As a Senior Creative Director at Fox, overseeing Fox Kids and Fox Family digital teams, I faced round after round of layoffs, trimming a once 50-person team to six over a year and a half. At 28, I was getting a harsh lesson in the ugly side of business.
My office at Fox was in the “Die Hard Building” a.k.a. “The Nakatomi Plaza” a.k.a. “The Fox Plaza.” (2121 Avenue of the Stars).
From mid-2000 to late 2001, it took a year and a half to dismantle our division. Rumors of asset sales kept the company in a constant state of panic, while news of dot-com collapses—eToys, Pets.com, GeoCities—offered no comfort. Even Amazon’s stock plunged from $107 to $7. No one in the internet industry was safe, and the “internet” was my sweet spot.
Our storage room at Fox and a collection of “tombstones” from our friends who were let go before us. Our Editorial Director, Laura, acted out how we all felt at the time.
At the peak of the dot-com boom in 2000, I had a dream creative director role at Fox…by 2001, more experienced than ever, I was job hunting—zero success with very few options to pursue. I was a 24/7 anxious wreck. Weekends at the beach with my kids were my only chance to emotionally escape, but by Sunday night, the cycle of layoffs, rumors, and job applications loomed and my anxiety re-spiked.
Our storage room at Fox and a collection of “tombstones” from our friends who were let go before us. Our Editorial Director, Laura, acted out how we all felt at the time.
In my final six months at Fox, freelance work started coming in. Friends who’d been laid off found new jobs, and with downsized teams, outsourcing grew. I saved every penny, knowing my turn to be laid off was growing closer every day.
My friends from the marketing team at Fox. They all became my clients at Warner Bros., ABC Family, FX Networks, and Sony.
When our division finally shut down in 2002 and the last six of us were let go, we walked out of HR with ironic smiles on our faces—after 18 months of employment torture, our next chapter was finally here, ready it or not.
Me and my oldest son, Max, on the Fox backlot. He’s 26 years old and married now. What the Hel-vetica?
This was the experience that forced me into freelancing. I didn’t have other options. I wanted the security of a new job, but it seemed like “the universe” had a different plan as every job I applied for seemed to be met with a freelance opportunity that fell from the sky.
Looking back, I’m grateful—because that leap led me to grow my agency and find success I never would have had the courage to pursue unless I was forced into it.
What about you?
What made you start a business?
Still trying to get the courage to start?
Were you forced into it like I was, or did you take the leap by choice?
I’ve gotten better at “choosing my path” over the years and have become a lot more ambitious. Entrepreneurship is the best game ever invented…so fun to play.
If you are trying to muster the courage to go for it, or if you are resisting the signs from the “universe” that is time to start…do it! You on’y get on career to play the game.
Have a great week!
