Continuing our journey into the theme of being laid off, today we talk with writer Rick Garman. Rick has written more than 24 films, four novels, and a dozen travel books. Most recently, he Executive Produced Mix Up in the Mediterranean, which airs on the Hallmark Channel February 20, 2021 at 9/8c. 

Our conversation unpacks his winding career, in which he was laid off four times, with Rick explaining the most impactful of these and why. Prior to his final lay off by Disney, Rick was immersed in the worlds of entertainment and technology, industries that he reminds us are rife with layoffs and uncertainty. We hear about the health issues Rick has dealt with and their direct connection to losing work and a healthcare plan. Rick successfully overcame esophageal cancer, a statistically difficult battle, and underlines the importance of becoming an advocate for your own health. We also discuss Rick’s decision to change career paths into a creative one after his success as an executive. More than anything, Rick's story illustrates how curveballs can be turned into home-runs. At this point in his career, Rick finds meaning in creating stories and films that bring happiness into people's lives. His own powerful story is a great reminder of the ways we can react to adversity in our own journeys.
 

Key Points From This Episode:

• Why Savannah, Georgia is Rick's favorite city in the world!
• The experiences of being laid off that Rick has had across his career.
• Rick's memories of losing his job at Disney in 2011, and the way this impacted him.
• The cancer diagnosis that Rick received and its relation to losing his healthcare plan.
• A reminder about the preventable nature of some diseases, like Rick's esophageal cancer.
• An update on Rick's health currently and over the last ten years.
• The responses that Rick prefers when he shares his cancer story.
• Taking responsibility for your own health — it can save your life!
• Rick's move into professional writing and the conditions that gave rise to this change.
• The momentum that Rick gained quickly after getting his first movie produced.
• How getting things done and solving problems motivates Rick!
• Why making films that bring happiness into people's lives is a point of pride for Rick.

Tweetables:

“If you want to work in the internet world, you are going to get laid off, it's just how it works.” — @rickgarmanink [0:21:40]

“I could never be the person who would go and wait tables at night and then spend all day writing. I needed a foundation.” — @rickgarmanink [0:23:57]

“I was miserable in that job and I didn't want to be miserable anymore. Cancer made me realize that life is way to fricking short to do things that make you miserable.” — @rickgarmanink [0:26:52]
 

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Silicon Valley Bank

Arteen Arabshahi

Arteen Arabshahi on Twitter

Rick Garman

Rick Garman on Twitter

Although people speak about failure more often these days, the conversations are still very theoretical. With phrases like ‘fail forward’ and ‘pivot’ thrown around all the time, it can be hard to know how to deal with failure in a more practical sense. As someone who has been laid off twice, John Tabis knows what it feels like to fail. He is the long-time CEO and Cofounder of The Bouqs Co., an online flower company founded in 2012 that has radically disrupted the global floral industry through modern branding, responsibly-sourced flowers, and a vertically integrated supply chain. In this episode, John talks about being laid off twice, how they differed, and what he took away from them. Although being let go from ShoeDazzle came at a time where the stakes were much higher, it ultimately led John to fully dedicating himself to The Bouqs. We talk about how he views failure and why he believes in the pursuit of ideas, knowing full well that not everything will land. Our conversation also touches on The Bouqs’ Shark Tank appearance and receiving funding from a shark despite being rejected on the show, as well as John’s evolved definition of success. This energy-filled, thoughtful discussion is one of our best. Be sure to tune in!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Get to know John, his background, and what he is up to now.
• The fun fact about John being on both the football team and the glee club at Notre Dame.
• How getting cut from the soccer club ultimately set the foundation for The Bouqs Co.’s founding.
• Hear about the times John was let go, first from Bain & Company, and then ShoeDazzle.
• The difference between John’s first and second layoffs given his increased personal responsibilities and stage of life.
• Details of the day John got laid off from ShoeDazzle and his subsequent reactions.
• What John would tell his younger self about his layoff.
• The parallel path John set up working on The Bouqs Co. while still working full time.
• The timeline on getting The Bouqs Co. off the ground.
• What being on Shark Tank was like for John and the team.
• Getting a call from Robert Herjavec to do flowers at his wedding and the investment after.
• John’s definition of success and how it has evolved over time.
• The pride John feels in his relationship with his wife.

