Laid Off to Lift Off

Vanita
  • 5.0 (7)
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Laid Off to Lift Off shares real layoff stories and perspectives from all walks of life, where they are now, and inspiring advice to help you through your own journey. If you’ve been there, are in it, or think it’s coming, this podcast is here to remind you: you’re not alone. Check out my Stan Store - https://stan.store/vanitacapo Book a call with me to get a LinkedIn makeover so recruiters come to you, download my very own resume template and snag my interview guide on how to answer the most commonly asked questions. Connect with me on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/vcapobiancohrtech/ Subscribe to Laid Off to Lift Off and share with someone who needs it!

  1. 1d ago

    Brian Sheehy - Comfortable Should Be Your Warning Sign

    Brian Sheehy on Layoffs, Reinvention and Building Momentum After a Career Reset Episode Summary No dramatic firing, no villain, just a remote exec whose company wanted him to relocate to Portland and a quiet, amicable exit that still hit like a loss. In this episode, Brian Sheehy, COO, patent-holding product developer, former CPA, and host of the podcast De:termination joins Vanita to unpack what happens after the layoff: staying challenged, building visibility, and treating a career reset as fuel instead of a setback. They cover comfort zones, reinvention in your 40s and why creating content is a practical job-search tool, not just a personal project. What We Cover Why an amicable layoff can still feel like real griefThe time Brian got locked out of a startupRealizing he had gotten too comfortable and why that's dangerous, not safeWhy Brian thrives at smaller companies where he can wear a lot of hatsHow a coffee catch-up with his old career coach turned into a job offerThe origin story of De:termination (yes, the colon is intentional)Why cold outreach for guests beats asking friendsThe "always be building" pattern Brian's noticed across his own guestsLinkedIn visibility as an interview advantage, recruiters want to talk about your content, not "tell me about a time when…" Connect with Brian: LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianhsheehy/De:termination Podcast - DeterminationPod.com Connect with Vanita: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vcapobiancohrtech/ Resources: https://justgotlaidoff.org/ created by Melissa Caudill Practical, plain-English information to help workers understand layoffs, protect their benefits and finances, and figure out what comes next. Subscribe to Laid Off to Lift Off - https://laidofftoliftoff.riverside.com/ Share with a friend, follow, comment and rate to keep the pod going. Appreciate you. #career #layoffs #motivation #mindset #resilience

  2. Aug 12

    Maha Abouelenein - It's Laid Off to Lift Off's 1st Birthday — With the One Who Helped Me Lift Off

    It's Laid Off to Lift Off's first birthday! To celebrate 26 episodes and one full year of storytelling, I brought on the person who helped make this whole thing possible: Maha Abouelenein, founder of Digital & Savvy and bestselling author of 7 Rules of Self-Reliance. Back in late 2024, an Instagram ad introduced me to Maha right as she was launching her book and a group coaching cohort. I signed up not really knowing what I was doing and that cohort became the spark for Laid Off to Lift Off. So having her on the show a year later isn't just a guest interview, it's a full-circle moment. In this episode, we talk about: The scrappy, imperfect origin story of starting a podcast (bad lighting, a bed in the background etc)Why "getting the reps in" matters more than getting it perfectThe vulnerability of publishing deeply personal stories on LinkedIn; including the response Vanita got after sharing she was undocumented for 10 yearsWhat personal branding actually meansWhy LinkedIn isn't just for job seekers; it's where business and relationships happen, regardless of industryMaha's simple but powerful networking trickThe mindset shift Maha says everyone needs after a layoff: your name and title were never the same thingAdvice for anyone who feels like they don't have it all figured outMaha's advice for Vanita heading into Year Two About Maha Abouelenein: Founder of Digital & Savvy, bestselling author of 7 Rules of Self-Reliance, and a self-proclaimed sports fanatic. Minnesota-born, 100% Egyptian, and one of the people who helped give Vanita the courage to start telling her story. 📖 Grab Maha's book: 7 Rules of Self-Reliance (available in audiobook, paperback, and hardcover): https://www.mahaabouelenein.com/book https://www.amazon.com/Rules-Self-Reliance-Moving-Invest-Yourself/dp/1401978665 Connect with Maha - https://www.mahaabouelenein.com/Connect with Vanita - https://www.linkedin.com/in/vcapobiancohrtech/ 🎧 Here's to Year Two. Subscribe to the podcast on Spotify, Apple and YouTube. Share with someone who needs it today. This one woman show appreciates you.

