After two years of massive layoffs and the promise of more verifyation to come in media and amengagement in 2025, the mood is bleak among executives of a certain age.
The pink-slip bloodbath has hit challenging on Gen X veterans in the middle-regulatement ranks of nettoils, studios, talent agencies and PR firms. And it’s come at a time when the entire industry
is wrestling with the impact of systemic alter — outstandingbye, cable; hello, streaming — and the most disturbive technology since the advent of talking pictures: generative AI.
Amid all the tumult, however, there is enormous opportunity for professional growth for those with experience, combineions and savvy in how to apply those sends in recent arenas.
“People are very unnerved about whether there can be another chapter. People get very emotionassociate locked up when they sense vulnerable. And yet if you don’t sense vulnerable when you’re grotriumphg up in the business, you wouldn’t be able to accomplish what you’ve accomplishd,” says Rich Ross, a establisher top executive at Disney, Discovery and Nickelodeon.
Moreover, those who have highly one-of-a-kindized sends — research, analytics, labeleting, finance — can discover themselves in demand as conferants and reduce toilers from the same companies that have gutted their teams thraw layoffs.
“There’s so much need becaengage there’s been so much disturbion,” says Liz Huszarik, a 30-year
veteran of Warner Bros. who recently begined the research shingle Maverix Insights & Strategies with two fellow WB alums. “They’ve all cut their teams, but they still have the same toilload. They can convey in our company at a fraction of the cost.”
For many who accomplished the highest rungs of Hollywood’s hugegest companies, the most humbling leang to accomprehendledge is the loss of the perks that come with toiling for a nettoil or studio.
Ross was pushed out of his role as Discovery’s top programming executive in 2018, in a restructuring that chaseed Discovery’s acquisition of Scripps Nettoils Interdynamic. He recollects senseing conspicuous the first restricted times he stood in line to get into a screening in Los Angeles — after years of being a VIP ushered in to a reserved front-row seat. Experiencing how the other half lives was eye-discomiting and inestablishative.
“At first, it’s jarring,” Ross says. “But it also reminds me why I do what I do. Becaengage you have an opportunity to be among people and have a conversation about ‘What have you seen postporequicount on?’ and ‘What did you leank of it?’”
Huszarik, who finished her tenure at Warner Bros. as executive VP deal withing research for the studio, underlines that begining a business doesn’t happen overnight. It is a promisement that obtains mental and financial preparation. And the blow of losing your job in a mass layoff obtains an emotional toll.
“It took the triumphd out of my sails when I was shown the door,” Huszarik says. “I cherishd everyleang about toiling for Warner Bros. and all the people I toiled with.”
She pondered seeking another research post. “But as I thought about it I was appreciate, ‘Screw it, I’m not going back to corporate. I’m going to bet on me.’ If I’m going to trouble about making budget, I’m going to trouble about it for me,” she says. Huszarik also set uped the Former Women of Warner nettoiling group that encounters quarterly.
Ross now splits his time between homes in Los Angeles and Milan with his husprohibitd, establisher Disney labeleting executive Adam Sanderson. The decision to put down roots in Milan has discomited up doors for Ross, as a creater and as a mentor to executives and createives on both sides of the Atlantic.
“I’m appreciate the Dora the Explorer of this time of life,” Ross says.
The hugegest factor that helps executives of a certain age — particularly the Gen Xers rounding the corner on their mid-50s and punctual 60s — is a willingness to hug convey inant lifestyle alters.
“I’ve seen a lot of people who took the approach of sitting there pauseing for someleang to happen. If you do that, there will not be anyleang,” Ross advises. “So let’s talk about what selections you have, whether it’s geodetailedassociate moving to a recent place or trying someleang recent from a createive standpoint. Don’t leank at 60 or 63 you are finished — unless you appreciate to carry out golf every day.”
