Welcome back friends. Today’s episode is going to be a little different. Instead of diving into a leadership lesson or career strategy, I want to talk about the power of taking a step back.

Sometimes, the most important move you can make in your career - and in your life - is to pause, reflect, and realign before moving forward. And that’s exactly what I’m going to be doing with this podcast.

Why Pausing Matters
As a leader, you were probably taught to keep pushing, keep producing, and keep showing up without stopping.

But the truth is, nonstop momentum isn’t always progress.

Email me at Kristen@HRHigherVersion.com to get more details on The Executive Reset Workshop!

Kristen Wade helps HR professionals who want to reach the executive level,
to stop putting out fires and become more strategic with their time. For individual support, apply for Kristen's Signature Program here and she'll be in touch to invite you to a free discovery call.

Or if you're ready to ensure your unique values shine, grab a Personal Branding Strategy Session with Kristen here.

Let me ask you something - have you ever looked up, realized it’s September, and thought: “Wait a second… wasn’t it just January? Where did the year go?”

I hear this all the time from executives and have thought it myself.

You’ve been buried in meetings, racing through emails, putting out fires… and suddenly another quarter, another year, has slipped by.

And instead of being proactive, you feel reactive - drifting instead of driving.

Today, I want to talk about what happens when you don’t hit pause, and how a September reset can help you get intentional again - with your career, your health, and your life outside of work.

And I’ll also share something new I’m offering this fall that’s designed to help you do exactly that.

Email me at Kristen@HRHigherVersion.com to get more details on The Executive Reset Workshop!

Kristen Wade helps HR professionals who want to reach the executive level,
to stop putting out fires and become more strategic with their time. For individual support, apply for Kristen's Signature Program here and she'll be in touch to invite you to a free discovery call.

Or if you're ready to ensure your unique values shine, grab a Personal Branding Strategy Session with Kristen here.

Have you ever said something that made perfect sense in your head… only to be met with blank stares from the people you’re talking to?

Maybe you’ve repeated it - maybe louder this time - only to get the same confused reaction.

Well, I’ve been there. In today’s episode, I’m going to tell you a story that involves SeaWorld, my kids, and a very famous whale - and I promise, there’s a point.

Because whether you’re leading an HR team, presenting to the C-suite, or just trying to get your own kids to cooperate for a photo, how you communicate can make or break the moment.

I’ll explore how intention doesn’t always equal impact, why clarity is kindness, and what this has to do with your role as an HR leader.

Plus, I’ll share some practical communication strategies you can start using immediately to increase trust, connection, and influence.

Let’s dive in.

Kristen Wade helps HR professionals who want to reach the executive level,
to stop putting out fires and become more strategic with their time. For individual support, apply for Kristen's Signature Program here and she'll be in touch to invite you to a free discovery call.

Or if you're ready to ensure your unique values shine, grab a Personal Branding Strategy Session with Kristen here.

Have you ever felt like you’re waiting for the perfect moment to make your next move?

Maybe you’ve been thinking about a promotion…
Or shifting your role into something more strategic…
Or stepping into a bigger leadership identity.

But instead of making the move, you’re… researching. Planning.
Tinkering with your LinkedIn.
Reading yet another article.
Talking yourself in and out of it.

If that’s you, I want you to really hear this:

You can’t steer a parked car.

You have to get moving.

Not perfectly. Not with the full roadmap.
Just forward.

Today, we’re going to talk about what it really costs to stay in park - and how to start moving without spinning out.

And if this resonates with you, I invite you to book a free discovery call with me. No pressure, just real talk about your goals and how to get unstuck.

Let’s go.

Kristen Wade helps HR professionals who want to reach the executive level,
to stop putting out fires and become more strategic with their time. For individual support, apply for Kristen's Signature Program here and she'll be in touch to invite you to a free discovery call.

Or if you're ready to ensure your unique values shine, grab a Personal Branding Strategy Session with Kristen here.

Have you ever looked up from your jam-packed calendar and thought, “How did I get here?”
You’ve been busy. You’ve been grinding. You’ve been putting out fires left and right.

