Risktory: The Story Of Risk

This week, a real treat for you. Master of the Risk Universe. And, in my opinion, the real King of Rock and Roll. Bo Diddley.For many, the name Bo Diddley doesn’t instantly resonate. But if you know Fade Away by Buddy Holly, Faith by George Michael, Mr Brownstone by Guns and Roses, Desire by U2. If you know any of those songs, then you know Bo Diddley.Because the beat that runs through those songs. Bo Diddley invented. He invented a syncopated beat that took the blues of the south, with all its deep references to sub-saharan music traditions, infused it with electronica distortion, and created a sound that transformed the burgeoning genre that was rock and rock in the 1950s in the US, and turned it into a mainstream juggernaut.Bo Diddley was a true master of the unknown. A classic disruptor. An expert innovator. On today’s episode, I’ll explore how a kid from McComb, Mississippi became a music legend.The Risktory Podcast is created, written, produced and hosted by Jacinthe A Galpin. Soundtrack (sour

This week, let’s talk about McDonalds and Ray Kroc. And how Ray Kroc turned a good business into a global behemoth that is one of THE most recognizable and universal brands in the world.The transformation of McDonalds by Kroc is the stuff of legends. It’s a story of how vision, determination and the capacity to both recognize and act on opportunity, in the face of the unknown, yields incredible results. It’s also a story of why getting the fundamentals right is critical when entreating with the unknown. Risk is a game where, the stronger you are, the more resilient you are, and the more prepared you are for both opportunity and threat… the more likely you are to prevail.The Risktory Podcast is created, written, produced and hosted by Jacinthe A Galpin. Soundtrack (sourced from www.freemusicarchive.org)Alan Spiljak – CloudsAlan Spiljak – ForgottenAlan Spiljak – Light blueAlan Spiljak – Empty daysAlan Spiljak – Stars aboveAlan Spiljak – Not the endAlan Spiljak – SunAlan Spiljak – Flying awayAlan Spiljak –

Coming up this week, let’s talk about whatever happened to myspace. At one point, myspace was THE biggest, social media platform in the world.Within a month of its launch in 2003, it had an incredible 1 million users and those numbers grew exponentially. At its peak in the mid 2000s, myspace had 100 million users per month. 1 billion user accounts. More people clicked on myspace than they did google.And then, something happened. The bottom dropped out of myspace. On this week’s episode of the Risktory Podcast, I look at the decline of myspace. And I look at whether myspace might be a manifestation of Ray Kurzweil’s Law of Accelerating Returns.The Risktory Podcast is created, written, produced and hosted by Jacinthe A Galpin. Soundtrack (sourced from www.freemusicarchive.org)Alan Spiljak – CloudsAlan Spiljak – ForgottenAlan Spiljak – Light blueAlan Spiljak – Empty daysAlan Spiljak – Stars aboveAlan Spiljak – Not the endAlan Spiljak – SunAlan Spiljak – Flying awayAlan Spiljak – TimeAlan Spiljak – Fantas

This week, let’s talk about the Twitter hack. What it is. How it happened. Or at least, how analysts THINK it happened because the hack is still fresh and we’re still learning about it. Who was impacted. And what are the implications of the Twitter hack that we – as risk people – ought to care about.The Risktory Podcast is created, written, produced and hosted by Jacinthe A Galpin. Human Risk Podcast - https://human-risk.com/Soundtrack (sourced from www.freemusicarchive.org)Alan Spiljak – CloudsAlan Spiljak – ForgottenAlan Spiljak – Light blueAlan Spiljak – Empty daysAlan Spiljak – Stars aboveAlan Spiljak – Not the endAlan Spiljak – SunAlan Spiljak – Flying awayAlan Spiljak – TimeAlan Spiljak – Fantasy in my mind Bibliographyhttps://www.cnn.com/2020/07/17/tech/former-twitter-employees-sleuthing/index.htmlhttps://www.theverge.com/2020/7/15/21326200/elon-musk-bill-gates-twitter-hack-bitcoin-scam-compromisedhttps://www.cnbc.com/2020/07/16/twitter-hack-how-hackers-gained-access-to-accounts.htmlhttps://krebso

Coming up this week, I explore the life and times of the French Sun King, Louis XIV.Ascending to the French throne when he was just four years old, and subsequently ruling France for an astonishing 72 years until his death in 1715, Louis XIV was an aggressive, disruptive opportunist. A man who redefined France and what it meant to be French, through a curated blend of defending against threat and chasing opportunity. A man who, incidentally, was so brilliant that he had a whole American state named after him: Louisiana.In this week’s episode, I’ll explore Louis’ childhood and the genesis of his risk management expertise. I’ll delve into his major achievements – such as his centralization of control, Versailles, the Royal Court, and Louis’ prowess in war – and I’ll explain why I think the Sun King was, and is, a risk master.The Risktory Podcast is created, written, produced and hosted by Jacinthe A Galpin. Soundtrack (sourced from www.freemusicarchive.org)Alan Spiljak – CloudsAlan Spiljak – ForgottenAlan S

