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Sirens fade, but the lessons shouldn’t. On this episode, we sit down with Helen Hynson Vettori—former paramedic, federal emergency planner, and now the mind behind the Black Swan thriller series—to explore how real-world crises become page-turning stories that sharpen leadership and preparedness. From street-side triage to cross-agency strategy, Helen shows why decisive action at the edge must pair with deep collaboration at the center if you want a response that actually works.

We trace the arc from 9/11 urgency to the drift that follows when memories dim and budgets tighten. Helen opens up about the early months of COVID, the confusion that took root, and how she used fiction to forecast outcomes and make hard truths easier to face. Her writing moves the action forward while sneaking in the operational details that matter: clear communication channels, roles that don’t overlap, and the humility to adjust when Murphy’s Law shows up. Then we shift ground—literally—to the New Madrid Seismic Zone in Missouri and the research behind Black Swan Shock, where centuries-old eyewitness reports meet modern vulnerabilities in the St. Louis region.

Find Helen's novels on Amazon here or on her website: https://www.helenhynsonvettori.com/

We'd love to hear from you. Email the show at Tom@leadinginacrisis.com.