Podcast Summary: Social Media Decoded
Episode Title: The Gratitude Episode: How Losing My Job Was the Setup for Everything I Have Now
Host: Michelle Thames
Release Date: November 27, 2025
Overview
In this special Thanksgiving episode, host Michelle Thames steps away from her usual marketing and business strategy discussions to share a deeply personal story about gratitude. She reflects on how losing her job in 2016 was not just a setback, but a crucial turning point that set up her entire entrepreneurial journey—including the creation of her marketing agency, this very podcast, and the life she lives today. Michelle dives into the emotional aftermath of that event, the lessons she learned, and the ways gratitude reshaped her life and business.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
The Day Everything Changed ([01:09])
- Setting the Scene: Michelle recalls the vivid memory of losing her job in 2016, shortly after becoming a mother.
- “I remember the day. The room, the feeling in my chest. It was 2016 and I just had my daughter two years ago.” ([01:17])
- Immediate Reactions: She describes feeling embarrassed, like a failure, and riddled with questions about her future and providing for her family.
- “I was embarrassed. I felt like a failure. I questioned everything, like, how am I going to take care of my family? What did I do wrong? What now?” ([01:25])
The Turning Point: From Setback to Setup ([01:39])
- Processing the Shock: Michelle points out that society doesn’t teach how to handle this kind of life upheaval.
- Reframing the Moment: In hindsight, she sees this event as divine redirection.
- “That was the day God rerouted my life. Because if I never got fired, I would have never stepped into entrepreneurship.” ([01:44])
- “Gratitude didn’t come immediately, but today I am grateful for that moment with my whole heart.” ([01:59])
The Hard Days and Building Resilience ([02:07])
- Highlighting the Struggle: She’s honest about the difficult days—the crying, the self-doubt, the second-guessing.
- Choosing the Right Questions: Michelle credits gratitude for shifting her perspective:
- “Gratitude becomes easier when you stop asking, ‘Why is this happening to me?’ and start asking, ‘What is this preparing me for?’” ([02:19])
Lessons Learned and What She’s Grateful For ([02:25])
- Preparation Through Setbacks:
- “Losing my job prepared me for leadership, prepared me for visibility, prepared me for resilience, prepared me for the life I have now.” ([02:26])
- “Every setback set me up for something bigger.” ([02:34])
- Specific Sources of Gratitude:
- People who believed in her before she believed in herself—friends, clients, her community, her husband.
- Failures that built her character: every failed launch, slow month, lost client, or pivot was preparation.
- “The failures that didn’t destroy me, but they built me.” ([02:47])
- The supportive messages from listeners and community members that have kept her motivated.
- “The women who DM me and… saying that this podcast helped them, changed them. You have no idea how many times messages like that keep me going.” ([03:00])
- The opportunity to create a life with more time, freedom, purpose, and joy.
- Growth into a confident, clear, unapologetic woman.
Encouragement for Those in Transition ([03:23])
- Message of Hope:
- “If today doesn’t look like what you hoped, if you are in a transition… I want you to hear me. You are not behind. You’re being prepared.” ([03:34])
- “Your gratitude today, even for the uncomfortable parts, will open doors tomorrow.” ([03:39])
Closing Reflection and Thanksgiving Message ([03:47])
- Call for Mindfulness: Michelle encourages listeners to pause, breathe, and reflect on what they’re grateful for today.
- “Take a moment to be still, to breathe, to reflect, to ask yourself, ‘What is one thing I’m grateful for today?’” ([03:50])
- Gratitude for Listeners: She thanks her audience and wishes them a Happy Thanksgiving.
- “Thank you for listening. Thank you for being a part of this journey. Happy Thanksgiving to those who celebrate. I love you all and I will talk to you in the next one.” ([03:59])
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- “If I never got fired, I would have never stepped into entrepreneurship. I would have never built my marketing agency with my husband. I would have never created this podcast. I would have never become the woman that I am today.”
— Michelle Thames ([01:44]) - “Gratitude becomes easier when you stop asking, ‘Why is this happening to me?’ and start asking, ‘What is this preparing me for?’”
— Michelle Thames ([02:19]) - “The failures that didn’t destroy me, but they built me.”
— Michelle Thames ([02:47]) - “You are not behind. You’re being prepared. Your gratitude today, even for the uncomfortable parts, will open doors tomorrow.”
— Michelle Thames ([03:34])
Timestamps for Key Segments
- 01:09 – Introduction to the gratitude episode and context around job loss
- 01:44 – Reframing the experience: Job loss as a “rerouting”
- 02:07 – The emotional aftermath: Struggles, doubts, and turning to gratitude
- 02:19 – The power of changing your questions
- 02:25 – List of what Michelle is grateful for in her entrepreneurial journey
- 03:34 – Encouragement for listeners currently in difficult transitions
- 03:59 – Thanks to the community and closing Thanksgiving wishes
Tone and Style
Michelle’s tone is honest, warm, and motivational—as open and encouraging as a conversation with a trusted friend. She doesn’t shy away from emotion or vulnerability, making her insights relatable and inspiring for entrepreneurs and anyone experiencing transition.
Final Takeaway
This episode of Social Media Decoded is a heartfelt reminder that sometimes the worst moments are actually the beginnings of our greatest chapters. Through Michelle’s story, listeners are encouraged to embrace gratitude—even for the hard parts—and trust that every ending is, in fact, a setup for something bigger.