Business Resilience Decoded
Disaster Recovery Journal & Asfalis Advisors
Business Resilience Decoded is a multimedia partnership between Disaster Recovery Journal and Asfalis Advisors to educate, inform, and inspire business continuity professionals globally. Resilient organizations thrive because of the knowledge, preparation, and foresight of listeners like you.
- 20 minutes 18 secondsThe Finale of Business Resilience DECODED
Episode 169: The Finale of Business Resilience DECODED
This podcast is bittersweet for our team, but after six years and almost 170 episodes, we are officially ending the Business Resilience DECODED. To wrap up the show, Vanessa sat down with her Co-Producer Kristen Stegall, CEO of the podcast production company Novice Studios in Charlotte, to reflect on what the show has meant to her, what’s next for the team, and how you can still engage with our catalog of episodes.
Thank you so much for tuning into our podcast - whether you’ve been a loyal listener since the beginning, or if you’ve just discovered our show. We hope we’ve provided value, connection, and inspiration for you and the next generation of leaders in our industry.
You can still listen to our episodes on the following platforms:
Connect with the podcast!
Email us: [email protected]
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.
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.
23 May 2024, 10:00 am - 20 minutes 56 secondsGenerative AI | How to Write Thorough Policies for GenAI in Your Organization
Episode 168: Generative AI | How to Write Thorough Policies for GenAI in Your Organization
One of the biggest trends across all industries is the use of AI tools, specifically Generative AI or GenAI. The World Economic Forum’s 2024 Global Risk Impact Report lists misinformation, societal polarization, and cyber insecurity among the top risks to watch over the next two years, and GenAI can have an impact on all of them. Today we are joined by my friend James Donnelly, the Director of Issues and Crisis Management at M Booth to share what we need to know about GenAI and what you need to know as you’re creating policies for the use of GenAI in your organization.
Some key takeaways from this episode include:
It’s important to recognize that when it comes to Generative AI, it’s “garbage in, garbage out.” If it’s pulling from data sets that present prejudices or biases, that is the content it’s going to generate. It’s crucial to verify the sources your GenAI is pulling from.
One of the things you need to consider is ever changing data privacy laws. Is your GenAI factoring in the most up-to-date privacy laws when generating information? Is your legal team involved in the review process before any AI-generated information or content is used?
In general, human oversight is important when using GenAI. You shouldn’t be using Generative AI to replace entire staff members. Rather, you should be leveraging it to expand your thinking and allow your staff to become even more efficient in their roles.
Connect with the podcast!
Email us: [email protected]
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.
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.
9 May 2024, 10:00 am - 32 minutes 46 secondsThe Culture Shifts That Will Increase Employee Retention & Profitability
Episode 167: The Culture Shifts That Will Increase Employee Retention & Profitability
Today we are joined by Vanessa’s friend, coach, and mentor: Ron Harvey, the VP and chief operating officer of Global Core Strategies & Consulting. Harvey and his team work with leaders to develop strong work cultures within their organizations, build diversity, equity, and inclusion programs, and retain top talent. In this episode, Harvey is sharing his expertise on the culture shifts that will increase employee retention and profitability.
Some key takeaways from this episode include:
Our core values are the GPS for the people in our organization. They are more than pretty words on a website; they are the guide from where we are to where we want to be as a company.
2024 is already starting as a tumultuous year from global and political perspectives, but the best thing we can do as leaders is listen. If we can stick to the company's core values and listen to each other, we can move forward together.
Culture is how we behave, and how we behave impacts our bottom line. If you want to improve your profits and retention, pay attention to your culture.
Connect with the podcast!
Email us: [email protected]
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.
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.
KEYWORDS: Workplace culture, leadership skills, DE&I, diversity and inclusion, profitability, core values, retaining talent25 January 2024, 6:38 pm - 14 minutes 51 secondsThe Impact of ESG on Business Continuity
Episode 166: The Impact of ESG on Business Continuity
ESG – which stands for environmental, social, and governance investing – is a way for investors to evaluate risk and social responsibility before investing in companies. In this episode, we’ll be sharing some specifics of ESG, how it can affect your organization’s business continuity practices and decisions, and why you might consider becoming an ESG-compliant organization.
Source: Global Risk Management Institute: What Is ESG?
Some key takeaways from this episode include:
ESG stands for environmental, social, and governance. ESG investors want to put their money into companies that are making a positive impact in these three areas.
