Most people don’t choose the moment their career changes. It chooses them, usually with a phone call they didn’t see coming. One day you’re hitting your numbers and planning your next promotion. The next [day], you’re clearing out a desk that was never really yours to begin with. A career change after layoff is rarely something anyone plans for, yet it happens to millions of people every year, and it tends to force a question that sits underneath the paperwork and the severance check: if my job isn’t who I am, then who am I?
Charnisse Thompson had spent four and a half years building a career in pharmaceutical sales, a job she landed almost by accident after organic chemistry knocked medical school off the table. She loved the company. She figured she’d retire there. Then, in January of 2024, a division-wide layoff took the job anyway.
“It probably hit me like with a bag of bricks,” Thompson said. “I just was so shocked once I was told that I was going to be laid off.”
That shock is the starting point for anyone facing a career pivot they didn’t ask for. But it’s also, as Thompson’s story shows, a starting point and not an ending. This is for anyone who has ever tied their sense of worth to a job title, and then had to figure out what’s left when the title disappears. Thompson’s path from a corporate layoff to founding her own styling business, Maison Charnice, is a study in what happens when career identity gets rebuilt from the ground up, one small decision at a time.
When the Job You Thought Would Last Forever Disappears
Thompson entered the workforce believing her job would be permanent. She wasn’t just employed. She was invested, emotionally and professionally, in the idea of a lifelong career at one company.
“I did go in with that mindset,” Thompson said, “especially once I was able to secure that role that I had in sales and pharmaceutical sales before being laid off, because it was also my dream company and it was the company where I saw myself pretty much retiring.”
That belief made the layoff harder to absorb, even though there had been some warning signs. Her division wasn’t the only one affected, and colleagues had reassured her she’d probably be safe. When the call came anyway, the gap between what she expected and what actually happened left her in what she described as shock mode.
Financial circumstances shape how much room a layoff leaves for reinvention, and Thompson was direct about hers. She was single, had built an emergency fund, and received severance and a bonus from her former employer, cushioning that not everyone gets.
“I have spoken with other individuals in different industries who have been laid off, and they were not so lucky to even get a severance,” she said. “I wouldn’t stress too much about the amount, but definitely just at least putting something to the side. I saw that to be very beneficial.”
The financial cushion mattered, but it wasn’t the whole story. Thompson also had a support system of mentors, family and close friends who reassured her before the layoff that she’d probably be safe. That comfort turned out to be misplaced, and the gap between reassurance and reality is part of why layoff stories tend to sound so similar. People rarely see it coming, even when the company has already been through waves of downsizing. What Thompson’s account adds is a reminder that preparation and shock aren’t mutually exclusive. She had savings and severance, and she was still numb when the call came.
Giving Herself Permission to Pursue What She’d Sidelined
Before the layoff, fashion was a hobby Thompson had tucked into the margins of her life. She sketched dresses and gowns for years without ever treating the work as anything more than something she liked to do on the side. A women’s business and empowerment conference in New Orleans, which a friend invited her to attend, changed that.
“It was like an aha moment,” Thompson said. “I said, oh, I need to do this because I always thought that everything needed to be perfect in order to start a business. And I learned so much at that conference that it doesn’t have to be perfect. You just have to just start.”
That conference reframed corporate loyalty for her, too. She’d always followed the rules and met the criteria her employer set. What she hadn’t done was build anything that belonged to her alone.
Amy Stone asked Thompson directly why she thought she’d needed permission in the first place.
“I think I always thought I needed permission because I thought that you needed to have everything perfectly lined up, especially when it comes to finances,” Thompson said. “I always just thought when you are working a corporate job, you’re locked in and that’s it. That’s all that you can do.”
That belief is common among people considering starting a business after a layoff or even while still employed. Thompson’s shift came from watching other entrepreneurs describe the same fear she carried, and realizing a full-time job and a side business weren’t mutually exclusive.
“Now I am embracing this journey where I’m learning that you can still have a 9 to 5, but also at night work on your business, on the weekends write that book or start to write the book, start to do the podcast, do the filming,” she said. “And you can see it grow, grow, grow, and eventually you’ll get to that point where you won’t need your 9 to 5.”
She took another corporate role in the same industry to fund her new venture, easing her reliance on traditional employment rather than cutting it off entirely. It wasn’t the clean break she once assumed a career pivot required. It was a slower, steadier rebuild that let her test the business without gambling her financial stability on it.
Building Maison Charnice, One Small Win at a Time
Thompson’s original plan involved designing and manufacturing her own clothing line, the kind of vision built from a sketchbook full of dresses and blouses. But she pivoted toward something she already knew how to do: styling, which she’d been offering to friends for free for years.
