👋 Hey Reader!

Here’s what I’ve got for you in today’s issue of WFH Dads:

→ The schedule that kept me sane after a layoff

→ Recommendation of the week - A podcast on youth sports in America

Let's get into it.

The schedule that kept me sane after a layoff

In June 2025, I got laid off.

I started work on Monday morning like normal, and by 10:30 I was on a Zoom call being told about severance.

It was jarring. One day you’re managing projects and Slack messages, and the next day…you’ve got no work to do.

All the things I was working on were just open loops in my mind that never got closure, so for a few weeks I kept thinking“Oh, I need to check in on that project.” Only to realize..."No...I actually dont."

And beyond updating resumes and sending applications, there was the reality that my wife was the one carrying the financial load in this season. That was a big motivator for me to not let the job search drag out—I wanted to find something solid so she could return to the work rhythm she wanted.

The first reset

The week after the layoff, our family had a vacation planned.

It couldn’t have been better timing. I got to disconnect, visit family, and think through what was next without feeling the pressure to start job-hunting immediately.

When I got back, I put up a LinkedIn post about the layoff and what kind of work I was looking for.

Because I’d already been posting on LinkedIn consistently for over a year, that post took off. Three CEOs DM’d me with contract offers. I was super appreciative but passed on them—I knew I wanted to focus on a full-time role.

But it confirmed something important: my network would play a big role in my job search.

How I structured my days

Both my kids were already in school, so I suddenly had long stretches of time to myself. It’s easy in unemployment to feel like you should always be doing something—sending resumes, refreshing job boards, proving you’re not wasting the day.

I knew if I gave in to that, I’d burn out.

So I built a predictable schedule. It gave me a rhythm, and it reminded me I didn’t need to spend every waking minute chasing the next job.

Here’s what a typical Monday looked like:

• 5:15am – Bible + prayer, then map out my week
• 6:30–7:00 – Breakfast with my daughter before school
• 7:00–9:00 – Time with my son (walks, bike rides, or runs together)
• 9:00–9:30 – LinkedIn engagement + DMs
• 9:30–11:00 – Job hunting (applications, outreach, interview prep)
• 11:00–1:00 – Exercise + lunch (run or jiu-jitsu)
• 1:00–2:00 – Job-hunting tasks
• 2:00–3:00 – Flex time (house projects, networking calls, errands)
• 3:00–evening – Pick up my daughter, watch the kids, family time

I tried to keep Mon/Tues focused on job applications and leave the back half of the week for WFH Dads projects (like this newsletter).

The inner struggle

One of the more surprising challenges was identity.

I was meeting with another dad at my church who was also in the same spot. Two 38 year old men with families who were in between jobs, trying to figure out what's next. We both said the same thing: “When you’re a kid, you imagine by the time you’re late 30s, you’ll have it all figured out.”

For me, this is my second career. I was a teacher for 10 years before moving into social media and marketing. Even though I’ve built up solid experience, I sometimes feel new to the field...even though I'm almost 40!

Those conversations showed me I wasn’t the only one figuring things out at this stage of life.

What worked in job hunting

I knew that applying to dozens of jobs wasn’t going moving the needle.

Instead, I:

• Applied only to jobs I felt 90%+ qualified for, fit my salary range and were fully remote (I couldn't see myself going back into an office after years of the flexibility of WFH).
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• Used AI to help tailor my resume to each role (see my process here).
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• Leaned into my unique advantage—short-form video.

For example, I applied to a social role at Google Data Centers. Instead of just sending a resume, I made a video on LinkedIn about data centers and said at the end: “This is my way of trying to get the attention of the hiring team.”

I got an interview request almost immediately.

​I did the same thing for a cybersecurity company called Huntress. The job listing had already closed, but after I posted my video, a hiring manager DM’d me asking for my resume.

Lesson: find your edge and showcase it publicly.

​I wrote more about this idea here.​

What kept me grounded

A few other practices made this season healthier than it could have been:

• Time with people – Lunch or coffee with friends 1–2 times a week. Zoom calls with other dads.
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• Health – Protected my 11–1 block for running or jiu jitsu.
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• Household wins – Finally cleaned the garage and finished our will and trust.
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• Sleep – In bed at 9:15, up at 5:15. More rest than I’d had in years.
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• Learning – Took courses on copywriting, YouTube, and community building. Helpful for both career and WFH Dads.

And I eventually deleted LinkedIn from my phone. Scrolling job boards outside my work blocks wasn’t helping me or my family.

Final thoughts

Being laid off was hard. The identity questions were loud. And it would’ve been easy to slip into overwork just to feel like I was “doing something.”

But a predictable rhythm (and the choice to prioritize people, health, and purpose alongside job hunting) made all the difference.

If you’re in a similar season, here's my encouragement:

1. Prioritize people – Don’t isolate yourself.
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2. Prioritize health – Protect time to move.
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3. Prioritize family – Be a support to your wife and kids in tangible ways.
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4. Prioritize purpose – Build something that excites you, even if it’s small.
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5. Stay focused in the job hunt – Fewer applications, stronger effort.

Your job doesn’t define you.

Use the in-between seasons to invest in what matters most.

What’s next

In case you’re wondering—I did end up landing a full-time role that I’ll be starting later this month.

I’ll announce the details on my LinkedIn as the date approaches, but I’m excited about what’s ahead and grateful for this season.

Recommendation of the week

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​A dad podcast on youth sports in America​

The podcast is called Milkless and this episode was about the state of youth sports in the US. My kids are 5 and 3 and right now my 5-year old does Run Club at school every other Friday (and I volunteer to help out because I like running too). But that's about the extend of our experience and involvement in sports at this point.

I knew about some of the more 'involved' sports leagues for kids as I have a few friends who have their kids in club baseball but holy moly, I had no idea how intense (and expensive) some of it could be!

One of the hosts is the founder of something called City League which is on a mission to bring back competitive, affordable, community-driven sports for kids (that aren't year-round).

The link above is to YouTube but here's the Spotify link.

If you’ve been through a layoff (or any big transition), what helped you get through it?

Reply and let me know. I read and respond to all of them.

Thanks again for being a part of this community!

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Thom Gibson Founder of WFH Dads ​​

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