I was Laid Off from Expedia.

I moved to Canada in 2014. Four months passed, there was almost no money for the rent, and a friend insisted: Apply to this job, I want you to work with me… The first lesson: think twice before saying yes to work with a close friend. Let’s leave that one for another occasion.

Long story short, I got the job at Expedia. I was working for a big company, the offices were gorgeous in Montreal’s old port, there were a lot of beverages and cool benefits. However the coolness, I was scared as hell. I realized that I was not the same professional in English –when went my subtitles off–, I had the knowledge but not the ability to communicated it. The second lesson for another article: Communicate beyond language.

I promise you some lessons about the laid off, so lesson one and two are not related, I know. So let’s cut to the chase. I was a very happy employee after I get over the initial immigrant learning curve (languages, culture, technicalities et cetera). My career at Expedia was a good one. For the first time, I had two managers that I appreciate because I felt that they believed in me. So, thanks Claude, and thanks René. I had some breakdowns, mental health-related issues, and I get all the support I needed. I even got involved in the Diversity and Inclusion Committee and participate in some Mental Health related activities. I became pretty involved with my extended team. I took the time to form bonds with a lot of people at the office. My little drama queen moment: They became friends and family. 

Real lesson one. My whole identity as a person was hard to separate from my professional life, even my wife at the time started to work for Expedia. Canada + Expedia = Me. However, there was a 30% outside that equation, a year before I was laid off I started a little activity aside called: Mujer Cronopio, a YouTube channel about multipotentiality, productivity, mental health. I can say now that without Mujer Cronopio I might be still depressed and crying about what happened. 

Work shouldn't be everything for you. You are not irreplaceable.

Real lesson two. I mentioned before that I took the time to build relationships beyond work-related stuff. Well, beyond having a lot of LinkedIn contacts, I can say that it pays off. The world where you are two different people: one inside and one outside the office is done. C’est fini ! Care about people you spend the day with is a good practice, so that coffee breaks I assure you that work would be there when you come back to your desk. I still receive love from my coworkers and I generate a lot of good karma. I remember for me, not for my numbers.

You work with people, sentient beings, don’t act like you were a machine. Make friends!

Lesson three. Productivity doesn’t mean to get more things done during your day. Productivity means to smile more at the end of the day. Hey! Don’t get me wrong, there would be shitty days and awesome ones. The important thing to keep in mind is knowing that you are doing what you want to do, that you are working in something that you believe, something that you care about. This lesson, you could say, contradicts a little bit of lesson one: work is not all. What I’m saying here is don’t waste your time doing things you don’t believe are important, value yourself and your time. As you are replaceable, so is a job, search for a new one on time.

Don’t stay in a job that doesn’t mean anything to you.

Lesson four. Time vs. Money. I learned that I can live with less money (a lot less) and be the owner of my time. Of course, I have bills to pay, what I don’t have to is to buy stuff that I don’t need. Reducing my expenses and working on my relationship with money and the safety that it provides has given me freedom. 

Value your time, not the stuff you can buy by giving it up.

Lesson five. Even if it feels like the end of the world, it is just the end of a cycle. When I received a very suspicious invite for a meeting that day I was still in bed. My heart was trying to crawl out of my body. I knew I was about to get fired. I told my wife at the time. I went to my stand up and I joke about being my last day, dark humor I know. I took a Kombucha and enter the room. The Kombucha is important as it kept me crying free. Part of me was there and part of my was this is not happening. HR head put her hand on my shoulder after giving me a white envelope with my goodbye package. I was not an Expedia employee anymore. I was devastated. I went to the restroom, I couldn’t breathe. My wife came and hugged me then we went to a meeting room. I had two hours to leave the building. Two hours to go through my stuff accumulated in almost six years. I did it the best I could. I didn’t want to cry in front of my team, so I couldn’t say a proper goodbye that day. HR give me a coupon for an Uber, then I cry while I wrote my goodbye note before my accesses disappear. I don’t even remember what I wrote. I cried more at home and for some days. I received so much love. People I don’t expect wrote to me saying beautiful things. 

Me without Expedia. Me without waking up and take the metro to Place d’Armes. Me without having a coffee and talk in the office kitchen saying Bonjour. Me without meetings. Me without planning meetings. Yes, I realize there were a lot of meetings in my last role there. Me without 70% of me. I was scared again. Expedia was my safety net. Now I realize that I needed to jump without that net to find myself. The lay off was the best and the worst thing that had happened to me. However, after some time now I can say: Everything is fine.  

Nothing is permanent. After a good cry, it's time to move forward. Take the time to cry and say goodbye.

The real lesson here is that nothing lasts forever. We need to be present in the present as it is all we have. Now, I know the layoff was the best thing that could happen to me at that moment and I am grateful for the circumstances.

Everything could be an opportunity, it depends on you.