How to Create a Better Life After a Layoff
An inspirational story about a technology product developer named Marty Bodley who forged his own company just weeks after being laid off. The now successful entrepreneur knows exactly what laid-off workers are going through, and he shares his own experience of what it was like to lose his job and start anew. His advice is useful, timely and encouraging.
CIO — Meet Marty Bodley. He runs Revolabs, a manufacturer of wireless audio products that he started in 2005. Today, Revolabs sells its products in 40 countries and boasts 50 Fortune 100 companies as customers. After two consecutive years of 300 percent growth, the privately-held company is holding its own despite the recession.
Unlike many business owners, Bodley is cautiously optimistic that Revolabs will continue to grow this year, even if it's just by 30 percent, provided the economy doesn't worsen.
For his part, Bodley, who's 42, is doing well for himself and for his wife and three kids, ages 12, 9 and 5. He earns a comfortable living, drives a BMW 3 Series (which he bought in 2005), and last month he took his family skiing at Mont Tremblant, where actress Natasha Richardson sustained a fatal head injury. He feels fortunate, secure.
Six years ago, Bodley was in a very different position. He had been laid off from his role as director of new technology for GNNetcom, a headset manufacturer, in March 2003. He immediately started looking for a new corporate job, but he really wanted to start his own company. The layoff, he says, was the "kick in the pants" he needed to pursue the entrepreneurial dream that had long lingered in the back of his mind.
Countless professionals have used a layoff as a catalyst for career change. One high profile example is JibberJobber Founder Jason Alba. They view the job loss, as devastating as it may be, as an opportunity to embark on a more satisfying career or to start the new business they always dreamed of launching but always felt that they couldn't. (Leaving the golden handcuffs and numbing comfort of their existing job always seemed too risky.)
[Are you worried about a layoff? Read Calculating the Odds You'll Lose Your Job. If you're a victim of a recent job loss, see See 7 Secrets for Surviving a Layoff in a Down Economy.]
But when some people get laid off, a switch flips in their mind. The job loss emboldens them. They think, What do I have to lose? This may be my only chance to pursue my dream.
That was certainly the case for Bodley. Part of him had always wanted to strike out on his own, and in 2003, he finally had the opportunity. Here, Bodley shares what it was like to lose his job and explains how he started his own company so that all aspiring entrepreneurs and down-on-their-luck layoff victims can learn from—and be inspired by—his experience.
