750 layoffs a day. No, that's not a typo — and it's not slowing down.

Brett sits down with Steve Jaffe, marketing veteran and author of The Layoff Journey: From Dismissal to Discovery, to talk about what most career books completely skip: the emotional and psychological toll of losing a job — and why processing that first is the key to what comes next.

Steve was laid off four times over a 30-year career. His first layoff took him years to recover from. His last one in 2023? Water off a duck's back. The difference? He finally understood what he was actually experiencing: grief.

This one is for anyone who's been laid off, is worried about being laid off, or is watching colleagues get cut and wondering when it's their turn.

In this episode:

Why January 2026 had the highest single-month layoffs since 2009 — and why the job market isn't bouncing back
How layoffs became a business strategy instead of a last resort (and what that means for your career security)
The stages of grief that apply to job loss — and why skipping them is costing people months of their job search
Why the "myth of meritocracy" is one of the most dangerous things to believe in corporate
The identity crisis that hits when your job title is your identity — and how to separate the two
What Gen Z is getting right about corporate that older generations sacrificed
Steve's pivot from laid-off marketing exec to published author — without a Plan B in place first
Why having a side hustle isn't just a trend — it's now a survival strategy

About Steve Jaffe

Steve spent 30 years in marketing and advertising — from West Coast ad agencies to in-house brand roles, including work on the iconic What Happens in Vegas Stays in Vegas campaign. After being laid off four times, he channeled those 10,000 hours of experience into his book, The Layoff Journey: From Dismissal to Discovery — a practical, grief-informed guide to navigating job loss without losing yourself in the process.

Resources mentioned:

📖 The Layoff Journey: From Dismissal to Discovery — available on Amazon and wherever books are sold
🌐 Website & free chapter download: https://thestevejaffe.com/
💼 Connect on LinkedIn: Steve Jaffe: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaffesteve/

Connect with Brett & The Corporate Escapee:

🌐 TheEscapeeCollective.com

If this episode resonated, share it with someone who's currently in the middle of a layoff — or someone who should probably start building their Plan B now.