I remember the first phone call that I got from a friend who was laid off last year.
“It didn’t make sense,” he said. The late-stage startup hired him less than two months before, and yet they didn’t have enough cash to justify keeping him or dozens of the other recent hires.
He was confused, hurt, and most of all scared.
Many of us seek jobs for the stability they provide, and when that’s ripped out from under us, we’re in fight or flight mode. Do you run away for a while? Take a break from reality? Or immediately start calling up everyone you know for a job?
I’ve been there – stuck in a situation that you didn’t want to be in with no idea what to do next.
It’s hard.
You may feel like crying, screaming, or just withdrawing for a while.
That’s okay. It’s okay to be emotional about work.
We spend much of our lives working and often wrap our identity around what we do. Having that taken from you without warning is like taking a bottle away from a baby for the first time. You’ve always known where your source of income (and for many of us, worth) is coming from. And now you don’t.
Layoffs Hit Close to Home
When I quit my stable job, I had a startup idea and venture funding promised by an investor. It didn’t feel risky; it felt like the next logical, safe move in my career.
Then, shortly after we started working together, the investor made a move on me. Not like a jab in a basketball game or even a dance move at a party; he expressed sexual interest in me.
I had to get out.
So I left the company… technically by choice but more because of the circumstance. And then I had nowhere to go. No idea what to do next. For a few days immediately after leaving, I felt like a vegetable in my own skin, barely surviving.
Then, reality set in.
Never in my working life had I gone without a paycheck. I needed to make money.
I didn’t want to go work for someone else. Believe me, if you’ve experienced the kind of behavior that I did, you need space to recover, and your confidence does too.
So I started exploring other ways beyond the traditional, career-oriented methods to make money.
How to Hustle a Side Hustle
The year before, I helped a friend edit her book on how to set up your house as an AirBnB. That sounded interesting and fun, I thought. Why not give it a shot? I love hosting friends; what better way to show your hospitality and make new friends than invite them to stay in your home?!
I had a blast coming up with the welcome letter and description too.
^my AirBnB welcome letter
Next, I started reorganizing my home. Weeks in, I finally made it to the furthest back closet – you know, the one we all have where we store all our junk that we hope no one finds.
That’s when I found a couple of old boxes of Pokémon cards. I seemed to remember my Dad trading them on eBay when we were kids, and with his permission, I listed a couple of them on eBay.
One of those cards made me (and my Dad) more money than I made in a full weekend of AirBnB!
I had always wanted to learn about OCR and saw this as the perfect opportunity. Painstakingly, I took pictures of each card and sorted them into bins. Then, I uploaded those photos onto my computer. With a few lines of python code, I was able to quickly read the description of each card and organize it into a Google Sheet for my Dad and me to share. He and I spent hours combing over cards, deciding what to buy or sell.
We continue to trade Pokémon cards to this day. Unfortunately, with my startup, I don’t often have as much time as I’d like to spend with him on this. I will always value and treasure our early Pokémon card trading days.
With the combination of AirBnB, Pokémon, and a handful of side-of-the-desk-consulting jobs, I supported myself. I certainly wasn’t making the kind of money I did before, but I slowed the bleeding.
Not only that, I discovered new, interesting hobbies that I can continue for the rest of my life while also becoming closer with friends and family.
Make the Most of a Bad Situation
For all of you going through a layoff right now, there is hope. I hope that you will use this time to explore your passions.
Did you really love your job? If so, by all means, go after another version of it somewhere else.
If not, is there another way that you can make money doing more of what you love? Let yourself explore your interests outside of the traditional career mold. You may surprise yourself – use this gift of time to become closer with a loved one. Or perhaps begin to carve out a new career path.
I recently listened to a podcast by Mel Robbins where she interviewed Jamie Kern Lima. Jamie described the difficulties she encountered while starting her business. Many investors told her – straight up – that women wouldn’t buy makeup from someone who looked like her. She took beating after beating from people who said she was crazy, not smart enough, and not good enough. She worked odd jobs to support herself, never letting their words convince her to give up. Instead, she framed her experience as this:
“The seasons in life that are setbacks are actually setups for what we’re called to do.”
I hope that you will use this time to set yourself up for what’s next. I’m convinced that incredible careers, companies, and life experiences will be born out of this difficult season. I can’t wait to see what you do.
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