How to Bounce Back After a Layoff

Speaker A: And so I think learning is a huge underserved focus area of a job search because it feels like it can be a distraction. But in reality, I'm like, oh, man. Learning is your best chance to create a better brand of yourself, to create a better value proposition of yourself. For me, it's focusing in on making you relevant to the world and learning on the right things to make that relevance known.

Speaker B: Hello, friends. Welcome to another episode of the Lead More podcast. On today's show, if you or a friend of yours has recently been laid off, uh, I know that's scary to think about. I have something for you. It's my friend Austin Brown. He's the creator of the Laid Off Launchpad. And guess what? He knows what it feels like. He's been laid off three times. We talk about that. All very reasonable reasons. Not his fault. But things happen, right? Reorgs, M and A industries dying, industries growing. Lots of things happen. And Austin has been through it. And I love business ideas that come from a personal experience. So what he's created is a community, both content and accountability for folks who have been laid off. With the goal of helping you find that next gig asap. Right? Get you back on your feet. We'll break down his land framework on what to do when you have been laid off. Learn, apply, network, and defend your energy. He'll talk about all of those with examples as well as, like, how do you create momentum? Right. That's a topic I care about. So in a time when you feel like you have none, you, you've just been laid off, how do you build momentum? Austin's going to talk about that. And so I think you're going to love this episode. Let's go talk to Austin. All right. Welcome back to the show. I'm excited to be here with my friend Austin Brown, the creator of the Laid Off Launchpad. How you doing today, Austin?

Speaker A: I'm doing great. How are you?

Speaker B: I'm doing well. I'm doing well. So let's just get right into it. How many times have you been laid off in your life?

Speaker A: Three times, unfortunately.

Speaker B: Three times. And you've had some pretty awesome. I mean, it's not like, uh, you're just. You're 23 and you're trying to start your career and you don't really know how to do a job. You've. You've worked at some pretty great places. I don't know if you want to share some of your experiences.

Speaker A: Yeah, yeah, thanks. I, I had a good, long, successful career in the corporate world and Startup world. And uh, you know my last few roles I was director of product management development in a large telco. I was director in corporate strategy in a, in a telco. And then I was in a strategy and biz dev role before that and uh, innovation roles before that. And so I've had roles that were progressively respons. Responsible. Like yeah, my Last role was 24 people under my responsibilities with an 800 million dollar budget. But uh, uh, layoffs, Layoffs don't uh, buy us towards uh, any, any particular role or responsibility.

Speaker B: Yeah, any common thread across those. Like I'm sure someone's listening, they're like well what's his problem? Right. But like I'm guessing laid offs as layoffs as you know happen for all sorts of reasons. You didn't get fired, you got laid off.

Speaker A: Yeah, three, three very different reasons. And I can kind of pinpoint each of them. The first one was I was in a publishing industry, I was working at the Chicago Tribune and it was just clearly the business was declining and I was in a role that was more forward looking. So when it happened it was pretty obvious that it was, you know I was, it was a nice to have role at that time. Then my next role, uh, the company was actually looking to be sold in a few months and so a large org layoff came probably about two months before the uh, uh notice uh, was shared to the market that they were gonna be downsizing to make room for the bottom line for a sales of the organization. And then the third one was much more political. Uh, you know, six months before the role I was being kind of groomed for the next tier of leadership. I was actually being asked if I'd be considered moving for the VP role at this organization. And so then you know, all signs were pointing towards up and uh, progress. But then yeah, got caught in a pretty political layoff of the organization.

Speaker B: Okay, so um, as you think back and you reflected you've obviously got some battle scars, uh but you've learned a lot of lessons and many all in all sorts. In all those instances, uh, out of your control. Um, what's the, what do you tell somebody when they get laid off? As you've gone through this three times, like when someone's mindset is at their lowest, like what's your advice?

