Redirection Not Rejection
Reclaiming my confidence by recognizing the value of my transferable skills
After 15 years in event planning and hospitality, I never imagined my career would pause the way it did. Hospitality had shaped me. It was fast-paced, people-centered, operationally complex, and deeply personal. It was where I grew—both personally and professionally.
When I was laid off, it felt like more than a job ending. It felt like losing an identity.
At first, confidence did not come naturally. It had to be rebuilt intentionally.
The Power of Support
One of the most valuable actions I took was working with a career coach. At a time when self-doubt was loud, having someone reflect back my strengths objectively was transformative and empowering. She helped me separate my job title from my actual value and identify all the transferable skills I had amassed along the way—and how to apply them in new ways.
I realized I was more than a hospitality leader.
I was:
- An operations strategist
- A revenue driver
- A team builder
- A client experience expert
- A detail-oriented executor
Seeing my experience through the lens of transferable skills changed everything and allowed me to feel excited about the future ahead.
Identifying What Truly Transfers
Hospitality is one of the most dynamic training grounds for business. You learn to manage people, processes, budgets, timelines, and high expectations—often all at once. Balancing internal and external stakeholders becomes second nature.
When I stepped back, I realized the core of what I did was not tied to a hotel or an event—it was tied to systems, service, and strategy.
I:
- Built processes that improved efficiency
- Led teams through high-pressure environments
- Ensured customer experience remained the top priority at all times
- Managed logistics with precision
- Turned chaos into clarity
Those skills were not industry-specific. They were business skills.
That realization became the bridge to consulting and Online Business Management.
Applying My Strengths in a New Arena
Starting my own consulting business required courage—but more importantly, it required clarity.
I leaned heavily into what I already knew:
- Details matter
- Systems create freedom and time
- Customer service is not optional
- Operations are the backbone of growth
- Leadership is about communication and accountability
In hospitality, a missed detail impacts a guest experience immediately and ripples through operations. I carried that same standard into my business. Whether refining workflows, managing launches, or supporting CEOs behind the scenes, I operate with the same commitment to excellence.
Client experience remains number one.
That grounding gave me confidence—not because I had all the answers, but because I trusted my foundation.
Confidence Is Earned
What I have learned is that confidence after a setback does not appear overnight. It builds through action:
- Taking the next step even when it feels uncertain
- Investing in support
- Naming your transferable skills
- Reframing loss as redirection
- Delivering excellence consistently
Being laid off did not diminish my experience—it refined it.
Today, as a consultant and Online Business Manager, I help business owners bring structure to growth, clarity to complexity, and calm to operations—the same way I did in hospitality, just in a different environment.
My confidence now is not tied to a title.
It is tied to my capability.
And that is something no layoff can take away.
