This week's guest has been in the disaster recovery and business continuity industry for 35 years. And yet, his ideas are fresh and his insights are relevant to the challenges we face as we head into 2026.   Hello everyone and welcome to episode 216 of the Resilient Journey Podcast, presented by Anesis Consulting Group!   This week we are thrilled to kick off a two-part series as we chat with Jason Buffington, who shares with us the top ten lessons in Organizational Resilience. The results are based on Jason's incredible survey of over 500 resilience leaders. Jason says he found a lot of interesting truths about the four key pillars of our industry - including how often "them and they" were used instead of "us and we". But his eye-opening moment is the fact the (according to the survey) 2 out of 5 critical processes aren't going to come back online as expected.   =============================================================== Be sure to follow The Resilient Journey!  We sure do appreciate it! Check out the Resilient Journey Hub! Want to learn more about Mark? Click here or on LinkedIn. Special thanks to Bensound for the music.

What a year 2025 has been. If resilience had a stress test, this was it. Everything from geopolitical threats, cyberattacks, AI, climate-driven disruptions and more. And we've had 50 episodes to talk about it all of it.   Hello everyone and welcome to episode 215 of the Resilient Journey Podcast, presented by Anesis Consulting Group!   This week we have a special year-end episode as we take a look back at some of the most interesting conversations of 2025. And one thing is certain: Every headline reminds us that in the resilience industry, our work matters.   Grab your coffee, settle in, and listen to the voices that shaped and highlighted resilience in 2025 when Dan Bailey, Regina Phelps, Gonzalo Vargas, Jason Hoss, Deb Haas, Melissa Muniz, Daniella Parker and Amy Bennett joined the program. =============================================================== Be sure to follow The Resilient Journey!  We sure do appreciate it! Check out the Resilient Journey Hub! Want to learn more about Mark? Click here or on LinkedIn. Special thanks to Bensound for the music.    

This week's guest has been in the business continuity industry for over 29 years. How is it possible for someone with this much experience to find new innovation, energy and resilience? He tells us that for him - it's all about his mindset.   Hello everyone and welcome to episode 214 of the Resilient Journey Podcast, presented by Anesis Consulting Group!   This week we're joined by industry icon Alex Fullick who says that while it's "beyond time" for us to move away from "check-the-box" thinking when it comes to resilience - it's time for something more. Alex explains it's time to teach resilience as a mindset in order to build up people and make them better. He says that if you're a real influencer, you're doing it for the betterment of others - not for your own attention.   And - we have BREAKING NEWS - an exclusive announcement about Alex's podcast "Preparing for the Unexpected".   =============================================================== Be sure to follow The Resilient Journey!  We sure do appreciate it! Check out the Resilient Journey Hub! Want to learn more about Mark? Click here or on LinkedIn. Special thanks to Bensound for the music.  

This week's guest says that when it comes to risk, resilience and AI - getting ahead now reduces future compliance scrambles. The integration of AI into resilience is no longer optional—it’s essential.   Hello everyone and welcome to episode 213 of the Resilient Journey Podcast, presented by Anesis Consulting Group!   This week we're joined by Senior Business Continuity & Crisis Management Advisor, Michelle Papas. Michelle spends time with us explaining how ISO's standards for AI implementation and BCM are aligned. Michelle and Mark talk about the biggest risk of AI for resilience professionals (including ethics and bias amplification) and how risk, resilience and technology teams need to collaborate on risk management. She encourages us to build our AI program usage in a way that is "right sized" according to the needs of your organization. =============================================================== Be sure to follow The Resilient Journey!  We sure do appreciate it! Check out the Resilient Journey Hub! Want to learn more about Mark? Click here or on LinkedIn. Special thanks to Bensound for the music.  

This week's guest is THE industry expert in risk, resilience and security recruiting. As we start to think ahead about 2026, we'll explore the job market, job search advice and more.   Hello everyone and welcome to episode 212 of the Resilient Journey Podcast, presented by Anesis Consulting Group!   This week we're joined by Senior Managing Director of Risk, Resilience & Security at Andersen Steinberg - Sean Watson. Sean and Mark talk about the main reason people switch jobs - and the answer might surprise you. Sean explains the current job market and explains how to navigate the maze of recruiters and hiring managers. (A system that he says is 'broken'). They talk about the advantages of using a headhunter to find that next job and why relationships matter. Sean also gives some great advice on resume' building - and how often is "too often" to move from job to job. =============================================================== Be sure to follow The Resilient Journey!  We sure do appreciate it! Check out the Resilient Journey Hub! Want to learn more about Mark? Click here or on LinkedIn. Special thanks to Bensound for the music.