Speaker A: Uh, first I say this sucks. First I tell them I feel bad for them because they shouldn't have to go through that journey. Um, but having been through it I can maybe relate a little bit quicker. And I know how much of an Emotional rollercoaster. It is being laid off. And so I try to first encourage people to process all the emotions. And so you might feel frustrated, you might feel disappointed, you might feel angry, you might feel sad because you're losing your friend group. You might feel. Feel excited because there's something new ahead there. You might feel optimistic about finding something better. And so there's quite this roller coaster of emotions that you go through when you're laid off that's a little bit different than if you're just looking for a new role. So I first kind of acknowledge that that emotional roller coaster is pretty intense. And so to give yourself some time, give yourself some space to process that, and then really start turning the corner into how do you think about your day to day and how do you think about approaching the job search? Because obviously if you're laid off, you're feeling a little bit more reactive in your day. Um, and my, my push is to try to get more proactive and in control.

Speaker B: Okay, I love that. Um, so businesses come to us entrepreneurs for all sorts of reasons. You spot, you know, I always think Jeff Bezos apparently saw some chart about how big the Internet was growing. I want to be a part of that. I'll do books, because books fit well into a box and they're easy to ship. You know, the rest is history. So it could be a chart or a graphic. It could be a trend that they spot. But I think the best types of businesses usually come from a personal experience or an idea or I know the customer. I've seen that pain because I watched my dad do this or my sister is in that industry. So yours came from a unique standpoint. You were laid off three times. And so tell us, what are you building now because of that experience?

Speaker A: Yeah. So it is a very much a personal story because of being laid off a few times. And, uh, what I realized, uh, during those layoffs is that it is quite disruptive to your day to day. When you have a 9 to 5, your structure is provided. You have a sense of purpose, you have a sense of challenge fulfillment. You have a social structure with who you work with. Uh, there's a lot of things that are provided to you that maybe you take for granted when you're working. And so when that goes away, so does, uh, a lot of your daily routine. And so that was my entire observation, was that I got laid off and I'd get some outplacement service, which would be resume writing or interview prep or coaching or something, but nothing would tell you how to be productive tomorrow. Nothing would tell you if you had a good week. And so I felt like there was just this missing, um, ideology around how to approach the job search day in and day out. And so that was what uh, sparked my own personal commitment, going through it myself. And I'm a very routine, driven person like most people, and I can tell you all about that. But, uh, what I realized is that there was not a very clear sense of the job, of job searching. Like everybody talks about, uh, searching for a job can be a full time job. And then I'm like, yeah, but nobody tells you how to do that job. And so that was my whole like, okay, I need to bring a way of going about this more effectively for people. And so, yeah, that sparked it. And it's been going great ever since.

Speaker B: Well, I love the name. It's very, you know, it's clever, but it's also super clear. It's like, are you laid off? And let's get you a launch pad. This isn't a annual subscription. This is like we're getting you back on your feet as fast as possible. Which makes the value prop very clear. Right. If we can get you back into a job, not just any job, but the right job. Yeah. Uh, then we can help you. And so talk about the like. I think the community aspect is a big part of this idea because, you know, to what you said, we all say, well, gosh, looking for a job is a full time job. But then we don't, we just kind of say, so good luck, you know, like we don't. Sucks to be you. Um, yeah, yeah. What, tell me about that. What is the. Because it's also sort uh, of sensitive or emotional or not everyone wants to talk about it. So where does the community aspect come into your. To your, to your product or your service?

Speaker A: Yeah, so the business essentially has uh, free things for people that don't have the budget to spend on, you know, any support during that timeframe. Again, I'm pretty respectful if you're, if you're laid off, you might be a little bit more financially sensitive. And so I've got a free newsletter, I've got a free downloadable guide vision being to create a full library of resources for anybody to get access to. Um, but if you realize you need a little bit more support or accountability or strategy, uh, I've got a support cohort program as well as a one on one program. And the, the cohort program is kind of the main bread and butter because uh, I see a lot of value in Getting like minded people in like, circumstance together and then having a weekly check in for, you know, community and better strategy and accountability. And so that's the, the pitch behind Laid off launchpad is to have the free things for anybody, um, but then also have these other hands on things for people that want a little bit extra help.

