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What happens when a UX leader who’s built billion-dollar systems for Fortune 500 companies gets ghosted by recruiters and told they’re “overqualified”? In this episode, Dray sits down with Chris Nelson – former Head of Design at Walmart Fulfillment Services – for a raw, unfiltered conversation on layoffs, LinkedIn noise, AI chaos, and the exhausting ritual of job searching in 2025.

Chris shares stories from Verizon to JCPenney, explains why he left startups behind, and gives insight into the shifting world of user experience and design. They break down how AI is being used (and misused) in the hiring process, the emotional toll of recruiter ghosting, and how networking is more critical than ever.

If you’ve ever yelled “JUST TRANSFER ME TO A HUMAN,” questioned if your resume is cursed, or felt stuck in the black hole of job applications—this one’s for you.

Mentioned in this episode:

• Relocation layoffs and corporate restructuring
• The “dating app” energy of recruiting
• Overqualification as a silent rejection tool
• Using AI in job search (without replacing your humanity)
• Starting your own thing after corporate burnout

Connect with Chris on LinkedIn

🎧 Listen in. Share it with someone who needs to hear it. And remember—you’re not alone in this mess.

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👉 Connect on LinkedIn

👉 Buy me a coffee or leave a tip to support the show 💸

🎧 All links: https://linktr.ee/draycation

Thanks for supporting The Reboot Era — every follow, share, and tip helps me keep making content for anyone navigating layoffs, pivots, and everything in between.

Everything shared on this podcast is based on personal experience and opinion. Unless explicitly stated otherwise, no content should be considered professional, legal, or career advice. Any mention of companies, products, or individuals is done in a personal capacity and does not represent the views or endorsements of those organizations or people. If a sponsorship or paid partnership is ever included, it will be clearly disclosed during the episode.

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In this deeply human episode of The Reboot Era, we explore the emotional rollercoaster of job loss, job searching, and the quiet fight to keep going. Host Dray Jankowski is joined by two guests — Christine Vela, a seasoned sales and business development expert with decades of experience and multiple layoffs behind her, and Ry Mantione, a marketing pro and creative force navigating unemployment, identity, and reinvention in Los Angeles.

Together, they share stories of resilience, rejection, and self-discovery — from Christine’s pivot into healthcare sales to Ry’s 1,200+ job applications and 87 online courses. We talk candidly about mental health, cutting costs to survive, staying creative, navigating LinkedIn, and why being yourself might be your greatest asset during a layoff.

✨ If you’ve ever felt lost, overlooked, or mentally drained by the job search — this episode is for you.

🔍 We cover:

• Applying to 25–50 jobs a day and still hearing “no”
• The emotional weight of multiple layoffs and restructuring
• How to leverage LinkedIn the right way — without burning out
• Creative ways to find free joy, community, and connection
• Dressing authentically during interviews — and when you feel you can’t
• Courses, certifications, and whether LinkedIn Learning is worth it
• What therapy, jazz nights, and road trips can do for your soul

Whether you’re in your first layoff or your fifth, this episode will make you feel seen, validated, and maybe even hopeful.

Follow Today’s Guests:
🔗 Christine Vela on LinkedIn
🔗 Ry Mantione on LinkedIn

👉 Follow on TikTok

👉 Subscribe on YouTube

👉 Connect on LinkedIn

👉 Buy me a coffee or leave a tip to support the show 💸

🎧 All links: https://linktr.ee/draycation

Thanks for supporting The Reboot Era — every follow, share, and tip helps me keep making content for anyone navigating layoffs, pivots, and everything in between.

Everything shared on this podcast is based on personal experience and opinion. Unless explicitly stated otherwise, no content should be considered professional, legal, or career advice. Any mention of companies, products, or individuals is done in a personal capacity and does not represent the views or endorsements of those organizations or people. If a sponsorship or paid partnership is ever included, it will be clearly disclosed during the episode.

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In this episode of The Reboot Era, I sit down with Jean-Baptiste — better known online as Jean the AI Guy — for a fast-paced, unfiltered conversation about artificial intelligence, automation, and the wild future we’re already living in.

From working with luxury brands like Chanel and LVMH to becoming one of the earliest adopters of ChatGPT, Jean shares how he fully transitioned into the world of AI. We talk about how he automates everything in his life (yes, even grocery shopping and meal planning), how to actually get better results from ChatGPT, and why creativity — not credentials — is now the most valuable skill.

If you’re curious about what AI can really do, what most people are getting wrong with prompting, or why theater might just become the last truly human art form… this episode is for you.

We cover:

• How Jean built a daily AI system that saves him hours each week
• Why you need to stop giving AI narrow prompts and start zooming out
• What tools like GPT-4o and Gemini can actually do today
• Why the best artists are using AI — not fighting it
• The scary (and exciting) future of automation, job displacement, and AI-powered robotics
• How Jean is helping others use AI to cut their workload in half
• And yes… what he’s building next

This is one of those “hit record and vibe” episodes — part geek-out, part future-shock, part pep talk.

🎧 Whether you're AI-curious, a creative, or just trying to survive the tech wave — Jean’s perspective will leave you inspired, informed, and maybe even a little scared (in a good way).

Connect with Jean:
📎 Jean’s LinkedIn

👉 Follow on TikTok

👉 Subscribe on YouTube

👉 Connect on LinkedIn

👉 Buy me a coffee or leave a tip to support the show 💸

🎧 All links: https://linktr.ee/draycation

Thanks for supporting The Reboot Era — every follow, share, and tip helps me keep making content for anyone navigating layoffs, pivots, and everything in between.

Everything shared on this podcast is based on personal experience and opinion. Unless explicitly stated otherwise, no content should be considered professional, legal, or career advice. Any mention of companies, products, or individuals is done in a personal capacity and does not represent the views or endorsements of those organizations or people. If a sponsorship or paid partnership is ever included, it will be clearly disclosed during the episode.