It was a regular Thursday morning in July 2023 when my world turned upside down. My Google Drive access was suddenly revoked as I prepared for an important client kickoff call. A mysterious meeting appointment with people I had never interacted with before appeared on my calendar for later that day, and an email arrived in my inbox. I was laid off from a job I loved.
As a technical migration consultant, I had been helping high-value clients move their Drupal and WordPress sites to a new hosting platform. It was a role that combined my passion for web development with client onboarding and project management–skills I was honing. My goal was to work my way up into a team lead position. I thought I had found my career sweet spot.
But life had other plans.
The Initial Shock of Being Laid Off
At first, panic set in. With three kids, a mortgage, and suddenly zero income, it felt like the ground had disappeared from under my feet. Questions raced through my mind: Why was I among the employees selected for the layoff? Were they disappointed in my work performance? How would we make ends meet? What would I do next? How long would it take to find a new position? Would we lose our house?
It took an hour and half before I was composed enough to tell my husband the devastating news. I reassured him that everything would be fine. I had a great resume and in-demand skills and experience. The company was providing a severance that, though small, would help in the interim.
We would be good. Everything would be fine. I repeated those lines like a mantra, willing it to become reality, even while fear and anxiety began to settle in my mind.
The Job Search Rollercoaster
The months that followed were a mix of hope and disappointment. I threw myself into job searching, updating my resume, networking, going through a project management certification course to help bolster my background even more, and researching and applying for hundreds of roles—it was a full time job.
Some days, I felt optimistic about new opportunities. Other days, the rejections and silence were hard to bear.
As I searched and interviewed but received no offers, I started to realize something important. The job market was not in the favor of those who have been laid off, even though my skills and experience were valuable.
Desperation began to creep in as our savings–that took many years to build–dwindled away to pay bills, mortgage, unexpected vehicle repairs, and groceries. We lost our health coverage, and with three rambunctious young children prone to accidents, I was terrified of possible medical bills. The ghosting from job applications was growing worse as more and more companies in the tech sector began laying off their own employees. I stopped getting phone screenings and interviews.
I accepted the first offer that came my way, even though there were a few yellow flags that the job might not be the best fit for me at that point in my career. I told myself that I’d make it work until the market was better. I am not superstitious, but it felt like some invisible force was working against me. Whatever could go wrong, did go wrong.
The company onboarding was limited and the team onboarding was non-existent. The wrong equipment was sent to me so I was unable to begin doing the job I was hired to do. My new manager tried to get things remedied and gave me some small tasks to do in the meantime. However, I felt so out-of-place… like a duck out of water. I went from a highly collaborative environment to a very insular team focused on their own individual to do lists and little interaction unless task oriented.
The anxiety that had been building up from months of unemployment began to bubble over. My self-confidence had been severely shaken and after two weeks without finding my footage on the new team, I had a panic attack. A phenomenon I had never experienced in my life.
Unsure what to do, I began voicing my concerns to my closest circle. Some told me to stick with it. The anxiety will pass eventually and, if it doesn’t, just fake it until I could secure another job offer. But the second panic attack was worse. I couldn’t fake it for a month or two or three. My mental and physical health would not survive. Nor was faking it in line with my character.
After three weeks, I respectfully resigned.
I was unemployed again.
A Spark of Inspiration
As I was calming down from the second panic attack, my husband asked me a very simple question: “Jacqui, what do you love to do?”
For two hours, I couldn’t remember my life-long passions and hobbies, the things that brought me joy before I was laid off. That was how far down I had spiraled.
Here I was with a whole life of learned and earned skills and experience, beaten down by circumstances outside of my control. The traditional job search wasn’t working for me. Maybe it was time to try something different.
As I reflected on my 15 years in web development and tech, working for government, higher education, and SaaS companies, I noticed a pattern. The parts of my job I loved most were writing and helping people. What if I could combine these passions into something new?
That’s when the idea for Waymarks Web Solutions began to take shape.
Waymarks Web Solutions: A New Beginning
In December 2023, just five months after that fateful day in July, I officially launched (or rather, re-launched) Waymarks Web Solutions. This wasn’t just a new job; it was a whole new direction for my career and life.
Waymarks Web Solutions focuses on two main areas:
- Copywriting: I help small to medium-sized businesses, especially in health, coaching services, and tech industries, with their web content needs. This includes website copy, articles, blogs, case studies, documentation, email sequences, and lead magnets.
- Tech Consulting: Drawing on my experience in web project management and frontend developer familiar with a number of content management systems, I offer services to help businesses improve the technical and design aspects of their websites.
The Challenges and Rewards of Entrepreneurship
Starting my own business hasn’t been easy. There have been late nights, many moments of self-doubt, and a steep learning curve. But there have also been incredible rewards:
- The joy of helping a business owner see their vision come to life on their website.
- The satisfaction of solving complex technical problems for clients.
- The freedom to shape my work around my family life.
- The excitement of continual learning and growth.
Lessons Learned
This unexpected turn of life events has taught me so much:
- Resilience: Setbacks can be the beginning of something amazing if you don’t give up.
- Flexibility: Being open to new paths can lead to unexpected opportunities.
- Self-belief: Your skills and experience are valuable, even if they’re applied in a new way.
- Community: Support from family, friends, and professional networks is crucial.
The entrepreneurial journey is not for everyone. It is one I had attempted years before as a side hustle and then abandoned. However, it was exactly what I needed to regain my confidence and recenter myself at this point in my career.
Will it always be my path? If I have learned anything from the rollercoaster ride I’ve been on in the last year, it is that the future is never guaranteed or permanent. Things can and will change—sometimes gradually and sometimes in an instant. Nothing is set in stone.
Running my own business is what I’m doing right now. That may change next week, or next month, or next year. But I’m focused on today.
Looking Forward
As I write this, I’m filled with gratitude and excitement. Going from laid off to self-employed was never part of my five-year or even ten-year plan. While being laid off was extremely painful, it pushed me down the path toward creating something I’m proud of. Waymarks Web Solutions allows me to help businesses transform their online presence, just as I transformed my career.
Are you a small business owner or non-profit leader overwhelmed by the thought of building a new website? Feeling lost and unsure where to begin? Sign up for my free 10-day course, Website Basecamp, now and gain the knowledge you need to lead your website project to success.
I’m also nurturing another project close to my heart: Waymarks Learning, a small shop that combines my love for education and helping families and teachers on a tight budget.
Your Turn: Embracing Change
If you’re facing a setback or just ready for a change, remember this: Change is scary but your skills, your passion, and your experience are the building blocks of your next chapter. Whether it’s through updating your website, refining your resume, boldly asking for a promotion, seeking a new role, or completely reinventing your career, you have the power to shape your future.
My story is just one example of how unexpected turns can lead to new beginnings. What’s your story going to be?
The next chapter of your journey starts now.