Speaker B: Cool. Love it. All right, so you know, the Lean More podcast is one, about creating more leaders in the world because I believe the world needs more leaders, but also two, to help those folks create momentum. And that's a topic that I'm pretty, uh, obsessed about right now. And so why I wanted to bring you on the show is, well, one, if I ever have a friend who has been laid off, and now I'm like, listen to this episode. Because as you said, the challenge is like, where no one's preemptively preparing to be laid off. Right. Someone's listening this be like, well, I didn't get laid off, so it's not for me. But I do think even the job search is something. Whether you're coming out of college, maybe you're feeling a little stuck and maybe you want to make a career switch.

Speaker A: Yep.

Speaker B: So you talk about momentum as well. And I want to ask you, like, how do you create momentum in a time that feels like you have none? Right. Being laid off feels like you're literally stuck in the mud.

Speaker A: Yeah, it's a good question because, yeah, to your point, being laid off, you are, uh, potentially spiraling to some extent.

Speaker B: Yeah, the opposite momentum.

Speaker A: You have to really try to regain control over your circumstance and put your best foot forward.

Speaker B: So.

Speaker A: So my entire business is focused on helping people with that day to day. And to do that, I try to give people clarity around what their day to day should look like. And so I'm not prescriptive about what time you should wake up or what you should be doing at noon. However, I do believe there are four activities that help you succeed in a job search day in and day out. And so I've called it the LAND routine. L A N D standing for learn every day, apply every day, network every day, and defend your energy every day. And the intent behind that is to create a clear sense of what you do day in and day out. And it can be to a small extent, 10 minutes, 15 minutes, uh, or it can be an eight hour day of focusing on those four activities. But the intent behind each of them is to create a consistency in terms of what I do to create traction. And so for me, you know, the job search is an Uncertain duration, you don't know, uh, when the job will happen. And so you have to show up day in and day out knowing that I have to place the right bets in the right way so that I can just be there when the market is ready for me. And so my, my entire push is to create the right structure using the land routine. And that gives you the certainty that my activities will lead to progress. And so if you are lacking momentum, I believe you should just distill down these four essential activities and really push on one of them at a time. And I think that each of them can be a different lever at different times in the job search. Say you're trying to make a career change. Well, then I think you might need to dial up the learning element. And so that might mean structuring a greater emphasis on upskilling or mentorship or learning from other people. Or if you are in a, uh, space that your role is really unique and niche, uh, you might just focus on applying because you can find traction that way. But if I, and I strongly encourage everybody to network because, uh, the human relationship is still important into this journey. Uh, but I think sometimes people, uh, you know, maybe hide behind the, the activity of just applying online because it can feel good. But as we all seen, really hard to, it's really hard to know if you're making progress that way. And so I really emphasize networking too.

Speaker B: All right, so you just gave a nice overview, but uh, a couple of questions on some. And actually I want to start the last one. Defend your energy. Because I like, what I like about this framework is you're right, you nailed it. Like this could be an eight hour day of activities or maybe 15 minutes each and you do it for an hour. Because some days, I'm guessing post layoff, you just don't feel like you got it right. Like you're spiraling, your energy isn't there. Maybe you're going to go golfing or you're going to go for a walk because you just need to get your head right. Um, so let's go there first. How do you defend your energy? What does that look like? Give us some examples.

