just that transition? Col. Nichole “Vapor” Ayers 16:21 Again, I go back to taking care of people. I was a flight commander at the time. We had two flight commanders, so I'm in charge of basically half the squadron, and we had a really wonderful commander who gave us the authority and the autonomy to leave the squadron. So, you know, it's about saying, like, “How are you guys doing at home?” Half our squadron didn't even have tan flight suits. You know, we're trying, we're working with logistics. We're trying to get everything ready. Like, does everybody have a go bag? Does everybody even know what a go bag is? Do you have the things you need? So working all of that. And then do you have the childcare figured out? Do you have the — how is all your family doing? Are you ready for this? And then we had to do a bunch of last-minute training before we left. And so it's a really busy time, but it was one of the first times where I felt like I had an influence on the people that were under me, that I had supervised. And so it was a really great experience to solve those problems, figure it out and help people get off the ground in four days successfully, and leaving something, some semblance of structure at home. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 17:24 So you said it was the first time where you kind of really felt that you had that impact. What would you say kind of maybe crystallized within yourself in learning that? Col. Nichole “Vapor” Ayers 17:36 I think it really solidified. I think I said, “I try to lead by taking care of people,” right? I truly believe if you take care of the human, they're going to do a really great job. You don't have to ask much of people at work and in their professional life, if their personal and the human side of them is taken care of and so that's kind of what I mean when I say that solidified it for me, like, make sure that the humans are good to go, and they'll go do anything you want to do. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 18:04 Wow. So while on that deployment, you're leading half of that squadron. What were some of the challenges maybe that you experienced, and how did you grow as a leader during that timeframe? Col. Nichole “Vapor” Ayers 18:14 Scheduling is definitely a tough one. So we flew daytime and nighttime. We basically had an F-22 airborne for almost 24 hours a day for the entire six months, six and a half months. We left and we were told it might be two- or three-month deployment, and then it turned into six months. And then we got delayed up coming home. And so then we stayed through Christmas. And those are the things that really are tough for people. But we have a limited number of jets that we took. We have a limited number of pilots; we have a limited number of maintainers and parts. And so I think for us, managing a schedule between me and the other flight commander, managing a schedule, managing quality of life for everybody, and make sure that we're not burning people out, or that they're not —we're flying eight-, nine-, 10-hour sorties, right? And that's exhausting. It's just you and that airplane with your wingman and a different airplane. And so you have to manage, again, that human factor. The human capital is probably the toughest thing to manage. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 19:15 Wow, and you talked about how the deployment kind of got extended. What were some things, because many of our listeners and our viewers are leaders, and at different levels of leadership and different times in their lives where they're doing that. When you were leading, and you had some of those subordinates, or those that were working with you that really experienced some troubles, through emotions, through some of that. How did you help navigate them through that when you were all in that as well? Col. Nichole “Vapor” Ayers 19:46 Right. You know, I think at NASA especially, we talk about self-care being a huge part of team care. And so making sure I do this in my regular life too, but, you know, making sure that you're getting enough rest, making sure that you're taking care of yourself and your personal life, so that you can truly be present for the other people that need you. And I think being present for others is one of the biggest things that you can do. You know, they may not need a ton of help, or they may not need the solution, but being there, being available and being present for people is really important. But you can't do that unless you're good to go yourself. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 20:18 Did you see that from someone? Did you learn that from someone you saw doing that? Or just, how did, I mean NASA's — you said, NASA, but did you see that at the Academy? Or where did you kind of gather that? Col. Nichole “Vapor” Ayers 20:28 You know, I think one of the things that hit me hard about showing up and being present was actually more professional. I kind of skated through the Academy on minimal sleep, and I was able to manage everything. But I wasn't flying a $143 million airplane. And so, in pilot training, we started to talk about crew rest and pilot rest. That's the first time that I had heard this concept of, “You need to go home and get rest so that you can be on your game.” Because flying airplanes, your decisions have real consequences, right? And you have to be present and available, and you have to be on your game to fly airplanes and do well in airplanes. And then the faster and the higher and the better the airplane gets, the more on your game you have to be. So I think it's something that has just kind of evolved in me. And then, as a leader, I realized, if you don't have any gas in the tank, you cannot help somebody else. And so for me, it's just kind of been, over the last decade and a half, of, wow, I need my sleep. I need to make sure I'm good to go. I need to make sure my human is good, so that way I can help other humans. And yeah, when your decisions have real consequences, it's important that you're present and you're ready to go. