"There's a lesson in everything that we go through, whether it's good or bad, but the bad teaches us more than anything else."

In this episode of the Business is Human podcast, host Rebecca Fleetwood Hession sits down with Lori Hodges, a veteran first responder, emergency manager, and author of Shaking in the Forest: Finding Light in the Darkness. Lori shares her incredible journey from a pivotal moment at a Grateful Dead concert to a 30-year career helping people navigate emergencies and disasters.

Lori’s perspective on leadership, trauma, and resilience is grounded in real-life experiences managing chaos and overcoming her own challenges. She and Rebecca discuss the importance of calm leadership, the transformative power of vulnerability, and how to find beauty in life’s most difficult moments.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why slowing down in high-stress situations leads to better outcomes
• How to build a culture where leaders and teams look out for one another
• The importance of finding lessons in both personal and professional challenges

Things to listen for:

(00:00) Intro  

(01:18) Career roots and the Grateful Dead concert  

(04:00) Choosing a path in emergency services  

(06:21) Writing the book ‘Shaking in the Forest’

(08:45) Lessons from emergency services: No running, no yelling  

(10:17) Commanding presence and confidence  

(14:26) Developing leadership skills  

(18:20) Early mistakes and learning to stay calm  

(20:34) Tools for slowing down and overcoming trauma  

(27:13) Balancing productivity and self-care  

(29:17) Finding beauty in chaos  

(34:16) Building supportive leadership and team culture  

(42:14) Chaos theory and future projects  

Connect with Lori:

Website: https://lorihodges.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lori-hodges-ma-ccp-pmp-319b2a18

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ThrivingThroughChaos/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mysticblue222

Connect with Rebecca:

https://www.rebeccafleetwoodhession.com/