The STARS Framework for Vigilant Living - (Part 1 of 7) The Origin Story

Three Sips to Shots FiredWhat Happens Before the SirensMost podcasts about tragedy focus on what happened.This podcast asks a different question:What happened before?Hosted by Lori Baxley, Three Sips to Shots Fired: What Happens Before the Sirens explores the moments, decisions, behaviors, warning signs, routines, and human factors that shape our lives long before crisis arrives.Drawing from Lori’s experience as a former police officer, probation officer, criminologist, educator, and survivor of a violent home invasion, each episode examines the often-overlooked space between ordinary life and extraordinary events.Through conversations with survivors, experts, investigators, advocates, military leaders, first responders, authors, and everyday people whose lives were forever changed in a single moment, the podcast seeks to answer one central question:How can we live more intentionally before the sirens?At the heart of the show is the STARS Framework:⭐ Scenarios — What can happen here?⭐ Triggers — What feels slightly off?⭐ Action — What will you do about it?⭐ Routines — What habits protect what matters most?⭐ Stoicism — Can you remain calm when life isn't?This is not a podcast about fear.It is a podcast about awareness.About preparation.About resilience.About learning from lived experience.And about making small decisions today that may change everything tomorrow.Whether the topic is personal safety, crime prevention, addiction, domestic violence, resilience, parenting, leadership, faith, mental toughness, or recovery, every episode explores what happens before crisis—and what we can learn from it.Because sometimes the distance between three sips and shots fired is much shorter than we think.Host BioLori BaxleyLori Baxley is the host of Three Sips to Shots Fired: What Happens Before the Sirens, a podcast dedicated to exploring the decisions, warning signs, habits, and human behaviors that shape outcomes before crisis occurs.Lori's professional background spans more than two decades in criminal justice, higher education, and public safety. She holds a degree in Criminology, completed advanced studies in forensic psychology and gang behavior, served as a police officer and probation officer, and spent years teaching and mentoring others in higher education.Her perspective, however, extends far beyond the classroom and the criminal justice system.In December 2019, Lori survived a violent home invasion that left her fighting for her life. She endured catastrophic injuries, multiple surgeries, life support, temporary dialysis, and ultimately the loss of her right leg below the knee. Her survival journey transformed not only how she viewed safety and preparedness, but how she viewed life itself.Today, Lori uses her experience, education, and hard-earned perspective to help others think differently about awareness, resilience, preparedness, and personal responsibility.She is the creator of the STARS Framework:Scenarios. Triggers. Action. Routines. Stoicism.A practical approach to navigating uncertainty, recognizing warning signs, making better decisions, and responding effectively when life becomes difficult.Through her podcast, speaking, writing, and advocacy, Lori encourages others to move through the world with greater awareness—not fear; preparation—not paranoia; and resilience—not helplessness.Her mission is simple:To help people think more intentionally about what happens before the sirens.