AEP’s work relies heavily on materials, and any issue getting supplies has the potential to impact customers. As the supply chain crisis continues, the company is making changes to work within new constraints. On this episode, we talk with AEP’s chief procurement officer about what parts of the business are being most impacted by the crisis. Plus, we find out why the head of supply chain at every electric utility company is concerned about transformers.

You’ve heard of marathons, but have you heard of ultra-marathons? These races can be double or even triple the length of a normal marathon. On this episode, one employee shares why he decided to start running again after a more than 5-year hiatus from the sport and what it takes to run for six, seven and even 24 hours. 

During an outage, imagine being able to get some customers back online in a matter of seconds. That situation is becoming a reality as more of AEP’s circuits get equipment with a technology called Distribution Automation Circuit Reconfiguration. On this episode, we look at how this technology is fundamentally changing the way we deliver power and the impacts its having on customers and employees. 

If you talk to people in the auto industry, they’ll tell you the future isn’t gas, it’s electric. Last year, the sale of electrical vehicles increased, while the sale of gas-powered cars was stagnant. It’s leading many to wonder what’s driving this change. On this episode, we talk with an expert about trends in the electric vehicle industry and how to decide if going electric is a smart choice for your next ride. Plus, we get behind the wheel of a Tesla Model S to see if ones of the most talked about electric vehicles on the market lives up to the hype. 

How we work in the United States is drastically changing and doing things like we’ve done in the past isn’t going to get the same results. So, if there’s no longer a formula for success in the business world - how do you put yourself in the right place to get opportunities? In this episode, we talk with Peggy Simmons, one of AEP’s young leaders, about navigating these challenges and why she wants people to know that failure is an option.

At AEP, telling someone you liked their Good Catch means something different than it does in sports. Good catches are a safety tool that help us share what we’ve learned while performing all types of tasks. In this episode, we talk with a safety expert about what makes the Good Catch program great for safety. Plus, we break down how three good catches from last year can help employees work safer right now. 

How are you doing? It’s a simple question that can have a big impact. One in four adults will experience a mental health challenge at some point in their life. Yet, a lot of people would rather sit through a day of meetings than talk about those challenges at work. In this episode, we talk with one employee about how she changed her views on talking about mental health at the office. Plus, advice from an expert on how to decide if you should share your mental health story with your coworkers. 

What was something good that happened in your life this year? The end of the year is a common time to reflect on our lives but sometimes thinking about what we’re grateful for is easier said than done. In this episode, how to stop and take a moment to look at the good in our lives. We talk with Rhonda Swickert, a professor at the College of Charleston and an expert on positive psychology, about why gratitude can be the best medicine in tough times, and we hear from our employees about what they’re grateful for this year. 

Call it helping out, paying it forward or being involved. No matter how you say it, AEP employees like to volunteer. While many people think of the holiday season as the main time to give back – for some employees, giving back is a year-round effort. In this episode, we talk with two of AEP’s most involved employees about what drives them to volunteer and make a difference in their communities. 

The customer is king, especially for AEP’s Energy Supply organization. It’s the competitive side of AEP’s business and it’s an epicenter for change. In this episode, we talk with Greg Hall, executive vice president, Energy Supply, about the organization’s grown and what the regulated side of the business can learn from Energy Supply’s move toward renewables.