From Corporate Identity to Finding Her Thread | Luana Mendoza-Evans

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 [https://www.linkedin.com/in/luanamendoza] Instagram @threadstudioco Website: https://threadstudiocollective.com [https://threadstudiocollective.com]

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 [http://Jokeyjokes.com] Website: TheRealDaCosta.com [http://TheRealDaCosta.com]

From Laid Off to Confident | Charles Waddington

Laid off during the 2008 recession. What happens when losing your job pushes you into the exact situation you never would have chosen for yourself? If you are navigating a layoff, facing an unexpected career change, or feeling afraid to step outside your comfort zone, this episode is for you. In this episode of Pink Slip Pavilion, host Ashley Waddington sits down with Charles Waddington to talk about what it really looks like to lose your job during an economic downturn and discover strengths you never knew you had. Fresh out of high school, Charles was working long hours in a physically demanding shipping role when the 2008 financial crisis hit. As layoffs swept through the company, he hoped he would be spared. He wasn't. What followed was a leap of faith to Austin, Texas, where a promising job opportunity quickly fell apart, leaving him unemployed in a new city with limited savings and no safety net. Desperate to find work, Charles accepted a door-to-door steak sales job that seemed completely misaligned with who he was. At the time, he was deeply introverted. What happened next changed the trajectory of his life. In this conversation, Charles shares how being forced outside his comfort zone helped him develop confidence, communication skills, and a completely different view of what he was capable of becoming. His story is a powerful reminder that sometimes the opportunities that shape us most are the ones we never would have chosen ourselves. In this episode, we cover: • Navigating a layoff during the 2008 financial crisis • The emotional impact of losing a job early in your career • Moving to a new city after a layoff • What happens when a promised job opportunity falls through • Facing uncertainty without a safety net • Why Charles took a door-to-door sales job despite being an introvert • The personal growth that comes from uncomfortable situations • Learning how to talk to strangers and build confidence • How sales skills can benefit any career path • Why career detours are not always setbacks • The importance of adaptability during difficult seasons • How layoffs can reveal strengths you didn't know you had • Building resilience through uncertainty and change • Why growth often happens outside your comfort zone • Turning unexpected challenges into opportunities • How one difficult season opened doors for future success If you are walking through a layoff, questioning your next step, or feeling intimidated by change, this conversation will remind you that growth often comes disguised as disruption. Charles reminds us: You may not get to choose every challenge that comes your way. But you do get to choose what you become because of it. And sometimes the path you never wanted to take becomes the one that changes your life. Pink Slip Pavilion is a podcast about layoff recovery, career transitions, personal growth, and turning career disruption into opportunity. New episodes release every Wednesday. CONNECT WITH CHARLES: Email: waddingc13@hotmail.com

