I put everything into my career, earning a director title and high salary. I was suddenly laid off and needed to change my view on work.

• When I earned a director title and huge salary, I felt like I was at the top of my career.
• But then I was suddenly laid off and felt like I invested everything into my career.
• While traveling along the West Coast, I decided I wanted more freedom in my work life.

In September 2022, I made it to the pinnacle of success in my career. I switched from one med-tech company to another to take on a director role. It was one step closer to my goal of one day making VP.

The compensation was great. I was making more money than I had ever imagined, an almost 35% increase from my previous position to director level. Plus, I was leading a diverse functional team in a market-leading company.

In 2023, I completed a full year with the med-tech company and earned a multiple six-figure salary. I was at the height of my career and compensation dream.

Then, less than two years later, it all came crashing down. On April 1st — April Fools' Day, nonetheless — I was told that I would be laid off and my last day would be May 31st.

June 1st would be the first day in my 25-year career in med-tech that I would voluntarily be without a job. I was given 14 weeks of severance pay that would take me through mid-September.

I panicked. I was scared. I was lost. I had given my freedom, autonomy, and time to a company and an industry that I thought loved me just the way I had loved it. I was in an existential crisis and needed to figure out my next moves.

I moved with my girlfriend, opening up a new way of thinking

Around the same time my career took a hit, my girlfriend was moving to Arizona for work. She asked me to join her since I had all the time in the world now that I was laid off.

We began our journey on May 26th from Pennsylvania, where I owned my home. I decided to Airbnb the home to make additional income while I was out of work and traveling west. We timed the arrival perfectly to arrive in Scottsdale, AZ, by June 1st — my first official day of no work.

Driving across the country those four days gave me a sense of freedom and control that I had never experienced before.

As I drove across the country, I thought: What would be my next career move? If I could do anything, what would that look like? I had more questions than I had answers.

But I did know one thing. Never again would I let a private employer dictate my financial freedom.

I decided to take control of my career and finances — as well as my time and location. I recognized that this would not be an overnight achievement, and I still needed a job to make my next move to what I truly wanted most.

More travel helped me pave the way forward

We stayed at our first Airbnb in Scottsdale for a month. The view was against the backdrop of the nearby mountains. Although the temperature was over 100 degrees, I went on local hikes every day in the morning.

The hikes helped me get clarity on what I needed to do to take control of my future, career, and finances.

The first weekend after arriving in Scottsdale, my girlfriend and I took a road trip to San Diego, over a five-hour drive from Scottsdale. We visited different beaches in the San Diego area, including Coronado Beach. Sitting on the beach enjoying the view, I knew that this was what I wanted to have control over. I wanted to go to places and enjoy life on my terms.

From that moment on, I invested in career opportunities that took me out of the corporate world. I instead invested in becoming a certified leadership coach.

The road trip across the US helped me recover mentally and plan my next steps. The daily hikes and road trips to San Diego and other parts of Arizona helped me reduce the overwhelming thoughts of having been laid off. It also reshaped my understanding of resilience, adaptability, the power of embracing change, and next life moves.