Laid Off, Leveled Up: What It Really Takes to Start Over

Featuring Dee Henry, 2x Founder, Creator of The Sales Loft + Boundaries App

What happens when you're laid off at your peak? Dee Henry shares the messy, powerful truth about rebuilding your confidence, starting a business from scratch, and doing it anyway. . . even when it’s not perfect.

What happens when you get laid off from your dream job at your absolute peak?

For Dee Henry, the answer wasn’t to shrink back; it was to launch forward.

In this episode of The Growth Department, Dee walks us through the exact moment she got laid off from Zillow, the identity spiral that followed, and how she clawed her way out with affirmations, mindset shifts, and eventually, two thriving businesses. If you’re starting over, this one’s for you.

Listen to the Full Episode here.

The Layoff Nobody Saw Coming

When Dee got the Slack message from her manager asking her to switch Zoom links, she didn’t think twice. She was mid-training, calendar packed, awards stacked, top of her game.

But the Zoom wasn’t about training. It was HR.

She was one of a thousand employees let go that day (despite being named Salesperson of the Year just weeks earlier).

The shock? Immediate. The identity crisis? Brutal.

“I was in the middle of telling myself I’m amazing—and they basically said, ‘You’re not.’ That messed with me hard.”

How to Bounce Back (When You’d Rather Bed Rot)

Let’s be honest: there’s no instant bounce back. The day after she was laid off, Dee had strawberry cream cheese, a bottle of Moet, and an existential crisis.

But little by little, she got up. And here’s what helped her turn the corner.

Before diving into the how, let’s get real about what it feels like:

• Your self-worth takes a massive hit. Even if you logically know it's "just business," emotionally, it feels like rejection.

• You question everything; your resume, your confidence, even your past wins start to feel like lies you told yourself.

• And the kicker? You still have to keep going.

So how did Dee start to claw her way back?

• She made a habit of affirmations; not just feel-good fluff, but daily routines to prove to her brain she was still the badass she'd always been.

• She actively sought out evidence of her success like old testimonials, awards, photos, messages. Not for ego, but for proof.

• And she got dressed. Literally. Makeup on, hair done, even if she was just watching Love Island on the couch.

It wasn’t about pretending everything was fine. It was about reminding her brain: this is temporary; we’re not staying here.

Dee Henry is a 2x Founder teaching other leaders how to persevere

From Layoff to Launch: Building The Sales Loft

Once Dee fought her way back to clarity, she had one question:

“If I was that valuable to a Fortune 500, why couldn’t I be that valuable on my own?”

That’s when she launched The Sales Loft—a sales content and revenue optimization house designed for small businesses, especially realtors and service providers.

She noticed something in her old role: entrepreneurs had great services, but zero strategy behind their marketing. It was all reactive—TikToks with no purpose, mailers with no ROI, email lists collecting digital dust.

Dee’s solution?

• Build email workflows that nurture trust and improve retention.

• Turn marketing from “what should I post today?” into a real revenue strategy.

• Create assets that are plug-and-play; no team required.

Whether you’re a solopreneur or a small sales team, her mission is to help you make marketing that actually sells.

Growing Pains, Not Overnight Wins

Here’s what she wants you to know: the glow-up wasn’t instant.

• The first 14 months? A slow grind. Some weeks with no one downloading freebies. No engagement. Zero traction.

• Her content flopped. Her DMs got ignored. Brands she wanted to collaborate with straight-up declined her LinkedIn requests.

But she kept going.

“It doesn’t have to reach a million people. It just needs to help one.”

Eventually, that one turned into many. Her consistency snowballed into success—not because she had it all figured out, but because she showed up anyway.

The Boundaries Behind the Business

Dee’s success wasn’t just strategy; it was boundaries. That includes:

• Internal boundaries: “I won’t open Instagram until I finish my newsletter.”

• Client boundaries: “If I’m undercharging, I’m saying I’m not worth it.”

• Mental health boundaries: “I can feel overwhelmed, but I don’t have to live there.”

And that led to her second business: Boundaries, a new productivity app built specifically for entrepreneurs with ADHD. Think of it like a business manager for your brain—designed to organize pitches, prompt your next move, and eliminate the guesswork of “What do I do next?”

If you've ever felt overwhelmed by the sheer number of tabs in your brain, this is your sign to check it out.

TL;DR: The Beginning Sucks, but It’s Not Always the Beginning

If you’ve just been laid off—or are thinking of leaving a job to bet on yourself—here’s Dee’s advice:

• You will feel lost; it doesn’t mean you are.

• You will feel cringe; do it anyway.

• You will want it to be perfect; done is better.

• The beginning always sucks; but it’s not always the beginning.

Want to Get Your Biz Together (Without Burnout)?

Check out The Sales Loft for help with sales strategy, content systems, and marketing that actually drives revenue.

And keep an eye out for her upcoming launch of Boundaries, the app that makes overwhelm optional, especially for creators, solopreneurs, and ADHD brains.