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.

Tiffany was fired from her first director role. In her next job, she became a top performer and got laid off anyway.

Those two experiences taught her very different lessons about performance, leadership, loyalty, and the danger of tying your value to your work.

In this episode of Pink Slip Pavilion, host Ashley Waddington sits down with Tiffany Meyer to talk about getting fired, getting laid off, navigating the shame that can come with job loss, and learning how to grow from the parts of your experience you can control.

When Tiffany was fired, she was a single mom with a daughter in college and no significant financial safety net.

There wasn't time to sit around wondering what came next.

She had to get practical. Apply for jobs. File for unemployment. Cut expenses. Figure it out.

Once the initial shock subsided, Tiffany started asking a harder question:

What role did I play in this?

She realized that in her first director role, she was still operating like an individual contributor. She was doing a tremendous amount of work, but not necessarily the work she was now responsible for as a leader.

Getting fired forced her to see a leadership blind spot she hadn't recognized before.

So she took those lessons into her next role and became determined to perform.

She did.

Then she got laid off anyway.

Tiffany was one of the organization's top performers when a nonprofit lost a major funder and eliminated her position.

That experience taught her another lesson:

Being great at your job does not guarantee job security.

In this episode, we cover:

• Getting fired from your first leadership role

• The shame surrounding being fired

• Job searching without a financial safety net

• Knowing when you've done "enough" in your job search

• Taking accountability without drowning in shame

• Moving from individual contributor to leader

• Recognizing your professional blind spots

• Becoming a top performer and still getting laid off

• Why job security can be an illusion

• Overperforming at the expense of your well-being

• Asking for specific, useful feedback

• Finding mentors who can see what you can't

• Knowing when a job is no longer right for you

• Protecting yourself without abandoning your team

One of the biggest takeaways from Tiffany's story:

There is no reward for self-abandonment in your career.

You can care deeply about your work, your team, and your organization without sacrificing yourself in the process.

If you suspect a layoff may be coming, Tiffany's advice is to listen to that instinct. Keep doing your job, but create healthier boundaries and start putting energy toward what's next. Work your network. Have conversations. Explore other opportunities.

Protecting yourself doesn't make you disloyal.

CONNECT WITH TIFFANY:

Website: www.numamarketing.com

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

New episodes every Wednesday.

After 20 years in tech, Ceres Chua found herself asking a question she couldn't ignore anymore: "Is this all there is?"

She had built the career. Climbed the ladder. Earned the titles. Made the money.

Then she got laid off, again.

In this episode of Pink Slip Pavilion, host Ashley Waddington sits down with Ceres to talk about her third layoff, walking away from a 20-year corporate career, rebuilding her sense of purpose, and learning to trust herself outside of the structure she'd known for decades.

Ceres had already survived three rounds of layoffs when she finally received her pink slip in 2023.

She thought she was mentally prepared.

Instead, she found herself moving between relief and panic.

One minute, she was grateful to be free from a stressful job that no longer felt meaningful. The next, she was wondering: What do I do now? What is my purpose?

For the first couple of weeks, the freedom felt incredible. Then the days started blending together.

Ceres realized she needed a routine.

Running. Walking. Journaling. Reading. Connecting with friends. Giving herself small things to accomplish each day helped her regain stability and eventually created the mental space to ask bigger questions about what she actually wanted from her life.

Today, Ceres works for herself.

Looking back, she sees the layoff differently.

"This is a sign. Take it."

After 20 years in corporate, she had become accustomed to other people influencing her trajectory through promotions, titles, and opportunities. Building something of her own required her to relearn how to trust herself.

In this episode, we cover:

• Getting laid off after 20 years in tech

• Surviving multiple rounds of layoffs

• Feeling both relieved and terrified after job loss

• Losing your routine and identity after a layoff

• Creating structure when you no longer have a job

• Asking "Is this all there is?" after career success

• Finding purpose beyond titles and salary

• Leaving corporate life behind

• Learning to trust yourself again

• Building a business and online community

• Making meaningful connections online

• Why self-compassion matters during a layoff

• Rebuilding resilience when life feels uncertain

Ceres's advice for someone navigating a layoff is to give yourself compassion while believing you're capable of creating something new.

