65: When work becomes your identity… and then you lose it

What if losing the job you gave everything to… was actually the thing that finally gave you back to yourself? 🤯

In this replay from The Middle podcast, host Megan and I dig into the “messy middle” between a corporate layoff and the life you actually want...the part no one posts about on LinkedIn.

We talk about what happens when your identity is wrapped up in your job, what it feels like to be unexpectedly cut loose from a company you loved for 16 years, and how that shock forced me to rethink burnout, boundaries, and what I was willing to sacrifice as a working mom.

If you’ve ever felt blindsided by a layoff, quietly burned out, or torn between your paycheck and your purpose… this conversation will feel very close to home. 💛

💡 Inside this episode, you’ll learn:

• What really happens emotionally when a layoff comes from the company you thought would “always take care of you”
• How tying your worth and identity to your job sets you up for a painful wake-up call
• Why giving yourself away “for free” at work feels noble in the moment… and what it quietly costs you over time
• How to manage your to-do list differently so it stops fueling your mental load
• Why working moms are especially vulnerable to burnout
• What organizations miss when it comes to supporting working parents
• How to start seeing your “messy middle” not as failure… but as a turning point

🔗 RESOURCES & LINKS:

Connect with Courtney:

• Free guide: How to More Productively Manage Your To-do List → https://workingmomsmovement.com/todo

• Connect on Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/workingmomsmovement/

• Connect on LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/courtneyca/

Connect with Megan:

• The Last Word → https://www.thelastwordconsulting.com/about

• On LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/megan-ranville/

💬 FAVORITE QUOTES:

“Burnout wasn’t just about working too many hours, it was the moment I realized my life no longer matched what I said I valued.” – Courtney

“When you wear burnout like a badge of honor, you’re usually trading your health and your family for someone else’s goals.” – Courtney

💥 EPISODE TAKEAWAY:

Your layoff, burnout, or “what now?” moment isn’t the end of your story, it’s a loud invitation to realign.

When you stop giving yourself away for free and start building your life around what you value, the messy middle becomes the bridge to your next chapter… not the end of the last one.

📈 KEYWORDS:

career layoff story, job loss recovery, messy middle podcast, corporate burnout, working moms podcast, work life balance for working moms, career pivot after layoff, identity and career, mental load and to-do list, wish list vs to do list, burnout symptoms for working moms, women in corporate, culture and engagement leader, supporting working parents at work, corporate culture gaps, boundaries at work, people pleasing at work, high achieving working moms, Working Moms Movement, life management system, Courtney Cecil