![Leveling Up After Layoff: LaKesha’s Story [BA QA] - podcast episode cover](https://assets.metacast.app/images/episode/artwork/wXerrK0b)
It was literally like a phantom meeting on my calendar, and I was just like, oh, I'm getting right off today, and I'll be very honest the interviews that I was doing, all the things that you hear about some recruiters ghosting and not getting back and being kind of unprofessional, I did encounter that. I did not encounter that all two and a half years ago. Like it's a completely different job market.
Hey, hey, va fam, it's your girl, Mandy Money and welcome back to Brown Ambition. Now, for those who are new around here, maybe you are joining us because you heard my interview on the Way Up with Angela Yee, or you recently checked out my interview with the incredible married to real estate stars Egypt Sharad and Mike Jackson, or you just stumbled across this show because you're like, hey, I'm ready to have a show that centers us in
conversations about money, career moves, and everything in between. Regardless, welcome, you were in the right place. Today's episode is pretty special, and I know it's going to hit home for so many of you. I was recently on a coaching call with one of my beloved Mandy money makers, So for those who don't know. Mandy Moneymakers is the community that I've run, and it started out as a career coaching community,
but really it's become a sisterhood. It is a group where women from across the country we gather together and we support one another through professional challenges. And I'm obviously I'm there to coach Mandy Moneymakers as they are negotiating their careers. And I mean like literally negotiating like compensation offers, but then just negotiating the ups and downs of our careers.
And Lakeisha is one of the very first women to join the Mandy money Makers when I launched it back in twenty twenty one or twenty twenty two, and Lakeisha came on the show because she had recently been let go from her job in finance and this was hitting out a top. This was back in February or so, and I wanted Lakisha to come on the show because, first of all, when you're a many moneymaker, I am
showing up for you all the time, Okay. So I offered Lakisha like a half hour like quick coaching session, and I wanted to share it with y'all because what Lakisha's going through is so universal for what is happening in our economy right now. We're going to talk about the fact that she got laid off, We're going to
talk about so much more. We're going to talk about the emotional toll of getting laid off, what it feels like to get underpaid and undervalued, how she's rebuilding her confidence in a job market that is was not kidd It is wild right now. And Lakeisha is also impressing me. Honestly,
She's learned so much in the past few years. So she's dropping gems for y'all and talking about how she's been leveraging her network and how she has stayed ready for new opportunities to find her and has been able to make bold career moves even though it feels like
the odds have been stacked against her. So, if you're listening and if you've ever questioned your worth, if you've been laid off, if you've recently been laid off, if you are worried you're going to be let go, or if you're just feeling stuck in your current role, this episode is for you. Let's get into it. Here is my session with Lakeisha. Thank you again, Lakeisha for sharing and being so vulnerable and ba fam. If you like what you're hearing, don't forget to follow the show on
Apple podcast and Spotify and leave a review. It takes less than thirty seconds and it makes all the difference. Enjoy.
I'm proud of you for coming to the group and saying you were let go, because that's definitely something that I know other makers have had happen and they've just not shown up and sort of like stewed in the I don't know what emotions, probably like a shame.
Or shack isn't bare, especially the way it's happening, exactly the way that you see on TikTok, like a lot of times, particularly for me because I am one hundred percent remote. So it was literally like a phantom meeting on my calendar. I think that was Monday morning, or maybe it was Tuesday. It was January fourteenth. It was kind of like a phantom meeting, and I was just like, Oh, I'm getting laid off today because of the language and
it's an important matters. Soon I said, oh, yeah, I'm gettinglaid off today, and I reached out to one of my text one of my coworkers and I said, I'm getting laid off today, and she's like, oh, no, it's fine. I got the same message, and I'm thinking, well, I we're both getting laid off.
Oh goodness.
But it can be like a jarring shocking thing because it's like within a matter of like what maybe like a five to ten minute call, you get this notification. So I can see it being embarrassing shocking a lot of people in the team worst shell shock because a lot of the people have been there. I was the least tenured person everybody else fifteen twenty five, thirty five, thirty years. So wow.
And you had been there for a couple of years, right.
