Getting fired is always tough, but losing your job after carrying a company on your back? That hits different. For u/everybodys-therapist, it was also the start of one of the most satisfying workplace stories the internet has seen in a while.
She wasn’t just a designer—she was the glue holding it all together
Originally hired as a professional media designer, she soon found herself wearing every hat imaginable. From running large-scale events to managing AV setups, she took on more than anyone should be expected to handle. And when the company refused to invest in proper gear, she brought her own.
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“All of that equipment had my name on it to make sure that it wouldn't get lost if I lent it out.”— u/everybodys-therapist
That foresight would pay off in a big way. The layoff came five years in, during what her boss described as a “downsizing.” Translation: she was being replaced by a fresh-out-of-college hire who’d be expected to do the jobs of multiple seasoned employees.
Fired employee leaving work with box of their belongingsCanva
Before she could even process it, her boss gave her one final instruction:
“Take everything that is yours, as you won't be coming back.”— u/everybodys-therapistChallenge accepted.
With help from a coworker, she loaded up her Ford Explorer with every piece of personal equipment she’d brought in over the years. Cameras, cables, mics, lights—if it was hers, it went.
“With every box we loaded, my boss grew increasingly panicked.”— u/everybodys-therapist
Then came the best part: the AV booth.
Recently-fired employee packing up belongingsCanva
She walked out with the tools that had powered the company’s biggest events—and walked right into Reddit legend status.
Reddit users cheered her on, many sharing their own satisfying endings.
u/AcmeCartoonVillian wrote: “Twenty years ago, I did almost exactly this… My colleague and I left to start our own sign company and copy center, taking a significant portion of legacy customers with us.”
Supportive commentReddit | u/That-Dutch-Mechanic
Another, u/DracoDeVis, recalled: “When my mother’s theater company laid off its production team before going bankrupt, her costume team discreetly retrieved thousands of costumes they had crafted.”
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These weren’t just petty victories—they were cautionary tales for employers who take their most loyal people for granted.
Another supportive comment from RedditReddit | u/mrbitterness_
As for u/everybodys-therapist, the company didn’t last long after her departure.
“The company only lasted another year.”— u/everybodys-therapist
They underestimated what she brought to the table. And when they told her to take everything that was hers, they didn’t realize she’d be taking everything that made their events run, their tech function, and their reputation stay intact.
Let this be a warning: if someone’s keeping your business running, maybe don’t treat them like they’re disposable. You might find out the hard way how much they really did.
This article originally appeared earlier this year.
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21 products that are gaslighting us into thinking they’re essential when they’re not
Some things in life are actually necessary—clean water, decent healthcare, basic human decency. But then there are the things that feel like they’re gaslighting us. The things we’re told we can’t live without, even though we survived just fine before they existed. Things like "smart" fridges, lawn fertilizer services, and yes—whole body deodorant.
Recently, our sister-site Upworthy asked their Facebook audience the question: What's a product or service that feels like it's gaslighting all of us into thinking it's necessary? More than 8,000 responses poured in. The answers were passionate, funny, and surprisingly unified.
Here are 21 products, services, and systems people called out for pretending to be essential—when they might actually be optional, overpriced, or flat-out invented.
1. Whole body deodorant
"Take a shower," said Shannon H.
“How did we ever manage all those years without it!! 😂😵💫” added Karen R.
Others noted it may help people with medical conditions—but for the average person, it's definitely a marketing creation.
2. Health insurance
It topped the list. Erica L. explained: “My doctor prescribes, the pharmacist issues meds, nurses care for people, surgeons do surgery—Health Insurance stands between health care and patients and says no, exclusively on whether they think it’s financially effective to treat you.”
Important note: Health insurance can provide life-saving access for many—but what people are frustrated by here is the profit-first system, not care itself.
3. The wedding industry
Multiple people slammed the high cost of modern weddings.
