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Filling Hypothetical Jobs with Tanishia
78 Plays1 month ago
Today I chat with Tanishia who is staying BUSY! She tells us all about how she started in one career, pivoted to recruiting, and now puts her energy into being an entrepreneur and juggling at least two different businesses. We also chat about our government contract recruiting days and what it's like to fill jobs that may or may not actually come to fruition.
On a final note, #FreeKarenRead!
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Transcript
Introduction to 'I Lost My Job'
00:00:11
Speaker
Hello, welcome everybody. My name is Jackie and I lost my job.
True Crime Interest: The Karen Reed Case
00:00:22
Speaker
Welcome back everybody. It's another great episode of I lost my job. Before we dive into it, I need to take a second to acknowledge a little side interest that I have been engaging in.
00:00:38
Speaker
And if you're anything like me, you've been enjoying some true crime lately. Or maybe you haven't. Maybe you're a normal sane person. But I have to take a second to acknowledge the case of Karen Reed.
00:00:51
Speaker
If you are following this case, you know that we are waiting for a verdict from the jury. This poor woman has gone through two trials of being accused of murdering her boyfriend, and she clearly did not do it.
00:01:07
Speaker
I am literally on the edge of my seat waiting for this verdict to come back. So I just had to start today by saying, free Karen Reed, this woman did not do
Guest Tanisha Joins: Govt. Contracting & Busy Life
00:01:17
Speaker
it. 100%, she was set
00:01:22
Speaker
With that out of the way, i am really excited about today's guest, Tanishia. She was such a joy to talk to She and I got to talking to it everything about government contract recruiting, how do you fill a hypothetical job that may or may not exist in the future, and we got to talk about how Tanishia keeps herself busy and girl keeps herself busy, so props to you I hope you all enjoy this conversation with Tanisha.
Creating Community Amid Job Uncertainty
00:01:55
Speaker
Ah, Tanisha, it's so good to have you here. Thank you so much for joining me. Thank you so much, Jackie, for the invitation. This is this is such a ah great thing and experience to be a part of.
00:02:07
Speaker
Oh, good. I'm very excited for this, and I really do hope it brings kind of that sense of community to folks who have been laid off and lost their jobs, which these days, it seems like that number is ever growing. Absolutely.
00:02:24
Speaker
Unfortunately, definitely. Unfortunately. Yes. yeah We're just, we're waiting for the tides to turn. Yes. We're all looking for that corner.
Post-COVID Job Market Instability
00:02:32
Speaker
that Right. Right. Like just a semblance of normalcy, right? When it comes to this whole job market and the em work thing. and And yeah, we just, I think people just kind of want things to be ah feel a little bit more normal.
00:02:45
Speaker
Yes. Because I mean, we just did this not too long ago with COVID. We had... the great firing. And then there was like the great rehiring. And then there was the great refiring. And we just kind of continued on with that. Like what has the past five, six years been at this
Hope for Job Market Improvement
00:03:05
Speaker
point? Yeah, absolutely. It's like, can we get a break?
00:03:07
Speaker
Can we just, can we just. It's like, you rey right. Exactly. Exactly. ah Exactly. Oh my goodness. It's times are, times are crazy, but I am confident that,
00:03:21
Speaker
there's always the light at the end of the tunnel.
Life Challenges: Waiting for Good Weather
00:03:23
Speaker
And there will be a light at the end the tunnel, just like COVID and and all these other things that we've been through, right? So it just might take a little bit longer sometimes, but... It's cyclical.
00:03:32
Speaker
Yes, yes. the cole But sometimes it feels like we're in the Game of Thrones kind of cycle where we're in the million years. When is spring? Right, exactly. i just need some warm some warm ah weather, the sun to come out. Like all of this rain is just killing me. Yes, it's it' like just we need a refresh, you know. we definitely need a refresh.
00:03:55
Speaker
Yes, somebody needs to hit the refresh button. Yes, absolutely. Somewhere else.
Tanisha's Career Journey: System Admin to Forensics
00:04:02
Speaker
Yes. Well, I am so thankful that you are here to share your experience before I dive into all things layoff. um First, I would love to hear a bit about kind of your professional background. Can you talk us through some of the work that you've been
Transition to Technical Recruiting
00:04:19
Speaker
doing? Absolutely. So um when I first graduated college, I moved up to Northern Virginia and was, I've always been in the government contracting realm since I started my professional career, right?
00:04:31
Speaker
And I started doing kind of like system admin type things and then had the opportunity, the great opportunity to get into to the CERT incident response,
00:04:42
Speaker
which from there I learned forensics, got my hands wet with forensics. And then from there, transition to full-time forensics for doing that for 12
00:04:53
Speaker
Yeah, that was like the the bulk of my career.
Positive Role Transition Experience
00:04:56
Speaker
My professional career was doing computer forensics, which I loved. It was something new at the time when I started or fairly new at the time when I started. And it was just like so much to learn, but it was just it was just awesome. Right.
00:05:08
Speaker
And then um just because of, you know, things happen in life. you you recognize how important time is over quality of time is in your life over money and other things. you know I decided that I kind of wanted to make a transition.
00:05:23
Speaker
And from that point, um the past three years, I had been doing technical recruiting. So um I actually stayed with the same company I was doing computer forensics with and then just transitioned over to the corporate side of doing IT t recruiting for the actually for the contract that I left, as well as for other contracts within the company.
00:05:46
Speaker
Wow. So you you transitioned within the same company. yeah What was that experience like making that transition? Because it's not always easy for people to do. It's not. For me, that was like the first time I had done that within the company within a company. Of course, the company I have been with ah late lately or the last company that I had been with.
00:06:06
Speaker
I was with them for 13, 13 and a half years. So that was the like absolute longest I had had ever been with any company. It was kind of, of course, giving me the opportunity to be able to transition um was more likely there than any of the other companies I had been with previously.
Qualities of Good Management
00:06:23
Speaker
It was actually pretty seamless though. I will say that it makes a huge difference when you have your management behind you to be able to make those changes.
00:06:34
Speaker
And they're encouraging of you like, Hey, yeah, I know we're losing you from this contract, but we would rather keep you with the company than to lose you, you know? And so, Hey, whatever I can do to help make that transition happen.
00:06:48
Speaker
That's what I'm going to do. So that was the case it for me. It was, you know, I expressed, Hey, this is where I'm at. Like I need more time, freedom. I am burning the candles at both ends.