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 21:43 Have you seen some of the fact that you prioritize that for yourself, for you as your own human? Have you seen others kind of like see that, view that, and actually take that on as well themselves. Col. Nichole “Vapor” Ayers 21:53 Yeah, I think they do. And I think, as a leader, it's really important to set that example. The commander cannot be the first one in last one out. Like, you just can't do that, because everybody's going to stay until you leave. So setting the example, setting the example of having a good home-life balance as well. Like, home and work have to be balanced. Sleep has to be balanced. Again, self-care is the biggest part of team care, I think. And if you model that, people start to realize it's important. You know, the younger people that might burn themselves out trying to get somewhere, trying to get to the next step, or trying to impress somebody, or whatever the case may be, if they see you taking a step back and they see your success, maybe then they can start worrying about themselves too. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 22:34 I think that's a great lesson, leading by example. For sure. There are probably moments that you experience both at the Academy, while flying the F-22 or as an astronaut, where you don't have the luxury of balance. How do you navigate that and how do you help others get to that space maybe quicker? Col. Nichole “Vapor” Ayers 22:53 I think of everything as a season in life. It might just be a busy season, and you might just have to put some time in but making sure that you are planning ahead and know that you're gonna be able to take some time and reset. And that could be anything, right? That could be personal life, professional life. That could be the four-week training trip that we've got is going to be rough, and its multiple time zones, and it's a ton of training, it's a ton of information. You just have to get through it. But then, that week, when we got home, I made sure my schedule was a little lighter. Whatever the balance is, I think of things in seasons. Crew-10 can do hard things, right? And that came from — you can get through this next training session, right? But we're gonna do a mask-to-suit transition, which is like in a fire, you've got a mask on. You have to get from that mask into your spacesuit. It's a significant physical event. And there's limited oxygen; there's limited ability to breathe in the suit when in that specific environment. And so how do you slow down, take the breaths you need to get in there to not then get to a point where you're panicking, right? Or that you're too exhausted or too hot or overdid, or whatever it is, right? So I think even just that, that is a season. We're going to do two hours of this. That's my season, and then we'll get out of the simulator, we'll take a break, right? And if it happened on orbit, it would be like, “We're going to get through this. We're going to solve the problem. We're going to manage the emergency, and then once things are set, we'll have a moment to breathe.” So that's kind of how I think of it. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 24:21 Did seasons come something, a term that you kind of realized maybe at the Academy, you were a volleyball athlete at the Academy, and so volleyball has a season. But my question is, like, how did you come to that realization? Like, “Oh, I can get through this, and I put it in a bucket of time.” Col. Nichole “Vapor” Ayers 24:35 You learn a lot of time management at the Academy, and when you're in the fall, you're really busy, spring season is less busy, and so you kind of learn early how to manage. Like, “OK, I've got to run. I gotta sprint,” right? “And then I can jog later, or I can walk later.” So, I think you learn that growing up in school, and you know, if you play sports or you do extracurricular activities or other things like that, or even just seasons in life at home, life ebbs and flows. I don't even know when I started saying it, but my sister and I started saying “seasons of life” to each other a long time ago. You know, she's got three kiddos, so she's been in all sorts of seasons. But, yeah, it's just, you know, I think I started to time block things, or block things off and just, and that's the only way you're going to get through life, is if you focus on what you need to do right now, be good at it, and then move to the next thing. You can have an idea of what's coming next, but you have to be present and do what you're doing there. Yes, so, yeah, seasons, time, blocks, whatever you want to call it. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 25:39 I like that. Well, you brought up your sister, and so you're an auntie of three. Let's talk about your personal life and leadership, some experiences you've had navigating your schedule. You're on the road so much. How do you prioritize? I guess the things that are important to you when you have such a heavy schedule, yeah, being on the road and the people that are important to you, right? Col. Nichole “Vapor” Ayers 26:03 Man, I think that for me, my family has been a huge support system my whole life. My twin sister — built in best friend.   Col. Naviere Walkewicz 26:13 And who is older? Col. Nichole “Vapor” Ayers 26:14 She is. She's got me by a minute. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 26:18 OK. Does she hold that over you?   Col. Nichole “Vapor” Ayers 26:20 Yes, of course she does. We've just always supported each other 100% and everything. She's been my biggest cheerleader through all of my life, and I've been her biggest cheerleader through all of her life. And you know, my main goal in life is to be the coolest auntie, like the best auntie, and I would die happy. And they're a huge priority to me. I see them every couple two to three months — since my oldest has was born. So for the last 14 years, just made it a priority, even if it's like, leave late on a Friday night and then get home late Sunday night, I make the effort to go see them and to interact with them. And you know, to help foster them. You know they're growing up. And I love watching kids grow up and experience the world and see what can be done. Their dad's a Marine, their mom's this really successful real estate agent, their auntie' a pilot-slash-astronaut. You know, they've got, like, all these no family that's really not doing very much. Yeah, you know, they've got all these really great role models. And my goal is to just show them that it doesn't matter who you are, like they only ever know me as auntie. Like they know I'm an astronaut, and they love that. Their friends know that I'm an astronaut. Anti vapor, no, no, yeah. But, you know, like, they're always gonna get a big hug from auntie, like, that's, that's what's important to me. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 27:36 Well, you mentioned, going into space, being an auntie. So, would you describe your time and space is, it's probably out of this world. I mean, that's, wow, that's terrible. That's terrible I said it that way. But I think you've mentioned it is kind of the best time in your life. Col. Nichole “Vapor” Ayers 27:52 Yeah. Best five months my life. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 27:56 Best five months of your life, and it's passed. Now, when we think about our evolution, whether personally, professionally, as leaders, etc., we have these ideas in our mind, like, this is the pinnacle. How do you navigate what's next after you've experienced that pinnacle? Col. Nichole “Vapor” Ayers 28:14 Yeah, that's a great question, and I think it's something that a lot of us struggle with when we come home. What's next? We get six months, some time to think and kind of get reintegrated. And you don't necessarily have to go back to work right away. I was able to spend a ton of time with my sister and her kiddos. Yeah, what's next. And I think for me, like the drive out to the launch pad, I was like, “Man, I've made it.” You know, the first time I looked out the window from Dragon, “I've made it.” First time we crossed the hatch, and I went and looked out the glass like, “Wow. The hard work paid off.” And I still feel like that to this day. I would have spent four more months in space if they had asked me to, and I would have turned around and launched right back then the day that we landed, and it was because of the crewmates that I spent it with and the fulfillment that I got from the mission. But I think you can find fulfillment in a lot of ways. And you know, my job, now that I've been back, I'm going to be working with the new class of astronauts and their training for spacewalk. So in the Neutral Buoyancy Lab, our big pool, like, my job is to be their mentor as they go through the spacewalk training. And you know, like, I cannot wait. I'm so excited. I cannot wait to have an impact and try to help teach this next generation of spacewalkers, this next generation of astronauts, to be better than us. I find a lot of fulfillment in making the next generation better. So I think, however the fulfillment shows up for people, I think as long as you can find something, there you'll be happy. Going to space was great, but teaching and instructing and mentoring is also really fulfilling for me. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 29:54 And that will be 10 of them? How many will that be? Col. Nichole “Vapor” Ayers 29:55 Ten.   