Ep. 35: The Disney Layoffs 2026: Regroup, Recalibrate, Ready!

This week of April 12, 2026, Disney laid off 1000 employees. My LinkedIn filled with 86,000 impressions in my written response to lazy AI slop about “streaming failure.” Disney+ is a streaming success. But 1000 careers were cut. I see you. You have value. You’re not done and your success will land anew. 

I’ve been out of work 18 months. That’s not a trauma dump: that’s my receipt. I’m still here. I’m still making things. And if I am, you are. The layoff ended your job. It didn’t end your career.

This episode is for Disney employees and any worker in the world who just lost their job and can’t see the horizon right now. How could you? It’s fresh. So, here’s what I’ve learned in 18 months: no timelines, just truth.

Process it. Give yourself permission to feel it before you fix it. The shock is real.  

Get referrals. Your network remembers how you treated people, not your badge number. Kindness outlasts credits. Message or talk to people you work with since referrals are at a premium in this current job market.

Know your metrics. List the things you did at Disney that exist outside Disney. Streaming launches. Franchise management. Global rollouts. Subscriber growth. Churn reduction. Marketing successes.

Your three biggest achievements are your passport. Not your title. Not your tenure. The wins you drove. Write them down. Those go on every call, every email, every intro. That’s what travels.

Create a sandbox resume. Everything you’ve done and know how to do. Every show, every deal, every fire you put out. Plug it into AI engines you trust to contextualize it. Next, frame it in your own voice. AI can organize. Only you can own it. Don’t let it write you; let it reflect you.

You could even start a podcast like I did. Mine runs on donations. They’re modest and all appreciated and the podcast will grow. I don’t have ads. It’s not my job. But if you build it, the community will grow around you. The point isn’t money, the point is building and connecting with your audiences who trust you.

This isn’t hustle happy talk. It isn’t “just network harder.” It’s reality. You’ll be okay, even if the horizon isn’t in sight right now. Regroup. Recalibrate. Ready. Not on my schedule. On yours.

Let’s Talk About Hollywood™  is written and produced by Karl Gibson. New episodes on Thursdays or Fridays. 621 downloads. 31 countries and counting.

The podcast will always be free and runs on audience donations. I'll thank you on the air in an episode! Thank you!

💛 To support the podcast and help keep it independent, donations can be made from 96 countries here:  
https://letstalkabouthollywood.com/support

or to support my GoFundMe here, international currency donations available: 

https://gofund.me/9fa60a3b2

Check out this episode!

Ep. 35: The Disney Layoffs 2026: Regroup, Recalibrate, Ready!

This week of April 12, 2026, Disney laid off 1000 employees. My LinkedIn filled with 86,000 impressions in my written response to lazy AI slop about “streaming failure.” Disney+ is a streaming success. But 1000 careers were cut. I see you. You have value. You’re not done and your success will land anew. 

I’ve been out of work 18 months. That’s not a trauma dump: that’s my receipt. I’m still here. I’m still making things. And if I am, you are. The layoff ended your job. It didn’t end your career.

This episode is for Disney employees and any worker in the world who just lost their job and can’t see the horizon right now. How could you? It’s fresh. So, here’s what I’ve learned in 18 months: no timelines, just truth.

Process it. Give yourself permission to feel it before you fix it. The shock is real.  

Get referrals. Your network remembers how you treated people, not your badge number. Kindness outlasts credits. Message or talk to people you work with since referrals are at a premium in this current job market.

Know your metrics. List the things you did at Disney that exist outside Disney. Streaming launches. Franchise management. Global rollouts. Subscriber growth. Churn reduction. Marketing successes.

Your three biggest achievements are your passport. Not your title. Not your tenure. The wins you drove. Write them down. Those go on every call, every email, every intro. That’s what travels.

Create a sandbox resume. Everything you’ve done and know how to do. Every show, every deal, every fire you put out. Plug it into AI engines you trust to contextualize it. Next, frame it in your own voice. AI can organize. Only you can own it. Don’t let it write you; let it reflect you.

You could even start a podcast like I did. Mine runs on donations. They’re modest and all appreciated and the podcast will grow. I don’t have ads. It’s not my job. But if you build it, the community will grow around you. The point isn’t money, the point is building and connecting with your audiences who trust you.

