PODCAST · business
The Crisis Cast
by Lissa Druss & Thom Serafin
The Crisis Cast is a conversational journey in business leadership during a crisis. Our cast of experts review crisis management scenarios and provide resources for navigating uncharted waters.Each episode is moderated by renowned crisis communicators Lissa Druss and Thom Serafin.
Episodes
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John Kass - White Sox Fever
Here comes the tale of two sides of town as October baseball rages onward. Lissa Druss & Thom Serafin welcome the great scribe and ballyard fanatic, John Kass, to our chatroom for a conversation about the cultural significance of baseball in Chicago. You'll hear some fables of games played long…
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Donna Miller - Chasing A Legacy of Service
A sense of community was etched into Cook County Commissioner Donna Miller's journey as an "original Chicago girl." Now she's chasing a seat in the U.S, Congress. In this episode, you'll hear how she plans to serve Illinois' very complex 8-county 2nd District. Lissa & Thom dig into Donna's…
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Henry J. Evans - Bombs, Bacon & Bankruptcy
This is a conversation that leans into the art of crisis leadership. Henry J. Evans shares his journey from being bullied as a boy in Brooklyn, to counter-terrorism to crisis leadership. In this episode, Henry walks Lissa Druss through finding organizational resilience, and the concept of STO...
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Janet Sutherland - Nose Over Toes
To call Janet Sutherland a world-class crisis manager would still be an understatement. The author-journalist is a two-time brain aneurysm survivor. In this episode, Janet shares her inspiring journey with Lissa & Thom. You'll hear the importance of awareness, early detection, and advocacy for...
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Rod McCulloch - Straight Truth About Polling
Time to go behind the curtain when it comes to political polling. Liss & Thom welcome the "pollsters' pollster" Rod McCulloch to our chat room. In this episode, he shares insights into Chicago's mayoral race, signature-collection challenges, and the impact of voter behavior and ethnicity on...
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Grant DePorter - Calling Your Shot
There's a name that's synonymous with making events larger than life. It's Grant DePorter, the longtime CEO and managing partner of Harry Caray's restaurant group. In this episode, Lissa & Thom talk with Grant his inspiring journey through cancer, the legendary adventures of Harry, and how...
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Pat Hynes - On a mission to reform property taxes
When the property assessor's office fails to reflect market realities, the results can be chaotic. In this episode, Lissa & Thom are joined by Pat Hynes, candidate for Cook County Assessor. Pat shares his journey from firefighter/EMT to political leadership. We'll dive into the intricacies of...
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Lou Sandoval - How to mend a divided Illinois
Tenacity and resilience are two very meaningful words in the journey of Lou Sandoval. As one of our region's most revered business leaders, Lou has insights that have guided many ledgers through troubled waters. In this episode, Lissa Druss gets Lou to share his insights on business turnarounds,...
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Greg Bedalov - DuPage County's Economic Growth Secrets
Rumors of Chicagoland's death in business development have been greatly exaggerated." Those words come straight from Greg Bedalov, President & CEO of Choose DuPage. In this episode, Lissa & Thom talk with Greg about economic development strategies and the vision for growth in DuPage County.…
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Jennifer Custer - Reforming Chicago Schools
When it comes to funding Chicago Public Schools, many believe we have a crisis of fiscal responsibility. In this episode, Lissa & Thom talk with CPS board candidate Jennifer Custer about how to best use $10 billion to better serve students. Jennifer shares her journey from student to educator to...
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Dean Richards - Truly Chicago's Very Own
His voice behind a microphone soothed a million smooth jazz lovers in Chicago. Then, his deep southside roots made him a key personality on the WGN-TV morning news. Dean Richards' thousands of A-list celebrity interviews, and his award-winning WGN radio show only scratch the surface of his...
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FLASHBACK: Sgt. Allen Lynch – Unimaginable Heroism
Allen Lynch spent his childhood in Chicago's south suburbs with fond memories of walks to his grandmother's house in Roseland. Lynch was often bullied, and at age 18, to test his strength he enlisted in the U.S. Army. That was 1964, and one year later the United States had troops on the ground in...
