The Business Emergency Room: For Leaders Facing Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity & Ambiguity (VUCA)
Episodes
Take Five, Leave Five: What Oil & Gas Teaches About Surviving Chaos
01 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
What can the oil and gas industry teach the rest of us about staying sharp when pressure is high, stakes are real, and chaos is part of the job?This c...
When the Referrals Stop: The Tech Growth Emergency
25 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The real crisis in tech is not building the product, it is realizing too late that you never built a way for growth to happen on purpose.Maartje van K...
The Dead Bodies on the Balance Sheet: Where Fraud and Missing Millions Hide
18 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The biggest financial threat to your company may not come from competitors or the market but from the trusted people inside your business quietly drai...
When the Leader Is Still in the Work: Leading Without Losing the Team
11 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The hardest leadership test begins when the person responsible for the team is still inside the work and must shift from personal performance to share...
The Gin and Tonic Test: How to Know If Your Strategic Partnership Is Actually Healthy
04 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Most business emergencies begin long before the chaos hits, quietly forming inside strategic partnerships that leaders assumed were stable.Maartje van...
Deepfakes, Ransomware, and Rogue Bots: Is Your Crisis Plan Ready?
25 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
When a deepfake CEO can move $25 million before you finish your coffee, crisis leadership becomes a race against machine speed.That is the reality Maa...
Bee Wise: Leadership, Seasons & Signals from the Busy Hive w Philip Atkinson
18 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
A beehive may hold the clearest blueprint for how leaders can sense disruption early, close cycles cleanly, and move an entire organization as one.In ...
The Reality Check - 7 Signs You're Operating in a Fantasy (And How To Fix Misalignment Fast)
11 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Most businesses don’t lose value because of one bad decision. They lose it slowly, while everything still looks fine on paper. This episode delivers...
Silence Is Not Neutral: Why Avoided Conversations Cost Your Business
04 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The conversations leaders avoid are the fastest way to lose trust, stall performance, and weaken credibility.In this episode, Maartje van Krieken spea...
Making Elephants Run: Reinventing Every Business at the Speed of AI
28 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The real risk of AI is not the technology itself, but what happens when leaders hold on to identities built for a slower world.This episode of Busines...
“I Thought You Meant…”: The Hidden Assumptions Breaking Your Business
21 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The most expensive failures in business rarely come from bad strategy and instead come from assumptions no one ever said out loud.Maartje van Krieken ...
Hero Ball or Healthy Systems? The Truth About Supply Chain Resilience
14 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
This conversation on The Business Emergency Room looks at why supply chain resilience often decides whether a company absorbs disruption or stays stuc...
The AI Intervention: Rescuing Decision-Making from Overwhelm - with Nissim Titan
07 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Most leaders believe they are making data-driven decisions, yet under pressure many are still reacting on instinct with better dashboards layered on t...
Trust Elasticity: What Bends, What Breaks, What Bounces Back
31 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Disruption does not have to break trust when leaders respond with clarity, care, and honesty during uncertainty.Maartje van Krieken sits down with Kim...
Episode 75 Holiday Special: Gratitude, Scar Tissue, and 5 Business Gifts for 2026
24 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Most businesses do not break in a single moment. Pressure builds quietly, decisions get heavier, and strategic focus starts to slip long before a cris...
Red Clouds & Quick Wins: Mapping Your Way Out of Chaos
17 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Most companies grow by accident instead of design, and this episode reveals how intentional process mapping transforms chaos into predictable value cr...
Dissecting Influence: How Leaders Lead with Their Voice - Dr. Laura Sicola
10 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
If your title says leader but your voice still sounds like a stressed out project manager, this episode will feel uncomfortably honest in the best way...
Heroics Are Not a Strategy: Early Signals, Better Bets, Less Chaos
03 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Strategic risk, early signals and decision quality sit at the center of this conversation with Maartje van Krieken as she speaks to leaders who feel r...
IP in Motion: Repurpose, Partner, Rebrand; Create Value
26 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Intellectual property becomes a strategic power tool in this conversation as Michele Baillie reveals how companies can repurpose their inventions, spa...
The Banker Who Wrote the Book on Business Momentum
19 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Business momentum becomes far easier to build when you understand the physics behind growth and start seeing your company through a banker’s eyes.Th...
To AI-ify or Not to AI-ify? That Is the Question
12 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Before you bring AI into your business, ask yourself: are you ready for it, or are you about to automate the chaos you already have?In this episode, M...
