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.
Brandon Carruth
Before opening Sleepyhead I was fired from a customer service job in insurance. I’ll spare you the details, but needless to say, a structured office job answering boring calls from upset customers just wasn’t my cup of tea…or coffee ;). It wasn’t the customer service that I disliked, but the repetitive nature of the job and high expectations of corporate America. I thrive in creative environments when I can really get to know a customer and create beautiful spaces and products. After getting fired and once the shock and temporary devastation wore off I was able to go back to my very first coffee job. Most service industry jobs are hiring often so I was grateful to find a quick job while I sorted out my life and this recent change. The important thing to remember is that a layoff or getting fired is indeed, TEMPORARY. It can be life shattering or it can be life altering. I chose to pivot and allow that change to alter my plans for the better. I grew up wanting to be an entrepreneur. Through middle and high school I was designing fashion and got accepted into a prestigious fashion school before deciding I wasn’t ready for the change and commitment of what seemed like a whole new life. I can say now that I am grateful I decided against pursuing that dream because now I’m living another one. After returning to my old coffee job briefly, I opened a coffee cart of my own with my business partner, Christian. The cart has since grown to two physical locations! I had always loved the idea of bringing the community together and offering a space for creators, students, friends, family, and more all while enjoying a nice cup of coffee and a pastry. I allowed getting fired to force me off a cliff so I had no other option than to spread my wings and take off. Sometimes change is good whether it’s wanted or not. Read More>>
Tabitha Byerly
I was inspired to pursue entrepreneurship due to being laid off a company where I have worked for many years. Instead of feeling sorry for myself, I used that energy into starting my own cruelty-free cosmetic brand. I would wear lip-gloss all the time even to bed. So I said hey start making your own and having it smell like candy and I did just that. Read More>>
Alexandra Arias
Facing a layoff was an unexpected twist in my life’s narrative, just as entrepreneurship was never in the plan. Yet, that’s the profound beauty of life—its ability to surprise us and teach us to trust the unknown. In the face of adversity, you never truly know what transformative opportunities may arise. It’s a testament to the strength of faith and self-discipline, the ability to transform a negative circumstance into a positive outcome. Read More>>
Desiree Wilson
I remember this day like it was yesterday.I showed up to my job that I had been at for 3 years and as I walked in,clocked in,and proceeded to walk to my desk there was another person sitting there at my desk.Next thing I remember happening was my supervisor at the time pulling me aside and telling me I was being terminated due to the company deciding to downsize my department which couldn’t have been true if I was already being replaced.He told me I could “hang out” until the end of the week but after Friday I would no longer be employed there.At that moment I decided to leave right away only taking a couple of items that I could grab the quickest and I headed back to my car.As I drove off I felt the weight of the world lift off of my shoulders and took a big sigh of relief as I headed back home.That chapter in my life was completely closed and I could totally reinvent myself which is exactly what I did.At this time I was already attending esthetician school and now I was free to focus on schooling without working.I left that job with one lesson that I learned and that was “dont give your life up for a job because if you die one day you will be replaced by the next” and I saw that take place right before my eyes and I wasn’t even gone yet so from then forward that saying always stuck with me.There was alot of backstory that led up to me being fired and maybe one day I’ll get the chance to tell the full story but for now I wanted to share what happened to me just a few short years ago and what led up to me finding my passion and pursuing my career as “Desi The Esthi”(esthetician). Read More>>
Claudia Cabrera
In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2019, I found myself facing the uncertainty of a lost job. However, this setback became the catalyst for me to start my own consulting business. Leveraging my experience in customer relationship management from working in state-wide companies, I learned to work smarter, not harder. As a Latin person myself, I recognized the challenges faced by others in navigating paperwork and documentation, which led me to focus on filling out forms for Latin individuals. Read More>>
Cassie B
The pandemic SHUT ME DOWN. I am a self employed singer/ performer and a hairstylist. Both of my passions were completely cut off. In person anything was off limits! At first, two weeks of isolation sounded great, like a little vacation. Little did I know the rules would change pretty much hourly as time went on. This forced me to figure out other ways to stay busy and make some money, since going back to either job was off the table for months. Since I was in high school I have made guitar pick earrings to sell. I go through phases where I have a burst of creativity and make a bunch to sell. I hadn’t had that burst in years, but this was the perfect time to jump back in. My community was so supportive, and I became so busy with making and shipping out my custom guitar pick earrings. As time went on, I got into making mask chains so people could accessorize those awful face coverings we had to wear for so long. I would put charms on the hook that connected to the ear elastic. This made it look the the charms were actually earrings. it was so fun to branch out and make kids styles, and I would add different charms to fit anyone’s personal style. I sold so many! I would say probably 200 or so. Read More>>
Tamara Smith
In March of 2020, I was just on the other side of a layoff after my position at the company I was working for at the time was eliminated. I had just started a new job and signed a lease on a new apartment in Dallas, TX, when the world started to shut down. That’s when I experienced my second layoff in less than 90 days due to the impact of COVID. Read More>>
