Chief information officers (CIOs) are facing a lot of challenges these days: there are not enough people going into the field, resources are scarce, and security concerns continue to grow. At the same time, businesses want to move forward in the IT realm. How do these two needs resolve themselves and where is the future of IT going? Vanessa talks with Chief Information Officer Garrett McAlister of SUNY Westchester Community College about all this and more. If your business has IT goals, you’ll want to listen in. If your business does not have IT goals, you NEED to listen in so you can craft those goals.
Three things to consider when moving your company’s IT forward:

 Embrace the digital transformation age. Everything is moving toward IT and AI; think automations, accessibility, and connectivity.
 Cultivate the IT talent pool – There is a shortage of talented people who understand IT. Start to form partnerships with local colleges and universities, create internships, and hopefully gather some future staff early on.
  As IT continues to become more and more intertwined in our lives, we need to continue to dedicate time toward staff education. In addition, network security infrastructure should be a top concern.

Connect with Garrett McAlister: LinkedIn 
Sign up for our Four Corners newsletter for opportunities to connect, access to exclusive content, bonus interviews, and more.
Disaster Recovery Journal:

  Register for DRJ’s weekly (Wednesday) webinar series
  Register for DRJ Spring 2023: Solutions for a Resilient Tomorrow

Asfalis Advisors:

  Asfalis Advisors website
  Apply to be a guest on the podcast!
  Download the 5 Step Crisis Strategy

Connect with the podcast!

  Email us: podcast@drj.com
  Website
  Twitter
  LinkedIn
  YouTube Channel

Vanessa Mathews, host
Vanessa Mathews is the founder and chief resilience officer of Asfalis Advisors, where they are focused on protecting the legacy of the leaders they serve through business resilience. Before becoming an entrepreneur, Mathews developed global crisis management and business continuity programs for government and private sector organizations to include Lowe’s Companies, Gulfstream Aerospace, and the Department of Homeland Security.

  Book Mathews as a speaker

Jon Seals, producer
Jon Seals is the editor in chief at Disaster Recovery Journal, the leading magazine/event in business continuity. Seals is an award-winning journalist with a background in publication design, business media, content management, sports journalism, social media, and podcasting.

Moving Your Company’s IT Forward as a Chief Information Officer

This episode is brought to you by Fusion Risk Management, Building a More Resilient World Together. Request a demo at https://bit.ly/FusionDECODED today!
“Truth = Business” contracts are often not equitable for women and minority owned businesses. When they subcontract with a larger contractor, they often encounter predatory behaviors such as late payment, tokenism, or they are stealing a lot of your scope. How can small businesses not only get a seat at the table, but a fair seat? Listen in as Vanessa talks about all this and more with Dr. Kristen Williams. Williams is a community engagement data analyst and the founder of Amalgamation as well as Nineteen Eleven Consulting.
Connect with Dr. Kristen :
LinkedIn = https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristin-n-williams-ph-d-76804115a/
Website = https://www.nineteenelevenconsulting.com/
Sign up for our Four Corners newsletter for opportunities to connect, access to exclusive content, bonus interviews, and more at https://bit.ly/BRDFourCorners.
3 Takeaways from this episode include:

 Small businesses need to be able to access opportunities. Applying for a government contract can be confusing and time consuming, especially when you don’t have one person solely dedicated to proposal writing. Small businesses need to pool resources and share information in order to get a seat at the table.
 Cold bids do not end in success, pretty bids don’t equal success as well. Those who have relationships with government offices such as big contractors are in much better shape to secure contracts. Unfortunately, when companies know they will get the bid (over and over again), their deliverables are often sub-par.
  Equity is not here yet. What is valued can show up in strange ways. A DBE (disadvantaged business enterprise) business can be certified in one state but it doesn’t translate over onto other states. In comparison, a concealed carry license carries over to all states.

Disaster Recovery Journal:

  Register for DRJ’s weekly (Wednesday) webinar series: https://drj.com/webinars/up-coming/
  Register for DRJ Spring 2023: Solutions for a Resilient Tomorrow: https://www.drj.com/spring2023

Asfalis Advisors:

  Visit our website here: https://www.asfalisadvisors.com
  Apply to be a guest on the podcast: https://www.asfalisadvisors.com/decoded/
  Download the 5 Step Crisis Strategy: https://www.asfalisadvisors.com/services/

Connect with the podcast!

  Email us: podcast@drj.com
  Podcast website: https://drj.com/decoded/
  Twitter: https://twitter.com/BRDecoded
  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/business-resilience-decoded/
  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNEIrqWlxuyDvkXB24h6Obw/videos

How Can Small, Diverse Businesses Compete for Government Contracts?

Episode 133: How a Rail Strike Would Derail Supply Chains

While the government has narrowly avoided a rail strike for now, it still looms as a possibility in the future. As we saw last year with the Suez Canal sideways ship block, a supply chain disruption can have a ripple effect across different industries that can linger for quite some time. As continuity professionals, we need to be constantly planning for possible disruptions. Tune in as Vanessa talks with Ken Baker about key things to consider when planning for supply disruptions whether they stem from lumber, microchips, paper products or corn. Baker is the director of procurement at AMCOR Specialty Cartons Americas LLC with a demonstrated history of success in supply chain and procurement roles. He currently resides in Atlanta, Georgia. 