“I’ve done that for free in the past,” she said. “So I said, you know what, I’ve done that before. Why not make it my business where I can earn some income from it, build from it, and then eventually hire assistants as well to help out however my business grows.”
Styling, she explained, starts with a client’s closet and their goals, whether that’s adjusting to a body that’s changed after having a baby or building a wardrobe for a new career stage. She works with clients in person in the tri-state area and virtually with clients elsewhere, often pulling together a handful of outfits for a single event from what a client already owns.
That shift from job title to business owner also rewired how Thompson measured success and how she introduced herself to new people.
“For so long, my identity was tied to specific titles in a corporate company, and I learned that I needed to pull away from that because I don’t own that company,” she said. “I now see other opportunities and other avenues that are considered success.”
Where she once measured success by climbing a corporate ladder, she now counts landing a single client or selling one copy of her book, “Girl, Dress the Body You’ve Got,” as wins worth celebrating. When she meets someone new now, she leads with fashion stylist, personal style mentor, founder and CEO of Maison Charnice, and published author, tucking her day job in almost as an afterthought.
Why She’s Telling This Story
Thompson didn’t come on the show to recap a resume. She wanted people to hear that a layoff doesn’t have to be the end of a story.
“I hope that they’ll be motivated to start that business or start whatever it is that they want to get started on,” she said. “I feel like a layoff is like a blessing in disguise, and it also helps to motivate you to go towards the next step.”
Thompson’s story doesn’t offer a formula, because there isn’t one. What it offers is proof that a career change after layoff can start small, without a perfect plan or a fully funded exit from corporate life. She didn’t quit her day job to build Maison Charnice. She built it alongside one, sketching, styling, and slowly redefining what success looked like along the way.
The bigger shift wasn’t professional. It was internal. Thompson had to separate her sense of self from a job title she didn’t own, and rebuild it around something she did. That’s the tension buried inside every layoff story, whether the person telling it ends up starting a business, changing industries, or simply figuring out who they are without a company badge attached to their name.
If a layoff is forcing that question for you right now, Thompson’s experience suggests the permission you’re waiting for doesn’t have to come from perfect timing or a fully padded savings account. It can come from deciding to just start, and letting the small wins count as real ones.
This article was inspired by an interview with Charnisse Thompson and Amy Stone on The Art of Imperfect Adulting podcast. https://imperfect-adulting.captivate.fm/listen or https://www.youtube.com/@imperfectadulting To hear more compelling conversations like this one and receive special offers from our guests directly to your inbox, join our email community today.
Connect with Charnisse Thompson directly at www.maisoncharnisse.com
Career Change After Layoff: Interview Transcript Charnisse Thompson with Amy Stone | The Art of Imperfect Adulting | September 2026
Amy Stone [00:00:00]:
This is The Art of Imperfect Adulting. I’m your host, Amy Stone. I share stories from real people who have already been through some hard stuff.
Amy Stone [00:00:10]:
Why? So that you don’t feel alone while you’re busy figuring out your own life.
Amy Stone [00:00:15]:
Let’s do this. Hello friends. My guest on the show is Charnisse Thompson, and we are going to talk about the connection between career and personal identity. Charnisse, are you ready for a fun chat today?
Charnisse Thompson [00:00:30]:
Yes, I am. Thank you, Amy. Hi, everyone. Yay.
Amy Stone [00:00:36]:
All right, I begin all of my conversations with the same fun questions. What part of the world do you call home, and what is something that you love about living there?
Charnisse Thompson [00:00:45]:
So I call the Northeast home, and I love living here because I am surrounded by 3 major cities. I am surrounded by New York City, Washington, D.C., and of course Philadelphia. So endless opportunities, endless restaurants, just a lot of fun. So I love where I live at.
Amy Stone [00:01:09]:
Oh my goodness, what a wonderful place to be. Thank you so much for sharing that with us. So here we go. So, Charnisse, which of the following generation descriptions is the best match for you? Silent Generation, Baby Boomer, Gen X, Millennial, or Gen Z?
Charnisse Thompson [00:01:27]:
So I am a millennial.
Amy Stone [00:01:30]:
Very nice. Very, very nice. All right, so the general topic of our discussion today is career change and identity. Part of your story does include a layoff and a pivot, and I’m going to walk you through the timeline so that we can talk about all of it. Let’s start with before the layoff. What was the industry or the job that you had, and was it something that you loved and that you thought was going to be your So I started off in pharmaceutical sales, and it’s actually one that I kind of fell into.
Charnisse Thompson [00:02:10]:
Originally, my whole career goal after college was more around going to medical school, becoming a doctor. And when I went through organic chemistry, I was just like, oh, I don’t think this is for me.