JoElla B. put it plainly: “We spend too much time and money planning one day, and not enough thought on how to blend two lives in a mutually beneficial one.”
Others called out expensive dresses, venues, and pressure to perform for social media.
4. Bottled water
Carole D. said: “Water in plastic bottles! Get a cup!”
While bottled water has value in emergencies, it’s often just filtered tap water—sold for profit in plastic.
5. Baby product overload
“Most baby products,” wrote Kelli O. “They really aren’t as needy and complicated as companies want us to think.”
6. Fabric softener
“It’s bad for clothes, bad for the Earth, bad for the wallet, and totally unnecessary,” said Gail H.
Some experts agree—many softeners contain chemicals that can reduce fabric lifespan and irritate skin.
7. Smart appliances
“Adding ‘phone controls’ to every appliance instead of making them last as long as they used to,” wrote Sherry S.
When your fridge needs a software update, something’s gone off the rails.
8. Makeup and anti-aging products
“Anything anti-aging,” said Melissa T., “Please just let me age into the gargoyle I was meant to become.”
Others questioned products designed to “fix” eyelashes, eyebrows, pores, and graying hair.
April S. added, “Products that women are convinced they MUST have in order to be ‘beautiful’ and therefore ‘loved.’”
9. Cosmetic surgery
Ron P. called out the industry as a whole. And while body autonomy matters, many commenters questioned whether insecurities are being commodified and sold back to us.
10. Ticketmaster and “convenience fees”
“Let’s go back to waiting in line at a record store,” wrote Nicole C.
Zaida B. added: “Convenience fee for online purchases—then charging $10 more at the actual event.”
11. Engagement rings
James P. didn’t mince words: “Engagement rings.”
The diamond industry has long been criticized for manufactured scarcity and marketing-fueled necessity.
12. Lawn chemicals and services
“Plant native grasses and you don’t have the pests or need for constant watering,” wrote Jamie B.
Environmental groups have raised similar concerns over runoff and unnecessary pesticide use.
13. AI and generative tech
“This stuff squeezes the lifeblood and individuality out of the human experience,” said Teresa L.
Saskia D. and others echoed skepticism about its necessity, even as many of us are being pushed to use it.
14. Funeral services
Amy W. shared: “My parents both have already paid to have themselves cremated and are very adamant that they do not want anything big done for them. In their words, ‘I won’t care, I’m dead.’”
Of course, some families find comfort in tradition—but the cost and pressure can feel overwhelming and predatory.
15. Rinse and repeat
Amy D. nailed it: “It’s just to sell more. Not even sure you need it at all.”
16. Credit Card Surcharges
Shawn S. took aim at the extra fees popping up at checkout: “That is the cost of doing business and shouldn’t be the burden of the purchaser.”
Many questioned why customers are increasingly being asked to pay extra simply for the convenience of using a card.
17. Constant phone upgrades
“Apple are notorious for releasing the same shit every year,” said Steph S.
Diana H. added, “Needing to upgrade our phones so frequently.”
Built-in obsolescence and marketing cycles drive most of the demand.
18. Vitamins and supplements
“If I took every supplement they say I NEED I wouldn’t need food. Nor could I afford it,” said Tausha L.
19. Fake pockets on women’s pants
Jessica W. said, “I have to buy men’s pants for work because women’s pants would just get torn up too fast!”
Form over function, and then they charge more for it.
20. Disposable everything
“The ‘convenience’ of disposable everything,” said Rick R.
It’s killing the planet—and draining wallets.
21. Tipping
“I’m sick of supplementing for corporations that refuse to pay a living wage,” wrote Susan V.
Tipping culture has evolved into something far removed from its original intent, and for many, it now feels like a burden shifted onto the customer.
The bigger picture
People aren’t saying all these things should vanish tomorrow. But when we start seeing convenience sold as necessity, and insecurity turned into billion-dollar markets, it's worth asking: who benefits from all of this?
And more importantly—who pays?
This article originally appeared earlier this year.