Webinar - How Mattering Can Buffer Against Burnout in the Fire Service
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Join New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Wallace and former North Charleston Fire Chief Greg Bulanow for a compelling virtual conversation on how mattering can be a valuable force to combat burnout in the fire and emergency services, inspired by Jennifer’s forthcoming book Mattering: The Secret to a Life of Deep Connection and Purpose.
Drawing on Jennifer’s research and her time embedded with Greg’s department – where small, intentional practices to affirm value transformed morale, retention, and well-being – this 60-minute session blends story and science to illuminate why mattering – feeling valued and having the opportunity to add value to the world around us – is not a luxury, but a core human need that protects mental health, strengthens purpose, and sustains resilience.
Together, Jennifer and Greg will explore how reconnecting to our impact can counter burnout, alongside practical, actionable tools leaders and firefighters can use to foster trust, connection, and a renewed sense of purpose across their departments.
Jennifer Wallace
Jennifer Breheny Wallace is an award-winning journalist and bestselling author. Her first book, Never Enough: When Achievement Culture Becomes Toxic — And What We Can Do About It,was a New York Times bestseller and an Amazon Best Book of the Year. Her forthcoming book, Mattering: The Secret to a Life of Deep Connection and Purpose, will be published by Penguin Random House in 2026.
Wallace is the founder of The Mattering Institute and co-founder of The Mattering Movement, a national nonprofit advancing mattering practices in K–12 schools. She serves on the Advisory Board for Making Caring Common at the Harvard Graduate School of Education and was a guest lecturer for NYU’s Fall 2025 course, Education, Mattering, and the American Dream.
A maternal mental health advocate at Calm, Wallace also consults for Netflix, is a BCG BrightHouse Luminary, and has partnered with The LEGO Group on its global “Play Unstoppable” campaign, addressing perfectionism and fostering confidence through play.
Wallace began her journalism career at CBS’s 60Minutes, where she was part of a team awarded the Robert F. Kennedy Award for Excellence in Journalism. She contributes to The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post and frequently appears on national television to discuss her work.
She serves on the board of the Coalition for the Homeless in New York City, where she lives with her family.
Greg Bulanow
Gregory A. Bulanow began his fire service career with the North Charleston Fire Department in 1996. He advanced through the ranks from recruit Firefighter to appointment as Chief of the Department in 2009. Chief Bulanow holds a bachelor’s degree in English from Cedarville College and a master’s degree in Management from Southern Wesleyan University. He is a graduate of the National Fire Academy's Executive Fire Officer Program and credentialed as a Chief Fire Officer by the Center for Public Safety Excellence. Chief Bulanow retired from active service in 2024 but he continues to speak regularly on the topics of organizational leadership and strategic planning for various conferences and leadership development programs. In 2025, he joined the staff of the Soth Carolina State Firefighters’ Association as the Leadership Development Coordinator.
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