Amy Stone [00:02:23]:
That’s—
Charnisse Thompson [00:02:25]:
I love patients. I love science, but organic chemistry really put the damper on that whole thing. So I got a recruiter that had reached out to me, and then that’s kind of how I had gotten into pharmaceutical sales. And that’s basically what I was doing even throughout before getting laid off.
Amy Stone [00:02:50]:
Very interesting. It’s interesting because that organic— I don’t know if it’s still true, but that’s such a famous part of the college experience. People who— I did not study to be a doctor, but people who study to be a doctor or want to be a doctor, and they have to— it’s the demarcation line, you know, organic chem 1 and 2, and then the MCAT. Like, can people do it? Do they like it? So I love that part of your story.
Charnisse Thompson [00:03:15]:
Yes.
Amy Stone [00:03:17]:
So here’s a question that falls under mindset and origin story. Do you think that you had the internal belief set when you entered the workforce and when you were in college that you were going to get a job and that it should last you forever? That was your career and your working life?
Charnisse Thompson [00:03:38]:
Yes, I did go in with that mindset. Um, especially more, it intensified once I was able to secure that role that I had in sales and pharmaceutical sales before being laid off, because it was also my dream company and it was the company where I saw myself pretty much, uh, retiring, I would say, there. And even though on the side I had always loved And that was also something that I still loved, even being in college and going through it. I always loved it. I always drew designs. And so I just kind of always just put it as like, it’s just a hobby that I like.
Amy Stone [00:04:28]:
Right.
Charnisse Thompson [00:04:28]:
But I went in with that mindset where it was, oh yeah, I’m gonna like stay here, retire, have a pension. And just kind of work my way up the corporate ladder.
Amy Stone [00:04:42]:
All right. So this— so you’re rolling along. In your mind, you think you’re going to work there forever. You get laid off after 4 and a half years. So when you think back to that time, was there any foreshadowing that this was coming? Like, was it a part of a season in the company that had A lot of layoffs, or did it feel to you like it came out of nowhere?
Charnisse Thompson [00:05:10]:
It was coming more from a part of a season, but it was like a different division kind of going through the layoff. And when it happened, I think it was because when you reach— when you connect with your support system, so those who you look to as mentors and even your family, your close friends, And you hear them say, oh, I think you’re going to be okay because they may not let you go. I think you’ll be fine. So it was comforting. And so I was like, okay, I’m going to be fine. And then when it happened that January of 2024, when I got that call, it really— I think I was still in shock mode. Because I was also numb because in the back of my head, I’m like, I really was thinking that I was fine. I was okay, especially because I had did so well quarter. I just thought that I was just safe. But it was— it probably hit me like with a bag of bricks. And I just was so shocked. Once I was told that I was going to be laid off.
Amy Stone [00:06:32]:
Yeah. Have you ever seen that movie Up in the Air?
Charnisse Thompson [00:06:35]:
Yes.
Amy Stone [00:06:37]:
Yeah.
Amy Stone [00:06:38]:
And they, in the movie, they interview people in industries, and the whole movie is about a team that is doing the layoffs. And one of the things that has always stuck with me, how— and it’s fiction, it’s a movie, but, you know, they were doing layoffs in companies that had really seen waves and waves of downsizing, and still the people were painfully shocked and surprised when it came to them in the movie, which is fiction. So I think that—
Charnisse Thompson [00:07:06]:
Yeah.
Amy Stone [00:07:07]:
I think that that’s an important thing to think of, but I appreciate you sharing with us that you had been— you had confidence that it wasn’t gonna come to you. You say that the layoff was painful. And you go on to make a pretty dramatic career pivot. So before we talk about the pivot, I wanna talk a little bit, and if this is too personal, just be very general about it. I wanna talk a little bit about the overall financial situation at the time when this happened, because when we talk about career change, finances, it’s, you know, these are connected things, right?
Amy Stone [00:07:46]:
Yes.
Amy Stone [00:07:46]:
So were you single? Were you in a family where you were the primary breadwinner, or were you in a spot where you were contributing to a family finances pot. Did you— did your family— did you or your family urgently need your contribution that you were making to the family budget? Or had you, like, saved for a rainy day and you had, like, a lot of wiggle room? Share with us what the situation was at the time.
Charnisse Thompson [00:08:12]:
So at the time, I was single. It was just me and my dog. And I was very blessed and very fortunate to where had a nice emergency savings fund, and then also they were very kind to give extra bonus and also like severance. So I was very, very fortunate to where I was able to not have to stress too much financially. But I have spoken with other individuals in different industries who have been laid off, and they were not So lucky to even get like a severance. So I have to say for myself, I was very, very blessed that, but at the same time, I also made sure that I did have that emergency fund. And I think that is important. Um, I wouldn’t stress too much about the amount, but definitely just at least putting something to the side. Um, I saw that to be very beneficial.
