“Resist that urge to jump right into job applications and start applying. You want to give yourself some space to process what you've been through and maybe avoid making any big decisions."

In this episode, we have Steve Jaffe, author of The Layoff Journey: From Dismissal to Discovery. Steve has been laid off four times during his career each time making space for reflection, resilience, and ultimately, growth.

We talk about the messy middle: what it really feels like to lose your job, how to process grief and anger, and why hope, connection, and self-care make all the difference. Steve shares stories from his own journey, what he’s learned from starting over. We chat about why you should always keep building your network, and how every door that closes can make room for unexpected opportunities.

The Highlights:

04:06 Why now is the time for authentic conversations about job loss

06:32 Steve’s first layoff, the loss of confidence, and an unexpected popcorn-scented flashback

10:37 Keep going vs. giving up, and the role of hope

11:48 After every layoff I’ve always come back stronger.

13:48 Not settling - why your next job could be an upgrade

15:25 Building real relationships (before you need them!) and helping others

20:32 The mind-body-spirit approach to dealing with a setback

23:14 Why layoffs are so common (40% of Americans!)

30:15 Why you need to let yourself feel all the feelings

40:10 What’s Next: Steve hints at writing another book!

What helped Steve navigate change:

Soundtrack: Unstoppable by Sia, Freedom by Beyoncé, Closing Time by Semisonic

Book: Endurance: Shackleton’s Incredible Voyage by Alfred Lansing

One piece of advice: “A closed door is not the end of the story, it's an invitation to something new. Give yourself some grace in that messy middle and pause for growth.”

About Steve Jaffe

2024 taught Steve that marketing strategy and writing a book have more in common than you’d think. Both require a deep understanding of your audience, a compelling narrative, and the resilience to keep pushing forward.

After 25 years in marketing, Steve learned that the most powerful marketing isn’t about selling, it’s about connecting. Whether Steve is consulting for organisations or writing a book, the core skill remains the same: crafting clear, resonant, and meaningful communication.

Connect with Steve:

Website: thestevejaffe.com

Book: The Layoff Journey: From Dismissal to Discovery

Work with Eleanor:

Eleanor supports individuals, teams and organisations through change. Whether it’s coaching or large scale organisational change through communications and training.

Work with Eleanor 121 as your coach, when you are starting something new, to develop the idea, to create the idea, to get it launched.

Book in a Change Mastery for teams session - when your team is navigating change.

Book in a 90 minute workshop - to think through change at work.

Join the Another Door Opens 5 Step Programme - a course and community to guide you through the mess of change to find calm, joy and opportunity.

Buy the Book - Another Door Opens - 5 steps for navigating change.

Instagram:instagram/anotherdooruk

LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/eleanor-tweddell/

Website: www.another-door-opens.com

Produced by winteraudio.co.uk

“Sympathy is rushing to turn the light on into someone’s darkness so that we feel better, whereas empathy is being prepared to sit with somebody in their darkness and connect with them and just be there for them.”

In this episode, I’m joined by June Hogan. June helps organisations to do redundancy and layoffs well! So of course I’m a fan. It’s never easy or simple when companies have to let people go, but it can be done well, and with empathy and fairness. This is what June’s work is all about.

We talk about the difference between empathy and sympathy when you are leading change, or letting your team go. How organisations can do redundancies well.

And June shares her story of embracing life-changing moments, sitting with the discomfort of the unknown, and discovering that transformation can often be waiting on the other side of uncertainty.

Our conversation is all about what it means to open new doors in your life and career. Whether you’re facing redundancy, longing for something different, or simply rethinking your relationship with work, we dig into the messy, honest reality of change. June shares the wisdom she's gained from not just walking through her own doors, but from supporting others.

The highlights:

04:09 From HR to Coach: June’s pivot

11:32 Finding your niche after redundancy

14:16 The myth of having it all figured out (and why it’s okay to be “messy”)

17:46 Re-thinking identity, self-worth, and shame after losing your job

18:49 The overlooked emotional toll of delivering bad news at work

23:50 Sympathy vs. Empathy (and how to truly support people in tough moments)

32:35 The pace of change: why redundancy and layoffs feel more sudden than ever

36:07 The double-edged sword of too much (or too little) warning

43:28 How to give yourself permission to “pause” and feel during change

Things that help June navigate change:

Soundtrack: “Can’t Stop the Feeling” by Justin Timberlake (yes, the Trolls movie one).

