Two-Time Emmy Winner Theresa H.K.: The Playbook to Beat a Cold Job Market
- Mary McCorvey
- Sep 9, 2025
- 3 min read
Originally published on Mary McCorvey's Substack.
You are not your job title. That’s where this conversation begins.
Today on Experience Over Expectation, I sit down with Theresa Hummel-Krallinger (Theresa H.K.)—two-time Emmy winner, author of Make Waves, President & Chief People Officer at High Five Performance, university professor, and a stand-up comic of 20+ years. She’s helped job seekers since 2003, and she’s seen every season of the market—hot, cold, and confusing.
Theresa’s “Boat Model” is the kind of simple, sturdy thinking we need right now:
Rudder – your direction
Hull – your skills/experience
Sails – your reputation and brand (degrees, certs, public work)
Motor – your network that moves you even when there’s no wind
It’s humane, practical, and—most of all—doable.
Watch on YouTube:Two-Time Emmy Winner Theresa H.K.: The Playbook to Beat a Cold Job Market (paste your YouTube link here)
Pre-order my book:Experience Over Expectation — Let Go of the Plan, Live on Your Terms →
https://www.marymccorvey.com/
What we cover
Why we confuse identity with employment—and how to separate them
How a comic’s eye for everyday life makes you a better communicator at work
The Boat Model and how to sketch your own “career vessel”
Networking for introverts (relationship-first, not schmooze-first)
What leaders get wrong about retention (hint: tell people they’re top talent)
Financial right-sizing so a job loss isn’t a life collapse
Theresa’s Playbook (quick hits)
Don’t park your soul at the door. You bring your whole self to the work—humor included.
Tend the garden year-round. Help others before you need help. That’s real networking.
Stay out of complacency. Keep learning, keep building reputation signals, keep showing your work.
Live within your means. Overextension turns a layoff into a crisis.
Leaders: say the quiet part out loud. If someone’s top talent, tell them. It matters.
Try this mini-exercise
Draw your boat, honestly.
What’s your rudder pointing toward? If unclear, write what good looks like for you.
Is your hull strong? Which skills need reinforcement?
How full are your sails? List visible proof of credibility (projects, posts, certs, talks).
Does your motor start? Name 10 people you could help this month—then do it, no asks attached.
Save your sketch. Revisit quarterly.
Favorite moments & chapter markers
00:00 – Why identity ≠ employment
02:00 – The origin of Make Waves and helping job seekers since 2003
04:00 – Stand-up comedy for work: building the “humor muscle”
10:28 – The Boat Model: rudder, hull, sails, motor
15:45 – The twin traps: complacency and overextension
18:18 – Networking that feels human (and works for introverts)
23:07 – Retaining top talent: tell them they’re top talent
26:21 – Making waves by leaving corporate to build your own thing
27:58 – Ikigai: joy, skill, need, and pay—finding the overlap
Two quotables to share:
“We don’t park our soul at the door when we come to work.”
-Theresa H.K.
“If you only ask for help when you need it, you’re already late. Be a go-giver first.”
-Theresa H.K.
About our guest
Theresa Hummel-Krallinger (Theresa H.K.) is a two-time Emmy winner, author of Make Waves, President & Chief People Officer at High Five Performance, university professor, and founder/facilitator of Meet the Author at the Pyramid Club (Philadelphia). She’s also a working stand-up comic of 20+ years. Connect with her on LinkedIn and let her know you found her via this episode.
Keep the momentum
Watch the episode on YouTube:Two-Time Emmy Winner Theresa H.K.: The Playbook to Beat a Cold Job Market
Pre-order my new book:
Reply to this email: What part of your boat needs the most love this month—rudder, hull, sails, or motor?
With care, Mary
P.S. Hitting reply helps this land in your inbox next time and lets me hear your story—both matter to me.
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