Illusion of Safety

Is safety consulting the career path for you? with Brandy Zadoorian

Imagine having a job where you get to just do "safety stuff" and you get to call the shots. You're the expert that companies call in when they need help and you get to work on your schedule. If that sounds like a dream job, maybe safety consulting is for you! Or is it? On this episode, we talk with Brandy Zadoorian, CEO and principal consultant of Triangle Safety Consulting, LLC. Brandy walks us through her journey of how she got into safety consulting and the ups and downs of doing it full-time. Guess what: there's a lot more that goes into it than walking jobsites and writing reports. If you've ever been curious about leaving a corporate job and going out on your own as a safety consultant with your own business, this is the episode to check out!

How can technology help the Safety Professional? with Abby Ferri

Artificial intelligence, machine learning, ChatGPT...all of it sounds exciting and wild and there's a lot of potential for it to really help the Safety Professional, but where do you begin even figuring out what all these things mean? We're right there with you, which is why we checked in with Abby Ferri, one of our favorite safety professionals who is passionate about STEM and how emerging technologies can be understood--and implemented--by Safety Professionals. Even with technology advancing at lightning speed, there are still ways to find what tools will work best for you.

How can the Safety Profession evolve? with Pam Walaski

What better way to find out how the Safety Profession can continue to iterate and develop than by hanging out with Pam Walaski, CSP, FSSP? Pam chats with us about how far the safety profession has come and where it can still continue to evolve. Whether you're trying to breathe new life into a tired safety program or starting from scratch with something new, Pam has some great wisdom to share. It's clear that Pam has a deep love for worker safety, both in her role as the President of the American Society of Safety Professionals and in her own personal life and hobbies.

How wild is zoo safety? with Domini Montgomery

Of all the guests we've had on the show, Domini Montgomery has the most unique workplace. Domini works in safety and risk management at the Saint Louis Zoo where she works with the amazing people who care for incredible animals. Beyond the obvious hazards and risks inherent in working with live animals, Domini has focused on the mental and psychological safety of the many teams at the zoo in order to build a culture where everyone can perform at the highest level. Even though workplace safety and risk management in a zoo or aquarium is a niche area of expertise, there are many lessons from Domini that can apply to any workplace, regardless of how adventurous.

What does sustainability mean for the safety professional? with Catryna Jackson

Sustainability. It's one of those cool terms that can be exciting, encouraging, but scary and confusing at the same time. Let's start with the basics: what does it even mean? And just because the "E" in EHS stands for "Environmental" does that mean that safety professionals know what to do when it comes to sustainability? It's a tricky subject and that's why we have Catryna Jackson, CEM on this episode. Catryna helps us explore why understanding sustainability and environmental impact is so important for organizations and why it doesn't have to be nebulous and daunting. In the end, safety professionals are in a unique position to help their organizations implement environmentally conscious practices that are helpful for the company and the environment.
Check out these great resources:
SASB: material topics by industry
Global Reporting Initiative: Get started learning about KPIs and material topics. They also have online learning available through the GRI Academy
International Society of Sustainability Professionals: learn from others who are specializing in the field of sustainability and even pursue certifications in this area

What's Going Right with Safety? with Tanya Conole

Oftentimes people focus on what went wrong in a situation and try to keep those things from happening again, especially when it comes to workplace safety. But there's a whole other side of the story that guest, Tanya Conole, likes to explore, which is what went right. Could we make worker safety even better by having conversations around what went well and acknowledging that it's part of the story?
Tanya is a certified OHS professional, auditor and host of the podcast "A Win for Safety" that you can listen to HERE

How do you get people to care about work? with Dr. Jessica Kriegel

"Looks like someone has a case of the Mondays..." But what if it's not just happening on Mondays? You see it in your coworkers or maybe you see it in yourself. Do people just not care about their work?
Dr. Jessica Kriegel joins us to talk about why caring about the work is so critical and why it's hard for people to do it. As a data scientist specializing in workplace culture, she dives into the roles of leadership in creating a positive culture of caring that not only improves worker satisfaction, but can improve profitability and production, too. Jessica shared her message as a keynote speaker at the 2024 American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP) annual conference and even delivered a TEDx presentation on the topic.
You can view Jessica's TEDx presentation ("How to get people to give a sh*t") here
Learn more about Jessica and connect with her on LinkedIn here
 

Part 3: Do Clear Boundaries Lead to Greater Success?

It's the 3rd part of our series where we look at how impostor syndrome and learning how to say "no" are two sides of the same coin. You know the feeling—the nagging doubt that you’re not as competent as others think you are, or the fear that you’ll be exposed as a fraud at any moment. It's a real struggle for many professionals, and it can impact everything from your confidence to your career trajectory. Sometimes, it even makes us say "yes" to things that may be too much to handle.
Establishing boundaries isn’t just about saying "no". It’s about creating a sustainable work life that fosters productivity and personal satisfaction. Easier said than done? Absolutely. Allison, Josh and Gabe talk about how they've experienced the interaction between impostor syndrome and learning to not overcommit, and how that can help busy safety professionals at any point in their careers.

Part 2: Just Say No?

In this 2nd episode of our 3-part series, we dive into the art of saying "no" and why overcommitment can sneak up on safety professionals. If you've ever found yourself juggling too many tasks, feeling overwhelmed, or struggling to balance the opportunities and priorities of work life (and everything else!) this episode is for you! Join us as we figure out why we have a tendency to overcommit and why "just say no" is easier said than done when it comes to the safety profession!

Part 1: How do you live with imposter syndrome?

"Got no time for fake ones, just sip some Cristal with these real ones..."
 
But many of us feel like the fake ones. Let's talk about imposter syndrome! Allison, Josh and Gabe explore the pervasive feeling of imposter syndrome and why many people can feel like frauds regardless of their achievements. In the first of a three-part series, the gang talks about how they've personally experienced imposter syndrome and how it's manifested in different areas of their lives. Experiencing imposter syndrome can be difficult, but maybe there's actually a positive side to it that can drive people to succeed. Whether you're struggling with feelings of inadequacy in your work or just curious about this common experience, this is a great episode to get you thinking about the ups and downs of this issue that hits many professionals.
 
If you're curious about some of the concepts explored in this episode, check out "Hidden Potential" from our dear friend* Adam Grant.
*He responded to two of our emails, so we're friends now. Obviously we're huge fans.