Pink Slip Pavilion

Pink Slip Pavilion

por Ashley Waddington
Negocios
Temporada 1
From Building Brands to Building Her Own | Melissa Cohen
Laid off from the company where you thought you'd retire. What happens when the career you thought was your future suddenly disappears? If you're navigating a layoff, struggling through today's job market, questioning your career identity, or wondering whether it's too late to reinvent yourself, this episode is for you. In this episode of Pink Slip Pavilion, host Ashley Waddington sits down with Melissa Cohen to talk about being laid off from her dream company during the COVID-19 pandemic and how losing the career she thought she'd have forever ultimately led her somewhere she never expected. Melissa had spent years in the fashion industry and considered herself "corporate through and through." She never imagined becoming an entrepreneur. Then 2020 changed everything. Losing her job brought sadness, anger, uncertainty, and even shame. Making matters harder, the fashion industry had been devastated by the pandemic, leaving few jobs to even apply for. When opportunities finally returned, Melissa faced another challenge: a frustrating job search filled with multiple rounds of interviews, ghosting, and rejection. After six or seven interviews with one company, she was told she was their top candidate and would hear about next steps on Monday. She never heard from them again. That became her final straw. Melissa started consulting and turned to LinkedIn to rebuild her network. What started as an attempt to find another job unexpectedly became a community, a personal brand, and eventually an entirely new business helping others leverage LinkedIn and build their own personal brands. Today, Melissa runs her own business, speaks, has co-authored two books, and says the positive things that have happened over the last six years happened because corporate left her. In this episode, we cover: • Getting laid off from your dream company during COVID • Losing a job you thought you'd have until retirement • The identity loss and shame that can follow a layoff • Navigating job loss when your entire industry is struggling • Multiple interview rounds, rejection, and job-search ghosting • Knowing when to stop forcing your way back into corporate • Starting a business after a layoff • Discovering entrepreneurship when you never planned on becoming an entrepreneur • Using LinkedIn to rebuild your network after job loss • Building a personal brand that isn't dependent on your employer or job title • Separating your self-worth from where you work • Reinventing your career later in life • Why Melissa now considers her layoff a blessing • Using job loss as a springboard toward something better Melissa's message for anyone navigating a layoff is simple: You're not alone, and it's never too late to reinvent yourself. A layoff can feel like losing a piece of who you are. But losing your job doesn't mean losing your value, your experience, or your ability to build something new. Six years later, Melissa says she wouldn't have believed where that pink slip would eventually take her. Her memoir title says it best: It All Worked Out in the End. CONNECT WITH MELISSA: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissa-beth-cohen/ Website: www.melissabethcohen.com Pink Slip Pavilion is a podcast about layoff recovery, job loss, career transitions, career reinvention, entrepreneurship, and turning career disruption into growth. New episodes release every Wednesday.
T1 · E27
19 ago 2026
19:15
From Hospitality Leader to "Hospitality" Career Coach | Christopher McFadden
What happens when you know a layoff is coming, but there's absolutely nothing you can do to stop it? If you're worried about an upcoming layoff, watching your industry shrink, or trying not to take job loss personally, this episode is for you. In this episode of Pink Slip Pavilion, host Ashley Waddington sits down with Christopher McFadden, former hospitality executive, college professor, entrepreneur, and coach, to talk about losing a job he genuinely loved and navigating a career transition completely outside of his control. After 25 years in the restaurant and hotel industry, Christopher made a major career change into education. Teaching gave him the flexibility his family needed while allowing him to discover work he loved. Then government policy changes affecting international students began reshaping higher education in Ontario. Programs shrank. Campuses closed. Colleagues started losing their jobs. Christopher knew his pink slip was probably coming...and then it did. Even with months to mentally prepare, losing a career he loved was painful. Christopher