Connect with Ken: LinkedIn = https://www.linkedin.com/in/ken-baker-2a916a15/
Procurement Foundry Community on LinkedIn = https://www.linkedin.com/company/procurement-foundry/
 
Sign up for our Four Corners newsletter for opportunities to connect, access to exclusive content, bonus interviews, and more at https://bit.ly/BRDFourCorners.

3 Key Considerations for a Rail Supply Chain Disruption include:
– Understand your criticality. In order words, how critical are your products? The more critical your product is to the public, the more planned and thought out your continuity plan should be. 
– Talk to your suppliers about their continuity plans. If their plan is that the government will not let this happen, gently push back on them to come up with another plan. 
– Consider asking these questions when talking to your suppliers. What are your supply chains? How far away are your direct material suppliers? How many people do you have in a certain region? How many facilities do you have if this facility goes down?

Disaster Recovery Journal:
Register for DRJ’s weekly (Wednesday) webinar series: https://drj.com/webinars/up-coming/
Register for DRJ Spring 2023: Solutions for a Resilient Tomorrow: https://www.drj.com/spring2023

Asfalis Advisors:
Visit our website here: https://www.asfalisadvisors.com
Apply to be a guest on the podcast: https://www.asfalisadvisors.com/decoded/
Download the 5 Step Crisis Strategy: https://www.asfalisadvisors.com/services/

Connect with the podcast!
Email us: podcast@drj.com
Podcast website: https://drj.com/decoded/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BRDecoded
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/business-resilience-decoded/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNEIrqWlxuyDvkXB24h6Obw/videos

Vanessa Mathews, host
Vanessa Mathews is the founder and chief resilience officer of Asfalis Advisors, where they are focused on protecting the legacy of the leaders they serve through business resilience. Before becoming an entrepreneur, Mathews developed global crisis management and business continuity programs for government and private sector organizations to include Lowe’s Companies, Gulfstream Aerospace, and the Departme

How a Rail Strike Would Derail Supply Chains

Episode 132: Using Podcasts To Reach Your Business Goals 

This episode is brought to you by Fusion Risk Management, Building a More Resilient World Together. Request a demo at https://bit.ly/FusionDECODED today!

If you haven’t thought about using podcasts to help reach your business goals in 2023, you might be missing the boat. Whether you are using podcast advertisements or demonstrating your expertise as a podcast guest, podcasting is a great way to grow your brand, increase sales and talk intimately with a niche audience. Tune in as Vanessa shares some surprising podcast stats as well as 3 key reasons to leverage podcasts for your business. 

Podcast Growth & Advertising Stats
Podcasting is a rapidly growing industry. Insider Intelligence projects podcasting to be a $94 Billion industry by 2028.
https://www.insiderintelligence.com/insights/the-podcast-industry-report-statistics
According to Global Newswire, podcasting is also projected to have a CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate) of 30%, meaning you can expect to make at least a 30% return on your investment in the industry. https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2022/07/24/2484741/0/en/Podcasting-Market-Size-is-projected-to-be-worth-USD-153-071-Million-by-2030-at-a-CAGR-of-31-2-Owing-to-Rising-Penetration-of-the-Smartphone-and-Internet-Report-by-Acumen-Research-a.html
Insider Intelligence also projects there will be 424.2 million podcast listeners worldwide in 2022, accounting for 20.3% of internet users. About 120 million of those listeners are in the U.S.
"54% of podcast consumers say that they are more likely to consider the brands they hear advertised on podcasts. (Edison Research)" https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/podcast-stats
"NPR notes that 75% of its podcast listeners will respond or take action after hearing sponsored content. (National Public Media)" https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/podcast-stats

Sign up for our Four Corners newsletter for opportunities to connect, access to exclusive content, bonus interviews, and more at https://bit.ly/BRDFourCorners.

Three key reasons to leverage podcasts for your business include:
Increase sales or build brand awareness. We all know how incredible referral marketing and relationships can be for sales, and when your target audience hears a podcast host they trust share about a company, it makes a strong impact.
Hire top talent. When you promote a role in a podcast with a niche audience, you hit your target talent pool directly. This can be a more cost effective investment for hiring because you pay one flat fee for your advertisements that will generate traffic year-round, rather than paying per job posting or per applicant on other sites.
Be the go-to subject matter expert in your field by guesting on podcasts.  Choose a dynamic representative from your company to share their perspective on a relevant and interesting topic. If you’re looking to build your personal brand, come up with some topics you can have talking points f

Using Podcasts To Reach Your Business Goals

How the Presence of Women in Business Continuity Is Changing by Disaster Recovery Journal & Asfalis Advisors

How the Presence of Women in Business Continuity Is Changing

Episode 130: Building Financial Resilience to Secure Your Family’s Future

As BCP professionals, we spend a lot of time discussing financial resilience from a corporate or business perspective, but we don’t have conversations about personal finance nearly enough. Personal financial resilience is crucial for preventing and bouncing back from personal challenges. In this episode, Melanie Boykin is sharing her more than 30 years of experience in the financial industry with us. Melanie is the business continuity and disaster recovery planner for Commerce Bank. In addition to her work in the business continuity field, she also teaches financial literacy to crucial age groups and underserved communities.

Connect with Melanie Boykin
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/melanie-boykin-cbcp-she-her-aab17b38/ 
Girls Talk Money Podcast - https://www.youtube.com/c/GirlsTalkMoneyMoneyTSimplyCee/videos  
Sign up for our Four Corners newsletter for opportunities to connect, access to exclusive content, bonus interviews, and more at https://bit.ly/BRDFourCorners.

Some key takeaways from our conversation with Melanie include:
We need to talk about numbers – especially financial numbers – early and often. You don’t have to share your salary with everyone, but it’s important to have a mindset where money isn’t a taboo topic. It’s healthy, educational, and beneficial to discuss it.
Get crystal clear on what your income and expenses look like every month. Do you know where your money is going? If your expenses are higher than your income, you need to start cutting expenses to gain back control of your finances.
Get to know your personal banker and the opportunities available to you from your bank. They are a resource for you, and can advocate for you on your financial journey.

Disaster Recovery Journal:
Register for DRJ’s weekly (Wednesday) webinar series: https://drj.com/webinars/up-coming/
Register for DRJ Spring 2023: Solutions for a Resilient Tomorrow: https://www.drj.com/spring2023

Asfalis Advisors:
Visit our website here: https://www.asfalisadvisors.com
Apply to be a guest on the podcast: https://www.asfalisadvisors.com/decoded/
Download the 5 Step Crisis Strategy: https://www.asfalisadvisors.com/services/

Connect with the podcast!
Email us: podcast@drj.com
Podcast website: https://drj.com/decoded/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BRDecoded
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/business-resilience-decoded/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNEIrqWlxuyDvkXB24h6Obw/videos

Vanessa Mathews, host
Vanessa Mathews is the founder and chief resilience officer of Asfalis Advisors, where they are focused on protecting the legacy of the leaders they serve through business resilience. Before becoming an entrepreneur, Mathews developed global crisis management and business continuity programs for government and private sector organizations to include Lowe’s Companies, Gulfstream Aerospace, and the Department of Homeland Security.
LinkedI

Building Financial Resilience to Secure Your Family’s Future

Episode 129: How to Build a Business Continuity Management Program That Lasts

This episode is brought to you by Fusion Risk Management, Building a More Resilient World Together. Request a demo at https://bit.ly/FusionDECODED today!

With a recession looming, climate change, and political strife ever present, more and more organizations are looking to an uncertain future. One way to help mitigate this uncertainty is to build a lasting business continuity program. But how exactly do we do this? Vanessa talks with business continuity expert Shane Mathew about key steps to take when building a program that will last. Shane Mathew has years of experience working in public health building emergency response plans and is currently the head of enterprise resilience for Zoom.

Connect with Shane Mathew
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/shanemathew/
Failover Plan Podcast  - failoverpodcast.com 
 
Sign up for our Four Corners newsletter for opportunities to connect, access to exclusive content, bonus interviews, and more at https://bit.ly/BRDFourCorners.

Three things to consider when building a lasting business continuity program:

Don’t just jump in. Develop a transformational statement of where the business currently stands and where they would like to be in the future. Look at the culture and big picture of an organization and make sure your business continuity program matches that culture. 
Make sure your purpose is in alignment with what they want. What they say is not always what they want. For example, they may say they want a business resilience plan, when in fact, they want a compliance program. 
Scope and order. Scope needs to be clearly defined in terms of what comes first and what comes afterwards. Prioritize your timeline and then you’ll know where and how to proceed. 

Disaster Recovery Journal:
Register for DRJ’s weekly (Wednesday) webinar series: https://drj.com/webinars/up-coming/
Register for DRJ Spring 2023: Solutions for a Resilient Tomorrow: https://www.drj.com/spring2023

Asfalis Advisors:
Visit our website here: https://www.asfalisadvisors.com
Apply to be a guest on the podcast: https://www.asfalisadvisors.com/decoded/
Download the 5 Step Crisis Strategy: https://www.asfalisadvisors.com/services/

Connect with the podcast!
Email us: podcast@drj.com
Podcast website: https://drj.com/decoded/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BRDecoded
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/business-resilience-decoded/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNEIrqWlxuyDvkXB24h6Obw/videos

Vanessa Mathews, host
Vanessa Mathews is the founder and chief resilience officer of Asfalis Advisors, where they are focused on protecting the legacy of the leaders they serve through business resilience. Before becoming an entrepreneur, Mathews developed global crisis management and business continuity programs for government and private sector organizations to include Lowe’s Companies, Gulfstream Aerospace, and the Department of Homeland Security.
L

How to Build a Business Continuity Management Program That Lasts

Is Your Inclusive Messaging Backed Up By Inclusive Practices? by Disaster Recovery Journal & Asfalis Advisors

Is Your Inclusive Messaging Backed Up By Inclusive Practices?

Episode 127: Strategic Communication Methods for DE & I

This episode is brought to you by Fusion Risk Management, Building a More Resilient World Together. Request a demo at https://bit.ly/FusionDECODED today!
 
