Leveling Up After Layoff: LaKesha’s Story [BA QA]

Brown Ambition

iHeartPodcasts

Careers, Education, Self-improvement, Investing, Business

4.9 • 2.5K Ratings

🗓️ 25 April 2025

⏱️ 49 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In this week’s episode, we’re getting real about navigating career highs, lows—and everything in between.

Mandi hosts a live coaching session with LaKesha J., a member of the Mandi MoneyMakers community, who is trying to figure out how to position herself for career growth after she was laid off by her company and narrowly escaped unemployment by finding a role on a different team.

Next up, we get into the messy, grown-up decision-making that comes with a career crossroads. Do you take the severance and walk away clean—or stay for the long game, with perks like full vesting, pension benefits, and even a company-covered master’s degree? We’re breaking down the pros and cons, talking real numbers, and helping you think through how to align your career moves with your long-term goals.

And to close things out, we’re diving into two fields where the future is already here: data analytics and cybersecurity. Whether you’re eyeing a new lane or looking to level up where you are, we’re talking certifications, AI trends, and the skills that’ll keep your résumé future-proof. It’s a reminder that learning is a lifelong flex and staying curious is the best career insurance out there.

This episode is a celebration of courage, clarity, and the power of making moves—even when it’s scary. Tap in for real talk, big insights, and a whole lot of motivation to keep betting on yourself.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	it was literally like a phantom meeting on my calendar and I was just like oh I'm getting
0:06.1	late off today and I'll be very honest the interviews that I was doing um all the things that
0:11.4	you hear about some recruiters ghosting and not getting back and being kind of unprofessional I
0:16.6	did encounter that I did not encounter that all two and a half years ago. Like, it's a completely
0:21.1	different job market. Hey, hey, VA fam. It's your girl, Mandy Money, and welcome back to Brown Ambition.
0:28.8	Now, for those who are new around here, maybe you are joining us because you heard my interview on
0:35.8	the way up with Angela Yee, or you recently checked out my
0:41.9	interview with the incredible married to real estate, stars Egypt Sharad and Mike Jackson,
0:48.8	or you just stumbled across this show because you're like, hey, I'm ready to have a show
0:53.5	that centers us in
0:55.6	conversations about money, career moves, and everything in between. Regardless, welcome. You
1:00.5	are in the right place. Today's episode is pretty special and I know it's going to hit home for so
1:06.3	many of you. I was recently on a coaching call with one of my beloved Mandy Moneymakers. So for those who
1:12.4	don't know, Mandy Moneymakers is the community that I run. It started out as a career coaching
1:18.2	community, but really it's become a sisterhood. It is a group where women from across the country,
1:24.7	we gather together and we support one another through professional
1:29.7	challenges. And we, I'm, obviously, I'm there to coach Mandy Moneymakers as they are
1:36.4	negotiating their careers. And I mean like literally negotiating like compensation offers,
1:41.1	but then just negotiating the ups and downs of our careers. And
1:44.9	Lakeisha is one of the very first women to join the Mandy Moneymakers when I launched it back in
1:49.3	2021 or 2022. And Lakeisha came on the show because she had recently been let go from her job in
1:57.8	finance. And this was hitting at a time. This was back in February or so. And I wanted
	...

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