Épisodes

  • Quick Wins for Awareness
    Sep 5 2025
    In this installment of the AmCon Daily Brief, Thom Rigsby shares five quick wins that can sharpen your situational awareness without expensive gear or complex training. From scanning new spaces to teaching kids simple awareness habits, these small steps stack up into confidence and calm under pressure. Plus, take today’s challenge to practice one tip and pass it on—because awareness grows stronger when it’s shared.
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    7 min
  • Reading the Signs
    Sep 4 2025
    In this episode of the AmCon Daily Brief, Thom Rigsby explains how everyday environments become training grounds for awareness. Learn how to observe exits and behaviors, mentally rehearse responses, and turn family outings into practice sessions that build confidence instead of fear. Plus, take today’s challenge to test your awareness in the next public place you enter.
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    7 min
  • The Knock at the Door
    Sep 3 2025
    In this episode of the AmCon Daily Brief, Thom Rigsby explores the three layers of situational awareness: perception, comprehension, and projection. Through a storm scenario, learn how to move from simply noticing danger to predicting outcomes and acting while you still have options. Plus, a family challenge to play the “What If” game and practice thinking one step ahead—before the knock comes at your door.
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    7 min
  • Mapping the Risks
    Sep 2 2025
    In this episode of the AmCon Daily Brief, Thom Rigsby shows how families can map and rank the risks around them to replace vague worry with clear priorities. Learn why likelihood and impact matter more than headlines, how mapping risks strengthens family communication, and why this knowledge is the foundation of the Preparedness Mantra. Plus, take today’s challenge to identify the top five risks in your area and start preparing for what matters most.
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    7 min
  • Awareness Is the First Step
    Sep 1 2025
    In this lecture, Tom Rigsby explores the necessity of preparedness within families, using a relatable scenario involving the Johnson family who, during a dinner conversation, confront the reality of being unprepared for potential disasters. This moment of reflection prompts an important question: what would they actually do if faced with a week-long power outage? The uncertainty stirs a deeper realization among the family members; despite their general awareness of disasters, they have never specifically assessed the risks that could impact their lives directly. Rigsby emphasizes that authentic preparedness begins with awareness rather than simply accumulating supplies. He distinguishes awareness from paranoia, suggesting that what truly matters is having a clear understanding of the specific risks present in one’s environment. The lecture introduces the concept of a personal or family risk assessment, designed to methodically identify the most likely disruptions to daily life. He advocates for starting with immediate and obvious concerns, such as local weather events, crime rates, and health risks associated with family members. This straightforward yet crucial task involves looking around and evaluating common hazards in one’s state or region, as well as considering personal vulnerabilities linked to job demands, commutes, or local infrastructure. Rigsby encourages listeners to confront their fears by naming potential risks, thereby stripping them of their abstract power. This proactive approach allows individuals and families to shift their focus from a paralyzing array of "what ifs" to a manageable list of specific challenges they can prepare for. This transition is framed not as an engendering of fear, but as an enhancement of focus that fosters a sense of confidence within families. As part of the actionable steps for listeners, Rigsby instructs them to jot down the top three events most likely to disrupt their lives, not to overanalyze but to simply acknowledge these risks. By moving from contemplation to notation, individuals and families can experience a significant psychological shift; the risks evolve from vague anxieties into concrete plans of action, marking the initiation of real preparedness. In the following session, he promises to delve deeper into risk mapping, helping listeners visualize the hazards in their surroundings and rank them by potential impact. This strategy aims to cultivate a more profound understanding of one's environment, moving beyond basic awareness to truly knowing where dangers lie. Rigsby's core message resonates throughout the lecture: awareness leads to a clearer vision of one’s risk landscape, enabling families to prepare confidently for the unexpected.
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    6 min
  • Looking Back, Moving Forward
    Aug 31 2025
    In this lecture, we delve into the crucial practice of conducting a crisis retrospective, or "crisis retro," a structured conversation that families can engage in following a challenging experience or emergency situation. The session opens with reflections on the collective emotions that surface when returning home after a crisis—a mixture of relief, exhaustion, frustration, and even regret. By facing these feelings, the importance of evaluating the experience becomes apparent, as families recount their stories and assess what aspects were successful or problematic. The crisis retrospective is framed as a method for reflection that builds resilience. The lecture emphasizes that addressing these questions—what worked, what didn’t, and what can be improved—should be viewed as an opportunity for growth rather than as a sign of failure. The approach encourages participants to shift focus from blame to constructive learning; identifying problems without pointing fingers helps maintain team unity and promotes a culture of resilience. Instead of assigning fault, the session advocates for examining the systems and actions taken during the crisis to derive meaningful insights. A key takeaway from the lecture is the notion that every disruption acts as a rehearsal for future challenges. Through this lens, families are encouraged to recognize that preparedness is a process of continual improvement rather than a one-time achievement. By framing frustrations as building blocks rather than setbacks, families can turn stress into strength, enhancing their ability to cope with future emergencies. An actionable step is presented toward the end of the lecture: families are invited to allocate 15 minutes to engage in this retrospective process collectively. This simple yet powerful exercise requires each family member to contribute their thoughts on three questions: what went well, what did not, and what actions will be taken moving forward. The importance of documenting these answers is highlighted, as capturing insights helps create a tangible plan for improvement. The session also encourages families to select at least one specific action to implement in the coming week, reinforcing the idea that every family member can contribute to resilience-building practices. The discussion wraps up with a preview of next week's topic, which will focus on the strategies for sheltering in place when evacuation is not the safest option. The lecture reinforces the broader message that preparedness encompasses both leaving a situation and holding one's ground when necessary, embodying a holistic approach to safety and resilience-building.
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    7 min
  • The Return Home
    Aug 31 2025
    In this episode of the AmCon Daily Brief, Thom Rigsby explains why preparedness doesn’t stop when the order to evacuate is lifted—it shifts into recovery. Learn how to secure food and water when utilities and shelves aren’t reliable, why tools and budgets matter for quick repairs, and how recovery planning builds true resilience. Plus, take today’s challenge to check your shelf-stable food reserve so your family is ready for the return home.
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    4 min
  • The Cost of Leaving
    Aug 29 2025
    In this episode of the AmCon Daily Brief, Thom Rigsby breaks down the true price of leaving when disaster strikes, from hotel surcharges and missed work to hidden costs that drain your wallet fast. Learn why cash is king in a crisis, how to budget evacuation into your preparedness plan, and why money in the bank can be just as vital as gear in your bag. Plus, take today’s challenge to start an evacuation fund you can count on when it matters.
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    6 min