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Amy Jacobson - Stadiums, Safety, & Summer
The NFL and never-ending Bears passion has stirred up more debate on a new stadium for the Monsters of the Midway. In this episode, Lissa Druss is joined by radio host, community advocate, referee, and coach Amy Jacobson. Many questions are on the table about the Bears tolerance for taxes, the...
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Thom Mayer - How to find your superpower
This conversation takes multiple twists and turns on where and when true leadership is revealed. Lissa & Thom welcome Dr. Thom Mayer, medical director of the NFL Players' Association. You'll hear about his journey through crisis management on 911 at the Pentagon, during the war in Ukraine, and on...
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Ray Long - Tracking Illinois' corruption makeover
In this episode, veteran Springfield reporter Ray Long joins Thom Serafin to breakdown the recent developments in the Illinois political corruption cases involving former Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan and the ComEd Four. Ray does a deep dive on the legal proceedings, court decisions, and...
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Jessica Biggs - How to improve education in Chicago
The biggest problem facing Chicago Public Schools is they're focused on a pension crisis, and not whether second graders can read. In this episode, Lissa & Thom are joined by Jessica Biggs — a candidate for CPS board president. Jessica is a CPS parent, former principal, and veteran educator with…
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Austin Berg - Chasing Reform
Put on your safety belts for a conversation about the Land of Lincoln's tax and population crisis. Austin Berg, Executive Director of the Chicago Policy Center, joins Lissa & Thom to examine Illinois' fiscal challenges and potential reforms for Chicago's governance. He highlights the impact of…
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Leigh Giangreco - Stories That Need To Be Told
You've seen her byline reporting for the New York Times, Forbes, Crain's Chicago Business, Block Club, and many more great destinations for news. Leigh Giangreco has superpower when it comes to unraveling complex stories. In this episode, Lissa & Thom go behind the scenes with Leigh on her recent...
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Rod McCulloch - Why Voters Are Smarter Than You Think
This week's Illinois primary election underscored that "campaign cash is not a strategy." Veteran political pollster and advisor Rod McCulloch from Victory Research joins Lissa & Thom to dig through the rubble of recent voter behavior. How does one candidate outspend an opponent three-to-one, and...
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John Kass - Words To Live By
Our friend John Kass, the venerable columnist, always says what he feels. During this episode, he takes the conversation with Lissa & Thom to a whole new level. Kass is full of caution on surviving a stroke, avoiding media overload, and his passion for coaching culinary arts. You'll learn why…
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Dan Pompei - The Once & Future Bears
Join Lissa & Thom for some heady talk on the fine art of sports journalism. In this episode, seasoned NFL writer Dan Pompei shares the stories behind Bears superstar Charles 'Peanut' Tillman, and the legacy of Ron Wolf in shaping NFL teams. Plus, we'll dive into predictions on this year's Bears'...
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Rick Heidner - When Politics Get Personal
Businessman Rick Heidner says he can't sit on the sidelines any more. Heidner tells Thom Serafin, in an extended face-to-face interview, why he was compelled to seek the Republican nomination to be Illinois' next governor. You'll hear Heidner's passion for guiding economic success and why family...
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Bela Gandhi - The Science of Finding Love
In this episode, Bela Gandhi, founder of Smart Dating Academy, shares her journey from being a bad dater to becoming a dating coach. Lissa & Thom get schooled on the importance of understanding partner preferences, navigating dating apps, and the significance of emotional and intellectual...
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Ilyce Glink - Your Money's Wake Up Call
There's nothing like some fresh fiscal wisdom as we dig into a new year. Ilyce Glink is back to enlighten Lissa & Thom on the landscape of personal finance. In this episode, we'll chat about precarious markets, the 30% increase in food costs, and what to do about the record-high volume of…
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Justin Kaufmann - City Hall of Wonders
Join us for a wild ride through the entanglements of the Chicago City Council. Axios' Justin Kaufmann jumps into our chat room to breakdown the recent ban on hemp-derived THC products. In this episode, Mayor Brandon Johnson's budget accountability is questioned, and Lissa & Thom work through the...
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Pat Brady - Reclaiming the Republican message
This is a conversation about political identity with a voice of reason no matter what side of the aisle you call home. In this episode, we're joined by Pat Brady, the former chair of the Illinois Republican Party. While Lissa Druss is on assignment, Thom Serafin digs into the Trump impact on...
