From Layoff to Launchpad: Leaders on Choosing Your Next Move
March 18, 2026
In the raw uncertainty following a layoff, when every option feels like a gamble—stay in the familiar lane or leap into something new—the mind races between fear of regret and the pull of possibility.
But what if the real decision isn’t about choosing a path right away?
What if it’s about creating small, low-risk experiments that let reality, not anxiety, reveal the answer?
On HRSpotlight, founders, CEOs, physicians, coaches, and career strategists share the hard-won guidance that helped them (and others) navigate this exact crossroads.
They talk about asking better questions: What would you regret not doing in five years? Where do your unfair advantages lie? Which conversations make time disappear?
They advocate quick, tangible tests—shadowing, side projects, micro-consulting, 30-day sprints—while auditing past frustrations for hidden clues to future fit.
Their collective experience shows that clarity rarely arrives through endless analysis or panic applications; it emerges when you start moving, measuring traction, and trusting the signals your energy and the market send back.
Discover how to turn a painful pause into deliberate momentum.
Read on!
Joseph Depena
Owner, VP Fitness
I got laid off from my corporate job before starting VP Fitness in 2011, and honestly, I was terrified. But instead of jumping into another corporate role just for security, I asked myself one question: “What would I regret NOT doing five years from now?” That clarity led me to open my first gym.
Here’s what actually helped me decide: I made a spreadsheet with two columns–one for staying in my industry (corporate wellness consulting) and one for pivoting to gym ownership. I didn’t just list pros and cons; I wrote down specific numbers: potential income year 1, year 3, year 5, plus hours per week I’d actually enjoy the work. The pivot column had lower initial income but 90% “work I’d love doing” versus 40% in my old field.
My advice? Give yourself 2 weeks to test your pivot idea in the smallest way possible before making it official.
I started training 3 clients at 6am before my corporate job to see if I actually liked it day-to-day, not just in theory. By week 2, I was waking up excited instead of hitting snooze–that told me everything.
One thing nobody talks about: sometimes “sticking with your path” IS the pivot.
When I franchised VP Fitness in 2023, people said I was changing direction, but really I was just scaling what already worked.
Don’t assume you need to blow everything up–sometimes the next chapter is already written in what you’ve already built.
Regret Test Guides Bold Career Moves
I got laid off from the Navy in a way–my contract ended and I had to choose between re-enlisting as a submarine engineer or jumping into content creation with zero safety net.
I chose the scary path, and here’s what made the difference: I didn’t wait to feel “ready.”
The pivot vs. stay question is actually the wrong frame. The real question is: where are you already spending your mental energy? After my service, I was reading marketing books at 2am and studying creators obsessively–my brain had already voted. I just needed to trust that signal instead of forcing myself back into what felt “safe” but soul-draining.
What helped me move fast: I gave myself one micro-project to prove capability in the new space. I produced one short documentary for a local nonprofit while still taking “normal job” interviews. That single project became my proof of concept, landed me three paying clients, and showed me I could actually do this.
You need one small win in the direction you’re curious about–not a business plan, just proof you can execute.
The decision made itself within 90 days because I was *doing* instead of *deciding*.
If your new path experiments feel like work, go back to your industry. If they feel like playing you’d do for free, you’ve got your answer.
Trust Energy, Prove It with Action
Sonny Da Badger
Content Creator, Support Bikers
I’ve pivoted multiple times in my life–from commission sales at Six Bends Harley Davidson to building Support Bikers into a nationwide directory connecting bikers across 18+ states.
The sales job taught me something crucial: when you’re struggling on commission and need results, you either find your lane or you starve.
Here’s my take–don’t decide based on fear of starting over.
When I had to sell my bikes twice because “life happened,” I could’ve given up on riding entirely. Instead, I came back stronger each time because motorcycles were always my true path.
Ask yourself if you’re genuinely done with your industry or just done with that specific job.
The pivot decision gets easier when you look at what you naturally gravitate toward during tough times.