Business continuity professionals need to focus on strategic communication and how corporations take responsibility for their actions. In this episode, Vanessa Mathews talks with Richard Bynum, chief corporate responsibility officer at PNC, about how to best serve your employees and customers in this age of social justice, community impact, and sustainability. A lot has shifted since the start of the pandemic and corporations need to think deeply not only about how they want to shape the new world we are in, but how their actions reflect on their reputations. Tune in to hear an insightful discussion about how we need to serve our market communities individually and lead by what we do, not what we say.  
 
Sign up for our Four Corners newsletter for opportunities to connect, access to exclusive content, bonus interviews, and more at https://bit.ly/BRDFourCorners.
 
Three key things to keep in mind when we talk about corporate responsibility:
Treat communities as individuals. Each has unique needs and solutions should be rooted in that. Larger corporations should consider having a market point person in each large market area precisely for this reason.
Invest in communities. Just like our banks, we need to make a deposit before we can make a withdrawal. 
Don’t get caught up in analysis paralysis. Too often we get caught up in round tables, reports and long-range plans instead of taking direct action. Take actionable steps to make a difference now. 

Disaster Recovery Journal:
Register for DRJ’s weekly (Wednesday) webinar series: https://drj.com/webinars/up-coming/
Register for DRJ Spring 2023: Solutions for a Resilient Tomorrow: https://www.drj.com/spring2023

Asfalis Advisors:
Visit our website here: https://www.asfalisadvisors.com
Apply to be a guest on the podcast: https://www.asfalisadvisors.com/decoded/
Download the 5 Step Crisis Strategy: https://www.asfalisadvisors.com/services/

Connect with the podcast!
Email us: podcast@drj.com
Podcast website: https://drj.com/decoded/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BRDecoded
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/business-resilience-decoded/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNEIrqWlxuyDvkXB24h6Obw/videos

Vanessa Mathews, host
Vanessa Mathews is the founder and chief resilience officer of Asfalis Advisors, where they are focused on protecting the legacy of the leaders they serve through business resilience. Before becoming an entrepreneur, Mathews developed global crisis management and business continuity programs for government and private sector organizations to include Lowe’s Companies, Gulfstream Aerospace, and the Department of Homeland Security.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vanessa-vaughn-mathews-mba-cbcp-70916b4b/
Book Mathews as a speaker: https://bit.ly/Va

Strategic Communication Methods for DE & I

Episode 126: Developing Strong Teams Remotely and In-Person
 
As we move out of the pandemic and into 2023, we need to invest in developing strong teams. Teams cannot be put on a shelf and called upon when needed, teams evolve and we have to be intentional about how we nurture them. Energy, engagement, and exploration are three different dimensions of communication that are effective for measuring the performance of teams. In this episode, Vanessa dissects several ways we can grow strong teams including the need for face-to-face meetings (even if on Zoom) to keep teams effective. 
 
Sign up for our Four Corners newsletter for opportunities to connect, access to exclusive content, bonus interviews, and more at https://bit.ly/BRDFourCorners.
 
Statistics and Links mentioned in this episode:
In 2019, the Society for Human Resource Management found that the biggest benefits to virtual teams include global perspectives (81%), diversity (72%), creativity (54%), access to talent anywhere (53%), cost-effectiveness (32%), and productivity (31%). (SHRM, 2019)
The same SHRM study also noted that virtual teams are highly collaborative. In fact, 48% of HR practitioners said that they have global teams that work closely and collaboratively daily. On the other hand, 86% of virtual teams work together at least once a week. (SHRM, 2019)
According to Culture Wizard’s 2018 Virtual Teams Survey, the top challenges faced by virtual teams are time zone differences (88%), difficulty in communication (86%), managing conflict (86%), building relationships (86%), timelessness, and responsiveness (80%), understanding different accents (80%), and lack of engagement from all members (76%). (CultureWizard, 2018)
The same study found that for 84% of virtual workers, virtual communication is more difficult than face-to-face communication. (CultureWizard, 2018)
https://financesonline.com/virtual-team-statistics/ 
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/blog/2020/04/22/how-remote-work-impacts-collaboration-findings-team/ 
Three key things to keep in mind when developing strong teams:

When choosing communication methods, give priority to video or in person communication. A team that communicates primarily through face-to-face (even on Zoom) interactions will have more energy than a team communicating strictly via email.  In-person interactions correlate strongly to successful teams. 
When one person grows, we all grow. Leaders need to provide guidance and encourage collaboration. Additionally, they need to find and offer opportunities for self-development. As each individual grows and matures in their role, so too shall the team.
Give your team a why. Give them the motivation to show up everyday and keep creating work that matters. By showing members that what they are doing matters and is needed, they will be more likely to engage with one another and take the initiative to connect with other teams.

Disaster Recovery Journal:
Register for DRJ’s weekly (Wednesday) webi

Developing Strong Teams Remotely and In-Person

Episode 125: 5 Metrics & KPIs You Should Be Tracking for Business Resilience

This episode is brought to you by Fusion Risk Management, Building a More Resilient World Together. Request a demo at https://bit.ly/FusionDECODED today!
 
