# When A Career Breaks Your Heart | Laverne McKinnon | TEDxForbesParkSalon Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8cKGfGwLcHk Recap page: https://rapidrecap.app/video/8cKGfGwLcHk Generated: 2026-01-15T18:01:52.509+00:00 --- ## Quick Overview Laverne McKinnon concludes that career grief, stemming from job loss or failure, is not solvable but must be ritualized through an intentional act, like writing an eulogy for the lost job, to allow for integration and forward movement, as she learned after being fired from CBS. **Key Points:** - Laverne McKinnon was fired from her executive role at CBS, which included being responsible for the Big Bang Theory, Survivor, and CSI, and she immediately felt a profound sense of loss and failure. - She notes that 40% of Americans will experience some form of career setback (being fired, downsized, or laid off) at least once, and this loss is deeply tied to identity and sense of self. - McKinnon shares that after being fired, she took a three-month maternity leave, during which she created a ritual: writing an eulogy for her lost job, which she describes as a 'cold case' that she had to 'solve' by acknowledging the hidden losses. - She emphasizes that career grief is not solvable but requires an intentional ritual, like writing an eulogy or creating a talisman, to honor the loss and allow for integration and moving forward. - The speaker's personal ritual involved writing an eulogy for the job she was fired from, which she had held for 10 years and where she was promoted multiple times to executive, VP, and Senior VP. - She points out that the television industry is accustomed to stories having a clear beginning, middle, and end, contrasting with the abrupt, cliffhanger nature of sudden job loss. - McKinnon advocates for acknowledging the hidden losses—identity, connection, belonging—that accompany job loss, rather than just the external factors like title or paycheck. ![Screenshot at 00:19: Laverne McKinnon, identified as a Career Strategist, delivering her TEDx talk on stage with the title slide visible in the background.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/8cKGfGwLcHk/00-00-19.jpg) **Context:** Laverne McKinnon, a former executive at CBS who worked on major shows like 'Survivor' and 'CSI', recounts the profound emotional and identity crisis she experienced after being suddenly fired, an event she refers to as a career setback. She frames this experience within the broader context of career loss, noting that many people experience this, and discusses the necessity of creating personal rituals, like writing an eulogy for the lost position, to process the grief and move forward. ## Detailed Analysis Laverne McKinnon details the emotional fallout from being fired from her executive position at CBS after a 10-year tenure where she achieved promotions to Senior VP. She explains that this sudden job loss, which felt like a 'career break that breaks your heart,' left her feeling like a failure and unable to move forward, leading to suicidal ideation. McKinnon highlights that 40% of Americans face some form of job loss, and this loss is deeply connected to one's sense of self, identity, and belonging, not just the tangible aspects like salary or title. She shares the ritual she developed to cope: taking a three-month maternity leave and writing an eulogy for the job she lost, effectively treating the situation like a 'cold case' to be solved. She stresses that career grief is not solvable in a traditional sense but requires an intentional act—like creating a talisman or writing a eulogy—to honor the loss, integrate the experience, and finally move on. She contrasts the abrupt ending of a firing with the structured narrative (beginning, middle, end) common in television production, where her work often lay. ### Career Setback Experience - Fired from CBS executive role after 10 years and multiple promotions - Felt like a failure, leading to suicidal ideation and an inability to move on - Took a three-month maternity leave to process the event. ### The Nature of Career Grief - 40% of Americans experience career loss (fired, downsized, laid off) at least once - This grief is tied to identity, connection, and sense of self, not just external factors like paychecks or titles. ### The Ritual of Processing Grief - Developed a ritual of writing an eulogy for the lost job, treating it like solving a 'cold case' - This ritual helped her rewrite hurtful meanings and acknowledge hidden losses. ### The Importance of Ritual - Career grief is not solvable but requires an intentional act to honor the loss and allow for integration and forward movement - Advocates for creating personal rituals, like writing an eulogy or creating a talisman, to process setbacks. ### The Three Questions - Poses three questions for the audience regarding career setbacks: What do we know? What do we need to know? Where do we go from here? - Answers that we need to know that grief is universal and that we must honor the loss to move forward. ![Screenshot at 00:13: Sponsors displayed for the TEDx Forbes Park event, including Global AI Council, KH Group, Bintana sa Paraiso, Eton International School, TBC, and Unlimited Possibilities.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/8cKGfGwLcHk/00-00-13.jpg) ![Screenshot at 00:19: Laverne McKinnon on stage in a blue dress, with her name and title \('Career Strategist'\) displayed on the large screen behind her.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/8cKGfGwLcHk/00-00-19.jpg) ![Screenshot at 00:40: A wide shot showing the stage setup with large red 'TEDx' letters and white 'Forbes Park' letters flanking the speaker.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/8cKGfGwLcHk/00-00-40.jpg) ![Screenshot at 01:16: Close-up on Laverne McKinnon speaking passionately while gesturing with her hands.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/8cKGfGwLcHk/00-01-16.jpg) ![Screenshot at 03:02: Speaker referencing her past work, with the screen showing a collage of faces from the TEDx event.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/8cKGfGwLcHk/00-03-02.jpg)