Beautiful Virgin Islands

Tuesday, Jun 24, 2025

Employee fired by 'crying CEO' flooded with job offers - and he takes the credit

Employee fired by 'crying CEO' flooded with job offers - and he takes the credit

After facing relentless ridicule online, business owner Braden Wallake said that 'every nasty comment was worth it' after his former employee shared his success

A marketing expert who was laid off by the CEO who went viral for sharing a crying selfie on LinkedIn has been swamped with job offers, according to his former boss. Noah Smith lost his job at the business-to-business marketing agency HyperSocial last week and firm founder Braden Wallake then took to LinkedIn to write an emotional post about the lay-offs, where he described it as the “most vulnerable thing" he will "ever share".

The LinkedIn post detailed how devastated Wallake was to deliver the tough news, and revealed that he blamed himself for failing to retain the laid-off employees. "We just had to layoff a few of our employees. I've seen a lot of layoffs over the last few weeks on LinkedIn. Most of those are due to the economy, or whatever other reason. Ours? My fault," the CEO said.


Most readers didn't take too kindly to the dramatic post, as Wallake was mercilessly ridiculed online for the tearful spiel in which he declared his love for his employees.

Despite claiming he'd 'never felt so low', LinkedIn users continued to criticise the chief executive officer for choosing to share a crying selfie rather than taking action to support his employees.

On Monday, the business owner addressed the online controversy through an update he'd received from this former employee.

Smith, who has openly supported Wallake since being let go from the company, told his former employer that he has been flooded with job opportunities on the very platform Wallake used to discuss Smith's unemployment.

Wallake shared an update about his former employee on LinkedIn


The business owner took to LinkedIn yet again to share Smith's good news. He wrote: "Noah sent me this pic the other day," before attaching a screenshot of Smith's LinkedIn inbox, brimming with people eager to discuss potential jobs.

"Going viral was never intended, but seeing this makes every single nasty comment worth it," Wallake admitted, staying loyal to the sentiment of his original post.

"You guys have FILLED Noah Smith's inbox with job opportunities, job availabilities, and more.

"Because of you all, Noah is going to have a plethora of incredible opportunities to choose from.

"And wherever he decides is going to be so lucky to have him!"

Smith's inbox was flooded with offers


Although the business owner shared that he does not regret sharing a tearful selfie to the job-seeking platform, he has been disappointed by the intense backlash it received.

Wallake told PR Week that he chose not to delete the post despite the onslaught of negative comments, as the support he received outweighed the criticism.

He said: "The reason is because I am getting countless messages from other business owners saying, 'love this, been there, worst feeling, right there with you.

"There is a lot of good that has come from this post, but I am trying to not sit there reading the negative [comments].".

The entrepreneur founded HyperSocial in 2016, and never expected to go viral for his vulnerable LinkedIn post.

Since the original message spread across social media last Tuesday, it has been revealed that HyperSocial had only let two people go from the company, and Wallake only personally dismissed one.

Smith was reportedly given the news by Wallake's girlfriend, Emily Chucta, who is the chief operations officer at the company.

Smith was reportedly let go by Wallake's girlfriend, Emily Chucta, the chief operations officer at the company


Addressing comments on the post, Wallake claimed that he had stopped taking a salary, in order to avoid laying off staff.

The CEO said: "I know it isn't professional to tell my employees that I love them. But from the bottom of my heart, I hope they know how much I do".

He added: "I can't think of a lower moment than this."

Despite announcing how difficult these financial decisions were to make for the company, Wallake appears to had been hiring as recently as two months ago, as another LinkedIn post reveals he was encouraging potential hires to get in touch.

"I'm hiring," the post read.

"Know anyone who might be interested?

"Many sales/marketing roles available: BDR/SDR/, Lead Generation, Account Executive, High Ticket Closer, and more!"

What is happening where you live? Find out by adding your postcode.

Former HyperSocial employee Smith showed public support for his former boss in his own LinkedIn post following the controversy.

Commending Wallake for his heartfelt words, Smith wrote: "After reading the post, my first thought was just: yep, there goes Braden, being way too honest on LinkedIn again and putting his heart on the line".

"To those who would look to hire me, I’m only interested in working for people like Braden Wallake who has a positive outlook on life," the marketing expert added.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Macron and Merz: Europe must arm itself in an unstable world
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Airlines Evaluate Flight Cancellations Amid Escalating US-Iran Tensions
Starmer Invites Innovators to Join Government Talent Scheme
UK Economy’s Strong Opening Quarter Shows Signs of Cooling
Harrods Seeks Court Order to Secure Al Fayed Estate for Victims
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
Labubu Doll Drives Pop Mart to Status as China’s Most Valuable Toy Maker
Global Coal Demand Defies Paris Accord Goals
We have new information and breaking details to share about what is shaping up to be a historic air campaign tonight
Six Massive Bombs Dropped on Fordow; Trump: 'A Historic Moment for the U.S., Israel, and the World'
Fordow: Deeply Buried Iranian Enrichment Site in U.S.–Israel Crosshairs
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Pakistan to nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize.
BBC Demands Perplexity AI Immediately Stop Using Its Content
Telegram Founder: I Will Leave My Fortune to Over 100 of My Children
Political Turmoil Resurfaces in Belgium Amid Economic Concerns
Fed policymakers divided on timing of interest rate cuts
Trump signals imminent agreement with Harvard University
Inheritance tax referendum alarms Swiss billionaire community
Japan cancels bilateral security meeting amid US defence demands
AI skeptic Emily Bender warns that ‘the emperor has no clothes’
Israel Confirms Assassination of Quds Force Commander in Tehran
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
FBI and Senate Investigate Allegations of Chinese Plot to Influence the 2020 Election in Biden’s Favor Using Fake U.S. Driver’s Licenses
Vietnam Emerges as Luxury Yacht Destination for Ultra‑Rich
Plans to Sell Dutch Embassy in Bangkok Face Local Opposition
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump's $5 Million 'Trump Card' Visa Program Draws Nearly 70,000 Applicants
DGCA Finds No Major Safety Concerns in Air India's Boeing 787 Fleet
Airlines Reroute Flights Amid Expanding Middle East Conflict Zones
Elon Musk's xAI Seeks $9.3 Billion in Funding Amid AI Expansion
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Taiwan Imposes Export Ban on Chips to Huawei and SMIC
Israel has just announced plans to strike Tehran again, and in response, Trump has urged people to evacuate
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Juncker Criticizes EU Inaction on Trump Tariffs
EU Proposes Ban on New Russian Gas Contracts
Analysts Warn Iran May Resort to Unconventional Warfare
×