Every organization should have a dashboard that measures their preparedness, but how exactly does one measure preparedness? We’ve spent years helping businesses rethink how to measure the effectiveness of their resiliency program. In fact, we have a 200 question input form that examines just this. While this podcast episode is not long enough to share all 200 questions, we’d like to offer five metrics or key performance indicators (KPIs) you can use to help you assess your business resilience. Stay tuned as Vanessa dives into the five areas organizational leaders can look at to answer the question “how prepared is my business?”
 
Sign up for our Four Corners newsletter for opportunities to connect, access to exclusive content, bonus interviews, and more at https://bit.ly/BRDFourCorners.

5 metrics to examine for business resilience include:
Program Management: Examine the program coordinator role – what does this role entail? Program administration – is there a budget and is it adequate? Are you looking at laws and authorities that your program may be required to follow?
Planning: How do you measure your planning efforts? Start by looking at the planning and design process. Is there a process for you to involve your stakeholders from the planning and design perspective?
Implementation: What are the common plan requirements that you are measuring or evaluating? Do you have clear lines of authority and succession defined? Are procedures in place and are they communicated so that information can move across your organization?
Training and education: Does your program have a curriculum? Does your curriculum provide training for employees to make them aware of your emergency response plans and continuity plans?
Exercises and tests: Are program plans and procedures evaluated through periodic exercises and tests? Are these tests designed to determine the capabilities needed?

Disaster Recovery Journal:
Register for DRJ’s weekly (Wednesday) webinar series: https://drj.com/webinars/up-coming/
Register for DRJ Spring 2023: Solutions for a Resilient Tomorrow: https://www.drj.com/spring2023

Asfalis Advisors:
Visit our website here: https://www.asfalisadvisors.com
Apply to be a guest on the podcast: https://www.asfalisadvisors.com/decoded/
Download the 5 Step Crisis Strategy: https://www.asfalisadvisors.com/services/

Connect with the podcast!
Email us: podcast@drj.com
Podcast website: https://drj.com/decoded/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BRDecoded
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/business-resilience-decoded/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNEIrqWlxuyDvkXB24h6Obw/videos

Vanessa Mathews, host
Vanessa Mathews is the founder and chief resilience officer of Asfalis Advisors, where they are fo

5 Metrics & KPIs You Should Be Tracking for Business Resilience

Episode 124: A Business Continuity Framework You Can Use in Your Personal Life

This episode is brought to you by Fusion Risk Management, Building a More Resilient World Together. Request a demo at https://bit.ly/FusionDECODED today!

As business continuity professionals, we prepare for possible disasters that may strike the business world. That being said, how prepared are you for personal disasters? Author and business resilience expert Michele Turner talks with us about a framework you can use in your personal life. Tune into today to learn more about the P.A.R.S.E. framework and how it can apply to both your personal and professional life. Michele Turner is an Amazon bestselling author as well as the global senior director – deputy chief continuity and resilience officer at Expedia Group.
 
Contact Michele Turner at:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/michelelturner
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michele-l-turner-mbcp-fbci-cisa-crisc-ccrp-311600/
 
Links mentioned:
Episode 09 with Michele Turner: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/michele-turner-009/id1435369997?i=1000424237554
Michele’s book: “Lessons Learned: Short Stories of Continuity and Resilience”
https://www.amazon.com/Lessons-Learned-Stories-Continuity-Resilience/dp/B09FFNCTJQ/ref=sr_1_1
 
Sign up for our Four Corners newsletter for opportunities to connect, access to exclusive content, bonus interviews, and more at https://bit.ly/BRDFourCorners.

Three takeaways from today’s episode include:
P.A.R.S.E. Framework, which stands for Prepare, Assess, Remediate, Sustain and Examine
When you have a framework that works, you can apply it to any company or any situation. An important note when applying a framework: be prescriptive without being restrictive. Examine the culture of a company first before applying it.
Stockdale paradox: Have you acknowledged where your challenges and vulnerabilities are in order to get to the good? If you don’t acknowledge them, you won’t get to where you need to be. 
Disaster Recovery Journal:
Register for DRJ’s weekly (Wednesday) webinar series: https://drj.com/webinars/up-coming/
Register for DRJ Spring 2023: Solutions for a Resilient Tomorrow: https://www.drj.com/spring2023

Asfalis Advisors:
Visit our website here: https://www.asfalisadvisors.com
Apply to be a guest on the podcast: https://www.asfalisadvisors.com/decoded/
Download the 5 Step Crisis Strategy: https://www.asfalisadvisors.com/services/

Connect with the podcast!
Email us: podcast@drj.com
Podcast website: https://drj.com/decoded/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BRDecoded
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/business-resilience-decoded/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNEIrqWlxuyDvkXB24h6Obw/videos

Vanessa Mathews, host
Vanessa Mathews is the founder and chief resilience officer of Asfalis Advisors, where they are focused on protecting the legacy of the leaders they serve through business resilience. Before becoming an entrepreneur, Mathews developed global c

A Business Continuity Framework You Can Use in Your Personal Life

Episode 123: DRJ Fall 2022 Conference Recap

This episode is brought to you by Fusion Risk Management, Building a More Resilient World Together. Request a demo at https://bit.ly/FusionDECODED today!