found himself asking the same question so many people face after a layoff: What do I do now? But as one part of his life changed, something much bigger was happening. Just months after losing his teaching position, Christopher and his wife were matched with the young boy who would become their son. Suddenly, the time and flexibility created by his layoff allowed him to be fully present for one of the most important transitions of his life. Professionally, Christopher also began recognizing that he wasn't alone. Former students, colleagues, friends, and professionals across industries were asking the same question: What's next? That realization helped reshape his own business and the people he wanted to serve. In this episode, we cover: • Knowing a layoff is coming and living with career uncertainty • Losing a job you genuinely love • Job loss caused by changes outside your control • Why preparing for a layoff doesn't necessarily make it hurt less • How to stop taking a layoff personally • Navigating a major career transition • Preparing for job loss before it happens • Thinking about your next career move while you're still employed • Why layoffs can create unexpected space in your life • Becoming a father through adoption during a career transition • Rethinking work-life balance and putting life first • Turning your experience into an opportunity to help others • Building the mindset to move forward after career disruption Christopher's biggest advice for anyone facing a layoff is simple: Don't take it personally. Companies change. Industries shrink. Funding disappears. Economies shift. Decisions are made that you may have absolutely no control over. But you can control how prepared you are for what comes next. CONNECT WITH CHRISTOPHER: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christophermmcfadden/ Website: www.tmgcareercoaching.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tmgcareercoaching/ Email: christopher@tmgcareercoaching.com Pink Slip Pavilion is a podcast about layoff recovery, job loss, career transitions, career reinvention, entrepreneurship, and turning career disruption into growth. New episodes release every Wednesday.
T1 · E26
12 ago 2026
25:15
Who Am I Without My Job? A Framework for Rebuilding Your Identity After a Layoff | Ashley Waddington
What happens when losing your job makes you question who you are? If you've ever thought, "Who am I without my career?" after a layoff or job loss, this episode is for you. In this special solo episode of Pink Slip Pavilion, host Ashley Waddington shares one of the most impactful frameworks she's learned for navigating identity after a layoff. Rather than telling another layoff story, Ashley walks through a practical exercise designed to help you understand your self-identity, reconnect with your strengths, and rebuild your confidence after career disruption. One of the most common themes to emerge from conversations with guests on Pink Slip Pavilion is self identity. When we spend years investing our time, energy, and purpose into our careers, it's natural to feel lost when that role suddenly disappears. But what if losing one identity doesn't mean losing yourself? In this episode, Ashley introduces a simple self-identity mapping exercise that helps separate who you are from what you do, identify the core traits that remain even after job loss, and discover new ways to channel those strengths into your next chapter. Whether you're recovering from a layoff, changing careers, navigating unemployment, or simply questioning what's next, this framework can help you move through uncertainty with greater clarity and confidence. In this episode, we cover: • Why layoffs often trigger an identity crisis • The difference between a job, a career, and a calling • Understanding how self-identity evolves throughout life • Creating your own self-identity map • Identifying the core traits that define you beyond your job title • Why your strengths don't disappear after a layoff • Reallocating your talents into new opportunities • Finding purpose after career disruption • Rebuilding confidence after job loss • Why identity is about who you are—not what you do • Practical exercises to help you navigate career transitions If you're walking through a layoff and wondering who you are without your job, this episode will give you a practical framework to help you rebuild your identity with intention instead of fear. Because losing a job may change what you do. It doesn't change who you are. Pink Slip Pavilion is a podcast about layoff recovery, job loss, career transitions, entrepreneurship, and turning career disruption into growth. New episodes release every Wednesday.
