After the Lost Job Falls Apart, Start Your Own Climb

A while back, I grabbed coffee with a friend—a rare moment where we could sit and talk without the world interrupting. She leaned in, her voice low, and said something that hit me hard:

“It feels like I’ve been running on a treadmill my whole life, and someone just yanked the plug.”

She’d just been laid off from her corporate job after nearly two decades. No warning, no real explanation. Just a severance package and a pat on the back. It wasn’t just losing a job—it felt like her identity was ripped away.

I’ve been there, not exactly the same, but close enough to know what it’s like to realize the “safe” path you’ve been on isn’t so safe after all. In the U.S. today, stories like hers are far from rare. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, about 1.6 million workers were laid off or fired in 2024. That’s 1.6 million people waking up to a reality they didn’t choose, asking themselves: What now?

Here’s what I’ve learned from rebuilding my own path and talking to others who’ve faced the same: the moment you’re forced to start over is also the moment you can rewrite your story. It’s scary, sure. But it’s also a chance to build something truly yours. Here’s how to begin—from scratch.

Stop Letting Your Old Job Define You

When you’ve spent years in the corporate world, your job becomes your identity. You’re the “project manager,” the “head of marketing.” It’s what you say when you’re introduced at events, how you measure your worth. But when it’s gone, what’s left?

For my friend, it was shame. She hadn’t told most of her circle she’d been laid off. She watched her peers climb higher—becoming executives, startup founders, LinkedIn influencers—and felt like a failure.

I told her to grab a pen and paper and write down everything she’d ever done in her career. Every project, every client, every win, no matter how small. She rolled her eyes at first, thinking it was some cheesy motivational exercise. But after an hour, she looked at me and said, “I forgot I did all this.”

She’d worked with Fortune 500 companies, led teams of dozens, and managed multimillion-dollar projects. That’s not small potatoes—it’s proof of what she’s capable of. A 2023 Pew Research study found that 60% of workers who lost jobs during the pandemic felt their skills were underutilized in their next role. There’s so much untapped potential just waiting to be rediscovered.

Start there. Write it all down—every deal you closed, every campaign you ran, every problem you solved. Then ask yourself: What did I love doing? When was the last time I was so focused I lost track of time? Those answers are your roadmap forward.

Your Mind Is a Goldmine

The corporate world is like an advanced degree in skills. You’ve solved problems, built relationships, and learned systems that businesses—small and large—desperately need.

Take my friend: she spent years managing budgets for big companies. She thought it was too “niche” to be useful elsewhere. But almost every business, from the local bakery to the tech startup, needs solid financial management.

We dug into her experience and found she’d created a budgeting tool for clients. It wasn’t proprietary—it was just something she built. With a little tweaking, it could work for small businesses. That’s a product. Not stealing—just mining your own expertise.

The gig economy is booming. In 2024, Upwork reported that 64 million Americans freelanced, contributing $1.27 trillion to the economy. People will pay for skills. You have them. The key is repackaging your expertise, figuring out who needs it, and learning how to sell it.

Learn to Sell Yourself (the Fun Way)

The corporate world spoils you. You have a big brand behind you, a team to execute, and a budget to play with. On your own? That’s all gone. Now, your brand is you. Your team? Also you. It can feel like a step backward—until you realize how freeing it is.

The problem is, corporate skills don’t always translate directly to the real world. Corporate marketing is stiff, jargon-heavy, and bogged down by approvals. Marketing yourself? It’s raw, honest, and fast. You post on X, tweak your website, or make a quick TikTok video. That’s you—unfiltered—speaking directly to people who need your solutions.

I know someone, a former CTO at a big company. Brilliant mind, but he couldn’t break $10,000 a month as a freelancer. Why? He didn’t know how to sell himself. He had to learn the basics—how to pitch, how to write compellingly, how to explain his work without sounding like a robot. Once he got it, everything changed.

Start small. Read a book like This Is Marketing by Seth Godin. Watch how creators on X or YouTube talk about their work. Practice writing about yourself in a human way. It’s not about being slick—it’s about being real.

Find Your Community

Going it alone doesn’t mean being alone. I used to think I could figure it all out by locking myself in my apartment. Big mistake. You need people—mentors, peers, even just friends to bounce ideas off.

I started splitting my time: three days working from home, two days at a co-working space. At home, I focused on creating. At the co-working space, I connected. Lunch with someone new, attending community events, or just chatting. One conversation at a co-working space in Austin led to a client I still work with today. Another introduced me to a mentor who reshaped how I think about business.

A 2024 Harvard Business Review study found that 82% of entrepreneurs who actively network see higher business growth. It’s not just about clients—it’s about learning from others’ mistakes and successes. Join online communities, find a co-working space, or start a discussion group on X. Your people are out there.

Invest in Yourself (It’s Worth It)

I’ve spent thousands on learning—books, courses, mentors. At first, I thought I could get by with free YouTube videos or X posts. But free info is often outdated or too generic. Paying for knowledge speeds things up, and time is your most valuable asset.

Last year, I spent $500 on a one-on-one session with a creator I admired. In an hour, he shared a video production system that would’ve taken me months to figure out on my own. Money buys speed. If you’re serious about building something, find someone who’s done it, and pay to learn from them. It’s not about fancy degrees—it’s about practical knowledge you can apply immediately.

Start Before You’re Ready

The biggest mistake I see? Waiting. Waiting for the perfect idea. The perfect time. The perfect savings. My friend who got laid off? She’s already started. She spends an hour a day refining her budgeting tool, posting on X about her experience, and reaching out to small businesses. She didn’t wait for permission.

You don’t need to quit your job to start, either. A 2023 Intuit survey showed that 72% of side hustlers launched their businesses while working full-time. One hour a day—writing, learning, networking—adds up to a mountain over time.

Rewrite your story. Find the product or service in your head. Learn to sell. Find your community. Invest time and money in growing.

The American Dream isn’t dead. But it’s no longer about climbing the corporate ladder. It’s about building your own. Step by step. And the view from the top? Worth every climb.

Want to start building your own ladder? I’ve got a free email course on turning your experience into a one-person business. Check it out [here].