Pink Slip Pavilion

About Pink Slip Pavilion

Pink Slip Pavilion is where layoff stories become power moves. Inspired by lived experience with job loss and reinvention, this podcast shares real stories of women who have experienced layoffs and turned them into catalysts for growth, clarity, and bold career pivots. Through honest interviews and thoughtful conversations, we explore what truly happens after the pink slip. We talk about identity shifts, confidence rebuilds, professional reinvention, and the mindset work that redefines what success can look like. This is a space for resilience, possibility, and intentional next chapters. Because a setback does not have to be the end of your story. It can be the beginning of something more aligned, more powerful, and more yours. Welcome to the Pavilion.

Publisher

Ashley Waddington

Category

business

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

14 Feb 2026

Latest episode

14 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

36 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   14 Oct 2026

   From Risk-Averse to Self-Deployed | Wes Wheless

   Wes was laid off three times. After the third, he started questioning whether he wanted another corporate job at all. What if the expertise he'd spent years building could create a career that didn't depend on a single employer? 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 multiple layoffs, leaving corporate America, and turning years of professional experience into an independent consulting business. Wes's first layoff came during the 2008 financial crisis. At just 24, he was devastated. With bills to pay and little savings, he immediately started looking for another corporate job. His second layoff came in 2020, after six years at a tech company. This time, his reaction surprised him. He felt relieved. After years of corporate pressure, the layoff gave him an opportunity to disconnect, decompress, and reconsider what he wanted. He eventually joined a startup, only to be laid off again during the 2022 tech downturn. After getting laid off twice in two years, Wes started questioning whether he wanted to spend the next decade jumping between employers, hoping each new job would last. That's when he began exploring independent consulting. That journey eventually inspired his book, The Expert's Privilege: A Self-Deployment Guide to Leaving Corporate and Going Solo. In this conversation, we explore: Getting laid off three times throughout a career Why losing your job can sometimes feel like relief Navigating unemployment and a difficult job search Questioning the security of corporate employment Leaving corporate after a layoff Starting an independent consulting business Turning your professional experience into marketable expertise Overcoming imposter syndrome when going solo Recognizing your value beyond your job title One of Wes's biggest messages is that you've spent years developing expertise that has value beyond the organization employing you. You don't necessarily have to abandon your career to leave corporate. You may simply need to rethink how you use the experience, knowledge, and relationships you've already built. His advice to anyone navigating a layoff? "Use it as an opportunity to think bigger." Your next chapter doesn't have to look like your last one. CONNECT WITH WES LinkedIn: (https://www.linkedin.com/in/wwheless/)Wes Wheless (https://www.linkedin.com/in/wwheless/) Website: myparachuteplan.com (http://myparachuteplan.com) Book: The Expert's Privilege wesbook.com (http://wesbook.com) Pink Slip Pavilion shares real stories about layoffs, career transitions, reinvention, and what comes next. New episodes every Wednesday.

2. 

