Evoke Greatness Podcast

The Career Growth Playbook with Tiffany Rosik (Part 2)

• Episode 143

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🎧 Episode 143: Rebuilding After Layoffs: A Masterclass in Resilience with Tiffany Rosik (Part 2)

In this episode of Evoke Greatness, I welcome Tiffany Rosik, CEO of TGR Management Consulting, author, and technology transformation expert. From her early days in healthcare technology to founding her own consulting firm, Tiffany shares valuable insights about the challenging terrain of career setbacks and professional reinvention.

We dive deep into:

  • Navigating the emotional impact of layoffs
  • Transforming setbacks into strategic opportunities
  • Leveraging volunteer experience for professional growth
  • Preparing for board service opportunities
  • Staying relevant in a rapidly changing business landscape

🔑 Key takeaways:

  1. Layoffs often aren't personal - they're business decisions beyond your control
  2. The sooner you can accept this reality, the faster you can move forward
  3. Your volunteer work often builds valuable, transferable leadership skills
  4. Board service requires a "nose in, hands out" approach
  5. Staying relevant doesn't require expensive programs - leverage free virtual learning
  6. Network transparency during career transitions can unlock unexpected opportunities

💡 Quotes to remember: "It's not me. I'm not a bad employee. I'm not bad at my job." - Tiffany Rosik on reframing layoffs "Take the risk. Go with your gut." - Tiffany Rosik's ultimate career advice

📚 Resources:

If you're navigating a career setback, preparing for a board position, or looking to stay relevant in today's rapidly evolving business landscape, this episode offers practical wisdom and actionable insights from someone who's successfully navigated these challenges.

[Part 2 of 2 - Don't miss Part 1 where we discussed compensation negotiations, workplace dynamics, and building your personal board of directors.]

A rising tide raises all ships, and I invite you along on this journey to Evoke Greatness!

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Speaker 1:

Welcome to Evoke Greatness. We are officially entering year three of this podcast and I am filled with so much gratitude for each and every one of you who've joined me on this incredible journey of growth and self-discovery. I'm Sunny, your host and fellow traveler on this path of personal evolution. This podcast is a sanctuary for the curious, the ambitious and the introspective. It's for those of you who, like me, are captivated by the champion mindset and driven by an insatiable hunger for growth and knowledge. Whether you're just beginning your journey or you're well along your path, you're going to find stories here that resonate with your experiences and aspirations. Over the last two years, we've shared countless stories of triumph and challenge, of resilience and transformation. We've laughed, we've reflected and we've grown together. And as we've evolved, so too has this podcast. Remember, no matter what chapter you're on in your own story, you belong here. This community we've built together is a place of support, inspiration and shared growth. Where intention goes, energy flows, and the energy you bring to this space elevates us all. So, whether you're listening while commuting, working out or enjoying your morning coffee, perhaps from one of those motivational mugs I'm so fond of, know that you're a part of something special. Thank you for being here. Thank you for your curiosity, your openness and your commitment to personal growth. As we embark on year three, I invite you to lean in, to listen deeply and to let these stories resonate with your soul. I believe that a rising tide raises all ships and I invite you along in this journey to evoke greatness.

Speaker 1:

Welcome back to part two of my interview with Tiffany Rosick. In this episode, we are going to talk through rebuilding after layoffs, leveraging outside skills in the workplace, board service preparation and staying relevant in a rapidly changing world, and if you did not get the opportunity yet to listen to part one, you are definitely going to want to go back and take that one in as well. Tiffany shares a number of things around creative approaches to compensation discussions, navigating workplace dynamics and HR relationships, and the importance of having a personal board of directors. I hope you enjoy part two. If you haven't listened yet, go back to part one as well. Let's hop into it and shifting a little bit. I think something we're unfortunately seeing a lot of in the current days, even over the course of the last couple of years, is we're seeing career setbacks like layoffs becoming increasingly more common. Based on your observations, what are some effective strategies for people who are going through and they maybe have to rebuild, or perhaps ways to thrive after such an event.