Coming up on this week’s episode, PRIDE month may have just ended, but I thought it would be worth exploring the event that serves as the reason why PRIDE month is held in June each year: the 1969 Stonewall Rebellion.The Stonewall Rebellion is a story of many colors:• It’s a story of the oppressed emerging into the light to claim what was rightfully theirs.• It’s a story that illustrates why appeasement. Bowing to the mob. As a self-preservation strategy, never works.• It’s a story of how change – true, sustained, beautiful change – can incubate from that which seems unlikely.• And because this is a risk podcast, after all, the Stonewall Rebellion is a story of, not just of how you turn threat into opportunity, but how you take that opportunity, mould it, and transform it into sustained outcomes for the better.This episode may be upsetting or distressing for some. There is explicit language. Listener discretion is advised.The Risktory Podcast is created, written, produced and hosted by Jacinthe A Galpin.

Coming up on this week’s episode, whatever happened to Borders Books? How did one of the OG disruptors of the book business, become the disrupted.In this week’s episode, I look at the rise – and fall – of Borders Books. What they did right. What they did wrong. And I’ll explore the one thing Borders’ Arch Nemesis – Barnes and Nobles did – that Borders didn’t.And I’ll share with you all, my theory on how that one thing may have made all the difference.The Risktory Podcast is created, written, produced and hosted by Jacinthe A Galpin. Soundtrack (sourced from www.freemusicarchive.org)Alan Spiljak – CloudsAlan Spiljak – ForgottenAlan Spiljak – Light blueAlan Spiljak – Empty daysAlan Spiljak – Stars aboveAlan Spiljak – Not the endAlan Spiljak – SunAlan Spiljak – Flying awayAlan Spiljak – TimeAlan Spiljak – Fantasy in my mind Bibliographyhttp://www.annarbor.com/business-review/borders-rise-and-fall-a-timeline-of-the-bookstore-chains-40-year-history/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borders_Grouphttps://www.reuter

Coming up on this week’s episode, the great reformer and risk master of the universe: Frederick Douglass.From escaping slavery, to the emancipation of African-Americans, to advocating for women's rights, Frederick Douglass' understanding of risk was, truly, next level. It was a pure and exquisite recognition and understanding of risk as both threat and opportunity. It was a recognition – and I think this is a recognition that has been somewhat lost in modern times and in modern risk management. It was a recognition – that every threat. Every obstacle. Every SNAFU. It wasn’t the end game. It was just an opportunity waiting to be exploited. And when it came to turning threat on its head, and taking advantage of opportunity, Frederick Douglass was an OG.This week’s episode is an admitted homage to one of my favorite historical figures. The Risktory Podcast is created, written, produced and hosted by Jacinthe A Galpin. Soundtrack (sourced from www.freemusicarchive.org)Alan Spiljak – CloudsAlan Spiljak –

You’d think – after the billion dollar collapse of Theranos – that investors would be wise to startup wolves in unicorn clothing. And yet, the scandal that has engulfed WeWork – an Airbnb for business workspaces – perhaps shows that the lessons of history… They might not have been truly heeded just yet.What is key in the WeWork scandal is the lack of a symbiotic relationship between innovation and risk-based governance. In my mind, one can’t effectively thrive without the other fueling a competitive tension that forces exceptionalism in both. WeWork was supposed to be the next Amazon. The next Airbnb. The next Alibaba. Instead, there is the very real possibility that WeWork may become just another footnote in the history of failed startups. Snuggled up against Theranos.The Risktory Podcast is created, written, produced and hosted by Jacinthe A Galpin. Soundtrack (sourced from www.freemusicarchive.org)Alan Spiljak – CloudsAlan Spiljak – ForgottenAlan Spiljak – Light blueAlan Spiljak – Empty daysAlan Sp

On this week’s episode, one of the most inspiring start-up stories of all time: Gardner Rich and Co.If you’ve read the book, and or seen the movie, The Pursuit of Happyness, you will know who Chris Gardner is. An African-American entrepreuner who bootstrapped his way out of poverty and did so through an unshakeable resilience when it came to taking on risk.Life is kinda unpredictable. Gardner knew that from a very young age. And he responded by doubling down, refusing to allow himself to be conquered by misfortune, and he made a conscious decision to do better and be better. Turning threat into opportunity. With resilience as his wingman.With everything that is happening in the US today, the story of Chris Gardner and Gardner Rich and Co is a story I think many of us need to hear right now. The Risktory Podcast is created, written, produced and hosted by Jacinthe A Galpin. Soundtrack (sourced from www.freemusicarchive.org)Alan Spiljak – CloudsAlan Spiljak – ForgottenAlan Spiljak – Light blueAlan Spilj