Amy Stone [00:09:17]:
Sure. I was mostly, just so you know, in our conversation, mostly setting up what were your conditions at the time. Because of course, right, everybody wants to have an emergency fund and a backup situation.
Amy Stone [00:09:32]:
Right.
Amy Stone [00:09:33]:
And then also, you know, real life gets in the way and sometimes things happen that are beyond our control. So when I phrased that, I just want to let you know, Sharni, it’s just me and you, that it was not a judgment of Value of how you were doing. All right, so you do, you pivot. And at this time—
Charnisse Thompson [00:09:49]:
Yes.
Amy Stone [00:09:50]:
You mentioned a second ago that you had a personal interest in fashion. At this time, you say you gave yourself permission to pursue that passion that you’ve had since childhood in fashion. So tell us more about what that looks like at the beginning, not where it ends up, because we’re gonna get there, but at the beginning. What did this look like to give yourself this permission to pursue fashion?
Charnisse Thompson [00:10:16]:
So I feel like I’ve always had this, like, tug at me to go ahead, to do it. And what really pushed me, I would say, was I had the opportunity to attend a women’s conference, and it was, like, really small. And it was in New Orleans, and it was amazing. It was just like eye-opening to hear other women and them sharing their stories of what motivated them to be in business for themselves or to start that journey where they’re working towards being in business for themselves. And so that was like It was like an aha moment. And I said, oh, I need to do this because I always thought that everything needed to be perfect in order to start a business. And I learned so much at that conference that it doesn’t have to be perfect. You just have to just start. Don’t ask like what-ifs or this or that. Just, just start. and network with individuals who might be in your industry or just network with entrepreneurs in general to get an understanding of, okay, so what is this ride that I’m getting ready to get on? What is this kind of going to look like? And that was just like, that was the moment for me. And also just reflecting back on the fact that You do everything correctly. You make sure you try to meet all criteria for that company that you work for. But I’ve learned that it’s not the same in terms of how loyalty used to be. And you— it’s always good to have something as a backup plan. But how about it be something that you own, something that’s genuine? that’ll be genuinely yours and that you can pour into and just kind of watch it grow. So attending that conference in New Orleans was everything and more that I needed to be there. And that was just kind of like, you know what, I need to start business.
Amy Stone [00:12:40]:
So that is really interesting. Do you remember— so this sounds to me like a leadership event, a small business event, a women’s empowerment event. What type of conference was it and how How did you, how did you end up there?
Charnisse Thompson [00:12:56]:
Oh, it was a women’s business and empowerment conference. And one of my close friends is actually an entrepreneur. And she’s had her business for over 10 years. And she had invited me to the conference. And that’s why I think it’s just so important to have really really good supporting people in your circle and in your environment, because you’d be surprised where they can take you. And so she invited me to the conference, and at first, you know how it is, in my head I’m thinking like, I don’t have a business, not thinking I’m going into business, you know, I’m just gonna stick with corporate. But when I was there, I just learned so much. And then when I listened to the speeches and just listened to the motivation from the speakers, I just knew I need to, I need to jump on this. And I just knew fashion, something fashion and styling was going to be what I needed to start my business.
Amy Stone [00:14:07]:
So would you say that before you went to this conference, you were in the spot where you were looking for another job?
Charnisse Thompson [00:14:16]:
Yes, I was. I was actually, um, currently working a 9 to 5.
Amy Stone [00:14:22]:
Okay.
Charnisse Thompson [00:14:22]:
In the same industry but a different company. And I have to say, I’m still there because it helps fund a lot of like the starting of my business, but it’s— I’m not like heavily relying on it like how I was before I got laid off. the first company.
Amy Stone [00:14:43]:
Yeah.
Charnisse Thompson [00:14:44]:
So that’s why I was like, I had to really change my mindset. And now I’m loving this journey because I love, I love pouring so much into my business. Um, and that’s just like, it’s just, I don’t know, it’s just such an incredible feeling to start something and to see how it’s growing, even though I started almost a year ago. It’s just been incredible, an incredible journey, but it is challenging.
Amy Stone [00:15:16]:
Yes. So I’m fascinated by this because— and this is my— the conversation I love to have all the time. How do people make the decisions and the choices that get them where they’re going? So you were in pharmaceutical sales or medical sales and you— with one company, you get laid off. You actually are able to secure another job. So you are— are your jobs commission-based primarily in these sales positions?
Charnisse Thompson [00:15:45]:
You do get a salary and then you do get a bonus, which is a good thing.