Speaker 2:

Yeah. So I've been laid off twice in my career. The first time I was pretty young. I never saw it coming. I never saw any of the warning signs and there are. There are warning signs. Never saw it and was completely shocked by it. And you know the type of personality that I, that I have is. You know, if you get knocked down you're gonna pick yourself up, dust yourself off and try to figure out a way that this is not going to happen again. So the second time in my career I absolutely saw it coming, saw all the warning signs and was able to position myself for it a little bit better, both financially, emotionally, and then and then I was able to kind of get down that path to finding something new a little bit quicker.

Speaker 2:

I still think so, whether you see it coming or not, that the day that you're, you know, walked out if you will, or you're told to log off, it's still a very emotional and confidence-breaking moment, right, and there's no shortcut to rebuilding that confidence.

Speaker 2:

It does take time. You know your ego's bruised, but I think people need to recognize that oftentimes in a layoff situation it's not about you. There's really nothing that you could have done differently in any of the weeks or months leading up to that moment in time that would have made the outcome any different for you. And so if you can accept that and the sooner you can accept that, I think, the sooner you can start to move on emotionally and say, okay, it's not me, I'm not a bad employee, I'm not bad at my job, and start to build that confidence back up. You can start to think about all right. So here's all the things I didn't like about that job, here's all the ways in which they just did me a favor, and here are all the things that I would much rather have in whatever comes next.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, I think it helps you get laser focused on what are your non-negotiables, what are those things that are fundamentally important to you, that you say, okay, no matter what, when I decide to step into this next role company, here's what it's going to entail that after you kind of get past that and you start to think about, well, what I'd rather have, what would I rather be doing, right, then it really just becomes a matter of executing right.

Speaker 2:

So now I've taken some time. I thought about what I want to do. I've thought about whether or not I want to go back and do the corporate role or, as you and I both did, right. So my second layoff is ultimately what led to me starting my company, because I sat down with myself and I said, okay, I enjoyed it. I enjoyed the people, the challenges were fun, but the time that I was spending versus the value I was personally getting wasn't there. So how do I arrange a situation in my favor? And that ultimately led me down the path to create my own company.

Speaker 2:

So not that everybody is going to end up where you and I ended up, but it at least allows you to start figuring out what that checklist looks like. I need a resume. Okay, I need a resume Now. I need this kind of a salary. I need these kind of benefits. This is how I'm going to target my search. These are the companies that I probably want to look at because they're doing something fun and exciting in my field that I find valuable, and now you've moved from spinning your wheels lagging confidence to truly starting to execute on something, and I think that gets you to your goal a whole lot faster.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, and I think what I've seen shift on, at least like from my LinkedIn network, is there used to be that or there is right, there's this sense. You mentioned it. It's like the ego's bruised. Right, that's a tough thing, it's not, it is what it is, but it's still a tough thing, and sometimes there's some shame associated with that, which is shouldn't be, but it's again human nature, and so sometimes, when we're in that mode of shame, it's like, okay, I don't want anybody to know.

Speaker 1:

Well, how do you not want anyone to know and yet still put yourself out there for your next role? Right, that's a really fine balance, and I have seen more people on LinkedIn putting it out there super transparently and authentically. They're like, hey, not a position I thought I was going to be in, but guess what? I'm on the market. Hey, not a position I thought I was going to be in, but guess what? I'm on the market. I was laid off. Here are the things that I'm really really good at. Here are maybe some companies that I'd like to work for. Kudos to them, because it's like, okay, somebody who is willing to. It's a gnashing of the teeth with ego, but you can either sit, it's a choice right. You can sit in that space and it can be isolating and lonely and there can be some kind of shame associated with it. Or you can say it is what it is, but how do I get back out there and maybe find like the job or company of my dreams and I love seeing people do that.

Speaker 2:

I look at it as you know. They're positively asking for help and when I see those posts from people in my network, I want to try to help them. So if I see somebody post something like that, I reach out, I send them a direct message and I say hey, sorry, we haven't connected in a while. I'm sorry to hear that you've had a bad turn of events. What are you looking to do? And then I try to open up that dialogue with them and if there's somebody in my network or there's some way that I can connect them with wherever I think they can go, I am more than happy to do that. And so many folks need to, like you said, they kind of need to get past the shame part of it, ask for that help, and they may be surprised at how many people are willing to come and help.

