Episode 239: How to Stay Professionally Relevant in Changing Times, with "Make Waves" Author, Theresa Hummel-Kralinger

“If you don’t understand your value, no one else is going to understand it for you.” ~ Theresa Hummel Kralinger: Founder-High Five Performance, Author of Make Waves: A Career Pathing Guide to Stand Out, Stay Employable, and Sail Ahead, Professional Speaker and Comedian   How's your work-life looking? The world is changing at lightening speed, and it's no secret the workplace is changing almost as fast. With businesses scrambling to figure out how to use AI and new technologies, and the workforce doing the same, it can feel like the professional world is moving on--and you may be missing it. Workplace expert and High Five Performance founder Theresa Hummel Kralinger offers strategies and brings clarity to the confusion in her new book, Make Waves: A Career Pathing Guide to Stand Out, Stay Employable, and Sail Ahead. Theresa acknowledges how it feels to be stuck in your career — disconnected, uncertain, and wondering if the professional world has quietly moved on without you. But rather than panic or pressure, Theresa first advises awareness--not only giving value to clarity, but approaching everything with love. (Yeah, I didn't see it either, at first!) So many people feel irrelevant in their work — especially in these tumultous seasons of transition. Whether it’s returning to the workforce, changing industries, or simply realizing that what once fit no longer does, Theresa reminds us that relevance isn’t about chasing every trend. It’s about understanding your strengths, articulating your value, and staying awake to how the marketplace is evolving. That’s resilience in action. It’s not rigid survival — it’s responsive awareness. Back to the love part. When companies care about their workers (yep, it's a form of love) employees feel valued, in turn wanting to bring value to the organization by engaging in their work and learning continuously as new technologies and strategies are introduced. Everyone wins. Using sailing as a metaphor, Theresa breaks down the steps necessary to forging a life-long career path, leaning on inherent resilience and personal brilliance (skill sets) to raise visibility, build momentum, grow relationships, and foster credibility as you move forward with intention. At its heart, Make Waves is about reclaiming agency in a time when things may feel out of control. By approaching a professional life with curiosity instead of fear, we open the door to learning and growth, to navigate careers instead of drift with the tides. To hear more of Theresa's wisdom, tune into this episode of the Brilliantly Resilient podcast and pick up your copy of Make Waves here.   “People don’t feel stuck because they’re incapable. They feel stuck because they lack clarity.” “Relevance isn’t about doing everything — it’s about knowing what you do well and being able to articulate it.” “If you don’t understand your value, no one else is going to understand it for you.” “You have to stay aware of what’s happening around you, but you can’t lose yourself in the noise.” “Career management is not something you do once. It’s something you do continuously.” “When people approach their job search with fear, they shrink. When they approach it with love and curiosity, they expand.” “Clarity creates confidence.” “You don’t wait to be chosen. You position yourself to stand out.” “We all need to make waves at some point in our careers — otherwise we just drift.” Let's be Brilliantly Resilient together! XO, Mary Fran