Episode 587 Laid off, Not Laid Down: Reinventing Yourself After a Late-Career Layoff
Release Date: 07/21/2025
Episode 615: Why More Effort Isn't Working
The Dr CK Bray Show
Most of us have been taught the same rule for success: when things get hard, try harder. Put in more hours. Push a little more. Stay more available. For a long time, that rule worked. In this episode, Dr. Bray turns that idea upside down and explores why it doesn’t anymore. We talk about why so many capable, driven people feel mentally stretched thin despite working harder than ever, and why effort alone is no longer the lever it used to be. This conversation looks beneath the surface of modern work to unpack what pressure, overload, and constant urgency are doing to how we think, decide,...
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Episode 614: Brain First, Technology Second
The Dr CK Bray Show
We were promised that better tools would make work easier. Faster. More efficient. So why do so many smart, capable people feel more overwhelmed, distracted, and mentally drained than ever before? In this episode, Dr. Bray explores what is really happening beneath the surface of modern work and why the problem is not motivation, discipline, or effort. It is how the brain is responding to the way work is designed today. He talks about why thinking feels harder even with better technology, how stress and speed quietly reshape decision making, and what it actually takes to stay clear, focused,...
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Episode 613: Why Do So Many People Think I'm Stupid?
The Dr CK Bray Show
Most people do not procrastinate because they are lazy or unmotivated. They procrastinate because something feels heavy beneath the surface. In this episode of the Dr. CK Bray show, Dr. Bray unpacks why putting things off is often a form of self-protection rather than self-sabotage. He explores what is really happening in the brain when you avoid starting even the things that matter most and why more discipline is rarely the answer. If you have ever wondered why you know what to do but still struggle to begin this conversation is for you. This episode presents a more compassionate and...
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Episode 612: The Brain Science of Procrastination
The Dr CK Bray Show
Most people do not procrastinate because they are lazy or unmotivated. They procrastinate because something feels heavy beneath the surface. In this episode of the Dr. CK Bray show, Dr. Bray unpacks why putting things off is often a form of self-protection rather than self-sabotage. He explores what is really happening in the brain when you avoid starting even the things that matter most and why more discipline is rarely the answer. If you have ever wondered why you know what to do but still struggle to begin this conversation is for you. This episode presents a more compassionate and...
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Episode 611: Why 40 Million People Quit Their Job in 2024
The Dr CK Bray Show
What if loving your job has nothing to do with passion, purpose, or perks and everything to do with how often you get to be yourself at work? In this interesting episode with Dr. Bray, he unpacks a powerful idea from Marcus Buckingham that challenges how leaders think about engagement, retention, and performance. Most people are not burned out because they work too hard. They are burned out because they rarely get to do the parts of the job that give them energy. The moments where time disappears. The conversations that feel natural. The problems they solve instinctively. Those moments are not...
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Episode 610: This is the Year You STOP!
The Dr CK Bray Show
As the year comes to a close, many people feel it. A mix of relief, pressure, and a quiet sense that something needs to change. Not because they failed, but because despite doing many things right, the year felt heavier than expected. In this episode, Dr. Christopher K. Bray explores a different way to approach the New Year. Instead of setting bigger goals or trying to fix yourself, he invites you to stop and look at two things that may be quietly holding you back. The first is the automatic behavior that shows up when you are under pressure. How you communicate. How you protect yourself. How...
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Episode 609: Design Your Brain Not Your Goals for 2026
The Dr CK Bray Show
Everyone is talking about goals right now. New habits. New plans. New resolutions. But what if the most important thing to design for the New Year is not your goals, but your brain? In this episode, Dr. Christopher K. Bray introduces a different way to think about the year ahead. Instead of focusing on what you want to accomplish in 2026, he explores how your daily pace, stress, attention, and recovery are quietly shaping the brain you will live with all year long. And why that matters more than most people realize. Drawing on neuroscience and real-world examples from high performers, this...
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Episode 608: The Holiday Brain
The Dr CK Bray Show
The holidays look simple from the outside, but inside the brain they are anything but. This week, Dr Bray explores why this season stirs up so much emotion and how small rituals, tiny moments of connection, and simple sensory cues can create the holiday season you really want. You will hear stories, science, and a few practical ideas and tips you can use to bring more meaning and calm into the next few weeks. If the holidays feel wonderful, complicated, or a little of both, this episode will help you create a season that feels grounded, joyful, and full of meaning. Quotes by Dr. Bray...
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Episode 607: A Season of Surprising Shifts
The Dr CK Bray Show
Sometimes a single month can hold enough joy, loss, wonder, and meaning to rearrange the way you see your entire life. In this episode, I share three moments that arrived unexpectedly and changed me in ways I didn’t anticipate. You’ll hear about neighbors who taught me something about legacy, a newborn who altered my sense of what truly matters, and a friend whose final wish reminded me of the impact one life can have. It is a story of beginnings and endings, presence and absence, and the quiet space where both shape us. I rarely talk about my personal life at this depth, but this season...
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Episode 606: The Language of Leadership: Seven Phrases Every Leader Should Use
The Dr CK Bray Show
If you want to level up your leadership in under fifteen minutes, this episode is for you. Dr. Bray is breaking down seven simple phrases that can completely change how your team collaborates, performs, and shows up every day. These are not clichés, and they are not soft skills. They are powerful signals that shift how the brain responds to stress, trust, and connection. In this episode, Dr. Bray explains why these phrases land, how they change the way people think and act, and how you can start using them right away. One conversation can change a culture. One phrase can change the tone of an...
info_outline“Laid Off, Not Laid Down. Reinventing Yourself After a Late-Career Layoff”
What happens when the career you spent decades building suddenly ends before you’re ready? You’re not alone, and this episode is for you.
Dr. Bray dives into the growing phenomenon of late-career layoffs after several friends and clients have experienced a surprise layoff when they least expected it. Dr. Bray discusses what this means for your identity, finances, and future. Whether you’re in your late 40s, 50s, or 60s, staring down an unexpected layoff, or just want to prepare for what’s ahead, this is the conversation no one else is having… but everyone needs to hear.
Dr. Bray will explore:
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Why getting laid off later in life hits harder (hint: your brain chemistry and identity are involved)
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The emotional fallout no one talks about, and how to start feeling human again
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What neuroscience tells us about resilience and reinvention (yes, your brain is still wired for growth)
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Real-world transitions from full-time execs to fractional leaders, consultants, and purpose-driven career pivots
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Powerful tools you can use today to reframe your mindset and build momentum
You’ll walk away with science-backed insight, actionable strategies, and maybe even a little bit of hope. Because your best years might not be behind you, they might look different from what you expected.
This podcast isn’t about survival. It’s about reinvention. And it starts here.
QUOTES BY DR. BRAY
“Aging isn’t what stalls a career; irrelevance is.”
“You may not be ready to stop working, but for sure you are ready to work differently.”
“You’re the sum of everything over the years that you’ve learned, contributed and overcome—and really, you’re just getting started.”