i lost my job in july

Hey!

How’s it going?

It’s been ages since we last spoke. I have this habit of starting something with gusto, and then re-focusing back on priorities.

My latest episode was in fact - this newsletter.

I have a few good reasons you see:

• Lost my job

• Had a burnout

• Indecision at what to do - another job, contracting, freelancing, or full time solo?

• Went full time

• Went from $1.1k MRR to $5k MRR (as of yesterday, in fact!)

So instead of going back to the same old pattern of overcommitment, I am going to do the opposite. I’m going to write this newsletter whenever:

• I feel a flash of inspiration (like now, on a Friday night, at 20.52PM)

• I’ve made some significant learnings from my biz

• I have a cool story to tell

Maybe let’s start with a story.

What were you doing on the 3rd Thursday of July this year?

Was it hot? Cloudy?

Were you WFH, or in the office?

Digital nomad-ing?

I’ll tell you what I was doing. Panicking. Then reasoning. Then realising. Then wanting.

You see, on a fateful sunny Thursday afternoon of July this year - I lost my job.

I was WFH, and had just finished back to back Teams calls.

You are there with me now.

I let out a sigh as I feel a bit.. stuck.

I had my manager 1:1 every Thursday at 3PM. Today’s was no diff. Except when it was.

I see an email come through..

‘This event has changed’

Someone has been added to my 1:1? Strange. Why?

Someone from…………….. HR.

..

..

Fu-

The neurons in my brain fired up like a dying star just as it is about to implode. At the same time, a thousand converging thoughts dazzled my grey matter highways like a billion cars exploding in standstill traffic. Delightful!

I was going to be made redundant.

Here was my 6 stages of grief!

1) Panic

This was my initial response: FUCK!

I have a mortgage. Bills. Responsibilities! I can’t just lose my job! I’ll lose everything I have ever worked for! No no nonononoono-

And it went on like that for 10 minutes - but I only had an hour until my 1:1. I had to fast track to..

2) Reasoning

I might be getting a promotion?

…

…

…

..nah

3) Realising

I am going to lose my job. But, is that a bad thing?

I’ve been miserable in it for months now.. is this a blessing in disguise? Isn’t this what I wanted? How am I going to respond?

What is next?

4) Wanting

Epiphany time.

This was what I wanted.

And so I power walked around the block, almost in anticipation and hope of being made redundant. I can be free of enterprise politics - after 13 years. Finally.

I was Andy from Shawshank Redemption.

5) The Call

I did indeed, in fact, correctly assume that I was going to be made redundant.

6) The Reaction

It must have been quite unsettling for my boss and the HR person.

‘Jordan, this isn’t going to be an easy conversation’

‘Jordan, as you know [redacted] have been cost cutting. You are here today to be formally notif- bla bla bla’

I was beaming like a Cheshire cat.

There was a slight look of bemusement on their faces, as my grainy image nodded and ‘unnhmm’d’ all the way through their spiel - like someone had told me I won the lottery.

Which I had.

You see, I’d been moaning about my job for MONTHS. If not for an entire year. My girlfriend. Friends. Family.

They must’ve been sick of it.

And there I was, nodding happily along to my corporate funeral being played out in front of me. It was electric.

I received my pay off, went full time into Founders Owl, and rode off into the proverbial sunset.

Now I am here.

I am present.

And I am with you.

Let’s get it.