"The story we tell ourselves will determine how resilient we are."

Your next chapter may take longer than you expect. You may not know exactly where you're going yet.

Trust that you're more capable than you give yourself credit for.

CONNECT WITH CERES:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cereschua/

Email: ceres@themoneymindsetlab.com

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

New episodes every Wednesday.

Denis Storey has been laid off five times. Three of those layoffs happened in three years. His most recent? His employer decided AI could do his job.

In this episode of Pink Slip Pavilion, host Ashley Waddington sits down with Denis to talk about repeated layoffs, career pivots, being replaced by AI, rebuilding confidence, and what five very different experiences taught him about navigating job loss.

Denis began his career as a journalist. Early on, he was laid off three times by the same company as magazines closed or relocated during the dot-com crash and the economic fallout surrounding 9/11.

Remarkably, the same mentor kept bringing him back.

Those experiences taught Denis an early lesson: layoffs can feel incredibly personal even when the decision has nothing to do with your value or performance. They also taught him the importance of not burning bridges.

Years later, Denis pivoted from journalism into marketing, using his writing and storytelling skills in a new environment. That role was eventually eliminated too.

Then came layoff number five.

Denis was working for a scientific publication, translating complex studies into digestible news stories. After a couple of years, his employer told him his writing would be replaced by Claude, an AI tool.

They even wanted him to help train it.

That layoff hurt.

Today, Denis says he's in the best place he's ever been in his career.

In this episode, we cover:

• Getting laid off five times

• Experiencing three layoffs in three years

• Being rehired by the same company after a layoff

• Why you shouldn't burn bridges

• Pivoting from journalism into marketing

• Using transferable skills to change careers

• Imposter syndrome during a career pivot

• Losing a writing job to AI

• Being asked to help train the AI replacing him

• Rebuilding confidence after job loss

• Why interviewing is a skill you need to practice

• Rethinking loyalty in today's job market

• Staying open to opportunities while employed

• Finding gratitude on the other side of a layoff

Looking back, Denis wouldn't trade his layoff experiences. Each one taught him something about his career, himself, and navigating uncertainty.

One of his biggest lessons?

Don't get complacent.

Keep your eyes open. Maintain your network. Practice interviewing. Know your strengths. And don't allow your career to become your entire identity.

Denis went from having the "Sunday scaries" to being genuinely grateful to sit down at his desk on Monday morning.

For anyone currently navigating a layoff, his message is simple:

It's going to be okay. This isn't your whole story. It's just a chapter.

CONNECT WITH DENIS STOREY:

Instagram: @storeyeditor

LinkedIn: Denis Storey

TikTok: @storeyeditor

Email: denis.storey@gmail.com

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

New episodes every Wednesday.

Vinita's first layoff left her crying on the kitchen floor. By her third, her response was completely different: "It's fine. I'll figure it out."

What changed?

She learned to trust herself.

In this episode of Pink Slip Pavilion, host Ashley Waddington sits down with Vinita Kuhikar to talk about being laid off three times, navigating job loss while on a work visa, rebuilding confidence, and learning how to approach the job search without allowing a layoff to define her value.

Vinita's first layoff happened during COVID while she was working as an architect on a major Google headquarters project in the Bay Area. As an international worker in the U.S., losing her job came with additional pressure: her work visa clock started ticking the moment she was laid off.

After two days to process what happened, Vinita went all in on her job search and landed another role within a month.

Three weeks later, she was laid off again.

Fortunately, she had another offer waiting. Then came layoff number three.

By that point, Vinita's mindset had changed. Instead of wondering whether she'd find another job, she trusted that she'd figure it out. Repeated job searches taught her what worked, how to interview more effectively, and how important confidence was to the process.

