If a disaster disrupted your life tomorrow, would you know what to do first?

Who would contact your family? What would happen if you couldn’t work? And would the people depending on you know the plan?

In this episode, I revisit my January 2021 conversation with disaster preparedness expert Joe Rivera, who also happens to be my dad.

At the time of our interview, he brought more than 35 years of experience in disaster restoration. We talked about preparing for emergencies at home and at work, and why having insurance is only one part of being ready.

This conversation is about protecting the people you love, the income you rely on, and the life you’ve worked hard to build.

Disaster Preparedness & How to Bulletproof Your Bank with Joe Rivera - Episode 04

What We Talk About

• Why preparation starts before an emergency. How to identify what could disrupt your household or business.

• The four steps of a disaster preparedness plan. A practical structure for turning good intentions into action.

• What happens when the power goes out. Why your plan needs to account for the services and supplies you depend on.

• Why knowing the plan isn’t enough. The importance of practicing with your family and employees.

• How your community fits into your preparation. Why relationships with neighbors, suppliers, and local businesses matter.

• Small steps you can take today. How to make progress without trying to prepare for everything at once.

With every episode of Women, Wealth & What's Next, I like to empower you with a POWERFUL free resource that goes with the episode which you can implement right away to create some of the same results, if not better, in your business.

This week, since we are talking about protecting your nest egg so you don't run out of funds in retirement, I want to invite you to check out my Ultimate Guide To Financially Bulletproof Your Family for Female Entrepreneurs to help you implement the strategies I talk about here...and a few extra I didn't mention!

After going through this free guide you will be able to identify the missing pieces in your family's financial strategy. So you can start taking steps right away to secure your future!

You can download it right away by clicking here or on the photo above 👆

The information contained in this episode is NOT financial advice. It's my strategy based on my own financial situation and experience, and is not the advice I would give to every client. If you'd like the support of a financial advisor to work out your own plan, click here to connect with my team.

Joe’s Four Steps to Disaster Preparedness

1. Establish a Planning Team

Someone needs to take responsibility for getting the conversation started.

At home, that means involving the people in your household. In a business, it means deciding who will help prepare the plan and carry it out.

Who needs assistance? Who will communicate with whom? Who knows where important supplies are kept?

2. Understand the Hazards and Your Capabilities

What emergencies are relevant to where you live and work? And what would you need to handle them?

Joe encourages us to look beyond our own front door. If you depend on electricity, fuel, deliveries, or another company’s services, those connections belong in your planning.

Having equipment is one thing. Knowing whether you can actually use it when needed is another.

3. Develop the Plan

Once you understand what could happen and what resources you have, put the steps in writing.

Think about communication, leaving safely, essential supplies, and how you would manage an interruption to your work.

The goal is to make decisions ahead of time so you have less to figure out while frightened or under pressure.

4. Implement and Practice

A plan needs to become something your household or team can use.

Joe and I discuss checking equipment, making preparations, and practicing so the people depending on you understand their roles.

Why This Belongs in a Conversation About Wealth

During our interview, I brought up something I’d seen in small businesses: many women don’t have much money set aside to handle an unexpected closure.

A damaged building or extended outage can affect more than the property itself. It can interrupt the money coming in while bills still need to be paid.

That’s why I see preparation as part of protecting what you’re building.

I want my family to be safe. I want the people depending on me to know what to do. And I want to think through those responsibilities while I have time to prepare.

The Moment That Stayed with Me

One of my favorite moments in this conversation was Joe’s closing advice:

Do one thing every day toward being prepared.

Research one question. Have one conversation. Check one item off your estate or disaster planning checklist.

You don’t have to finish everything today to make a meaningful start.

Resources to Help You Begin

Joe recommends the American Red Cross as a starting point. These resources can help you turn this conversation into a plan for your household:

• Explore emergency preparedness resources

• Create and practice a household emergency plan

• Review home fire safety guidance

The Red Cross provides guidance on identifying relevant emergencies, making a plan, and preparing supplies.

This interview was recorded in January 2021. Some references, recommendations, and circumstances reflect that time. Use current guidance from emergency authorities when putting your plan into practice.

A Question I Want to Leave You With

The next time you sit down to dinner with your family, ask yourself,

If we had to leave home quickly, or couldn’t work tomorrow, what would we wish we’d prepared today?

If this episode helped you, DM me on Instagram (@sarahnicolenadler) and let me know your biggest takeaway!