It's our third mini-episode and we have our very own Allison Short taking a look at how things have changed over the last year, and even over the course of this podcast! As new opportunities and challenges arise, it's important to give yourself some grace and room for error. No one is perfect (gasp!) and we all need to be kind to ourselves, especially when starting something new. 2025 was definitely quite the year and we're looking forward to jumping into 2026 with all of YOU!

Bit of a different episode this time, in more ways than one! We're looking back at 2025 and if your year was anything like Josh's, it was a vibe. Whether it's hitting professional milestones, experiencing personal growth, or a wild and wacky combination of both, there's no doubt that 2025 had plenty going on for Josh and many of you in our amazing collective of safety pros. Enjoy!

As the year comes to a close, we're individually going over some of the lessons we learned in 2025 and how they will (might?) affect how we approach 2026. Does Gabe find it awkward to record a mini-episode by himself? Yes. Did he still manage to laugh at himself as he answered Josh's crazy questions in our "Proceed with Caution" segment? Also yes. Enjoy!

In this episode of The Illusion of Safety Podcast, we dive into a topic every safety pro knows too well: burnout. We talk about what it feels like when the spark fades and how community, connection, and honest conversations can help us get it back. Burnout doesn’t mean you’re broken, it means you’ve been carrying too much for too long. Kick back, listen in, and unpack how to recharge, lean on each other, and keep your passion for the safety profession alive!

You know the sinking feeling that creeps up on a Sunday night. The dread of dealing with people and issues at work, the stress of the unknown, and why is everything so stinkin’ loud?! Take a deep breath, friend…we’re here for you, and it sounds like you’re getting a bit burnt out. From dealing with people to feeling like there’s never a time when you can “turn off” the work, Safety professionals face a host of issues that can set them up for burnout on the job. What better way to talk about supporting one another in those challenging times than with an episode where Josh, Allison, and Gabe talk about how they’ve found help when that work pressure builds? You’re not alone in this struggle. If you need help finding a group of like-minded people to help you when the going gets tough in your work, drop us a line and we’ll see how we can help you get connected. That’s what this awesome collective in the safety profession is all about!

Time to set the Wayback Machine to 2023 when we had our very first podcast guest: Subena Colligan! We're pretty sure 2023 Subena would be pretty amazed at what would happen just a couple years later with the launch of the BOLD Summit in Atlanta, GA. Whether it's discussing purpose and legacy or exploring finding joy in work, we love hearing what Subena has to say. For more info about BOLD (Blacks in OEHS Leading Distinctively) check out https://www.bold4oehs.org/

This one's for the hardcore safety nerds (we see you!) Jenny Houlroyd has done extensive research on the often overlooked impact of hidden injuries like silicosis, mainly due to her personal connection with people in the trades who have suffered from the long-term effects of silicosis and tuberculosis. She explains how it affects people in the trades and why early awareness matters. Josh, Allison, and Gabe explore both the personal responsibilities workers carry on the jobsite and the critical role organizations play in protecting their teams. Beyond individual cases, the gang unpacks the broader societal ripple effects of preventable injuries, and what it will take to create lasting change. If you're interested, check out the book "Everything is Tuberculosis: the History and Persistence of Our Deadliest Infection" by John Green, as it was what sparked this discussion with Jenny. Enjoy!

We loved the PPE Runway Show at the American Society of Safety Professionals professional development conference so much that it got us thinking about one of our favorite women's workwear founders: Alexis Armstrong! Alexis is the founder of Peggy Workwear, where her company combines fit, function, durability, and (gasp!) even style into technical workwear made by women, for women. With more women entering the trades, the availability of workwear and PPE for people of all shapes and sizes is more important than ever. This is a great chat from one of the coolest tradespeople we know, who's excited to bring functional and fun workwear for women everywhere! Peggy Workwear: https://www.peggyworkwear.ca/ The Smoko Podcast, hosted by Alexis Armstrong. What's a Smoko? Check out the episode to find out! https://www.peggyworkwear.ca/pages/smoko What's the ASSP Runway Show all about? Check out the recap video on LinkedIn! Click Here!

Now that Josh is a world traveler, we thought it would be a good time to explore how other countries approach workplace safety. And who better to help us understand it than Dr. Steve Thygerson, who is the 2025 Safety Professional of the Year from the American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP)! Steve has done a lot of research in developing countries with regards to health and safety and chats with us about how workers view safety outside the United States, and what lessons we can continue to learn as safety professionals through collaboration with others around the world. No passport required for this episode!

We're chatting about construction safety on this episode! Unfortunately, we're not experts in this field, which is why we welcome the amazing Taylor Pedmo, CSP, CHST to the podcast to talk about her experience in the construction field and why it's such a great place to work! Taylor shares how construction has definitely progressed, especially as a place where more women are going to work. Taylor also shares with us the different ways that safety has been even more integrated in the construction process, especially in the planning stages at the beginning of a project. Interested in learning more about the construction field, or for resources to support women in construction? Check out the following that Taylor shared with us! National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC): https://nawic.org/ Architecture/Construction/Engineering (ACE) Mentor Program: https://www.acementor.org/

Being in a job search can feel like a job in and of itself...and an especially stressful one at that! And the job hunt has gotten that much more complicated with new technology that can be helpful in some cases, and damaging in others. That's why we had Terra Carbert on this episode to help us navigate the wild and wacky world of job hunting and how to do it SAFELY! Terra is a recruiting manager and personal development coach who has some stories to tell and in many ways has lived through the challenges faced by many others who are going through the job search. Listen in for some fun, encouragement, and even some tips on how to best take care of yourself during the job search. And, in an Illusion of Safety Podcast first, our guest actually has something for our wonderful listeners! Take a look at Terra's "7 Days of Career Reflection" HERE and begin that journey of discovery about yourself, your work, and your career.   Also, we definitely appreciate a good Homestar Runner reference

