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.
Roy Henry
When the COVID 19 pandemic started. Most of Los Angeles county was shut down and people were either laid off or fired from their jobs. Unfortunately I was one of those people. I struggled to pay the bills and provide for my daughter. Read More>>
Jerri Johnson
I have had 9 layoffs in the course of my career. Six of those layoffs occurred during the 9 years I was working on my Ph.D. I was divorced and a single mother, working in Education and trying to complete my Ph.D. Read More>>
Melissa A Davis
Overcoming a layoff was not a single moment for me but a process of unlearning, rebuilding, and reclaiming my power. I have been laid off 5 times…. Full stop. So trust me; I know about overcoming. Early in my career, I internalized layoffs as personal failure. I had done everything I was told would lead to stability. Read More>>
Ashley Battle
Getting fired from my employer was the best thing that could have happened to me. It happened during covid also! I worked for this company for many years and no exaggeration, I was a very good employee. During covid the job was so stressful, being short on help, Call outs, and simply a younger generation of workers who didn’t want to work. Read More>>
Christine Malazarte
I was laid off recently. In fact, I was one of over 1,000 employees let go from a prestigious four-year private university as part of its sweeping reduction-in-force in 2025, having served as support staff for nearly four years. This was especially difficult for me, as I am also an alumnus of the aforementioned university and have been connected to it for more than half my life. This hurt me both personally and professionally. Read More>>
Keva Edwards-Davis
I was able to over come being laid off many years ago by tapping in to my faith. As a single mother of two daughters, at that time, it was devastating to be called into the Controllers office of well know payroll company and told that I was to be downsized along with 2 other people out of every department Read More>>
Tracy Hunt
I don’t think of divorce as something to “overcome.” I see it as a life edit. Marriage is a deeply personal relationship, but it is also a legal contract. Regardless of how many bridesmaids or flowers are involved, you need a license to enter it and a judge to exit it. Viewing divorce through this realistic lens helped me avoid over-romanticizing the experience and instead approach it with clarity, self-respect, and forward momentum. Read More>>
