She Got Laid Off Twice—Here's How She Built a New Life

After more than 20 years in corporate HR and talent acquisition, Melissa Grabiner faced two layoffs in a short period of time and made a decision that changed everything. She decided to stop letting someone else decide her future and she bet on herself. In this conversation, Melissa joins LuRae Lumpkin to share how she built a thriving career as an entrepreneur, job search coach, business advisor, LinkedIn Top Voice, and yoga instructor. Drawing on her experience hiring thousands of people, Melissa explains why today's job market feels so difficult, how AI is changing recruiting, why candidate ghosting reveals more than companies realize, and why networking and visibility matter more than mass applications. She also shares practical ways to strengthen your LinkedIn presence, access the hidden job market, and create opportunities before you urgently need them. If you're standing at a professional crossroads, wondering whether it's too late to change direction, or ready to build a life with more freedom and ownership, this episode is a reminder that you're never too old to reinvent yourself or try something new. Chapters: (00:00:00): Betting on yourself after corporate layoffs (00:04:00): Starting over, building a business, and becoming a yoga instructor at 50 (00:08:00): Why job security no longer exists (00:12:00): How Melissa helps job seekers from the hiring side (00:16:00): Candidate ghosting, company culture, and AI interviews (00:20:00): Why networking beats mass applications (00:24:00): Making your LinkedIn headline work for you (00:28:00): Visibility, recruiter searches, and the hidden job market (00:32:00): Choosing entrepreneurship without living with regret (00:38:00): How to connect with Melissa Thanks so much for joining us this week. Want to subscribe to And Then I Did This? Have some feedback you’d like to share? Connect with us in the comment section! #CareerChange #JobSearch #LinkedInTips #Entrepreneurship #MidlifeReinvention #PersonalBranding #CareerAdvice #BetOnYourself #AndThenIDidThis