“Sit down around the fire and I’ll tell you a story,” I say to you.

You don’t even know what the story is about, but you’re already engaged and a little curious. You may even envision the warmth of the fire, the crackle of wood, and the smell of smoke. Regardless, you’re intrigued, and you want to hear more. Such is the power of a story.

Stories are entertaining, but are they anything more? Actually, stories are one of the primary ways through which immediate and lasting change occurs in our lives; in the cultures—including workplace cultures—with which we interact; in our communities, states, nations, and even in the wider world. In many ways, stories are humanity’s true language, connecting and transcending time, culture, and location. If we want to protect workers and their communities by changing behavior, we can start by telling them a story. This is where AIHA’s new video podcast, 5 on the Frontline, comes in.

The video podcast’s goal is to spark change in occupational health practices by focusing on workplace health and safety problems, encouraging people who have experienced those problems to talk about them, and discussing how we can solve them together. The show puts occupational and environmental health and safety professionals like you in the spotlight to demonstrate your service and leadership; reveal how you help protect workers, their families, and their communities; and create a unique personal connection between you and the audience.

Each episode focuses on a specific audience group and provides them with new occupational health information that they need to know, as well as messages that need to be reinforced. For example, one episode focuses on students, parents, teachers, and other school personnel, while another focuses on gym managers, owners, and attendees. The insights and key information provided are designed to be shared widely, especially within the targeted audience upon which we focus each episode.

Each episode is only five minutes long to take advantage of an emerging trend: short-form video content is increasingly popular in the United States and around the world. While long-form podcasts remain popular, not everyone has time for them, but short-form video is fast, convenient, and accessible. Everyone has five minutes to spare.

Would you like to be a guest on the show? Do you have a story to tell? Email me and we’ll schedule a short pre-interview chat to review what you’ll discuss. You’ll also receive a list of essential tips for clearly communicating your story to the audience (five minutes go by fast!) and an interview prep checklist to ensure the entire process is smooth and successful.