00:07:00
Speaker
Like my manager jokes, he always jokes on me, but he would always joke and call me, give me nicknames because I never had any PTO because that
00:07:12
Speaker
ah He would make so many jokes about me because I was just doing, there was so many things that I was doing outside of work that I needed time for. And so when I was at work, you know, just to make sure I'm getting things done, you know, I'm burning the candles at both ends. So I just like, Hey, I need more time freedom.
00:07:28
Speaker
and ah more quality of life for me. you know And ah so when I mentioned to him, you know that's what I was looking for, he was like, hey, I think we have some openings in recruiting. you know So let me but me um introduce you to one of our directors over recruiting and see how we can make this happen.
00:07:49
Speaker
So it was it was pretty seamless. That's awesome. he's not Not every company takes that approach, right? A good company will take that approach of and we would rather retain you and have you transition to a different department versus leave us completely. Some companies, um and honestly, it really sometimes comes down to managers who are just...
00:08:11
Speaker
so unwilling to support people transitioning to different departments. And what they don't realize is you're going to end up losing that employee one way or another. so you either have to think about it from a team perspective of losing them.
00:08:26
Speaker
Right. you know, from your team, but keeping them for the greater good of the company or you're losing them altogether. But absolutely. yeah Some managers just can't see, you know, past the end of their face. And I totally agree with you. And I always say that there's a difference between um ah boss and,
00:08:45
Speaker
and a manager,
Challenges in Business Development Recruiting
00:08:46
Speaker
right? um Because anybody, i most people can boss anybody around and tell people what to do and and delegate and all these other things. But I think it takes a certain level of je ne sais quoi and finesse and peopling to be able to be a true manager, right? And lead people in a certain way and set an example. And I I have been very fortunate to to have a lot of really good managers um that i've I've worked for and interacted with.
00:09:14
Speaker
And the my latest one was no different. He was he was phenomenal. Well, and let me ask you, so starting that transition from forensics into recruiting, what was that like for you? Because here you are getting into you know a completely new profession and field. What did that feel like?
00:09:34
Speaker
That's a great question. I don't want to say nerve wracking, but it was definitely challenging, right? Because you go from doing something that like by the time doing it for 12, 13 years or 12 years, I've, you know, like know it like the back of my hand kind of thing, you know, and then stepping to and all new role and not that I've never done some level of recruiting before, right? Like I've i've done that, but it's just now stepping into full, full fledged recruiting and knowing, knowing and learning the, all of the processes and procedures in between and how things are done here. And like, there's just so many intricacies that,
00:10:16
Speaker
you have to learn and and commit to memory. and And while you're just trying to kind of adjust to the, I guess, new reality as well, because there is a big difference between working on contract and then working on the corporate side of things.
00:10:32
Speaker
So it's like all of these new changes kind of occurring all at one time. And it's just kind of like making all the necessary adjustments along the way. Yes, like being thrown into the fire. Yes, absolutely.
00:10:45
Speaker
like drinking from the fire Yes. Yes. Absolutely. Here we go. Absolutely. we're going that along Right. it like
00:10:57
Speaker
right oh It's so, um that feels like such a common experience for people getting
Fulfillment in Helping Others Find Jobs
00:11:03
Speaker
into recruiting. A lot of us, fall into it. Just, you know, you rarely hear of somebody who says, i went to college right into recruiting. The closest you get is HR, right? People go to college for HR, but recruiting is kind of that like side sect that- people just kind of fall into and you're like, oh, ah like it's very interesting that it' it's kind of a happenstance scenario for most of Yes, I totally agree. I think I may have met like I've never met anybody who went to college for it, but I have met quite a few people who kind of started or got into it kind of um early in their career.
00:11:43
Speaker
But still, it was one of those where I don't think that they, like, the concept was, oh, I'm going to do recruiting when I graduate from college. It's like, like you say, happenstances. Like, they put in a situation, work for a company, HR, whatever the case may be. It's like, okay.
00:11:59
Speaker
Like, there's this option.
00:12:02
Speaker
Well, so tell us a bit. So you had been doing recruiting for about three years. What
Complexities in Gov. Contracting Recruiting
00:12:06
Speaker
parts of it did you enjoy? And was there anything that you were like, Oh, I didn't really sign up for this piece. Oh boy. Yeah. um So number one for me is helping people. Right.
00:12:20
Speaker
And so that was always the greatest. um I get the the feeling that I got the greatest, um you know, accomplishments from like is being able to help a um person, just a ah student just graduated from college looking for their first job. Right. Or somebody who, you know,
00:12:39
Speaker
is just not really in a a good situation at work. And they're just looking to you know find something where they they feel like they're a better fit. So as always it was always the focus was helping people.
00:12:51
Speaker
And that always gave me such a great deal of of happiness. right So that's the the great part of it. the The not so good parts of it.
00:13:03
Speaker
are and And the thing that you kind of don't know about until you get into it is just the kind of like ups and downs of recruiting. Right. And so for me um specifically, once I transitioned over to recruiting, I was actually filling positions, doing um ah filling actual positions, open positions.
00:13:21
Speaker
But then i switched over to business development recruiting. And that in itself is a whole nother thing. when it comes to recruiting, because now I'm recruiting for positions that don't actually exist, but hopefully they will when who win and if we win the contract kind of thing.
00:13:40
Speaker
And so now I'm having to not only, you know, entice people to come to the company and just for a position that's there. Now I'm having to say, hey, okay,
00:13:51
Speaker
I know you want to leave your job right now, but if you could wait like three months. the ah Let's take a second. And i know what you're talking about because I, you know, started my career in the GovCon space. ok But I think even a lot of recruiters aren't familiar with with this idea, really. So yeah.
00:14:13
Speaker
There are like two separate things we're talking about. One is filling open positions that are open live right now. yes You could sign an offer today and, you know, start ASAP.
00:14:24
Speaker
absolutely Tell us more about what what's the BD recruiting? What does it mean to like recruit somebody for a job that doesn't exist? How does that work? Right. So essentially you're, you're contacting the candidate and letting them know and being very transparent upfront, right? Like that, at least that was something that we were taught or that I was taught, but also just for my own world standing, like being very upfront and transparent about what the process looks like. So you're talking to the candidates.
00:14:51
Speaker
Um, and when you're initially reaching out to them and you're saying, Hey, Like we have this position, we're bidding on a contract that we feel like we're going to win. This is how far out we're looking at. We're looking at looking at a a transition or a start around this time.
00:15:07
Speaker
And are you open to, you know, exploring this opportunity? And honestly, it's kind of one of those things is is it works out for both people when it works out, right? It works out for the company and the person, it's the person, the candidate.
00:15:22
Speaker
Because if, if we, if we were talking to you about this position and if we win the contract, then, you know, you can, you know, give your weeks, note your two weeks notice and we transition you and everything like that over to your, your new position.