I've been there for two and a half years, almost exactly to the day.
And you and I, like I coached you when you got that job. You were coaching. When did you join makers? You were one of the ogs, right, yeah.
And so because from brown ambition, of course, I don't hold them up phone like a crazy person.
You're not.
Anything. I don't have like a ring, like actually I do have a ring, like it's just missing some pieces.
Ye. The lighting is amazing, girl. I'm in my basement in the corner and it's dark and twisty down here. So don't feel any don't feel don't feel self conscious about that. Well, I want to use this half hour, but how do I I want to use this half hour in the best way possible, and I want it to be all about you and sort of like, what exactly is the challenge for you right now? I know and shared that you were let go from your job in finance, right or treasury kind of thing for a
financial company I won't say the name. And it was like death by a thousand cuts, right. They had been laying off people, and so you felt that's the worst you feel it creeping up, right, So tell me it's been a couple of months since then, what's your what do you feel like your main challenge is right now? And like what's keeping you up at night? If anything?
So the good thing is I was able to find another role internally with the same company, so they laid us off from January fourteenth and February fourteenth. I was extended an offer internally. And so I know it may seem like, well, why are we on the call? So it's a couple of things. I would No, it doesn't.
I'm just saying I'm happy for you. Damn, I wish you had told us. Did you tell us?
I thought I thought I said something, But I think also kind of like the climate of it. I was like, well, you know other people have but other people that I discovered that had been laid off, I was reaching out to them like separately, like hey, can do you want to review each other's resumes? And YadA YadA yadda, And so I did tell them, and I was like, Hey, these recruits will reaching out to me, Can I pass
your name off to them? Kind of thing. So I may have said it in the group to everyone, but I know that the people that I was connecting with that had also recently been laid off, i'd spoken to them because I was like, hey, can I just kind of pass you off to those like external recruiters that have been reaching out to me?
Well, you're so compassionate and you're almost to a fault, you know, I think that even to take this call. You were like, I don't know, I kind of should I take this spot because I don't know if I'm the right person. Like here, girl, if you don't come get this.
Spot, Like I was, just like, so many people been laid off. You know federally and you know, corporate and even local government. But I was like, well, you know, I still do have some questions and some things that I'm working on.
Yeah, so what's your big question? Then what's your big challenge right now?
So to your point, I did feel the layoffs coming. So and one thing that one of the many great things about makers is that you teach us to just always be looking. So I had even taken like a couple of interviews during my two and a half years, like before well almost two years before I felt the layoffs coming. So I'd always been in contact with recruiters. So even that the day they announced the layoffs, I
hit control alt to lead. I'm like, I'm taking the rest of the day off, and I reached out to a recruiter who had reached out to me two days before. It's like, hey, it's the opportunity still exist. But with that that was just like entirely too far away. That was like an hour and a half away from my home, and they didn't want to do hybrid. And then my thought was, well, even if I talked them into hybrid, at any time, they could say no, we need you.
In all five days and I just simply me and my eleven year old car just can't take.
Three hours a day, and that's without trying to right.
And you know the area I live in, so I'm in Maryland and so it's it would be close to DC where I was going, so there's gonna be traffic. So that was always a good thing. So I was always on the lookout. But here's the thing. When I got the role, It's a lateral move. And so what they did, they were really smart and crafty. What they did was our raises take effect March, and so they were like, well, since you were about to get a raise, and this is the lateral move, we're just gonna bump
you up. What it was, so there was kind of like no room for negotiating a higher salary basically I and I did try trust me, but of course keeping in mind like, well, you're also about to get laid off and then I'll be very honest the interviews that I was doing, all the things that you hear about some recruiters ghosting and not getting back and being kind of unprofessional, I did encounter that. I did not encounter
that all two and a half years ago. Like it's a completely different job market, So I'm thinking the recruiters are kind of being a little shaky, and I'm glad I took the role because the other role that I was seriously entertaining, they came back and said they went with another candidate. So even before I was like, they're definitely going to lay us off, I did want a higher salary, so that's why I was fine with looking.