This week's guest tells us that in the United States between 2020 and 2024, there were 115 separate billion dollar disasters. The take away? In the resilience industry, we can no longer afford to be reactionary.   Hello everyone and welcome to episode 211 of the Resilient Journey Podcast, presented by Anesis Consulting Group!   This week we're joined by Todd Livingston, Training Coordinator, for the Emergency Management Accreditation Program.   Todd explains "The Four C's" of good program management, which are: Capability - what can our program do when it matters? Capacity - can we do it to scale? Collaboration - which could be one of the most critical elements of our program, because you can't build resilience in isolation, AND - Credentialing - Do we have the right people in the right roles? Todd also talks about the EMAP international standard.   =============================================================== Be sure to follow The Resilient Journey!  We sure do appreciate it! Check out the Resilient Journey Hub! Want to learn more about Mark? Click here or on LinkedIn. Special thanks to Bensound for the music.

How do you go from leading business resilience as a VP to building a consulting practice that helps others do the same? Today, we explore that transition, why process improvement matters, and how military experience shapes resilience in powerful ways.”   Hello everyone and welcome to episode 210 of the Resilient Journey Podcast, presented by Anesis Consulting Group!   This week we're joined by Amy Bennett - Vice President and Practice Lead of Business Resilience for Durabante. Amy and Mark talk about the basis of the business resilience practice that she is building - Continuous Optimization for Resilient Enterprises . Amy explains that resilience is a strategic enabler - not just a compliance check-box. She reminds us that real-life events rarely play out the way we've prepared for them and that no plan ever survives first contact with the enemy.   And, they talk about the deeply personal mission that Amy is involved with to stop solider suicide. =============================================================== You can help - go to Stop Solider Suicide today!  Stop Soldier Suicide | Give hope to our heroes.     Be sure to follow The Resilient Journey!  We sure do appreciate it! Check out the Resilient Journey Hub! Want to learn more about Mark? Click here or on LinkedIn. Special thanks to Bensound for the music.

This week we're going to expand our view a little bit as we move out of the world of business resilience and crisis management and go out to the public sector view of Emergency Management. As we go inside the yellow tape.   Hello everyone and welcome to episode 209 of the Resilient Journey Podcast, presented by Anesis Consulting Group!   This week we're joined by emergency management professional and podcast host Laura James. Laura gives us a glimpse of life inside the yellow tape, including her view of the word "unprecedented" when it comes to disasters and emergencies. Laura says, EM professionals are paid 365 days a year to be prepared for the unprecedented. She talks about the Resilient Heroes podcast, which gives a voice to women in emergency management. Laura tells us that until you put the humanity into what you're doing - EM is just a job. And Laura's advice to women in emergency management is simple: Never say no. Listen to find out what she means.   Be sure to follow The Resilient Journey!  We sure do appreciate it! Check out the Resilient Journey Hub! Want to learn more about Mark? Click here or on LinkedIn. Special thanks to Bensound for the music.  

Back in January, Regina Phelps joined Mark to create a Bingo card of potential crises for the year. When they recently reconnected, Regina suggested revisiting it to see how those predictions have played out. Hello everyone and welcome to episode 208 of the Resilient Journey Podcast, presented by Anesis Consulting Group!   This week, our good friend Regina Phelps is back on the show to revisit the crisis bingo card we created at the start of the year. But how many actually happened? The answer might surprise you: Out of 24, at least 11 have already occurred, and a couple more are either unfolding or sitting right on the edge.   This episode is more about what resilience professionals need to do: stay alert to what’s happening and prepare for what could happen. And as Regina reminds us, that vigilance must be balanced with a healthy dose of self-care. Be sure to follow The Resilient Journey!  We sure do appreciate it!   Check out the Resilient Journey Hub! Want to learn more about Mark? Click here or on LinkedIn. Special thanks to Bensound for the music.

One of the things we like to do on the podcast is to showcase our friends and colleagues who are doing new and exciting things. And that's exactly what we're doing this week as we are joined by a friend of the podcast.   Hello everyone and welcome to episode 207 of the Resilient Journey Podcast, presented by Anesis Consulting Group!   This week we're joined by Shane Mathew, CEO & Founder of a brand new company called Riffle Resilience. And we are very excited to have Shane explain exactly what Riffle is all about! Here's a bit of a spoiler - it's a business resilience tool that automates workflows. It integrates value stream mapping with business continuity. Riffle allows business continuity practitioners to leverage tools in the Atlassian platform to efficiently deploy solutions. And...listen to learn - does Shane think the BIA is dead?   Be sure to follow The Resilient Journey!  We sure do appreciate it!   Check out the Resilient Journey Hub! Want to learn more about Mark? Click here or on LinkedIn. Special thanks to Bensound for the music.