00:15:39
Speaker
However, if we don't end up winning the contract, no harm, no foul, right? It's, you still have your position. No one knows that you were looking for a job. You know, it doesn't, It doesn't cause you any harm or anything like that. So it's kind of like, again, it's like a twofold. It works for everyone when it does work out.
00:15:59
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah. And that is, but that's also as a recruiter and on the talent acquisition side, yes it is tough because you're not only having to sell a position to somebody. Mm-hmm.
00:16:11
Speaker
you're having to sell a position that doesn't exist and say, hey, you would be great for this hypothetical role that we are hoping to have. Will you agree to come take this role should we get it? It really is ah very different type of recruiting because It's not just getting somebody hyped about the idea and being like, here it is. This is something tangible. It's here's something that could be really cool if it materializes. Will you agree to sign this promissory note? Yes, absolutely. It's like, will you sign this
High-Pressure Recruiting Environment
00:16:46
Speaker
promissory note? That's exactly what it is.
00:16:48
Speaker
And it is another level of extra work is another level of emotion. I feel like it's tied to it because it's like ah you want to really help this person get a job, especially if it's somebody who is really looking to leave their company. Right.
00:17:03
Speaker
Then when you have to deliver the news that we didn't win, then like that's an emotional like ah like for for me and for them as well. I mean, like specific, definitely for them, right? But it then it's also for me, because it's like, man, I don't want to tell you that we didn't win this, you know? It's like, i don't want to deliver that bad news. Like, and it's just, it can it can take a toll on on many levels when it comes to the business development side, you know, and then, of course, just the normal ups and downs of BD, you know, it's just the, you know, going after contracts, like rush, rush, rush, or shrush finding, um you know, key personnel to even bid on the contract.
00:17:43
Speaker
And then after that, then, you know, having potential, maybe a potential break in between, but then, We might have to go straight into finding however many people to get, you know, to fill these potential promissory positions, you know? So man, it's it's a roller coaster.
00:18:00
Speaker
It really ah It is a roller coaster for sure. There's never a dull day in talent acquisition because it really is like on a moment's notice. It'd be like we're opening seven. I remember I was working at one one of my former companies and one of our leadership comes in one day and says, get ready. We have seven fully cleared Java developers that we're going to need you to find. And I was like, good luck with that.
00:18:28
Speaker
kind of That's not going to happen. Right. Yes. and It is one of the, and I think again, to your question, that is one of the other frustrating parts about recruiting, right? Especially from the BD side is the,
00:18:42
Speaker
you know I think sometimes even managers don't know the level of effort that goes into finding candidates for certain positions, especially like, you know you'll have managers coming and saying, hey, okay, we bid on this kind we we need to bid on this contract in like two weeks.
00:18:58
Speaker
So we need you to find keep her five key personnel. that have, you know, like you say, Java or whatever, C++, plus plus whatever. And then, but they need to be TSSEI, full scope cleared in the area, like not willing to relocate, not willing to sponsor clearance. They need to already be cleared. It's like, and and we're paying this amount. You're like, what?
00:19:21
Speaker
Right. And whatever the amount is they're paying, it's never enough. It's never enough. Because these people are like, they can write their own checks. Absolutely. Absolutely. Yeah.
00:19:31
Speaker
It's tough. A lot of people don't understand the struggle of GovCon recruiting because it is... It is recruiting on steroids. Yes. It really is. Like, you think you're looking for a unicorn. Try finding a unicorn with a clearance that only 3,000 people in the country have.
00:19:49
Speaker
Good luck. Good luck. Good luck. come on
00:19:54
Speaker
And by the way, do it in like a week. Right. There you go. Hurry up. We're losing fillable hours. Right.
Tanisha's First Layoff Experience
00:20:00
Speaker
oh Oh my goodness. Yes. pressure Yes. Fast forwarding a little bit.
00:20:05
Speaker
We get to the point where you are being laid off. Yes. Talk me through what that experience was like. Now, was this the first time you had ever been laid off? Yes. First time ever, never been fired before, and never been laid off.
00:20:20
Speaker
Like been working since I was 13, like I've had a job since I was 13. I've always been a very independent person, always had a job and yeah, like it was a blow.
00:20:34
Speaker
it was, it was, it was truly a blow. What was going through your mind in those initial like moments, those first couple of like hours and days after you've received the news?
Emotional Navigation Post-Layoff
00:20:47
Speaker
it
00:20:50
Speaker
You know, it's one of those things that is like there's so many emotions, so many thoughts, so many emotions where you're just like, first of all, did this just really happen?
00:21:02
Speaker
Did this just really happen? And honestly, like no qualms about it. I cried. Like, i would you know, they I got on the call and I saw my manager and saw HR. And mind you, like this was, they we had previously had to do layoffs at the near the end of the year last year um as well, just because, you know, funding and all these other things, right?
00:21:26
Speaker
So as soon as I get on the call and it's my manager in HR, I already know what's happening. and And, you know, they start to talk and it's just like, like, I'm not like boohoo and crying, but it's the tears are just running, you know, and it's because it's like, what in the world? Because then you start to reflect, like, what did I do? Like, did I do something wrong? Did I do something to wrong to stand out that made me more, you know,
00:21:52
Speaker
susceptible to the layoff than anybody else. Like, you know, so you start questioning yourself in in and, and don't want to say your worth, but definitely what you bring to the company.
00:22:03
Speaker
um especially having been with them for so long. So you definitely start to have all ah ah lot of those thoughts. But then you kind of, once the reality sets in of what's occurred, it's like, where do I go from here? Right? What am what am I going to do now?
00:22:19
Speaker
I will say that for me, it was something that I had been praying for.
Layoff as Opportunity for Entrepreneurship
00:22:26
Speaker
and putting out in the universe for a little bit, right? Now, was I saying, hey, I want to get laid off? No, was not saying that.
00:22:36
Speaker
It's not going that far. You're not going that far. I was not saying I wanted to lose my job. But what what I was saying and praying for and putting out there was, asking for more time, asking for more time to be able to dedicate to the things that I truly wanted to be able to do and focus on and that I felt was more in my purpose, right? So I was already, and and I've always been an entrepreneur.
00:23:01
Speaker
a lot of things have kind of been like been putting it in place over the years or i had been working on over the years to kind of put me in a better position to to be able to explore other entrepreneurial options.
00:23:16
Speaker
should something like this happen. However, it still doesn't take away from the blow of losing your job. Cause it's like, yeah, let's put it out in the universe, but I was not. I wanted it to happen, but not like this. Not like this. Yeah, exactly. It's like, i was not expecting this packaging. Right.