The policies that fall under ESG have been highly politicized, which has made companies hesitant to implement new policies. However, investors still want to see these impactful policies in place, regardless of the political landscape.
Millennials and Gen Z highly value companies who have ethical business practices and support social causes. They want to work for companies who are making a positive impact, no matter the industry.
Connect with the podcast!
Email us: [email protected]
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.
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.
KEYWORDS: ESG, environmental impact, social impact, org structure, DEI, ESG investing, ethical company, recruiting, retaining talent
15 December 2023, 4:48 pm - 21 minutes 33 secondsBest Practices to Land Your Next Big Role | Resumes, Interview Tips, & More
Episode 165: Best Practices to Land Your Next Big Role | Resumes, Interview Tips, & More
If you find yourself looking for a new role, you might be wondering how to set yourself apart in the application and interview process. Enter Kim Hooper, an HR manager for Asfalis and an award-winning security professional with more than 20 years of experience at companies like Wal-Mart and Amazon. In this episode, Kim is sharing her best tips and practices for polishing your resume, nailing the interview, and more!
Resources mentioned:
Some key takeaways from this episode include:
Always do your research on the company before your interview. What are their core values? Are there opportunities for community engagement within the organization? Write down the questions you have about the company, and bring a pen and paper to take notes.
Keep your resume simple and easy to digest. Avoid templates that are so detailed or stylized that you forget to remove placeholder text, and don’t try to create a super colorful resume to stand out. It’s way more important that it’s legible and quick to scan.
Pay attention to your digital footprint. Clean up your social media, make sure your email address and social media handles are professional, and maintain an updated and active LinkedIn profile.
Connect with the podcast!
Email us: [email protected]
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.
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.16 November 2023, 7:57 pm - 12 minutes 34 secondsShould Brands Take a Political Stance?
Episode 164: Should Brands Take a Political Stance?
In 2024, we are entering election season, which in the U.S. has become more and more divisive over the last several years. In this episode, we are going to dig into whether businesses or brands should take political stances on divisive issues, and how you can choose to navigate this going into 2024.
Some key takeaways from this episode include:
There are two ways to approach conversations about politics at work. One, if a conversation is not going to be productive, then maybe the workplace isn’t the best place to have it. And two, is it going to cause harm to have that discussion?
What are your company’s values, mission, and vision? If your brand takes a political stance, can it be backed up by the company values? If there’s not a connection, it can cause problems.
Safety can be a factor with taking a political stance. It’s important to consider if taking a strong stance on something could result in workplace violence or threats to your employees.
Connect with the podcast!
Email us: [email protected]
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.
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.
KEYWORDS: politics, election year, risk management, workplace safety, workplace culture2 November 2023, 7:34 pm - 15 minutes 14 secondsThe Joy of Metrics + Training the Next Generation of Professionals
Episode 163: The Joy of Metrics + Training the Next Generation of Professionals
Metrics are a huge factor in business continuity and allow us to evaluate and improve the effectiveness of our strategies. In this episode, we are joined by Dr. Bernard Jones, professor of homeland security and emergency management at St. John’s University. Throughout his career, he’s worked in several industries, including tech and data, healthcare, security, and higher education.
Some key takeaways from this episode include:
It’s really important to keep track of the key metrics within your organization, but measuring effectiveness comes down to how well you’re executing the BCP, and is senior leadership included in the conversation?
Executive engagement is mandatory as a part of any continuity program. If they’re not bought into the plan, the processes, and the protocols, you don’t have an effective program.
When it comes to leading the next generation of emergency management professionals, it’s important to understand modern and future impacts on the field, such as retrospective studies of the pandemic, and the effects of climate change.
Connect with the podcast!
Email us: [email protected]
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.
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.
KEYWORDS: emergency management, homeland security, Gen Z, next generation, business continuity metrics, business continuity19 October 2023, 3:39 pm - 5 minutes 19 secondsArtificial Intelligence in Business Continuity
Episode 162: Artificial Intelligence in Business Continuity | Use Cases, Risks, and Our Favorite AI Tools
At the recent DRJ conference in Phoenix, the topic everyone wanted to talk about was AI (artificial intelligence). As tools like ChatGPT become more mainstream, the conversation is shifting to how we can actually use these tools in our industry. In this episode, we’re sharing some of the ways we’re using AI in our business, and how you can better leverage it as a tool for your own business.