Amy Stone [00:15:50]:
All right, so there. So you’ve got the job and then you end up at this conference. You’re invited by a friend of yours who is in business. It is, for some people— I’m not an expert on this, this is my just lived experience story— for some people it is a massive change, you know, if they have a family where everybody’s got a job and they’ve always had a job, they just have really never thought about, you know, having a business or things being a business or even what it means, right? It’s like that— it’s just not even in their awareness. But you have a friend who has a business, she gets you to this conference, and your mindset begins to shift as a result of being surrounded by these other people. That’s what it sounds like is happening. You begin to say, oh, now wait a minute, there is this other option. What I’m working up to here is pulling this thing out because I hear you say this thing. The stability that you had thought was going to be in your career, part of this is that you were reframing it as it’s not quite as stable as I thought it was, and I can do this other option.
Amy Stone [00:16:53]:
Is that about right?
Charnisse Thompson [00:16:54]:
Yes. Yes, that’s hit the nail on the head.
Amy Stone [00:16:59]:
It took me a while to get there, but that was what I was trying to do. So you say that you gave yourself permission, and my next question is, Why do you think that you needed permission?
Charnisse Thompson [00:17:10]:
I think I always thought I needed permission because I thought that you needed to have everything perfectly lined up, especially when it comes to finances. Like, you need to make sure that you have this amount of money, that amount of money for this, that, and the other. And I have some friends who are entrepreneurs. And then I learned that it actually does not need to be perfect. Um, it really kind of helped ease that a little bit away from me. And so I always just thought I needed permission to, to start my own business. Or if I’m working a 9 to 5, I feel— I used to feel like I still need permission to start something on the side, whether it’s a business or building an app or writing a book. I just always thought when you are working a corporate job, you’re locked in and that’s it. That’s all that you can do.
Amy Stone [00:18:12]:
Mm.
Charnisse Thompson [00:18:13]:
And so now I am embracing this journey where I’m learning that you can still have a 9 to 5, but also at night work on your business, on the weekends write that book or start to write the book or start to do the podcast, do the filming. And you can see it like grow, grow, grow, and eventually, you know, you’ll get to that point where you won’t need your 9 to 5. And that was also something that I learned at the conference because I just always thought corporate, you need to focus on corporate, don’t worry about nothing else. And if you want to have your own business, I always thought you needed to leave that corporate life, leave it completely, and then just only focus on your business even if you don’t have the finances to help you kick off your business.
Amy Stone [00:19:06]:
I hear it, I hear it. So you knew that you had a passion for fashion, but you say in your pitch that ultimately this led to the launch of what is called Maison Charnice. Because you use the word ultimately, I have this question: were there some other fashion-related things that you tried out In before you landed on the project that you’re doing today, or was— or did that immediately come to you that this is what it was going to be?
Charnisse Thompson [00:19:35]:
So I didn’t test out any other, like, business endeavors before I launched my business. However, I was always sketching, so I have like a whole sketchbook of just different things that I drew out, from dresses to blouses bottoms, anything. I was just drawing out— I even like hand drew like gowns and things like that. And so I was like, okay, you know, I’m just drawing, but I haven’t executed anything. I haven’t gotten anything manufactured. And then I pivoted a little bit with my business because in the beginning I was going to do the designs. I think I still am going to do that later on, but styling has also been something that I’ve done. I’ve done that like for free in the past. And so I said, you know what, I’ve done that before. Why not make it my business where I can, um, earn some income from it, build from it, and then eventually hire assistants as well to help out however my business grows? So I started off looking at the manufacturing side, and I said, you know what, maybe I’ll put that on pause for now and let me do styling because that’s something that I’ve done before. I’ve just done it for free. But now it comes with a—
Amy Stone [00:20:55]:
All right, so let’s talk— let’s make sure that everybody, myself included, understands what all these things are. So you had an interest in fashion and you had been drawing, and it sounds like the first ideas that popped into your head was to really make a clothing line. And you know what, the only thing I know about this is Project Runway. You know, like, that’s my full expertise in this. But you’ve got ideas in your head, and so it sounds like initially you were like, I’m gonna manufacture and sell clothes. That I design. Is that— I’m understanding that?
Charnisse Thompson [00:21:27]:
And then— Yes.
Amy Stone [00:21:28]:
Okay, so that’s very cool. That would be living the dream. But you shift to what we’re calling styling. This is something that I think I know what it is and I’ve known other people who’ve done it, but let’s make sure that everybody who’s watching in the audience knows what we’re talking about when we talk about what does it mean to have somebody style for you. Do you come to my house? Do you tell me what to wear?
Amy Stone [00:21:49]:
Do you meet me at the store.
