While walking this morning I listened to one of my favorite podcasts, Masters of Scale with Reid Hoffman. This episode from Thursday, January 26, 2023, was part of the Rapid Response series and focused on how Lululemon CEO Calvin McDonald not only kept the doors of Lululemon open during COVID, but grew the business. In the episode, Calvin shares how within your first 100 days as a leader it's important to share experiences for teams to consider, but not necessarily your opinion that may sway pro...
Jan 27, 2023•3 min
In this week’s episode, we’re lucky to have seasoned Information Technology and Healthcare leader Katie McCullough. During this episode, Katie shares her over 25 years of Healthcare and IT experience as Katie, and I talk through her top 5 tips leaders should consider if they want to start up and maintain high functioning ProjectManagement Office (PMO) for their organization. Connect with Katie on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/katie-mccullough-8a75252a/ Thank you all for listening. It w...
Jan 24, 2023•1 hr 4 min•Season 3Ep. 18
Deion Sanders or "Prime Time" is one of the greatest Defensive Backs to ever play in the National Football League (NFL). In fact, he was inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame in 2011. In addition to being a professional American Football player, Deion Sanders also put in a respectable career in Major League Baseball (MLB). But that's not why we're here today. Instead, we're going to focus on Deion Sanders' (now Coach Prime) positive impact on Jackson State University and the coaches, staff, and pla...
Jan 20, 2023•5 min
In November 2014, I was fortunate to meet JD Baker on the hallowed grounds of Gettysburg National Military Park. JD walked my fellow Public Safety and Incident Management Team (IMT) members and me through leadership decisions made on the same grounds 151 years earlier. This event was called a "staff ride" and was part of the L-580 Leadership is Action course. L-580 is designed to teach senior IMT leaders historical leadership lessons that can be applied in the modern era. This staff ride has had...
Jan 17, 2023•1 hr 16 min•Season 3Ep. 17
Sharing the concept of 360-degree feedback as a way to gather objective and anonymous feedback from your teams. Then, you can use this feedback to do continuous improvement on yourself as a leader. Check out this great write-up about 360-feedback from qualtrics at https://www.qualtrics.com/experience-management/employee/360-degree-feedback/ Have a plan Stay informed Get involved Godspeed
Jan 13, 2023•3 min
Sharing the leadership principles from Unit 2 of the United States Fire Administration (USFA) Type 3 Incident Management Team Training or O-305 course. Take a deep dive and jump on the way back machine with me to hear more on the O-305 course from my 2018 episode at https://kevtalkspod.com/o-305-course-summary/ Listen to the Civil War series on Jocko podcast at https://jockopodcast.com/2022/12/15/363-the-principle-weapon-is-the-mind-read-study-learn-with-jd-baker/ Subscribe to this podcast here ...
Jan 12, 2023•19 min•Season 3Ep. 16
On January 5, 2023, my wife and I decided to put our dog Gringo down. He fought a good fight against Lyme Disease and old age, but it was time. This is never easy. We've had to make this decision twice before, and each time it broke our hearts. Gringo was a true Alpha Dog. He loved humans and set the tone around other dogs. In this episode, I'm sharing three life lessons I'll carry with me that Gringo taught me. Walk with confidence Control your emotions Keep up the fight Godspeed and RIP Gringo...
Jan 06, 2023•8 min
In Practical Application of 12 Project Management Principles from the PMBOK 7th Edition, I share my $.02 on applying these helpful principles in the real world of Program and Project Management. The 12 principles listed and detailed in the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) 7th Edition provide helpful guardrails for new and seasoned Project and Program Managers. Throughout this episode, I'll list each principle from the PMBOK, then elaborate on how I've seen the principles applied well...
Jan 03, 2023•22 min•Season 3Ep. 15
On this FF78 I’m going to share the top 5 supplements I take every day that I feel help me maintain good health and get better sleep. The Supplements: Krill Oil - https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/krill-oil-benefits Glucosamine - https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/glucosamine Turmeric - https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/top-10-evidence-based-health-benefits-of-turmeric Whey Protein - https://www.bodybuilding.com/content/your-expert-guide-to-whey-protein.html Creatine - https://www.bodybu...
