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The podcast

Redundancy:
A Blessing in Disguise?

Three friends made redundant at the end of 2023 recorded how it felt in the moment, then met up a year later, and again a year after that, to answer the question.

A three-part series with Benjamin Waymark, Dave Power and Piotr Olszewski, recorded in Dublin, Wrocław and Nottingham, and released on Dad the Influencer.

Episodes
3
Cities
3
Recorded
2023–2025
Of honest conversation
3 hr 55 min

Why we made it

Well-meant advice skips the hard part

When I was made redundant from my first job at the end of 2023, lots of people got in touch with their own redundancy stories, and told me not to worry: it would turn out to be a blessing in disguise. They meant well, and they were trying to help me look towards a brighter future. But they often skipped over how much it hurt at the time.

So two friends who had just been made redundant and I decided to record it. We captured the raw feeling in the moment, met up a year later to answer the question, and checked in again after another year to look back at the impact, how we coped, and what we had learned.

If you are going through redundancy right now, we hope it helps you process what you are feeling and gives you a glimmer of hope in a dark time. Talking it out with friends, and hearing their experience, really helped us.

Listen

The episodes

Part 1

54 min

In the Moment

Recorded in Dublin, 2023

Recorded days after we were made redundant. Our first reactions, the uncertainty of sudden change, and how each of us was trying to make sense of what came next. Raw and real, not a polished success story.

Playing here loads Spotify's player, which may set its own cookies.

Part 2

1 hr 17 min

One Year On

Recorded in Wrocław, 2024

What life was really like in the year after. The feelings that linger once the shock has passed, how we coped, what we learned, and how redundancy kept shaping our confidence and identity.

Playing here loads Spotify's player, which may set its own cookies.

Part 3

1 hr 44 min

The Final Chapter

Recorded in Nottingham, 2025

Looking back at what redundancy took from us and what it unexpectedly gave us. How work is changing, AI and jobs, and what job hunting is really like right now.

Playing here loads Spotify's player, which may set its own cookies.

Part 4

Coming soon

Round Two

Made redundant again, this time through a corporate 30-day collective consultation. What it is like the second time around, and what we would tell anyone going through it.

Going through a collective consultation yourself? The questions to ask your employer and your country guide cover the consultation rules.

Released as a three-part special on Benjamin Waymark's podcast, Dad the Influencer.

Where the project took us

Dublin, Wrocław and Nottingham

What started as a conversation between friends turned into a two-year project across three countries, and plenty of firsts along the way.

Behind the mic
Touching down in Wrocław
The Racławice Panorama, Wrocław
Wrapped up between recordings
First time at a gun range, Poland
Around the table
Friends along the way
Clay pigeon shooting, Nottingham
Warhammer World, Nottingham
In the studio
“If you ever think of a project outside of your comfort zone or expertise, go for it. Life has a funny way of rewarding stepping out of your comfort zone.”
From the project write-up

Why this site exists

The runway calculator started as a simple file built during a redundancy and shared with colleagues facing the same decisions. The response was the same every time: seeing the numbers laid out, and the date the cushion would run out, made it all feel manageable. This site takes that idea further, for anyone who needs it.

Try the runway planner