Charnisse Thompson [00:21:50]:
So when it comes to someone styling you, for myself in the tri-state area, I have clients that I see in person. So we just— they tell me what is their goals when it comes to styling. So how do you want to look? How do you want to feel when you put your— when you look at your closet? What’s the one thing that you want to feel? You don’t want to feel like, oh man, I have so many clothes, I’m overwhelmed. I don’t even know what to wear, but you have a whole closet full of clothes. So when you hire a stylist, they come in there to help guide you towards your goals. So whether your goal is to— maybe you might be a new mother, so you’re trying to adjust, but you don’t want to get rid of that. You know, maybe you like a certain look and you don’t want to just completely throw that away just because you just became a mother. Or maybe you’re transitioning into corporate life. So maybe also you’re transitioning into a new entrepreneur, and now you’re possibly doing, um, speaking events and you’re hosting conferences, but you’re not sure what does my— what will my outfits look like? That’s where a stylist comes in to help you, and they help guide you towards whatever your goals are. And we I start by looking in the closet.
Amy Stone [00:23:19]:
Okay.
Charnisse Thompson [00:23:19]:
So you can always start by shopping in your own closet and then take note of what gaps you have. So maybe you don’t have like a really— maybe you’re looking for like a styled, a more styled, structured blazer and you don’t have that in your closet. So then that’s where I can tell you like what to look for when you go shopping. I also have some clients who are virtual. Where maybe they only need help with like 4 outfits for maybe a conference that they’re going to. And what I’ll do is I’ll look into— they’ll show me what they have in their closet, and I just piece that together specifically for that event. So that is where a stylist comes in handy.
Amy Stone [00:24:04]:
Okay, perfect. So when you were doing this for free, is this almost like your friends would call you up and say Shiny, so what do I wear to this barbecue? Or what can I wear to my job interview? So when you were doing it for free, was that sort of how it sounded like and what it looked like? Yes.
Amy Stone [00:24:22]:
Okay.
Charnisse Thompson [00:24:22]:
It sounded like that. And then also sometimes when I would go shopping—
Amy Stone [00:24:27]:
Okay. Yeah. So I interrupted you. So you were saying sometimes you go shopping?
Charnisse Thompson [00:24:33]:
Yes. Sometimes I would go shopping and sometimes random women would ask me like, hey, does this look good? Does that look good together? So that’s how, like, also that’s just like you’re helping somebody out for free, of course. But yes.
Amy Stone [00:24:49]:
Okay, so I think I can piece this together how this happens, because I think that most people have a confidante or a bestie in their back pocket that they can say, hey, how do I— what am I going to wear to this event? But when you’re working now with clients for personal shopping, It sounds like it’s, you know, for specific events in their life or life transitions that are a big change in your wardrobe. That’s— I mean, I’ve been through both of those. I remember at my first job out of college, it was when you have to go into an office and all you have is like student clothes and like, you know—
Charnisse Thompson [00:25:24]:
Yes.
Amy Stone [00:25:24]:
Student party clothes and, you know, the occasional thing that you would wear to like some sort of grown-up kind of event, you know, like church clothes. You know, it’s like you don’t have office clothes at first. And so I’ve been through that. I’ve also been through the even more fun where your body changes when you grow little people. So I’ve been through that. Yeah, me too. Okay, so somewhere in your journey you say that you were questioning all kinds of things including your identity and your idea of success. So I wanna talk about that. My guess is that when you say that you were talking about identity, this is wrapped around how it connects to career and job title. Is that where you were sort of thinking about this? Yes.
Charnisse Thompson [00:26:08]:
And then also as well as style as well.
Amy Stone [00:26:11]:
Okay.
Charnisse Thompson [00:26:12]:
Kind of evolve that.
Amy Stone [00:26:13]:
All right. And so shifting from, you know, a woman who gives occasional advice to her friends and people in stores to a person who has a, has a job but also is building a business on the side. Looking back at this journey now, because you’ve been at this for a while, from the layoff and up through now, how has your identity and your concept of success shifted?
Charnisse Thompson [00:26:42]:
So my identity has shifted by— I no longer connect myself to just my job. I feel so much more connected to my business, who I am being a stylist. Being a personal style mentor, also being a new author, I feel like those speak volumes to who I am. For so long, my identity was tied to specific titles in a corporate company, and I learned that I needed to pull away from that because I don’t own that company.
Amy Stone [00:27:22]:
Yeah.
Charnisse Thompson [00:27:23]:
And so I had to really pull back that layer. And I look at success so differently. I used to look at success basically as the American dream. And yes, I still view that as success, but I feel like I’m embracing the small wins, which I never used to do.
Amy Stone [00:27:45]:
Mm-hmm.