  3. Jul 28

    Mark Weinstein - Layoff. Divorce. Caregiving. All in One Year; Still Standing.

    Layoff. Divorce. Caregiving. All in One Year and He's Still Standing. Mark spent years building creative teams for Star Trek, Halo, Top Gun: Maverick, and The Dark Knight, growing his department from 3 people to 45. Then the same company that laid off your host laid him off too. This episode covers the 5-minute all-hands that ended it all, the moment his boss called him and Mark ended up comforting him, and the gut-punch of realizing 15 years of never needing a resume doesn't prepare you for a job market that's gone completely silent. On the personal side, he was going through a divorce and was the caregiver for his mother. What an emotional toll! We get into the "hidden network" nobody explains until you need it and the exact moment Mark stopped chasing outcomes and started connecting with people. Plus hear a childhood story that won him a national ad contest! Impressive. In this episode: The emotional whiplash of a layoff announced in a 5-minute Zoom callWhy Mark took care of everyone else before he took care of himselfNavigating a layoff while going through divorce and supporting his momWhat "the hidden network" actually means and why your current network isn't itThe difference between transactional networking and the real thingLearning to sell yourself after 15 years of never having toBuilding a portfolio career: consulting, speaking, a book, and everything in betweenHis advice for anyone who thinks a layoff might be coming Connect with Mark on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markweinstein/ Connect with Vanita on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vcapobiancohrtech/   #layoffs #laidoff #motivation #resilience #believeinyourself #career #hope

  4. Jul 24

    Geoff Curtis - Purgatory: What Nobody Tells You About Losing Your Job Title

    Geoff Curtis spent nearly 30 years building a career as a communications expert. An acquisition eliminated his role and left him, in his words, in "purgatory." He's the author of Embracing Your Own Purgatory and he co-founded the nonprofit Future Voices Collective with his wife. Geoff's layoff wasn't a single day; it was a nearly year-long limbo. His company's acquisition was announced in December 2022, delayed by a government regulatory lawsuit, and didn't close until October 2023; he exited that November. In this conversation, Geoff and Vanita talk about: What it's like to lead a team through that kind of uncertainty while quietly knowing your own role is likely redundantWhy the emotional hit didn't actually land until over a year laterHow staying "busy" became a way to avoid feeling anything at all.Geoff also opens up about the hardest chapter of his book to write which was his father's death.He makes the case for why more men need to talk about imposter syndrome, vulnerability, and what's really underneath the finished, polished version of themselves they post on LinkedIn. Conect with Geoff on Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/geoffreycurtis/ Grab Geoff's book, Embracing Your Own Purgatory: https://www.amazon.com/Embracing-Your-Purgatory-Geoff-Curtis/dp/B0GVTY5KS5 Connect with Vanita on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/vcapobiancohrtech/ Vanita started Laid Off to Lift Off in 2025, a year after her own layoff. She wanted to spread stories of hope and resilience and show others they are not alone in this career transition they didn't ask for. To support the podcast, please subscribe, rate, comment and share with someone who needs it today. #layoffs #believeinyourself

  5. Trailer

    Trailer - Laid Off to Lift Off

    Laid Off to Lift Off was created to spread stories of hope and resilience at a time where you're experiencing a career transition you didn't ask for. You are more than a job title and you deserve to believe it. Subscribe, comment, and share with someone who needs it. These are easy ways to keep the podcast going. This one woman show appreciates you.

  6. Jun 30

    Julia Arpag - She Got Laid Off Nursing Her Newborn, Then Built a $500K Business

    Buckle Up - She Got Laid Off Nursing Her Newborn, Then Built a $500K Business Five weeks postpartum, nursing her newborn, juggling a two-year-old and two foster teenage sons, that's when Julia got the call. Her CEO had put off the layoff as long as he could, but there was nothing left in the bank. She didn't panic. She didn't cry. Her first thought was simply: what's next? In this episode, Julia Arpag, founder of Aligned Recruitment, shares the wild ride that followed from fielding six job offers within two weeks, to taking sales calls with her baby strapped to her chest, to turning a side hustle for a friend into a business that billed $500,000 in its first 10 months. She opens up about buying out her co-founder, building a values-first company without sacrificing her family, and why she believes anyone considering entrepreneurship should "run, don't walk." We also get into the real talk: why storytelling (not "stuffy finance bro talk") is what actually converts on LinkedIn, the mindset shift required to become a founder, and the mantra she repeats to herself on the hard days. Connect with Julia on LinkedIn (she's the only one!): https://www.linkedin.com/in/julia-arpag/ Check out Aligned Recruitment: https://www.alignedrecruitment.com/team Connect with Vanita on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vcapobiancohrtech/ Subscribe to Laid Off to Lift Off on Spotify, YouTube and Apple. Please share with someone who needs a little hope and encouragement today. https://laidofftoliftoff.riverside.com/