Scaling Through Experience, Not Just Sales; Disney Magic for B2B
05 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What if your business could create the kind of loyalty people feel for Disney?Maartje van Krieken talks with former Disney leader and customer experie...
Ears on the Track: Actionable Measurement for Real Growth
29 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Many leaders rely on goals and KPIs to measure success, yet how often do those numbers reveal what’s actually working? In this episode, Maartje van ...
The Cost of Silence: Five Tough Talks Your Business Keeps Dodging
22 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Most businesses don’t crumble from bad strategy but from the hard conversations their leaders never have.Maartje van Krieken takes an honest look at...
Beyond the Books: Diagnostics That Save Companies
15 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
When a business starts to stumble, the real problem usually isn’t hidden—it’s just misread.Maartje van Krieken talks with Elisabeth Vealey, foun...
Hollywood Flow Hacks for Distributed Teams with Steven Puri
08 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Remote leadership works best when people have the space to enter flow states that spark ideas and move projects forward.In this episode, Maartje van K...
The Value Triage Tool: Prioritize What to Fix First
01 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Business valuation is more than a price tag at exit. It’s a running assessment of your company’s health, credibility, and resilience.Maartje van K...
When the Quietest Voice Saves the Company
24 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Leadership isn’t always loud, and sometimes the quietest voice in the room is the one that steadies the ship.Maartje van Krieken sits down with Greg...
Partnering Smarter With Your CFO: Financial Vital Signs
17 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Most business emergencies don’t appear out of nowhere. They build slowly through overlooked financial red flags that leaders often miss until it’s...
Why Business Exits Fail and How to Protect Hidden Value and Legacy
10 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Most business exits fail not because of flawed numbers but because the hidden value of people, culture, and legacy is overlooked. In this episode, Maa...
Quit Answering, Lead Humans, and AI Smarter
03 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Most leaders spend far too much of their day answering questions, and Atiba De Souza believes that habit is holding businesses back. How much more pro...
The Revenue CPR Your Business Needs
27 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
More leads won’t save your business if your revenue systems, lead quality, and sales pipeline health aren’t working the way they should.Maartje va...
Smarter Due Diligence in a Fast-Paced World
20 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Most business failures can be traced back to weak or rushed due diligence, and that gap often turns into costly business risk. When the stakes are hig...
Addiction & Leadership Recovery
13 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Entrepreneurial coach and author David J. Greer opens up about the side of success most people never see: the quiet reality of high-functioning leader...
Founder’s Fog: When Vision Gets Cloudy
06 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Most startup founders don’t realize they’ve become accidental CEOs until their own success turns into the biggest reason they can’t scale.Maartj...
Too Late to Triage: From Hype to Liquidation in 4 Years
30 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A startup with cutting-edge tech and global momentum collapsed in under four years because no one stopped to build the structure needed to sustain it....
When Growth Bleeds Cash: A Cautionary Tale from Food & Beverage
23 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Scaling looks like success, until your product hits every shelf and you’re still bleeding cash.In this episode, Maartje van Krieken talks with food ...
The Anniversary Emergency: CrowdStrike, Continuity & a Giveaway
16 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A single line of flawed code grounded planes, shuttered hospitals, and crashed cash registers… What would your business do if the emergency was alre...
Why Public Sector Change Is a Masterclass in Complexity
09 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Public sector leaders are quietly mastering the kind of complex, human-centered change most businesses struggle to get right.Maartje van Krieken is jo...
AI FOMO: Stop Watching, Start Winning
02 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
AI isn’t some future threat on the horizon. It’s already changing how businesses operate, and the question is whether you’re keeping up or falli...
Why Leaders Need a Flight Plan with Peter Brandl
25 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Most leadership failures don’t happen because of bad strategy. They happen because we overlook how human we all are when the pressure’s on.Maartje...
When Chaos Hits, What’s Your Plan B?
18 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Most businesses won’t survive their next big disruption. Not because the crisis is too big, but because their business continuity plan (BCP) was eit...
Board Strategy: Who You Seat Shapes Growth
11 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Most boards don’t fail because of bad people. They fail because the right people aren’t at the table when it counts.Maartje van Krieken sits down ...
Catch the Creep, Dodge the Jailbreak
04 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A jailbreak in New Orleans becomes a sharp metaphor for what happens when creeping dysfunction goes unchecked inside a business.In this episode, Maart...
Fixing Sales Before It Bleeds You Dry
28 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Sales problems rarely start loud. They build quietly through messy processes, wishful thinking in the pipeline, the wrong people in key roles, and pri...