00:23:36
Speaker
So yeah, it was one of those where I had to take a step back and it's like, oh, this sucks. It's crushing. But at the same time, um you know, even talking with my husband about it's like he even reiterated, he was like, you know, this is something that you had been praying for and asking for and putting out in the universe. So now is your time two truly step into what it is that you want to do. You know, you've always had your nine to five to be able to like have that steady income and, and not really, not really have to put forth, and don't want to say as much effort, but you, you never had to really go hard as you need to go because you've always had this.
00:24:17
Speaker
Now
Job Search in Oversaturated Market
00:24:18
Speaker
you don't. So you need to, you know, if this is what you're going to do, you, you got to step out and do it. Yeah. It's a different kind of grind, right? Like you get,
00:24:29
Speaker
A nine to five is your predictable grind, right? It's, you know, you're going to go in, do the work, the work will be there for you. You know, that it'll end, you know, generally. want to get It's that stability, right? That stability and predictability where when that gets taken away from you and now you're having to find different ways to provide income and especially like non-traditional ways to provide income.
00:25:00
Speaker
It's a, it's a very different kind of grind and often, um, a much harder hill to climb because you can't just go clock in clock out and get your paycheck. Right.
00:25:12
Speaker
It's you, you really have to work to like generate that income and bring in that money through different means. It's not the same. Absolutely. it's is It's totally different. It's like, it is literally like they say, you know, when you have a job, when you're working for someone, you know, you're generally working the eight hours, you know, nine to five, eight hours a day.
00:25:32
Speaker
But when you're an entrepreneur and you're trying to build something of your own, isn't there's no eight hours a day in that it's you know whatever however many hours minutes days months it takes to get it done and to get it to where you want it to be to be able to like you say bring in that income to a point where you feel comfortable right um and i will say this like had i not kind of already been into the been in the world of entrepreneurship before this happened, and it might feel like a lost feeling, right? I might feel, for me personally, I might have felt a lot more lost because it had been like, now what am I going to do?
00:26:14
Speaker
especially knowing the market is shit and you know, right now. Yeah. Horrible. Yeah. Horrible. Especially for like those of us in talent acquisition where hundreds of thousands of our peers are being laid off and we are one of the first departments to go.
Adjusting Post-Layoff Routine
00:26:32
Speaker
yeah yes One of the first departments to go when hiring stops because that's, that's our function. Yeah. so yeah especially looking for certain things like, you know, if you want to work remotely and you want to get paid a certain amount and all those other things. So you add all that stuff in and now, and then now we have a market where it's oversaturated because so many people have gotten laid off.
00:26:52
Speaker
So the supply and demand is just ah completely out of whack. And like, it's just, it's, it's absolutely crazy. Like one of my previous coworkers got laid off and it took him about six months.
00:27:09
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah. that seems to be like, maybe even on the shorter end of average at this point, I have seen people who are, you know, eight months, a year, year and a half. Like it's,
00:27:22
Speaker
It's terrifying for a lot of people out there now, to be fair. If you just sit there and scroll LinkedIn, you're going to see the worst the worst. So you do have to be careful not zoom scroll LinkedIn because then you're going to sit there and be like, well, I'm never getting it. I'm never getting it. right no Right.
00:27:39
Speaker
It's like, I'm giving up. It's done. but I don't need do anything else. Right. So there is a very fine line. You do have to be very careful. Yes. It certainly seems...
00:27:51
Speaker
very common for people to be going at least those like six month stretches. Some people are getting lucky, right? Some people are making it in like a month, three months. And even that is still you know, we like I say that, like, it's okay, like it's nothing, but going one to three months with minimal to no income yeah is not feasible for almost anybody. Like that's not. Yeah, it's it's really not. I mean, like, and I forget what the percentage is for this country, but this is a really high percentage of people who um live paycheck to paycheck.
00:28:29
Speaker
and And it's not just people who are in the service industry or people who are, you know, in the gig industry or anything like that. We're talking about people who make theoretically good money, what people would consider good. Yeah. Like sour salaried employees who make really good money, who are living paycheck paycheck to paycheck, just because for one, we live in the DMV area, which is as expensive as shit to begin with. Right.
00:28:54
Speaker
Yeah. it It's absolutely crazy. So yeah, like people can't, most people cannot afford to go a month, even a month without a steady paycheck coming in. So now you're, like you said, you're having people going at a minimum of three to six months. And then like, I also had a friend who who's gone over a year. It's terrifying. It's truly terrifying, you know, especially just given everything else is going on with the economy because prices are going up.
00:29:25
Speaker
ah for everything and stuff like that. So it wass just like, man, not only is it already difficult to survive, but like now, how am I supposed to survive even now with no job, you know, and, and with the, the possibility of finding a job being very low, it's,
00:29:46
Speaker
sucks it does it fucking sucks yeah right it just sucks at this point it's the worst there's no other way around other way around it ah like the job market is fucked it let's talk about what that first week was like for you because that seems to be one of the toughest time periods for people after being laid off so After you get the news that you're, you know, that you're being let go, that your position's being eliminated, what do you do in that first week?
00:30:21
Speaker
What are your, like, what are you thinking throughout those days? How are you kind of occupying yourself? Right. I think the first week was just... kind of getting used to the idea of not having a job. I know it was one of those things where even like the first, I want to say the first couple of days after, after getting laid off, cause I got laid off on a Friday.
Processing Emotions vs. Progress
00:30:42
Speaker
So probably like that following Monday, it was, you know, doing my normal normal routine of getting up and working out and stuff. But then it's like doing that and I'm starting to rush and be like, oh, I got to get ready to go downstairs. And it's like, oh, yeah.
00:30:56
Speaker
Nope, don't need to do that. It's one of those where it's like, all right, now, okay, like finding things to do. and And so like, at that point, I'm kind of taking stock on, all right, what are some things that for one, I need to do around the house? What are some things that I want to get done? Because here I'm saying, I need, I'm asking for more time to be able to do the things that I want to do or dedicate more time to these things. So what What do those things look like?
00:31:24
Speaker
What does that look like? And so I think for at least the first couple of weeks is kind of figuring that stuff out, right? Figuring out what it is that I truly want to do, what I wanted to focus on, what that looked like and how I was going to go about doing it.
00:31:40
Speaker
Because, and I don't know about you, but I know like every day seems to go by really fast. Right. I really wish you went by this fast when I was working. Like sometimes would just depending on how busy my day you was.
00:31:55
Speaker
But just in general, like, man, like if work went by this fast, I would probably have no complaints. But like, yeah it's like you get up, you get up a little bit later, you know, you you realize you don't have to get up as early. So you get up a little bit later.