   7 Oct 2026

   From OH NO! to Heck Yeah! | Camille Romero

   Camille has been laid off more than once. The first time, she gave herself space to figure out what she actually wanted. The second time, she ran from unemployment and straight into the wrong job. Those two experiences taught her an important lesson: Know what you're running toward, not just what you're running away from. In this episode of Pink Slip Pavilion, host Ashley Waddington sits down with Camille Romero to talk about layoffs, fear, networking, career transitions, finding the right fit, and remembering that your value exists independently of your job title. During Camille's first layoff, the world was entering COVID and hiring had largely stopped. She was forced to slow down. Instead of racing toward another job, Camille spent time exploring her strengths, what she wanted to do next, and the kind of people she wanted to work with. She kept networking. Eventually, one of those conversations turned into an opportunity so naturally that she didn't even realize she was interviewing when the process began. Her second layoff was different. This time, Camille panicked. "I ran away from unemployment rather than running to my next job." She prioritized finding another role quickly instead of finding the right fit and ended up in a culture that wasn't right for her. Eventually, she negotiated her exit and later started her own business. In this episode, we cover: • Getting laid off more than once • Rushing into the wrong job after a layoff • Making career decisions from fear • Finding the right cultural fit • Networking during a job search • Why you shouldn't wait until you need something to network • Building relationships instead of transactional connections • Asking your network for help • Remembering your value outside of your job title • Using post-employment support when it's offered • Reframing fear and nervousness • Changing career paths after a layoff • Starting a business after leaving corporate • Keeping your vision in front of you when nothing seems to be working Camille's experience also changed how she thinks about networking. Instead of asking, "Is there anyone you think I should meet?" she recommends asking: "Is there anyone you think should meet me?" That small shift puts you back in the driver's seat at a time when losing your job can make you feel powerless. Today, Camille also makes a point of maintaining relationships before she needs them. Every quarter, she looks through her contacts and reconnects with people she hasn't spoken with recently. Her biggest reminder for anyone navigating a layoff: Your value is not tied to your position or your role. You have value all on your own. CONNECT WITH CAMILLE: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/camille-romero-9228091/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/camille-romero-9228091/) Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hows.it.working/ (https://www.instagram.com/hows.it.working/) Email: camille@howsitworking.net (mailto:camille@howsitworking.net) Pink Slip Pavilion shares real stories about layoffs, job loss, career transitions, career reinvention, entrepreneurship, and what comes next. New episodes every Wednesday.

3. 

   30 Sept 2026

   From Panic to Empowerment | Tiffany Meyer

   Tiffany was fired from her first director role. In her next job, she became a top performer and got laid off anyway. Those two experiences taught her very different lessons about performance, leadership, loyalty, and the danger of tying your value to your work. In this episode of Pink Slip Pavilion, host Ashley Waddington sits down with Tiffany Meyer to talk about getting fired, getting laid off, navigating the shame that can come with job loss, and learning how to grow from the parts of your experience you can control. When Tiffany was fired, she was a single mom with a daughter in college and no significant financial safety net. There wasn't time to sit around wondering what came next. She had to get practical. Apply for jobs. File for unemployment. Cut expenses. Figure it out. Once the initial shock subsided, Tiffany started asking a harder question: What role did I play in this? She realized that in her first director role, she was still operating like an individual contributor. She was doing a tremendous amount of work, but not necessarily the work she was now responsible for as a leader. Getting fired forced her to see a leadership blind spot she hadn't recognized before. So she took those lessons into her next role and became determined to perform. She did. Then she got laid off anyway. Tiffany was one of the organization's top performers when a nonprofit lost a major funder and eliminated her position. That experience taught her another lesson: Being great at your job does not guarantee job security. In this episode, we cover: • Getting fired from your first leadership role • The shame surrounding being fired • Job searching without a financial safety net • Knowing when you've done "enough" in your job search • Taking accountability without drowning in shame • Moving from individual contributor to leader • Recognizing your professional blind spots • Becoming a top performer and still getting laid off • Why job security can be an illusion • Overperforming at the expense of your well-being • Asking for specific, useful feedback • Finding mentors who can see what you can't • Knowing when a job is no longer right for you • Protecting yourself without abandoning your team One of the biggest takeaways from Tiffany's story: There is no reward for self-abandonment in your career. You can care deeply about your work, your team, and your organization without sacrificing yourself in the process. If you suspect a layoff may be coming, Tiffany's advice is to listen to that instinct. Keep doing your job, but create healthier boundaries and start putting energy toward what's next. Work your network. Have conversations. Explore other opportunities. Protecting yourself doesn't make you disloyal. CONNECT WITH TIFFANY: Website: www.numamarketing.com (http://NumaMarketing.com) Pink Slip Pavilion shares real stories about layoffs, job loss, career transitions, career reinvention, and what comes next. New episodes every Wednesday.

Contact Pink Slip Pavilion

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.