Starting over after a layoff can begin with grief and a pile of rejections. Lynn Hakes spent about 20 years in marketing and was let go from her dream job without warning. In this conversation with her longtime friend Jeremy Van Wert, she explains how she and three other women founded Firefly Creative Agency, and how she is facing a health crisis with humor and honest fear.
ᛉKey takeaways
- Lynn says being let go felt like a freight train, and she allowed herself time to mourn before returning to the job search.
- After many applications and few replies, she says a chance conversation with friends led four women to start an agency together.
- Lynn believes some larger companies are cutting in-house marketing teams and hiring agencies instead, because it costs less than salaries and benefits.
- When Jeremy asks what helps most during a health crisis, Lynn answers laughter, and she admits she is scared too.
- She says her business partners give her support and flexibility that she doubts she would have in a corporate job.
ᛃ Moments in this one
ᚠWhat it feels like to be laid off from a dream job
Lynn Hakes spent about 20 years building a marketing career. Her dream was to work for Thermo Fisher, move up and retire there. She had been hired as a remote employee in 2017 and ran paid social media advertising for her division.
Then, on a Tuesday while she was visiting her mom, an unexpected meeting turned into a layoff call with HR. Lynn says she was the only person doing her job, and they asked someone else to take it over. Jeremy remembers the text she sent afterward and describes it as hitting like a freight train.
ᚢGrief, rejections and the job search after a layoff
Lynn describes herself as a go-getter, but she says she mourned for a little while. The work was what she had been building toward. She then updated her resume and applied everywhere, and says she heard almost nothing back, apart from a few thanks-but-no-thanks replies.
She started to wonder whether employers saw her as overqualified or too expensive after 20 years of experience. She decided to take a break from searching and go on a family trip she had already planned. If you are in a similar season and want support working out your next step, Jeremy offers individual therapy and coaching.
ᚦHow four friends decided to start an agency
On the trip, Lynn stayed with a friend who had also been let go from her job. Back home, her neighbor Jennifer said they should start something of their own. Lynn then talked to Christina, and a former coworker agreed to join as well.
They formed Firefly Creative Agency. Lynn handles PR and social media. Christina does content creation, Zerena does paid search and programmatic display, and Jennifer does web development, design, SEO and SEM. Lynn says she could not have done the work she wanted for clients on her own.
ᚨStarting a business while beginning treatment
Lynn says that on February 1 she was diagnosed with breast cancer, on top of the chronic leukemia she already lived with. She says she was starting chemotherapy that week, with hospital visits two days a week for three months.
She describes her business partners as a support system and says she is not sure she could keep her sanity working for a company during this time. Lynn also says that owning the business means she does not have to use PTO or answer to a manager on the days she has nothing to give. She plans to cut her hair and try making a wig from it, and jokes about a friend who cannot wait to wear it.
ᚱWhat helps most when a friend is going through a health crisis
Jeremy tells Lynn he loves her and also feels fear, and that it is hard for people to know what to do. When he asks what helps, Lynn says laughter has always been their thing. She says she is putting on a brave face and is scared too.
She also says she is not ready to look at other people's cancer journeys, because it makes hers feel too real, and that she wants to go through her own. Her view is that the plan for now is to take the next step and cross the next bridge later. Lynn says she is hopeful, while she worries about the toll on her body. Jeremy thanks her for sharing, noting that others listening may be going through something similar.
ᚲWhy companies are moving from in-house marketing to agencies
Lynn believes larger companies are starting to get rid of in-house marketing and hire agencies, because an agency is cheaper than salaries, health insurance, PTO and more HR. In her view, her layoff was a chance to enter those companies another way.
Firefly is starting with newer and smaller businesses that have reached a plateau, are not showing up in search results and do not know how to get leads. Lynn hopes to grow into an enterprise-level agency and to give marketers who were let go from in-house roles a place to land. Jeremy says Firefly is now doing marketing for his business, and Lynn says clients get hours from all four partners rather than one person's expertise.
ᚷHow a marketing agency works with a small business
Lynn says it starts with a discovery call. The team researches the business's social media, SEO and SEM, then listens to its pain points and builds a proposal around its needs and budget. She says the goal is a clear scope and a clear price.
She also wants clients to understand what they are paying for. In her view, businesses often hire someone, pay a lot and have no idea what is happening. Lynn says she likes teaching the business so there is no question that it is getting what it paid for.
Lynn says there is something special about being a woman-owned agency, and she would like to work with businesses that take pride in that too. Jeremy calls the group's path a mutinous one, because all of them turned away from the same corporate jobs. Thriving Spirits, the Mindful Mutiny community, offers real conversation, live Fireside Chats and a course library for people who are rebuilding a career.
ᚹWhat Lynn wants next for Firefly
Lynn hopes to have a solid client base, full salaries for all four partners and room to hire graphic designers and admins. She says the agency's focus is educating clients and helping them get customers. Jeremy invites her and her team back on the show to share how things go.
If this conversation makes you want to think about your own direction, Jeremy offers a straight read on finding out whether his work is a fit, and you can also learn more about who he is.
Lynn shares her personal experience with a health diagnosis in this episode. It is not medical advice. If you or someone you love is facing a health crisis, please talk with a licensed medical professional. Disclosure: Jeremy says Firefly Creative Agency now does marketing for his business.
ᚨ Questions people ask
How do you start over after a layoff?
In this episode, Lynn says she took time to mourn, sent out applications and then decided not to jump back into the same corporate path. She started an agency with three friends instead. She says the choice felt scary but worth trying.
Why are some companies moving from in-house marketing to agencies?
Lynn believes an agency can cost less than employees, since the company avoids salaries, health insurance, PTO and extra HR. She also notes that an agency brings several specialists at once.
What helps when a friend is facing a health crisis?
Lynn says laughter helps her most, and that she is scared too. Jeremy adds that friends often want to be loving without being a burden, and that being honest about fear is part of it.
How does a small marketing agency work with new clients?
Lynn describes a discovery call, some research into the business's social media and search presence, and then a proposal built around the client's needs and budget. She also says she wants clients to understand what they are paying for.