The JEMS Report

Should you say no to good things to save space for the great ones? How do you know which opportunities are good versus great? Join Kris Kaull, chief marketing officer for Pulsara and co-founder of EMS1, as he opens up to hostess Brett Lyle about some of the challenges he has faced as a serial entrepreneur. He discusses the tools he used to overcome them and explains how he intentionally designed his career to be personally fulfilling and professionally valuable to the industry. We discuss tangible practices that define and reshape mindsets. We talk daily to-do lists and lifelong goals and accomplishments. We talk mentorship and the differences between servant leadership and coaching. "If you're an art history major.. if you're an engineer... we need [you] in EMS."

Welcome to Emergent Leadership where we connect with passionate leaders who just have to share their stories, perspectives, and most importantly, lessons learned.

The need is urgent, the events are critical, and the you of tomorrow is just an episode away!

Join the conversation: If you have a leadership topic, experience, or lesson learned you would like to share or hear more about, send an email at [email protected] or use and follow #emergentleadership to join the conversation. You can also connect to Brett directly through LinkedIn or follow her journey on YouTube.

On this episode of Another Dose, Dr. Candice McDonald and Robin Goldinger, RN, are joined by Fire Chief/Attorney Chip Comstock, Paramedic/Attorney Matthew Streger, and EMT/Journalist Richard Huff. They discuss the pros and cons of social media in EMS.  

This week, host Brett Lyle is joined by Steve Dralle, South region president for Global Medical Response (GMR), as he opens up about his first leadership experience as a manager at McDonald’s at 17 years old and his path since then. Steve shares a few management lessons and leadership principles he still uses today, discusses the roles of energy and mindset and the challenging transition from a frontline clinician to a leadership role.

They discuss the differences between leading, managing and having charisma – and the value of each of them. They talk tough conversations. They talk social interactions and interpersonal relationships. They talk feedback. They talk sacrifice.

Steve talks about the burden placed on today’s leaders, explores the value in asking for help and emphasizes the importance of the people you surround yourself with as you navigate your path. 

Welcome to Emergent Leadership where we connect with passionate leaders who just have to share their stories, perspectives, and most importantly, lessons learned.

The need is urgent, the events are critical, and the you of tomorrow is just an episode away!

Join the conversation: If you have a leadership topic, experience, or lesson learned you would like to share or hear more about, send an email at [email protected] or use and follow #emergentleadership to join the conversation. You can also connect to Brett directly through LinkedIn or follow her journey on YouTube.

Let’s Get it Straight host Katherine West goes over the basics of exposure and what body fluids do and do not pose a risk.

Can “this is how we’ve always done it” actually serve as valuable insight? Can the past be a part of the solution for the future? Can understanding the journey be a part of a healing or resilience plan? 

This week, Brett is joined by Kristy Van Hoven, director of the National EMS Museum, museum expert, and PhD candidate who is determined to understand how the past plays into the present and how it can be used as a tool for cultural breakthroughs and understanding and progress. 

Kristy shares stories about her time at Mayo Clinic working to understand how artifacts and collections may directly affect brain disorders, explains how the Minneapolis Institute of Art used pain and loss as a way to heal a community, and how museums are able to facilitate emotional progress and strength. 

Storytelling is the first step to healing, and only when we are confident and ready to embrace vulnerability are we able to effectively drive and lead sustainable change. 

Welcome to Emergent Leadership where we connect with passionate leaders who just have to share their stories, perspectives, and most importantly, lessons learned.

The need is urgent, the events are critical, and the you of tomorrow is just an episode away!

Join the conversation: If you have a leadership topic, experience, or lesson learned you would like to share or hear more about, send an email at [email protected] or use and follow #emergentleadership to join the conversation. You can also connect to Brett directly through LinkedIn or follow her journey on YouTube.

Should EMS be called healthcare? Does the answer depend on the type of agency in discussion? Where does emergency medicine begin and end?

This week, Brett is joined by Justin Fairless, medical director for Air Methods, practicing emergency medicine physician for TeamHealth, and assistant professor for Texas Christian University and University of North Texas Health Science Center School of Medicine in Fort Worth.

