London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Oct 23, 2026

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

0:00
0:00
Close
Government Injects One Hundred and Forty Million Pounds to Expand Urgent Care Ahead of Winter Crisis
Department of Health Warns Further Pay Rises Will Derail National Health Service Waiting List Targets
Major Environmental Emergency Declared in South Wales Following Aerospace Kerosene Spill
Tank Barrel Production Returns to Britain as Defence Contractors Accelerate Domestic Rearmament
Government Approves Controversial Jackdaw Gasfield Development in the North Sea
National Health Service Maternity Safety Review Condemned Over Flawed Artificial Intelligence Integration
Dozens of United Kingdom Government Services Taken Offline Amid Critical Software Vulnerability
Barclays Announces Five Thousand Job Cuts Citing Artificial Intelligence Productivity Gains
Treasury Relaxes Post-Financial Crisis Accountability Rules for City of London Executives
United Kingdom Government Issues Unprecedented Guidance Urging Citizens to Stockpile Essential Supplies
United Kingdom Consumer Inflation Accelerates to Eleven-Month High Driven by Transport Costs
United Kingdom Public Sector Net Debt Breaches Three Trillion Pounds Ahead of Autumn Budget
Department for Science, Innovation and Technology Commits Fifty Million Pounds to Establish Regional Artificial Intelligence Innovation Clusters
Ofgem Directs Major Energy Suppliers to Expand Vulnerable Household Support Funds Ahead of Winter Heating Season
Home Office and National Police Chiefs Council Unveil New Intelligence-Led Strategy to Tackle Organised Immigration Crime Networks
First Minister John Swinney Secures Scottish Parliament Approval for Comprehensive Climate and Green Energy Infrastructure Strategy
National Health Service England and Trades Union Congress Finalize Agreement on Emergency Winter Staffing and Pay Frameworks
HM Treasury and Department for Business and Trade Announce Multi-Billion-Pound Sovereign Investment Pact to Spur Regional Advanced Manufacturing
Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey Signals Potential for Faster Interest Rate Cuts as Domestic Inflation Pressures Ease Below Forecasts
Parliamentary Inquiry Highlights Urgent Need to Address Housing Shortage as Scottish Completions Hit Eleven-Year Low
United Kingdom and Singapore Sign Comprehensive Financial Agreement to Deepen Digital and Sustainable Market Ties
Greggs Announces Plan to Close Four Manufacturing Facilities and Cut Seven Hundred and Forty Jobs
International Monetary Fund Raises United Kingdom Economic Growth Forecast While Warning of Inflationary Pressures
Energy Security and Net Zero Committee Urges Government to Shift Policy Costs Onto Gas to Lower Household Bills
Housebuilding Across Scotland Plummets to Eleven-Year Low Despite Government Pledges to Tackle National Housing Emergency
Greggs Announces Factory Closures Across Northern England and Scotland Affecting Seven Hundred Forty Jobs
United Kingdom and Singapore Conclude Eleventh Financial Dialogue in Singapore to Deepen Cooperation on Digital Finance and Capital Markets
Energy Security and Net Zero Committee Urges Government to Shift Policy Costs to Gas Bills and Tap Windfall Profits to Lower Consumer Prices
British Broadcasting Corporation Announces Major Cost-Cutting Overhaul to Close Linear Broadcast Services for Television Channels BBC Three and BBC Scotland Alongside Digital Radio Station BBC Radio Four Extra
London Capital Markets Face Renewed Scrutiny After High-Profile Offerings Underperform Post-Listing
Green Party Wins Historic First Westminster Parliamentary By-Election in Gorton and Denton
Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds Unveils Sweeping Regulatory Overhaul for English Water Industry
United Kingdom Health Security Agency Confirms Thirty-Four Cases in Kent Meningitis Outbreak
Ministry of Defence Prepares Heat Pump Subsidy Cuts to Fund Urgent Military Modernization
British and European Union Officials Schedule Long-Awaited Bilateral Leaders Summit for November Twentieth
Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey Urges Strict Fiscal Credibility to Protect British Bond Markets
United Kingdom Inflation Rises to Three Point One Percent Driven by Escalating Fuel Costs
Profit Warnings Among London-Listed Companies Reach Two-Year High Amid Global Energy Shocks
Chancellor John Healey Signals Targeted Tax Changes on Banks and London Corporate Offices Ahead of Budget
British Government Reallocates Twenty-Five Per Cent of International Climate Finance to Global Biodiversity Projects
Initial British Carbon Border Taxes Set to Undercut Parallel European Union Tariffs on Industrial Imports
Whitehall Prepares National Zero-Interest Loan Initiative to Accelerate Domestic Heat Pump and Solar Adoption
European Union Offers British Automakers Access to Hybrid Vehicle Trade Protections Subject to Strict Regulatory Alignment
British Probation Officers Threaten Widespread Industrial Action After Rejecting Five Per Cent Government Pay Offer
Microsoft Abandons Major British Artificial Intelligence Data Centre Citing Severe National Grid Power Constraints
United Kingdom Inflation Accelerates to Three Point Four Per Cent Ahead of Chancellor John Healey's Inaugural Autumn Budget
Surging Cloned Number Plates Severely Complicate Traffic Enforcement and Police Investigations
Mounting Opposition Challenges Planned Rollout of Autonomous Taxis Across London
Influential Think Tank Urges Rejoining European Union to Navigate Geopolitical Crises
Government Review Recommends Slashing Benefits to Fund Youth Employment Initiatives
×