Col. Naviere Walkewicz 29:56 Ten. So then you'll have 13. You'll be auntie to 13. Oh, that's wonderful. What have you learned about yourself since then? You know, you've evolved as a leader through different situations, high threat, high risk. Safety is paramount. All of those different experiences. And now you're back on Earth and you're about to, you know, mentor. How have you evolved your leadership, and where would you say you're trying to go? Col. Nichole “Vapor” Ayers 30:23 Where am I trying to go? I think, for me, leadership is also about being vulnerable and being open and honest with people about failures or hardships and so, you know, like in the flying community, if you make a mistake, you're immediately like, “Hey, I messed this up. Here's how we fix it.” And that's something that we do at NASA as well, especially on a grand scale, right? Thousands of employees and everybody like, that's the only way that we get to space is by admitting when we've made mistakes, talking to each other about how we fix it and sharing those lessons learned. And so I think that especially when you get into the higher roles of leadership, it's important to go, “Hey, I messed up,” or, “Hey, I don't know the answer.” And being transparent with the people that you're working with. And if you don't know it, but you know where to go find it, like, “I'll get that answer for you,” instead of making up an answer, trying to figure out how to look like you're in charge, right? It's really important to me to also show that we don't know everything. We're human. We make mistakes, and it's OK to make mistakes, as long as you share it, and you share the lessons learned, and you make the next person better. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 31:32 Did you experience that personally? Did you have a moment in which you had to say, “Hey, I made a mistake,” and that's helped you realize that being vulnerable is really important or is that just something you've seen done really well? Col. Nichole “Vapor” Ayers 31:40 Oh, I've admitted a lot of mistakes. You know, I made a couple pretty big mistakes in the Raptor. Everybody's gonna make a big mistake at some point in their life. And, you know, I think that that was something that was modeled really well in the flying community early on. And it's something that's not tolerated if you're not willing to share your lessons learned. It's not tolerated in that community. That's a really good thing. I learned that in pilot training, right? If your buddy in your class makes the same mistake the next day that you made, you get in trouble because you didn't tell them how to how to prepare. And so it's fostered early on, especially in the flying community. I can't speak to any other community because I grew up there, but it's fostered early on, and so it's just something that comes naturally. I think eventually, because you just, you've seen it done so many times, and if you want other people to succeed, you're going to do it. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 32:29 All right. Well, we have two questions left. The first one is, what's something you do every day to be a better leader? Col. Nichole “Vapor” Ayers 32:37 That's a good one. This is gonna sound silly, but I sleep. Like, I'll go back to the self-care thing, right? Like, I put a lot of attention into being healthy, being hydrated, sleeping well. Like, if you take care of your body, your mind is going to do way more for you. And so I think you can show up as a better leader if you show up, rested, hydrated, fed, worked out whatever you need to do to be the best human you can be. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 33:09 That's what I try to do. OK. I like that a lot, and I think that's a good indication for me that six hours is probably not enough. Naviere needs a little bit more. And it's truth, because you told me, though I'm gonna do that. The second one is, if you could go back in time, maybe what's something you would have told yourself — your younger self — or maybe, as our cadets are listening, that you've learned and what they can be doing now to be a better leader down the road. Col. Nichole “Vapor” Ayers 33:34 If you run into a hardship or you fail at something, or something feels insurmountable, or you don't feel like you're ready, good enough, or whatever the case may be, doubt starts to seep in, right? I would say, rely on the support system that you have. Rely on the people around you. Talk about it. Figure out, you know, “Hey, I failed this GR, like, man, this kind of sucks.” And you know, maybe you just need to hear me say it out loud, and maybe I just need to get it off my chest, or maybe I need help trying to figure out the solution for whatever the case may be. So, you know, I had a built-in team on the volleyball team. I had a built-in friends and teammates that I could lean on. Maybe that's your squadronmates or your classmates, or whoever it is, right? And I think finding the friends that you can rely on for the rest of your life. Professionally, I've got a friend here that I met in the F-22 community. We've been friends for almost a decade now, and he's still one of the first people that I call when something happens, like, “Oh, I messed this up today. Help.” So, you know, finding a support system. My sister's the other person that I call first off. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 34:38 She probably knows you're gonna call when you call. Col. Nichole “Vapor” Ayers 34:39 Yeah, we talk way too much. But, you know, having that support system around you and finding people that really bolster you and get you across that line and help you find the courage to take the next step, I think that's really important. