Losing your job is painful and unfortunately the current economic conditions have led to many layoffs and firings in companies large and small. However, we’ve learned though thousands of interviews over the years that job loss is one of the most common catalysts for massive life improvement. Below, we’ve shared stories and perspectives from some very successful members of the community around how they dealt with job loss.

Goli Young

When I was 23, I got laid off from my first real job. I was living on my own in New York City, and I was terrified of what was to come. Not only that, but the job I got laid off from was toxic and draining, and had sucked all of the confidence I had in my work out of me. I remember sitting on a park bench in Soho on the phone to my older brother, seeking advice in how to tell my parents. I walked all the way home to Brooklyn that day. In the months to come, in between job applications and interviews, I rekindled the love of working with my hands. I started doing small embroideries in my tiny apartment, and participating in workshops and freelancing for other designers. I remembered why it was that I loved to create. I feel the most in touch with myself when I’m making things. I ended up deciding that I needed another adventure; that I wasn’t done and wasn’t settling for whatever next job rolled my way. I picked up and moved across the world to Melbourne, Australia to pursue a Masters in Business and afterwards, returned to Chicago to start my own bridal line, Goli June. Read more>>

Red Rodriguez

When I found out I was being laid off from a company I loved and respected deeply, it hit hard. This wasn’t just any job for me; it was a place where I’d poured my creativity, energy, and belief in cannabis as a force for change & that we could do that through the power of collaboration & storytelling. I’d been with them for four years, working alongside some of the brightest minds in the industry. That kind of role doesn’t feel like a job—it feels like a calling. So, being told I had to step away was jarring. Read more>>

Annisa Benjamin

This was tough for me at first in that you don’t plan to get fired. A lot like death or the transition of a loved one, you don’t wake up one day and expect to lose them forever. And so I grieved. I grieved, because this job was apart of my identity. It was apart of my daily routine. It was apart of how I paid my bills and kept a roof over my head. It was apart of how I showed in the world and proof that I’m a responsible adult. What helped me to overcome this was remembering who I was, who Annisa was. Many times, we tie ourselves to a title but never consider the idea of being stripped of that title and begging question of who we truly are. I sat with that for weeks in my bedroom at my desk and I suddenly remembered, who my God is and all that he has instilled in me and placed on my heart. I remembered that I have a business — a fully functioning one at that and with real clients who trust me. I realized, this was God pushing me and allow me the time and space to pour into my entrepreneurial endeavors. Read more>>

Aaron Coalson

I was fired back in 2024 from one of the largest companies in the world. It was quite a blow, but I realized pretty quickly it could not define me. Immediately after being let go, I went to work Doordashing and Instacarting. I got out there. I didn’t sit behind a computer waiting for someone to hire me, but instead acted on what I could control within that moment. Read more>>

Drummond Fulcher

I was working a dream job for a tech company for several years when I got let go after the company merged with another company back in 2021. When I got the call from my supervisor informing me that I was being let go I was in complete shock. Not even three months prior I had won an award for being a huge part of helping my company navigate the transition we had to make to remain up and running during the COVID pandemic. I went above and beyond my role to help provide the support the company needed to adjust to the new virtual conditions brought on by all the lockdowns. So when I got the news I had to figure out what that meant for me moving forward. Thankfully I wasn’t let go on the spot and had two months to figure some things out. Like I mentioned before this job was a dream job for me. I climbed the ladder very fast at this company and became a sales and leadership coach within the company and I absolutely fell in love with the role. Before I had found out about the news of me losing my job I had started a side hustle coaching business where I coached people on being more self empowered. When I got the bad news my first thoughts once I wrapped my mind around it was maybe I could use all that I’d learned from this job and apply it to my own coaching business and do that full time. So after the shock wore off I decided to look at the situation in a more positive light. I told people I looked at is as more of a graduation from the company that had taught me all that I could learn from them and now I needed to go and use what I learned in the world as an entrepreneur. Read more>>