This week's guest is a soldier and a communications and cybersecurity specialist. He understands "mission first".  He also operates against a standard in which his work must be squared away. These are two excellent qualities for someone who is transitioning from military to civilian life.   Hello everyone and welcome to episode 206 of the Resilient Journey Podcast, presented by Anesis Consulting Group!   This week we're joined by Jodeci Solomon, who has spent the past 7 years in active duty in the military. His job?  To secure communications, cybersecurity, and cryptographic key management in the U.S. Army. But this episode is not about cyber or secure communications. As fulfilling as Jodeci's military career has been, it's time to move on. So this is about Jodeci's own resilient journey as he works to transition from his military career to civilian life. Jodeci's work ethic translates to a standard where it's not enough to be accurate, the work must be precise. .   Be sure to follow The Resilient Journey!  We sure do appreciate it! Check out the Resilient Journey Hub! Want to learn more about Mark? Click here or on LinkedIn. Special thanks to Bensound for the music.  

This week’s episode covers some weighty topics—mental health, burnout, and even suicidal thoughts. But don’t worry, it’s anything but bleak. It’s a lively chat packed with laughter and questions like, “Wait… not everyone was kung fu fighting, right?”   Hello everyone and welcome to episode 205 of the Resilient Journey Podcast, presented by Anesis Consulting Group!   This week we're joined by Deb Haas, who spent 24 years in corporate America, only to find herself laid off after grieving the loss of her father, burnout and hospitalization. Through a journey that included suicidal thoughts and a diagnosis of ADHD with Executive Function Deficit, Deb realized that corporate life wasn't for her.   So she set out to start her own business. Now, among other things, she teaches AI techniques to women over 40.   Deb shares her insightful AI prompting model ROCO - which helps you get the results you're looking for from your AI tool.   Be sure to follow The Resilient Journey!  We sure do appreciate it! Check out the Resilient Journey Hub! Want to learn more about Mark? Click here or on LinkedIn. Special thanks to Bensound for the music.

So often, we think of resilience in terms of our response to an active disruption. This week's guest suggests that in addition to disruption resilience, we also need to work on being resilient to complex change. Hello everyone and welcome to episode 204 of the Resilient Journey Podcast, presented by Anesis Consulting Group!   We're heading to Australia this week as we welcome social scientist Andrea Kanaris. The episode starts with Mark and Andrea talking about social impact - the "S" in Environment, Social and Governance. Andrea talks about how social impact looks at the consequence of action on a community or organization. They pivot to an in-depth discussion about COVID as an example of navigating complex change. Andrea talks about the importance of responding instead of reacting. And leadership's role throughout the process.   Be sure to follow The Resilient Journey!  We sure do appreciate it!   Check out the Resilient Journey Hub!   Want to learn more about Mark? Click here or on LinkedIn.   Special thanks to Bensound for the music.  

If you look on LinkedIn during the spring or fall, you will see a lot of content related to conferences. This week's guest gives us tips to get the most out of conference attendance. And she answers the question - are business cards still a thing?   Hello everyone and welcome to episode 203 of the Resilient Journey Podcast, presented by Anesis Consulting Group!   This week, we welcome Nicole Pinto, Planning Committee Chair for the Disaster and Emergency Management Conference - otherwise known as DEMCON. Nicole encourages us to get the most out of conferences by planning ahead, taking breaks and focusing on good networking. Mark asks Nicole about "conference celebrity culture", where people attend conferences to promote their own standing in the industry. And, Nicole and Mark talk about the upcoming CRT / DEMCON conference in October.   Be sure to follow The Resilient Journey!  We sure do appreciate it! Check out the Resilient Journey Hub! Want to learn more about Mark? Click here or on LinkedIn. Special thanks to Bensound for the music.

This week's guest is a former high school teacher. Then, she began developing curriculum for DRII. But when they had a difference of opinion she decided it was time to break out on her own. Her organization is 20 years old, and she's never looked back.   Hello everyone and welcome to episode 202 of the Resilient Journey Podcast, presented by Anesis Consulting Group!   This week, we are joined by Lynnda Nelson, President of the International Consortium of Organizational Resilience, better known as ICOR. Lynnda and Mark talk about ICOR's mission of training individuals to build resilient organizations. Lynnda talks about the importance of having an integrated program - and she discusses ICOR's 12 disciplines. She explains, once and for all, the difference between business continuity, operational resilience and organizational resilience. And she encourages us to move from managing risk, to managing change.   Be sure to follow The Resilient Journey!  We sure do appreciate it! Check out the Resilient Journey Hub! Want to learn more about Mark? Click here or on LinkedIn. Special thanks to Bensound for the music.