While the DRJ Fall 2022 conference is now over, it proved to be a lively mix of businesses, vendors, and professionals coming together to discuss all things business continuity and disaster recovery. Vanessa Mathews and Jon Seals discuss their takeaways including the thrill of having their own booth for the Business Resilience DECODED podcast. The podcast audience for BRD continues to grow and we want to thank everyone who tunes in each week and finds value in the content. We will continue to investigate the hot topics, the uncomfortable topics, and everything in between. In addition to our favorite conference takeaways, in this episode we discuss the topics and trends business continuity professionals need to focus on in 2023. 
 
Sign up for our Four Corners newsletter for opportunities to connect, access to exclusive content, bonus interviews, and more at https://bit.ly/BRDFourCorners.

Here are some topics and trends that business continuity professionals should be paying attention to in 2023:
Supply chain issues, especially in regards to our dependence on rail transportation.
Investing in leadership and development for the next generation. Millennials are entering key leadership positions and Gen Z is entering the workforce… are you ready?
Cybersecurity: how exposed are you to cyber threats, and how prepared are you for a cyber attack?

Disaster Recovery Journal:
Register for DRJ’s weekly (Wednesday) webinar series: https://drj.com/webinars/up-coming/
Register for DRJ Spring 2023: Solutions for a Resilient Tomorrow: https://www.drj.com/spring2023

Asfalis Advisors:
Visit our website here: https://www.asfalisadvisors.com
Apply to be a guest on the podcast: https://www.asfalisadvisors.com/decoded/
Download the 5 Step Crisis Strategy: https://www.asfalisadvisors.com/services/
Connect with the podcast!
Email us: podcast@drj.com
Podcast website: https://drj.com/decoded/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BRDecoded
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/business-resilience-decoded/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNEIrqWlxuyDvkXB24h6Obw/videos

Vanessa Mathews, host
Vanessa Mathews is the founder and chief resilience officer of Asfalis Advisors, where they are focused on protecting the legacy of the leaders they serve through business resilience. Before becoming an entrepreneur, Mathews developed global crisis management and business continuity programs for government and private sector organizations to include Lowe’s Companies, Gulfstream Aerospace, and the Department of Homeland Security.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vanessa-vaughn-mathews-mba-cbcp-70916b4b/
Book Mathews as a speaker: https://bit.ly/VanessaMathews 

Jon Seals, producer
Jon Seals is the editor in chief at Disaster Recovery Journal, the leading magazine/event in

DRJ Fall 2022 Conference Recap

5 Things Business Continuity Professionals Should Focus On Next by Disaster Recovery Journal & Asfalis Advisors

5 Things Business Continuity Professionals Should Focus On Next

Episode 121: Are You Prepared for an Active Shooter?

This episode is brought to you by Fusion Risk Management, Building a More Resilient World Together. Request a demo at https://bit.ly/FusionDECODED today!

Active shooter scenarios are an increasingly prominent threat to public safety, especially in schools and in the workplace. In 2022 alone, we’ve seen examples of workplace violence related to active shooters, whether they were disgruntled employees or angry customers. In this episode, Vanessa is sharing her tips for evaluating whether you’re prepared for an active shooter in your workplace.

Sign up for our Four Corners newsletter for opportunities to connect, access to exclusive content, bonus interviews, and more at https://bit.ly/BRDFourCorners.

Some key takeaways from this episode include:
Be proactive – establish systems, protocols, and communications BEFORE the crisis, not afterwards. The more you and your organization prepare for crises, the shorter your response and recovery times will be.
Involve everyone – the senior leadership team and front-line employees have different roles in a crisis. Communicate with your team, and ensure they are clear with expectations and responsibilities.
Practice – plans are words on a shelf until you put them into action. Your team will respond confidently the more you practice.

Disaster Recovery Journal:
Register for DRJ’s weekly (Wednesday) webinar series: https://drj.com/webinars/up-coming/
Register for DRJ Fall 2022: The Evolution of Resilience: https://www.drj.com/fall2022 

Asfalis Advisors:
Visit our website here: https://www.asfalisadvisors.com
Apply to be a guest on the podcast: https://www.asfalisadvisors.com/decoded/
Download the 5 Step Crisis Strategy: https://www.asfalisadvisors.com/services/
Connect with the podcast!
Email us: podcast@drj.com
Podcast website: https://drj.com/decoded/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BRDecoded
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/business-resilience-decoded/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNEIrqWlxuyDvkXB24h6Obw/videos

Vanessa Mathews, host
Vanessa Mathews is the founder and chief resilience officer of Asfalis Advisors, where they are focused on protecting the legacy of the leaders they serve through business resilience. Before becoming an entrepreneur, Mathews developed global crisis management and business continuity programs for government and private sector organizations to include Lowe’s Companies, Gulfstream Aerospace, and the Department of Homeland Security.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vanessa-vaughn-mathews-mba-cbcp-70916b4b/
Book Mathews as a speaker: https://bit.ly/VanessaMathews 

Jon Seals, producer
Jon Seals is the editor in chief at Disaster Recovery Journal, the leading magazine/event in business continuity. Seals is an award-winning journalist with a background in publication design, business media, content management, sports journalism, social media, and podcasting.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.co

Are You Prepared for an Active Shooter Situation?