Speaker 1:

Absolutely, and I think we've seen a shift and I hope that more people pay attention to come and help. Absolutely, and I think we've seen a shift and I hope that more people pay attention to that and just jump on that train, because in that situation there's no better train to be on, right, because there are people who are willing to say, hey, I know maybe we haven't connected in a while Stinks to hear that but hey, how can I support you? I always tell people, my network's, your, your network, what companies or what kind of companies are you looking for? You know, those types of things that cheer people on but then also like really engaging our network. Yes, well, in general, everybody struggles with the balance of having professional responsibilities, personal ones, and you talked a little bit about it. You know, in kind of managing what that looks like to be the ice hockey coach. How might professionals leverage skills developed outside of work you know, through parenting or anything else outside of work, to really enhance their workplace contributions?

Speaker 2:

Yeah. So this one, I think, really is kind of a kind of a woman challenge. Okay, when we are not at work, how many of us talk about work or understand enough about what the people in our circle do at work? Like, we have these wonderful networks but they're not really work networks. So I'll share with you.

Speaker 2:

I volunteer at my kids' schools, one of the things that I'm currently doing. I'm in my third year of being the Booster Club lead, so my kids' school, the Booster Club, is sort of the parent organization that wraps around athletics and really tries to drive school spirit and participation at many of our sporting events. Well, from that experience alone, I have expanded my circle of friends by tens of people. I have led groups. I have led people. I've had to have hard conversations with people. I've had to cajole or motivate folks to do things maybe they didn't want to do. Volunteer, spend that extra hour, fold t-shirts.

Speaker 2:

I've had to put on big events, had to negotiate with vendors to get some discount pricing. We've had to think outside the box on how we're going to solve a problem with what is probably small dollars and funds that we had available to us, while still trying to bring an experience that unites the community around whatever event that we're doing. So, if I break all that down, I talked about leading people. I've talked about putting on massive events for people. I've talked about vendor management. I've talked about people management. I've talked about having hard conversations. These are all things that any employer would love to have on a resume and an employee, regardless of what level in the organization they're in.

Speaker 1:

You broke that down so intricately and specifically that I am sure there is like an audible as people are listening to this. There's going to be like an audible gasp of like light bulbs coming on of like wait a second, because I think oftentimes we don't take credit for those things that we really do have vast experience in, and so I love that you outlined those so specifically.

Speaker 2:

So so often. So sometimes I'll encounter some women that have been out of the workforce for a while. I mean our, our generation, and and so I graduated college in 99. So I feel like the women that kind of grew up in that time. They are highly educated, they have master's degrees, but may have made a decision to leave the workplace to focus on family, whether it's an aging parent or a child, for whatever the reasons were and now they're past that and they want to go back into the workplace. They're like, well, I haven't been here in a while. Oh, wait, wait, wait, but you have. Let's talk about all the stuff that you were doing when you were not in a cubicle, Right?

Speaker 1:

Yeah, all pertinent, all absolutely pertinent. Yeah, all pertinent, all absolutely pertinent. As we think about another kind of important piece of your life and kind of mentorship is board service, and I think that that is an aspiration for many. Some may have really no idea what it is to serve on a board, but it's something they eventually want to learn more about. Others they may be kind of at that peak to say board is the next step I'd like to take. What guidance would you offer to those listening who are looking to prepare themselves to step into a board or explore board opportunities?

Speaker 2:

So I actually had coaching to get into a board opportunity. I had never even understood it enough to even have it on a bulletin board, you know, pinned somewhere as an idea. So I actually had some coaching. I had somebody tap me on the shoulder and say, hey, I think you should be part of this group. They're offering training on board service to learn what it's about and, you know, create a board resume and figure out whether or not you'd be a good fit for boards. And it really wasn't until I had that experience that it opened up my eyes to what it is.

Speaker 2:

So many, many of us have jobs in which we're the doers. Board service is not always about doing as a matter of fact, it's most often about observing and providing guidance around it. So we often say, or we often coach, that you are nose in, hands out, so you need to know what's going on, but you are not going to solve any of the problems and you're not putting your fingers in to anything else, you're just aware. You offer advice, maybe you make a connection, a suggestion, but that's it.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, which is really interesting, because that is a very different role than I think people understand it to be or than their experience leading up to that has been, and so understanding the distinction of that, I think, is really helpful to explore. Really, is this what you wanna do? Do you wanna get your hands in and get things done, or is it that you wanna offer your guidance and wisdom, observations, things like that? So I think that's an important clarification for people to think about.

