One of the most beautiful characteristics about America is the ability we have to fall, dust ourselves off and try again. Layoffs or firings may seem unsurmountable at first, but we’ve seen over and over again how getting laid off can often be the first step towards a significantly more fulfilling future. We’ve shared some incredible stories below.
Luca Romagnoli
Being laid off from Microsoft after five years was initially disheartening, but I used it as a catalyst for starting my own business. It was the only company I had ever worked for, and it set a high bar for what to expect from the corporate world. I reflected on the experience however, and realized that my sense of comfort also came with a sense of unfulfillment. I was eager to build my own company, and felt a much higher ceiling was present with my growth. From there stemmed my desire to start Crystal Custom Design. I leveraged my connections I made throughout my time there, and grew steadily since out inception. Read more>>
Krystle Dorsey
I worked for a program part-time for about a year and a half after graduating with my master’s degree in counseling. It was the Great Recession during the time, and I had trouble securing a full-time role. I was fired from this role unexpectedly, and it was devastating. Read more>>
Crystal Statskey-biichle
In 2019, I faced a turning point that many would dread but, in hindsight, was a blessing in disguise. I was laid off from a job that I didn’t particularly enjoy, and while the idea of job loss was unsettling, the truth was, the job itself had been a source of discontent for quite some time. Read more>>
Allison Payne
In 2020 I was a sales manager at a hotel, a job I had been doing for 15 years! All of a sudden, COVID hit and the world shut down. All of the hard work I had poured into helping to build a successful hotel started falling apart in front of my eyes and just a few days into March I knew that my time with that hotel was limited and a layoff was imminent. And while I knew that it was coming there were still tears and a sense of loss. How could there not be with a career that long. Read more>>
