Today we’d like to introduce you to Warren Porter.
Hi Warren, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I’ve spent my life in service—helping people prepare for, respond to, and recover from emergencies. My journey started early. I joined the local fire department while still in high school, drawn to the rush of helping people on their hardest days. That experience led me to the U.S. Army, where I served in Airborne and Ranger units including the 82nd Airborne Division, the 3rd Ranger Battalion, and overseas assignments in Panama and Korea. Later, I transitioned into the medical side of operations, serving as a Wardmaster (supervisor) in Army medical centers and earning my Paramedic certification, along with advanced credentials in pediatric and neonatal critical care.
Over the next three decades, I built a career at the intersection of emergency response and leadership. I worked in fire departments, hospitals, and government agencies, eventually leading regional operations for American Medical Response across 16 states and more than 5,000 personnel. I was privileged to direct real-world, high-consequence missions, such as coordinating the nation’s only successful high-risk Ebola patient transfer from Dallas to the CDC in Atlanta, and overseeing preparedness efforts for the Texas Medical Center, the largest medical complex in the world.
Along the way, I earned a Master’s Degree in Emergency Health Services from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County and contributed to state and national readiness efforts, from writing the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National EMS Curriculum to serving on the Governor’s EMS and Trauma Advisory Council (GETAC) Stroke and Pediatric Committees. I was honored as the Texas Department of State Health Services Person of the Year in 2008 for leading complex hurricane shelter medical operations, especially for over 35 medically special needs evacuees.
Today, I run Porters of Porter, LLC, my Houston-area business continuity and resilience consulting firm. Through this work, I help local businesses and organizations protect their people and revenue, and get back on their feet faster when/should disruptions happen. My approach is simple: take the complexity off their plate and give them practical, plain-language steps that actually work. Most businesses don’t fail because of competition, they fail because they weren’t ready for disruption. My goal is to change that.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road, but I can honestly say that every step has had a purpose. I’ve faced my share of challenges, but I’ve also seen how God has used each one to prepare me for what came next. Every time I hit a wall or life forced me to move forward, the experiences and lessons I’ve with those earlier experiences opened the next door. Looking back, I can see a clear pathway of preparation that I didn’t always recognize in the moment.
I can definitely say there were plenty of hard seasons. I worked three jobs when my wife and I started our family and we have three grown kids now; those years tested my endurance and faith in a lot of ways. But I’ve been blessed with a beautiful wife who’s stood beside me for more than 34 years, and together we’ve weathered every storm.
Having to deal with and overcome all of life’s challenges over the years, I’ve come to realize that resilience, both personal and in business, isn’t about being unshakable or unafraid, it’s about being willing to push through and grow through uncertainty. Some lessons were uncomfortable and costly, but they taught me patience, humility, and perspective. Those experiences now shape how I help others prepare for the unexpected, whether it’s a business disruption or a personal challenge that forces change.
As you know, we’re big fans of Porters of Porter, LLC. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Our story is a little unique. The name Porters of Porter actually came from the Greater East Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce. Our last name is Porter, and we live in Porter, Texas, so the name just fit. It represents both who we are and where we’re from, and it keeps me grounded in the belief that resilience begins with the people and places we care about most.
My business, Porters of Porter, LLC is a Houston-area consulting firm that helps local businesses protect their people, safeguard their revenue, and reopen faster after disruptions. I founded the firm after decades in emergency response and emergency management, where I saw firsthand how municipalities and large organizations often have dedicated teams of people like me, who are focused on risk, continuity, and preparedness. Unfortunately, small and medium-sized businesses don’t have that same luxury. They face the same threats, with potentially a greater overall risk, but without the built-in support or resources that larger companies can rely on.
That realization became my motivation. I wanted to give smaller organizations the same opportunity to protect their business, their revenue, and their livelihood when the unexpected happens. Our mission is simple: to make preparedness practical and personal. We believe readiness works best when it’s built through a partnership, getting to know each business, its people, and its goals so we both can ensure the right fit and real results. That means no binders collecting dust and no confusing jargon, just clear, actionable steps that work in the real world.
At the heart of what we do is the Small Business Resilience Score (SBRS)—a six-domain framework that helps organizations measure, understand, and strengthen their readiness. It examines leadership, finance, operations, communication, people, and continuous improvement to give a complete picture of preparedness. The result isn’t just a number, it’s a practical roadmap that highlights where a business is strong, where it’s vulnerable, and what to do next to close those gaps.
From that foundation, we offer our flagship program, Outage-Ready in 30 Days™, which helps businesses quickly shore up their most critical vulnerabilities, things such as backup power, communication systems, vendor dependencies, and hazard specific plans. It’s a focused, one month engagement designed to give owners confidence that their business can operate through a real world disruption tomorrow morning, not six months from now.
For ongoing support, we provide our Resilience Concierge Service, a year-round partnership that includes quarterly reviews, plan updates, and a personalized Owner’s Continuity Playbook. It’s a living, working resource, personalized resource, kept current through regular check-ins, that help business owners stay confident and in control, no matter what challenges arise.
What truly sets Porters of Porter apart is our focus on making readiness personal, practical, and profitable. We take the science of business continuity and translate it into plain language, so business owners feel empowered, not overwhelmed. My goal is simple: to give small and medium-sized businesses the same level of protection and peace of mind that large corporations enjoy, without the red tape, complexity, or cost.
Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out?
I’d tell anyone starting out to keep it simple, and start with what’s real. I honestly think most people overcomplicate business in the beginning, I did. They chase tools, logos, and trends instead of focusing in on clarity. I’d tell them to focus on solving a real problem for real people, and make whatever they’re doing, usable for the customer, from day one. Once you deliver genuine value and build trust, everything else starts to grow naturally. I’ve always believed in the simple version: start small, stay steady, and keep your promises. That’s the foundation of every resilient business.
I also wish I’d known how long it takes to build trust in a new space, and how much patience that really requires. Early on, I thought hard work alone would create momentum. I believed I could just power through to success. But over time, I realized that business, in general and readiness consulting in particular, isn’t just about results; it’s about relationships.
I learned in my many years of emergency response and management that it’s all about who you know, and how to work with a lot of people who might not be completely on board. If you can get 75 to 80 percent of them moving in the same direction, that’s usually enough to make real progress. In this field, collaboration beats perfection every time.
In emergency management, we used to say it’s all about who you know and it’s true. This work is truly a relationship business. Helping each other is the cornerstone. Coming from larger systems like the Texas Medical Center and public school districts, it took time to learn that slow, steady credibility lasts far longer than fast visibility. Titles open doors, but trust keeps them open.
If I could leave newcomers with one thought, it’s this: success doesn’t come from shouting the loudest—it comes from showing up consistently, doing what you said you’d do, and helping others along the way. That’s how you build something real.
Pricing:
- Because my business is oriented to the customer’s needs, my pricing is dependent on that specific level of care
Contact Info:
- Website: https://porters-of-porter.com
Image Credits
The only image that is not mine directly is the three people (two ladies and myself) holding cards – Tyler Jones Greater East Montgomery Chamber. All others are mine