This isn’t hustle happy talk. It isn’t “just network harder.” It’s reality. You’ll be okay, even if the horizon isn’t in sight right now. Regroup. Recalibrate. Ready. Not on my schedule. On yours.

Let’s Talk About Hollywood™  is written and produced by Karl Gibson. New episodes on Thursdays or Fridays. 621 downloads. 31 countries and counting.

The podcast will always be free and runs on audience donations. I'll thank you on the air in an episode! Thank you!

💛 To support the podcast and help keep it independent, donations can be made from 96 countries here:  
https://letstalkabouthollywood.com/support

or to support my GoFundMe here, international currency donations available: 

https://gofund.me/9fa60a3b2

Check out this episode!

Ep. 34: AKA - Ask Karl Anything

In this week’s Ask Karl Anything episode, I answer listener questions about leaving Los Angeles after 29 years, starting over on Florida’s Gulf Coast, and whether making this podcast and sharing candid parts of my life is ever hard.

It’s an episode about home, memory, reinvention, career and what it means to speak honestly about your life. Thanks for listening, and I’ll see you there!

The podcast will always be free and runs on audience donations. I'll thank you on the air in an episode! Thank you!

💛 To support the podcast and help keep it independent, donations can be made from 96 countries here:  
https://letstalkabouthollywood.com/support

or to support my GoFundMe here, international currency donations available: 

https://gofund.me/9fa60a3b2

Check out this episode!

Ep. 34: AKA - Ask Karl Anything

In this week’s Ask Karl Anything episode, I answer listener questions about leaving Los Angeles after 29 years, starting over on Florida’s Gulf Coast, and whether making this podcast and sharing candid parts of my life is ever hard.

It’s an episode about home, memory, reinvention, career and what it means to speak honestly about your life. Thanks for listening, and I’ll see you there!

The podcast will always be free and runs on audience donations. I'll thank you on the air in an episode! Thank you!

💛 To support the podcast and help keep it independent, donations can be made from 96 countries here:  
https://letstalkabouthollywood.com/support

or to support my GoFundMe here, international currency donations available: 

https://gofund.me/9fa60a3b2

Check out this episode!

Ep. 33: Hollywood Assistant: Pay Your Dues, Not Your Identity

In this episode, I talk about what it's like being an assistant at an multi-million dollar enterprise and how being the best at your work and paying your dues is smart, but losing your identity and your own unique career path doesn't come with the job. I share a slice of life, the clashes and the wins that set a precedent for the career to ultimately come. As always, it's not what you say yes to, it's what you say no to and why. Assistants rock and this episode represents for all! 

If you'd like to support the podcast - it's always free and runs on donations, of any amount, like yours, you can do so below! I use Donorbox, available in 96 countries and currencies. And it's safe! Thank you and see you next week.   xox - Karl

💛 To support the podcast and help keep it independent:  
www.letstalkabouthollywood.com/support

I've launched a GoFundMe for this podcast and my Industry reset and I'm 37% toward my goal! If you're interested in supporting, or even sharing the link, please do so here:
https://gofund.me/9fa60a3b2

Check out this episode!

Ep. 33: Hollywood Assistant: Pay Your Dues, Not Your Identity

In this episode, I talk about what it's like being an assistant at an multi-million dollar enterprise and how being the best at your work and paying your dues is smart, but losing your identity and your own unique career path doesn't come with the job. I share a slice of life, the clashes and the wins that set a precedent for the career to ultimately come. As always, it's not what you say yes to, it's what you say no to and why. Assistants rock and this episode represents for all! 

If you'd like to support the podcast - it's always free and runs on donations, of any amount, like yours, you can do so below! I use Donorbox, available in 96 countries and currencies. And it's safe! Thank you and see you next week.   xox - Karl

💛 To support the podcast and help keep it independent:  
www.letstalkabouthollywood.com/support

I've launched a GoFundMe for this podcast and my Industry reset and I'm 37% toward my goal! If you're interested in supporting, or even sharing the link, please do so here:
https://gofund.me/9fa60a3b2

Check out this episode!

Ep. 32: Summertime Madness

In this episode, it's the summer of 2002 and everyone (except my Mom and sister) is pissy and stressed. I'm working 6-day weeks at The Hollywood Reporter, my spouse has just gotten a new job, we've got a new apartment just weeks away from moving into, my then-best friend is tripping, and overall it's just a slice of life of pre-autumn summertime madness!

