Laid off at 23. What happens when your first experience in corporate… ends before you ever expect it to?

If you are early in your career, navigating a layoff, or questioning what job security really means, this episode is for you.

In this episode of Pink Slip Pavilion, host Ashley Waddington steps into the pavilion herself to share her own layoff story for the first time.

After landing her first corporate office job at 23, Ashley was excited, growing, and building momentum in her career. She had moved into HR, was learning quickly, and saw a path forward.

But then everything changed.

Because she was on the HR team, Ashley had to help lay off the rest of the company before her own role was eliminated. With 30 days notice, she stayed on to help close down the office… all while knowing her turn was coming.

What followed was a season of financial stress, uncertainty, and stepping back into the service industry just to make ends meet.

But it was also the beginning of something bigger.

In this conversation, Ashley shares what it felt like to experience her first layoff so early in her career, the impact leadership had on that experience, and how one recommendation changed the trajectory of her future.

Her story is a powerful reminder that even in moments of instability, there are opportunities for growth, clarity, and redirection.

In this episode, we cover:

• What it feels like to experience your first layoff early in your career

• Being part of the HR team and having to lay off others before yourself

• Navigating a layoff with advance notice and uncertainty

• The financial reality of losing your job while living paycheck to paycheck

• Returning to the service industry to make ends meet

• The emotional tension between fear and unexpected free time

• How leadership can shape the entire layoff experience

• The power of mentorship and advocacy during career transitions

• Stepping into a leadership role sooner than expected

• Why layoffs can accelerate your growth in ways you didn’t plan

• The illusion of job security and how it shifts your perspective

• The early seeds of entrepreneurship and questioning traditional career paths

• The importance of leaning into your network during a layoff

• Why who you know matters more than what you know

• Using unexpected time to reflect, reset, and reconnect

If you are navigating a layoff early in your career or feeling uncertain about what comes next, this conversation will challenge you to think differently about what this moment could mean for your future.

Ashley reminds us:

You may not have control over losing your job. But you do have control over what you do next.

And sometimes… the setback is what accelerates your path forward.

Pink Slip Pavilion is a podcast about turning layoffs into power moves, navigating career transitions, and building resilience after job loss.

New episodes release every Wednesday.