The Reboot Era
Layoffs. Burnout. Reinvention. Welcome to the messy middle of career change — and the community that's not afraid to talk about it.
Hosted by Dray Jankowski, a former tech program manager laid off in 2025, The Reboot Era is part unfiltered storytelling, part emotional support group, and part career comeback plan. Through weekly solo episodes and candid guest interviews, we explore what it really means to rebuild your life — professionally, emotionally, and financially.
We’re not here to sell you hope. We’re here to tell the truth — with humor, heart, and a little chaos.
Each episode dives into one of our seven pillars:
• Layoffs & Unemployment
• Motivation & Momentum
• Strategy & Income
• Redirection & Reinvention
• Mental Health & Renewal
• Closure & Reflection
• Identity & Calling
If you’ve ever screamed into a throw pillow after reading a rejection email — this is your place.
🎧 New episodes every week.
💬 Got a story of your own? Come tell it. This isn’t just my era — it’s ours!
The Reboot Era
Reboot 07 | MHR1 - Mental Health Realness
In this deeply human episode of The Reboot Era, we explore the emotional rollercoaster of job loss, job searching, and the quiet fight to keep going. Host Dray Jankowski is joined by two guests — Christine Vela, a seasoned sales and business development expert with decades of experience and multiple layoffs behind her, and Ry Mantione, a marketing pro and creative force navigating unemployment, identity, and reinvention in Los Angeles.
Together, they share stories of resilience, rejection, and self-discovery — from Christine’s pivot into healthcare sales to Ry’s 1,200+ job applications and 87 online courses. We talk candidly about mental health, cutting costs to survive, staying creative, navigating LinkedIn, and why being yourself might be your greatest asset during a layoff.
✨ If you’ve ever felt lost, overlooked, or mentally drained by the job search — this episode is for you.
🔍 We cover:
- Applying to 25–50 jobs a day and still hearing “no”
- The emotional weight of multiple layoffs and restructuring
- How to leverage LinkedIn the right way — without burning out
- Creative ways to find free joy, community, and connection
- Dressing authentically during interviews — and when you feel you can’t
- Courses, certifications, and whether LinkedIn Learning is worth it
- What therapy, jazz nights, and road trips can do for your soul
Whether you’re in your first layoff or your fifth, this episode will make you feel seen, validated, and maybe even hopeful.
Follow Today’s Guests:
🔗 Christine Vela on LinkedIn
🔗 Ry Mantione on LinkedIn
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👉 Subscribe on YouTube
👉 Connect on LinkedIn
👉 Buy me a coffee or leave a tip to support the show 💸
🎧 All links: https://linktr.ee/draycation
Thanks for supporting The Reboot Era — every follow, share, and tip helps me keep making content for anyone navigating layoffs, pivots, and everything in between.
Everything shared on this podcast is based on personal experience and opinion. Unless explicitly stated otherwise, no content should be considered professional, legal, or career advice. Any mention of companies, products, or individuals is done in a personal capacity and does not represent the views or endorsements of those organizations or people. If a sponsorship or paid partnership is ever included, it will be clearly disclosed during the episode.