If you'd like to support the podcast - it's always free and runs on donations, of any amount, like yours, you can do so below! I use Donorbox, available in 96 countries and currencies. And it's safe! Thank you and see you next week.   xox - Karl

💛 To support the podcast and help keep it independent:  
www.letstalkabouthollywood.com/support

I've launched a GoFundMe for this podcast and my Industry reset and I'm 37% toward my goal! If you're interested in supporting, or even sharing the link, please do so here:
https://gofund.me/9fa60a3b2

Check out this episode!

Ep. 32: Summertime Madness

In this episode, it's the summer of 2002 and everyone (except my Mom and sister) is pissy and stressed. I'm working 6-day weeks at The Hollywood Reporter, my spouse has just gotten a new job, we've got a new apartment just weeks away from moving into, my then-best friend is tripping, and overall it's just a slice of life of pre-autumn summertime madness!

If you'd like to support the podcast - it's always free and runs on donations, of any amount, like yours, you can do so below! I use Donorbox, available in 96 countries and currencies. And it's safe! Thank you and see you next week.   xox - Karl

💛 To support the podcast and help keep it independent:  
www.letstalkabouthollywood.com/support

I've launched a GoFundMe for this podcast and my Industry reset and I'm 37% toward my goal! If you're interested in supporting, or even sharing the link, please do so here:
https://gofund.me/9fa60a3b2

Check out this episode!

Ep. 31: Chaos & Confrontation on the Sunset Strip

In this episode, an update comes in 2002 about one of my closest actor friendships, an actor I'd worked with for nearly two years and shared off-the-set experiences with, that came to a chaotic and argumentative end on Sunset Blvd. at 2 a.m. in 1998.

This episode honors friendship, grief, and touches on the start of when a loved one's drug use overpowers everything you used to know about each other. 

If you'd like to support the podcast - it's always free and runs on donations, of any amount, like yours, you can do so below! I use Donorbox, available in 96 countries and currencies. And it's safe! Thank you and see you next week.   xox - Karl

💛 To support the podcast and help keep it independent:  
www.letstalkabouthollywood.com/support

I've launched a GoFundMe for this podcast and my Industry reset and I'm 37% toward my goal! If you're interested in supporting, or even sharing the link, please do so here:
https://gofund.me/9fa60a3b2

 

Check out this episode!

Ep. 31: Chaos & Confrontation on the Sunset Strip

In this episode, an update comes in 2002 about one of my closest actor friendships, an actor I'd worked with for nearly two years and shared off-the-set experiences with, that came to a chaotic and argumentative end on Sunset Blvd. at 2 a.m. in 1998.

This episode honors friendship, grief, and touches on the start of when a loved one's drug use overpowers everything you used to know about each other. 

If you'd like to support the podcast - it's always free and runs on donations, of any amount, like yours, you can do so below! I use Donorbox, available in 96 countries and currencies. And it's safe! Thank you and see you next week.   xox - Karl

💛 To support the podcast and help keep it independent:  
www.letstalkabouthollywood.com/support

I've launched a GoFundMe for this podcast and my Industry reset and I'm 37% toward my goal! If you're interested in supporting, or even sharing the link, please do so here:
https://gofund.me/9fa60a3b2

 

Check out this episode!

Ep. 30: It Comes Back to Your Career

This week's episode talks about the current armchair analysis of Hollywood in certain forums that incorrectly see a wholesale AI takeover and is crowning winners of a future consolidate Hollywood without taking into account that the paying customers and audiences will be the judge of that. The 2002 journals detail an impending move, the stress of trade-offs in a career, leaving Hollywood in style, and why it's not so much leaving in style so much as it is leaving on your own terms and with your sanity intact. Let's talk...about Hollywood!

If you'd like to support the podcast - it's always free and runs on donations, of any amount, like yours, you can do so below! I use Donorbox, available in 96 countries and currencies. And it's safe! Thank you and see you next week.   xox - Karl

💛 To support the podcast and help keep it independent:  
www.letstalkabouthollywood.com/support

I've launched a GoFundMe for this podcast and my Industry reset and I'm 37% toward my goal! If you're interested in supporting, or even sharing the link, please do so here:
https://gofund.me/9fa60a3b2

Check out this episode!

