“Communication is so important and it's probably one of the most important things you can do for your safety,” shares Cathy Pedrayes, safety guru, author, and everyone’s favorite TikTok mom friend. In today’s episode, host Christi Lukasiak is joined in conversation with Cathy Pedryes to talk about everyday safety and security measures that are easy to do but that you may not have thought of before.    Cathy shares that being the mom friend came naturally to her long before she ever identified as one. She began sharing quick safety tip videos on TikTok and they took off because she was sharing unique ideas such as keeping frosting in the car in case of diabetic emergencies. Cathy got many of her ideas from her background as a scientist working with OSHA regulations and from her time working in TV for QVC.  Often, people will ask questions that are meant to determine your level of vulnerability. They may want to access your financial situation, determine if you are alone, or uncover any resources you are lacking that they can then exploit. Celebrities and anyone whose job puts them in the public eye sometimes receive safety training for how to answer certain fan questions that risk giving away personal information, but these techniques can benefit anyone. By always communicating your location with a loved one, having answers to personal questions prepared ahead of time, being constantly aware of your surroundings, and thinking ahead, you can keep yourself much safer on a daily basis.    Tune into this week’s episode of Christi’s Couch for a conversation about everyday safety. Learn little tips and tricks you can start using right away to keep yourself and your loved ones safe whether you’re in your neighborhood or traveling abroad.   Quotes “I find that oftentimes the types of questions that people ask are questions that speak to your vulnerability.” (36:48-36:55 | Cathy) “When people are asking, ‘Oh, are you traveling alone, you're getting back home alone? Are you going out with friends tonight?’ Yes, yes you are. You are always with a group of people. No, it's not your first time visiting, you have friends that live in town.” (38:47-38:59 | Cathy) “Sometimes people don't realize that the questions they're asking, even if they mean it innocently, it's asking you to give up personal information.” (39:50-39:59 | Cathy) “Communication is so important and it's probably one of the most important things you can do for your safety.” (48:39-48:46 | Cathy)   Links Follow Cathy on TikTok HERE   Grab a copy of her book HERE  FOLLOW ME ON INSTAGRAM CHECK OUT MY TIK TOK WATCH MY LATEST YOUTUBE VIDEO If you've benefited from this episode be sure to tag me @christilukasiak on Instagram and share this episode with your community to spread the word! Also, be sure to leave a review on iTunes. And if you want a question answered on the couch, call 1-800-988-8155 and leave a message!    XO, Christi