  7. Jun 9

    Hady Méndez - 1,000 Applications. 30 Interviews. 0 Offers. Then This.

    After 1,000 applications and 30 interviews with no offers, discover how resilience and authenticity led to an unexpected breakthrough. Join us as Hady Méndez shares her transformative journey from setbacks to success. In this episode: Hady shares the emotional and practical realities of being laid off for the second time and how she navigated feelings of fragility and uncertainty.The importance of preparedness: financial, emotional, and professional so you can pivot confidentlyHer experience moving to Spain as part of her retirement planningHow she transitioned from corporate leader to entrepreneur and author, and the lessons learned in marketing, visibility, and community-buildingThe power of storytelling and how her book serves as a tool for healing and connectionTips on leveraging LinkedIn Live shows, including her Latinas Front and Center and Authors Unplugged, to build community and showcase authenticityPractical advice for those facing layoffs, embracing uncertainty, maintaining curiosity and nurturing side hustles Connect with Hady 📖 Calladita No More - available in paperback, hardcover, e-book, and audiobook. https://www.boldlyspeakingllc.com/calladitanomore 🏆 Two-time Firebird Book Award winner 💼 LinkedIn: Hady Méndez 📺 Latinas Front and Center - LinkedIn Live, Thursdays at noon ET 📺 Authors Unplugged - LinkedIn Live, Tuesdays at noon ET Connect with Vanita on Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/vcapobiancohrtech/

  8. May 21

    Deidre Dee Henry - The Spite That Built a Business in 45 Days

    What happens when a sales and marketing powerhouse gets laid off on a Tuesday with zero warning despite celebrating record company profits just a week prior? Dee Henry, founder of The Sales Loft, turned that exact moment into a 45-day launch sprint that became her origin story as an entrepreneur. In this episode, Dee shares the raw, real story of her layoff, the spite that fueled her first business move, and the lesson that changed everything: done is better than perfect. From navigating the emotional whiplash of sudden unemployment to building systems that help other founders move with speed, Dee's journey proves that the skills that made you "good enough" for corporate make you unstoppable for yourself. Key Takeaways "Done is better than perfect." The mantra that drove Dee from layoff to launch in 45 days. When she stopped agonizing over the perfect website or the perfect platform choice and just moved, the universe moved with her. Your skill set isn't company property. If you were good enough to hire, you're good enough to bet on yourself. The talent that made you valuable to them is exactly what will make you successful for you. The first month is about survival, not strategy. Expect overwhelm from notifications (Slack deactivation, insurance deadlines, concerned colleagues), and give yourself permission to sit in it rather than jump into your next move immediately. Boundaries aren't optional for founders—they're a superpower. Dee built Boundaries (coming soon) because she learned the hard way that without them, people exploit your time, your energy, and your earning potential. This is especially critical for neurodivergent entrepreneurs and creators. There's always room for you. The space isn't too crowded. CNBC found Dee because she was posting consistently. If you commit to showing up, the right people will find you. Connect with Dee: LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/deidremhenry/Instagram: @deidreofficialTik Tok: @deidreofficialThe Sales Loft: https://thesalesloft.com/

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About

Laid Off to Lift Off shares real layoff stories and perspectives from all walks of life, where they are now, and inspiring advice to help you through your own journey. If you’ve been there, are in it, or think it’s coming, this podcast is here to remind you: you’re not alone. Check out my Stan Store - https://stan.store/vanitacapo Book a call with me to get a LinkedIn makeover so recruiters come to you, download my very own resume template and snag my interview guide on how to answer the most commonly asked questions. Connect with me on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/vcapobiancohrtech/ Subscribe to Laid Off to Lift Off and share with someone who needs it!

Information

  • Creator
    Vanita
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    30
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2025 Vanita
  • Show Website
    Laid Off to Lift Off