Imagine a workplace danger that you can’t see, hear, taste or touch but it can definitely hurt you. On top of that, it’s nebulous and some people will even ignore it exists. That’s what a psychosocial hazard is like and why Dr. David Daniels wrote his book “Psychosocial Hazards are Real”. He set out to clarify the definition of this hazard and used many of his own experiences to guide him as he explored this topic. This is definitely a much bigger topic than we can cover in an episode, but the important part is that we’re beginning the conversation. We hope you’ll join us in exploring it, too. If you want to learn more or pick up Dr. Daniels’ book for yourself, go to his website at https://id2-solutions.com/my-book/

It's been a hot minute since we've checked in to say hey and have a gentle reminder for us as to why we do this (gestures at everything). And by "this" we mean the Illusion of Safety Podcast and the safety profession that we know and love! Our goal from the beginning is to create a global collective of professionals dedicated to bringing passion, community and fun to the safety industry.  If that sound like something you want to be part of, we'd love to have you! Join Allison, Josh, and Gabe on this fun ride as we explore themes related to the safety profession, both directly and tangentially, and have some fun along the way. Have a listen, follow us on LinkedIn (click here), visit our website at iosafetypodcast.com, or email us at iosafetypodcast@gmail.com!

You think you’ve seen it all before when it comes to safety topics. Maybe you’ve even tried a few of them at your company. Then a “new” safety concept comes out reaching buzzword status but it’s just a rehash of something you’ve already heard a thousand times. How do you stay motivated and keep things fresh when it comes to safety? For the Illusion of Safety gang, turns out with a little bit of curiosity, humility, and openness you can find new angles even in safety topics that have been discussed on podcasts and conferences over and over.

Since June is Men's Mental Health Awareness month, we're putting the "men" in "mental health" (see what we did there?) on this mini-episode! Josh and Gabe talk about the challenge of even starting a conversation about mental health when talking with other men, and how important it is to do so. Holding it all in doesn't work well, which is why it's so important to have honest, open conversations with others who are close to you. Whether it's a simple "you good?" check in, a listening ear, or even a hug, we all need others who care for us and we can be that caring person to others. Enjoy!

Let's face it: we can be fans of the safety profession to the point of being absolute nerds about it. But is it possible to take it overboard? That's what we wanted to talk about with Sam Goodman, host of "The HOP Nerd" Podcast! We talk about terminology, safety debates (and beefs) and what's the best way to stay grounded to make sure safety is still applicable for everyone. Especially those who have a full time job other than safety!

Let our powers combine…on this crossover episode between The Case for Safety Podcast from the American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP) and the Illusion of Safety! The gang chats with Scott Fowler on how they’ve been impacted personally and professionally through collaboration with others in safety. Whether it’s through local connections or through big conferences like ASSP’s annual professional development conference (PDC) there are so many ways people can gain insight from others and give to others who need help. Who knows…those people may become great friends too!

The safety profession can be a demanding one, so why give even more? Turns out it’s beneficial for everyone! Generosity is a two-way street, benefitting both the person giving and the person receiving. Safety is a very people-oriented field where there’s a lot learned on the job. That kind of knowledge can best be passed down from one professional to another through different means. The gang talks about how there can be different ways to give–from mentoring to sharing your knowledge on a topic in a presentation. The best part is that you can give in a way that’s best for YOU! The important thing is to actually get past that hesitation and fear and take those first steps to invest in the lives of others in the safety profession.

You don't have to be in the working world long to realize that peoples' minds work differently, from how we process information and work on tasks to how we interact with others. This neurodiversity can be challenging in the workplace but there are also ways it can be an asset as long as we understand one another and how we work. This is a big part of the research done by Tim Vogus, which he shares with us on this episode. Tim shares how teams can benefit from understanding and embracing different ways of thinking and the challenges that lie ahead for organizations. For safety professionals, understanding neurodiversity and its effect on worker and organizational safety is important since safety professionals often find themselves working with all levels in the organization. They function as translators and intermediaries, so learning the mental language "spoken" by different people in their workplace is critical. For more information, check out the resources that Tim references in this episode: "Neuro Tribes: the Legacy of Autism and the Future of Neurodiversity" Steve Silberman Frist Center for Autism and Innovation: https://www.vanderbilt.edu/autismandinnovation/ "Q&A: Vanderbilt expert discusses inclusive workplaces for people on the autism spectrum" https://news.vanderbilt.edu/2022/04/06/ask-an-expert-how-can-workplaces-be-more-inclusive-for-people-on-the-autism-spectrum/ "The value of  employment support services for adults on the autism spectrum and/or with intellectual disabilities: Employee, employer, and job coach perspectives" by Valerie Martin, Cynthia Di Francesco, Flavio Murahara, Tara Flanagan and Aparna Nadig https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.3233/JVR-211163 "Seeking help in the shadow of doubt: The sensemaking processes underlying how nurses decide whom to ask for advice." by David A. Hofmann, Zhike Lei, Adam Grant https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2009-12532-010

If you've spent any time on social media you've probably found yourself chasing some of those vanity metrics: likes, follows, smiley-face-emojis. But what do those really mean and do they translate to real connections with real people? That's what we want to learn from Laurel Youngstrom on this episode. She and her husband Russ are motivational speakers who talk about Russ's workplace injury changed their lives forever and what others can do to work safely. Laurel has built many connections online through her authentic interactions, care towards people, and maybe even a song or two, so she has some great insights on how to be intentional about building those connections without making it awkward or impersonal. If you want to learn about Laurel and Russ' story, check out their website at https://youngstromsafety.com/!