Tweetables:

“It all lands where it lands. For better or for worse.” — @JohnGTabis [0:06:41]

“People talk about failure in this very theoretical way of like, ‘fail fast and pivoting,’ that don’t mean anything to a human being. They mean something to a business person. Business people are not human beings. They are robots.” — @JohnGTabis [0:17:48]

“I’m the only guy who was the kicker and on the glee club at Notre Dame. And Bouqs is the only company to get rejected in the tank but get a deal from a shark later.” — @JohnGTabis [0:29:52]

“I see no downside in trying stuff because I am super curious about what the other side is going to look like.” — @JohnGTabis [0:30:18]

“It’s really about how you feel about now that matters and all the rest is fleeting.” — @JohnGTabis [0:34:14]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

John Tabis

John Tabis on Twitter

John Tabis on LinkedIn

The Bouqs Co.

University of Notre Dame

Bain & Company

Shark Tank

Robert Herjavec

Silicon Valley Bank

Arteen Arabshahi

Arteen Arabshahi on Twitter

We have another inspiring conversation today on The On Ramp! Joining us is the Founder and CEO of Hacware, Tiffany Ricks. Hacware is an AI-driven cybersecurity business that helps protect against phishing attacks. Tiffany has been featured in SXSW, 2020 TechCrunch Startup Battlefield, WSJ, and 2021 Cybersecurity Innovator of the Year finalist by D CEO Magazine, and more as well as started multiple businesses in her career after working at companies like L3 Technologies and Best Buy. Along the way, she has become a mother of two, got her Master’s degree, and dedicated as much of her energy as possible to inspire others to reach their dreams. In our conversation, we hear about all the highs and lows of Tiffany's journey and being laid off by the Georgia Lottery during college. She explains how this eventually lead to her success, starting her first company with only $200, and the positive things that have come since. We also touch on Tiffany’s experience as a trailblazer, being treated like an outsider in certain industries, and how that’s improved over the years. One tangible takeaway from Tiffany's story is the replicable nature of her growth; despite stops and starts, successes and failures, Tiffany stayed committed to her goals and ultimately achieved them, a lesson for us all. Join us for an authentic and uplifting discussion with someone who has paved her own way into success.
 

Key Points From This Episode:

• Finding gratitude in difficult times and the parts of 2020 that Tiffany is most thankful for.
• Tiffany's experience of getting laid off by the Georgia Lottery in 2003.
• The business that Tiffany started after losing her job and the cycle of problems she faced.
• Funding the business initially and the savings that Tiffany used to get things going.
• Breaking the mold and finding a niche in the world of tech.
• The depression that Tiffany experienced after feeling like she lost everything.
• Moving forward after the lay off and how Tiffany rebuilt her career.
• The time that Tiffany spent at L3 Technologies and how she found that job.
• There and back again as an entrepreneur — transitioning back into being a founder.
• Burgeoning success at HacWare and the continuing quest to keep growing!
• Tiffany's definition of success; a simple approach to reaching goals.
• Problem-solving and inspiring others as the biggest motivators for Tiffany.
• The elements of her business that Tiffany is most proud of.

Tweetables:

“I remember calling my dad, and I was telling him, 'I don't know how I am going to pay my bills.' I had to sell some of our equipment to pay for food.” — @TiffanyRicks [0:09:09]

“It's always a battle. In every room you are underestimated and you have to keep proving that you are really good at what you do.” — @TiffanyRicks [0:18:44]

“I had to rebuild and start all over again.” — @TiffanyRicks [0:21:49]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Silicon Valley Bank

Arteen Arabshahi

Arteen Arabshahi on Twitter

Tiffany Ricks on Twitter

HacWare

Tiffany Ricks on LinkedIn

Dark Reading

TechCrunch

Black Girls Code

Starting over and picking yourself up after setbacks is not always easy, but it is something that those who succeed do time and again. Not only has today’s guest, Jeremy Smith, never let failures get him down, but he has actually leaned into them and always maintained his infectious, positive energy throughout the journey. Jeremy is the co-founder of SpotHero, the successful digital parking marketplace, and now heads up Equilibrium Ventures, a real estate and alternative investment advisory firm. In this episode, we hear about Jeremy’s uninspiring role as a financial analyst at Motorola and how getting laid off was ultimately the best thing that happened to him. Jeremy discusses starting SpotHero and the pitstop he made slinging pizzas before leaping into cofounding that company. Jeremy looks back on things with gratitude because he knows that it all worked to give him the push he needed. As someone who has worn many hats, Jeremy is adept at learning quickly, and he sheds light on this learning process and the benefits of an upskilling approach. Jeremy is a truly admirable founder not only because of his success, but also the humility and outlook that underpins it all. Tune in to hear more!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Get to know Jeremy, what he’s up to and his surprise love for Texas.
• Jeremy’s experience of entering the job market during the Great Recession.
• Red flags Jeremy noticed early on about the direction his career was going
• How job searches during the COVID-19 pandemic compares to the 2008 Recession.
• Recalling the day he got laid off: How Jeremy was let go from his position at Motorola.
• The lesson Jeremy learned about risk tolerance when he was fired.
• How leaving the corporate world and going to sling pizzas for minimum wage led Jeremy to startups.
• The gratitude Jeremy feels for opportunities falling through so that he could start SpotHero.
• Milestones that stand out to Jeremy on his journey to success.
• Jeremy’s process for mastering new skills quickly.
• Rapid-fire with Jeremy: What motivates him, his definition of success, and one thing he is proud of.

