Fired & Terrified to Employing 1,300 People - Merry Korn

What do you do when you are fired just two months into a "safe" job, you are a single mother with two kids heading to college, and you are terrified you might end up living under a bridge?Merry Korn, author of Fired to Inspired, shares her harrowing journey from being terminated to building a massive social enterprise that employed over 1,300 people across 30 states. She opens up about the sheer terror of her rock bottom and how she refused to let fear paralyze her.This episode dives into the FailCraft theme of turning a personal crisis into a public good. Merry explains how she channeled the resilience of her mother—a Holocaust survivor who jumped off a death train—to build a business inspired by Schindler's List. . Discover the power of "Informational Interviews" to pivot your career, why Merry believes getting fired was actually a gift, and how she found purpose in hiring people no one else would touch.In this episode of FailCraft, you’ll discover:* Merry's "Rock Bottom": Being fired as a single mom with zero backup plan.* The "3 Legs" of Crisis Management: Overcoming fear, finding purpose, and informational interviews.* How Merry spent 6-8 hours a day on the phone to rebuild her network immediately.* The incredible story of her mother escaping a Holocaust death train and how it fueled Merry's resilience.* Why Merry built a business specifically to hire the "unemployable" (blind, disabled veterans, etc.).* The transition from Employee to Entrepreneur: Why the stress of payroll is better than a bad boss.* Merry's controversial take: "Being fired has its own perks".* Her definition of true success: Knowing your endgame.This episode is for anyone who has been fired, laid off, or feels terrified about their financial future, offering a blueprint on how to turn that fear into a massive opportunity.Connect With Merry Korn:* Free Workbooks: https://firedtoinspired.com/* Book: Fired to InspiredSupport the Show: * Fuel the FailCraft Mission: https://iferia.nestuge.com/supportme * Subscribe and leave a review! * Share this episode if it resonated!Want to Be a Guest on FailCraft? * Reach out to Ezekiel on PodMatch * PodMatch Host Profile: https://podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/failcraftChapters:00:00 Hook: The Fear of Living Under a Bridge01:26 Introduction: Merry Korn's Turnaround01:57 The Firing: A Terrified Single Mom03:38 The First Step: 8 Hours of "Informational Interviews"06:27 The Inspiration: A Holocaust Survivor Mother08:02 Why Hiring the "Unemployable" became the Mission09:47 Employee vs. Entrepreneur: The Stress Shift12:01 Advice for the Recently Fired: Listen to Intuition14:12 Why Getting Fired Was a "Gift"14:41 Merry's Definition of True Success15:58 How to Connect & Get Workbooks