Raechel saw the writing on the wall before she got laid off. As an administrative assistant with access to her executive team's calendars, she could see things shifting before anyone said a word.

She even called her dad the night before and told him she thought something was coming.

The next morning, she got her pink slip.

In this episode of Pink Slip Pavilion, host Ashley Waddington sits down with Raechel Karas to talk about navigating the emotional aftermath of a layoff, finding your voice, and discovering career opportunities you didn't even know existed.

At the time, Raechel was working toward transitioning out of administrative work and into a more creative role. She had started taking on marketing projects, building new skills, and exploring opportunities to grow within her company.

Then everything stopped.

Along with losing her job, she felt like she'd lost the progress she'd made toward the career she actually wanted.

But that layoff eventually led her somewhere unexpected.

Today, Raechel is a public speaking coach who uses her acting background to help others become more confident communicators.

Looking back, she realized something powerful: she'd been using those skills throughout her corporate career. She just hadn't known she could speak up about them or build a business around them.

In this conversation, we explore:

• Recognizing the warning signs of an upcoming layoff
• Navigating grief, anger, and uncertainty after job loss
• Losing a job while trying to grow your career
• Recognizing transferable skills beyond your job title
• Finding your voice and advocating for yourself
• Turning an acting background into a public speaking business
• Giving yourself permission to rest after a layoff
• Avoiding career decisions driven by fear
• Documenting your accomplishments before you need them
• Building your network and preparing for career transitions

Raechel also shares why she wishes she'd been kinder to herself in the weeks following her layoff.

While others were updating resumes and contacting recruiters, she needed time to process what had happened. She initially felt guilty for not jumping straight into another job search.

Looking back, she's grateful she took that time. It helped her avoid accepting another administrative role simply because it felt safe.

Her biggest reminder?

The skills that make you valuable don't always fit neatly into your job description.

Sometimes losing a job gives you the opportunity to discover what else you could do with them.

CONNECT WITH RAECHEL

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/raechel-karas/

Email: raechel@raechelkaras.com

Pink Slip Pavilion shares real stories about layoffs, job loss, career transitions, reinvention, entrepreneurship, and what comes next.

New episodes every Wednesday.

Wes was laid off three times. After the third, he started questioning whether he wanted another corporate job at all.

What if the expertise he'd spent years building could create a career that didn't depend on a single employer?

In this episode of Pink Slip Pavilion, host Ashley Waddington sits down with Wes Wheless, independent consultant and author of The Expert's Privilege, to talk about navigating multiple layoffs, leaving corporate America, and turning years of professional experience into an independent consulting business.

Wes's first layoff came during the 2008 financial crisis. At just 24, he was devastated. With bills to pay and little savings, he immediately started looking for another corporate job.

His second layoff came in 2020, after six years at a tech company. This time, his reaction surprised him.

He felt relieved.

After years of corporate pressure, the layoff gave him an opportunity to disconnect, decompress, and reconsider what he wanted.

He eventually joined a startup, only to be laid off again during the 2022 tech downturn.

After getting laid off twice in two years, Wes started questioning whether he wanted to spend the next decade jumping between employers, hoping each new job would last.

That's when he began exploring independent consulting.

That journey eventually inspired his book, The Expert's Privilege: A Self-Deployment Guide to Leaving Corporate and Going Solo.

In this conversation, we explore:

• Getting laid off three times throughout a career
• Why losing your job can sometimes feel like relief
• Navigating unemployment and a difficult job search
• Questioning the security of corporate employment
• Leaving corporate after a layoff
• Starting an independent consulting business
• Turning your professional experience into marketable expertise
• Overcoming imposter syndrome when going solo
• Recognizing your value beyond your job title

One of Wes's biggest messages is that you've spent years developing expertise that has value beyond the organization employing you.

You don't necessarily have to abandon your career to leave corporate. You may simply need to rethink how you use the experience, knowledge, and relationships you've already built.

His advice to anyone navigating a layoff?

"Use it as an opportunity to think bigger."

Your next chapter doesn't have to look like your last one.

CONNECT WITH WES

LinkedIn: Wes Wheless

Website: myparachuteplan.com

Book: The Expert's Privilege wesbook.com

Pink Slip Pavilion shares real stories about layoffs, career transitions, reinvention, and what comes next.

New episodes every Wednesday.

Camille has been laid off more than once. The first time, she gave herself space to figure out what she actually wanted. The second time, she ran from unemployment and straight into the wrong job.

Those two experiences taught her an important lesson:

Know what you're running toward, not just what you're running away from.

In this episode of Pink Slip Pavilion, host Ashley Waddington sits down with Camille Romero to talk about layoffs, fear, networking, career transitions, finding the right fit, and remembering that your value exists independently of your job title.

During Camille's first layoff, the world was entering COVID and hiring had largely stopped.

She was forced to slow down.

Instead of racing toward another job, Camille spent time exploring her strengths, what she wanted to do next, and the kind of people she wanted to work with.

She kept networking.

Eventually, one of those conversations turned into an opportunity so naturally that she didn't even realize she was interviewing when the process began.

Her second layoff was different.

This time, Camille panicked.

"I ran away from unemployment rather than running to my next job."

She prioritized finding another role quickly instead of finding the right fit and ended up in a culture that wasn't right for her. Eventually, she negotiated her exit and later started her own business.

In this episode, we cover:

• Getting laid off more than once

• Rushing into the wrong job after a layoff

• Making career decisions from fear

• Finding the right cultural fit

• Networking during a job search

• Why you shouldn't wait until you need something to network

• Building relationships instead of transactional connections

• Asking your network for help • Remembering your value outside of your job title

• Using post-employment support when it's offered

• Reframing fear and nervousness • Changing career paths after a layoff

• Starting a business after leaving corporate

• Keeping your vision in front of you when nothing seems to be working

Camille's experience also changed how she thinks about networking.

Instead of asking, "Is there anyone you think I should meet?" she recommends asking:

"Is there anyone you think should meet me?"

That small shift puts you back in the driver's seat at a time when losing your job can make you feel powerless.

Today, Camille also makes a point of maintaining relationships before she needs them. Every quarter, she looks through her contacts and reconnects with people she hasn't spoken with recently.

Her biggest reminder for anyone navigating a layoff:

Your value is not tied to your position or your role. You have value all on your own.

CONNECT WITH CAMILLE:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/camille-romero-9228091/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hows.it.working/

Email: camille@howsitworking.net

Pink Slip Pavilion shares real stories about layoffs, job loss, career transitions, career reinvention, entrepreneurship, and what comes next.

New episodes every Wednesday.