jkennedy_500x300.png
  • About

  • Blog

  • Contact

  • More

    Use tab to navigate through the menu items.
    • All Posts
    • Self-Care
    • Stress
    • Health
    • Habits
    • Morning Routine
    • Recipe
    • Breakfast
    • Goals
    • Intention
    • Work
    • Productivity
    • Whole30
    • Jess Kennedy

    4 Things I Learned From Losing My Job

    Updated: Sep 16, 2019

    That I Wish I'd Known Before


    Woman writing in a journal.

    In fall of 2016, I felt like I was at the top of my game. I had the role of Design Lead at a small sales consulting shop that boasted some very big clients despite its size. I had moved up from Graphic Designer, to Marketing and Design Manager, to then Design Lead, was managing a team of designers, and getting face time with clients as part of the core traveling team.


    There were ups and downs like any company, and when key figures in the organization would move on there were always whisperings of what would one day prove to be inevitable. Good things don’t last forever, and eventually, everything we had built came crashing down on all of us.


    We weren’t closing up shop, but the layoffs were so numerous that only a select few employees would be staying on. I was not one of those few, and I was devastated. I had only just negotiated for myself the largest paycheck I’d ever seen, and had barely gotten the hang of this whole “contributing to your 401k-” thing. I had no savings, and despite my larger paycheck, I was living beyond my means by just a little.


    The blow of losing a job that I had worked so hard to move up in was a huge hit to my sense of self. I was angry, and sad, and honestly didn’t know what to do. I knew I’d worked my way up in the company, but the positions were so new to me that I realized I was probably going to have to start from the bottom again, and that killed me.


    Around this time I was able to connect with some amazing women through a creative coaching group, who showed me that career-building comes in many shapes and sizes. I experienced coaching for the first time and, frankly, fell head-over-heels for it. I’d always been a self-help junkie, but this was some next-level shit. I was in heaven, and through the work that I did with those women, I began to see the beginnings of What Could Be.


    It took me a full three months of networking, job searching, and working anything I could before I was able to find employment again. It was a difficult, frustrating time, and absolute murder on my finances. All that said, I learned a lot about myself during that time, and it gave me the space and perspective I needed to set out on the path I find myself on today. If I had just kept going, kept moving up in my job, and stayed on the path I was on, I might never have learned some really important things that changed my life forever.


    1. I learned that I could figure it out. One of my biggest fears has always been not being able to take care of myself. Guess what that fear is based on? Absolutely nothing. I’ve been through really, really hard times and have always kept a roof over my head, and food in my belly. There is a level of grit and determination that is required to make things work when they’re falling down around you, but somehow—I’ve always done it. Through picking up extra work, having multiple gigs going, and leaning on friends and family when I needed it most, I survived the thing I’d feared most in my life.

    2. I learned that it’s important to be true to your values. Until I was faced with the task of finding new employment, it never occurred to me that I should find something that truly resonated with me on a core level, and that I shouldn’t just jump at the first job that batted an eyelash at me. During this time I was introduced to the idea of Core Values: What is most important to you at your core? I used those values as a guide for choosing my next job. Does it fit or allow me to express my core value of growing/making a difference/having balance? No? Then pass. It was really hard saying no a couple of times to jobs that didn’t quite resonate with that list, but I’m so glad I did.

    3. I learned about setting boundaries early on. I’ve always been a “whatever it takes, even if we’re here all night”- kind of person. I was over-working myself for my job, and often not leaving enough energy and room for my own passions. Before I started at my current job, I made myself a promise to do a great job, but to keep my work at the office and within business hours. This showed up as taking advantage of my lunch time to work on my coaching program, leaving on-time, adjusting my work hours to make the most of my day, protecting my health by going home if I was sick, actually taking vacation time. It may sounds like a no-brainer to some, but this was novel shit to me, ya’ll.

    4. I learned not to put all of my worth into a job. I felt so angry and betrayed when I was laid off. Mostly, I think, because I had put so much stock into the job I was doing. I didn’t have something else to get excited about and focus on after work. My work was my whole deal. Not to say I didn’t have little passion projects here and there, but the bulk of my worth as a person was wrapped up in what I was doing for my paycheck, and when that paycheck was gone—big surprise—I had a little bit of an identity crisis. It took months for me to realize what was at the heart of my anger, but when it clicked I was able to start working toward repairing my sense of self, this time on my own terms.