Charnisse Thompson [00:27:45]:
And those small wins are just like— just starting a business, I feel like, is a small win. Just getting one client is a small win. Being able to sell like one book is a small win, at least for me now. And so I feel like I’m on that journey where I’m feeling more comfortable of success. For the longest, I just always viewed success as climbing that corporate ladder and achieving that American dream, the big house, the nice white fence. And I no longer view that as just the only way of success. I now see other opportunities and other avenues that are considered success.
Amy Stone [00:28:35]:
I love that answer. I would say that starting your own business, writing and selling a book, getting clients, those fall in my category of big wins and big celebrations. I think that that’s Those are all great things to celebrate and deserve big celebration. The concept— I’m glad you defined what you were seeing as the American dream. And some people— there’s a lot of talk about this right now in 2026, the pressure that comes along with the implied promise of happiness that everybody should have a job and then be able to buy a house when right now it’s very hard. for many people to buy a house, things are very expensive. The implied promise of being employed for— and secure with the idea of a pension, all of those things. Those are big topical conversations. So I think you were ahead of the game in shifting your self-concept and your identity away from that long-term. One of the places this concept of self-identity with employment shows up is how we introduce ourselves to new people. I don’t know if you’ve had this happen, but say you’re at the, you know, you’re at a brunch with friends, you meet somebody new, and they say, oh, Charnisse, it’s so nice to meet you. Tell me about yourself. And we very commonly lead with what we do as a profession. Since you’ve got 2 things going on in your life, you’ve got a job and you’ve got a business, assuming that your boss is not at the brunch, when you meet somebody new these days, how do you introduce yourself? Or do you leave all of that out?
Charnisse Thompson [00:30:16]:
I actually more so now introduce myself as a fashion stylist, a personal style mentor, the founder and the CEO of Maison Charnice, and a newly published author. And then I’ll slip in there at the end, like, also, you can consider me this new entrepreneur who’s building a business, but at the same time, still working the traditional 9-to-5 job and hoping to build the business so that can become the full-time job. So I like to introduce myself that way.
Amy Stone [00:30:53]:
With all of this—
Charnisse Thompson [00:30:54]:
It’s something new that I’m getting used to.
Amy Stone [00:30:55]:
I would say you need more than the 60 seconds for your elevator pitch at the networking sessions. There you go. All right, so tell me, most people come on the show because they want to talk about what they’re doing and all of these things, but I do ask this question a lot these days. What is the reason that you are choosing to share this story of your own, the story of the layoff and the identity shift with the audience? When you think of a person who’s out there who’s going to listen to this or watch it, what is the thing that you hope that they will take away from learning about your lived experience?
Charnisse Thompson [00:31:30]:
I hope that they’ll be motivated to start that business or start whatever that they want to get started on. And don’t be scared. And you don’t have to give yourself permission. Even if you’re still working your, your job, your 9-to-5 job, you could still do it. and just continue to pour into whatever it is that you want to do. So my take is that I hope that I’m motivating someone and to see that your life does not end and it doesn’t decline once you endure a layoff. I feel like a layoff is like a blessing in disguise, and it helps also motivate you to go towards the next step.
Amy Stone [00:32:20]:
So that is one of the reasons that I like to tell stories of lived experience, because It’s the survivor story. It’s different to know that layoffs exist than to hear stories of somebody having gone through it and survived. And so I do hope, I do hope that people who are in the workforce or people who are going through something similar or people who are at any other point, I hope they hear this and they get to benefit from that. We’re gonna wrap up in a second, but I wanna give you a chance. to tell us about Maison Charnys. Now, people can find you at maisoncharnys.com, and I didn’t know if you were going to give it a shout out, but you are the author of a book that is titled Girl, Dress the Body You’ve Got. Did I say that with the right emphasis?
Amy Stone [00:33:08]:
The emphasis?
Charnisse Thompson [00:33:09]:
Yes.
Amy Stone [00:33:10]:
Okay, there we go. So tell us about Maison Charnys.
Charnisse Thompson [00:33:14]:
So Maison Charnys is all things. It’s styling, it’s helping you feel confident in the way that you dress, it’s helping you reconnect with your confidence as well, and it’s a way to enhance the way that you’re showing up into the world through style. And so I do in-person styling, um, in the tri-state area, and then outside of the tri-state area, I do virtual styling as well. Um, and also I have my book Girl Dress the Body that you’ve got, and that is on Amazon as well. And that’s there to give you the confidence to go ahead and wear that outfit, even if somebody says, oh, that’s too over the top, still wear it.
Amy Stone [00:34:03]:
Sure, that’s you, or that’s not for people your age, or, you know, what the joke— the joke I used to have like all these years, you know, When the articles would come out like how to get a swimsuit body and I was like, you get a swimsuit body by putting a swimsuit on your body. All the bodies, swimsuit bodies.