Speaker A: Yeah, I've written about this in my newsletter. Um, I called the newsletter, uh, Burnout, Rejuvenation, um, and just your energy cycle. And the observation that I made is that if you are burned out or if you are feeling really low, you are not going to show up well for your job search day in and day out. And so I believe you need to defend your energy day in and day out so that you can show up the next day. Again, back to the consistency mindset. And I think there's a lot of ways to defend your energy. You can work out, you can go on walks, you can move, you can see friends, you can, you know, find something that gives you joy. And I think that, that, that is intentionally worded because it's not about happiness. Like, you can find a quick jolt of happiness if you laugh at, you know, a YouTube video on cats. But joy is, you know, a sense of fulfillment. Joy is a sense of, I am doing something that gives me, uh, you know, a rejuvenating feeling. And so defending your energy is really a practice of checking yourself day in and day out to say, how much energy do I have? And one of the. One of the exercises I do in my cohort is at the end of the call, I'll say on a show of two hands, how many fingers up are you in terms of 1 to, or 1 to 10 level of energy? And if you're like, you know, only on one hand, if you're a five, I say dial up your. Defend your energy, Dial up your rejuvenation practice, because then you will show up a little bit better. And so I sometimes think you have to dial up one of those more than the other. But if you're a 10, if you're feeling high energy and really good, like, just get back at it and grind away. Because again, the job search isn't fun. Like, it's not. It's not an enjoyable process. And so you do have to show up with some amount of energy.

Speaker B: Yeah, that's really good. Yeah. I think that one is sort of the sneaky one. Right. That's like a little less tangible. But maybe the most important because you likely can't do the first three if you don't have any. Any fingers up. Um, um. Talk to me. So let's go to the beginning. Learn. Uh, do people normally know what they like? I think about the entrepreneur in me is like, I love learning. There's so many things I love to learn. It's just a matter of how much time in the day, and I gotta actually do my real job. But when you get laid off, is it sort of like, I mean, gosh, you're a blank slate.

Speaker A: Do you.

Speaker B: Do you. Do people know what they need to learn? Do you get. Do you have advice on, like, where you should upskill? Is the feedback from where you got laid off even helpful? Like, talk about that?

Speaker A: Yeah, I think it comes back to having a clear Sense of your personal value proposition to the market. And so if you are. If you are an employee, you have a set of skills that are desirable to the marketplace. Right. And so if you have a sense of clarity as to what your skill set sets are worth to the world, then you can have a better sense of what do I need to do to apply to position those skill sets. Oftentimes, though, people will say, my job, my skills, my roles have been changing year over year over year. And so it's always really valuable to take a step back and say, okay, what are the hard skills I need to learn? Say it's AI. Every job is having some AI impact now. And so if you need to get a certification on AI, if you need to do an AI program or a workshop or something like, learning is a good way to, one, you know, make yourself more valuable to the marketplace because you have a new set of skills that are desirable, or two, fill the, you know, the resume gap that you have. Say you were laid off. And if you have this gap, people will ask you about it. But I think if you commit to learning, it shows that you are active, it shows that you are proactive, and that you are trying to build yourself in a way that makes you more relevant to the world. And so I think learning is a huge underserved, um, you know, focus area of a job search because it feels like it can be a distraction. But in reality, I'm like, oh, man, learning is your best chance to create a better brand of yourself, to create a better value proposition of yourself. So, yeah, learning can be a lot of different things, but for me, it's. It's focusing in, on making you relevant to the world and learning on the right things to make that relevance known.

Speaker B: Yeah, I like that. I feel like there's a. The framework almost has a circle then too, Right. To me, learning really does energize me. Sure. And as you expand your knowledge, your skills. Yeah. You get excited about that, and then that might lead up to new opportunities of where you can apply. So let's go there. Like in your cohort so far, or personal experience, Is there a magic number? Is there data behind, like, how many. How many applications do I need to send? And daily or weekly or like, I mean, I imagine you have alumni who. I know the business isn't even that old, but like, stories of folks who have been laid off for 12 months and probably 12 days or maybe even 12 hours, I don't know.

Speaker A: Yeah, yeah. I'm not prescriptive around the number of Applications. And I am a believer at this stage in the market. I think there's a lot of people that are uh, feeling that it is harder to get a job. And so I say focus more on quality and focus more on networking as a way to open those doors. Um, but it comes back to the kind of comment that I make to people. It's like I think there is a, a, a, uh, difficulty with knowing what is the right amount of job applications day in and day out. And so I think it's more about what is an irrelevant amount to you, into your job, into your world. If you're an executive, you're probably only going to apply to one job a week. Like it's just, you know, the, the type of role that you're in, the type of applications you're doing, um, it's a lot fewer.

