Inside the Pipeline: Risk Management, Consulting, and a Hidden Crisis

Ever reconnect with someone years later and realize your paths were more aligned than you ever knew back then? That's exactly what happened when I ran into Missie Hills again, and this conversation ended up going a lot deeper than I expected. Missie and I go way back, though not in the way you'd think. We reconnected through the unlikeliest source, and it turns out she'd actually interviewed with Lake Superior Consulting about ten years ago before life took her in a different direction. Fast forward through 15 plus years in the natural gas industry, from Arkansas to Houston to now joining LSC, and Missie brings a perspective shaped by operating one of the biggest pipeline systems feeding gas straight into New York City. We got into everything from operational risk management to a subject that hits a lot closer to home than people expect. KEY THEMES AND TAKEAWAYS Missie’s path from mechanical engineering to natural gas operations to consulting wasn't planned, but each step built directly on the last Operating a pipeline means managing risk across community safety, employee safety, and environmental responsibility, all at once The companies that do risk management well are the ones that care about their communities first, not just the bottom line Aging infrastructure and rising energy demand are colliding, and the labor shortage in this industry is a real and growing problem A great consultant isn't a vendor, they're a trusted partner who tells you what you actually need, not just what you asked for Missie is a 20 year photography hobbyist who brings an artistic eye to her travels through the national parks Missie’s volunteer work with Red M is opening eyes about human trafficking prevention, and the numbers are more alarming than most people realize OUR FAVORITE QUOTES "It's not that your threshold changes, it's where you go focus your mitigations, because once you know more about your highest risk, you can focus on the next thing." "It doesn't really matter if it's one home or fifty homes. It really matters to that one home." "It's hidden in plain sight. It's right under our noses." "The number one thing that is going to protect your child is building that relationship of trust." CHAPTER MARKERS 01:26 A houseboat trip and a Minnesota national park 03:27 Missie’s path from mechanical engineering to natural gas 06:12 The reconnection nobody saw coming 11:13 What operational risk management really means 19:00 Where engineering logic meets human empathy 22:06 What separates a real consultant from a vendor 25:53 The hobby you wouldn't expect from an engineer 30:09 Missie’s work with Red M and human trafficking prevention 43:30 The future of natural gas and aging infrastructure YOUR TURN This week's reflection: think about a relationship or connection from your past that you assumed was closed. What might it look like to reach back out, and how might your paths align differently now than they did then? CONNECT WITH MISSIE LinkedIn:   / missiehills   Learn more about the organizations Missie mentioned in this episode: Red Card United: www.redcardunited.com Red M: www.joinredm.com LINKS & MENTIONS Lake Superior Consulting – https://www.lsconsulting.com/ 🔥 If this episode sparked something for you, please follow the show, leave a review, or share it with a friend MB01XNWGEQTBZIY