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 34:54 I know I said there was only two, but as I've listened to you, I just think you're just you're just remarkable, and maybe what's something that you're proud about yourself as a leader. I would really love to hear that in your, you know— Col. Nichole “Vapor” Ayers 35:05 I think the thing that makes me the most proud as a leader is when somebody succeeds and it's something that I helped them do. I've had somebody come back and say, “Thanks for saying that.” That pushed me out the edge, you know, like, I'm really into building the next generation and make them better than us. And so if I see somebody succeeding, that's good. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 35:27 Well, this has been incredible. Is there anything that we didn't cover that you would love to share with the Long Blue Line in our community? Col. Nichole “Vapor” Ayers 35:33 Oh, man, the community is great. I think I would just say thank you to the community. I've gotten so much love and support from Coloradans, but also the Long Blue Line and the Air Force in general. You know, I love the community that we have. It goes right back to what I just said, right, finding a community that supports you and pushes you to do better and be better. And this is that community. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 35:55 Well, Vapor, I promise I'm gonna get more sleep, and I just want to thank you for being such an incredible leader and guest here on Long Blue Leadership. Col. Nichole “Vapor” Ayers 36:03 Thanks for having me back. Absolutely.   Col. Naviere Walkewicz 36:05 Thanks. You know, this conversation was really incredible with Vapor. I think some of the things that really stood out to me is just how incredible as a human she is. She brings humanity into leadership. She puts people first. She thinks about the team. She works hard. Don't forget to prioritize sleep. But I think really, some of the lessons that we can all take away can hit us all personally, because if you think about people first and taking care of them, and the fact that you have to take care of yourself too, you can go really far in leadership. So I really appreciate her today on Long Blue Leadership. And I'm Naviere Walkewicz, Class of '99. Until next time.   KEYWORDS Joel Neeb, Long Blue Leadership, Air Force Academy leadership, USAFA leadership, military leadership podcast, leadership development, leadership lessons, character-based leadership, leadership under pressure, leading with integrity, decision making in leadership, mentorship and leadership, values-based leadership, service before self, leadership mindset, leadership podcast interview, military leadership stories, leadership for professionals, leadership for entrepreneurs, how to be a better leader, leadership growth.       The Long Blue Line Podcast Network is presented by the U.S. Air Force Academy Association & Foundation        

In this episode, Etienne Nichols sits down with Staci Miller, a Human Factors and UX Strategist at GenUX, to demystify the role of human factors (HF) in the medical device regulatory pathway. Staci explains that many companies mistakenly treat HF as a "box-checking" exercise late in development, leading to costly submission delays or rejections when the FDA finds the documentation fails to tell a cohesive safety story.The conversation dives deep into the technical distinctions between a Use-Related Risk Analysis (URRA) and a User Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (uFMEA). Staci provides a framework for deciding which approach fits your product, emphasizing that while large conglomerates with post-market data may lean toward uFMEAs, startups and those with novel devices should prioritize the URRA to effectively map out user interactions without the crutch of existing market data.Finally, Staci addresses one of the most persistent myths in the industry: the idea that clinical trial data can replace human factors validation. She clarifies that while the two can overlap in specific, premeditated circumstances (such as complex implants like aortic valves), they serve entirely different masters—one focused on clinical efficacy and the other on the safety of the user interface across diverse environments.Key Timestamps04:12 – The common disconnect: Integrating Human Factors into ISO 14971 risk management.06:45 – URRA vs. uFMEA: How to choose based on your post-market data and predicate device status.10:30 – The "Definition of Done": Tracking the lifecycle of HF documentation from phase zero to market release.13:15 – System errors vs. Use errors: How to identify root causes during summative studies.18:50 – The "Clinical Trial Myth": Why efficacy data is not the same as usability validation.22:10 – Design Inputs vs. Design Outputs: The "Blueprint and the House" analogy for FDA submissions.25:40 – The impact of the "Use Environment": Testing for movement in ambulances and lighting in radiology suites.Quotes"The FDA doesn't put things out there just to have a good time... If they've made human factors a requirement and you're treating it as a 'suggestion,' you're giving yourself enough rope to hang yourself." - Staci Miller"People are obsessed with the product themselves—the design outputs. But the FDA wants to see the design inputs. They want to see the blueprints of how you built that house, not just the wallpaper." - Staci MillerTakeawaysPremeditation is Key: If you intend to use clinical trial data for HF validation, it must be planned in the protocol from the start; you cannot retroactively claim clinical data satisfies usability requirements.Map