So now I feel like I'm in a position where at least for another year, right, because at this company, you have to stay in the role for a year before you post out to anything else, whether it be a promotion within the group or elsewhere, a.
Job on different like internally somewhere else like you did for this one.
Even if I still have to wait a year, which I'm not opposed to that because quiet as it's kept, I do see the value in my role in at least sometimes being in the office, so even if that's two days a week, so I would be opposed to that. So now it's kind of like I feel like I'm locked in for at least another year at this salary. And then this is a difficult year for everybody to be looking, right, because we have that's why I said, I'm just gonna take this role while they're offering I'm
not going to look any further. Because it's like we have the college graduates, we have the federal employees who sometimes have three and four degrees because they just kept going to school because it was being paid for.
Interesting stories. Interpretation of the why what she wants today?
I do always do that, but I just say because I don't, because I know these people love. I would say most of my friends are within the federal government, and they do fall into that demographic of I just went through a breakup, Let me go get a master's another master's. So like, they do have lots of degrees and not the amount of student loans right because they were paid for. And then there are other corporate peoples.
So I was like, okay, let me play it safe because I like having gas, an electric, and shelter, and they had offered a severrance. So my ideal plan was I'm going to take this sovereigns and find another high painting job. How many were they offering, either fourteen or fifteen I think maybe fifteen, you know which, considering the short amount of time that I've been there, I don't think that I wasn't expecting that amount of servers at all.
That's good compared to what I've seen, you.
Know, yeah, comparatively because the last time with the layoff, they were basing it on tenure, so it was two weeks per year of service. And if that would have been the case for me, yeah, I would have had one check plus my on my PTO and whatnot. So now my challenge is I never answered the question is should I dedicate myself fully to looking for work elsewhere or gearing up for that year to look somewhere else within the company, or should I kind of like play
it safe. Because then the other part is I was like, well, speaking of degrees, they have this program where if you take a certain major, they don't reimburse you, they just pay for it up front your company. Yeah.
Nice.
So I was thinking, well, you know, if I stay around another year, I'll be invested fully the four one K and the pension of though obviously my pension won't be a whole lot only haven't been there on.
The pension and the four to one K, Like the vesting schedule deep to start over since you moved to Oka, no schedule for your four one K you're talking about for the match that they're giving you.
Well, yeah, to keep the match, which isn't you know, it's not a huge deal. But I was only like a I was only like a years and change away, So you know it's four.
Years, so you would have had to work four years to get the match, right, that has been accumulating. Okay, that's a nice little carrot. I can see how that would get right.
So then, and like I said, the pension that they have and so now I'm like, well, if they're going to pay for me to go to school, maybe I should get this masters that I was looking at. And like I said, the beauty of it is, it's not a reimbursement. It's a if you take within this you know this list, which is something that I was interested in any way, Like, I'm not making it fit into that list. Yeah, we'll just pay for it out right.
So I'm just like, maybe, wait, so they would pay for it upfront? Okay, what are the strings attached? Would you have to stay there a certain amount of time?
No, that's why I think I want to the only thing I would say strings here are the strings is they have certain schools and they're all real I shouldn't say real schools. They're all accredited, nonprofit, non for profit schools. So I couldn't just, for example, say oh, I want to go to University of Baltimore, Like there are certain schools that they have for certain majors. So I would say those are the strings. Oh, even if I wanted to go to University of Maryland, which they do offer,
I could not go in the classroom. I have to do online, which is strings for some people, is not for others. You know, some people do learn better. So those are the only strings that I would say. But no, I checked, I double checked. I called HR. I've spoken to people who have been in the program, people who are in the program, took a break. People. We are almost done with the program, and there's no obligation of now you have to stay two years, three years, or what have you.
That's unusual but great. I love that.
Yeah. So this, I was like, let's think about this. Since I will potentially be staying for another year, let's make it work.
And was this available to all employees or do you have to stay there for a certain amount of time? First?
I think once you passed six months, okay, gotcha.
Yeah, Hey, ba fam, We're gonna take a quick break, pay some bills, and we'll be right back. Welcome back, bea fam. Let's get back to the show. So we try to recap and see if I'm hearing things correctly.