AI Tools:
Some key takeaways from this episode include:
Different AI tools can do different things. ChatGPT is great for coming up with ideas and written copy, but if you want to summarize or pull the main bullet points from a report, you can use a tool like Claude which can take in PDF files.
With ChatGPT, you may be tempted to ask generic prompts like “give me social media topics for a business continuity brand” or “produce a business continuity plan for XYZ,” but the more specific you can be with the prompt, the better the responses you’ll get back.
Make sure you don’t use any personal or private information, and be careful about importing documents that aren’t publicly available or contain sensitive information. Always get input from your security team before using any AI tools.
Connect with the podcast!
Email us: [email protected]
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.
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.5 October 2023, 9:01 pm - 23 minutes 2 secondsSupply Chain Resilience in the Wine & Spirits Industry
Episode 161: Supply Chain Resilience in the Wine & Spirits Industry
Supply chains continue to be a trending topic, and in this episode, we’re digging into managing and troubleshooting supply chains for the wine and spirits industry. We’re joined by John Liuzzi, the national director for business continuity for Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits, who is running a “dream team” of business continuity professionals in his industry to share his insights, plus how business continuity challenges differ in the public vs. private sectors.
Some key takeaways from this episode include:
Some of the top challenges John’s team is planning for include natural disasters, product availability, and inflation affecting pricing and sales.
They have tools to track everything, including weather all over the world since that can affect manufacturing and shipping, and social media mentions of their brand as well as their suppliers’ brands.
Having executive support is crucial for the success of your business continuity team. When the financial support and full trust is there, you can build an unstoppable business continuity program in your organization.
Connect with the podcast!
Email us: [email protected]
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.
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.
KEYWORDS: Wine and spirits, beverage industry, business continuity, risk tracking, business continuity tools, supply chains21 September 2023, 5:59 pm - 15 minutes 15 secondsLeadership Risks You Need to Prepare For
Episode 160: Leadership Risks You Need to Prepare For
Leadership is a major factor in how smoothly your emergency management and business continuity plans are created and implemented, so in this episode, we are sharing some of the top leadership risks to prepare for in order to have a stronger team. The article Vanessa references for this episode is from Forbes on “Navigating Leadership Challenges in a Rapidly Changing World.”
Some key takeaways from this episode include:
Your ability to manage and regulate your own emotions during a crisis is crucial. According to Forbes, “EQ is so effective that the overall success of the business can improve by 37.2% in the first year” of improving EQ across leadership.
We need our teams to be rested, ready, and responsive during a crisis, which means we need to be invested in their wellness. Create wellness programs and incentives, invite guest speakers to speak to nutrition and fitness, and encourage workers to take breaks and time off.
Not being proactive about social issues is a major risk. You want to be clear on your stances before you are forced to make a statement or response, and you need to be able to point to your mission, vision, and values to back that statement up.
Connect with the podcast!
Email us: [email protected]
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.
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.
KEYWORDS: Leadership, risks to watch, business continuity, leadership trends, emotional intelligence, training, social justice issues7 September 2023, 3:00 pm - 19 minutes 17 secondsWildfire Preparedness and Emergency Management
Episode 159: Wildfire Preparedness and Emergency Management
While the top disaster threat in California is still earthquakes, wildfires have gotten a lot of attention over the last few years. We’re seeing wildfires affect more of North America recently, so in this episode, Leslie Luke, the deputy director of the Los Angeles County Chief Executive Office at the Office of Emergency Management, is here to share his expertise. Leslie covers the training and exercise objectives, communication skills, and community education that are all needed to prepare for and fight wildfires.
Some key takeaways from this episode include:
One of the biggest parts of wildfire preparedness is educating residents and the community about evacuation preparedness, which includes telling people to have their important documents and belongings ready to go as soon as they’re told to evacuate.
Many of the natural disasters hitting California are “no notice” events, so emergency management teams are reacting to them. That means training and exercises will revolve around evaluating the disaster and making decisions as quickly as possible.
From an emergency management standpoint, the jurisdiction wherever the fire originates is responsible for mitigating the fire. Teams should be ready to step in and help a smaller jurisdiction if asked.
Connect with the podcast!
Email us: [email protected]
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.
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.
KEYWORDS: Wildfires, emergency management, disaster preparedness, california wildfires, climate change, environmental justice25 August 2023, 3:07 am - More Episodes? Get the App