Speaker B: Right.

Speaker A: But if you're just a, uh, you know, a mid level project manage probably do 10 applications a day and still feel like you're, you know, there's plenty more out there. Right.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: So I don't, I'm not prescriptive around the number. I just try to help people realign as to like what number is right for you and how do you pair that number with networking in a quality way.

Speaker B: Yeah. And I'm sure you jump into, in the cohort, in the launchpad like best practices for applying cover letters and interview questions and all that. So any, like anything stand out today that's, you know, I've heard this take that like it's more vicious than ever applying for jobs. Like people don't even give you the courtesy of replying anymore. And I don't know if that's true or not. But like tell me what's the.

Speaker A: Yeah, there's definitely some horror stories of, of the job application market right now. And I, and I, my clients have experienced those of being ghosted. Uh, a client last week unfortunately didn't get a role after like truly several months of application of interviewing and projects and on sites. So it was just like devastating to go through that journey and then have it fall through. So my position is that you have to do the right things day in and day out. You have to look for the right jobs. You have to tailor your resume to make it more relevant for the application. You do have to be mindful of ATS systems, Applicant Tracking Systems. They're essentially the CRM of the resume. And then um, you have to make sure that you are ideally the right type of candidate. And even if you check all those boxes, you still might not get uh, a first round interview. And so my, my belief is that to the ones that you believe in, you should absolutely try to pair that with some form of networking. I'm typically biased against the using the easy apply button on LinkedIn because I just don't think it's, it's a quality application. However, a client two weeks ago landed uh, a job through it. So I am, I am, uh, a believer in whatever works for you. Do that all approaches work.

Speaker B: Yeah, I mean that's that to me, A and D really connect here too because, well, how do you spice up that application? Right? Like some sort of personal touch, a referral, an introduction, a connection, or we met that one time or uh, you and I, you know, we went to the same school. So networking can be a lot of things. Like the irony of course is in a link in an Internet globally connected world, the things that should be easier applying for a job, one click button, almost become harder. Right. Because of volume and the scale. So what do you recommend for networking in 2025? What does that look like?

Speaker A: Just, uh, real quick, I called that the paradox of LinkedIn, that it makes it easier to apply but harder to land. And so I have, uh, said that before and I think it's true. But yeah, for networking, I think there's two things to think about. There's one, there's growing your network and there's deepening your network. And to grow your network, you know, you could think about the common, like go to an event and wear a name badge and hope to meet the right person in that evening. If that works for you, go for it. I think that won't work for a lot of people. I think that people will find that, uh, you know, wasteful. And so I believe in absolutely using your tight network to extend your network. So finding those weak connections of people who you should connect with. I think that the coffee conversation is a wonderful way to do that. And so you can reach out to people that you know and that you want to catch up with and build a deeper relationship, but then end every conversation with who else should I talk to? Who else should I connect with? Because those people know somebody else who maybe you don't know. And so I believe the networking needs to feel a little bit more natural. And so I want to encourage people to embrace, you know, using your existing network as a way to broaden and deepen that network.

Speaker B: Yeah. And I think, and maybe this is grabbing some of that defending your energy, but if you can sort of swallow your pride, I Do always say, you know, ask those people, uh, ask those mentors, maybe those people above or ahead or whatever word we want to use. But, like, I genuinely think people want to help each other, and in a time when you're. When you are down on your luck, you know, got laid off, not my fault. Restructure, reorg, whatever. So I'm. I'm, um, I'm looking like, anybody I should meet, right? I think those people. We all get emails, like, from. From folks, like, looking for help, but those are the ones you particularly want to try to.