So in January, you were being let go from your position at this financial firm, but in tandem with that, you had already been in the running for another position at the company, and so it just so happened that those things overlapped, so you could have if you had been laid off, you would have gotten these fourteen weeks. But you had another opportunity pop up, and so instead of taking the severance and piecing out, you decided, you know,
the job market is nuts. Let me take this offer and I'll stay within the company and I'll you know, ride out however long I can. And Okay. And then when you took that new internal role at the lateral move, and you were on track to receive a raise this march already, and instead of giving you an opportunity to negotiate compensation, they said, well, we're just going to give you like you're gonna get a raised soon, so we'll just keep your compensation where it is. Am I understanding that right?
Exactly?
So now you're at a place where you already thought you were being underpaid before, and they've so you're pretty much at a zero netnet zero like net net the same as far as your earnings. You're going to get a pay bump this month. How many percentage points are three percent? So barely cost of living and creating at the same place.
Okay.
So you were feeling underpaid before, you're still underpaid, but at least you have some job security, right right? Okay, So now you're wondering should I be?
Oh?
And also you have this challenge where you are tied to staying with this organization for the next year if you want to, like you, you're not allowed to move from your job. Obviously, you can quit and get a job externally, but if you want to stay with this company, you got to stay there for a year before they'll let you think about getting a promotion or moving to
another situation. Okay, trying to get all the threads together, all right, So should you be dedicating your all to this now next year so you can make the most of it in in pursue that promotion or another role within the company or should you be spending part of your time searching for a job and trying to get
on that out of there? All right, you've been through a lot, you have, and I think you've deserved some wusaw Like it's stressful as hell, even though it worked out for you, even though you were on the brink of being let go and you happen to get another opportunity, that's as stressful as hell time. And I know it was stressful because one, I've been there. Two you also have all this noise of the economy. And I know I was teasing you a little bit about it, but
you're totally right. The job market right now is insane in a lot of ways. There are so many federal workers who are being let go now some of them have been brought back. There's all these lawsuits. We're not sure, but you know, you're also looking, like you said, to college graduation season and then you're competing with new graduates. Although I would say with your experience, what competition like, you're not going after You're not probably going after the
jobs that they're going after. You know, yeah, big outside for they're coming an entry level. You've been in the game for how many years now, like you have twenty twenty girl, I know you're not gonna less some twenty two year old stress you out.
No, well no, because this is just always the well, we could always downgrade this role, work them to death, pay them seventy five percent as much.
Which you can't control, you know, yeah, there, I can't control that. But I want you to stand on the business of like your level of experience, you know, And I think that sometimes we can one, especially when you've just been let go. It's a knock to the ego.
You already feel like you're underpaid. I know we're also tough on ourself, and I know you're probably thinking, I mean, even before that whole layoff situation, you weren't one hundred percent happy with the job there, if we can say, and at twenty years in, you're probably you know, I don't want to put words in your mouth, but it can be disheartening to feel like, well, damn, I'm I'm
not happy here. Now I'm being reminded I'm disposable, and now they got me, you know, by the you know what, because they're not going to enter saying we're not going to give you a raise, what you're going to do about it.
Right gladly happily said that.
And you know, I don't think that you owe them anything in terms of loyalty. I do think that you deserve some time to just like you know, we've saw a little bit with all this like stress that's been happening, and you know, you've been in the new role for
a month, and I hope that that's going well. But as soon as you feel settled, I do think that you should be keep doing what you were doing before when you got when you were afraid you're going to be let go, and reach out to those recruiters and in those contacts and keep them warm because of the state of the economy, because of the state of the job market, because you barely survived a layoff just a
couple of months ago. I think at this and you're still with that company that almost let you go, and I don't know, but i'd have a hard time trusting them after that.
Yeah, yeah, that's a that's a factor the only reason why nothing is secure, Like you said, but at least if it happens again, unless there's some big sweeping changes, they've showed their hand, so at least I would know what to expect as far as the severance package that they offer, So that's the only silver lining. But yeah, absolutely there's no there's no trust here.