Episode 120: What We Tend to Forget About Crisis Communication | DRJ Spring 2022 Panel

At DRJ’s Spring 2022 conference in Orlando, Vanessa spoke on a panel about Crisis Communications with Ashley Goosman, Prashant Darisi, and Peter Steinfeld. In the clip from today’s episode, you’re about to hear our discussion on mistakes we’ve seen in terms of crisis communications, and what companies can do better to demonstrate more integrity, transparency, and compassion.

Register for DRJ Fall 2022: The Evolution of Resilience: https://www.drj.com/fall2022 

Sign up for our Four Corners newsletter for opportunities to connect, access to exclusive content, bonus interviews, and more at https://bit.ly/BRDFourCorners.

Some key takeaways from this episode are:
Organizations make mistakes. They’re inevitable. But if we want to demonstrate integrity and accountability, we have to own those mistakes and be willing to talk about them openly and honestly with our key stakeholders.
Your statements about any current event – from social justice to politics and news – need to be grounded in your core values, and they need to be the words of your top leader. If, as a CEO, you cannot find the words yourself, you have some work to do.
There’s a difference between duty of care and duty to care. Duty of care is just a set of procedures to make sure you’re compliant in responding to a disaster. Duty to care means you approach your work with compassion and any other core values that are important to your company.
Part of our role is to overcommunicate, especially in a world where people are used to instant access to news and information. If we don’t tell people what’s happening as it’s happening, they will take it upon themselves to find out.

Disaster Recovery Journal:
Register for DRJ’s weekly (Wednesday) webinar series: https://drj.com/webinars/up-coming/

Asfalis Advisors:
Visit our website here: https://www.asfalisadvisors.com
Apply to be a guest on the podcast: https://www.asfalisadvisors.com/decoded/
Download the 5 Step Crisis Strategy: https://www.asfalisadvisors.com/services/

Connect with the podcast!
Email us: podcast@drj.com
Podcast website: https://drj.com/decoded/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BRDecoded
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/business-resilience-decoded/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNEIrqWlxuyDvkXB24h6Obw/videos

Vanessa Mathews, host
Vanessa Mathews is the founder and chief resilience officer of Asfalis Advisors, where they are focused on protecting the legacy of the leaders they serve through business resilience. Before becoming an entrepreneur, Mathews developed global crisis management and business continuity programs for government and private sector organizations to include Lowe’s Companies, Gulfstream Aerospace, and the Department of Homeland Security.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vanessa-vaughn-mathews-mba-cbcp-70916b4b/
Book Mathews as a speaker: https://bit.ly/VanessaMathews 

Jon

Crisis Communications Mistakes Your Organization is Making

Episode 119: Business Continuity in a Recession – What You Need to Know

This episode is brought to you by Fusion Risk Management, Building a More Resilient World Together. Request a demo at https://bit.ly/FusionDECODED today!

There’s a lot of buzz going on about a looming recession, and we’ve already seen mass layoffs affecting many industries this year. In this episode, we’re sharing how business continuity professionals in any industry can plan for a recession, and important reminders on how treating people well during this time can have a lasting impact.

Sign up for our Four Corners newsletter for opportunities to connect, access to exclusive content, bonus interviews, and more at https://bit.ly/BRDFourCorners.

Some key takeaways from this episode include:
Recessions are an inevitable part of the ebbs and flows of the GDP. This means we can plan for them, and that we shouldn’t panic when talks of a looming recession start coming up.
Focus on the cash flow of your business, as well as your personal finances. Look at your business savings and calculate how many months that could sustain the company if revenue decreased significantly.
Is it possible for you to cut expenses in an area unrelated to payroll to avoid layoffs? Consider cutting CEO or executive salaries if that can help to prevent layoffs.
If you do need to conduct layoffs, how can you do so in the most empathetic way possible? A cold mass Zoom call is not it. How you conduct your layoffs will impact the morale of the remaining employees and your ability to recruit talent in the future. 
Recessions are temporary, but how you operate through them can have an impact that outlasts the recession. What are your company’s core values? How are you living those out during this time?

Disaster Recovery Journal:
Register for DRJ’s weekly (Wednesday) webinar series: https://drj.com/webinars/up-coming/
Register for DRJ Fall 2022: The Evolution of Resilience: https://www.drj.com/fall2022 

Asfalis Advisors:
Visit our website here: https://www.asfalisadvisors.com
Apply to be a guest on the podcast: https://www.asfalisadvisors.com/decoded/
Download the 5 Step Crisis Strategy: https://www.asfalisadvisors.com/services/

Connect with the podcast!
Email us: podcast@drj.com
Podcast website: https://drj.com/decoded/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BRDecoded
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/business-resilience-decoded/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNEIrqWlxuyDvkXB24h6Obw/videos

Vanessa Mathews, host
Vanessa Mathews is the founder and chief resilience officer of Asfalis Advisors, where they are focused on protecting the legacy of the leaders they serve through business resilience. Before becoming an entrepreneur, Mathews developed global crisis management and business continuity programs for government and private sector organizations to include Lowe’s Companies, Gulfstream Aerospace, and the Department of Homeland Security.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vane

