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!
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
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.
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/!
Evolution, reinvention, progression…whatever you want to call it, change is inevitable, especially in the safety profession. What’s great, though, is that you can be in charge of your own growth and progression in your career because of all the different ways Safety can be applied in an organization. That’s what Dr. Megan Tranter found out as her safety career took her from Australia to leading safety at some of the top organizations in the world. She shares a bit about her journey, especially when it comes to being resilient and flexible in growing your career.
It’s clear that curiosity can benefit people in certain fields like the arts where creativity is necessary, or in the sciences when you’re experimenting and discovering. But what about in a field with lots of regulations like Safety? Brad Green joins the gang to explore how curiosity is helpful and even necessary for people in the Safety field and how to deploy it wisely. There are even connections to how curiosity can affect how we view people and how we’re able to help them work well. With almost 20 years in the Safety field, Brad has seen how being curious can help you and your team go far. Listen in for some tips and tricks to help you become a more curious safety professional and how to use it for good…instead of ending up like that proverbial cat!
We're here to put the "Professional" in "Safety Professional"...or are we? Hopefully Abby Holovach can shed some light on what it means to be professional in a field that doesn't exactly have a clear definition on what that even means. It's tricky to jump between situations as a safety professional--working with executive management one moment then being on a jobsite the next--and juggling how to act in a way that you can be taken seriously. On top of all that, how do you keep from losing your authentic self in any of those situations? As a safety manager, consultant, volunteer, and speaker, Abby knows a thing or two about showing up professionally and being authentic at the same time. Get ready to take some notes and maybe even learn a thing or two about how to up your professionalism! Brace yourself as Abby drops some knowledge and even makes her mark on the Illusion of Safety podcast by naming one of our regular segments!
“Sounds like an HR issue.” “Talk to Safety about that.” What if instead of being at odds with one another, it turns out that HR professionals and Safety professionals can recognize that they share a lot of the same goals in their organization and can actually work together? That’s what the Illusion of Safety gang finds out when talking with Jamie Jackson, HR professional extraordinaire and co-host of the HR Besties Podcast. Jamie shares her insights on how HR and Safety pros can work together within their organizations to support workers in many different ways and how to navigate the corporate landscape. Let’s see how we can bridge that gap between HR and Safety and make the workplace better for everyone!
What's new in the safety profession? If you're Ahsan Manji...YOU are! There are more people jumping into the wonderful world of Safety and they bring their fresh ideas and passion for people to keep the profession moving forward. There's a lot to learn when you're new to Safety and Ahsan shares his experience as someone who got into Safety right out of school and where he hopes to take his career. More importantly, he knows he can learn from others and give back to the Safety community as his work moves forward. Whether you're new to the safety profession or you've been around for a while, there's something for everyone in this episode!
Aloha! Even on an island paradise life throws all sorts of curveballs your way, especially when you work in safety. As we hear from Pete Evans, building resilience is absolutely key...but it's far easier said than done. Listen in as Pete shares what he continues to learn about resilience, from an academic, professional, and personal perspective. Having the ability weather the storms at work and life is what resilience is all about, making us stronger and more capable of helping others around us.
Leaving a legacy at work ensures that your contributions have a lasting impact, benefitting the organization and your colleagues even after you've moved on. It reflects the values, skills, and innovations you brought into the workplace, inspiring others to build upon your efforts. Sounds great, right? It can be, but it takes thought and actions to help that legacy be one that you're proud of. We talk about what steps we can take regardless of the stage of your career or how long you may be in an organization. For safety professionals, making a long-lasting, positive impact on the people they work with and the organization they're in can help teams maintain momentum and allow them to adapt to future challenges. Join us as we share our questions, hopes, and possible actions on what it means to leave a legacy in our work!
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!