I'm gonna put a We have a comment in the chat from BRC. They said, do oh speaking about the education, do it? I completed BSN program.
What's a BSN congratulations?
I was able to work in complete online classes and when reimburse monthly sweets. I love that for y'all. Also, what would your degree be in? What were you thinking of.
Pursuing, So saying about a master's in data analytics because that goes well with finance. Also considering the fact that a lot of times I wouldn't want to be part of the problem, but a lot of times they are looking to streamline solutions. So if you can, you know, streamline work, learning how to navigate stuff, if you can learn SEQL and you know, learn how to make programs talk to each other, then you know you're slightly more
not only slightly more valuable. But these are things that I just in the course of my work, I'm just like, oh, wish I was better at this. So it's not even a matter of I think it's a good fit for me because it's not just a matter of this is how I would make more money, it's this is how I can get better at my function. And I want to learn more about this kind of thing against you.
It makes you broadly more appealing in the moment. Yeah, how long would that take?
Though, depending on how many credits I take a year to two years.
Okay, so if I oh.
Oh, I was going to say, probably, if I push hard, I could do a year. But being there, I haven't been to school in a while, I would start out on the more conservative credits and then if I find that I'm comfortable, like, try to bump it up.
That's smart because life does be life. And I was going to say, when it came to the schooling, you know, especially with data analytics, I'm a little concerned about AI
right now. When it comes to data analytics roles, I'm just not concerned, but I'm I want to stay open to the idea of and I think in the past few years, especially data analytics is one of the you know, it's one of the most popular like certificates or you know, courses that have have been prolific and a lot of people have taken them, and it makes so much sense.
It's been applicable to so many types of roles, and there's all sorts of ways to learn about that, and you know, from free introductory courses to like full fledged degrees like you're talking about. I question. I would look at the program and basically ask that question of them, because I almost feel like the first leg up was to learn these different languages and learn how to make these softwares talk to each other or sorry, these you know,
data systems talk to each other. The next level is going to be how do we learn with AI that can do these things for us? So what prompts do we give the AI to do this, you know whatever? And I'd be surprised if there weren't already some AI out there, And so I'm just like bringing that up as an idea to look into there is I don't know, I can't see.
I can't remember if it was a full fledged degree or if it was a certificate, but there because that picked like three different interests and so they showed me the different programs within the interest So I think cybersecurity, data analytics and AI and so, like I said, I
can't remember if it's a full fledged degree. I'm sure it is somewhere, or if it was just a certificate, because like I said, of course, I'm kind of beholden to like their universities and course programs, so that it might be a degree somewhere, but I'm not sure if they offer it or if it's just a case.
Yeah, that sounds great, honestly, the certifications, I would say I would take full advantage of that because that's to me a form of compensation. Yes, I know some online programs can cost like thousands of dollars even for a certification, so you know, I I one hundred percent I think you should go for it. I also feel like because it's applicable to your career in general, will make you more attractive. That just gives me. Yeah, I mean, I think that you could put your head down, you could
put your energy into this course. But I am I'm never going to tell anyone to not keeping not keep their eyes open for new opportunities.
Absolutely, as you're.
Enrolled in this course and you're starting to learn more, you can already start putting on your resume.
You know, Yeah, I didn't think of that. That's why you have put it in your letter.
You know, bring it up in conversation. You can even when you're when you talk to those recruiters or contacts that you've been making, and you've been so wise to stay open. I know you had some shitty experiences with some of these recruiters because they do.
We acting creater, and I will say that it was only one that was directly with a company. It was kind of shocking. It was so shocking that I went enrolled by the company to make sure. I'm like, this company still exists, right, because.
I think otherwise it was like external recruits.
