Dealing with being laid off.

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Joined
Dec 10, 2018
Messages
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Location
Portland, Oregon
I have been inactive for quite some time due to my work life taking over my personal life, which ultimately didn't matter since the company I work for decided to shut down the cannabis farm I was running, laying off everyone there including me. This happened a month ago and it's my first time being laid off. I've put out so many job applications, followed up with them, with 1 phone interview coming up tomorrow so I'm really hoping I nail it. Cannabis in Oregon is so saturated that my boss has got me in touch with some of his recruiter friends and it would require me to relocate to another state if a position works out, but that too is moving quite slow.

It's been extremely boring and I've been filling my time with reading books, listening to audiobooks, and waiting for orchids to bloom. An upside is that I get to spend ample time with my dog, but I'm trying to think of more things to do that will take my mind off of everything, so if anyone has tips or ideas I am very open to them (especially if they're low cost).
 

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Been there, done that. I listen to cello pieces by Yo Yo Ma; Bach primarily. Stop to breathe. Try a couple
of yoga exercises for beginners (or not) and don't beat yourself up. Reading is wonderful...pick a subject or
time period that attracts you and learn as much as you choose.
 
Sorry to hear of your jobsituation, CK. If both Angela (Abax) and I engage in cross-continental finger crossing, I hope it will help some (at least it can't make the situation worse)!

I am at the moment rereading Rex Stout's Nero Wolfe- books - and enjoy the small orchid inputs and the occasional jibs at the orchid people. And talking about this crazy stock of folks, If you don't know it already, Ican also recommend Eric Hanson's almost ethnographic foray into the strange world of orchidists: "Orchid Fever - A Horticultural Tale of Love, Lust and Lunacy".

Podcast are great while doing menial work!

Mindfulness meditation/exercises might be a good way of dealing with both work related stress and certainly also with the stress of being inbetween jobs. I especially like the approach by British psychologist Paul Gilbert - he enfolds the theoretical background in his excellent book "The Compassionate Mind", but if that doesn't appeal to you, you can easely jump to the second half of the book, where there are mindfulness exercises as well as such for cultivating compassion for oneself as for others.
 
Been there, done that. I listen to cello pieces by Yo Yo Ma; Bach primarily. Stop to breathe. Try a couple
of yoga exercises for beginners (or not) and don't beat yourself up. Reading is wonderful...pick a subject or
time period that attracts you and learn as much as you choose.
Apart from reading I have been listening to a lot more classical music. It might be time to visit my parents and pick up my digital piano finally!
I am at the moment rereading Rex Stout's Nero Wolfe- books - and enjoy the small orchid inputs and the occasional jibs at the orchid people. And talking about this crazy stock of folks, If you don't know it already, Ican also recommend Eric Hanson's almost ethnographic foray into the strange world of orchidists: "Orchid Fever - A Horticultural Tale of Love, Lust and Lunacy".
I'll definitely look into "Orchid Fever" and "The Compassionate Mind" since those are both books I'd be really into. This last month all I have been reading and listening to are "This Is Your Mind on Plants", "How to Change Your Mind", and currently reading through "The Omnivore's Dilemma" by Michael Pollan. I am also a huge fan of podcasts and have listened to "In Defense of Plants" for a couple years now, so I'll probably start searching for another one to add to the rotation
 
You might look into Michigan. They built a gigantic cannabis facility just a few miles down the road from me near Lansing... Seems like everybody who tries to grow plants of any type around here is understaffed.
 
Good idea Rob! Actually, any of Eric Hanson's books are well written, funny and informative. I don't think
yoga exercises can "do wonders", but it can teach you how to relax through stretching and breathing.

Rachel Maddow has an excellent podcast if you're interested in democracy and what is
actually going on and what we as individuals can recognize and perhaps do about it.

When I feel isolated and alone, I retreat to my orchids and have a nice chat. Doesn't help the
orchids, but I feel better.

YES get that piano!!!!
 
Sorry to hear about the job situation. I will be sending positive thoughts and energy your way as you continue to look for the next thing. There is some fantastic advice already on this thread. Between the advice above and what you are already doing, I don't have much to add.

Get out when you can and take that adorable cuddler on lots of walks. That face is adorable! If you are a nature person, exploring the parks is a great way to feel connected to something bigger and re-energize.
 
So sorry to learn of your employment problem.
I was going to suggest an out door hobby where by your little pup could enjoy right along with you. In addition to an avid orchid grower, I am an avid birdwatcher, all self taught. All you need is a reasonable pair of binoculars and a few Field Guides, books on bird identification. Just like orchids, binoculars could go for anywhere from $25 to $8,000!! Start cheap and upgrade down the road if you stick with it.
Birdwatching ties right in with me feeding the birds, watching their behavior, seeing them on my walks etc. It is a very calming and peaceful hobby. From there I got into bird photography, selling images etc. You can get into the hobby as much as you want to. It, birds and photography has provided me with 100's of hours worth of joy and happiness. You can do it often or when ever you can get a chance.
 