This week's guest describes the moment she knew resilience was right for her when a local bar closed unexpectedly. At that point she knew that there was a huge network she could be part of, just by empowering business owners to know how to prepare.   Hello everyone and welcome to episode 201 of the Resilient Journey Podcast, presented by Anesis Consulting Group!   This week, we are joined by Erika Andresen, owner of EAAS Consulting. Erika talks about looking at the human risk of business resilience, single  points of failure and the importance of understanding the impact of disasters and disruptions. Erika describes herself as "compassionately angry" about resilience. She says she is set off very easily by needless harm and suffering.   And, she explains how The Waffle House index can be used as a barometer to understand the impact of a disaster on a community.   Be sure to follow The Resilient Journey!  We sure do appreciate it!   Check out the Resilient Journey Hub!   Want to learn more about Mark? Click here or on LinkedIn.   Special thanks to Bensound for the music.  

This week's guest raises a question that we should all be asking our organizations: Are you preparing for what you are capable of, or what could actually happen? And trust me, this week's guest has seen it all.   Hello everyone and welcome to a very special 200th Episode of the Resilient Journey Podcast, presented by Anesis Consulting Group!   This week, we are honored to be joined by former FEMA Administrator, Craig Fugate. Appointed by President Barack Obama, Craig served as the head of FEMA from 2009 to 2016. He explains that when you need to turn a program around, you can't tell people you will be better, you simply have to execute the mission. Craig warns us of the risks associated with having "paper plans" and calls out the need for institutional knowledge to make sure your program is successful.   Be sure to follow The Resilient Journey!  We sure do appreciate it! Want to learn more about Mark? Click here or on LinkedIn  Special thanks to Bensound for the music.

This week's guest has a background in public relations. After a long career, he now focuses on Risk, Crisis and Emergency Communications. But pay attention resilience professionals. A lot of what he says applies directly to you.   Hello everyone and welcome to Episode 199 of the Resilient Journey Podcast, presented by Anesis Consulting Group!   This week, we're joined by Philippe Borremans - creator of the Wag the Dog newsletter and crisis communications expert. In addition to his consulting work, Philippe is dedicated to developing the next generation of crisis professionals. But, he explains, we have a problem. We simply don't have enough communications resources - and ironically, it's because we have a PR problem. Listen to how Philippe talks about communicating - and see how a lot of what he says can be applied to your work in resilience. Phil talks about "perma-crisis", "polycrisis" and much more .   Be sure to check out The Resilient Journey Hub: https://resilientjourneyhub.com  Be sure to follow The Resilient Journey!  We sure do appreciate it! Want to learn more about Mark? Click here or on LinkedIn. Special thanks to Bensound for the music.

We know that too often, business continuity and resilience teams are small. Often, we're a "team of one".  So how can we leverage resources within the organization to help further our work? This week's guest says it's by using Business Continuity Champions.   Hello everyone and welcome to Episode 198 of the Resilient Journey Podcast, presented by Anesis Consulting Group!   This week, we get tactical as we welcome Bonnie Donovan, a resilience professional with over twenty years of experience. Bonnie is well-versed at deploying teams of Business Continuity Champions and she shares some tips and insights for doing it right.   She and Mark talk about what makes a good champion, how to encourage them to take ownership and help them understand the value of resilience.   Bonnie explains the importance of leveraging their subject matter expertise and knowledge of the business.   This is: How to Use Business Continuity Champions   Be sure to follow The Resilient Journey!  We sure do appreciate it! Want to learn more about Mark? Click here or on LinkedIn or Twitter. Special thanks to Bensound for the music.  

She was pregnant at 17. She graduated from high school, eight months pregnant. People chalked her up as a lost cause and said she would never amount to anything. But she went on to lead crisis response for some of the biggest brands in the world.   Hello everyone and welcome to Episode 197 of the Resilient Journey Podcast, presented by Anesis Consulting Group!   This week, we are thrilled to welcome Andrea Davis, Founder, President and CEO of The Resiliency Initiative. Never doubting her own capability, Andrea has gone on to leadership roles with FEMA, Walmart and The Walt Disney Company. Andrea reminds us that while we can never control the bad day, we can always control our next move. She encourages us to ask questions first when building a response plan - and to stay flexible. She and Mark talk about the overlap between Crisis and Emergency Management, Governance and more!   Be sure to follow The Resilient Journey!  We sure do appreciate it! Want to learn more about Mark? Click here or on LinkedIn. Check out the Resilient Journey Hub  Special thanks to Bensound for the music.