Posts by Chesley Brown

3 Overlooked Tips to Destress During the Holidays

Family and friends enjoying a carefree holiday meal because they know to destress during the holidays

Bring home holiday gifts without the baggage It’s that time of the year. Some would say the most wonderful time. But for others, the lights and tinsel of the holidays evoke strong memories of the ghosts of holidays past.  The holidays offer a chance to reconnect with family and friends, take that much needed R&R,…

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Top 5 Problems Facing the Retail Industry

And the best ways to solve them We’ve all heard the Black Friday stories of fist fights breaking out in aisles of the local big-box retailer. To the average person, such stories are humorous. But to retail business owners, they are a cause for concern. Yet, such glaring examples hardly scratch the surface of the…

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Holiday Safety Tips

family playing outside while traveling for the holidays

3 practical ways to stay safe in 2020 We’ve all heard humorous holiday tales. They make for great entertainment around the table during a turkey dinner. You know the stories–e.g., the time Uncle Frank fell off of the roof into a snowbank while putting up holiday lights. Unfortunately, these hijinks are not always so innocent.…

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The Transformational Power of Threat Assessments

Lighthouse on a lonely dirt road preventing the threat of shipwrecks

Ignoring Risk won’t make it go away Cyber crime is one of the most insidious threats facing businesses. As reported here, more than 50% of businesses have suffered cyber attacks–70% of them being small to medium-sized businesses with as many as 60% going out of business following such an attack.  Yet, one study found that…

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3 Practical Strategies to Protect Your Small Business During Covid-19

small business team smiling after sucessfully navigating a crisis using their crisis management plan

3 Practical Strategies to Protect Your Small Business During Covid-19 October 15, 2020 / Chesley Brown Ensure the Future of Your Company Small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) comprise a massive portion of American industry. In fact, 99% of all businesses have less than 500 employees; 98% of them have fewer than 100, and small businesses…

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The Anatomy of a Crisis Management Plan

overhead view of business people working on a crisis management plan outside

4 key strategies to protect your business against risk By Justin Hayes No executive expects a crisis to strike. But every day organizations fall prey to the unforeseen. One study found that 40% of businesses fail after natural disasters. Yet, only half of all businesses have a crisis management plan in place.  This is surprising,…

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risk-takers #9. Joe Sheram – The Turnaround Guru

Brent sits down with corporate turnaround expert Joe Sheram to discuss financial risk, corporate theft, the importance of cash, and some of the biggest challenges businesses face when navigating a crisis from a financial perspective. Joe has helped countless organizations restructure, and strategize their way through some of the most complex and serious issues a business can face.

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Podcast | Risk Takers Series #9. Joe Sheram – The Turnaround Guru

Brent sits down with corporate turnaround expert Joe Sheram to discuss financial risk, corporate theft, the importance of cash, and some of the biggest challenges businesses face when navigating a crisis from a financial perspective. Joe has helped countless organizations restructure, and strategize their way through some of the most complex and serious issues a…

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risk-takers #08. The State of Security – SPECIAL EPISODE

2020 has been a year full of change. In this week’s special episode Brent sits down with Vice Presidents Bryan Taylor, Josh Noland and Max Briggs for a lively discussion on the current state of security. The team discusses current trends affecting business owners, law enforcement, and employees and what to expect in the future. They also discuss how companies can help employees adjusting to the new norm. This is an enlightening conversation, where you’re sure to learn something new.

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What is Business Continuity?

Business COntinuity Plan Illustration

Before completely rewriting your Business Continuity Plan, it helps to understand the fundamentals of business continuity. I put together the following FAQ to give you a better understanding of the underlying information and provide a little more context, and hopefully answer some of your lingering questions. Business Continuity FAQ What is a Business Continuity Plan?…

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risk-takers #07 Jack Barsky – Former KGB Spy

As part of our on going conversation around corporate espionage, we decided to sit down with a real KGB spy for some insider knowledge. In this week’s episode, Brent sits down with author and former KGB spy Jack Barsky to discuss the growing threat of corporate espionage, how bad actors can access a company’s most valuable secrets, and how that information gets used. This is one of the most fascinating episodes of the season, so tune in! You’re sure to learn a lot.

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Podcast | Risk Takers Series #07 Jack Barsky – Former KGB Spy

As part of our on going conversation around corporate espionage, we decided to sit down with a real KGB spy for some insider knowledge. In this week’s episode, Brent sits down with author and former KGB spy Jack Barsky to discuss the growing threat of corporate espionage, how bad actors can access a company’s most…

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risk-takers #06. Human Trafficking with Bazzel Baz

Human trafficking touches nearly every city, county, state and locality in America. Yet law enforcement remains critically under prepared to handle this insidious business. Bazzel Baz, star of NBC’s hit show The Blacklist, and real life CIA super spy is often refereed to as the patron saint of missing children. In this week’s episode Baz sits down with Brent and Dell to discuss the ways human trafficking affects our communities us and how we can stop it. This is a fascinating discussion looking into the darker side of human nature — you don’t want to miss it!

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Podcast | Risk Takers Series #06. Human Trafficking with Bazzel Baz

Human trafficking touches nearly every city, county, state and locality in America. Yet law enforcement remains critically under prepared to handle this insidious business. Bazzel Baz, star of NBC’s hit show The Blacklist, and real life CIA super spy is often refereed to as the patron saint of missing children. In this week’s episode Baz…

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risk-takers #05 Corporate Counterespionage

Its not always the stuff of cold war spy novels but corporate or economic espionage continues to affect businesses all over the world both large and small at an exponential rate. It seems like there’s a new breach every time you turn on the news. The difference is the biggest companies have the resources and budget the protect themselves. But where does that leave SMBs? In this week’s episode, Brent and Dell Spry sit down to discuss the growing threat of corporate espionage, how businesses are exposing their intellectual property. They’ll also cover simple steps small businesses can take to stop those efforts in their tracks. Tune in to this fascinating discussion.

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Podcast | Risk Takers Series #05 Corporate Counterespionage

Its not always the stuff of cold war spy novels but corporate or economic espionage continues to affect businesses all over the world both large and small at an exponential rate. It seems like there’s a new breach every time you turn on the news. The difference is the biggest companies have the resources and…

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risk-takers #04 Brad Orsini – Community-based Security

Visiting our places of worship shouldn’t be dangerous. Unfortunately, faith-based organizations are facing the difficult challenge of how to protect their congregations from religion-motivated violence, and still maintain the welcoming, open environment community members expect.

In this week’s episode Brent calls up Bradley Orsini, the Senior National Security Advisor of the Secure Community Network, the official safety and security organization of the Jewish community in North America to discuss these issues, lessons learned from the mass shooting at the Tree of Life Synagogue, and the most effective strategies faith-based organizations can use to protect their congregations.

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Podcast | Risk Takers Series #04 Brad Orsini – Community-based Security

Visiting our places of worship shouldn’t be dangerous. Unfortunately, faith-based organizations are facing the difficult challenge of how to protect their congregations from religion-motivated violence, and still maintain the welcoming, open environment community members expect. In this week’s episode Brent calls up Bradley Orsini, the Senior National Security Advisor of the Secure Community Network, the…

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