What separates safety training from safety culture? Danielle and co-host Anna Glover sit down with Jen Ruggerio, founder of Rugged Training Group and author of Uncorporate Leadership, to dig into that question.

Safety training without leadership support is box-checking. The conversation examines common leadership models that do not translate to environments where the stakes are lives rather than quarterly numbers.

This episode builds a case for shared leadership as an alternative to top-down hierarchy, positioning safety accountability as something every crew member holds rather than something that flows from a title. Practical threads include heat illness in new workers, how to speak up when you are day labor, why imposter syndrome is evidence of growth, and how the fresh eyes of a first-week worker are an asset most companies fail to use.

Guests:

Jen Ruggerio | Founder, Rugged Training Group Jen Ruggerio | LinkedIn

Hosts:

Danielle Hernandez (host)

Anna Glover (co-host)

Show Notes:

Uncorporate Leadership (Amazon)

Rugged Training Group

Contact Danielle: podcast@eventsafetyalliance.org

It is fireworks season! Danielle sits down with Ryan Abel, a fireworks and FX designer and pyrotechnic specialist. This in-depth chat covers pyro from design to operations, including budget, AHJs, permits and safety protocols.

Site selection, weather, and show-stop criteria each get real-world treatment, including stopping a show mid-performance when winds spiked unexpectedly. The discussion goes into the reputational stakes when incidents go viral, performer and audience clearances in entertainment pyro settings, the role of spotters, and the early-stage challenges of combining drone shows with fireworks.

Guests:

Ryan Abel | Fireworks and FX Designer, Pyrotechnic Specialist

Hosts:

Danielle Hernandez (host)

Show Notes:

NFPA 1123 (outdoor displays) | https://www.nfpa.org

NFPA 1126 (proximate pyrotechnics) | https://www.nfpa.org

Contact Danielle | podcast@eventsafetyalliance.org