    I don’t want to gloss over the privilege that I have in being able to take a little bit of extra time in looking for a new job. I don’t have kids, and I wasn’t forced to give up my home, or sell everything I own. I kept afloat on the small amount of income I was able to bring in and with credit cards. It was a lean Christmas that year, but short of giving up some luxuries, I was able to maintain my general lifestyle.


    I also don’t want to mischaracterize how terrible it was for me losing my job. It was hard, and frustrating, and I’m still digging out from the financial decisions I had to make during that time. But it set me on a path I never expected, and gave me an opportunity to really look at what I wanted for my life, rather than moving to the next gig as I’d always done. Once the dust settled, I was back on my feet, and there was a clear path forward, I was able to look back on this time as a period of growth in my life, however scary and uncertain it was. I wouldn’t change a thing.


    Have you ever been surprised when a bad situation lead to serious personal growth?





    • Work
    • Jess Kennedy

    How I Stay Productive When I'm Not Feeling It


    I’m a pretty motivated person, and for the most part, I’m doing something productive when I’m not at work or spending time with my friends and family. That said, every once in awhile I’ll have one of those days that just leaves me so down—or so frustrated—that I have a hard time wanting to do anything but veg out or go straight to bed. There’s nothing wrong with a little self-care in moments like this, but for me, inaction under the guise of “self-care” can quickly turn into self-sabotage, and eventually, into self-loathing.


    In times like these, I try to do a couple of things: 1.) Give myself some grace to feel my feelings, and 2.) Pick a project that keeps me in action toward my goals, but feels easy.


    1. Watch YouTube videos - We all have times where we’re struggling with something, in business or in life, and you can bet your butt there’s a YouTube video about it. Last time I was in a funk, I searched for videos on “Instagram tips and tricks.” I was learning about an important tool for my business, but it took very little effort on my part.

    2. Hashtag strategy - If you’ve ever spent an evening working on your hashtag strategy, you know it’s a tedious, but necessary, task. It’s also not very complex, and can be turned into an evening of productivity on the couch with your favorite cuddle buddy and the latest season of Queer Eye.

    3. ‘Pinspiration’ - We all know the blackhole of time that is Pinterest. Usually, I’d say it’s not a very productive activity—are you sure you want to pin this garden trellis again?—but when I’m in a real funk, there is nothing more soothing that lying in a hot bubble bath, scrolling through Pinterest. Just make sure you have a mission. Create a board for a topic you’d like to research and only look for related pins. It could be anything from ideas on how to grow your email list, to favorite quotes about productivity. Just make sure you have a path or you’ll get sucked into Dollar Store DIYs for the 4,000th time.

    4. Take an e-course - I can’t tell you how many Udemy courses I own (thanks, .99 cent sale!) but they’ve been a lifesaver when I’m really in a mood. They’re quick, easy, and they don’t often require rigorous note-taking.

    5. Listen to a podcast about business - I loooove my true crime podcasts, but I subscribe to a fair number of business podcasts as well. I have a few go-to episodes that I like to re-play. They remind me of why I started, and get me pumped up for the next stage.

    6. Clean your inbox - Okay, this one isn’t fun. But it’s rewarding, and it’s my favorite thing to do while stuck in an airport terminal or after a long day of work. Just think of how happy you’ll be when you open your computer up to a nice, clean inbox when you finally bounce back!

    I hope this gave you some ideas for the next time you’re in a m o o d.


    Don’t forget to take care of yourself. Sometimes it’s fine to go to bed when you get home from work at 5:30 p.m. Sometimes vegging out in front of season one of Schitt’s Creek for the 4th full-binge go-around is exactly what you need. And that’s okay.


    Just keep an eye on self-sabotage. Make sure you’re not using a bad day as an excuse to stop improving and building what you want. Because it’s hard to keep going, but if you do, the rewards will far outweigh any relief you might feel from putting your dreams on hold.


    What are your favorite lazy-not-lazy activities?




    • Goals
    • •
    • Habits
    • •
    • Work
     

    Let's stay in touch!

    Thanks, I look forward to getting to know you!

    • About

    • Blog

    • Contact

    • More...

      Use tab to navigate through the menu items.

      Photo credits: Jenny Lind; Erica Wilkins; Kevin Nguyen   |   ©2020 by J.Kennedy 

      • instagram