T1 · E25
5 ago 2026
13:38
From Chaos to Clarity | Andrew Bath
Laid off twice while living overseas. What happens when losing your job also puts your visa, your family, and your future on the line? If you're navigating a layoff, facing uncertainty about your career, or wondering how to move forward after job loss, this episode is for you. In this episode of Pink Slip Pavilion, host Ashley Waddington sits down with career coach and founder Andrew Bath to discuss what it was like to experience two layoffs while living and working in the United Kingdom on a work visa, and how those career setbacks ultimately became opportunities to reinvent himself. Andrew's first layoff came after the dot-com crash in 2002. His second followed the 2008 global financial crisis, just weeks after starting a new job. In both cases, his family's ability to remain in the country depended on him finding employment quickly. The pressure was immense. There were tears, uncertainty, and the fear of letting his family down. But those experiences also taught him something unexpected. A layoff isn't the end of your career, it's your chance to start with a blank canvas. In this conversation, Andrew shares how rebuilding a daily routine helped him regain momentum, why acknowledging difficult emotions is the first step toward moving forward, and how every career transition gave him new opportunities, stronger relationships, and a fresh perspective on what was possible. His story is a powerful reminder that careers aren't ladders—they're journeys. In this episode, we cover: • Experiencing two layoffs while working abroad on a visa • Job loss during the dot-com crash and the 2008 financial crisis • The unique challenges of layoffs while living overseas • Managing the pressure of providing for your family after a layoff • Why losing your routine can be one of the hardest parts of job loss • Building daily habits that create momentum during career transitions • Acknowledging difficult emotions without letting them control your future • The importance of intentionality after a career setback • Why every layoff became an opportunity to reinvent himself • Creating a "blank canvas" for your next career chapter • The value of maintaining relationships with former coworkers • How to stop one bad day from becoming a bad week • Why careers are journeys, not ladders • Finding opportunity and growth after unexpected change If you're experiencing a layoff, rebuilding after job loss, or preparing for your next career move, this conversation will remind you that uncertainty doesn't last forever. Andrew reminds us: A layoff may change your direction. It doesn't have to change your destination. CONNECT WITH ANDREW: Email: andrew@momentumcareerconsulting.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-bath-growing-careers/ Pink Slip Pavilion is a podcast about layoff recovery, job loss, career transitions, entrepreneurship, and turning career disruption into growth. New episodes release every Wednesday.
T1 · E24
29 jul 2026
20:42
From Failure to Finding Her Purpose | Elle Freeders
Laid off from her first job after college. What happens when the career you thought was your dream job turns out to be preparing you for something even better? If you're navigating your first layoff, entering the workforce after college, or questioning whether you're on the right career path, this episode is for you. In this episode of Pink Slip Pavilion, host Ashley Waddington sits down with healthcare professional Elle Freeders to talk about what it really feels like to lose your first job after college and how one unexpected career setback led her to discover work that fit her strengths far better than the path she originally planned. Just six months into her first professional role, Elle was settling into life after college. She had her own apartment, was building a new routine, and believed she was doing everything right. Then, without warning, she was laid off. The experience shook her confidence. She questioned whether she had failed. She wondered how she would pay her bills and whether she'd ever find another opportunity. But one piece of feedback from her former employer changed everything. Instead of viewing the layoff as the end of her career, Elle used that feedback to explore a different side of healthcare—one she had never considered before. It turns out, it was exactly where she belonged. In this conversation, Elle shares how staying open to unexpected opportunities helped her find a career she enjoys even more, why career paths are rarely linear, and how one painful season ultimately led to greater confidence, leadership opportunities, and a life she never expected. Her story is a powerful reminder that doing everything "right" doesn't guarantee life will go according to plan—but it also doesn't mean you're on the wrong path. In this episode, we cover: • Getting laid off from your first job after college • Entering the workforce during the post-COVID job market • Navigating unemployment as a young professional • The emotional impact of losing your first "grown-up" job • Managing financial stress after a layoff • Why career paths are rarely linear • Turning constructive feedback into career direction • Discovering strengths you didn't know you had • Finding the right fit instead of forcing the original plan • Leadership opportunities that came from an unexpected career shift • Building confidence after early career setbacks • The importance of leaning on family and friends during difficult seasons • Why it's okay to change direction professionally • How one layoff led to greater fulfillment both professionally and personally If you're experiencing job loss early in your career, wondering if you've fallen behind, or questioning your next step, this conversation will remind you that one setback doesn't define your future. Elle reminds us: It's going to be okay. Sometimes the career you thought you wanted simply opens the door to the one you're actually meant for. CONNECT WITH ELLE: Instagram: @elle.freeders Tik Tok: @ellefreeders X: @efreederselle Pink Slip Pavilion is a podcast about layoff recovery, job loss, career transitions, entrepreneurship, and turning career disruption into growth. New episodes release every Wednesday.
