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canyonwalkerNapa Trade Show blog #7
On lunch break - Wed, 10 Sep 2025, 1pm.
Almost immediately after I arrived at the trade show booth today the mellow mood I started the morning with burst. "What have you seen about the layoff announced today?" one of my sales colleagues asked. "WhAt LaYoFf?!" I responded. 🤯
Over the course of a few hours my colleagues and I were piecing together bits of information we gleaned to understand the full picture of what was occurring. "I know Kevin and Kevin were dismissed," one colleague said as a starting point. Apparently both Kevins had been notified early in the morning of their termination. They're both account executives (AEs) and apparently texted their AE colleagues immediately about it.
Other than the de-Kevining of the AE team we were left reading tea leaves to figure out the rest. We noticed that Kevinses' Slack accounts were marked (deactivated) so we started checking the Slack status of dozens of colleagues one at a time. That confirmed or revealed a few other departures. Then we observed that one of the Kevins was supposed to staff this trade show but was instructed by his boss at the last minute to stay home. Well, one of my colleagues, Chris, was also asked, by a different boss, to do the same. Was Chris laid off? His Slack wasn't deactivated— yet— but his calendar showed a meeting with his boss, his VP, and HR later in the day. Yeah, that's the kiss of death right there. ☠️
In between casting bones and reading tea leaves we've been doing the work of the trade show. It's been a bit slow again today. Not quite as bad as most of yesterday but also not plenty-busy like during the late afternoon reception yesterday when I dressed as Jenkins and was talking to people left and right.
Right now I'm finishing up a quick lunch break. There's a meeting on the calendar with my immediate sales team— those of us left standing, that is— for 2pm today. Those of us here at the show are looking forward to hearing it straight from our managers.
Update: Layoffs Hanging Heavy in the Air
On lunch break - Wed, 10 Sep 2025, 1pm.
Almost immediately after I arrived at the trade show booth today the mellow mood I started the morning with burst. "What have you seen about the layoff announced today?" one of my sales colleagues asked. "WhAt LaYoFf?!" I responded. 🤯
Over the course of a few hours my colleagues and I were piecing together bits of information we gleaned to understand the full picture of what was occurring. "I know Kevin and Kevin were dismissed," one colleague said as a starting point. Apparently both Kevins had been notified early in the morning of their termination. They're both account executives (AEs) and apparently texted their AE colleagues immediately about it.
Other than the de-Kevining of the AE team we were left reading tea leaves to figure out the rest. We noticed that Kevinses' Slack accounts were marked (deactivated) so we started checking the Slack status of dozens of colleagues one at a time. That confirmed or revealed a few other departures. Then we observed that one of the Kevins was supposed to staff this trade show but was instructed by his boss at the last minute to stay home. Well, one of my colleagues, Chris, was also asked, by a different boss, to do the same. Was Chris laid off? His Slack wasn't deactivated— yet— but his calendar showed a meeting with his boss, his VP, and HR later in the day. Yeah, that's the kiss of death right there. ☠️
In between casting bones and reading tea leaves we've been doing the work of the trade show. It's been a bit slow again today. Not quite as bad as most of yesterday but also not plenty-busy like during the late afternoon reception yesterday when I dressed as Jenkins and was talking to people left and right.
Right now I'm finishing up a quick lunch break. There's a meeting on the calendar with my immediate sales team— those of us left standing, that is— for 2pm today. Those of us here at the show are looking forward to hearing it straight from our managers.
Update: Layoffs Hanging Heavy in the Air