Dec 30, 2022•13 min
In How You Can Apply 7 Key Life Lessons I Learned in 2022 I’m sharing 7 of the most impactful lessons I learned and helped teach myself in 2022. More importantly, I’m going to share how you can learn from my challenges and kick off 2023 on the right foot. Read more and listen at https://kevtalkspod.com/how-you-can-apply-7-key-lessons-i-learned-from-2022/
Dec 26, 2022•21 min•Season 3Ep. 14
Sharing the summary and focus areas to help improve the overall health of our Emergency Responders. The summary is from a 2020 CrewCare report by ImageTrend. It includes feedback from over 4,100 Emergency Responders. Key takeaways: Responders need each other's and their leadership's support Obesity is a problem in the Emergency Responder community Lack of employer resources was still a problem in 2020 Emergency Responders need to improve their sleep to improve their health Exercise is a better s...
Dec 23, 2022•9 min
On this episode of the KEV Talks Podcast ( @kevtalks ), Host Kevin Pannell and Rhonda Kelly, Executive Director of the All Clear Foundation ( @allclearfdn ), talk about how Emergency Responders can succeed, thrive, and matter using tools provided by the All Clear Foundation. Viewers and listeners will also learn about Rhonda's transition from providing emergency medicine aboard an icebreaker ship through her time on shift as a Firefighter and becoming the Executive Director of the All Clear Foun...
Dec 20, 2022•1 hr•Season 3Ep. 13
In Lavender Oils for the Win (A Science-Backed Sleep Solution) I share the results of a 2015 scientific study. The study was conducted by Angela Smith Lillehei, Ph.D., Linda L. Halcón, Ph.D., MPH, RN, Kay Savik, MS, and Reilly Reis, MS that included 79 college students that reported difficulty sleeping. Lavender oil patches were used on college students in conjunction with good sleep hygiene habits (see Got Sleep ). Alternatively, the other group also practiced good sleep hygiene, but without th...
Dec 16, 2022•5 min
Whether you're new to Project Management or a seasoned Senior PM leading program-level efforts, there are 7 challenges you will inevitably face. In this episode, I talk through these and provide a path for new or seasoned Program or Project Managers to not only navigate through or around these obstacles but to also excel in the process. The 7 Challenges: Choosing a methodology to implement Selecting a Program/Project Management System (PMS) to use Communicating and leading hybrid program or proj...
Dec 14, 2022•17 min•Season 3Ep. 12
I'm going back through old blog posts from https://kevtalkspod.com and realizing how much better I am now at writing posts and recording podcast episodes than I was 1, 2, or 3 years ago. I also thought today how life is full of rewrites. We can rewrite the path we choose professionally We can rewrite our daily physical fitness routine We can rewrite how we take care of our mind We can rewrite how we approach faith and spirituality It's never too late to make a change. Have a plan Stay informed G...
Dec 09, 2022•3 min
This episode is part film review of Stutz and a sharing of tools and techniques Jonah Hill and Phil Stutz provide the viewer in the documentary film of the same name. Watch the movie at https://www.netflix.com/title/81387962 Take a deep dive from the film makers at https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/stutz-the-tools Have a plan | Stay informed | Get involved | https://kevtalkspod.com
Dec 06, 2022•27 min•Season 3Ep. 10
Sharing a synopsis of my LinkedIn and website posts that highlight how when jurisdictions make proclamations to do better after something bad happens that it's too late. Two key failures typically occur before a disaster happens at a special event. Poor leadership Lack of good All-Hazard Incident Management application Listen to this episode and go to https://kevtalkspod.com/formal-agreements-are-not-enough/ to read more. Here is the story that got me fired up this Friday from Police1. Have a co...
Dec 02, 2022•6 min
Are you working in the corporate world but wondering what it would be like to teach students at a major university? In this episode I have a great conversation with Leader, Author and my neighbor, Stephen Skripak. Stephen and I discuss his pre-corporate life, his rise to the C-suite in the corporate world, transitioning to academia and his decision to retire while still at the top of his game. Connect with Stephen on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephenskripak/...
Nov 30, 2022•1 hr 21 min•Season 3Ep. 10
"Noone owes you anything. You owe you." - Eric Thomas on the Order of Man podcast with Ryan Michler. I listened to the Order of Man podcast episode from September 13, 2022 while I was blowing leaves in my yard during the Thanksgiving 2022 holiday week. The message is so very direct and just what I needed. I was reminded, because deep down I knew, that noon owes me anything. Nor do I need to try and be like anyone else. Listen to the full episode at https://www.orderofman.com/ericthomas/ Remember...
