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A Delhi businessman who was earning Rs 60 lakh annually says losing his corporate job became the turning point that pushed him towards entrepreneurship and self-growth.
His story of rejection, panic attacks and rebuilding a life struck a chord online
A Delhi-based businessman spoke about one of the toughest phases of his life, where he was fired from a high-paying corporate job while carrying a huge home loan and no backup plan. What initially seemed like the end of his career later pushed him towards entrepreneurship and rebuilding his life from scratch.
The man, who was earning Rs 5 lakh a month as a manager in a Chinese multinational company, recently shared his story on LinkedIn along with a copy of his termination letter in 2018. His post quickly attracted attention online, with many people relating the fear, uncertainty and stress that comes with losing a stable corporate job.
He was fired despite the highest paying role
The businessman revealed that he was 37 years old when he lost his job. At that time, he had a home loan worth Rs 2 crore and was working in a senior leadership role with an annual salary of around Rs 60 lakh.
In the termination letter dated September 12, 2018, he said the company informed him that his services were being terminated “with immediate effect” due to performance concerns.
“We regret to announce that the management, after watching your performance, has decided to ask you to leave,” the letter read.
Recalling that moment, he wrote: “3 days notice. You’re terminated. You walked out naked. Zero package. Termination stamp.”
He admitted that the sudden job loss left him in emotional shock. For someone who built his identity around his corporate job title and salary, the experience felt deeply personal.
He is struggling after losing his job
He said the months following the termination were very difficult. He talked about making “108 cold calls” looking for work and facing rejection after rejection.
“108 cold calls. 108 rejections. 3 panic attacks in the morning,” he wrote. He also shared how unemployment affected his personal life and confidence.
According to him, even simple everyday moments have become emotionally heavy. “The neighbors saw me sitting at home. My daughter asked a question that I couldn’t answer,” he wrote.
The businessman admitted that shyness and stress began to affect his health during that stage. He said that he began smoking heavily and suffering from insomnia.
“I let the shame attack my body before I attacked the problem,” he said. He claimed he smoked “12 to 15 cigarettes a night” during that period and it later took him eight years to kick the habit completely. “You can get the money back. But your body can’t,” he added.
Lessons learned from rejection
Looking back, he said one of the biggest lessons was understanding that rejection shouldn’t be taken personally. Instead of getting emotional about every “no,” he began to approach the process more practically.
He explained: “70 will ignore you. 30 will sympathize, but will not offer any help. 5 will open the door for you. 1 will determine your next decade.”
According to him, once he stopped seeing rejection as a personal attack, he became mentally stronger and more focused. He also realized how dangerous it was to rely entirely on corporate identity.
“I built a 12-year career on a degree that I stopped earning by year 8. I was a complete slave to the company logo,” he wrote.
The businessman said that being fired from his job forced him to rethink his skills, career path and long-term goals.
Shift towards entrepreneurship
Over time, he rebuilt his career through entrepreneurship and consulting work. He claimed in his post that he later advised projects worth Rs 6,500 crore and worked with more than 65 companies in 19 states.
According to him, losing the job became a turning point that pushed him to build something of his own instead of relying entirely on one company or label.
“The termination was not the end of me. It was my forced birth,” he wrote.
He also stressed the importance of continuous learning and building skills rather than relying solely on academic degrees or job titles. “Degrees expire. Skills accumulate forever,” he added.
The Internet is reacting to the story
His post sparked many reactions online, with many people appreciating his honesty about failure and recovery.
One user wrote, “Sir, many people show success, but it takes real courage to openly share the truth of your difficult phase. This termination letter is not evidence of failure, but evidence of the beginning of a comeback, sir.”
Another jokingly commented: “Bro, I swear I’ve been watching this post from you every day. At this point, I’m confused as to whether your service is being terminated in installments or just a daily reboot for your loyal viewers? Either way, the consistency is impressive.”
One person wrote: “I was struck by the line about the silence of the dinner table. You can deal with your own failure. It’s one thing to watch your family internalize it.”
Another user added: “I recommend building a runway of at least 12 months to cover a transition period or an unexpected mishap.” Another person commented: “Family support is what keeps you sane and going.”
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