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.
Sean J. Daly
Losing a job is difficult, scary, and stressful. I have been in transition between full-time salaried positions and freelance work for most of my 15-year career. As an entertainment industry professional, I have had to experience a few layoffs from full-time positions, and in my freelancing times, the end of a longer project can also feel like losing a job. Read more>>
Ciara Chyanne Morgan
I view layoffs as a blessing. I’m a firm believer that everything happens for a reason. I have been laid off twice in my career as a fashion designer and product developer and it has catapulted my creativity in ways I never imagined. If it want for my 1st layoff in 2020 I would have never rebranded my fashion label into Ciara Chyanne. And If I had never been laid off the second time I would have not been able to take the opportunity to showcase my work at New York Fashion week. Read more>>
Danayia Stedham
After being layed off from my job in the music industry, I decided to go after my TRUE passion – Acting! Music was always something I was good at doing. For the most part, I took on assistant jobs, in addition to my internships. Listening to up-and-coming songwriters and producers was really fun to do. One of my former bosses told me I had a great ear, and allowed me to pitch new artists to him. I enjoyed that so much. Read more>>
Ram Dettmer
When COVID-19 hit and remote work became the norm, I was initially thrilled with the flexibility. But project volume dwindled at the digital agency where I worked as a project manager, I learned they were phasing out some employees to reduce costs. While this news wasn’t ideal, it wasn’t a complete shock . I had been nurturing a side hustle – my own web design business Hungry Ram Web Design – which was showing promising growth. Read more>>