00:32:10
Speaker
Like you said, whether your routine is getting up and working out or whatever, it's like you do those things. The next thing you know, it's like, 12 or 1 o'clock and you're just like, what in the world? So then it's like figuring out, okay, now I need to put myself on a schedule.
00:32:24
Speaker
Like now I need to get some type of schedule and consistency to my day because otherwise the time and days will go by so fast. The next thing I know it'll be three months and I'm still in the same place or feeling like I'm in the same place that I was three months ago when I got laid off.
00:32:42
Speaker
So it was like trying to immediately figure out what my next steps were. Because i and this is for me, I'm a type of person, like, even when i feel like seemingly negative things happen to me, I am definitely a proponent of, I always say, feel your feels, like feel how you feel and and go through those emotions, but don't let that, don't succumb to
Duality of Emotions Post-Layoff
00:33:09
Speaker
that, right? Don't let that like sink you and in and pull you in because it it it can bring you into a dark place, you know, just, you know, with everything going on, it can bring you down and bring you into a darker place than you need to be in order to like move forward.
00:33:26
Speaker
I took stock in my situation, definitely like felt shitty, you know, those, those first few days, but then now it's like, all right, this, this fucking sucks. But at the same time,
00:33:38
Speaker
I had to thank God for, for me personally, have to thank God for putting in the position and and answering what I had been putting out there, you know? And so now it's like, okay, what do I need to do?
00:33:50
Speaker
Like, let's let's make a list. Let's do whatever we need to do and move forward. Yeah. And i I love how you describe it too, because, you know, you talk about how this was something that, you know, you were putting out into the universe that you were asking for, you wanted the time.
00:34:06
Speaker
That doesn't mean that a layoff was this like great blessing bestowed upon you because it's still like you can want the result of that and not want it in that way.
00:34:20
Speaker
And I think a lot of people do try to maybe not use that against folks, but like it is easy for people to kind of lean into that, well, isn't this what you wanted? shouldn't it Like expecting that you should be grateful for it. right And that's just not the case, right? You can be glad for the time and really unhappy about how you got there, right? You can have a result that is so favorable to you in certain ways,
00:34:50
Speaker
But the process for getting to that result is super shitty and unwanted. Absolutely. Absolutely. yeah I think I saw something the other day, a guy was saying how you can have two, two conflicting thoughts. Like it's hard for people to, to digest things.
00:35:06
Speaker
two conflicting thoughts that two conflicting thoughts can be true at the same time, right? It's like, yes, I can, like you said, i can be happy that I am having this opportunity to be able to do the things and that I've asked for, right?
00:35:20
Speaker
But I can also feel like this is not what I was expecting as far as...
00:35:28
Speaker
for us how this is going look. I was slapped in the face with the time.
Exploring Entrepreneurial Opportunities
00:35:34
Speaker
was just like, chuffed right at me. like Enjoy your time. No paycheck.
00:35:41
Speaker
Absolutely. Being hit in the face. Yes. Great thing. Yes, yes. b Yes, exactly. Being smacked in the face with ah it's something great, but nevertheless is a slap and it hurt like hell.
00:35:56
Speaker
So, yeah. So you're navigating your job search a little differently because you're going more of that entrepreneurial route. So I'm curious to hear, in lieu of a traditional job search, what does this look like for you? And how are you building yourself back up so that you can get to more of that financial stability type place?
00:36:19
Speaker
Well, so one, I'll start with um my my husband and i we started an IT business some time ago. I did, I've not really done any work under it, but his job, his positions and his work is under our our business.
00:36:32
Speaker
And so he's been 1099 for a long time. And so I was, I was looking out there to see kind of what other things were out there and happened to come across an opportunity, a 1099 opportunity to be able to, to do some recruiting.
00:36:47
Speaker
But again, it's it's a slightly different because it's like, I only get paid based off of, you know, people who get hired. It's not like a steady income. So it's like, okay, it's an opportunity to be able to make good money, but it it is very much dependent on, you know, finding candidates, which again, as we know, in the GovCon can be very difficult, you know, just depending on the positions and stuff like that. So, so yeah, so I had that opportunity, which I'm you know, definitely taking advantage of and and being thankful for.
00:37:17
Speaker
But even with that, I don't necessarily see that as, you know, the end all be all. It's like, okay, if I can use this as a way to bring in steady income or more steady income, then great.
00:37:29
Speaker
But again, my kind of bigger focus is the entrepreneurial things down the line. So it's like, I do have an event business that I would like to, you know, be able to dedicate more time to.
00:37:40
Speaker
yeah dedicate more time to that. And then I have also have a travel business that I want to be able to dedicate more time to ah for that. So it's like this time is giving me that opportunity to be able to you know do those things. Now, granted, does it bring in as much income you know as my my nine to five? Absolutely not.
00:38:00
Speaker
Not right now, right? But the the hope is that is now I had the time to be able to focus so that I can at least put the time and effort into it to bring in more income than it was previously.
00:38:14
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah. And I'm curious to hear how you feel about that trade-off because like you mentioned, it's like the event planning, the travel planning, it's something that, you know, you've got that enjoyment, you get the enjoyment out of it.
00:38:27
Speaker
You're having to trade off kind of that stable income, like and it's more challenging. Yes. So where you're at today, how do you feel about making that trade-off?
00:38:39
Speaker
can honestly say i feel good about it. And for me, I think, and And I think that a lot of us go through it. It's, you know, your your focus and what is important to you kind of changes throughout your professional career, right? So when you first come in, like straight out of college, first thing, money.
00:38:58
Speaker
Like, I want to make money. I need...
00:39:02
Speaker
ah agree I add need the money. Like show me the money.
Shift from Monetary Focus to Personal Happiness
00:39:08
Speaker
Like, you know, so it's like money is the focus. And then I think as you've been in the the industry and around for so long, you start to realize how how important is.
00:39:20
Speaker
and quality of time is in your life and how that can, and and it's not for everybody, but um I think a lot of people start to realize that time is definitely more important than money.
00:39:32
Speaker
So for me, I'm at a point where it's like, look, as long as my bills are paid, you know, I can bring in enough income to pay my bills and go on some trips.
00:39:45
Speaker
you know and eat food that I like, you know stuff like that. It's like, I'm good on everything else. I don't need to do a whole bunch of shopping. I don't need to do a whole bunch of things that I used to do before. i don't really go out like that. I mean, not to mention,
00:39:59
Speaker
Like we were talking about earlier, doing anything nowadays is just extremely expensive. It's like, as soon as you step out the door, it's like $200. It's like, okay, I'm going back in. I'm going, I'm going, no outside for me. I'm done.
