CEO shared a vulnerable moment after having to lay off staff.
Braden Wallake, the CEO and founder of US-based B2B agency HyperSocial, recently shared a tearful selfie on LinkedIn, capturing what he described as his "lowest moment."
In this emotional post, he openly acknowledged that the layoffs at his company were his responsibility.
Wallake explained that he had made a decision in February and had stuck with it for too long.
Despite any team involvement, he recognized that he had led the company into this difficult situation.
While many layoffs are attributed to economic factors, Wallake emphasized that these particular layoffs were due to his own choices.
He said: “We just had to layoff a few of our employees. I've seen a lot of layoffs over the last few weeks on LinkedIn. Most of those are due to the economy, or whatever other reason.'
HyperSocial has always prioritized its people, according to Wallace.
He expressed a desire to be a business owner who was solely money-driven and indifferent to the impact on others.
However, he acknowledged that he couldn't separate his emotions from the process. Whether it was one, two, or three employees affected, he believed that better decisions could have prevented their layoffs.
Wallake's heartfelt message conveyed his deep affection for each employee.
He appreciated their unique qualities, from the things that made them smile to the moments that brought tears. His hiring philosophy focused on individuals with great hearts and souls.
The post quickly went viral and gained the attention on social media.
Wallake's heartfelt post garnered mixed reactions. While some LinkedIn users praised his honesty and courage, others were more skeptical.
One person said: Don’t post public crying selfies/videos. No one cares. It’s not “brave”; it’s attention-seeking. If you’re going through a rough time, reach out to friends or mental health professionals, not the internet.
A second wrote: I'm looking forward to the memes that come from this...
While a third commented: Take a pay cut or freeze until the company gets back up to standards an let employees know u value them more than another yacht.
Another added: It is so awkward when people record themself crying in a situation like this. I don’t feel you sincere when this happen. Weird but he is the CEO. I had a daycare center for 8 years. When we went into a recession, I went and found another way to bring income in just to keep from paying others off. I couldn’t fix my lips to tell them, I was laying them off.
Someone else said: Soy boy. It's all about you, eh? You still fired them."this is gonna hurt me more than it hurts you...." "well let him beat yo azz!" --Richard Pryor'. Another user added.
As the economy faces uncertainty, layoffs are a growing concern for businesses and their leaders.
Volek’s story highlights the deeply personal and nuanced nature of these decisions, underscoring the need for empathy, transparency and vulnerability in leadership.
