How to Turn a Layoff Into an Opportunity

“There’s no easy way to say this, so I’m just going to say it. Your position has been eliminated.”

The date was January 13, 2017. It just so happened to be a Friday as well. And that’s how my entrepreneurial journey began. 

I was making a pretty darn good salary. I had two kids in private school. I owned two properties (our home and a condo rental). My wife had a side hustle, but nothing we could rely upon to pay the bills. Just like that, I had a finite amount of time before I was jobless.

Despite this, I was remarkably calm when my boss delivered this news. It was early – 8 a.m. or before – and he and I had agreed to meet up to prep for an in-person, 4-hour meeting with leadership from Anthem. I calmly asked two questions: “Is there a severance package?  And if yes, is it negotiable?”

I then proceeded to spend 4+ hours with folks from Anthem as well as members of my team. After, a few of us met up for lunch. When I returned home, I delivered the news to my wife. She took it remarkably well also.

Fast forward 6 years.

Sante Nasc, LLC is still going strong after 6 years. BenefitPitch spun out of this company and into a company of its own. My entrepreneurial journey continues to be the most fulfilling thing (work-wise) I’ve ever done.

How far has BenefitPitch come?  

BenefitPitch is used by some of the largest benefit firms in the country. We’re nearing 12,000 registered users and 1,000 vendors/solutions on the platform. 2023 looks to be a strong growth year. 

Why am I sharing this? I’m sharing it for two reasons:

1) It's my 6-year anniversary AND this Friday is January 13.

2) If I hadn't made the leap...if I hadn't recognized opportunity knocking...then you would not be reading this blog, and I would not be running two successful companies.

My life was turned upside down on January 13, 2017. Just as many individuals out there are having their respective worlds turned upside down right now. Reductions in force, layoffs, rightsizing, downsizing – call it whatever you want – are putting some people into situations they never hoped or wished to be in. It sucks. I know from first-hand experience. 

There are all sorts of adages, anecdotes, stories, etc., for situations like this, right? Doors closing and windows opening, darkest before the dawn… I could keep going. The reason I’m writing this is because I was put into this situation a few short years ago. Thank God I had (and still have) a supportive wife who encouraged me to view this as an opportunity instead of something to lament. And it’s a good thing I looked at this as an opportunity instead of as a detriment. It provided a chance to do something that I would not have done had I not been laid off. And a chance is all any of us need to chase what we’ve been wanting.

As 2023 begins, you may be faced with chances and opportunities as well. It could be at your current job. It could be due to the loss of a job. Regardless of what it is or how it happened, my hope for you is that you see it as a chance – an opportunity – to do something amazing.