When you think of the major corporate collapses of the early 2000s. The collapses that devastated thousands. The collapses that changed corporate America forever. The collapses that resulted in Sarbanes-Oxley.When you think of those collapses, you think WorldCom, Enron… and Tyco.Coming up on this week’s episode of the Risktory Podcast, I look at what was – in my opinion – the most fascinating and complex of all the collapses of the early 2000s in Tyco.The Risktory Podcast is created, written, produced and hosted by Jacinthe A Galpin. Soundtrack (sourced from www.freemusicarchive.org)Alan Spiljak – CloudsAlan Spiljak – ForgottenAlan Spiljak – Light blueAlan Spiljak – Empty daysAlan Spiljak – Stars aboveAlan Spiljak – Not the endAlan Spiljak – SunAlan Spiljak – Flying awayAlan Spiljak – TimeAlan Spiljak – Fantasy in my mind Bibliographyhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tyco_Internationalhttps://bankruptcy.uslegal.com/profilesfamousbankruptcies/tyco-international-ltd/https://money.howstuffworks.com/cooking-books

Monday May 25 is Memorial Day here in the US, a federal holiday honoring and mourning those Americans who have passed in the course of duty. To commemorate this most important day, I figured I would cover one of the greatest US Generals of all time, and a genius risk master: General Norman Schwarzkopf. He was commonly referred to as Stormin Norman, a reference to what is described as a legendary temper. But while he could be what many called difficult – I’m guessing you don’t get to be a US General by being polite and softly spoken – a look at Schwarzkopf’s life reveals a man with a deep intellectual curiosity for the world around him, a man who took great heed of the lessons of the past, and a man who understood the unknown, the risk, and tackled it head onOn today’s episode, I look at a master of the risk craft. And a man who, on Memorial Day, deserves all the accolades the US can muster.The Risktory Podcast is created, written, produced and hosted by Jacinthe A Galpin. Soundtrack (sourced from www.fre

On this week’s episode, a story of how chasing opportunity is often the best response to threat.The idea of using opportunity to fend off threat isn’t new, but in the risk management world, particularly in the last 10 to 15 years, the general response to threat is to bunker down and defend. To retreat into your shell, weather out the storm, and then resume business as usual. The reality it, KFC wouldn’t exist if Harland Sanders, aka Colonel Sanders, had retreated. KFC exists because Sanders – in the face of existential threat– came out swinging with opportunity as his ride or die partner. The KFC Origin Story is a story of inspiring resilience, eternal optimism and, to quote the great philosopher, Billy Ocean, when the going gets tough, the tough get going.The Risktory Podcast is created, written, produced and hosted by Jacinthe A Galpin. Soundtrack (sourced from www.freemusicarchive.org)Alan Spiljak – CloudsAlan Spiljak – ForgottenAlan Spiljak – Light blueAlan Spiljak – Empty daysAlan Spiljak – Stars ab

On this week’s episode, something really different to what I normally do on the podcast. But an episode I think you will really enjoy.This week, as US states grapple with whether to re-open their economies, or remain on lockdown as a response to COVID-19, I am going to use the Nash Equilibrium as a way of explaining what is happening, why it’s happening, and what may potentially happen in the future.The Nash Equilibrium isn’t a silver bullet that will resolve the angst over COVID-19. But, in my opinion, it helps to explain why we are seeing what we are seeing. And, in turn, it helps to explain what can be done differently to smooth the bumpy road that will be cities, states and countries re-opening, and resuming the new normal. The Risktory Podcast is created, written, produced and hosted by Jacinthe A Galpin. Soundtrack (sourced from www.freemusicarchive.org)Alan Spiljak – CloudsAlan Spiljak – ForgottenAlan Spiljak – Light blueAlan Spiljak – Empty daysAlan Spiljak – Stars aboveAlan Spiljak – Not the endA

On this week’s episode, I look at the Toys R Us collapse. It seemed like, in 2018, Toys R Us, collapsed overnight. Its stores were shuttered. Parking lots emptied. The iconic Geoffrey the Giraffe… gone.The reality is, Toys R Us had always been a troubled organization, ever since it opened its doors. It had never built bench strength. It had never built core resilience into its structures, it’s operating models, even its assets. The final blow to Toys R Us might not have taken out another organization. But when you have an organization with decades of fractures and weaknesses woven throughout its fabric… the collapse of this iconic brand was all but inevitable.The Risktory Podcast is created, written, produced and hosted by Jacinthe A Galpin. Soundtrack (sourced from www.freemusicarchive.org)Alan Spiljak – CloudsAlan Spiljak – ForgottenAlan Spiljak – Light blueAlan Spiljak – Empty daysAlan Spiljak – Stars aboveAlan Spiljak – Not the endAlan Spiljak – SunAlan Spiljak – Flying awayAlan Spiljak – TimeAla

