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Mastering Risk

Dr. Jeff Donaldson, CD

Risk cannot be eliminated, disasters cannot be prevented and you cannot purchase your way to an insulated life. You can identify, codify, judge and mitigate risk in your professional and private life.


Non-apocalytpic evidence-based risk and preparedness education, for individuals, families, solo-entrepreneurs, businesses and communities.


Your host, Dr. D is a veteran, professor, author and entrepreneur. 


No one is coming to help, so you and you alone are responsible for your outcomes. The choice is yours, choose wisely.

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  • 24 episodes
  • weekly
  • Avg 26 min
  • English

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Episodes 24

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  • S18 · E5
    March 25 · 34 min

    One Outage. One Hack. One Mistake… That’s All It Takes to Lose Your Business

    Send us Fan Mail Most small business owners believe disruption is something that happens to other people. It’s not. According to real-world data, 91% of small businesses experience some form of disruption every quarter, from minor outages to full-scale cyber attacks. In this episode of Mastering Risk, we break down real incidents from the past week, including telecom outages, ransomware events, and system failures, and extract the lessons most business owners miss. This isn’t theory. This is what’s happening right now. You’ll discover: Why your business is more vulnerable than you think The hidden single points of failure inside most SMB operations How a 20-minute outage can expose a catastrophic weakness Why automation and AI, without oversight, can create reputational risk overnight Simple, practical ways to reduce impact when (not if) disruption happens Here’s the reality: You cannot prevent disruption. But you can reduce the probability. And you can dramatically reduce the damage. The businesses that survive and grow are not the ones that avoid risk. They’re the ones that prepare for it better than their competitors. If you’re a founder, operator, or leader responsible for people, revenue, and continuity… this episode will change how you think about your business. https://preparednesslabs.ca DISCLOSURE Information shared here is for educational purposes only. Individuals and business owners should evaluate their own business strategies, and identify any potential risks. The information shared here is not a guarantee of success. Your results may vary. Copyright © 2026. Support the show https://preparednesslabs.ca/

  • S18 · E4
    March 18 · 29 min

    If Your Business Burned Down Tonight, Could You Reopen Tomorrow? (Build a Continuity Plan in 60 Min)

    Send us Fan Mail What would happen if your business suddenly stopped operating tonight? A fire. A cyberattack. A supplier collapse. A platform outage. Could you reopen tomorrow, or would everything grind to a halt? In this episode of Mastering Risk, Dr. D breaks down a practical, no-nonsense framework that helps small and medium business owners create a simple business continuity plan in just 60 minutes. Most continuity planning is designed for large enterprises. Consultants can charge $8,000–$12,000 and take months to build a formal program. But 95% of businesses don’t have the budget, the time, or the dedicated teams required for that approach. This episode shows entrepreneurs a smarter alternative. You’ll learn how to quickly identify your five critical business functions, map the people, software, suppliers, facilities, and data that support them, and design simple redundancies so your business can keep operating even when disruption strikes. Instead of thick binders and theoretical frameworks, this episode focuses on practical resilience for real business owners. Because disruption isn’t a hypothetical risk. Every quarter, the vast majority of businesses experience some form of operational disruption: cyber incidents, supplier failures, infrastructure outages, or unexpected staff loss. The difference between companies that survive and those that fail is preparation. Inside this episode you'll learn: • The 5×5 dependency map that reveals your operational vulnerabilities • How to identify single points of failure in your business • Simple redundancy strategies for suppliers, platforms, and data • Why monthly rehearsals are the secret to real resilience • How to protect revenue and customer trust during disruptions Risk can never be eliminated. But with the right preparation, your business can recover faster than the disruption itself. Subscribe for more episodes on risk, resilience, and preparedness for entrepreneurs. https://preparednesslabs.ca DISCLOSURE Information shared here is for educational purposes only. Individuals and business owners should evaluate their own business strategies, and identify any potential risks. The information shared here is not a guarantee of success. Your results may vary. Copyright © 2026. Support the show https://preparednesslabs.ca/

  • S18 · E3
    March 11 · 22 min

    Gulf War Chaos Is Here: 3 Downstream Risks That Could Cripple Your SMB (And How to Fight Back Now)

    Send us Fan Mail The Gulf conflict is escalating fast, Strait of Hormuz disruptions, Houthi threats in the Red Sea, skyrocketing oil and shipping costs, and warnings of Iranian cyber retaliation against critical infrastructure. For small and medium business owners, the real danger isn't the headlines... it's the downstream shocks already rippling through supply chains, prices, and operations. In this episode of Mastering Risk, I break down the three major downstream risks hitting SMBs right now in the short to medium term (0–6 months): Double Price Shocks, immediate spikes from logistics/oil chaos, followed by scarcity-driven increases as suppliers scramble. Landed costs are surging, don't get caught flat-footed. Rising Cyber Warfare Threat — Playbooks from past conflicts are live. Expect more attacks on critical infrastructure (power, water, transport, comms) that your business depends on. One outage can cascade into disaster, map your vulnerabilities before it's too late. The Shift to Friend-Shoring & Near-Shoring, Globalization's "free oceans" era is over. Political risk now trumps cheapest-per-unit. Diversify suppliers geographically and politically for resilience, not just cost. I share battle-tested strategies: Build supplier redundancy (dual sources in different regions), smart safety stock (yes, even using self-storage), multi-internet backups, and full business mapping to spot cascading failures. You can't control global events, but you can control your preparedness. Risk can't be zeroed out, but it can be mitigated so shocks don't become fatal. https://preparednesslabs.ca DISCLOSURE Information shared here is for educational purposes only. Individuals and business owners should evaluate their own business strategies, and identify any potential risks. The information shared here is not a guarantee of success. Your results may vary. Copyright © 2026. Support the show https://preparednesslabs.ca/

  • S18 · E2
    March 3 · 37 min

    Global Conflict: Protect Your Small Business: 8 Evidence-Based Risk Controls for SMB

    Send us Fan Mail In the wake of escalating conflict in the Gulf, with the Strait of Hormuz effectively disrupted, tankers damaged or stranded, insurance war-risk coverage cancelled, and Brent crude surging by $7+ in a single day; small and medium businesses are facing real, immediate threats to their supply chains, costs, and operations. As a professor in disaster and emergency management with decades of research on small business risk preparedness, I break down 8 powerful, evidence-based risk controls you can implement right now to de-risk your business against global disruptions you can't control. From diversifying suppliers with true geographic spread and building smart safety stock buffers (balancing lean and agile logistics) to other proven strategies that mitigate cyber, operational, strategic, and reputational risks, these controls help you navigate chaos, protect your employees and their families, maintain operations, and even gain a competitive edge. Whether you run an Etsy shop, Shopify store, dry cleaner, auto repair business, or local restaurant chain, these practical steps are grounded in real-world evidence, not opinions or hype. Key takeaways include: Why single-region suppliers can halt your entire operation overnight How safety stock thinking applies to civilian businesses Building redundancy without breaking the bank If global events like this Gulf crisis (echoing past Red Sea and shipping shocks) are keeping you up at night, this episode gives you actionable tools to build resilience today. https://preparednesslabs.ca DISCLOSURE Information shared here is for educational purposes only. Individuals and business owners should evaluate their own business strategies, and identify any potential risks. The information shared here is not a guarantee of success. Your results may vary. Copyright © 2026. Support the show https://preparednesslabs.ca/

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