T1 · E23
22 jul 2026
15:00
From Pink Slip to Powerful | Christine Morse
Laid off three times. Can repeated job loss actually become the foundation for greater confidence, career growth, and entrepreneurship? If you are navigating a layoff, recovering from job loss, questioning your career path, or wondering what comes after corporate, this episode is for you. In this episode of Pink Slip Pavilion, host Ashley Waddington sits down with business growth strategist Christine Morse to talk about what it really looks like to experience multiple corporate layoffs, navigate major career transitions, and ultimately build a business with more purpose, flexibility, and confidence than she ever imagined. Christine received three pink slips over the course of her career. One came when globalization moved her department overseas. Another came after years of climbing the corporate ladder while juggling constant travel and raising two young children. Her third came after helping a client grow so successfully that they could no longer afford to keep her on the project. Each layoff was painful. Each one challenged her confidence. And each one ultimately became the catalyst for something better. In this conversation, Christine shares how she stopped viewing layoffs as personal failures, learned to measure her value through the results she created instead of the title she held, and discovered that every career setback had quietly prepared her for the next opportunity. Her story is a powerful reminder that losing a job doesn't erase your experience, your value, or your future. In this episode, we cover: • Navigating multiple corporate layoffs throughout your career • How globalization and corporate restructuring impact job security • Balancing career ambition with raising a family • Why one layoff became the permission Christine needed to be present with her children • Recovering your confidence after job loss • Separating your identity from your job title • Turning career accomplishments into measurable confidence • Building a stronger resume by documenting measurable results • Using AI to process a layoff and identify your professional strengths • Why entrepreneurship often begins after career disruption • Starting a business after being laid off • Creating a portfolio before you need one • Identifying the work that aligns with your strengths and values • How to prepare for your next career opportunity before you need it • Why every layoff can become a stepping stone instead of a setback If you are experiencing a layoff, preparing for a career transition, or wondering what your next chapter could look like, this conversation will remind you that your value is not determined by someone else's decision. Christine reminds us: Your career is bigger than any one job. Your accomplishments don't disappear when the paycheck does. Sometimes the confidence you need for your next chapter is already hidden in the work you've done. CONNECT WITH CHRISTINE: Christine@avidmarketingalliance.com Website: avidmarketingalliance.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christinemorse/ Pink Slip Pavilion is a podcast about layoff recovery, job loss, career transitions, entrepreneurship, and turning career disruption into growth. New episodes release every Wednesday.
T1 · E22
15 jul 2026
20:21
From Service Industry Shut Out to Service of Humanity | Lindsay Jones
Laid off while planning a wedding. What happens when losing the job you thought you needed finally gives you the space to discover the work you were meant to do? If you're navigating a layoff or questioning your career path, this episode is for you. In this episode of Pink Slip Pavilion, host Ashley Waddington sits down with HR leader and entrepreneur Lindsay Jones to talk about what it really looks like to lose a job, rethink your priorities, and discover a career that aligns with who you truly are. While balancing college, restaurant management, and planning her wedding, Lindsay began questioning whether she was on the right path. She had already lost faith in the company, but wasn't ready to walk away. Then the company made the decision for her. Getting laid off while her fiancé was away at his bachelor party was painful and unexpected. But it became the turning point that shifted her focus from finding another job to discovering work that truly fed her soul. Lindsay shares how taking a step back led her to a career she never anticipated, why recalibrating isn't the same as moving backwards, and how aligning your work with your values changes everything. Her story is a powerful reminder that sometimes the job you lose is simply making room for the one you're meant to find. In this episode, we cover: • Getting laid off while planning a wedding and finishing college • Processing rejection after losing a job • Why taking a step back can become your biggest step forward • The importance of recalibrating your career instead of forcing the wrong path • Asking deeper questions about what truly fulfills you • Why soul-searching can be one of the greatest gifts after a layoff • Going from restaurant management to a receptionist role • How an unexpected opportunity led Lindsay into Human Resources • Discovering a career that aligned with her strengths and values • Why helping people became the center of her professional life • The importance of interviewing companies just as much as they interview you • Starting before you're ready if entrepreneurship is calling you • How core values can guide your next career move • Why every career path, even the unexpected ones, can lead you home If you are walking through a layoff, feeling uncertain about your future, or wondering whether your career is asking you to change direction, this conversation will remind you that taking a step back is not the same as giving up. Lindsay reminds us: Not every detour is a setback. Sometimes the road that feels like it's taking you away from your plans is the very one leading you toward your purpose. CONNECT WITH LINDSAY: LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/lindsay-jones-a58493b0/ Instagram: @lindsay_lou_jones Instagram: @the_age_of_light_healing Facebook: www.facebook.com/lindsayloujones Email: TheAgeofLightHealing@gmail.com Website: www.theageoflighthealing.com/ Pink Slip Pavilion is a podcast about layoff recovery, career transitions, entrepreneurship, and turning career disruption into growth. New episodes release every Wednesday.