Speaker A: Yeah, And I think. I think that ideally, you know, the networking relationship is formed in a mutual way because you want to give something to them so that they want to give something for you. And I think that networking needs to feel like it is mutually beneficial. Otherwise, it can feel like I am asking for something as a transaction. And so I think the. The mindset you need to have if you're trying to network or grow your network is that, how can I give? How can I. How can I help this person? How can I be, you know, contribution in their life? And so that's learning what's important to them, learning what they're up to, sending them articles, sending them resources, sending them books. Right? And doing all these things that showcase that they matter to you, and then that allows you to maybe make an ask at some point. But networking should be kind of a continual pursuit because, again, you never know when you need a favor. But it should be in the spirit of, I have made enough, you know, deposits into this bank that I can make a withdrawal.

Speaker B: Yeah, absolutely. And this is funny because now we're really blurring the lines of, like, this to me is sales, right? Like, these are the things I coach my entrepreneurs. And like, when you want to get that old client to come back for the second thing or that one lead who said, well, not right now, but you can. It's. Hey, found an article. This podcast made me think of you. Like, oh, we both. I'm going to be in your city this. This next, uh, month. Do you want to grab coffee? Right? Like, the only difference is now you're selling yourself, which is hard for some people, right? Like, if you're the product, that can be a little bit stickier. Um, I want to give you a chance to. You talked about the bummer. One of six months of interviews and on sites and fell short, uh, in your first few cohorts here. How about a success story? I know you've placed some folks, like, what's a big win? Whether it was following the LAN network or LAN framework or just the cohort. Uh, talk to me about that.

Speaker A: Just this week, a client of mine landed a job literally almost purely on networking. It was, it was his sole focus. He did a few applications, but he just dialed up the networking tenfold and he ended up landing a job. And so, you know, that, that was a great testament that, um, I believe different things can work for different people. Um, and I, and I.

Speaker B: Did he even apply or like, came to him through networking?

Speaker A: Yeah, he applied, but, but it. All of his applications came through a networking conversation. And so it was a, it was a clear win for him because he knew that the application would have some momentum behind it. Back to the word momentum is that, you know, if you submit an application cold, there's probably not going to be a lot of momentum behind it. And so, uh, he gave a lot of his applications that opportunity to be seen by networking. And so, yeah, uh, that client was thrilled this week. And you know, I've had others who are equally seeing traction in the market, but I think that there is a, uh, doing the right things day in and day out is, is what you can control. And so doing those things is, is all you should base your emotional state off of all you should base your, like your reaction to. Um, and then you have to, you know, continually put your best foot forward day in and day out, and know that the market will reward you at some point for doing the right actions.

Speaker B: Yeah, I love that. So I'm going to get into your challenge here, but I do have one question. I want to make a slight left turn.

Speaker A: Yeah.

Speaker B: Because if someone's listening to this, or I'll give you even a more specific example for folks who aren't laid off, but maybe do want to make a switch. And I think where I think of this particularly is in my home state of South Dakota or even in my community of Sioux Falls. I have heard from folks, friends who are like, I'm sort of kind of looking, but like, I don't want to go to LinkedIn and say that I'm looking. Um, you know, so I think maybe other than the apply, they're definitely learning and networking and probably defending their energy because there's probably some reason that they, they want out. Yeah. Um, any thoughts on those? Like they're not preparing to get laid off, but maybe they're preparing to make a switch?

Speaker A: Yeah, I, I think that the land framework, the land routine is relevant for anybody who's job searching. Why I focus on laid off launchpad for the laid off crowd is because of that emotional state that you're in when you're laid off. And so I want to support people during that journey. However, I know that there is a structural relevance of learning every day, applying every day, networking every day, and defending your energy every day. That is useful for any job seeker.

Speaker B: Absolutely.

Speaker A: And so I strongly encourage people who are looking to make a career pivot to do the same self reflection as to what's my value to the market, what type of role do I want to go for, who do I need to connect with to open those doors, and what types of applications should I put forth to try to get traction there? And I've, I say this and I think everybody would agree that, um, it's much easier to get a job if you have a job because you're in a place of, um, contentment to the point where you can be confident, to the point where you can be, uh, at ease during that journey.

Speaker B: Yeah, you probably show up a little bit the better version of yourself.