From Betting for the Corp to Betting on Myself | Enrique Ruiz

Put on a performance improvement plan then laid off. What happens when the pressure to prove yourself becomes harder than the layoff itself? If you are navigating a PIP, worried about losing your job, or trying to separate your identity from your career, this episode is for you. In this episode of Pink Slip Pavilion, host Ashley Waddington sits down with recruiter and founder Enrique Ruiz to talk about what it really feels like to go from being a high-performing employee to suddenly being placed on a performance improvement plan…and eventually losing the job anyway. After years of pouring everything into recruiting, hiring hundreds of employees, and sacrificing personal time to support the company’s growth, Enrique found himself blindsided by a PIP that quickly spiraled into one of the most emotionally exhausting seasons of his life. The stress became constant. The overthinking became consuming. And the pressure to “prove himself” became heavier than the actual layoff. But what followed changed the trajectory of his life. In this conversation, Enrique shares the emotional reality of navigating toxic workplace dynamics, the danger of tying your identity to your employer, and how getting laid off ultimately pushed him toward entrepreneurship, freedom, and becoming more present with his family. His story is a powerful reminder that sometimes losing the job is not the worst thing that can happen…losing yourself in the process is. In this episode, we cover: • What it feels like to be put on a performance improvement plan (PIP) • Why Enrique says the PIP was harder than the layoff itself • The emotional toll of constantly feeling like you are failing at work • Navigating job insecurity while trying to be present as a parent and spouse • How toxic leadership and poor management can impact self-worth • The difference a great manager versus a bad manager can make in your career • Why many employees feel emotionally trapped inside corporate environments • The danger of tying your identity to a company or job title • Processing the anger, stress, and uncertainty that come with layoffs • How Enrique shifted from employee mindset to entrepreneur mindset • Starting his own recruiting business after getting laid off • Why betting on yourself can become a turning point • Learning that companies make business decisions, not personal decisions • The importance of protecting your mental health during career instability • Why Enrique says family mattered more than corporate loyalty • Building a career around flexibility, fatherhood, and freedom • How layoffs can force people to reevaluate what actually matters • Why resilience matters more than perfection during career setbacks • Practical advice for anyone currently navigating a PIP or layoff If you are walking through a layoff, dealing with workplace anxiety, or feeling like your value is tied to your job performance, this conversation will remind you that your career is only one part of who you are. Enrique reminds us: You are not your job title. You are not a spreadsheet. And sometimes the hardest career moments become the catalyst for building a better life. 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 ENRIQUE: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/enriqueruizstrm/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/enriqueruizstrm/]

From Healthcare Hustle to Whole Self Healing | Jennifer Mbanu

Laid off three times in healthcare. What happens when repeated layoffs stop feeling personal…and start feeling like preparation for something bigger? If you are navigating a layoff, questioning your career path, or wondering whether entrepreneurship could be part of your future, this episode is for you. In this episode of Pink Slip Pavilion, host Ashley Waddington sits down with healthcare leader and founder Jen Mbanu to talk about what it really looks like to experience multiple layoffs throughout a successful corporate career…and how those experiences ultimately prepared her to build something of her own. Over the course of a 20-year healthcare career, Jen received three separate pink slips while working in the pharmaceutical and public health space. The first one blindsided her. The second one taught her leadership and resilience. And the third one became the catalyst for finally stepping away from corporate life and building a business aligned with the life she truly wanted. What once felt like rejection eventually became clarity. In this conversation, Jen shares the emotional evolution of navigating repeated layoffs, the reality of working in unstable industries, and the mindset shifts that helped her stop tying her identity to a job title and start building a life around freedom, meaning, and impact. Her story is a powerful reminder that sometimes layoffs are not interruptions to your path…they are the path. In this episode, we cover: • What it feels like to experience multiple layoffs throughout your career • The emotional difference between a first, second, and third pink slip • Why layoffs in corporate healthcare and pharmaceutical industries are often cyclical • How repeated layoffs can reshape your relationship with work • The danger of tying your identity to your job title • Navigating disappointment, uncertainty, and career instability • Why layoffs often prepare people for entrepreneurship without them realizing it • Leading teams through layoffs as a manager • The emotional impact of having to deliver difficult news to your own team • How Jen started planning an “off-ramp” from corporate life • The importance of staying flexible in your career journey • Why owning your time became one of Jen’s greatest blessings • The difference between being compensated well and feeling truly fulfilled • Recognizing burnout before it consumes your life • Why many entrepreneurs do not realize how burned out they were until they stop • The importance of staying present during uncertainty • How fear pulls people into spiraling about the past and future • The changing future of work and why career reinvention matters more than ever • Building a life and career aligned with your strengths, values, and purpose If you are walking through a layoff, feeling uncertain about what comes next, or wondering whether your career path is evolving into something new, this conversation will remind you that your setbacks may actually be preparing you for your next chapter. Jen reminds us: You are more than your job title. You are not starting over from scratch. And sometimes…the pink slip is what finally pushes you toward the life you were meant to build. 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 JEN: Website: https://jenmbanuwellness.com/ [https://jenmbanuwellness.com/] IG: @jenmbanuwellness Facebook: @jenmbanuwellness