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293: Navigating Career Grief: From CBS Executive to Moonshot Mentor with Laverne McKinnon
Manage episode 478412218 series 2854910
What do you do when a dream job ends in heartbreak?
In this eye-opening episode of The Mid-Career GPS Podcast, host John Neral sits down with Laverne McKinnon, former Senior VP of Drama Development at CBS, to talk about a rarely acknowledged experience: career grief.
After leading CBS from last place to first with mega-hits like CSI and Criminal Minds, Laverne was unexpectedly fired at the height of her career. What followed was a silent, decade-long struggle with emotional fallout that society often tells us to ignore.
Laverne introduces the concept of disenfranchised grief—a powerful term for the emotional pain professionals feel after job loss or career disruption that isn’t socially validated. Through her LEARN Framework (Look, Explore,
Address, Reframe, Nurture), Laverne shows how we can move from heartbreak to healing, reconnect with our values, and reclaim agency over our careers.
Whether you're facing layoffs, mid-career stagnation, or preparing for a major transition, this episode will help you understand how to grieve the professional losses we’re told to "just get over."
In This Episode, You’ll Learn:
- Why career grief is real—and why ignoring it is harmful
- The emotional impact of sudden job loss after career success
- What disenfranchised grief means in the workplace
- How to use the LEARN framework to process grief and regain clarity
- The connection between unprocessed failure and blocked resilience
- Rituals like writing a "career eulogy" to create closure
- How grief reveals your core values—and points you toward your next moonshot
Connect with Laverne McKinnon
Thank you for listening to The Mid-Career GPS Podcast.
Please leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts here.
Visit https://johnneral.com/resources to get The Mid-Career Job Search Jumpstart and join The Mid-Career GPS Membership Community.
Visit https://johnneral.com to join The Mid-Career GPS Newsletter, a free, twice-weekly career and leadership resource for mid-career professionals.
Connect with John on LinkedIn here.
Get John's New Mid-Career Journal on Amazon here.
Follow John on Instagram @johnneralcoaching.
Subscribe to John's YouTube Channel here.
Chapters
1. Introduction to Career Moonshots (00:00:00)
2. Laverne McKinnon's CBS Success Story (00:03:43)
3. The Firing and Processing Career Grief (00:05:50)
4. The LEARN Method for Career Grief (00:13:56)
5. Building Resilience Through Processing Failure (00:22:05)
6. Finding Your Next Career Moonshot (00:28:26)
295 episodes
Manage episode 478412218 series 2854910
What do you do when a dream job ends in heartbreak?
In this eye-opening episode of The Mid-Career GPS Podcast, host John Neral sits down with Laverne McKinnon, former Senior VP of Drama Development at CBS, to talk about a rarely acknowledged experience: career grief.
After leading CBS from last place to first with mega-hits like CSI and Criminal Minds, Laverne was unexpectedly fired at the height of her career. What followed was a silent, decade-long struggle with emotional fallout that society often tells us to ignore.
Laverne introduces the concept of disenfranchised grief—a powerful term for the emotional pain professionals feel after job loss or career disruption that isn’t socially validated. Through her LEARN Framework (Look, Explore,
Address, Reframe, Nurture), Laverne shows how we can move from heartbreak to healing, reconnect with our values, and reclaim agency over our careers.
Whether you're facing layoffs, mid-career stagnation, or preparing for a major transition, this episode will help you understand how to grieve the professional losses we’re told to "just get over."
In This Episode, You’ll Learn:
- Why career grief is real—and why ignoring it is harmful
- The emotional impact of sudden job loss after career success
- What disenfranchised grief means in the workplace
- How to use the LEARN framework to process grief and regain clarity
- The connection between unprocessed failure and blocked resilience
- Rituals like writing a "career eulogy" to create closure
- How grief reveals your core values—and points you toward your next moonshot
Connect with Laverne McKinnon
Thank you for listening to The Mid-Career GPS Podcast.
Please leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts here.
Visit https://johnneral.com/resources to get The Mid-Career Job Search Jumpstart and join The Mid-Career GPS Membership Community.
Visit https://johnneral.com to join The Mid-Career GPS Newsletter, a free, twice-weekly career and leadership resource for mid-career professionals.
Connect with John on LinkedIn here.
Get John's New Mid-Career Journal on Amazon here.
Follow John on Instagram @johnneralcoaching.
Subscribe to John's YouTube Channel here.
Chapters
1. Introduction to Career Moonshots (00:00:00)
2. Laverne McKinnon's CBS Success Story (00:03:43)
3. The Firing and Processing Career Grief (00:05:50)
4. The LEARN Method for Career Grief (00:13:56)
5. Building Resilience Through Processing Failure (00:22:05)
6. Finding Your Next Career Moonshot (00:28:26)
295 episodes
All episodes
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1 296: Glass Ceilings and Sticky Floors with Erica Rooney 31:44

1 295: Surviving Restructuring, Reorganizations, Layoffs, and RIFs: What Mid-Career Professionals Need to Know 30:09

1 294: Career Help That Won't Break the Bank (But Will Change Your Life) 27:31

1 293: Navigating Career Grief: From CBS Executive to Moonshot Mentor with Laverne McKinnon 33:48

1 292: How to Build Your Personal Board of Directors for Career Success with Dominic Imwalle 32:20

1 291: Kind Curiosity: How to Navigate DEI Conversations with Bernadette Smith 30:36

1 290: When Professional Meets Awkward: How a Job Interview Took an Unexpected Turn 18:58

1 289: Revenge Quitting: Take This Job and....Actually, Wait a Second 23:05

1 288: Client Success Story: How Melissa Mwai Took the "Ick" Out of Networking 30:28

