The Layoff Cooties-it's Them Not You: From Rejection to Redirection and Finding Your Ripple Effect Again

The book I never thought I'd write, about an experience I never thought I'd have. If you've ever been laid off, this book is for you. It all started with a flurry of cathartic LinkedIn posts following my layoff. Co-workers I once considered friends wouldn't return my texts or calls. It's like I never existed. Or had the cooties ... the layoff cooties. That absurd phenomenon that happens when people are rejected or shunned simply because they were laid off. I desperately needed to connect with others and LinkedIn was my portal. I poured my heart into each post and a strange thing happened. My posts went viral as people began following me. People across industries and disciplines could relate to my story. Their reactions and comments were comforting and each emojis made me smile ... a ripple effect on my soul. Our society doesn't talk nearly enough about the emotional impact of a layoff and the pain of losing friendships in the blink of an eye. That's one of the reasons I wanted to share my story. Not all of us will write a book. Not all of us will express in writing what a layoff truly feels like. Not all of us want a public record of our emotions for the world to read. But your story is just as important. There's power in sharing our stories, and I am honored you are reading mine. As the Regional Vice President of Sales and top individual rep for a global software company, I was leading a high-performing team, living my dream of making a healthy income doing the work that I love. Until one November morning in 2023 when I received an email with the subject, "Your role is impacted." Suddenly, I felt a pit in my stomach that, to this day, still aches when I put myself back in that exact moment of time. I knew exactly what that meant. I'd been completely blindsided. In less than 5 minutes, my livelihood was taken away and there was nothing I could do about it. Grief is not something you get over; it's something you get through. I believe my layoff happened for a specific reason. It was time for me to leave Corporate America. But I needed a nudge or "God whisper" to redirect my purpose. And so it began, my new journey from rejection to redirection. My purpose for this book was to create more than just a good read. I wanted to share a step-by-step guide to walk you through your stages of grief. When you're ready to move away from the pain of rejection and redirect your path toward all the possibilities you can imagine, all you have to do is turn the page. We'll take it one step at a time.