The Power of Showing Up Again and Again with Forvis Mazars’ Kristen Wannenmacher Bright

At this stage of her career, Kristen Wannenmacher Bright is less interested in the rush of big wins and more curious about what happens when you keep showing up, day after day. 

A partner at Forvis Mazars, Wannenmacher Bright reflects on how her motivation has shifted throughout more than two decades, moving away from pure momentum and toward consistency and discipline. For her, showing up is not about having the next step perfectly mapped out, but about staying present long enough to see how the work, the relationships and even herself continue to evolve. 

Biz 417: What does consistently showing up mean to you at this stage in your career? 
Kristen Wannenmacher Bright: It's definitely changed for me. Consistency and discipline—those are the two new buzzwords. It's no longer ‘motivation,’ but ‘consistency’ and ‘discipline.’ The reason why I'm showing up has definitely evolved throughout my career. Before, it was the thrill, the competition, the winning, and I'll own it—I loved it. But the ‘why’ of showing up has evolved. You don't get that end result without the consistency of showing up. For me, that end result is the trust of your teammates and the ability to build that community. That's kind of what you get when you go through the consistency. 

Biz: How has your definition of leadership evolved as you’ve been a partner at Forvis Mazars?
K.W.B.: It has, in one way, slowed down to give me that longer view perspective. In the beginning, I had a very short-term view on projects. Like most people in a career, I’m very goal-driven, and I thought that with leadership, it was a short-term vision. That's definitely important, but the longer I've been in this career, the more my leadership has evolved. It has relaxed a little bit because I realized that the long-term vision is just as important, if not more important, than those short-term wins. 

Biz: What’s one way showing up for your team has paid off in the long term, even if it didn’t feel impactful in the moment?
K.W.B.: For one, consistency. It’s very important when you're trying to set an example and build trust with your teammates. It is that quiet consistency that really does build trust. And it is showing up every single day, even when that day is not memorable—when it's not something to post about—that is when you do build those quiet moments. That’s when you’re building trust with your teammates, and, like most people, I’m a firm believer that nothing can be built without the foundation of trust with your team. 

Biz: What’s one small, repeatable way women can start showing up more fully in their careers right now?
K.W.B.: I talk about those quiet moments. We have evolved into a culture of so much noise, where you can carve out those quiet moments; that allows you to actually plan out your day. Even though it sounds so basic, that is something that I’ve focused on here more, because I didn't even realize how much noise we have had. I can't even have my habits if I haven't created an environment to even think about what habits I need. I've been very thoughtful lately about trying to create a quiet environment to think about what habits I need. That’s what I encourage women to do.