What a Gun in the Face Teaches You
21 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
High-stakes decisions don’t reward the loudest voice; they favor the calmest mind and the clearest why.Maartje van Krieken is joined by Jeffrey Owen...
Foresight Unleashed: SCAN Smart!
14 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Most businesses don't fail from bad decisions; they fail because they never saw the storm coming.This episode is a wake-up call for leaders who are to...
How to Be a Cybersecurity Porcupine
07 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Most businesses overlook cybersecurity risk management until an attack hits, but small moves like the “porcupine strategy” and multi-factor authen...
VITALS Matter – Reading People When It Counts
30 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
When a crisis hits, the leaders who move fastest aren’t the ones clinging to the org chart. They’re the ones who know exactly who their people rea...
Conflict Is Inevitable—How You Respond Isn’t
23 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Conflict doesn’t kill momentum. Our silence around it does.Maartje van Krieken makes a case for why conflict resolution in growing businesses should...
Don’t Wait Out Market Chaos—Act Now
16 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
When the market tilts without warning, leadership means stepping up even when the chaos wasn’t your fault.What do you do when geopolitical tension, ...
The Danger of Drifting: Why Businesses Fail in Volatile Times
09 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Waiting out the chaos might feel safe, but in business, standing still during a storm is often the fastest way to lose your course entirely.When a cri...
Scaling Checkup: Is Your Leadership Fit for the Future?
02 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Most CEOs don’t plan their own exit. What happens when the person who built the company isn’t the right one to scale it?Scott Calderwood joins Maa...
The Hidden Growth Killer: A Stagnant Team
26 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
When your leadership team can’t evolve with your business, scaling challenges become even harder to navigate. How do you know when it’s time...
Scaling Smart: Avoiding Investor Fallout
19 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Trust is everything in leadership. Lose it, and investors won’t think twice about making a change.Maartje van Krieken takes a hard look at investor ...
Scaling Right: The Role of Brand Messaging
12 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Most businesses think they know why customers choose them until they realize they’ve been focusing on the wrong thing all along.Maartje van Krieken ...
Delegation Done Right: Free Up 40% of Your Time Without Losing Control
05 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Most leaders could free up nearly half their workload but refuse to let go. Why is delegation so hard, and what’s the cost of holding on too tightly...
Growing Pains: The Leadership Shift from Doing to Delegating
26 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Scaling a business comes with big decisions, tough conversations, and the challenge of building a team that can grow with you. How do you know when it...
Avoiding the Fumble: How Leaders Can Make Smarter Calls in Chaos
19 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Hesitation under pressure costs more than a bad decision. This season 2 kick-off episode of The Business Emergency Room unpacks how to make fast, conf...
Season 2 Trailer
14 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Scaling a business isn’t just about strategy—it’s about navigating chaos, making fast but sound decisions, and keeping teams aligned under press...
Scaling Without Chaos: Strategies for the Entrepreneur to CEO Transition
12 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In the dynamic world of business growth, the transition from entrepreneur to CEO is often fraught with challenges that can either propel a company for...
Applying Disaster Response Tactics to Business Disruptions
05 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Disruptions are an inevitable part of both life and business, but how we respond to them can make all the difference. In this episode, we explore the ...
The Leadership Formula for Turbulence: Trust, Resilience, and Psychological Safety
29 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Navigating high-pressure situations in the workplace requires more than just strategy—it demands trust, empathy, and a culture of psychological safe...
Defusing the Dilemma: How Resourcefulness Solves Big Challenges
22 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What happens when you’re tasked with solving a high-stakes problem you know almost nothing about? This episode of The Business Emergency Room takes ...
The Human Factor in Corporate Change: Insights from a Critical Incident Stress Management Expert
15 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What if the key to overcoming your organization's toughest challenges lies in understanding the human element? In this compelling podcast episode, psy...
The Art of Opportunity Framing: Getting Unstuck and Restarting Progress
08 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Feeling overwhelmed by unclear goals or stalled projects? This episode dives into the transformative power of "opportunity framing"—a structured app...
The Conflict Cure: Grounding Techniques and Resilience Tools for Leaders
01 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Unlock the secrets to transforming overwhelm into empowerment in a dynamic discussion recorded live at Podapalooza, featuring Robyn McTague, a special...
Process Decay: The Silent Killer of Business Efficiency—and How to Fix It
25 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Process Decay is a chronic condition in almost all organizations and can be a significant invisible contributor to overload and turmoil - i.e. Bad Cha...