Dr. Fairless opens up about his personal experiences from the different perspectives and environments where emergent medicine is learned and practiced — prehospital ground and air, hospitals and higher-level education. Justin shares stories about real-time teaching moments and offers solutions on how to get the most out of clinical rotations, while building relationships within the healthcare continuum and your local community.

Justin shares his mindset that allows him to manage multiple career responsibilities simultaneously, and leaves you with a philosophy that transcends environments, will help you become a stronger clinician and will stand the test of time for true #emergentleadership.

Welcome to Emergent Leadership where we connect with passionate leaders who just have to share their stories, perspectives, and most importantly, lessons learned.

The need is urgent, the events are critical, and the you of tomorrow is just an episode away!

Join the conversation: If you have a leadership topic, experience, or lesson learned you would like to share or hear more about, send an email at [email protected] or use and follow #emergentleadership to join the conversation. You can also connect to Brett directly through LinkedIn or follow her journey on YouTube.

On this episode of Another Dose, Dr. Candice McDonald and Robin Goldinger, RN, are joined by Chaplain Dr. David Mabry, Clinician Yvette Graham, LISW, Captain Dena Ali, and Advanced Paramedic Traci Van Deventer to discuss mental health and the EMS provider. 

Are some people more cutout for leadership than others? Do innate attributes make a leader, or can leadership be learned?

Join Seth Komansky, deputy director and chief of operations for Wake County EMS (NC), as he opens up to hostess Brett Lyle about his personal experiences and lessons learned. Chief Komansky shares stories about the book club they established to facilitate growth, explains why personal growth plans are crucial for team building and how decentralizing command benefits employees, leaders and agencies.

We discuss emergent leadership in the context of incident management and command presence, recognition primed decision-making and the value in being uncomfortable.

Seth explores management of varying personnel strengths and perspectives and shares the one quick, but critical question he asked, immediately, as he stepped into his titled leadership role.

Welcome to Emergent Leadership where we connect with passionate leaders who just have to share their stories, perspectives, and most importantly, lessons learned.

The need is urgent, the events are critical, and the you of tomorrow is just an episode away!

Join the conversation: If you have a leadership topic, experience, or lesson learned you would like to share or hear more about, send an email at [email protected] or use and follow #emergentleadership to join the conversation. You can also connect to Brett directly through LinkedIn or follow her journey on YouTube.

The Age of the Entrepreneur: Millennials, Resources, and Visions

Does age matter? Is age a barrier to your success, or is it the key?

Join Ryan Thorne, founder and chief executive officer of Thorne Ambulance Service (SC), as he opens up to hostess Brett Lyle about his experiences as a young entrepreneur and business owner who is making his way, building a successful private ambulance organization in South Carolina.

Ryan shares stories about his challenges and successes in securing initial funding and how his upbringing and prior EMS experiences helped shape his passion for the industry and his vision for the organization. Ryan reveals the exact moment he decided to start his own ambulance company, shares the philosophies and practices that he has adopted for his agency and offers solutions for how to self-educate and stay competitive.

We talk about our experiences in the industry as 20-year-olds and the transition to 30-something millennial leaders. We talk through the notion of “thick skin” and how the company you keep affects your mindset and resilience.

Ryan offers you a tip for learning technology and embracing social media in a day and age where connection, communication and instant feedback are expected, and he shares the key to his success as an #emergentleader thus far.

Welcome to Emergent Leadership where we connect with passionate leaders who just have to share their stories, perspectives, and most importantly, lessons learned.

The need is urgent, the events are critical, and the you of tomorrow is just an episode away!

Join the conversation: If you have a leadership topic, experience, or lesson learned you would like to share or hear more about, send an email HERE or use and follow #emergentleadership to join the conversation. You can also connect to Brett directly through LinkedIn or follow her journey on YouTube .

On this episode of Another Dose, Dr. Candice McDonald and Robin Goldinger, RN, are joined by Dr. Allen Turner and Tiger Schmittendorf. Turner is a 23-year U.S. Coast Guard veteran and current NASA Emergency Manager; Schmittendorf is a firefighter and former emergency manager. Together they discuss the need and strategies for personal and organizational preparedness for EMS professionals to reduce the impact of disaster that hit home.