On this week’s episode, I am going to explore the life and times of a bonafide Master of the Risk Universe.The 66th US Secretary of State. The 20th National Security Advisor. The 10th Provost of Stanford University. An individual who has faced pretty much every trial you can imagine – personally and professionally - and triumphed. Condoleezza Rice. Condi is a person who has chosen paths in life that many others would not have chosen. Her life has been driven by an almost impervious moral compass and confidence in self that has propelled her to take on both threat and opportunity with seeming ease. She has withstood many an attack on her character, her sex, her race, her politics… and stands tall every time while her foes wither.And when it comes to battle, Condi’s the kind of person you always want in your risk foxhole. The Risktory Podcast is created, written, produced and hosted by Jacinthe A Galpin. Soundtrack (sourced from www.freemusicarchive.org)Alan Spiljak – CloudsAlan Spiljak – ForgottenAlan Sp

Coming up this week’s episode, I know you guys love a good hacking story. This week, I’m going to cover one of the best known – and one of the most controversial hacks of all time – the 2014 Sony Hack.This is a story that has it all: state actors, poor cybersecurity practices, salacious information about the rich and famous. It’s also a story that, at its core, is a sage lesson in how we – as organizations – ought to act when preventing, detecting and reacting to those who wish to do us harm.The Risktory Podcast is created, written, produced and hosted by Jacinthe A Galpin. Related Episodeshttps://www.spreaker.com/user/jacintheagalpin/ashley-madison-part-1https://www.spreaker.com/user/jacintheagalpin/ashley-madison-part-2https://www.spreaker.com/user/jacintheagalpin/equifaxhttps://www.spreaker.com/user/jacintheagalpin/target-data-breach-part-1https://www.spreaker.com/user/jacintheagalpin/target-data-breach-part-2https://www.spreaker.com/user/jacintheagalpin/crash-overrideSoundtrack (sourced from www.freemu

I thought, given that the risk and crisis management space is full of gloom and doom people telling you how the world is going to end tomorrow, but that they can save you if you attend their webinar or pay to attend their online conference or hire them as a consultant.I figured that – this week – in contrast - Risktory would focus on seven stories of those who beat the odds to win. An episode focused on the resilience of the human spirit. An episode honoring those who have taken on threat, been told no, been laughed at, mocked, and, yet, still prevailed. No-one – NO-ONE – has ever won a war through pessimism. We won’t beat COVID-19 through sadness and watching the counter tick over on CNN. We will beat COVID-19 through resilience and courage prevailing over fear. We will beat COVID-19 when we understand that risk is ubiquitous but that we’ve always had the tools – and history proves this time and time again - to overcome the danger of the unknown. This week’s episode should make you smile. Forget the

Coming up this week, a much requested episode on how organizations – from a crisis management perspective – should be responding to COVID-19. The one in a 100 year crisis that will be THE event of our lifetimes.Now many of you know I lead a Command Center for a Fortune 50 retailer, and that I am heavily involved in the frontlines of my organization’s COVID-19 response. This episode is not, in any way shape or form about the work I’m doing leading that Command Center. I always keep my day job and Risktory separate on principle.This is an episode, however, based on my over twenty years experience working in crisis management, about the five simple and easily implementable principles and practices all organizations – small, medium or large, industry agnostic – what they should be thinking about during this time. The universal principles and practices that will make a difference for your organization, your employees, your customers and your communities.So, not the usual Risktory fare, but I think – during thes

Coming up on this week’s episode, the inspirational tale of how the genius, Alan Mulally, was able to, in the words of journalist Bryce G Hoffman ‘save Ford from itself’. Alan Mulally walked into a company that was bleeding money and losing market share and transformed everything, building into Ford a core strength and resilience that would see it return as a powerhouse of car manufacturing.This is a great story of opportunity chasing. Meeting risk head on. And making hard, but inspiring decisions. All in the name of saving an American icon from destruction.Before I begin, thank you to all of my listeners for being so understanding as to why I couldn’t release an episode last week. Many of you know, I lead a Command Center for a Fortune 50 Retailer and – well – COVID-19. Quite possibly the biggest event of our lifetime and I’m working a minimum of 12 hours a day, seven days a week, serving my fellow employees and our customers.I’m doing my best to balance my family, my day job and the podcast and I’m ho