Workplace Mental Health Triage Tools from The Mental Health Comedian
18 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Trigger warning: This episode discusses suicide and mental health. Listener discretion is advised. If you or someone you know needs help, please reach...
Information Overload: The Silent Drain on Creativity and Efficiency
11 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Overwhelmed by the flood of data in today's fast-paced business environment? This discussion dives into the critical issue of "information inflation,"...
The Anatomy of Readiness: Emergency Preparedness & Response at Tulane University
04 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Emergencies test the resilience and adaptability of individuals and organizations, but preparation makes the difference between chaos and control. In ...
Leadership in Turmoil: Turning Workplace Dysfunction into Collaboration
27 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Picture a workplace where chaos thrives, not because people lack talent, but because communication falters and goals feel uninspiring. Could the solut...
Crisis Talk: Turning Chaos into Strategic Communication
20 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
When disaster strikes and reputations are on the line, are you ready to communicate your way through the storm? Effective crisis communication is a co...
Decision Deadlock: Moving out of Paralysis into Action ASAP
13 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In a fast-paced business world, decision paralysis is a major obstacle in business, stalling innovation and financial success. Maartje tackles this is...
Bridging Generations: Navigating Family Business Succession
06 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Family-run businesses are rich with legacy, but they can also harbor complexities, especially when facing generational transitions. Navigating these c...
An Overdose of Change: Breaking Free from Fatigue and Chaos
30 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Change overdose is real, and it’s draining your business. With 73% of organizations facing change saturation and nearly half of employees experienci...
Harnessing Networks: Solving Big Problems Fast | 014
23 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
When crisis hits, the strength of your network can be the key to survival. Dr. Sumit D. Chowdhury, founder and president of Green Earth X and creator ...
Two Sides of the Emergency: Offshore Response vs. Onshore Failures | 013
16 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
When emergencies hit, clear communication can make all the difference—especially when it’s lacking. In this episode, Maartje and her husband, Eelc...
From Fire to Financial Freedom with Jason Nightingale | 012
09 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
When disaster strikes, it can feel like everything is falling apart. But what if that catastrophe could become the spark for your greatest comeback? I...
The Unexpected Exit: Managing Business Without Key Players | 011
02 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Losing a key player in your business is one of the toughest challenges to face, whether it’s due to illness, sudden departure, or other unforeseen e...
Hurricane Katrina & Deepwater Horizon: The Louisiana Seafood Comeback | 010
25 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
When disaster hits, it's not just about weathering the storm—it’s about rising stronger on the other side. This episode is a powerful look at how ...
Critical Disruptions: Major Repairs Under Pressure | 009
18 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
How do you handle business chaos when it hits you out of nowhere? Maartje dives into the reality of dealing with big breakdowns after they've already ...
Starting Over, and Over… with Resilience Expert Romeo El-Chaer | 008
11 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In a profound exploration of resilience and change, Romeo El-Chaer shares his insights on overcoming adversity both personally and within organization...
Prioritization: Steering Through the Overwhelm | 007
04 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In the whirlwind of business chaos, where the heat is high and the stakes even higher, Maartje steps in with practical wisdom on mastering the art of ...
Make Money, Not Mistakes with Sharon Galluzzo | 006
28 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Imagine standing at the edge of financial ruin, only to make a decision that changes everything. Sharon Galluzzo shares how she and her husband went f...
Out of the Fire: Moving out of that “Now what?” Moment | 005
28 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
When a crisis strikes and it feels like you're fighting fires in every direction, the biggest hurdle often isn't the emergency itself—it's deciding ...
The Business Swiss Army Knife with Tim Newman | 004
28 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Ever wish you had a "Swiss Army knife" for your business challenges? Tim Newman is just that—bringing a wealth of experience and versatility to ever...
Dismantling Help Hesitation | 003
28 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
When uncertainty looms and decision-making becomes daunting, the question isn't just about navigating through the chaos—it's also about why business...
Triage Your Business Turmoil with Expert Guidance | 002
28 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode Maartje carries on the conversation about what working with her is like. From short-term contracts to interim management, Maartje work...
Navigating out of Business Chaos | 001
28 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
When chaos strikes and the storm clouds gather, the difference between sinking and sailing often comes down to how quickly you can find calm amidst th...
Are You Ready for Your Business Emergency Room Visit?
23 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Join host Maartje van Krieken as she takes you through the journey of what inspired her to begin this podcast and how it will offer you immediate insi...