Laid Off 3 Times. Why He Stopped Looking for Another Corporate Job | Wes Wheless

Wes was laid off three times. After the third, he started asking himself a question: Do I really want to spend the next 10 or 20 years jumping from one corporate job to another? In this episode of Pink Slip Pavilion, host Ashley Waddington sits down with Wes Wheless, independent consultant and author of The Expert's Privilege, to talk about navigating layoffs, leaving corporate America, and turning years of professional experience into an independent consulting business. His first layoff came during the 2008 financial crisis, when he was just 24 years old. His second came in 2020, after six years at a tech company. This time, instead of feeling devastated, he felt something unexpected: relief. Then came his third layoff in 2022. After losing two jobs in two years, Wes began questioning whether he wanted to keep depending on a single employer for his livelihood. That question eventually led him to independent consulting and inspired his book, The Expert's Privilege: A Self-Deployment Guide to Leaving Corporate and Going Solo. In this conversation, we discuss: • Getting laid off three times • Why a layoff can sometimes feel like relief • Navigating unemployment and a difficult job search • Job security and the changing corporate landscape • Leaving corporate America after a layoff • Starting an independent consulting business • Turning corporate experience into marketable expertise • Overcoming imposter syndrome • Recognizing your value outside your job title • Exploring alternatives to traditional employment Wes's message isn't that everyone should leave corporate. It's that your skills, knowledge, relationships, and experience have value beyond the company employing you. You may have more career options than you realize. And if you've recently been laid off, his advice is simple: "Use it as an opportunity to think bigger." CONNECT WITH WES: LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/wwheless Website: myparachuteplan.com Book: The Expert's Privilege, wesbook.com Want to share your Pink Slip to Power Move story? Email: hello@pinkslippavilion.com Pink Slip Pavilion shares real stories about layoffs, job loss, career transitions, entrepreneurship, and what comes next. New episodes every Wednesday. #laidoff #careerchange #leavingcorporate #consulting #pinkslippavilion