User Groups Early: Distinguish clearly between primary and secondary users. Bloating user sets without explaining how or why they engage with the device complicates your risk profile.Environment Matters: Documentation must account for the physical "10,000-foot view," including noise, lighting, and motion (e.g., an ambulance), as these are often where critical use errors occur.HF is Risk Management: Human factors should not live in a silo. It must align with the scales of harm (negligible to catastrophic) defined in ISO 14971 and work in tandem with Quality and Regulatory teams.ReferencesISO 14971: The global standard for the application of risk management to medical devices.FDA Human Factors Guidance: The primary document outlining expectations for usability testing and documentation.Etienne Nichols: LinkedIn ProfileMedTech 101: URRA vs. uFMEAThink of a uFMEA (User Failure Mode and Effects Analysis) like a car manufacturer looking at an old model to see why the brakes failed in the past—it relies on known data to fix specific parts.A URRA (Use-Related Risk Analysis) is like teaching someone to drive a brand-new type of vehicle (like a spaceship) for the first time. Since you don't have "crash data" yet, you have to carefully map out every single step the pilot takes and imagine every possible way they could push the wrong button in the heat of the moment.SponsorsGreenlight Guru: This episode is brought to you by Greenlight Guru, the only quality management platform designed specifically for the medical device industry. Whether you need to manage your QMS to stay compliant with ISO 14971 or streamline your clinical data through their EDC solutions, Greenlight Guru helps you move faster with less risk.Feedback Call-to-ActionWe want to hear from you! Do you have questions about your specific regulatory pathway or a topic you'd like us to cover? We provide personalized responses to every listener who reaches out. Send your thoughts, reviews, or suggestions to podcast@greenlight.guru.

Adam Lary is a distinguished graduate of the United States Military Academy class of 2010 with a B.S. in Engineering Psychology. His subsequent military career spanned 10 years in the U.S. Army as an Infantry officer and included Ranger school, Airborne school, and multiple combat deployments to Afghanistan and Iraq in various leadership roles. Adam transitioned out of the military in 2020 and went on to earn his M.S. in Human Factors from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. While completing his degree, he worked as a Human Factors Researcher conducting usability studies on electronic health record software before changing roles to lead a team of Human Factors Engineers at Garmin International, where he specializes in designing user interfaces for advanced aircraft avionics. His team spearheads human factors research initiatives focused on optimizing avionics usability and ensuring compliance with human factors regulations. Adam's blend of military leadership and human factors expertise brings a unique perspective to operationalizing human factors research and advancing aviation safety through human-centered design principles and practices.Learn more about Adam: ⁠⁠⁠Adam's LinkedInWhere to find the hosts:Brian Moon⁠⁠⁠Brian's website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Brian's LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Brian's Twitter⁠⁠⁠Laura Militello⁠⁠⁠Laura's website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Laura's LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Laura's Twitter⁠⁠

The journey to Mars is a long one so when humans arrive, we will need to maximize the science in order to understand the environment for a future there – and to learn more about how the universe formed. What are those big science questions we should seek to answer and how should the journey(s) be scheduled? After two years the National Academy of Sciences has published a report (Dec 2025) called “A Science Strategy for the Human Exploration of Mars”. In this episode Colleen Stover hosts the committee co-chairs The Honorable Dr. Dava Newman (MIT, former NASA Deputy Administrator) and Dr. Lindy Elkins-Tanton (Director, UC Berkely Space Sciences Laboratory).   You can read the full report on the NAS website. “A Science Strategy for the Human Exploration of Mars”. And if you want to dive deeper into the science objectives within the report, be sure to check out this excel sheet Table J-3: STM of the Panel on Biological and Physical Sciences and Human Factors. This episode is part of the Future Forward Series that discusses some of the most cutting-edge topics in the space enterprise today – decisions today that will define the future in areas of space science, artificial intelligence, international relations, launch capabilities, new technologies, and capital investments.  Available by video or podcast. The Space Policy Show is produced by The Aerospace Corporation's Center for Space Policy and Strategy. It is a virtual series covering a broad set of topics that span across the space enterprise. CSPS brings together experts from within Aerospace, the government, academia, business, nonprofits, and the national labs. The show and their podcasts are an opportunity to learn about and to stay engaged with the larger space policy community. Subscribe to our YouTube channel to watch all episodes!