But somehow... you’re still in the same place.

If that feels familiar, you’re not alone.

As HR professionals and high-achievers, we’re often the go-to problem-solvers. We’re trained to react, to pivot, to keep things moving.

But here’s the truth:
You can’t lead effectively when you’re stuck in reactive mode.

You can’t steer a parked car.
And you can’t move forward while standing still.

In today’s episode, we’re going to talk about how to break out of autopilot - how to stop running from task to task and instead lead your life and career with intention.

I’ll share a personal story from my childhood that taught me the power of organization and intentionality in the face of constant change.

And I’ll walk you through a simple framework to help you shift from reacting to strategically creating the life and career you want.

Let’s dive in.

Kristen Wade helps HR professionals who want to reach the executive level,
to stop putting out fires and become more strategic with their time. For individual support, apply for Kristen's Signature Program here and she'll be in touch to invite you to a free discovery call.

Or if you're ready to ensure your unique values shine, grab a Personal Branding Strategy Session with Kristen here.

You know the feeling: another back-to-back day, another week that flew by, another month where your goals stayed untouched because – well - everything felt urgent.

Your calendar is full, your inbox is overflowing, your team leans on you constantly… and yet,

at the end of the week, you're wondering:

"What did I actually get done that mattered?"

If you’re nodding along, this episode is for you.

After 30+ years in HR leadership roles, I’ve seen exactly how often “busy” masquerades as success. But the truth? It’s a trap.

One that’s exhausting, discouraging, and holding a lot of smart, capable HR professionals back from the leadership impact they know they’re meant to have.

Today, I want to talk about why you stay stuck in cycles of nonstop activity… and how to break free from that spin so you can shift from “overwhelmed operator” to intentional leader.

You don’t have to keep spinning. Let’s get into it.

Kristen Wade helps HR professionals who want to reach the executive level,
to stop putting out fires and become more strategic with their time. For individual support, apply for Kristen's Signature Program here and she'll be in touch to invite you to a free discovery call.

Or if you're ready to ensure your unique values shine, grab a Personal Branding Strategy Session with Kristen here.

Hi friends. Today’s episode is a little personal - and I hope I’m not alone and this will resonate with many of you.

Let me ask you something:
Do you ever struggle to talk about your accomplishments?
Do you cringe when someone says, “Tell me about what you’ve done”?
Do you default to phrases like “we did this” or “the team made it happen,” even when you led the entire thing?

If you’re nodding right now, you’re not alone. And good, I’m not alone.

In this episode, I’m sharing how 20 years of using “we” language - while noble - actually made it harder for me to own my impact. And more importantly, how I’ve learned to shift that without feeling like I’m bragging.

Let’s dive in.

Kristen Wade helps HR professionals who want to reach the executive level,
to stop putting out fires and become more strategic with their time. For individual support, apply for Kristen's Signature Program here and she'll be in touch to invite you to a free discovery call.

Or if you're ready to ensure your unique values shine, grab a Personal Branding Strategy Session with Kristen here.

Today, I want to talk to a very specific group of HR professionals.

If you’re someone who:

• Gets physically tired just thinking about small talk,
• Feels like “connecting with people” is draining, not energizing,
• Loves the work of HR but dreads the interpersonal expectations of leadership…

Then today’s episode is for you.

Because I have heard it before:

· You want to lead.

· You want to be in the room where decisions are made.

· But you don’t want to be someone you’re not.

· You’re an introvert.

· You don’t want to talk to people all day.

And my response?

You don’t have to become a different person to become an executive.

You just have to understand what leadership can look like for you.

Let’s talk about how you can be introverted, people-avoidant, low-energy socially - and still be a powerful, effective, respected executive HR leader.

Kristen Wade helps HR professionals who want to reach the executive level,
to stop putting out fires and become more strategic with their time. For individual support, apply for Kristen's Signature Program here and she'll be in touch to invite you to a free discovery call.

Or if you're ready to ensure your unique values shine, grab a Personal Branding Strategy Session with Kristen here.