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Disaster Tough Podcast

Disaster Tough Podcast

Written by: The Readiness Lab
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About this listen

 The Disaster Tough Podcast is for emergency managers, by emergency managers. We share stories, lessons learned, and tips to help you make informed decisions. Our host, John Scardena is a former Federal Emergency Response Official with Type 1 response experience. He now leads Doberman Emergency Management, from which this is being recorded. Our guests are also field experts who provide their insights in our conversation based podcast.
Discussions with emergency managers revolve around the entire disaster life-cycle. We provide solutions based on training and backed by data. We share experiences of emergency response and identify the lessons learned through our own version of after action reporting. This is conversation mode activated. We are known for flipping from serious to humor without warning. Try to keep up in our weekly podcasts!
About Doberman Emergency Management. We provide customized plans, mitigates hazards, delivers training, and supplies emergency products to meet the unique needs of clients. We identify and solve the Nation’s most complex incidents. That’s our job.Copyright The Readiness Lab Politics & Government Self-Help Social Sciences Success
Episodes
  • The Gratitude Sandwich - 2025 Leadership Lessons For 2026

    The Gratitude Sandwich - 2025 Leadership Lessons For 2026
    Jan 5 2026
    Looking for more DTP Content? Click here: www.thereadinesslab.com/dtp-links

    Major Endorsements

    Impulse
    Bleeding Control Kits by Professionals for Professionals
    https://www.impulsekits.com

    Doberman Emergency Management
    Subject matter experts in assessments, planning, and training
    https://www.dobermanemg.com

    The Readiness Lab
    Trailblazing disaster readiness through podcasts, outreach, marketing, and interactive events
    https://www.thereadinesslab.com

    For Sponsorship Requests
    contact@thereadinesslab.com
    314-400-8848 Ext 2

    In this milestone year-end episode of the Disaster Tough Podcast, host John Scardena delivers a raw, strategic, and personal recap of 2025—highlighting leadership lessons learned in emergency management, business growth, disaster response, and life.

    This final episode of Season 6 reflects on a year defined by complexity, transition, and decisive leadership. From FEMA uncertainty and disaster deployments to major shifts in business models and personal priorities, this episode is a candid breakdown of what worked, what failed, and what leaders must understand heading into 2026.Episode Highlights & Key Topics

    🔹 Emergency Management & FEMA Reality Check
    • Lessons from FEMA review councils and why strategy—not reaction—will determine the future of the emergency management profession
    • Why emergency management risks “dying out” if it fails to prove long-term value
    • The danger of self-fulfilling prophecies during institutional uncertainty
    🔹 Business Leadership & Doberman’s Shift to Retainer Models
    • Why project-based emergency management consulting fails organizations long-term
    • How retainer-based models create sustained momentum instead of constant resets
    • Supporting stadiums, counties, hospitals, and agencies without waiting for disasters to force action
    🔹 Disaster Tough Podcast Growth & Media Impact
    • Crossing the 250-episode milestone
    • National media recognition including USA Today, Politico, ABC, and Fox
    • Strategic evolution of the podcast and plans for expanded video and social content in 2026
    🔹 Leadership Lessons Applied in 2025
    • Work ethic when exhausted: doing the right thing even when it’s hard
    • Purpose over passion: why passion fades and purpose sustains leaders
    • Why it’s okay not to do the “cool thing” if it doesn’t align with strategy
    • How to manage distractions without losing focus on priorities
    🔹 Leadership Lessons Leaders Need to Hear
    • Silence is an answer—and knowing when not to respond is powerful
    • Listen and apply feedback before taking risks
    • Why ego destroys leadership effectiveness
    • Why “being shady” ruins credibility faster than failure
    • Understanding your personality type—and the personality types around you
    🔹 Personal Leadership & Mental Health
    • Setting boundaries around travel and work
    • Prioritizing family, faith, and health without sacrificing performance
    • Reflections on fatherhood, loss, and legacy
    • Why leadership is ultimately about character, not optics
    🔹Core Leadership Principles from the Episode
    • Work ethic beats talent when talent quits
    • Purpose outlasts motivation
    • Strategic restraint is leadership maturity
    • Momentum matters more than optics
    • Silence, when used correctly, is leadership
    • Integrity compounds over time
    Show More Show Less
    40 mins
  • John Badger | Grounded Boots Relief

    John Badger | Grounded Boots Relief
    Dec 23 2025
    Looking for more DTP Content? Click here: www.thereadinesslab.com/dtp-links

    Grounded Boots Relief: https://groundedbootsrelief.org

    Major Endorsements

    Impulse
    Bleeding Control Kits by Professionals for Professionals
    https://www.impulsekits.com

    Doberman Emergency Management
    Subject matter experts in assessments, planning, and training
    https://www.dobermanemg.com

    The Readiness Lab
    Trailblazing disaster readiness through podcasts, outreach, marketing, and interactive events
    https://www.thereadinesslab.com

    For Sponsorship Requests
    contact@thereadinesslab.com
    314-400-8848 Ext 2
    Show More Show Less
    39 mins
  • George Siegal | Film Producer | Built To Last: Buyer Beware

    George Siegal | Film Producer | Built To Last: Buyer Beware
    Dec 16 2025
    Looking for more DTP Content? Check out our website at: www.threadinesslab.com/dtp-links

    Promo Code: DISASTERTOUGHPODCAST
    Link: https://movetheworldfilms.gumroad.com/l/kaywco
    *First 10 users get this extended director's cut version for free

    In this episode, host John Scardena interviews film producer George Siegal about his documentary Built To Last: Buyer Beware, a hard-hitting examination of modern construction, disaster vulnerability, and the dangerous assumptions buyers make about safety and durability. The conversation goes beyond filmmaking into the real-world implications of building “to code,” exposing why minimum standards often fail homeowners when disasters strike. George shares the motivation behind the documentary, the systemic issues uncovered during production, and why resilience, mitigation, and long-term thinking are missing from most housing decisions. Together, they explore how poor construction practices amplify disaster losses, why recovery is rarely straightforward, and what buyers, policymakers, and communities must understand before the next catastrophe. This episode is essential listening for anyone interested in disaster resilience, housing risk, emergency management, climate impacts, or the hidden vulnerabilities baked into modern development.

    Major Endorsements

    Impulse
    Bleeding Control Kits by Professionals for Professionals
    https://www.impulsekits.com

    Doberman Emergency Management
    Subject matter experts in assessments, planning, and training
    https://www.dobermanemg.com

    The Readiness Lab
    Trailblazing disaster readiness through podcasts, outreach, marketing, and interactive events
    https://www.thereadinesslab.com

    For Sponsorship Requests
    contact@thereadinesslab.com
    314-400-8848 Ext 2

    Built To Last Buyer Beware, George Siegal, documentary film, disaster resilience, emergency management, disaster recovery, building codes, construction risk, hazard mitigation, housing vulnerability, climate risk, resilience planning, infrastructure failure, homeowner preparedness, public safety
    Show More Show Less
    45 mins
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