Yeah, so I would say, yeah, so the the people who were internal, like I said, it was just the one that was it was so shockingly bad. I said, let me just ride by this place and make sure it's still there, because that was like if LinkedIn had a reality show, that would have been it. But I'm sorry, yeah, but I was like, it had happens. But yeah, that's one of the things that I guess I was grateful for because I was like, oh, well, yeah, I've been,
you know, keeping in contact and reaching out. And I had a couple of them, like even before this happened, reach out and it's just like, hey, you know, I remember it from the last time you want to Yeah, yeah, I'll interview for it. So, like I said, that was one of all the good advice that you gave us to have immediately been able to reach out to somebody and they're just like, yeah, let me put some time on my calendar for tomorrow. Are you free? Yes? I am,
so yeah. I'm going to continue to do that and then to keep the skills up to date, and then that forces me to keep my resume up to date, because, like I said, that's the problem that some people are happening, because, like I said, my team was full of long timers who have been there for like thirty thirty five years some of them, so to try to go back and update, I mean they have been in the same position, but most of them have been in this position for at
least five years, So going back and updating five years worth of experience and projects and whatnot. Where I've tried to every at least every four months, like look at my resume. Have I been doing any projects? Can I reword things better? Also took advantage of the service, you know,
because they always offer you like career transition service. So I had my resume rewritten by the internal placement specialists and out the external company that they you know how they'll give you, you know how, they'll give you like three four months of a career transitioning service when you're let go. Yeah yeah, yeah, so I did that.
This most recent But you weren't technically laid off, were you? Or were you?
I wasn't, but I was going to be. So I didn't get the new role until February fourteenth, So they had already prepaid for four months.
Oh nice, I love a double dip.
They had already preved for a Yeah, so they actually just sent me back the second rewrite of my resume.
Great, So, were you able to get any of your severance payment?
No, because my last day would have been March twenty eighth.
Oh okay, it was one of those delayed things.
Okay, god, yeah, yeah so it was. It wasn't right, Yeah, So it was kind of like a slow bar, not a slow burn, because it also gave people, you know, opportunities to look internal. But yeah, so my last day would have been March twenty eighth.
Okay, gotcha. Wh I definitely think that you were You said that you tried to negotiate the salary. And they were stingy about it, right, like no, no, no, no, no. Well then and at the same time, like the in terms of like traditional negotiating leverage, like they could be like, well, you almost didn't have a job.
So that's exactly what that's exactly, but after what like that's exactly the pleasant corporate response. And I asked like, well, look, man, to try. So I'm going to try for trying.
At the end of the day, just because you were let go does not mean that you don't have so many years of experience, Yeah, not valuable, and like we really need to stand in that and not let these external like literally some you know, some person in an office who had gotten their certificate and data analytics made an assessment and they were like yeah, like these dumb dumbs at DOGE who were deciding how to you know, to trim and trim the.
Fat and then call them back like it's some dumb dumbs.
Sometimes if all brings out, that would be a bad thing.
We do need people with specialty.
Doing the shape I'm doing the shave face right, really does his face It's great. No, you have to really know that in yourself Lakeisha.
Because yeah, I'm trying to work on that. I am, You're.
Getting better at it, and like it's not you know, I think you do know that. But in the day to day, you're gonna have an encounter with somebody, and I mean especially because you're a very open hearted person. I can tell, and you're very sweet and kind and like, I can see how that could probably impact you to have someone sort of treat you some type of way because of their perception of like what you deserve and don't deserve. But no, we have to really really know
it within ourselves. And that's why I want you to keep those eyes open. Hey, ba fam, we got to take a quick break, pay some bills, and we'll be right back. Welcome back, bea fam. Let's get back to the show. Also, really, I think relationships are going to be crucial for anyone in this job market right now.
I am before you know because you've been you've been under my coaching program for years now, but you know how how emphatic AM about building relationships, and it's only become that much more important in this type of job market where there's not as many opportunities. There's a lot of qualified talent that's in the job pool, and that just means it's more competitive, doesn't mean that you know,
there's no hope of finding an opportunity. But if you want to speed up that process, building those relationships is key.
And I wanted to spend a little bit of time I know where almost at that thirty minute mark, but I wanted to know if we could talk about like relationship building in this next you know, six months to a year and you're already doing great, you're in the makers and all that, but what else, how else can we continue building some relationships that might help you in that on the job search.
So I did actually pull out all of my manly money maker up tools. I did have like difficult conversations. It was difficult at first, but telling people, hey, this is what's happening being let go and immediately got so many referral links. Even people internally were like, hey, do you want me to look on my team to see if they're openings. So that's the one thing that I did that I didn't do the last time, the last layoff.
