Why Getting Laid Off Was The Biggest Blessing (and Challenge)

Plus, what to eat during Passover

Five years ago this week was my last day in the nonprofit world. I was laid off from my role in fundraising a week or so prior and on my last day, I grabbed my remaining belongings from my cubicle, turned in my key fob, and headed downtown for drinks with friends. My prevailing emotion was relief—that day set in motion many parts of my life today, but it was also painful, not so much at the end, but in the moments leading up to that.

A lot has changed since then but the experience has stuck with me as I’ve grown throughout my twenties. Now, I wonder why I stayed so long, why I didn’t try to get a job at another nonprofit that worked in food, and why I actually believed it was worth it to stick it out for a promised promotion in a field I didn’t want to be in when so many of my colleagues had left. In the end, the decision was made for me and I’m so glad it was. There’s definitely a sense of failure in a layoff, especially when you come from a super competitive academic background (I’m so happy I’m out of that environment). But one of the biggest lessons I’ve learned since the layoff is the power of saying no (Maura is so good about this) and making room for bigger yeses. There’s power in walking away, in following your gut. When I think about all the cold emails and DMs I’ve sent over the years, so many of them are based on a feeling that I’d get along with someone or a desire to collaborate and learn more about someone I admire. Learning how to say no has also taught me how to reach out and say yes and connect others along the way. We have limited hours and energy—how we use it matters.

I took this on the Lower East Side in April 2018 while looking for a coffeeshop with wifi.

I’ve written about this before (read about the weird thing that happened after I got laid off here) but the layoff was what pushed me to try writing about food professionally.