Speaker 2:

Yes, and as they're working their way through that there are working boards out there. There are opportunities, particularly in the nonprofit world and also in the startup world. You know that you could lend your services and roll up your sleeves and do some work and help and you can leverage that experience as well. But there are opportunities where you don't do that and those are very different responsibilities. So, as they're thinking through, do I want a working board or do I really want to be on more of an advisory board? That then also kind of you have to think about your network. Most often the advisory board positions, the non-working board positions, come from your network. Very rarely are you going to respond to a job opening. You know a posting about a board position. It is going to be through a series of connections that you've made and someone thinks of you in that way and they're like oh hey, you know what? Tiffany, she's got a tech background. She might be really good to sit on our board because we don't have anybody that holds the tech flag Right.

Speaker 1:

And then you know, just given the rapid pace of change throughout business and technology, what approaches have you found to be effective in trying to stay adaptable and relevant as you progress through your career?

Speaker 2:

I am fortunate right now, where my kids are older, they don't need me in the same way in which they once did. So I have the ability to get out and attend evening discussions around hot topics, whether it's AI, it's networking, it's. You know, I was just in a presentation for a nonprofit where they were presenting some new ideas that they wanted to pursue. I have the ability to attend those things and that's really how I stay relevant and how I stay abreast of things that are going on. That is not the situation for everyone, however.

Speaker 2:

The virtual platform, the pandemic, did one wonderful thing for all of us, which it really advanced the platforms in which we can communicate and participate virtually. So there are a number of opportunities that are free or near free, to participate during lunch hours, early morning sessions where it's just 50 minutes and you can pick topics that are relevant to both your industry or to whatever you think you might want to do next, and that's what I would really recommend for folks. Ai is a hot topic. There's a lot of great stuff out there that is free on AI. That is on demand. You don't even need to have a schedule for it. That is really on demand and you can do it at your own pace.

Speaker 1:

And last question I have. This is always a fun question that makes people think a little bit. If it were your last day on earth and you could, of all the things you've learned, all the wisdom and experience you've acquired, and you could only share one piece of guidance with the world, what is it that you would impart?

Speaker 2:

Wow, that's a hard one. I have a lot of words, I don't know that. I can narrow it down to one thing. I would say take the risk. Take the risk. Oftentimes, opportunities will present themselves and your gut tells you one thing and your head tells you another. Go with the gut.

Speaker 1:

I love it. I think it's a great piece of advice. Well, for everyone who wants to find out where to follow you find you. Where can they find you at?

Speaker 2:

Well, the best place to find me is on LinkedIn. I'm actively posted on LinkedIn on a regular basis, so it's Tiffany Rosick that's the me is on LinkedIn. I'm actively post on LinkedIn on a regular basis, so it's Tiffany Rosick that's the profile name on LinkedIn. I also have a website, tiffanyrosickcom, that will have more information about the book that is out as well, as the best way to get in contact with me would be through that website as well.

Speaker 1:

Awesome. Well, make sure so by the time you guys are hearing this, the book that's Not the Help I Need Real Talk for Women About Winning at Work will be available. Make sure go pick up a copy. I think, just as we've talked through the experiences and the insights that you've had, I can only imagine the amount of value that that's going to add to people's lives, and so make sure you pick up a copy. Tiffany, thank you for your time and just being willing to come on and share with all the other listeners out there about all your experiences.

Speaker 2:

Well, Sunny, this has been fantastic. Thank you so much for inviting me my absolute pleasure.

Speaker 1:

Thank you so much for listening and for being here on this journey with me. I hope you'll stick around If you liked this episode. It would mean the world for me if you would rate and review the podcast or share it with someone you know may need to hear this message. I love to hear from you all and want you to know that you can leave me a voicemail directly. If you go to my website, evokegreatnesscom, and go to the contact me tab, you'll just hit the big old orange button and record your message. I love the feedback and comments that I've been getting, so please keep them coming. I'll leave you with the wise words of author Robin Sharma Greatness comes by doing a few small and smart things each and every day. It comes from taking little steps consistently. It comes from making a few small chips against everything in your professional and personal life that is ordinary, so that a day eventually arrives when all that's left is the extraordinary.

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