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.
Renee Webley
Believe it or not, but the beginning of my entrepreneurial journey was born in the process of overcoming a layoff. In late 2010, after working just 2 years at my first full-time architectural salary position post graduate school, the architecture company I was working at had company-wide lay-offs. I recall being laid off on a Friday and within a few days of my layoff I received a call asking if I would like to continue my services on a particular project, but as an independent contractor. I was an entry-level designer and had been the Green Building Coordinator at my previous office, a position I volunteered myself for as I had a particular interest and specialized studies/training in Green building practices. This taught me one of my first valuable lessons in the field, which was in the benefit of creating specialties and niches for yourself to stand out from your peers. Read more>>
Megan Schisler
In 2019 I finally made it! Or at least that’s what I thought at the time. With a busy family life, it took me longer than most to finish schooling to be a medical assistant. I dreamed of nothing more than to start as a medical assistant and work my way up to nurse practitioner someday. After clinicals, I began working weekend shifts around my busy family schedule at two facilities, one an urgent care and another an express care. I was loving it! Then shortly after covid began, I suited up and worked 14-16 hour shifts at the urgent care because, in the beginning that’s where all the patients were sent. I worked hard, changed out of scrubs in my driveway to not bring it home to my family, and went back to do it over and over again. I eventually caught covid pneumonia and was out for 5 weeks with 2 of those being in the hospital. Read more>>
Mark Berman
I had a solid 18-month run as a dental lab delivery driver. Then at the start of 2023, a conglomerate acquired the lab. They kindly reassured us they wouldn’t let anyone go, and promptly dumped the entire delivery team a month later. To my insane luck that day, however, as I was dissociating in my car in the office parking lot, I got an email for a freelance offer from a publication called uDiscover. I’d spent the last couple years making a very niche name for myself on TikTok both promoting my own music and commenting/memeing on the music I like. The latter was what got on their radar. Read more>>