00:40:12
Speaker
So true. Yeah. So it's like, there's just a lot of things that I don't need or need that I thought I wanted or needed before.
00:40:23
Speaker
and And even with the, you know, the paying the bills and then going on trips and stuff like that is more about being able to do those things with the people that I enjoy spending time with, you know, my family, my friends, like that's what's important to me. Like if I have to take...
00:40:38
Speaker
a cut to a pay cut to be able to spend more time with my family and friends, but still working in my purpose and moving towards my purpose, then that's what, that's, what's important to me.
00:40:52
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah. And I do, i agree with you so much. I think there is this focus, especially when we're right out of college, right? The idea is that, you know, You go to college, you get your degree, you go, you start making the money, right? There's that this heavy focus on making money and that being the driver that makes life worthwhile.
00:41:12
Speaker
And something that I feel like I've come to realize, and this especially over the past few years, is that like challenging that idea that money is worth and really having to reprogram your brain to say, i may not have a lot of money,
00:41:28
Speaker
I can still find worth in these other things, right? I may not have enough money to like get all of my nieces and nephews the best, you know, birthday gifts or something, but I can give them my time. I can give them an experience, right? i Finding worth in non-monetary things, it's difficult because we do live in a society that is so money driven.
00:41:56
Speaker
And at the end of the day, You do need a baseline of money to afford your home, afford to eat. So it is very challenging. And I think it is really great when when you have the balance where you can pay the bills and also find those non-monetary ways to get that worth and fulfillment so that you're not relying on that paycheck to be your sense of worth.
00:42:21
Speaker
Right. No, it totally easy absolutely. I totally agree. And I think it is it is hard to find that balance. Like, I think that's what ideally I think a lot of people are looking for and what they would prefer.
Balancing Financial Needs and Fulfillment
00:42:34
Speaker
But it is very, very difficult to do that in an economy like this. It's very difficult to do that in an area where it is so expensive to live, you know, and it's like, oh, you know, some people might say, well, you know, you can move.
00:42:49
Speaker
But is that really? Yeah. with the interest rate that we all have now. Right. The interest rate that we would be going into. ex Exactly. We all have the golden, like, house-to-end cuffs that none of us are going anywhere.
00:43:05
Speaker
and You can move. From a high cost of living area to a low cost of living area and pay more for a worse house because the interest rate is just ridiculous. Exactly.
00:43:18
Speaker
Exactly. So it's like, and that's what I'm saying. It's like, yo, no, no one is moving. No one is moving. Like, it and that's the thing is just, and again, that's makes it even harder to find that balance because it's just like, okay, like,
00:43:32
Speaker
Man, I just want to, I think people would just genuinely want to be happy and genuinely, genuinely want to be at peace with, them with life and where they are and be able to, you know, okay, work, go to work and, but find time and have enough time to spend with family and not feel like they're pulled in one direction or the, you know, pulled in the direction of work where they, you know, work so many hours where they can't spend time or they lose, lose out on weekends or they don't have PTO and all these other things.
00:44:01
Speaker
It's like no one wants that, right? Like I think everybody just kind of wants a e a good balance of of all of the good things in life that we we enjoy, you know?
00:44:13
Speaker
Unfortunately, like you said, money is one of those things that does allow us to be able to do the things that we want to do and stuff like that. But it is trying to figure out where where that where we can draw that line of, okay,
00:44:26
Speaker
I just, I just need to pay my bills. And these are the things that I want to do. These are the things, these are my necessities. These are the things that I want to have a little bit of extra money to do. And then understanding that everything else is like, doesn't matter. Cause it's like, like if it allowed, you're able to spend more time with your family and friends, like that's everything.
00:44:47
Speaker
Right. You know, that time you can't get back. You cannot, you cannot. Well, I imagine that like, especially with being an entrepreneur, but in general, also having gone through a layoff, there are, you know, those cycles, right? There are the days that just feel really tough to get through. There are the days where you get some of that hope and that sunshine, then you get back to those days that are just tough.
00:45:12
Speaker
What are some strategies that you personally use to get yourself through those difficult days? I think for me, staying connected to things that are motivational,
00:45:23
Speaker
for me, like whether it is, you know, and I try not to be on social media as much. as I feel cause you. you can get sucked into that. oh yeah.
00:45:35
Speaker
We talked about it. Yeah.
00:45:38
Speaker
yeah drag you right in. But it so it's like, I'm looking for whether it's like reading, you know, books, whether it's, you know, um listening to motivational speeches, definitely, I will say, starting my day with, like working out meditation and prayer, like, those are the
Importance of Routine and Self-Care
00:46:02
Speaker
things that help keep me at bay helped me keep me calm and keep me I'm to say necessarily focus because I can work on that.
00:46:12
Speaker
Keep me on track. Keep me on track. Yes. Yes. So like doing, keeping a routine, definitely some level of a routine definitely helps. to to, you know, kind of keep me going.
00:46:26
Speaker
Trying to keep a routine, listening and and looking at things that are motivational because we all, I definitely have a lot of days where I just don't feel like doing anything, you know?
00:46:39
Speaker
And I think a lot of that is because for so long I was, you know, pushing myself to the limit with things, with work and businesses and everything else. And so it's like,
00:46:50
Speaker
It's sometimes is it's hard for me not to be like, OK, I just need to take I just need to take a break, you know. um But but the other side of me is like, no you know, you have to keep going. You have to do this. You have to.
00:47:06
Speaker
and um in And I feel bad if I'm, you know, not, you know, doing all of the things on the list of things that I should be doing. But it's like trying to find a balance in everything, right? Like recognizing that, yeah, you need to, for in my case, do things that I need to do, but for somebody else, it might be, you know, submit applications for jobs or whatever, or look for jobs or what have you.
00:47:31
Speaker
It is is still a balance of doing those things that need to be done, but then also recognizing that you have to take some time for yourself because what you're going through is not easy, you know, and, and could,
00:47:43
Speaker
easily break a lot of, a lot of people, you know? So the fact that you're waking up every morning, getting up and doing something and trying to stay focused on keeping, just moving forward, taking a step forward, like that is a long way, you know, that goes a long way.
00:48:04
Speaker
And it is, it's something that I've heard from a lot of people is that that sense of if you're not out there, like applying for every job, if you're not making some sort of progress towards you know, getting yourself financially stable again, there's that guilt of that feeling of like being lazy or like you're not doing enough or like there's that guilty feeling that comes with it.
