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THIS WEEK’S EPISODE
If you learn one thing from this episode it’s: Connection is the strategy
Other concepts to note:
A community gathering
Uncertainty before the layoff is worse than the actual thing
Losing identity > Losing income
People want to help others
The first 72 Hours matter
Betting on yourself is not a Plan B
My guest this week is Jarrett Reed. We had never met before last week.
I happened across this profile of him in the Star-Tribune and immediately thought, “this is a guy I need on the podcast”.
Why? My mission for these conversations is to help others. If there is one person out there going through a rough spot in their career today, maybe they find this conversation, and in it solace, hope, and ideas.
Jarrett went through a rough patch towards the end of last year. Rumors of a layoff at his company wore him down, so much so that the actual layoff wasn’t so bad.
He worked for a large company, which employed (and laid off) many people in his town. The layoff was in the morning, his phone was blowing up before his coffee got cold.
By noon, a group had assembled to meet up and share stories.
Hugs, tears, support, and, as Jarrett tells me:
“…celebrating each other and the journey that we all had.”
The group got larger, families joined and venues changed. I’m guessing a few drinks were consumed.
By that evening it was obvious to Jarrett that connection is the strategy for coping with job loss.
A community gathering
Whiteboard Wednesdays was born. Each week, on Wednesday, this group would return to offer support, find support, and simply hang out. They talked job search, discussed what’s next, and celebrated wins.
Coming together, intentionally unscripted, became a thing.
Purposefully in-person.
Twenty years of building consumer experiences taught Jarrett that a physical space isn't neutral. When he needed venues for Whiteboard Wednesdays, organizations lined up to host because they believed in what the group was doing.
"It kind of goes back to where you started the conversation with the roles that places play — they can signal something and why people want to go to them."
Uncertainty before the layoff is worse than the actual thing
Months of rumor mills, staffers asking Jarrett “what’s up with the company, am I safe?”, a “meeting” announced on Friday for Monday morning (enjoy your weekend - who does that!), a technical glitch during the call itself.
Announcing the layoff was more of a relief than anything else.
"The uncertainty I think was probably the worst part. And that happened months in advance of the layoff."
Losing identity > Losing income
He heard it repeatedly in the Whiteboard Wednesday community. People who couldn't answer "what do you do?" at a dinner party were more destabilized by that than any financial set back.
While ‘you the person’ and ‘you the employee’ are completely separate, we all have a work brand, and sometimes we buy into that brand a little too much.
Think about it, does your nephew really know what you do for a living? Probably not.
But we identify with our roles so much. We play that role 40+ hours per week, for 30 years or more. It’s hard not to become that person, especially in the aftermath of the role being taken away.
"Work identity was a core of who they were, and not having that identity anymore was probably more destabilizing than not having the job or the income."
People want to help others
There wasn’t a business plan for Whiteboard Wednesdays. He showed up, was vulnerable, and told his story. He provided a space for others to do the same.
People showed up to help others, even when they needed help themselves. Helping was getting the help, and it works!
"I hope it's a universal truth — people want to help people, like generally speaking. So that's what I felt in that moment. And that kind of carried me outside of the day and into the next chapter."
The first 72 Hours matter
Jarrett is now building a new type of community. It’s called PinkSlipped.
His vision: create a place you can turn to in the first 72 hours after a layoff. A place that can show you your options, and guide you to solutions that fit your needs. He told me that PinkSlipped is a place he wish existed for him and the Whiteboard Wednesday members.
They had so many questions - and not a lot of answers.
As for the first 72 hours, sequencing matters. Not every decision is equally urgent. The wrong move made while emotional can cost you.
"Making decisions in a state of uncertainty or a state of fear is probably the worst place to make a decision."
Betting on yourself is not a Plan B
I asked Jarrett about his own experience job hunting. He told me that at the time, since the holidays were approaching, he didn’t want to send resumes during a dead-period.
But he also had the idea for PinkSlipped brewing in the background. He couldn’t help thinking about it.
His family took a trip for the holidays, and that was the reset he needed. He came back knowing what his next move would be.
"Coming out of that trip, I was uber clear — I want to bet on myself. I want to bet on building something and creating something."
Enjoy the episode, which can be found on Apple and Spotify, and at the website, DeterminationPod.com
Visit PinkSlipped here if you or someone you know could use their services.
If you have a story to share that could help others, please reach out to me. My email address is [email protected].
See you next week!