Speaker A: That's right, that's right. And so I still believe in the learn, apply, network and defend. Even if you are, um, in a job and looking for something else, um, it might take a little bit longer because it's not your, you know, your day to day, but maybe you're a little bit more intentional and focused on it. And so I still think that there's value in setting a routine of what do I need to do today to start preparing myself for tomorrow? And so that still takes some committed action day in and day out.

Speaker B: Yeah, I agree. And I always think out of that, out of that network bucket, you know, there's a diff, there's a, there's a long gap between I'm looking for, I'm open to work on LinkedIn and telling the right people in your network, like, hey, I think I might be ready for a change. Like if you hear of anything, if you know of anything. Right. You're kind of just putting, putting that out into the universe sort of softly. So, yeah. All right, let's get into your challenge. You had a post recently that, that resonated with me because I like to talk about momentum. Um, but you talked about again, how to create natural momentum, why I'm searching. And you had a challenge that you laid out. So I want to go through this challenge. If anybody's listening, break it down.

Speaker A: Well, I have many challenges, so follow me on LinkedIn and I'll constantly challenge you. But, uh, this one I think that John's referencing was around the notion of learning and the goal being to, um, when you are laid off and you feel like I need to, uh, do my job applications and all that stuff, pairing that with some focused concentration of learning day in and day out, even if it's for 15 minutes, will one give you a sense of fulfillment in your day? That I am growing, that I am personally developing, and that I am valuable to the world. And so I think there is a virtuous, uh, nature of learning. Something gives you that confidence that I am, uh, doing the right thing. And so I put out a challenge to encourage, uh, everybody to try to learn something new as, uh, an approach to your week. And so I kind of give a weekly challenge. Um, and then of course I said if you need accountability, you know, reach out. Because again, I think sometimes there's a lack of accountability in the job search that people maybe, uh, maybe I don't know if the right word is underappreciate, but the goal of learning is a noble pursuit. And I think that there's a lot of value in doing it for yourself. But if you're doing it also in service of growing as a professional, then there's a huge opportunity there. So I just put out this challenge as a, as a, as a nudge for people to create momentum through learning.

Speaker B: Yeah. And I want to break it down because I, I, I thought it was great. So pick a skill, one that aligns with your next role. And I like that of like, cause that would apply again whether you are laid off or thinking about career switch. So whatever your next role, what's, what do you need to know? And that could even be within the organization you're in. Right. Moving upward, spend one hour a day for five days. I love that. Because even giving that a number, I mean, when's the last time you spent five hours learning something? Right. Like probably intentionally.

Speaker A: Yeah.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: Right.

Speaker B: And so my think is you could do quite a bit in five hours.

Speaker A: Yeah. And I think that you're, you're spot on that making it, uh, a very clear what do I need to do, what do I need to learn, and where do I need to show up? I think is, is the goal for having a sense of clarity of your day to day. And uh, I, you know, the finding the skill for the next role is really the, uh, the opportunity to say, what's the gap between who I am today and who I need to be tomorrow? And how do I close that gap as much as possible, and then how can I capture that skill in such a way that I can share it with the world as a new version of myself. And so I have a friend who, she is tremendous at learning new things, but she's even more tremendous at sharing what she's learning online because then she is reinforcing her brand as a learner and as somebody who's continuously growing. And so I think that there's also a value in trying to close the loop in terms of not just learning for yourself, but also sharing that with the world because that, that is valuable to, to showcasing who you are.

Speaker B: Yeah, that was the one that I love too. So you said, synthesize your fresh POV into something worth sharing. And I think the coach, the content creator in me is like, yeah, that's where the, that's where the real gold is, right? Is like, when you teach something, you remember it way better than just when you learn it. Right. There's a lot of science behind that and so turning it into content making. Like, I even think in my old Lemonle hat, as an employer, I would challenge my people to do this. Even I don't want them to leave. I don't want them to be laid off. But, like, uh, forcing yourself to learn and then tell people about what you're

Speaker A: learning, pretty good career development back to how they're tied together. If you learn something new, that gives you a new perspective, that gives you something to talk about in your networking conversations. And so there is a. Another virtuous reinforcement of when I learn, how can I share that with people in. Which makes me look good, which makes my brand relevant, which also inspires a new conversation. And so, again, it's just a good opportunity.