In this episode of The Safety Guru, we're joined by certified aviation psychologist Aleksandra Kapela for a deep dive into aviation psychology and human factors, exploring what other safety-critical industries can learn from aviation. Aleksandra shares how modern thinking on human factors has evolved, emphasizing the importance of understanding the environment in which we operate, as well as the capabilities and limitations of the human brain. She breaks down the importance of identifying core competencies and explains why competency-based training and assessment (CBTA) is essential for preparing individuals to perform effectively in unpredictable, safety-critical situations and how these principles can be applied across a wide range of industries. She also explains why a broader, more holistic view of human factors is essential for improving safety performance and building sustainable safety cultures where people feel supported, are encouraged to speak up, and perform at their best. Don't miss this informative episode packed with valuable lessons from aviation psychology! About the Guest: Aleksandra Kapela is a certified aviation psychologist, speaker, author, and independent consultant specializing in human factors, safety, and competency-based training and assessment (CBTA) programs. She works with airlines, flight schools, and other safety-critical industries, supporting organizations where performance, decision-making under pressure, and human reliability are critical. Her work focuses on human potential, well-being, operational performance, and modern, evidence-based approaches to human behavior in complex systems. Aleksandra is the founder of MyWingman.eu and the author of an upcoming book on human factors for pilots and aviation professionals. For more information: https://www.mywingman.eu/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tiffany Yeh, MD is the CEO and Co-Founder of Eztia Materials, a climate-tech venture developing energy-efficient cooling materials to protect people from extreme heat. With a mission to advance hard tech solutions at the climate-health nexus, Tiffany draws on her unique background as a physician, engineer, and public health advocate to build technologies that improve global health in a warming world.(01:13) - Dr. Ye's Background & Inspiration (01:52) - The Heat Challenge(05:20) - Singapore and the Power of Cooling(06:32) - Why Construction Has Been Slow to Adapt (07:22) - The Human Factor(08:14) - HydroVolt Technology(09:29) - Business Model, Distribution & Competition(11:19) - Worker Comfort (15:32) - Hidden Productivity Crisis Brewing(18:18) - Feature: Blueprint: The Future of Real Estate 2026 in Vegas on Sep. 22-24 (19:21) - The Secret Sauce Behind HydroVolt (20:31) - Prototyping & Real-World Applications (21:32) - Measuring Impact & ROI (23:34) - Pitching to VCs & Investors(25:31) - Product Roadmap(29:08) - Collaboration Superpower: Lionel Messi

In a podcast recorded at ITEXPO / MSP EXPO, Doug Green, Publisher of Technology Reseller News, spoke with Andy Abramson, CEO & Founder of Comunicano, about the evolving role of AI in communications, media, and business decision-making. The discussion focused on why context, judgment, and human accountability matter more than ever as synthetic content and automated tools become commonplace. Abramson stressed that AI should be viewed as an assistive tool—not a replacement for human responsibility. While he actively uses multiple AI platforms to shape ideas and refine perspective, he cautioned against fully automating decision-making or content creation. “At the end of the day, you need IPO—not initial public offering, but insight, perspective, and opinion,” Abramson said. “AI can help you shape thinking, but the human still has to decide what's true, relevant, and worth sharing.” For MSPs and channel partners, Abramson framed AI monetization as a maturity curve. Simply using AI to summarize metrics or reports, he noted, is entry-level capability. Real value comes when providers understand customer context and use AI to guide outcomes rather than just analyze data. That shift enables MSPs to move from commodity services to trusted-advisor roles rooted in relevance, narrative, and problem-solving. The conversation concluded with a look at Abramson's work through Comunicano, including his high-engagement newsletter and multimedia storytelling approach. By blending original analysis, cultural references, and selective use of AI-generated visuals, Abramson aims to surface insights that traditional analyst reports often miss. His message to the audience was clear: embrace AI thoughtfully, stay grounded in human judgment, and focus on delivering meaning—not just information. Visit https://www.comunicano.com/  