Apart from reading I have been listening to a lot more classical music. It might be time to visit my parents and pick up my digital piano finally!

I'll definitely look into "Orchid Fever" and "The Compassionate Mind" since those are both books I'd be really into. This last month all I have been reading and listening to are "This Is Your Mind on Plants", "How to Change Your Mind", and currently reading through "The Omnivore's Dilemma" by Michael Pollan. I am also a huge fan of podcasts and have listened to "In Defense of Plants" for a couple years now, so I'll probably start searching for another one to add to the rotation
I really enjoyed The Scent of Scandal by Craig Pittman. A different take on the same event as Orchid Fever, I believe.
 
sorry to hear about your situation. your dog is super cute! orchid fever was a great book. def enjoyed that one. here's an entertaining little podcast along the same lines:

it was recommended to me by a much younger coworker who knew i kept orchids. it's a lot less cerebral than my usual, but found it entertaining. now all the millennials in our office think orchid people are bat s**t crazy. 😜
 
I am very grateful for all the recommendations! I had just had a phone interview with a large scale rose nursery for their propagation manager position, so we will now be planning out a date to tour the whole operation. I am really looking forward to it!
They built a gigantic cannabis facility just a few miles down the road from me near Lansing... Seems like everybody who tries to grow plants of any type around here is understaffed.
A recruiter reached out and mentioned that there was a position in Battle Creek, MI, but unfortunately my significant other does not want to move far from the west coast, whereas I am open to move literally anywhere.
Get out when you can and take that adorable cuddler on lots of walks. That face is adorable! If you are a nature person, exploring the parks is a great way to feel connected to something bigger and re-energize.
I was going to suggest an out door hobby where by your little pup could enjoy right along with you. In addition to an avid orchid grower, I am an avid birdwatcher, all self taught. All you need is a reasonable pair of binoculars and a few Field Guides, books on bird identification.
Thank you! I have been taking Hamachi on quite a lot of long walks lately around a lake next to where we live. My grandparents gave me a book a while back for identifying birds in the pacific northwest, so all I would need is a pair of binoculars and I'd be set.
it was recommended to me by a much younger coworker who knew i kept orchids. it's a lot less cerebral than my usual, but found it entertaining. now all the millennials in our office think orchid people are bat s**t crazy. 😜
I'll definitely be giving it a listen today! Lately I've been listening to anything and everything, but it'll be at the top of my list since it's about orchids lol. Usually when I listen to podcasts that talk about orchids, it's typically always about the research so it sounds like this will be a nice change!
 
You could always switch trades, I remodel houses and install roofs….work work work 24 hours a day if I wanted🥵🥵🥵😂
 
Getting laid off sucks, but sometimes there's a silver lining to that cloud.

After 28 years with the same company, I thought my position was pretty much sacrosanct. I had gained a real "problem solver" reputation, and was usually moved into positions that needed help. In late 2007, I headed up global logistics and customer service for a half-billion-dollar chemical company based outside of Philadelphia, and had saved the company $3-million the first 4 months I was on that job that year and was working on another $15-million in savings that following calendar year - I had already brought in $5-million of it.

I took a small department of folks that were widely known for being inefficient slackers that couldn't do their jobs and ended up (by entitling them, improving business processes and by blocking and absorbing the BS coming down from "on high") into one of the most productive units in the company, while decreasing the staff by a third (one was addicted to painkillers and refused the company's offers to pay for rehab, and the other spent the entire day on the phone talking to family in Central America).

Meanwhile, I also discovered some of the executives had "played games" with import filings, lessening the duty we paid, but if we got caught, would have not only paid huge fines, but would have been banned from all import/export transactions, which would have killed the company. I contacted our parent company's lawyers and assisted them in the "mea culpa" self-admission that got us past all that. In the middle of all that, I worked from home for 2 months, courtesy of three cancer surgeries, but I kept the ball rolling the whole time.

Then in May of 2009, my position was eliminated. What a kick in the gut! Nobody was hiring at all, let alone someone of my age and pay scale. The company was owned by what is now Total Energies, and the french are legally not allowed to lay off people, so the layoffs are exported to us. They were reasonable about it though, giving me about a year and a half's pay as severance and continuing my health insurance at no charge for 2-1/2 years. That, unemployment, and First Rays got us though and it didn't take long for me to stop feeling bad about it.

