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The Reboot Era

The Reboot Era

Written by: The Reboot Era
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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!

© 2026 The Reboot Era
Careers Economics Personal Success
Episodes
  • How AI Is Changing Sales, Hiring, and Tech Careers
    Jan 28 2026

    Send us a text

    AI is changing everything — but not in the way most people expect.

    In this episode, I sit down with Oleg Danyliuk, Founder & CEO of Doanx and Co-Founder & CTO of Insyghtful AI, to talk candidly about tech layoffs, the shrinking demand for developers, and how AI tools are reshaping both sales and software development.

    Oleg shares firsthand insights from running offshore teams in Ukraine and Poland, building AI-powered products, and transitioning from a deeply technical role into sales leadership — a move that ultimately inspired the creation of Insightful AI.

    In this episode, we cover:

    • Why tech layoffs feel different in the AI era
    • How AI is reducing the need for large development teams
    • The shift from “just coding” to proactive, business-focused engineering
    • Real-time AI sales coaching during live Zoom calls
    • How Insightful AI helps sales reps handle objections instantly
    • Career advice for developers navigating uncertainty
    • Why networking and relationships matter more than ever

    Whether you’re a developer worried about your future, a founder adapting to AI, or a sales leader looking for an edge — this conversation offers real, grounded perspective from someone building in the middle of the shift.

    🔗 Connect with Oleg on LinkedIn
    🔗 Learn more about Insyghtful AI (sales coaching with real-time AI prompts)

    💼 Partner: Jobhire.ai — Apply to jobs while you sleep. 30% off with code DRAY30 → jobhire.ai/job-matcher/?imutm=dray (you must use that link)

    👉 Follow on TikTok

    👉 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.

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    25 mins
  • Career Comebacks: Building, Belonging, and Better Fits
    Jan 21 2026

    Send us a text

    In this episode, Dray reconnects with two returning guests from season one who faced job loss, uncertainty, and career pivots head-on — and came out stronger on the other side.

    Rob Sarro shares how he:

    • Walked away from a role that wasn’t the right fit
    • Took on a global QA leadership position
    • Built a successful AI-powered family organization app part-time
    • Uses modern AI tools to work faster, smarter, and more intentionally

    Lillian Argueta opens up about:

    • Navigating months of rejection in the DE&I space
    • Landing a Manager of DE&I role at Adidas
    • What the Adidas interview process really looked like
    • Transitioning from fully remote work back into a hybrid environment
    • Why in-person connection matters for people-first roles
    • Balancing career growth, accessibility, and personal milestones

    🔗 Links & Resources Mentioned:

    • Rob Sarro’s family organization app: Famorama
    • AI tools referenced: GitHub Copilot, Claude, GPT models, Lovable, Replit

    Whether you’re rebuilding after a layoff, thinking about starting something of your own, or searching for a role that actually aligns with your values — this episode offers honest insight, encouragement, and proof that forward momentum is still possible.

    💼 Partner: Jobhire.ai — Apply to jobs while you sleep. 30% off with code DRAY30 → jobhire.ai/job-matcher/?imutm=dray (you must use that link)

    👉 Follow on TikTok

    👉 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.

    Show More Show Less
    35 mins
  • The Return of The Reboot Era
    Jan 14 2026

    Send us a text

    Season two of The Reboot Era is officially here.

    In this kickoff episode, I reflects on everything that’s happened since season one ended — landing a new job, navigating a completely new company, dealing with the emotional whiplash of another layoff announcement, and realizing that being “back to work” doesn’t mean the fear goes away.

    This episode sets the tone for season two:

    • Why layoffs aren’t going anywhere
    • How being rehired doesn’t erase trauma
    • The importance of financial cushions and community
    • Fighting for people from inside the system
    • What it really feels like to rebuild… again

    Season two will feature returning guests from season one, new voices, and unfiltered conversations about work, leadership, hiring, firing, and everything in between.

    🎁 JobHire.ai Giveaway – Official Details

    50 free one-month JobHire.ai trials over the course of five weeks (10 PER WEEK).

    🗓️ Giveaway Timeline

    • Start: January 14, 2026 End: February 17, 2026
    • Entries open every Wednesday w/ new Podcast episode and close the following Monday at 11:59 PM PST
    • Winners announced every Tuesday

    ✅ How to Enter (Required)

    To enter the weekly drawing, you must complete all of the following:

    1. Follow JobHire.ai on LinkedIn
    2. Follow or connect with Dray Jankowski on LinkedIn
    3. Send Dray a LinkedIn message stating you are entering the giveaway and include:
      • The usernames/handles of any social platforms you followed (for entry tracking)

    ⭐ Bonus Entries (Optional)

    You can earn additional entries by following more accounts.
    Each additional follow = one extra entry.

    • Follow JobHire.ai on TikTok
    • Follow JobHire.ai on Instagram
    • Follow Dray Jankowski on YouTube
    • Follow Dray Jankowski on TikTok

    Be sure to include the usernames for these follows in your LinkedIn message to receive credit!

    50 winners total. One free JobHire.ai month per person. One-time use. Va

    💼 Partner: Jobhire.ai — Apply to jobs while you sleep. 30% off with code DRAY30 → jobhire.ai/job-matcher/?imutm=dray (you must use that link)

    👉 Follow on TikTok

    👉 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.

    Show More Show Less
    23 mins
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