00:48:29
Speaker
And to your point, if you go too hard on, you know, but a job applying, people will sit there and apply all day and that burns you out. Yeah.
00:48:39
Speaker
Which then creates that cycle of, okay, I'm so burnt out on job searching. I can't do it anymore. yep I'm going to take a break. But then when I take this break, I'm going to feel like I'm not doing enough. So then I'm going to go back. and And then you just get caught in that cycle where you go around. And it's not...
00:48:57
Speaker
it's not um beneficial to get caught in that cycle, right? It's a very, very tricky cycle to get yourself out of. Yes. And it's so important to recognize it and say, okay, i have done what I can for today.
00:49:13
Speaker
i am going to give myself that break. I am going to give myself that grace of a chance to breathe, a chance to go outside, a chance to just not. And then once I feel like I have been refreshed to a degree, I'll go back and and go hard again.
00:49:30
Speaker
um Just not so hard that you're drowning yourself in applications or, you know, despair. on Right. Absolutely. Absolutely. And I think you said the most important word, which is grace.
00:49:43
Speaker
We, I think society has set standards that are just completely unrealistic sometimes.
Creating Personalized Strategies for Challenges
00:49:51
Speaker
And it it makes us feel, and it can make us feel inadequate sometimes, like you said, lazy. And it's like kind of just being able to take a step back in and recognize that there's only so much you can do.
00:50:06
Speaker
And um especially nowadays, I know there's a lot of, of talking and focus around like mental health and all these other things. Cause it's real. it is like, we are in a time, especially given a lot of things that are going on in the world and in this country and stuff like that.
00:50:23
Speaker
We are in a time where it is very easy to get pulled into a dark space. And when you get pulled into those dark spaces, you're, If you don't have the right things around you, the right support and everything like that, it could be so hard to even, even when you do have the support and the good things around you is still hard. But if you don't, then it is very, very difficult to pull yourself out of that.
00:50:47
Speaker
Right. So it is important to give yourself grace to understand that, Hey, you're doing what you can do. Like if you're truly doing what you can do, you know, like if you're out here and you're, look, I'm i'm on the job boards every day. I'm looking for jobs. I'm applying and all of these things. Like, you know, you you're doing what you're supposed to do.
00:51:07
Speaker
and And there is a line, like you said, in that, because it's like, if you're constantly, even before, even aside from the burnt out part, it's the, like, if you're constantly applying to jobs and you're getting rejected and, or you're not hearing back and all of these these other things, that just that has its own wear and tear on your mental and an emotional state, you know? So it's like, not only are you burnt out from just doing, doing the thing, you're also emotionally and a mentally kind of torn down because you're not getting a result of what you want or what you expect or what you feel like you need um to, to move forward.
00:51:55
Speaker
And I feel like that's so something so important. And, This is something I learned back in my you know social work days, but it's building that toolbox, right? Like in therapy, they call it the toolbox that you can use to get yourself out of those difficult situations. And that's what I feel like most people don't,
00:52:16
Speaker
they don't think to take the time to build their toolbox because they are yeah ah concerned. Like they're in survival mode, right? yes When you're in survival mode and your brain is in survival mode, you don't have time to think about building a toolbox to help you feel better.
Value of Support System and Self-Awareness
00:52:30
Speaker
right When you do have that space, it is so important to sit there and say, okay,
00:52:35
Speaker
If I'm having the crappiest day, what are things that make me happy? Right? Is that getting outside? Is it exercising? Is it playing my favorite video game? Is it eating my favorite food?
00:52:47
Speaker
Is it taking a shower? And it can be anything, anything that will lift your mood. It's so important to have when you have the space to build your toolbox.
00:52:58
Speaker
It's so important to do it because then you have that set of of tools to go back to and say on those like days where you're just scrolling LinkedIn, and your brain sits there and you realize you're like, oh God, I'm getting sucked into this black hole again.
00:53:15
Speaker
You have the list of things you can go down. You can say, all right, today I want to play my favorite game. Today I want to listen to my favorite music. Today I want to just be in a quiet room and not have anybody talk to me. right But you've got to be able to find the space to put those things together.
00:53:31
Speaker
And then once you do, lean in on that and be like, all right, I'm not going to let myself get sucked into this awful day. I'm going to use these things to pick myself up. And you build it like building blocks. You do one small thing at a time, one small thing on top of that.
00:53:46
Speaker
And the more you do that, the easier it is to get yourself out of those super dark days. Because they it's not like you know there's not one point where You're three weeks post layoff and you're like oh, okay, we're done with the sadness of that. It's over. Like, I still have days that hit me really hard where I'm just like, oh God, it's awful.
00:54:09
Speaker
And you have to have those ways to pull yourself out because otherwise you do, you just get stuck and it's not a good place to be in. Absolutely. Like you, you hit the nail on the head. And I think it's also the unfortunate part is that I think just because for one, there are so many people who are just on a day-to-day living in survival mode, but then also even the people who aren't living in survival mode, they, they just get succumbed to so just all the external, you know, stimulation and everything else is going on that we don't,
00:54:41
Speaker
a lot of us don't have time or never even thought about building that toolbox until something happens. And now now we're in this space where we have to figure out how to not only survive, but then figure out how we're not even just survive, but like move forward, you know? um And so it's like super important because like you said, like I think some people, like you ask people in general, and I think a lot of people couldn't even tell you some of the things that they do that makes them happy.
Personal Impact of Layoff and Self-Worth
00:55:10
Speaker
yeah It's like, and that's, that's crazy. And it's sad because we're just so succumbed by so many things that we don't even have time to like, look inside ourselves and look within to figure out what it is that drives us and that what makes us happy. And that, like you say, anything that we can put into the toolbox, we don't, we don't know those things.
00:55:30
Speaker
Right. All we know is just like the day to day grind. yeah of going to work, coming home, taking care of kids, taking care of house, doing this, doing that, taking care of family. It was like, ugh.
00:55:41
Speaker
And then we're thrust into this very strange space, especially especially when it's your first layoff. But yeah honestly, with any layoff, yeah it is challenging to navigate like never before. Nobody sits there and prepares you for a layoff.
00:55:55
Speaker
no Nobody does it. Nobody, like your parents don't sit you down when you're 16 or 18 and say, okay, now in the event that you ever get laid off, it just doesn't. So you have to, this learning on the fly, right?
00:56:08
Speaker
and And on a daily basis, it's not even, again, it's not like after a week or two, you've learned how to process a layoff and there you are, you're done. You're learning constantly.
00:56:18
Speaker
And there are the days where your brain just does not want to let you happy. There are just those days where you could sit there and try to get your brain to get over it. And your brain's like, no, we are, we are despairing. And sometimes.
