Maybe it just is the way that I am viewing the world, but it seems like everyday reveals another fresh disaster. It could be that disasters have always been with us, and now we are just more aware of them. Global news at our fingertips doesn’t necessarily help as we can tap into events that occur anywhere at any time.

Even with this, it seems like disasters are moving closer and closer to home. It is a privilege to live in a society where emergency management is a thing that can be relied upon. When disaster does strike, we may have some confidence that there will be professionals that help deal with the situation in a timely manner.

But that will only get you so far. Just watch any zombie movie. It is scary how quickly civil society can break down when the dead rise and start to consume the living. Then what? Are you ready for the zombie apocalypse?

Or even a more ‘routine’ disaster? While we all might roll our eyes at fire drills, do they help us prepare for a fire? Or is it just preparedness theater?

Rick Rescorla didn’t believe in preparedness theater. He believed in actually being prepared. After the WTC attacks in 1993, he was worried about another attack taking place. In his role of VP for corporate security at Dean Witter Morgan Stanley, he had a disaster contingency plan that was rehearsed over and over with staff.

When 9/11 happened, he was able to save thousands of lives by going forward with his evacuation plan. Unfortunately, he died as he went back to make a final sweep for employees. But because of his preparedness and taking it seriously, many people were able to survive that day.

To help us think about the zombie apocalypse and other types of disasters, we welcome Patrick Hardy, also known as Disaster Patrick. Patrick has spent a career in disaster management, even though originally he wanted to be a cultural anthropologist. He was there in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, as well as other events where people were in their greatest need due to circumstances beyond their control.

Now he works with organizations to help ensure that they are in position to deal with disasters, whether natural or manmade. We talk about how he tries to create training experiences so that people can be prepared. We explore the difference between being the person who cried wolf, and actually taking preparation seriously. In fact, we discuss the prepper movement and what we can learn from their perspectives regarding self-sufficiency and resilience.

Finally, we talk about how disaster preparation is an important part of employee and community experience so that your workers feel safe and cared for in the workplace.

Patrick Hardy Website - https://disasterpatrick.com/

Patrick Hardy LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/disasterpatrick/

Patrick Hardy YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@DisasterPatrick

There is something about building something with one’s hands that seems to resonate. There is a resilience in being able to bring forth out of different parts and ingredients a thing that is whole and new. Of course, in American culture there is a deep notion of creation and springing forth from hard work, and with experience and knowledge that can make someone a craftsperson. Maybe this urge has increased the more that we are surrounded by convenience and things that are ready made. To still be able to pull something together and build it might remind us that we still have it in us.

Despite this, we see a decrease in people entering the skill trades. Looking at the total composition of those working in the trades, the population continues to age. Young people are not seeking these opportunities, even though there appears to be an uptick among Gen Z. No doubt there is a need for such workers.

A recent survey found that 91% of those who are in the skilled trades tend to be very satisfied with their careers. Additionally, at a time when so many jobs are being threatened by AI and even off-shoring. It is hard to send plumbing or electrical to someplace else to get one. And while technological advances can improve the productivity of construction and other work, it is not likely to replace people any time soon.

Our guest today, Jesse Hernandez, knows something about skills trades and the workplace culture that surrounds it. He grew up in this world, with a father who was a plumber. He got his own journeyman’s license. Through his professional journey he noticed that he had a love for teaching which grew into a professional speaking for the skilled trades industry. A big emphasis of his speaking is to create building sites and an environment that is personally growthful and emotionally supportive.

We cover a lot of different areas in our conversation. We explore how some poor decisions led him to 12 Step recovery. Topics like experience, strength, and hope all resonated with the changes he thought needed to be made on the worksite. The foundation of service to others informed the messages that he spreads to others. We discuss how there is a shift in the construction industry toward a people-centered culture. We also discuss his accidental discovery of being a content creator, and finding new avenues to share his message.

Ultimately, we end with the importance of knowing how to say you need help, and that you don’t have to suffer alone.

Jesse Hernandez LinkedIn

Depth Builder website

No BS with Jen and Jess YouTube

I never expected the word “algorithm” to play such a significant role in life and society. Growing up, I thought an algorithm was something that we would leave to math classes. The last time I took a math class to complete my undergraduate degree requirements. After that, I figured I was done with algorithms.

But nope. Algorithms have been thrust back into our lives. We live in an age where not only are we trying to learn the algorithms, but we are trying to beat the algorithms. There are forces largely unknown that are not just determining what we see, but the extent to which others can see us. For those who are trying to make content, post content, and be seen, it can be a major uphill battle. As more and more material gets tossed out into the online world, it is harder and harder to be noticed.

There is this pull to become brands, to become products, to be commodities that are recognizable to customers. We gear materials to accomplishing those ends, with hopes that we can become definable in a particular kind of way. But like the tree that falls in the forest, if content is posted online but no one is there to see it, does it make any noise?

To help us with the question of what makes content that connects and beating the algorithm, we welcome Tyler Schmoker to the podcast. Tyler has an interesting history in the area of military intelligence through his time in the US Army. From that, he started his own company called Winsly that works with a range of businesses to help them with security, innovation, risk assessment, and business strategy, amongst other things.

We talk with Tyler what makes for information that resonates with your audience. We explore how he has used lessons from real tradecraft to crafting social media content. While the term ‘propaganda’ now has a negative connotation, at its root it means creating messages that are meant to prompt and elicit certain behaviors. But we can only do that if our message is built to connect to our audience, and they can see it.

To do so, we have to apply a programmatic approach, documenting what works and what doesn’t, learning lessons, and building a base.

We discuss how to use the lessons he learned from his intelligence work and how he applies that to business clients. We talk about whether “military intelligence” is in fact a contradiction in terms. We look at the ethics of technology and AI, especially when it comes to social media. Specifically, we look at how to leverage these insights to platforms like LinkedIn, and create content and communication that connects.

Tyler Schmoker - https://www.linkedin.com/in/tyler-schmoker-76997756/

Winsly - https://www.winslyllc.com/

Social Media for Security Professionals - https://securityjournalamericas.com/a-social-media-for-security-part-1/