On this episode, Arnaud Martinez, CEO of The Helicopter Company (THC), joins Mo to unpack the company's meteoric rise and its critical role in supporting Saudi Vision 2030.Arnaud takes us behind the scenes of the complex aerial logistics powering giga-projects like NEOM and the Red Sea, the life-saving impact of THC's national Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (HEMS), and the high-stakes operations behind global events such as the Dakar Rally.The conversation also dives into the psychology of aviation safety, how accountability and human factors shape decision-making in the air, and THC's long-term commitment to developing Saudi aviation talent. Arnaud also shares his personal journey—from a French pilot to an executive helping lead the Kingdom's aerial transformation. 0:00  Intro  2:27  Filling the Market Gap in the Kingdom  4:08  From Pilot to CEO  5:28  Addressing Fear & Helicopter Safety  8:55  Moving to Saudi Arabia  13:45 Witnessing Saudi Vision 2030 in Action  15:58 Powering Major Events  18:20 Investing in Saudi Talent  21:55 Accountability & Human Factors in Aviation  35:36 Why Saudi Is a Unique Aviation Landscape  38:32 Hajj & Large-Scale Logistics  46:18 Saving Lives Through HEMS  50:49 Advice for Aviation Professionals  53:42 Personal Inspirations  58:33 Closing  

In this episode of Private Markets 360°, we welcome David Fann, Partner, Senior Managing Director and Head of Investor Relations at VSS Capital Partners, to explore the evolution of structured capital, the unique needs of lower middle market businesses, and how VSS is helping entrepreneurs unlock value and scale through flexible creative capital solutions. Drawing on 30 years of experience across private equity, credit, real assets and real estate, David shares his perspective on building resilient companies, adapting to economic and geopolitical challenges, and the future of investor relations. Credits:  Host/Author: Chris Sparenberg and Jocelyn Lewis Guests: David Fann, VSS Capital Partners Producer: Georgina Lee Published With Assistance From: Feranmi Adeoshun, Kimberly Olvany www.spglobal.com www.spglobal.com/market-intelligence

The NRF Big Show is always a whirlwind and this year was no exception. In this special episode of Retail Remix, host Nicole Silberstein is joined live from the show floor by her colleagues Adam Blair of Retail TouchPoints and Kate Robertson of Shop Eat Surf Outdoor to break down what stood out while everything was still fresh.From first-time impressions (Kate has never been before) to veteran perspectives (Adam has attended going on 20 years), the trio reflects on the themes that dominated conversations across sessions and booths. Unsurprisingly, AI was everywhere but the editors also dig into the growing emphasis on humanity, trust, authenticity and culture as retailers figure out how (and where) new this technology fits in.This candid, on-the-ground conversation captures what NRF really feels like — and what retail leaders are wrestling with as 2026 gets underway.Highlights from this episode include:How the AI conversation shifted at NRF 2026 from hype to hands-on learnings;The striking quality and confidence of Gen Z voices on stage — and what that says about the future workforce;Why retailers like LVMH are doubling down on the human element, even as automation accelerates;How creators, trust and authenticity are becoming more critical in a world of AI-driven discovery;Leadership lessons from Dick's Sporting Goods on culture, competitiveness, and rewarding the unglamorous work.Related LinksRelated reading:Dick's Sporting Goods Chairman Ed Stack on House of Sport, Corporate Culture and Fixing Foot LockerRelated reading: AI in Luxury: Why LVMH Won't Let AI Eclipse Humanity or CreativityRelated reading: How Inviting Consumers to ‘Ask Ralph' Deepens Their Connection to the Ralph Lauren BrandExplore ongoing NRF coverage and retail insights from Retail TouchPoints.Subscribe so you don't miss more episodes of Retail Remix from the show floor of NRF26.