T1 · E21
8 jul 2026
15:09
What to Do After a Layoff: Advice From 8 More Guests | Pink Slip Pavilion
Laid off. Now what? Eight more guests. Eight unique perspectives. One episode filled with practical advice for navigating job loss, career transitions, and what's next. If you've recently been laid off, are worried a layoff may be coming, or are still carrying the emotional weight of a past job loss, this episode is for you. In this special compilation episode of Pink Slip Pavilion, host Ashley Waddington brings together the most impactful advice from eight recent guests who have all experienced layoffs firsthand and rebuilt their careers in different ways. Some found new corporate opportunities. Some became entrepreneurs. Some discovered strengths they never knew they had. But every guest walked away with lessons they wish they had known while they were living through the uncertainty. In this episode, you'll hear practical guidance on navigating layoffs, rebuilding confidence, processing grief, and taking intentional steps toward your next chapter. In this episode, we cover: • What to do immediately after a layoff • How to process the grief of losing a job without getting stuck in it • Why your layoff is not a reflection of your worth or ability • Practical advice for navigating a Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) • How to prepare for your next opportunity before you need it • The importance of networking during career transitions • Why learning, unlearning, and relearning can accelerate your growth • How to stop operating from fear and start making intentional career decisions • The role of therapy, exercise, and community during difficult seasons • Why many layoffs become the catalyst for entrepreneurship • How to think about your career over decades instead of difficult moments • The Japanese concept of Ikigai and finding work aligned with your purpose • Why leadership doesn't always have all the answers • How to rebuild confidence after career disruption • Why change often creates opportunities you couldn't see before • The mindset shifts that help people move forward after job loss Whether this is your first layoff or your fifth, these conversations are a reminder that you are not alone. Every guest in this episode faced uncertainty. Every guest found a way forward. And every story is proof that a pink slip doesn't have to define the rest of your career. WANT TO BE A GUEST IN THE PAVILION? Email us: hello@pinkslippavilion.com Pink Slip Pavilion is a podcast about layoff recovery, career transitions, entrepreneurship, and turning career disruption into growth. New episodes release every Wednesday.
T1 · E20
1 jul 2026
21:35
From Corporate Identity to Finding Her Thread | Luana Mendoza-Evans
Laid off after the best years of her career. What happens when the worst day of your professional life becomes the beginning of something better than you ever imagined? If you are navigating a layoff, questioning whether you're still in the right career, or wondering if entrepreneurship might be part of your future, this episode is for you. In this episode of Pink Slip Pavilion, host Ashley Waddington sits down with founder Luana Mendoza-Evans to talk about what it really feels like to lose a job you loved, grieve an identity you had outgrown, and build something entirely new on the other side. After 17 years in corporate America, including leadership roles as a Director and Chief of Staff at a Fortune 100 company, Luana was thriving professionally. She had just come off the best years of her career, was highly respected by her peers, and had built programs that other departments wanted to replicate. Then, without warning, her role was eliminated. What followed wasn't just a layoff. It was a reckoning. In this conversation, Luana shares the emotional reality of grieving a job she loved, the surprising clarity that emerged when she finally had space to think, and how getting laid off led her to launch Thread Studio, a business helping former corporate professionals and founders uncover the story that makes them uniquely valuable. Her story is a powerful reminder that sometimes the thing we are afraid to choose for ourselves is the exact thing life chooses for us. In this episode, we cover: • What it feels like to be laid off after the best years of your career • Losing a job you genuinely loved • The emotional roller coaster of a 60-day transition period • Why layoffs can still hurt even when you know they are not personal • Grieving a career chapter that no longer fits • The difference between public resilience and private grief • How therapy helped Luana navigate the uncertainty • Why many high achievers stay in roles they have outgrown • Learning to separate your identity from your job title • The power of creating space before making your next move • How previous career setbacks