Ep. 30: It Comes Back to Your Career

This week's episode talks about the current armchair analysis of Hollywood in certain forums that incorrectly see a wholesale AI takeover and is crowning winners of a future consolidate Hollywood without taking into account that the paying customers and audiences will be the judge of that. The 2002 journals detail an impending move, the stress of trade-offs in a career, leaving Hollywood in style, and why it's not so much leaving in style so much as it is leaving on your own terms and with your sanity intact. Let's talk...about Hollywood!

If you'd like to support the podcast - it's always free and runs on donations, of any amount, like yours, you can do so below! I use Donorbox, available in 96 countries and currencies. And it's safe! Thank you and see you next week.   xox - Karl

💛 To support the podcast and help keep it independent:  
www.letstalkabouthollywood.com/support

I've launched a GoFundMe for this podcast and my Industry reset and I'm 37% toward my goal! If you're interested in supporting, or even sharing the link, please do so here:
https://gofund.me/9fa60a3b2

Check out this episode!

Ep. 29: "You're the Golden Child, It Doesn't Matter"

I'm back and offering prayers for love, peace and safety in our current global conflict. My first solo invite to a party in 2002 where I gained entree into Black Hollywood. This is part two of a two-parter and also touches on those early days in Hollywood, the vibes of trying to get on the radar of PR execs and the town. I throw Bebbles a party and, later, a bar brawl nearly ensues when an admirer gets too close. 

If you'd like to support the podcast - it's always free and runs on donations, of any amount, like yours, you can do so below! I use Donorbox, available in 96 countries and currencies. And it's safe! Thank you and see you next week.   xox - Karl

💛 To support the podcast and help keep it independent:  
www.letstalkabouthollywood.com/support

I've launched a GoFundMe for this podcast and my Industry reset and I'm 37% toward my goal! If you're interested in supporting, or even sharing the link, please do so here:
https://gofund.me/9fa60a3b2

 

 

Check out this episode!

Ep. 29: "You're the Golden Child, It Doesn't Matter"

I'm back and offering prayers for love, peace and safety in our current global conflict. My first solo invite to a party in 2002 where I gained entree into Black Hollywood. This is part two of a two-parter and also touches on those early days in Hollywood, the vibes of trying to get on the radar of PR execs and the town. I throw Bebbles a party and, later, a bar brawl nearly ensues when an admirer gets too close. 

If you'd like to support the podcast - it's always free and runs on donations, of any amount, like yours, you can do so below! I use Donorbox, available in 96 countries and currencies. And it's safe! Thank you and see you next week.   xox - Karl

💛 To support the podcast and help keep it independent:  
www.letstalkabouthollywood.com/support

I've launched a GoFundMe for this podcast and my Industry reset and I'm 37% toward my goal! If you're interested in supporting, or even sharing the link, please do so here:
https://gofund.me/9fa60a3b2

 

 

Check out this episode!

Ep. 28 - The Hustle and the Hell

Welcome! In this episode I talk about my first party in 2002 where I gained entree into Black Hollywood. This is a two-parter and also touches on those early days in Hollywood, or a career, where the hustle feels like hell until your career kicks off - but it does get better, so hang in there! Sometimes it just takes one manifest to let you know you're on the right track.

I've launched a GoFundMe for this podcast and my Industry reset that will be up for a couple of weeks. I'm 35% toward my goal! If you're interested in supporting, or even sharing the link, please do so here:
https://gofund.me/9fa60a3b2

 

If you'd like to support the podcast - it's always free and runs on donations, of any amount, like yours, you can do so below! I use Donorbox, available in 96 countries and currencies. And it's safe! Thank you and see you next week.   xox - Karl

💛 To support the podcast and help keep it independent:  
https://donorbox.org/please-support-the-let-s-talk-about-hollywood-podcast-series

Check out this episode!

Ep. 28 - The Hustle and the Hell

Welcome! In this episode I talk about my first party in 2002 where I gained entree into Black Hollywood. This is a two-parter and also touches on those early days in Hollywood, or a career, where the hustle feels like hell until your career kicks off - but it does get better, so hang in there! Sometimes it just takes one manifest to let you know you're on the right track.