1 287: Three Ways You're Sabotaging Your Job Search & Career 24:24

1 286: How to Navigate Job Uncertainty in 2025 & Stay in Control of Your Career 32:28

1 285: Listen to What You Say to Others About Your Job 19:56

1 284: Insights for Mid-Career Leadership Transformation with Jordana Cole 36:38

1 283: Navigating the 2025 Job Market: White-Collar Recession, DEI Challenges & Career Strategies 33:43

1 282: Unlocking Career Success with Consistency, Courage, and Curiosity with Elena Agaragimova 35:08



1 279: Proven Resume and Cover Letter Tips for 2025 with Stephen Greet 30:15

1 278: Embrace Simplicity & Grow Your Career in 2025 21:05

1 277: Top Mid-Career Success Trends for 2025 22:29

1 276: Happy Holidays and Rediscovering Your Career Freedom 12:19

1 275: "That's Above My Pay Grade" - Setting Boundaries Without Burning Bridges 18:58

1 274: Three Networking Tips for the Holidays 22:56

1 273: Mastering the 30-Minute Job Interview: What You Need to Know 21:56


1 271: From the Baseball Field to Leadership & Team Success with Mike Robbins 32:13

1 270: Should You Ask About Hiring Objections in Your Job Interview? 14:49

1 269: You Don't Have to Love Your Career with Dr. Joy Zhao 34:52

1 268: Estate Planning Essentials for Mid-Career Professionals with Andrea Bryk 36:22

1 267: CRUSH Your Next Job Interview: Transform Your Nerves into Confidence 13:09

1 266: Unlocking Admin-Executive Strategy with Monique Helstrom 32:41

1 265: Strategies for Handling Office Politics with Niven Postma 34:57

1 264: Mastering Communication and Conflict Resolution Skills with Karin Hurt 32:35

1 263: Amazon's Return to Office Policy and What It Means for You 16:34

1 262: Interview Tip: Stop Telling These Stories About Yourself 13:32

1 261: Building Your LinkedIn Network with Jemima Attanasio 37:24

1 260: Performance Improvement Plans: What You Need to Know 18:12

1 259: When You Are Too Valuable to Be Promoted 17:09

1 258: Everyone Deserves a Great Manager with FranklinCovey's Todd Davis 34:04

1 257: Build a Personal Landing Page to Find Your Next Job with Kate Speer 32:59

1 256: Reframe Your Job Search: Why Now Is the Perfect Time to Find Your Next Job 14:55

1 255: Creating an Unstoppable Career with Former Navy Seal and CEO, Alden Mills 33:46

1 254: Owning Your Career While Building a Safety Net with Paula Caligiuri, Ph.D. 29:25

1 253: Deciding Whether You Should Apply for the Job or Not 13:42

1 252: Surviving Career Uncertainty: Lessons from Broadway with Megan Kingery 39:48

1 236: Overcoming Wrongful Termination: Legal Insights and Career Strategies with Sheryl Scott 38:39

1 235: Your Past Doesn't Define You: A Guide to Reframing Your Career Journey 17:06

1 234: Land Your Dream Job! Mastering the Job Market with Josef Stetter 35:23

1 233: Decoding the Silence: Strategies for Understanding and Seeking Job Interview Feedback 24:36

1 232: How to Transfer Your Skills into a New Position with Lisa Friscia 34:48

1 231: Your Soft Skills Are Your Competitive Edge 13:08

1 230: Perfect Your LinkedIn Profile with Rhonda Sher 35:17

1 229: Building a Networking Strategy for Career Growth 19:36

1 228: Elevating Your Career Trajectory: Proactive Strategies for Employed Professionals with Matthew Rolnick 30:48

1 227: The Advantages and Disadvantages of Being a Heart-Centered Leader 23:21

1 226: Three Tips to Effectively Lead in a Post-Pandemic Era with Darrell “Coach D” Andrews 37:57

1 225: How the Belief Triad Can Help You Find Your Next Job 16:51

1 224: Consciously Craft a Meaningful Life and Career In Kind with Michael Neece 31:25

1 223: When to Connect or Follow Someone on LinkedIn 10:47

1 222: Why You Can't Effort Your Way to Success with Dr. Veronica Anderson 34:22

1 251: Three Tips to Advocate for Your Leadership & Career Development 21:00

1 250: Navigating Today's Job Market with More Confidence and Career Clarity 28:42

1 249: When to Pursue an Advanced Degree with Dr. Teresa Yankanich 32:16

1 248: Building a Career Prototype: Strategies for Advancing Your Career with Jeff Perry 34:23

1 247: Effective Leadership by Balancing Directness with Empathy with Vanessa Judelman 37:08

1 246: Finding Happiness After Hardship with Carole Mac 35:54

1 245: Will AI Take Your Job? Reflecting on the 2024 Work Trend Index Report from Microsoft and LinkedIn 21:11

1 244: Breaking Free from Workplace Perfectionism with Vitale Hardin 30:41

1 243: Reframe & Reset Your Career with Harsha Boralessa 34:28

1 242: Level Up Your Interview Preparation and Presentation Skills with Scott D'Amico 33:42

1 241: Mastering Mid-Career Moves: The Power of How You SHOW UP (The Authority Podcast) 55:50

1 240: Conquer the Networking Game with Sue Maitland 35:34

1 239: How a Brain Tumor Helped Create His Mid-Career GPS with Kevin Lowe 38:37

1 238: Client Success Story: Creating Your Career Transformation with Alethea Felton 45:49

1 237: Navigating Age Bias and Building a Legacy in Mid-Career 21:48
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