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 21 | SI4 - Why Layoffs Feel Unfair (and What to Do Next)
Guest: Steve Jaffe — author of The Layoff Journey; 25 years in marketing/advertising; laid off four times; now helping people navigate the emotional side of job loss.
In this Reboot Era episode, we cover:
- The myth of meritocracy—why layoffs often feel arbitrary and unfair
- The seven grief stages applied to layoffs—and how to shorten the distance from dismissal to discovery
- Practical tools to counter isolation, shame, and rumination (community, journaling, movement)
- Why your skills and wins still belong to you (Ship of Theseus analogy)
- Rebuilding identity beyond your job title—and why that makes you more resilient next time
Try this (from Steve’s framework):
- The 15-minute daily reset: 5 min journaling → 5 min movement → 5 min outreach (one text/DM to a real human).
- Replace “derailed” with “detour” in your language for one week; note what changes.
Links & mentions:
- Book: The Layoff Journey (available on Amazon; ask your local bookstore to order)
- Steve Jaffe
- Website: thestevejaffe.com
- Substack: Steve Jaffe on Substack
- Instagram: @stevejaffethelayoffjourney
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaffesteve/
- Contact: steve@thestevejaffe.com
💼 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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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.
