London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Jan 19, 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
High-Speed Train Collision in Southern Spain Kills at Least Twenty-One and Injures Scores
Meghan Markle May Return to the U.K. This Summer as Security Review Advances
Trump’s Greenland Tariff Threat Sparks EU Response and Risks Deep Transatlantic Rift
Prince Harry’s High Court Battle With Daily Mail Publisher Begins in London
Trump’s Tariff Escalation Presents Complex Challenges for the UK Economy
UK Prime Minister Starmer Rebukes Trump’s Greenland Tariff Strategy as Transatlantic Tensions Rise
Prince Harry’s Last Press Case in UK Court Signals Potential Turning Point in Media and Royal Relations
OpenAI to Begin Advertising in ChatGPT in Strategic Shift to New Revenue Model
GDP Growth Remains the Most Telling Barometer of Britain’s Economic Health
Prince William and Kate Middleton Stay Away as Prince Harry Visits London Amid Lingering Rift
Britain Braces for Colder Weather and Snow Risk as Temperatures Set to Plunge
Mass Protests Erupt as UK Nears Decision on China’s ‘Mega Embassy’ in London
Prince Harry to Return to UK to Testify in High-Profile Media Trial Against Associated Newspapers
Keir Starmer Rejects Trump’s Greenland Tariff Threat as ‘Completely Wrong’
Trump to hit Europe with 10% tariffs until Greenland deal is agreed
Prince Harry Returns to UK High Court as Final Privacy Trial Against Daily Mail Publisher Begins
Britain Confronts a Billion-Pound Wind Energy Paradox Amid Grid Constraints
The graduate 'jobpocalypse': Entry-level jobs are not shrinking. They are disappearing.
Cybercrime, Inc.: When Crime Becomes an Economy. How the World Accidentally Built a Twenty-Trillion-Dollar Criminal Economy
The Return of the Hands: Why the AI Age Is Rewriting the Meaning of “Real Work”
UK PM Kier Scammer Ridicules Tories With "Kamasutra"
Strategic Restraint, Credible Force, and the Discipline of Power
United Kingdom and Norway Endorse NATO’s ‘Arctic Sentry’ Mission Including Greenland
Woman Claiming to Be Freddie Mercury’s Secret Daughter Dies at Forty-Eight After Rare Cancer Battle
UK Launches First-Ever ‘Town of Culture’ Competition to Celebrate Local Stories and Boost Communities
Planned Sale of Shell and Exxon’s UK Gas Assets to Viaro Energy Collapses Amid Regulatory and Market Hurdles
UK Intensifies Arctic Security Engagement as Trump’s Greenland Rhetoric Fuels Allied Concern
Meghan Markle Could Return to the UK for the First Time in Nearly Four Years If Security Is Secured
Meghan Markle Likely to Return to UK Only if Harry Secures Official Security Cover
UAE Restricts Funding for Emiratis to Study in UK Amid Fears Over Muslim Brotherhood Influence
EU Seeks ‘Farage Clause’ in Brexit Reset Talks to Safeguard Long-Term Agreement Stability
Starmer’s Push to Rally Support for Action Against Elon Musk’s X Faces Setback as Canada Shuns Ban
UK Free School Meals Expansion Faces Political and Budgetary Delays
EU Seeks ‘Farage Clause’ in Brexit Reset Talks With Britain
Germany Hit by Major Airport Strikes Disrupting European Travel
Prince Harry Seeks King Charles’ Support to Open Invictus Games on UK Return
Washington Holds Back as Britain and France Signal Willingness to Deploy Troops in Postwar Ukraine
Elon Musk Accuses UK Government of Suppressing Free Speech as X Faces Potential Ban Over AI-Generated Content
Russia Deploys Hypersonic Missile in Strike on Ukraine
OpenAI and SoftBank Commit One Billion Dollars to Energy and Data Centre Supplier
UK Prime Minister Starmer Reaffirms Support for Danish Sovereignty Over Greenland Amid U.S. Pressure
UK Support Bolsters U.S. Seizure of Russian-Flagged Tanker Marinera in Atlantic Strike on Sanctions Evasion
The Claim That Maduro’s Capture and Trial Violate International Law Is Either Legally Illiterate—or Deliberately Deceptive
UK Data Watchdog Probes Elon Musk’s X Over AI-Generated Grok Images Amid Surge in Non-Consensual Outputs
Prince Harry to Return to UK for Court Hearing Without Plans to Meet King Charles III
UK Confirms Support for US Seizure of Russian-Flagged Oil Tanker in North Atlantic
Béla Tarr, Visionary Hungarian Filmmaker, Dies at Seventy After Long Illness
UK and France Pledge Military Hubs Across Ukraine in Post-Ceasefire Security Plan
Prince Harry Poised to Regain UK Security Cover, Clearing Way for Family Visits
UK Junk Food Advertising Ban Faces Major Loophole Allowing Brand-Only Promotions
×