I've launched a GoFundMe for this podcast and my Industry reset that will be up for a couple of weeks. I'm 35% toward my goal! If you're interested in supporting, or even sharing the link, please do so here:
https://gofund.me/9fa60a3b2

 

If you'd like to support the podcast - it's always free and runs on donations, of any amount, like yours, you can do so below! I use Donorbox, available in 96 countries and currencies. And it's safe! Thank you and see you next week.   xox - Karl

💛 To support the podcast and help keep it independent:  
https://donorbox.org/please-support-the-let-s-talk-about-hollywood-podcast-series

Check out this episode!

Ep. 27 - Running Toward Him

Welcome! In this episode I talk about my first and only husband and a moment of missing each other that I see even more clearly now. It's been 20 years, yet he was so intrisic to my career and life that there are times, in dreams, where all I want to do to make sense of the world is...to go running toward him for that moment. 

If you'd like to support the podcast - it's always free and runs on donations, of any amount, like yours, you can do so below! I use Donorbox, available in 96 countries and currencies. And it's safe! Thank you and see you next week.   xox - Karl

💛 To support the podcast and help keep it independent:  
https://donorbox.org/please-support-the-let-s-talk-about-hollywood-podcast-series

Check out this episode!

Ep. 27 - Running Toward Him

Welcome! In this episode I talk about my first and only husband and a moment of missing each other that I see even more clearly now. It's been 20 years, yet he was so intrisic to my career and life that there are times, in dreams, where all I want to do to make sense of the world is...to go running toward him for that moment. 

If you'd like to support the podcast - it's always free and runs on donations, of any amount, like yours, you can do so below! I use Donorbox, available in 96 countries and currencies. And it's safe! Thank you and see you next week.   xox - Karl

💛 To support the podcast and help keep it independent:  
https://donorbox.org/please-support-the-let-s-talk-about-hollywood-podcast-series

Check out this episode!

Ep. 26 - This Time I'm Getting In

Welcome back! In this episode I talk about being torn between wanting to make my new career as an editorial assistant at The Hollywood Reporter, balancing a 440-hour a month work schedule and the same class system I left as a stage actor that I'm starting to see is different, but also the same: it's nuts! Breakthroughs - yours and mine - are never too late.

If you'd like to support the podcast - it's always free and runs on donations, of any amount, like yours, you can do so below! Thank you and see you next week xox

💛 To support the podcast and help keep it independent:  
https://donorbox.org/please-support-the-let-s-talk-about-hollywood-podcast-series

Check out this episode!

Ep. 26 - This Time I'm Getting In

Welcome back! In this episode I talk about being torn between wanting to make my new career as an editorial assistant at The Hollywood Reporter, balancing a 440-hour a month work schedule and the same class system I left as a stage actor that I'm starting to see is different, but also the same: it's nuts! Breakthroughs - yours and mine - are never too late.

If you'd like to support the podcast - it's always free and runs on donations, of any amount, like yours, you can do so below! Thank you and see you next week xox

💛 To support the podcast and help keep it independent:  
https://donorbox.org/please-support-the-let-s-talk-about-hollywood-podcast-series

Check out this episode!

Ep 25 - Shake Up the Algorithm! From L.A. to Tampa Bay

It's a New Year and I'm back from a 4-week hiatus after leaving Los Angeles for the Tampa Bay area. In this episode I talk about what informed that move and how when you know you know. Big leaps of faith can lead to big results, just shake up your own algorithm in life! It's not easy, it takes adjusting and you'll have your days...just know that greater connection awaits! If you'd like to support the podcast - it's always free and runs on donations, of any amount, like yours, you can do so below! Thank you and see you next week xox

💛 To support the podcast and help keep it independent:  
https://donorbox.org/please-support-the-let-s-talk-about-hollywood-podcast-series

 

Check out this episode!

Ep 25 - Shake Up the Algorithm! From L.A. to Tampa Bay

It's a New Year and I'm back from a 4-week hiatus after leaving Los Angeles for the Tampa Bay area. In this episode I talk about what informed that move and how when you know you know. Big leaps of faith can lead to big results, just shake up your own algorithm in life! It's not easy, it takes adjusting and you'll have your days...just know that greater connection awaits! If you'd like to support the podcast - it's always free and runs on donations, of any amount, like yours, you can do so below! Thank you and see you next week xox

💛 To support the podcast and help keep it independent:  
https://donorbox.org/please-support-the-let-s-talk-about-hollywood-podcast-series

 

Check out this episode!