When I worked Harley sales and money was tight, I didn’t retreat–I leaned in and became “The Badger” so customers would remember and ask for me. That hustle taught me I thrive when I’m building community, which is exactly what Support Bikers does now.
Test your new direction before burning bridges. I didn’t quit my day job to start Support Bikers–my wife Angie and I built it as volunteers first, grew it into Facebook groups across multiple states, then brought on sponsors and moderators. By the time it became my focus, I already knew it had legs.
Lean Into Your True Path Fast
I’ve completely rebuilt my career twice–once moving from Israel to New York, then again when I left traditional PT clinics to start Evolve in 2010.
Here’s what made the difference: I didn’t leave because I was lost. I left because I knew exactly what was broken.
When I worked at high-volume clinics in Brooklyn, I watched patients get 15-minute sessions with generic exercise sheets while billing ran the show.
I had already spent years in Tel Aviv treating terror victims and soldiers–I knew what real rehabilitation looked like.
The gap between what I could do and what the system allowed was eating me alive. That’s when I knew I had to build something different.
If you can articulate the specific problem you want to solve in your next move, pivot.
When I started Evolve, I could tell you exactly what would be different: one-on-one hour-long sessions, manual therapy instead of exercise handouts, taking complex cases other clinics rejected. Fourteen years later, that clarity is why we’re still here.
But if you’re just angry at your boss or tired of your commute–that’s not a vision, that’s just a bad Tuesday.
I’ve hired people fleeing corporate jobs who thought PT would be “more meaningful” but had no idea what treating chronic pain actually requires.
They quit within six months because meaning without skill match is just daydreaming.
Fix What Broke, Then Build Better
Chase McKee
Founder & CEO, Rocket Alumni Solutions
I got laid off from investment banking before starting Rocket Alumni Solutions, and honestly, the decision wasn’t about staying versus pivoting–it was about following where I’d already been experimenting.
I’d been tinkering with recognition software concepts on nights and weekends because I was genuinely curious about the problem, not because it was a calculated career move.
Here’s what actually mattered: I looked at which conversations made me lose track of time. When I talked to school administrators about donor recognition challenges, three hours felt like twenty minutes. When I discussed financial models with former colleagues, I was watching the clock. That attention pattern told me everything.
The practical test I used was spending $2,400 on a prototype before quitting anything.
We built a basic interactive display and got it in front of five schools. Two said they’d pay for a real version. That signal–people willing to give you money, not just encouragement–is worth more than any pros-and-cons list.
One thing nobody tells you: your current path gives you pattern recognition that transfers weird ways.
My banking background seemed useless for ed-tech, but those skills in reading financial statements helped me spot which schools had budget authority to buy quickly.
Sometimes the “pivot” is just pointing your existing toolkit at a different problem.
Test Ideas Before Committing Fully
I’ve worked with countless clients facing this exact transition, and what I’ve learned is that career uncertainty rarely exists in isolation–it’s usually tangled up with deeper questions about identity and self-worth.
When you lose a job, you’re not just losing income; you’re losing structure, purpose, and often a huge piece of how you define yourself.
Here’s what I see consistently: people who rush to “figure out the right path” without processing the actual loss end up making decisions driven by anxiety rather than values.
I had a client who’d been in finance for 12 years and got laid off–he immediately started applying to similar roles because that’s what he “should” do.
In our sessions using CBT and Narrative Therapy, we uncovered that he’d been miserable for years but couldn’t admit it because his career was his identity.
The breakthrough came when we worked on separating who he was from what he did. We identified his core values (creativity, autonomy, helping others) versus the external validation he’d been chasing. He ended up pivoting to consulting work that aligned with those values–not because it was the “safe” choice, but because he’d done the internal work first.
My practical advice: spend two weeks journaling every morning about what you actually want your days to look like, not what sounds impressive or safe.
