In 2023, we were laid off from what some would consider a dream job. We were in shock. We got angry, we cried, but we also pretended it didn’t happen and never talked about it. Then we saw wave after wave of layoffs being announced across social media. We noticed that same pattern we had repeated in every announcement or unemployment update posted. It seemed as if we all had the same collective feeling of sadness, shame, and defeat. It felt as if we all had a scarlet letter hanging over our careers. While unexpected terminations impact employees at every level, from star athletes to fast-food workers and corporate types alike, their stories more often than not go untold. We never get to see how they coped with the situation, how they bounced back, or how their career path changed for better or for worse. We only see their next post stating they started a new job. Now more than ever, the antiquated stigma around sharing your unemployment story is real. So instead of perpetuating the cycle of not talking about this delicate topic, we are shining a light on it — sharing the stories of others who’ve being laid off and came out triumphant, as well as sharing resources that’ll help empower everyone else to move onto the next chapter of their careers. Simply put, Let’s Talk Layoffs.