Speaker B: I love this good, uh, stuff, Austin. So before we get to the last question, um, tell us a little bit about how someone can, like, learn more or if they, you know, someone sends this episode to a friend because they got laid off. Like, what's the best way to get in touch with you to learn more about, you know, the LAN framework, your laid off Launchpad? Tell us more.

Speaker A: Yeah, so I've got, you know, the directions I'll give would be to one subscribe to my newsletter. So it's called the Monday Boost. You can visit the website Laid Off Launchpad Co and you can find the newsletter there to sign up. Um, and then I'd say follow me on LinkedIn. So I'm active there. I'm posting constantly about ideas, not just related to being laid off, because I know that can be only relevant to a small set of people. But I also believe in posting content about Career and about routine and about development. Again, I am a triathlete by hobby, and so I am a practicing routinist. And so I always believe in these routines. And I try to also share ideas around that to make it relevant in the world. Um, but yeah, the laidoff launchpad co is how you can find me and get in touch.

Speaker B: I think this is such a cool business idea off the top because it's personal, but also secondly, because I think there is a true market need. Sort of feels like a slightly ignored customer profile. Um, and I just think, you know, this combination of education and content with the community and accountability, it's a good, good m. Mix of both. So maybe this is one of your answers, but the question I always ask last is what, you know, what's your superpower, Austin? What's the thing you do?

Speaker A: Yeah, you kind of mentioned it before we hopped on and I don't have a great answer for this, honestly. Ah, I've done a lot of different things in life. I have done a lot of different types of roles. I flex a lot of different skills. Uh, the one thing that comes to mind though is that I am known as an idea person. And I don't know if that's a good thing. I think that carries some baggage with it. Um, but I am a collector of perspectives and ideas and I am constantly curious about what works and what doesn't. So I love reading, I love collecting ideas. Um, but as an idea person, I am constantly sharing ideas about job searching as a laid off person. And so, uh, in that way, I am an idea person on behalf of people. And so I'm constantly trying to find better strategies and I'm constantly trying to find what works in this world. Um, and so, yeah, that's probably my superpower is being an idea person.

Speaker B: Well, I think that works for being a coach. I don't know if you claim that title or not, but I've found as more of a generalist, I like to go a mile wide, an inch deep. Um, and when you're working with all sorts of industries and people, that tends to be really helpful. So I could see that in the laid off launchpad as well.

Speaker A: I think so. And I think as an idea person, you kind of collect, um, that mile wide, but then you try to connect the dots to other ideas. And so I'm pretty good about synthesizing a complex idea into something that is relevant. And so, yeah, I found that to be a natural skill set of mine that I really try to lean into.

Speaker B: Awesome. Well, thanks, Austin. For the time. I enjoyed the conversation. We'll send people to go sign up for the Monday boost and, uh, keep helping some people get their next awesome opportunities.

Speaker A: Sounds good. Thank you.

Speaker B: All right, that was Austin here on the Lee More podcast. Thanks, Austin, for getting vulnerable about your story about helping helping other people when they're getting laid off and helping them create momentum using that land framework to get them to their next chapter. So we need those leaders out in the workforce and thanks for helping them out. So to all folks, remember, you can subscribe to the Lee More podcast wherever you listen to podcasts. Apple, Spotify, we're there. You can find us. Just search Lee More Podcast. While you're there, give us a five star review. Click 5. Click click follow on Spotify, whatever it might be that helps more people find the show. And we really appreciate it. Uh, you can Also watch on YouTube if you want to see the video version and see what Austin looks like, go to YouTube.com johntee Meyer underscore and you can find the video there as well. As always, leaders, take care and be well.

Speaker A: Sam.