prepared her for entrepreneurship • The role family support played during her transition • Building confidence after a layoff • Launching Thread Studio and helping others find clarity in their story • Working with "corporate escapees" and founders • The Japanese concept of Ikigai and finding your reason for being • Why entrepreneurship was never on her bingo card • Going from corporate leader to founder featured in Times Square • How to rebuild intentionally instead of rushing into the next opportunity • Why the first layoff broke her and the second one freed her If you are walking through a layoff, struggling with uncertainty, or wondering whether there is something bigger waiting on the other side of your career, this conversation will remind you that losing a job does not mean losing yourself. Luana reminds us: You don't have to become someone new. The thread that makes you who you are is already there. Sometimes it takes a layoff to finally pull it. Pink Slip Pavilion is a podcast about layoff recovery, career reinvention, entrepreneurship, and turning career disruption into growth. New episodes release every Wednesday. CONNECT WITH LUANA: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/luanamendoza Instagram @threadstudioco Website: https://threadstudiocollective.com
T1 · E19
24 jun 2026
22:21
From Laid Off to Sharing Joy | David DaCosta
Laid off three times in ten years. What happens when losing your job becomes the catalyst for building something you never planned? If you are navigating a layoff, considering entrepreneurship, or wondering whether a career setback could lead to something bigger, this episode is for you. In this episode of Pink Slip Pavilion, host Ashley Waddington sits down with designer, author, and entrepreneur David DaCosta to talk about what it really looks like to experience multiple layoffs and how each one shaped his perspective on work, creativity, and self-employment. David's first layoff came in March 2020. His wife was pregnant. COVID was spreading rapidly across the world. And the company he loved called employees into their first-ever Zoom meeting, only to announce widespread layoffs. Within moments, David found himself unemployed during one of the most uncertain periods in recent history. The experience was devastating. But by the time his second and third layoffs came around, something had changed. Instead of viewing layoffs as the end of the story, David began seeing them as the beginning of new chapters. What followed was an unexpected entrepreneurial journey fueled by creativity, relationships, and an idea inspired by his young daughter's jokes. In this conversation, David shares how multiple layoffs transformed his mindset, the confidence he gained through career uncertainty, and how those experiences ultimately led him to create his children's book series, Jokey Jokes. His story is a powerful reminder that sometimes the thing that disrupts your plans is the very thing that creates space for something better. In this episode, we cover: • What it felt like to be laid off during the early days of COVID-19 • Navigating uncertainty with a baby on the way • Experiencing three layoffs in ten years • How perspective changes after multiple layoffs • Why the second layoff felt like freedom instead of devastation • The mindset shift from "my world is ending" to "my next chapter is beginning" • Building confidence through career setbacks • The role entrepreneurship played after multiple layoffs • Why relationships matter more than most people realize • How David unknowingly built the network that would support his future business • Turning creativity into a career path • Creating the Jokey Jokes children's book series • Why time can be one of the greatest gifts after a layoff • Learning to trust your instincts and experience • The reality that leaders and companies do not always have all the answers • Why layoffs are often about business circumstances rather than personal failure • How to think about career setbacks through a long-term lens • The importance of giving yourself grace during career transitions If you are walking through a layoff, questioning your next step, or struggling to see opportunity through uncertainty, this conversation will remind you that today's setback may be creating space for tomorrow's breakthrough. David reminds us: Everything you've learned still comes with you. Nothing is wasted. And sometimes the unexpected ending becomes the beginning of the most creative chapter of your life. Pink Slip Pavilion is a podcast about layoff recovery, career transitions, entrepreneurship, and turning career disruption into opportunity. New episodes release every Wednesday. CONNECT WITH DAVID: Instagram: @DaCostaDraws Website: Jokeyjokes.com Website: TheRealDaCosta.com
T1 · E18
17 jun 2026
16:51
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