Her layoffs also pushed her to reconsider her career. She transitioned from architecture into construction management, finding better financial growth, hours, and working conditions. She also began sharing what she'd learned online to help others navigate their job searches.

In this episode, we cover:

• Getting laid off three times

• Losing a job while on a work visa

• Getting laid off from a dream project during COVID

• Landing another job within 30 days

• Rebuilding confidence after job loss

• What Vinita learned about job searching and interviews

• Separating a layoff from your personal value

• Pivoting from architecture to construction management

• Building your network before you need it

• Preparing for a potential layoff

• Negotiating severance

• Turning your experience into a way to help others

Vinita's experience taught her something powerful:

The first time, you don't know whether you'll figure it out. The next time, you have evidence that you already have.

Her advice? Build your safety net before you need it. Grow your network, maintain your résumé, keep track of your accomplishments, and build relationships outside your company.

As Vinita puts it, you have to back yourself.

If you're navigating a layoff, struggling through a job search, or worried about losing your job, Vinita's story is a reminder to trust your ability to figure out what comes next.

CONNECT WITH VINITA:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vinita-kuhikar Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vin_thejobhunt TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@vin_thejobhunt YouTube: https://youtube.com/@vin_thejobhunt Book a call: https://topmate.io/vin_thejobhunt_community/1954933

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

New episodes every Wednesday.

What if getting laid off gave you the opportunity to completely rethink how you want to work?

Beste knew her layoff was coming.

After watching reorganizations and layoffs unfold around her for more than a year, she received five months' notice that her own role was being eliminated. She would spend those final months helping train the vendors replacing her team.

But Beste was already asking herself a bigger question:

Do I actually want another corporate job?

In this episode of Pink Slip Pavilion, host Ashley Waddington sits down with Beste Ozer Tezcan to talk about navigating an expected layoff, career uncertainty, entrepreneurship, and what happens when job loss gives you permission to question the career path you've always known.

Beste had been unhappy in corporate for years but didn't know what else was possible. Entrepreneurship felt like something she'd maybe pursue in 20 or 30 years.

Then she got laid off.

Instead of immediately jumping into another job, Beste used the time to explore her options. She interviewed. She worked with a coach. She experimented with contract work. And she started questioning whether moving to another company would simply recreate the same problems she'd been trying to escape.

Then came the ultimate test.

On Beste's final day, she received an offer to join the team she'd been trying to get into for six years.

Everyone told her to take it.

She said no.

Beste left corporate and started her own business.

In this episode, we cover:

• Knowing a layoff is coming months in advance

• Training the people replacing your team

• Why Beste waited for the layoff instead of quitting

• Receiving a contract offer the same day she got her layoff notice

• Navigating job interviews while questioning corporate life

• Why changing companies doesn't always solve the underlying problem

• Creating more control over how and where you work

• Exploring entrepreneurship when you don't see yourself as an entrepreneur

• Turning down a corporate opportunity she'd pursued for six years

• Building skills and relationships before you need them

• Why networking matters even when you're not job searching

• Preparing yourself for uncertainty in an AI-driven job market

• Looking beyond your job title to understand your transferable skills

• Creating multiple career options instead of relying on one path

• Why courage and adaptability may be two of today's most important career skills

Beste compares her relationship with corporate life to staying in a toxic relationship because it's familiar:

"I don't have the power to end it. Can you please end it for me?"

Her layoff finally gave her the deadline and space to ask what she actually wanted.

Her advice for anyone facing job loss?

Don't immediately jump into action.

Give yourself space to process. Explore possibilities. Ask what else could be possible before automatically pursuing the same title, industry, or career path again.

The goal isn't necessarily to become an entrepreneur.

It's to make your next move an intentional choice instead of an automatic one.

CONNECT WITH BESTE:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/besteozer/

Pink Slip Pavilion is a podcast about layoff recovery, job loss, career transitions, career reinvention, entrepreneurship, and turning career disruption into growth.

New episodes release every Wednesday.