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Ben Szalinski - The Beltway vs. Springfield
We start the year with a deep dive on the price of division. Join Lissa & Thom as they visit the heart of the Statehouse with Ben Szalinski of Capitol News Illinois. During this episode, we'll troubleshoot the the Land of Lincoln's federal funding gaps and if property tax reform can save the day....
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Kevin Matthews - Broken Mary's Roadie
For decades, millions of Kev-Heads were charmed by the characters and sonic genius Kevin Matthews created on the radio. Today, Kev is traveling the world as a roadie for a broken statue of the Virgin Mary. In this episode of the Crisis Cast, Lissa & Thom celebrate Christmas with a…
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Jarrett Payton - I Wake Up to Give Back
Service to others runs deep in the Payton family DNA. There's a global reminder of that before every Super Bowl, when one NFL humanitarian is bestowed with the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award. In this episode of the Crisis Cast, WGN-TV's Jarrett Payton talks about the life lessons he learned...
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Craig Volden - The Art of Lawmaking
Put on your safety belts for a conversation about grading governance. In this episode, Lissa & Thom welcome Craig Volden, Co-Director of the Center for Effective Lawmaking at the University of Virginia. This discussion dives head first into the importance of civic engagement, the implications of...
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FLASHBACK: Frank Main - The Long Tail of Justice
Pulitzer prize-winner Frank Main has been covering criminal justice in Chicago since 1998. Readers of the Sun-Times are drawn to his work for heeding the journalism mantra "inflict the comfortable, and comfort the afflicted." In this episode of The Crisis Cast, we travel back to a discussion with...
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Gratitude Is Great Medicine
We're celebrating Thanksgiving week with a conversation about the power of human relations. In this episode, Lissa reflects on how the recent passing of her mom revealed her treasured and growing extended family. Thom provides some comic relief in sharing famous last words. Plus, we'll relive and...
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Bonnie Jordan - The Rock For The Most Vulnerable
There's a remarkable place in Glen Ellyn known both affectionately and functionally as The Rock. Born out of Illinois law 50 years ago, to serve deafblind students — the Philip J. Rock Center and School has a brand-new home. In this episode of the Crisis Cast, The Rock's executive director Bonnie...
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FLASHBACK: Nick Kass - Question Everything
For more than 30 years Nick Kass was guiding intelligence at the highest levels of U.S. government -- from the Department of State to the CIA, and the White House. Nick's mantra is simple: question everything. Based in Bucharest, this Chicago native is now Senior Fellow for European Affairs at…
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Sylvie Légère - Dialogue Without Labels
Sylvie Légère, co-founder and CEO of the Policy Circle, joins our chat room to share her journey empowering women through civic engagement and policy conversations. As the Policy Circle celebrates a decade of community service around the globe, Sylvie shares insights on the importance of…
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Bill Kurtis - The Truth Will Always Matter
"For god's sake, take cover!" Those are the five words that catapulted Bill Kurtis into his illustrious career in journalism. His reporting has quite literally saved lives. During this episode, Lissa & Thom unpack six decades of the news media evolution, as documented in Kurtis' book Whirlwind....
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Donna Dupont - Finding Our Collective Intelligence
"Success today is all about anticipatory thinking." Not surprisingly, those are the words of a futurist. Donna Dupont is the founder/chief strategist for Purple Compass and is part of the design faculty at the Canadian Forces College. In this episode, Lissa & Thom fill our chat room with tools…
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Eddie Johnson - Where Are The Adults In The Room
In this episode, we sit down with former Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson to discuss the complexities of law enforcement in today's political climate. Eddie shares his insights on the challenges faced by police departments, the importance of communication between federal and local...
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Helena Volzer - Big Data's Drain On Our Water
There's a water shortage crisis brewing, and it's being driven by AI and other large water users like quantum computing. In this episode, Lissa Druss & Thom Serafin talk through a recent study from the Alliance for the Great Lakes that sounds an alarm over lack of planning. Helena Volzer has been...
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David Haugh - Bullish on the Bears
WSCR's David Haugh isn't backing down. Haugh tells Lissa Druss & Thom Serafin he stands by a 9-win Bears season, and that was before they beat the Cowboys in week 3. In this episode, Haugh talks coaching dynamics and questions if this roster's locker room culture will ever match head coach Ben...
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Whiteboard: Seeking Civility
In this episode, Lissa Druss and Thom Serafin dive head first into the complex role media plays in political polarization. Our hosts discuss recent tragedies, including the murder of Charlie Kirk, and how media narratives can amplify division. During this visit to the Crisis Cast chat room, we...
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Kam Buckner - Unity Doesn't Mean We All Agree
Our leaders need better listening skills. That's the prescription from Illinois State Representative Kam Buckner. In this episode, Lissa Druss and Thom Serafin drill down on who the Democrats believe are their most credible messengers. Buckner represents the 26th Legislative District, and returns...
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Det. Rich Wistocki - How To Stop School Shootings
Ninety-four percent of school shooters posted their intentions online beforehand. That's where the conversation begins in the effort to stop the senseless killing of innocent victims. Detective Rich Wistocki is a cyber crime expert with 33 years in law enforcement, and two decades as a SWAT team...
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Austin Berg - Seeking Governance Grown-ups
"Look for the helpers" is Austin Berg's recommendation for seeking government reform. It's a lesson in hope from the legendary children's television host, Fred Rogers. In this episode, Lissa Druss & Thom Serafin get back to discussing the critical need for a Chicago city charter. It would go a…
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The Politics of Safety
On the heels of President Trump's threat to send the National Guard into Chicago to reduce crime, Lissa Druss and Thom Serafin address the public perception of safety. In this episode, we consider the implications of federal authority in local governance and policing. We'll debate how perceptions...
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FLASHBACK: Seeking Refuge - A Migrant Family's Journey
In this special edition of the Crisis Cast, we'll hear the personal account of a dangerous trek across multiple borders in 2023. We invite you to listen in on Thom Serafin's intimate conversation with a couple from Venezuela, who traveled on foot and on top of train cars in search of the American...
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Chris Bury - Shepherding Next Gen Journalism
For 30 years, Chris Bury was at the forefront of covering the biggest global and national stories at ABC News. Today he's teaching the next generation of journalists at DePaul University. Chris says the two most important words in journalism are still -- go there. In this episode, Lissa Druss &...
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Richard Porter - Defending Americanism
Richard Porter believes this is a moment worth seizing in the shifting landscape of Illinois politics. That's why Porter is passionately testing the waters as a potential Republican candidate for Dick Durbin's U.S. Senate seat. In this episode, Porter joins Lissa Druss to preach bipartisanship as...
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Andrew Stroth - The Cost of Injustice
Civil rights attorney Andrew Stroth made a bold pivot. His path switched from representing superstar athletes like Dwyane Wade to advocating for justice for marginalized communities. In this episode, Lissa & Thom dig into the alarming statistics surrounding wrongful convictions in Chicago, the...
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FLASHBACK: Dagmar Braun Celeste - Women & The Priesthood
Dagmar Braun Celeste was born in Nazi-occupied Austria, she authored her own Bachelor's degree in Women's Studies, which led her to collaborative human rights work with both Rosalyn Carter and Mother Theresa. Dagmar eventually made her home in Ohio, and fed her passion for politics as the state's...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
The Crisis Cast is a conversational journey in business leadership during a crisis. Our cast of experts review crisis management scenarios and provide resources for navigating uncharted waters.Each episode is moderated by renowned crisis communicators Lissa Druss and Thom Serafin.
HOSTED BY
Lissa Druss & Thom Serafin
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does The Crisis Cast have?
The Crisis Cast currently has 100 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is The Crisis Cast about?
The Crisis Cast is a conversational journey in business leadership during a crisis. Our cast of experts review crisis management scenarios and provide resources for navigating uncharted waters.Each episode is moderated by renowned crisis communicators Lissa Druss and Thom Serafin.
How often does The Crisis Cast release new episodes?
The Crisis Cast has 100 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to The Crisis Cast?
You can listen to The Crisis Cast on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts The Crisis Cast?
The Crisis Cast is created and hosted by Lissa Druss & Thom Serafin.
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