I reached out to people and like I said, I got so many referral links and so many leads and even people who have been with a company that were no longer with the company. They were like, well, let me connect you with this person that person. Then also, when I joined this team, I think the advantage over the last time I joined was the last time I was the only new person, and like I said, they
were all long timers. This time there were two other people who came in with me, and so I immediately reached out like, hey, you know, we're all new, we might as well be new together. Do you want to form a separate teams chat so we can, you know, maybe share our notes with each other, share what we're learning with the each other. I've tried to be more active on LinkedIn, which you know is challenging for me.
When you were telling people what happened, was it through LinkedIn? Were you emailing? Texting?
I was. I was talking to people in person or in like reaching out to them via email, social media. So I don't think I ever made the announcement on LinkedIn. I did switch my open to work to public, but even like, I'm so hesitant, and I know it's horrible, but I'm even so hesitant to like utilize my connections, like within the sorority. But I was like, hey, so we got we got laid off the fourteen news. I know, and I know that cheap. Yeah, when we got laid
off the fourteenth. The next day it was Founder's Day. I was with ad events like, hey, so listen while we're celebrating, while we're setting it off, and some of the people like, whoo, why do you say anything? I like, it just happened yesterday. Yeah. So in connections with and
connections and so that was helpful as well. And I will say reaching out with that referral link or even having someone to speak to at the company, that also made things a lot easier because it's like, well, you know, it's a little bit of a leg up right versus somebody they pull off a LinkedIn and a referral link, an internal referral link. And I still went to there was a network event here not too far after, where I still went in person for the company I'm with.
I still went to the networking event and networked, and you know, I know I can do more, but like those things were a whole lot for me because I know, you know me, I mean.
No, you did what you could and that's just you did something and doing the something. I can coach all day and like encourage all day, but you're the one who's got to like put your feet on the ground and walk into that room. And as someone who you know has social anxiety and all the things and introvertedness, I get it. It just the fact that you showed up and you got out of bed and you put on, you know, a face, and you went out there. It's
a beautiful face. Those cheek bones up. Yeah. Well, the hair laid back.
Yeah. I was like, oh, I'm gonna be on camera. Let me try to try to put on try to put on some makeup. Oh no, I did not inherit my mother on my sister's skills. When it comes to breaking, it's so embarrassing. I'm one of the I'm part of the black girls. Can't breed. Uh frigate.
Breeding this get out of.
Here, mind you. Like I said, I have all sisters and I still everybody else and I'm just like, no, he goes in someone's chair. I'm stimulating the economy. So I'm keeping another black business afloat. You are we need our Oh so yeah? But uh yeah so, but I but to what I can do better? I do remember you saying joining like organ like professional organization. So that's that. Now that things are a little more calm, I'm gonna look to do that now.
Yeah, it's the spring and summer's coming along. You don't have to you know, you could join or not join, but just go, you know, and just be open to
those Yeah, open to what could possibly happen. And I know, before I go into any like you know, quote unquote networking event now or even I was at a friend's like house party a while back, I didn't really know anybody, not a while, a couple of weeks ago, and before I walked in, I just said, open smile, open heart, open mind, be open to the love you're about to receive because you deserve it, and you bring good energy and people are going to be excited to meet you.
And I think when we go in with that kind of energy, it stops us from like closing in and then yeah, this wall that people can feel, and it just sort of like you manifest that reality for yourself. You're afraid people are not going to want to connect with you, and then you go in with that energy and they don't, and.
It's like a self sufferent like I knew it kind of thing.
There you go, self fulfilling, prophecy, self sabotage, all those things. Yeah, okay, well, I'm really proud of you. I'm so relieved to hear that you were able to eke out a recovery. You know, got that role, even though I know it's not necessarily the raise you wanted or the the yeah, the compensation that you probably deserve. But at the same time, she lives to fight another.
