Waverly Deutsch

My privilege has been part of my journey. And I think it's really important to acknowledge that a lot of entrepreneurs come from very different places and they don't have that. And so when I look at. folks of my generation who do not have nest eggs for the future who are being subject to layoffs why because when you're when you are senior in your career you're more expensive

My privilege has been part of my journey. And I think it's really important to acknowledge that a lot of entrepreneurs come from very different places and they don't have that. And so when I look at. folks of my generation who do not have nest eggs for the future who are being subject to layoffs why because when you're when you are senior in your career you're more expensive

So if I lay off someone who is making $200,000 as a director in marketing, I can take that $200,000 and hire three young people out of college. Age is a factor in these decisions. Seniority is a factor in these decisions. And now you have these incredibly...

So if I lay off someone who is making $200,000 as a director in marketing, I can take that $200,000 and hire three young people out of college. Age is a factor in these decisions. Seniority is a factor in these decisions. And now you have these incredibly...

talented, experienced people in their 50s, in their 60s, who want to keep working, who have a lot to add, but who are also now pretty expensive people for a full-time job. And they're saying, what do I do? What do I do with all of this experience? What do I do with all of this energy? I don't want to take a job that is a $75,000 a year job because I'm forced to it. I

talented, experienced people in their 50s, in their 60s, who want to keep working, who have a lot to add, but who are also now pretty expensive people for a full-time job. And they're saying, what do I do? What do I do with all of this experience? What do I do with all of this energy? I don't want to take a job that is a $75,000 a year job because I'm forced to it. I

People have different levels of choice at different times. So one of the things that I'm noticing in that community, and one of the things that I'm talking with that community about is, You have been exited from these companies because they need to reduce costs, because you're expensive, and yet they still see the value of your wisdom and experience.

People have different levels of choice at different times. So one of the things that I'm noticing in that community, and one of the things that I'm talking with that community about is, You have been exited from these companies because they need to reduce costs, because you're expensive, and yet they still see the value of your wisdom and experience.

Many of these people are being hired by companies like the companies they came from as consultants. There is generational knowledge capture that is lost. when people are laid off without a lot to transition plans. And I think a lot of companies have made that mistake.

Many of these people are being hired by companies like the companies they came from as consultants. There is generational knowledge capture that is lost. when people are laid off without a lot to transition plans. And I think a lot of companies have made that mistake.

So I see a friend of mine who is a financial expert laid off from her CFO job, now consulting as an interim CFO for various companies in the industry that she came out of. Same thing with sales executives being brought in. What I would say to those people is you may have to do work that you outgrew in your career.

So I see a friend of mine who is a financial expert laid off from her CFO job, now consulting as an interim CFO for various companies in the industry that she came out of. Same thing with sales executives being brought in. What I would say to those people is you may have to do work that you outgrew in your career.

You may, as a CFO, have to go back to work you did as an accountant or a controller to establish your value to a young company that's growing that needs financial knowledge. You may not be able to be a strategic CFO. You may have to actually go back to some of the work that got you to where you are.

You may, as a CFO, have to go back to work you did as an accountant or a controller to establish your value to a young company that's growing that needs financial knowledge. You may not be able to be a strategic CFO. You may have to actually go back to some of the work that got you to where you are.

If you want to consult in building a go-to-market or a sales organization, you might have to write marketing collateral. You might have to get on sales calls. You might have to do the kind of work you did when you were coming up to establish your value as someone that now charges consulting rates instead of full-time salary rates. If you're able to do that, there's a lot of room out there

If you want to consult in building a go-to-market or a sales organization, you might have to write marketing collateral. You might have to get on sales calls. You might have to do the kind of work you did when you were coming up to establish your value as someone that now charges consulting rates instead of full-time salary rates. If you're able to do that, there's a lot of room out there

to find consulting work, to find engagements that could lead you to your next job. But your dream of, I'm going to go from my $200,000 job to a bigger, better $250,000 job when you're in your 60s in this market, that's a difficult one. You may have to let go of that. It's not just about...

to find consulting work, to find engagements that could lead you to your next job. But your dream of, I'm going to go from my $200,000 job to a bigger, better $250,000 job when you're in your 60s in this market, that's a difficult one. You may have to let go of that. It's not just about...

Absolutely. You mentioned reskilling and upskilling. I can't tell you how many people I know who are signing up on Coursera for a prompt engineering class to learn how to better leverage generative AI. People are going to need to use the contemporary tools to deliver the value that they bring as experienced engineers.

Absolutely. You mentioned reskilling and upskilling. I can't tell you how many people I know who are signing up on Coursera for a prompt engineering class to learn how to better leverage generative AI. People are going to need to use the contemporary tools to deliver the value that they bring as experienced engineers.