Charnisse Thompson [00:34:19]:
Yes.
Amy Stone [00:34:20]:
All right, so you have a special offer for the listeners, the Style Reset, which is a free style guide, a style and confidence guide designed for women navigating change. So the links for the special offer and to your website and to your book on Amazon are all in the show notes or the show description wherever you are listening or watching the show. The easiest way to get the links though for everybody who’s in the audience is to subscribe to The Art of Imperfect Adulting email community because then when I send out the newsletter, the links are in there and you can just click on them. Super easy peasy. Love that.
Amy Stone [00:34:56]:
Love that.
Amy Stone [00:34:57]:
Are you ready? I want to thank you for the generous offer and all of the information. Are you ready to move on to these final questions?
Charnisse Thompson [00:35:05]:
Yes.
Amy Stone [00:35:07]:
Let’s do it. All right, here we go. This is show and tell. Even though there’s information all over the place about things, I like to get recommendations from my guests for the people in the audience and for myself. I like them too. So I ask all of my guests to share something. It’s a loosey-goosey question. A book, a podcast, a show, it could even be a movie that you think people in the audience would like. And you get bonus points if the podcast or the book is by a woman.
Charnisse Thompson [00:35:37]:
So I’ve been reading— I actually just finished reading this book called The Game of Life.
Amy Stone [00:35:45]:
Okay.
Charnisse Thompson [00:35:46]:
And How to Play It. And I believe it is by a woman. And I love this book. I think it’s perfect, especially for anyone that is navigating any kind of change in terms of just life in general. It is such a good book and I definitely recommend it.
Amy Stone [00:36:06]:
Thank you for that recommendation. I love that. Okay, next question. Here we go. This segment is called Unsupervised Online Shopping, putting you on the spot. What is the most recent thing that you bought online that you’re willing to share with the audience?
Charnisse Thompson [00:36:23]:
So I recently bought a pair of thigh-high boots that I’m going to be wearing. For the fall season.
Amy Stone [00:36:32]:
That is a good share. That is a good share. I love that. I love also that you live in a place that has boot weather because I spend most of my year in the tropics where boots are a one-day-a-year kind of thing. So it’s like if you live in— I live in Miami. If you live in Miami, you always wanna buy boots on sale because you’re only— if you get to wear ’em one day per year, that’s, you know, that’s lucky. You know, we don’t have that weather for heavy boots. That is it. Thank you very much. Thank you so much, Charnisse, for being a wonderful guest today on The Art of Imperfect Adulting.
Charnisse Thompson [00:37:05]:
Thank you, Amy, so much for inviting me. I appreciate it.
Amy Stone [00:37:11]:
Thank you for joining me today.
Amy Stone [00:37:14]:
I hope you enjoyed the show.
Amy Stone [00:37:16]:
Before I go, I want to encourage you to become a bigger part of the conversation. Please subscribe wherever you’re listening or watching the show. That helps my stats. From the bottom of my indie creator heart is to please tell your friends about the show. That is the real way new people discover it. If you feel motivated, I would love it if you rated the show or wrote a review on whatever platform you are using. Please be sure to head over to imperfectadulting.com and sign up for the email community. I call this the village. You’ll get some free stuff right away. And you’ll begin to get the weekly emails that I send. This includes the links for special offers from any guests on the show and cool stuff I put together for the community. There’s a lot more going on than just this show, and the only way to find out is to get the emails. Plus, you’re busy. You don’t have time or desire to follow every single tidbit on social media, and you don’t have to because I’m happy to send it to you. If If you have a story you’d like to share with the audience, I have an open application for guests. Guess where you’ll find it? That’s right, on the website and in the emails. And that’s a wrap for this episode. Until next time, remember that the journey is the destination. Ralph Waldo Emerson said that, not me. Well, until just now. I did just say it. But what I want you to hear today is that if your adulting journey isn’t going the way you expected, that just may not mean you’re lost. It may mean that you’re just on your way. And now the fine print. The Art of Imperfect Adulting podcast and streaming video show is a copyrighted work created and produced by Amy Stone and Amy Says So. The music was written and produced by Todd Thompson at Dharma Bomb Studios. All rights are reserved. Anything expressed on this show is offered as entertainment, and the views of the guests may not always represent the ideas and viewpoints of the host. That’s me. Amy Stone does not intend to hold myself— herself out to provide professional advice or recommendations of any kind. In the end, you and you alone need to make those kinds of decisions based on your personal and individual situation, needs, circumstances, and comfort level. Yeah, it’s a little weird for me to talk about myself in the third person, but you get the idea. This is Amy Stone.
Amy Stone [00:39:35]:
Signing off.