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.
Ingrid Nájera
At the onset of Covid, mid March 2020, I immediately got laid off of my first real job since graduating college. I had been at this job for 3 years, had been applying for a new job for at least 6 months and had worked with one client on the side as a freelance designer. I had no luck with any new job prospects and when I got laid off I knew finding a new position, especially during a pandemic was going to be almost impossible. I was defeated. I panicked, cried and fell into a mild depression. Read more>>
Kevin Heisinger
Before I moved to Los Angeles, I worked at a very small dive bar near Sacramento. Did I lie about having bartending and serving experience? Yes. But I figured, how hard could it be? Turns out this married/not married couple running this random restaurant in the middle of nowhere were very strict and rude. The lady in particular did not like me and kept an eye on me. Even when I was making honest mistakes, she would shake her head in disapproval and take note. Eventually, she checked the cameras and saw me on my phone in front of a customer, and decided enough was enough and had me fired. Read more>>
Cozi
I’m actually in the midst of overcoming this now. I’m glad I got fired, I wanted that chapter of my life to end and those 3 years felt like forever! I felt so restricted there and I just didn’t like it. Fashion never stopped though, so that’s what I’m very grateful for. God has kept me through all of this, all in his Devine timing. Ecclesiastes 3:1 “There is a season (a time appointed) for everything and a time for every delight and event or purpose under heaven-“ Read more>>
Tyler & Jessica Driskill
In 2019 both of us were let go from our jobs within 2 months of our wedding date. We were left in complete disarray as we had just tied the knot, moved into a new home with higher expenses, and were starting our life together. We unfortunately did not have the support of our families, with one side even stating “this isn’t a life event” and essentially telling us to suck it up and work harder. The friends we told did not seem to care much, with our closest circle even “forgetting” what we had shared with them and acting as though nothing had changed for us. This was truly the beginning of some of the darkest years of our lives. Read more>>
Robert Warren
I worked for a company for over 15 years as their Director of Technology, the last 5 years I had been working part-time remotely as their system admin. Then one day out of the blue they decided they didn’t need my services and laid me off without warning and with no type of severance at all. After losing my job and part of my income, I realized I didn’t want to be reliant solely on someone else for my financial security. I have embarked on a new endeavor being a content creator and primarily using YouTube as a medium to do that. Read more>>
Karla Pamanes
Getting laid off due to COVID-19 was a hard hit, especially since it wasn’t my first time—I’d already gone through it just 17 months earlier. For a decade, I had a stable career in the media industry, working at a company that grew to be a leader in lifestyle media, surrounded by colleagues I admired in a city that felt like home. But when that chapter closed, I found myself facing years of uncertainty, and I’ll admit, it was pretty intimidating at first. Read more>>
