152: How Steven Built a UX Consultancy After Being Laid Off After 17 Years At The Same Company

In this interview, Sarah sits down with Steven, a longtime UX leader who spent 17 years at the same digital agency before an unexpected layoff forced him to re-evaluate everything. With no portfolio, no updated resume, and low confidence, Steven joined Career Strategy Lab, and everything changed.

Today, Steven is thriving as a fractional product design director, long-term contractor, and consultant helping companies elevate their UX teams and integrate AI into their workflows. In this conversation, he shares how Career Stratgegy Lab's UX job search accelerator helped him rebuild his confidence, tell a clear story about 20+ years of experience, streamline his job search, and even reinvent himself as a business owner.

Whether you're mid-career, coming out of a layoff, or curious about consulting, Steven’s story is a grounding reminder that clarity, strategy, and community can completely change your UX career trajectory.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

✔️ How Steven went from 25% confidence to 80% confidence in his job search

✔️ The myth he had to unlearn: your portfolio is not the first step

✔️ Why clarity + foundational work = faster, less stressful job search

✔️ How CSL’s community accelerated his progress and kept him motivated

✔️ The mindset shift that helped him stop applying blindly to jobs

✔️ How he now uses CSL’s frameworks to land consulting and contract roles

✔️ Why your “career operating system” needs ongoing updates

✔️ How knowing your values helps you choose the right opportunities

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction to Sarah Doody and Career Strategy Lab

00:38 Episode Overview and Open House Context

01:26 Sarah Doody's Background and UX Career Coaching

02:31 Steven's Journey and Career Strategy Lab Experience

04:13 Building Confidence and Telling Your Story

06:25 The Power of Community and Networking

09:55 Mindset Shifts and Career Value Criteria

13:03 Freelance and Consulting Success Tips

16:01 Final Thoughts and Advice

18:53 Conclusion and Next Steps

🎬 Watch Sarah's free UX Job Search Workshop and learn how to stand out in today's UX job market

👉 Join Sarah Doody's Career Strategy Lab, a UX job search accelerator for UX and Product people.

👋 Say hi and follow our host, Sarah Doody, on LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube.