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 12 | MM2 - Building a Routine with Austin Brown
In this episode, Dray sits down with Austin Brown, a former corporate director turned founder of Laid Off Launchpad — a platform helping job seekers navigate the emotional and logistical rollercoaster of layoffs. After being laid off three times, Austin saw a glaring gap in the support offered post-layoff: no one was talking about how to manage the day-to-day.
He created the LAND Routine — Learn, Apply, Network, Defend Your Energy — and now leads both 1:1 and group programs designed to give people their structure back. We talk about the mental health toll on breadwinners, why outplacement services often fall flat, and what it really takes to build something from a severance package.
🎯 Topics Covered:
- The emotional chaos of being laid off
- Starting a business after three layoffs
- Why routines matter more than resumes
- Mental health & identity after job loss
- What the LAND Routine actually is
- Building Laid Off Launchpad from the ground up
🔗 Links & Resources:
- Follow Austin on LinkedIn: Austin’s Profile
- Check out the Laid Off Launchpad: https://www.laidofflaunchpad.co/
- Subscribe to the Monday Boost: Newsletter Signup
- Download the Free 10-Day Guide: Free Resources
💼 Partner: Jobhire.ai — Apply to jobs while you sleep. 30% off in Sept. 2025 with code DRAY30 → jobhire.ai/job-matcher/?imutm=dray (you must use that link)
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🎧 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.