Write down the activities that made you lose track of time in past roles. That pattern works–identifying what genuinely energizes you versus what drains you–is how you’ll know whether to pivot or stay.
The right career decision flows from knowing yourself first, not from analyzing market trends.
Journal Values to Unlock Clarity
Margaret Phares
Executive Director, PARWCC
I’ve spent over three decades watching thousands of professionals steer this exact crossroads at PARWCC, and here’s what the data shows: 82 million Americans are unhappy in their jobs (Statistica, 2024), and most got there because they never asked one critical question before accepting their role.
Before you decide to pivot or stay your course, ask yourself: “What must I be seen doing on the job to be acknowledged as the go-to expert by my boss, colleagues, and most importantly, myself?”
If you can’t–or don’t want to–do those specific things in your current field, no amount of job titles or salary will matter. You’ll just be serving time, not building a career.
I coach clients through this by having them conduct what I call “due diligence exploration.” Pull 10-15 job descriptions in both your current field and potential pivot areas, then identify the patterns in required competencies and daily tasks.
The O*Net database is gold for this. You’ll quickly see whether you’re genuinely excited about the work itself or just romanticizing the idea of change.
Here’s the honest part nobody wants to hear: most pivots fail because people focus 90% of their energy on the problem (fear, uncertainty, job loss) instead of solutions.
The hurricane survivors I worked with in Tampa who rebuilt successfully had written plans, assembled teams, and maintained hope-filled visions.
Your job search needs the same structure–a daily action plan, not a “winging it” approach.
Define Your Expert Role First
I got laid off from my last job before starting 12 Stones Roofing, and honestly the military taught me something crucial: sometimes you need to assess the terrain before you decide which direction to move.
I spent two weeks doing roof inspections with a buddy for free just to see if I actually liked the work or just the idea of being my own boss.
Here’s what nobody tells you: sticking with your current path only makes sense if the fundamentals are still solid. When I transitioned from active duty to contracting, I didn’t abandon my core skills–leadership, accountability, attention to detail. I just found a new application.
If your industry is dying or you genuinely hate the work itself, no new role will fix that. But if you loved the work and just had a bad employer, staying in your lane with better standards might be the move.
The real test is this: can you name three specific things you’d do differently in a new industry versus three specific companies you’d want to work for in your current one? Whichever list comes faster and feels more authentic is probably your answer.
I could rattle off exactly how I’d run a roofing company with military precision before I ever had a single contract–that clarity told me everything.
One practical thing: take on a small project or consultation gig in the industry you’re considering.
I did storm damage assessments on weekends before committing full-time. Cost me nothing but time, and it proved I could handle the technical side and the customer-facing pressure.
Don’t make a permanent decision based on theoretical interest.
Test New Paths Without Burning Bridges
I’ve seen this exact situation play out dozens of times with clients over 20+ years in IT–and honestly, the answer isn’t about choosing between staying or pivoting.
It’s about testing your assumptions fast with minimal risk.
When COVID hit, I watched businesses freeze trying to make the “perfect” decision about their future.
The ones who survived didn’t pick a lane immediately–they ran quick experiments.
One restaurant client repositioned their catering service into meal kits within 72 hours. Another retail shop founded corporate gift boxes as their main revenue. They found out by *trying* small things, not planning forever.
Here’s what I’d do: spend one week identifying three problems you could solve in your current industry and three in a potential new one. Then spend the next week reaching out to 5-10 people in each space–former colleagues, LinkedIn connections, whoever–and ask what’s keeping them up at night. You’ll know within 10 days which conversations energize you and where people actually need help right now.
The market will tell you the answer faster than any career coach.
During the pandemic, we saw companies that took two months to “strategize” lose opportunities to competitors who tested and adjusted weekly.
Your layoff just gave you permission to move faster than you ever could while employed–use that advantage before it expires.
Quick Experiments Reveal the Real Answer
The HR Spotlight team thanks these industry leaders for offering their expertise and experience and sharing these insights.
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