Books: The Gifts of Imperfection and Atlas of the Heart by Brené Brown

One piece of advice: “Just acknowledge how you’re feeling, don’t rush it, and give yourself permission to take time and reach out to others. Slowing down doesn’t mean standing still. It’s about bringing self-awareness to what’s really happening, so you can move forward on your own terms.”

About June Hogan

June understands the emotional and practical challenges of both delivering and receiving difficult news. Having experienced redundancy herself, twice, she appreciates how tough that journey can be. After redundancy, she took a career break overseas and pursued professional coach training. She found the experience life-changing and returned to the UK with a clear vision: to launch her own outplacement firm. Wildwood Coaching was founded in 2019.

Her specialism in outplacement support reflects a combination of personal experience, professional coaching qualifications, and core values. June has built a trusted team of experienced, qualified associates who share a commitment to a person-centred and empathetic approach.

Website: www.wildwoodcoaching.co.uk

Work with Eleanor

Eleanor supports individuals, teams and organisations through change. Whether it’s coaching or large scale organisational change through communications and training.

Work with Eleanor 121 as your coach, when you are starting something new, to develop the idea, to create the idea, to get it launched.

Book in a Change Mastery for teams session - when your team is navigating change.

Book in a 90 minute workshop - to think through change at work.

Join the Another Door Opens 5 Step Programme - a course and community to guide you through the mess of change to find calm, joy and opportunity.

Buy the Book - Another Door Opens - 5 steps to navigating change.

Instagram:instagram/anotherdooruk

LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/eleanor-tweddell/

Website: www.another-door-opens.com

Produced by winteraudio.co.uk

"You can have a bad day, some days, that's fine. But then at some point, you've got to go, all right, I've got to take a little bit of responsibility now and get on with this."

In this ‘epic’ (long!) episode, I sit down with Chris Hirst, author known for his “no bullsh*t” approach to leadership and work. We go deep, wide and around the block talking about the realities and myths of career progression, change, redundancy, and what it really means to be a leader.

Chris shares transformative moments in his career, including going to Harvard and facing redundancy, and how these experiences shaped his perspective on success, self-identity, and responsibility.

If you’re questioning your next step, looking for the truth about modern leadership, or searching for practical wisdom on navigating the world of work, this will give you plenty to reflect on (and maybe even prompt some action).

The highlights:

05:04 Chris’s “door closing” moments: Harvard revelations and sudden redundancy

08:24 Why losing your job is so disorientating and what nobody tells you about structure

13:25 The underrated power of curiosity (and why not having answers is okay)

20:12 Doing “everything right”…and still struggling (it’s not just you)

25:58 Why the biggest barrier to your own success is (usually) you

28:26 The pivotal experience that changed Chris’s self-narrative forever

33:11 Why moments of struggle aren’t wrong, they’re just life

38:06 The real reason vulnerability is hard at work (and that awkward HR conversation)

01:01:06 Finding comfort in what you’re good at, not just escaping to something new

The things that help Chris navigate change:

Activities: Playing tennis and writing

Books: Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy by John le Carré; Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies by Hilary Mantel, and Citizens by Simon Schama.

One piece of advice:

“Nobody’s coming to save you. Ultimately, the thing that’s either going to move you forward or get in your way, is you. Take ownership, even just 1% more.”

About Chris Hirst:

With more than a decade of experience in Global and UK CEO positions, Chris is widely recognised as an innovative and inspirational leader with a proven track record of successful business transformation guiding businesses to record growth and lasting repetitional change. He is the author of the best-selling and award winning book No Bullsh*t Leadership and No Bullsh*t Change.

His new book, Indispensable:The No Bullsh*t Guide to Career Success is for anyone who wants to build a better career, on their own terms.

Connect with Chris:

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/chris-hirst-4b77882/

Website: chrishirst.com

About your host Eleanor Tweddell:

Eleanor supports individuals, teams and organisations through change. Whether it’s 121 coaching or large scale organisational change through communications and training. Eleanor’s work centres around how we, as humans, work through change, embracing the messy bits, the role of playing, with the aim to see opportunity. “Too often we get stuck in the change happening to us, when just through that next door is an exciting next chapter.”

Eleanor is the founder of Another Door, and author of Another Door Opens - 5 steps for navigating change in life and at work.

Connect with Eleanor:

Instagram:instagram/anotherdooruk

LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/eleanor-tweddell/

Website: www.another-door-opens.com

Produced by winteraudio.co.uk