00:56:33
Speaker
the best you can put forward is just getting through the day and just saying like, all I need to do is just literally exist through the end of this day. And I've had many of those days where I'm like, I cannot, I cannot put up anything today other than just physically existing.
00:56:52
Speaker
That is absolutely acceptable to do. It just, if that is what you, if if that's the kind of day you're having, if that's how you're showing up, there is nothing wrong with that because you deserve to give yourself the space to say, i don't have anything to put forward today. I'll maybe tomorrow yeah I will check in with myself tomorrow and maybe tomorrow I'll have that space to say, okay, what are some things that I enjoy doing? yeah It doesn't always happen.
00:57:20
Speaker
That's why it's important to try and take advantages of the times where your brain does give you that space. And even if it doesn't feel like really motivating, at least putting a few things together that you're like,
00:57:32
Speaker
when I feel like I've got the energy again, right here's what I can think through. Absolutely. Absolutely. It's, it's, what's the saying? It's okay to not be okay. yeah You know, like I think people from the outside can look at the situation and be like, like you say, and criticize and say, oh, well you should be doing this and you should be doing that and stuff like that. But like, if you've never gotten laid off before,
00:57:56
Speaker
it's it's a different feeling, you know, especially when you've always had a job, especially when you've you never had to like depend on someone else to, you know, necessarily take care of you or whatever the case may be.
Future Aspirations: Helping Others
00:58:09
Speaker
It is a different feeling, you know, to lose your job ah Because again, like I said earlier, it's like you start to look at yourself and start to wonder if there's something going on with you, but and then you start to look at everything else. And it's just like all of these questions start to arise. And it's just like, so you're there's just so much that you're trying to process and and deal with all at one time.
00:58:31
Speaker
it is so important to have like the support system to be able to say, hey yeah, no, like I know what you're going through. Like I don't know what you're going through, but I can see you're going through something.
00:58:44
Speaker
I'm here to support you as you're going through that. Take that day that you need to just make it through the day. Right. Take that time to just put one foot in front of like literally put one foot in front of the other and make it through the day because it's not easy.
00:59:01
Speaker
Right. Yeah. Well, let me ask you one last question. i would love to hear what you would like to see for yourself over the next three to five years. where What's your ideal? Where do you go from here?
00:59:16
Speaker
So like I said, I i mean, of course, i I have my businesses and things like that that I want to focus on. And like I'm putting it out there that they're going to flourish and do well. um However, they thank you.
00:59:29
Speaker
um However, i do have other things that opportunities that I want to to ah explore when it comes to my purpose. Right. So like for me, always knew like my purpose was helping others.
00:59:44
Speaker
Like that's always been a big thing for me. But now, like just in this process and going through my own like spiritual journey over the past couple of years and learning myself and relearning myself, I recognize that it's not just helping others, but it's helping to heal others, like in the sense of things that they're going through, how, you know, things that they're dealing with.
01:00:07
Speaker
And so many other aspects. So I definitely have things like a few things under are my sleeve that I want to really, really, really put some time and effort to, to be able to focus on that and growing that and, and nurture, nurture those ideas.
01:00:22
Speaker
And so I'm just really hopeful that like with the, the event business and the travel business and even my 1099 stuff, like that, that, affords me, you know, just some, the level of income that I need to be able to pay my bills, but still gives me the time that I, I need to be able to nurture those other things that are like true to my heart and, and true to, um, you know, my purpose here.
01:00:50
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah. And you will, i I, am putting it out into the universe as well. You will flourish. Things will absolutely go the way that they should for you.
01:01:01
Speaker
And I do, I look forward to hearing all of the great things about the event planning business, the travel business, all of your efforts to help
Podcast's Aim: Support for Layoff Experiences
01:01:10
Speaker
people. Honestly, this alone, you know, I say to people all the time, i hope that just these podcast episodes will be helpful, even if it's helpful to at least one person to feel seen, to feel heard, to feel validated.
01:01:26
Speaker
being laid off is a shattering and jarring experience. And we all have to go through it. We have those like times where it's just so lonely.
01:01:38
Speaker
and I think it is so important to bring people together and find any way we can to connect um people who've been through that. So i just sincerely thank you for sharing your experience and there are good things coming for you. I know there are.
01:01:53
Speaker
ah Thank you. Thank you so much, Jackie. and I really want to say, for one, again, thank you so much for the opportunity to be a part of this. But then also, like when when your sister initially told me about, you know, your idea and reached out to me, I was like, the first thing that came to mind was like, no, this is awesome.
01:02:11
Speaker
And so thank you for doing this, because I think that a lot of times. people don't, and I mean, like they they they get thrown into these situations like this and they don't really know how to move.
01:02:24
Speaker
There's so many questions, like I said, and they just don't really know what to do. And I do think that a platform like this is super helpful because it does help not only just people connect, but it also helps people to like think about things, like even just the conversations that they hear, that they that they see you having with other people, you know, those conversations, those questions might jar something in them to be like, oh, okay, this is something and that I need to do.
01:02:50
Speaker
Yeah, let me, I never even thought about building a toolbox for myself. Let me do that. Let me figure out what it is that I like to do or what what brings me joy or what what can help sustain me through this this journey, right? So what you're doing is just so important.
01:03:08
Speaker
And like, I was thinking about this earlier. It's like, you know, when we're all going through negative things, people say, you know, misery loves company. And and I, I don't think that misery loves company. I think misery wants to know that it's not by itself. Like we, we all just want to know that we're not by ourselves and we're not going, we're not the only people going through this.
01:03:29
Speaker
And I think sometimes it just, it definitely helps to not just know that somebody else is going through it, but hear their perspective. And, figure out how that, that relates to you. And if it relates to you and how it can help you, you know, make it through whatever you're going through.
01:03:48
Speaker
um So um this is what you're doing is amazing. It's awesome. um I am blessed and thankful to be a part of it. And I just wish you so much success with this because this is is great. And it's, I think it's needed.
01:04:02
Speaker
It is very much needed in the, in the, in everything that we're going through right now, it is very much needed. Yes, a space and a voice for people who have been laid off. It it just I do hope it is something that resonates with people. So thank you.
01:04:19
Speaker
Thank you for joining me. You wonderful. as well You're amazing. I know we will talk again. We will. We will. Thank you so much again.
01:04:31
Speaker
Thank you again to Tanishia. If you have any questions for Tanishia or questions you want to submit for the podcast, feel free to email us at lostmyjobpodcast at gmail.com.
01:04:45
Speaker
That's lostmyjobpodcast at gmail.com.