Business Continuity in a Recession – What You Need to Know

Strategic Communication Methods for DEI by Disaster Recovery Journal & Asfalis Advisors

Strategic Communication Methods for DEI

Episode 117: Lessons Learned From Dynamic Risks Like Supply Chain Issues, Natural Disasters, and Civil Unrest

At our DRJ Spring 2022 conference in Orlando, Brian Zawada, the chief operating officer for Castellan Solutions, and Matt Bradley, VP of global security solutions for Onsolve, presented on “Achieving Operational Resilience in 2022: Lessons Learned from Supply Chain Disruption & Other Dynamic Risks.” In this short portion of their session, they cover how these issues have affected businesses, and what we need to be cognizant of.

Register for DRJ Fall 2022: The Evolution of Resilience: https://www.drj.com/fall2022 

Sign up for our Four Corners newsletter for opportunities to connect, access to exclusive content, bonus interviews, and more at https://bit.ly/BRDFourCorners.

Some key takeaways from this episode are:
- Dynamic risks are what happen when Risk A becomes Risk B. A lot of the disaster plans we have are curated for disasters happening in isolation, but sometimes disasters stack up. How are you preparing for second or third order risks in your plans?
- Civil unrest can lead you to need to make decisions not just on government sanctions, but on personal sanctions. The Russia-Ukraine conflict has caused a lot of global companies to question if they should pull out of Russia if that’s applicable to them. 
- Sometimes Risk B is completely unrelated to Risk A. Meaning, you’re prepared for one disaster or scenario but then a completely different scenario happens. This demonstrates a need for awareness of all risks in an area including social, political, and geographic risks.
- Supply chains are extremely fragile, and we’re all becoming more aware of that as we’re personally and professionally impacted by supply chain disruptions. So many things, including government action, severe weather, protests, material shortages, and staffing can affect supply chains. It’s crucial to monitor supply chain risks at all times to keep operations going.

Disaster Recovery Journal:
Register for DRJ’s weekly (Wednesday) webinar series: https://drj.com/webinars/up-coming/

Asfalis Advisors:
Visit our website here: https://www.asfalisadvisors.com
Apply to be a guest on the podcast: https://www.asfalisadvisors.com/decoded/
Download the 5 Step Crisis Strategy: https://www.asfalisadvisors.com/services/

Connect with the podcast!
Email us: podcast@drj.com
Podcast website: https://drj.com/decoded/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BRDecoded
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/business-resilience-decoded/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNEIrqWlxuyDvkXB24h6Obw/videos

Vanessa Mathews, host
Vanessa Mathews is the founder and chief resilience officer of Asfalis Advisors, where they are focused on protecting the legacy of the leaders they serve through business resilience. Before becoming an entrepreneur, Mathews developed global crisis management and business continuity programs for government and private sector organizations to i

Lessons Learned From Dynamic Risks Like Supply Chain Issues, Natural Disasters, and Civil Unrest

Episode 026: Disruptive Innovation and Design Thinking

Today’s episode is a rebroadcast of our most popular episode, "Disruptive Innovation and Design Thinking" with David Phillips of Faster Glass.

Contact David Phillips at:
https://www.fasterglass.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/phillipsjdavid/
https://twitter.com/FasterGlass

Sign up for our Four Corners newsletter for opportunities to connect, access to exclusive content, bonus interviews, and more at https://bit.ly/BRDFourCorners.

Disaster Recovery Journal:
•	Register for DRJ’s weekly (Wednesday) webinar series: https://drj.com/webinars/up-coming/
•	Register for DRJ Fall 2022: The Evolution of Resilience: https://www.drj.com/fall2022 

Asfalis Advisors:
•	Visit our website here: https://www.asfalisadvisors.com
•	Apply to be a guest on the podcast: https://www.asfalisadvisors.com/decoded/
•	Download the 5 Step Crisis Strategy: https://www.asfalisadvisors.com/services/

Connect with the podcast!
•	Email us: podcast@drj.com
•	Podcast website: https://drj.com/decoded/
•	Twitter: https://twitter.com/BRDecoded
•	LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/business-resilience-decoded/
•	YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNEIrqWlxuyDvkXB24h6Obw/videos

Vanessa Mathews, host
Vanessa Mathews is the founder and chief resilience officer of Asfalis Advisors, where they are focused on protecting the legacy of the leaders they serve through business resilience. Before becoming an entrepreneur, Mathews developed global crisis management and business continuity programs for government and private sector organizations to include Lowe’s Companies, Gulfstream Aerospace, and the Department of Homeland Security.
•	LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vanessa-vaughn-mathews-mba-cbcp-70916b4b/
•	Book Mathews as a speaker: https://bit.ly/VanessaMathews 

Jon Seals, producer
Jon Seals is the editor in chief at Disaster Recovery Journal, the leading magazine/event in business continuity. Seals is an award-winning journalist with a background in publication design, business media, content management, sports journalism, social media, and podcasting.
•	LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonseals/
•	Disaster Recovery Journal: https://drj.com/

Business Resilience DECODED

Business Resilience DECODED

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