Tweetables:

“I didn’t really feel much joy and excitement and I really felt like I was stretching my personality. I was a round peg in a square hole.” — Jeremy Smith [0:07:57]

“At the end of the day, entrepreneurship is about taking risk and taking action, if you’re not doing that, you’re wasting your time.” — Jeremy Smith [0:20:33]

“You learn by taking action.” — Jeremy Smith [0:29:18]

“For me, I always just want to be able to have a conversation with anybody and being able to do that and be real, I think is an important thing.” — Jeremy Smith [0:32:10]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Silicon Valley Bank

Arteen Arabshahi

Arteen Arabshahi on Twitter

Jeremy Smith on LinkedIn

Equilibrium Ventures on LinkedIn

SpotHero

Techstars Chicago Accelerator

This season we focus on highlighting the different experiences around getting laid off. All of our guests will be sharing stories of how this often difficult circumstance turned out to be some sort of a blessing. In this episode, we are joined by Charisse Fontes, the Founder of CultureCircle and Humanity Power, where she works to create inclusive workplaces and professional environments that move past the -isms that still plague our society. Charisse has worked at multiple Silicon Valley startups as well as companies like PlayStation. We get the inside scoop on her winding journey and the transitions that characterized her upward trajectory. Before getting hired by PlayStation, Charisse was both homeless and pregnant, but through perseverance and some fortuitous circumstances, she found her next job and started on the path that led her to her companies today. The focus of our discussion is the moment she was laid off from PlayStation and how this led to her bouncing back even stronger, despite the initial shock. Charisse gives us insight into her reaction to these times and the values and the inspiration that kept her going. We also look at the specific steps she took in order to move forward, so listeners can expect to leave with both her story as well as some actionable steps they can apply themselves. Tune in hear it all!
 

Key Points From This Episode:

• The foundation of Charisse's story; looking for work while pregnant and homeless.
• Charisse's feelings around the time of getting laid off by PlayStation.
• Looking for work while staying in a shelter and struggling to get callbacks.
• Moving to transitional housing after finding work — a big moment and step up.
• Charisse's 'on-ramp moment' and setting out to find the right place for her and her family.
• The joy and surprise of the job offer that Charisse received from a startup.
• Situating the lay-off in a larger story of transition and the significance of the number 11.
• The impact that witnessing a good company culture had on Charisse's ideas moving forward.
• The founding of CultureCircle as a way to foster ideals of humanity and opportunity.
• Extending the work of CultureCircle through the Humanity Power project.
• The common motifs of Charisse's motivation — understanding purpose, speaking truth, and more!
• Charisse's understanding of success and its relation to her humanity.
• The pride that Charisse feels for her determination and how this has served her and others.

Tweetables:

“After that it all made sense. While I was still very hurt and sad from the lay-off piece of it, I also saw that there was more to the story.” — @CharisseFontes [0:21:40]

“The culture was so good that they saw through everything and just saw me as this human that could do an amazing job there.” — @CharisseFontes [0:23:12]
“You want to make sure that your margin for error on humanity is very, very low, and I help companies do that.” — @CharisseFontes [0:26:04]

“I believe that every day that I wake up and honor my humanity is a day of success.” —  @CharisseFontes [0:29:22]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Silicon Valley Bank

Arteen Arabshahi

Arteen Arabshahi on Twitter

Charisse Fontes on LinkedIn

CultureCircle

Humanity Power

Tired of hearing the same success story over and over? The On Ramp is an interview series highlighting people who faced obstacles on the winding road to success. Award-winning venture capitalist and poet Arteen Arabshahi speaks with entrepreneurs, executives, and creatives to give you tangible lessons and honest retrospectives learned from their moments of adversity. Listen in for an introduction to Arteen and a sneak peek of season one: being laid off, which launches in January 2021.