I got laid off today. This may cause you to want to react by saying, you’re sorry to hear that. But this isn’t my first rodeo. I was laid off at another company over 6 years ago and while it stung at first, it ended up being one of the best things that happened to me.
Two months after I was laid off all those years ago, I built my second business. I was so engrossed in it that for the next two months, I worked day and night until I got so sick, I was forced to stay in bed and take rest. Not long after that I got offered an interview for a job at the company I got laid off from today.
I had no interest in going back to the corporate world. I had been at two large companies before and they were toxic. I couldn’t do that to myself again. I wanted to work, and work, and work on my business until it became something more than I could imagine.
Everyone I knew pushed me to do the interview and to take the role if I got it. Truth be told, I was burnt out on that business and really could use a change. I decided that I would only take the role if I could work from home and if I was paid $250,000 a year.
I was only 24 then, with strong experience, but not many years of it under my belt. Everyone told me no one would offer a work from home, and no one would pay me that much. And certainly, no one would ever offer me BOTH.
I didn’t think they would either, that’s why I set those goals. Because even though I was burnt out on my business, I didn’t want to go back to corporate. EVER.
It turns out that the company delivered. Well, almost. I got to work from home but it was more like $170,000. Still nothing to sneeze at, it was over double, almost triple, what I was making before. And I didn’t even have to ask for it. They offered it to me on their own. By that point I had met with everyone on the team and learned more about the role and was excited to join. So, I bit the bullet and I did.
As I signed my offer letter, I made the promise to myself that I would give what I could to this company, but it would be the last company I worked for. I have worked for them for 5 and a half years. It has been a beautiful experience. The toxicity I attributed to the corporate world, I now only attribute to those toxic companies I had worked for before, and not all corporations. My worst day at this company, was better than my best days at the toxic places I had been at previously.
So I don’t feel sorry that I have been laid off. I feel happy and at peace that I had an experience that showed me a different side of the corporate world. And 6 years wiser, I know now how this could again be the best thing that happened to me.
My only concern now is, will I be able to keep the promise I made to myself 5 and a half years ago? The promise that this company would be the last one I ever worked for? We will see : )