(I later learned that, after me leaving, they gave back $4.75-million of the savings I'd already made, and never saw a bit of the remaining $10-million. Smart corporate move, no?)

Lo! and behold, about 2 years later, they called and asked if I'd come back - as a contractor - to take over global purchasing for about a year, as the company was being merged into a sister entity in Houston. The pay was excellent, and when the earlier medical coverage expired, we ended up jumping on my wife's coverage at the hospital.

About 14 months later, when the merger was initiated, the purchasing director in Houston asked me to stay on another year or so, working from home, to smooth the transition. She increased my offer by 25%, so...what the hell. That turned out to be icing on the cake. I worked daily for about two months, typically processing some 200 or so emails a day (I get about 50-75 a day now, for First Rays), but toward the end of the 14-month stint, I logged in once a week to see if I had any. I usually didn't. Contract expired, I shipped the laptop back, and one month later activated my Social Security benefits.
 
Wow, I cannot believe the breadth and extent of the support in this group! There are truly some amazing people here. I truly wish each and everyone of you good luck, peaceful moments and every possible happiness. Your thoughtful words and sharing are a definite asset during uncertain times. I work in healthcare, and every time I reach what i feel could be a breaking moment, some wonderful soul always steps forward with positive support ranging from a single thank you to "I can't believe how much you helped us" . Wishing you every success
 
I am very grateful for all the recommendations! I had just had a phone interview with a large scale rose nursery for their propagation manager position, so we will now be planning out a date to tour the whole operation. I am really looking forward to it!

OOOO! I have been dabbling in the rose propagation and growing the last few years and I love it !! The history finding the right rose for the right growing space .. loved the challenge, I find it almost as addictive as the orchid intersest, but if it could be my employment .. I could easily be convinced to at least try it. Hope you enjoy the journey of exploring the possibility
A recruiter reached out and mentioned that there was a position in Battle Creek, MI, but unfortunately my significant other does not want to move far from the west coast, whereas I am open to move literally anywhere.


Thank you! I have been taking Hamachi on quite a lot of long walks lately around a lake next to where we live. My grandparents gave me a book a while back for identifying birds in the pacific northwest, so all I would need is a pair of binoculars and I'd be set.

I'll definitely be giving it a listen today! Lately I've been listening to anything and everything, but it'll be at the top of my list since it's about orchids lol. Usually when I listen to podcasts that talk about orchids, it's typically always about the research so it sounds like this will be a nice change!
 
You could always switch trades
I've definitely thought about it! Being in Oregon, a lot of my team members would hand me their letters of resignation to work in the semiconductor industry since it's such a huge presence here. My father has been in the industry for about 30 years, and my older brother around 7 years, so it's definitely my backup plan. Pay is great, but I have no clue what they do even though my dad had talked about work everyday for the 19 or so years I've lived at home lol!
Getting laid off sucks, but sometimes there's a silver lining to that cloud
That's a pretty crazy journey! Especially knowing all you did and how much money you saved the company and then have them eliminate your position. The company I worked for had mentioned that they're trying to, or have been, working on a merger with a large publicly traded company that wants to have a presence in the cannabis industry and after that they would be able to open up the farms they had shut down.

My boss also notified me that the company would offer to sell me the farm I managed at an extremely low price. About $200K for the whole operation including the OLCC license which is the largest you can get in the state. I had talked with some very close friends, and we all agreed that it would be dumb to buy and grow cannabis again since that's what got us out of business in the first place. We had agreed that dissolving the license and do vertical vegetable and herb farming would be the best idea, but I'm not sure I would want to own my own business. The landlords (who I'm very close with), are urging that I try and do it, but the lease itself is about $20K a month since it's around 27 acres of land. I toss and turn with this idea often, but according to my boss, this offer is ready whenever I'm ready.
OOOO! I have been dabbling in the rose propagation and growing the last few years and I love it !! The history finding the right rose for the right growing space .. loved the challenge, I find it almost as addictive as the orchid intersest, but if it could be my employment .. I could easily be convinced to at least try it. Hope you enjoy the journey of exploring the possibility
I am hoping it works out! It sounds like a great opportunity and would offer a lot of new experiences. They said I would be managing 15 people (double what I'm used to), and oversee approximately 1 million cuts and young roses, which to me is an insanely large increase since farm wide I would have about 4-5000 plants on site. They also have around 900 different cultivars, which I was very surprised there are that many.
 
Cklinger, don't fall for being a business owner at any price. I own a nursery business selling large trees
wholesale to nurseries, garden centers and landscapers. It ain't worth it, especially if you have to accumulate
a large debt and ties you down to a specific location. I have 100 acres of land and the land is worth far more
money than the nursery business. Just my experience of business ownership, you know.
 

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