Nov 27, 2022•4 min
Sharing a wonderful poem on thankfulness by Nancy J. Carmody. Read more at https://blog.gratefulness.me/gratitude-poems/
Nov 23, 2022•2 min•Season 3Ep. 9
A Friday thought stream about: It's ok not to be original Re-package knowledge to help others "Wash other's feet" by humbling yourself Have a plan | Stay informed | Get involved
Nov 18, 2022•4 min
In How a Public Safety Leader Beat Addiction with CAPT Henry "Hank" Smith | KEV Talks #8, my good friend Henry “Hank” Smith and I catch up a bit, share his background in the U.S. Military and Public Safety, then get into the well known but often overlooked issued - substance abuse in Public Safety. Key timestamps: 0:00 Reunited…and it feels so good 01:48 Hank’s story begins 12:26 First cardiac arrest call 19:50 Hanks struggles with alcohol 28:35 Where there’s smoke 38:37 Putting the article toge...
Nov 14, 2022•1 hr 15 min•Season 3Ep. 8
Sharing the Oath of Enlistment I and thousands of others have taken and some 2021 data about the current state of Veterans in the United States. Source: Changing Face of Veterans in America at https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2021/04/05/the-changing-face-of-americas-veteran-population/ Read and listen to more at https://kevtalkspod.com/
Nov 11, 2022•3 min
This year I read Johann Hari's book Lost Connections . I provides invaluable insight into environmental and clinical causes of depression. As I've done in the past, I found value for myself but also for the Program and Project Management professions. So, I parallel Hari's disconnections to Programs and Projects and provide my $.02 on how I believe we can stay connected or reconnect with meaningful work.
Nov 08, 2022•32 min•Season 3Ep. 7
Sharing 32 positive changes we should celebrate from Hans Rosling's book ' Factfulness: 10 Reasons We're Wrong About the World '
Nov 03, 2022•4 min
Re-visiting my article from April 2020 and sharing how I believe Public Health, Healthcare and the United States as a whole should move forward in a post-COVID Emergency Preparedness world. Prompted by the controversy from Emily Oster's ' LET’S DECLARE A PANDEMIC AMNESTY ' article in the Atlantic from October 2022.
Nov 02, 2022•24 min•Season 3Ep. 6
For 'Words Matter (The Power of "I will" and "I will not" statements)' I recorded in my garage gym this morning. On today's episode I'm sharing a mindset that I’ve worked to adopt recently from listening to ‘s ‘Unfu*k Yourself’ - I will…(insert forward looking /positive actions) - I will not…(insert what actions and behaviors you will not accept) It really is up to each of us to determine what kind of life we have while we’re in this world. We can either move towards things, not accept things or...
Oct 28, 2022•3 min
Anxiety sucks. Heart palpitations, weak legs, upset stomach and on and on. But, anxiety also presents an opportunity for us to unfu*k ourselves. To not let anxiety win. To change our mindset. To live. In Face Anxiety: Using the DARE Response to Conquer Your Fears I share 5 tips, tools and techniques that my wife, me and many others have used to face our fears head on. It's not easy by any means, but it can be done. The 5 Tips, tools and techniques: The DARE Response Creating your own scene Consi...
Oct 24, 2022•21 min•Season 5Ep. 5
In From Tactics to Strategy: Stepping Up as a Program Manager I share advice I gave someone in the r/Project Management to a Project Manager moving up to doing Program Manager level work. " Sooo, you're now going to do more strategic work and your focus should be at the 30k ft. level, not the 100ft level. Make sense? My $.02 for free: Do you have PMs for each project? If so, ask them to help shore up the information you need If not, KISS Gather what I call the "Foundational 5" of Leader/Sponsor'...
Oct 21, 2022•4 min
A bit of a program change this week on Podcast Poetry: Reading Poems I wrote as a Young Hospital Corpsman as I share three poems I wrote in September of 1996. At the time I was a U.S. Navy Hospital Corpsman working in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at Bethesda Naval Hospital and aboard the USNS Comfort. I found poetry to be a release from the sickness and pain I saw on a weekly basis. The Poems: Give a Hoot Hooyah! Circle of Life Thank you all for listening, subscribing and sharing with a friend....
Oct 16, 2022•9 min•Season 3Ep. 4