Day, right, And I'll never I'll never not be grateful for that. All the other stuff we can work on because there's still some people on my team looking so I like trying to help, Like, hey, have you looked at that? Have you looked at that? That is the only thing that I think I had. This is like the best team that I've worked on in my working in my adult career. Everybody messed so well. We just had to have one grumpy person but like that's fine. If you needed help, he was so happy help you.
He wouldn't be happy about it, but he was gonna help you. But uh yeah, so that's yeah. So it's just one last person we need to find a job. Everybody else is like found something somewhere else. But yeah, now the things.
Are for you to stay in tune with them and like you.
Know, yeah, yeah journey yeah for sures Like ultimately, hey, like everybody has to needs to or wants to work, and the ones that don't need to are like the ones that are taking early retirement.
Yes, and I mean you don't know where they're going to end up, and you know, if the tables are turned and maybe have something for.
You next time, yeah for sure.
Yeah. So just I feel like, go forward knowing that it's okay for you to keep looking. It doesn't have to be your full time job, but just do what. Honestly, if you just keep doing what you're doing, that will make you like so much more resilient and capable of having good things happen to you because you're staying open
to them. You're putting yourself out there, You're making these connections, and honestly, in a job market like this, that is the That's what people don't necessarily want to hear, but that is the edge. Yeah, you're going to get is your connections in a time like this, and you're in a really great position where you're not building brand new ones right now like you're you're nurturing existing relationships that you've already been building. So I hope you're feeling more.
I don't know tell me how you're feeling now, but I hope that you're leaving this call feeling proud and confident in your values that you can go forward and do what you gotta do.
Absolutely, I mean always, it's a pleasure. Thanks for letting me be one of the first, one of the first people.
And how to go live it's okay, yeah, once.
I figured that out right, And thanks for Like every tool that I've pulled out is something that I learned from being in the Mandy money Makers. So because I can't say that I would have had that same approach before being a part of the group. Before being part of the group, you know what, I would still be at the same toxic because I don't know, if you remember my team was you were the person that's like, yay,
you should you should probably leave. Like when we had our first one on one, you say, so what are you doing about leaving?
I was just like, oh, yeah, yeah, you.
Should probably leave. Through the coaching and then like simple things that are simple, but things I wasn't even thinking of like a refreshed professional LinkedIn photo and refreshing the resume. Within three weeks, probably three and a half weeks of looking from our one on one call, I had found the position at this company and it was something that I would have never applied for. So just about every tool in my box I got from being a maker
is not a paid advertisement, everybody, Yeah, honestly, ain't. Nobody can pay here hashtag not an AD, but it's very true.
Also that should just show you that you are valuable and that you do have these skills, because sometimes putting yourself out there in the marketplace like that's when you can build that confidence because look how quickly you got that role. So I'm just I'm really proud of you. I'm happy that you're a Mandy money Maker, and I'm glad that we had this time together.
Thank you so much. Anybody tuning in thinking about being a maker, you should totally join. I guess that's not an AD, but it's been very valuable for me.
If you want to find out about the Mandy Moneymakers, you can go to Mandy money dot com. Also, I have a free career clarity workbook. Have you done the workbook?
Yet it's like the long question I don't think I have now that I'm not a scatter rain, I need to go down to go through that.
It's very it's very deep. It's like a journal almost, it's very deep. But the Career Clarity Workbook it's free. It's a free download. Twenty eight questions to help you build confidence, to pivot, upscale and take your career to the next level on your own terms. Check that out. Guest Lakeisha, thank you so much, Thank you.
So much, Bye girl, take care, bye by everyone.
Thanks Mandy, okay Va fam, thank you so much for listening to this week's show. I want to shout out to our production team, Courtney, our editor, Carla, our fearless leader for idea to launch productions. I want to shout out my assistant Lauda Escalante and Cameron McNair for helping me put the show together. It is not a one person project, as much as I have tried to make it so these past ten years. I need help, y'all, and thank goodness I've been able to put this team
around me to support me on this journey. And to y'all bea fam. I love you, so so so so much. Please rate, review, subscribe. Make sure you're signed up to the newsletter to get all the latest updates on upcoming episodes, our tenth year anniversary celebrations to come, and until next time, talk to you soon via bye.