How My Daughter (and a Dog Walk) Sparked Respiris

Before I founded Respiris, I had spent decades in Human Resources — quietly, consistently doing the work. Building teams. Navigating restructures. Supporting performance conversations. Scaling early-stage companies. And, quietly, helping people in transition.

I didn’t have a name for it back then. But the truth is, I was doing outplacement before I ever thought of starting a company. Not because someone paid me to, but because I couldn’t not do it.

When someone was let go — whether because of performance, a restructure, or just a mismatch — I didn’t see fault. I saw a person in transition. And I believed, with my whole heart, that transition didn’t have to mean shame, failure, or trauma.

It could mean reflection. Opportunity. Maybe even reinvention.

So I offered what I could: support. A resume review. A warm introduction. Coaching. Encouragement. Sometimes it was over coffee; sometimes it was on a Zoom call after hours. It was quiet, human work — unpaid, uncelebrated, but deeply meaningful.

There’s No Shame in the Offboarding

Here’s the thing most people don’t talk about: job loss happens all the time. People don’t stay at companies for life. We treat onboarding with all this excitement and energy — welcome emails, Slack intros, branded swag. But offboarding?

Offboarding is often awkward. Rushed. Lonely. Sometimes, we don’t even call it what it is.

Some people say “layoff,” but don’t fully understand the nuance behind why roles are impacted. The truth? There are so many reasons: a shift in company strategy, new leadership, financial runway, performance, burnout, or just a role evolving in a way someone can’t follow.

What I’ve learned is that the “why” matters less than how we treat people during the transition.

Do we see them as a liability to be managed — or as a human to be supported?

My answer has always been clear.

And that answer started taking shape in a real way after I had one very honest conversation — with my daughter.

The Dog Walk That Changed My Life

At the time, I was working as a Fractional Head of HR. I had made the shift from in-house to consulting, and it allowed me to partner with multiple companies at once — especially startups. Fast-moving, unpredictable, and full of promise.

One client had just closed a big funding round. They brought me in on a clear, limited-scope agreement — but the expectations ballooned overnight. It became clear they wanted much more than what we had agreed to. When I pushed back, I wasn’t backed by the agency I was working through. That was the moment I knew I needed to make a change.

Walking my dog, Elsa, later that day, I turned to my daughter, Iris, and said:

“I think I just want to inspire people during their transitions.”

She didn’t skip a beat.

“You’re not inspiring people,” she said.

Oof. Gut punch.

But then she added something that would change the course of my life:

“You’re re-inspiring them. They’ve been inspired before. Words matter.”

That moment stuck with me. It was honest. It was sharp. And it was exactly what I needed to hear.

Later that evening, we opened up Namelix — a company name generator. Iris asked if we could find something that included her name. We started plugging in ideas.

That’s when it popped up: Respiris.

A combination of “re-inspire” and “Iris.”
A name that honored the moment and the mission.
A name that no one had — not in California, not anywhere in the U.S.

It was our green light.

Why I Built Respiris

It started as a whisper, but quickly grew louder: maybe I could build something of my own. Maybe I could create a company that stood for the kind of offboarding I’d always believed in — thoughtful, empathetic, intentional, and personal.

A company that finds no fault in the transition.

A company that meets people exactly where they are and reminds them that the end of a job doesn’t mean the end of their story.

I didn’t know much about outplacement as an industry. I knew there were traditional firms with legacy models — expensive, executive-focused, and built for a different era. But I also knew that most people in transition never got that kind of support.

It felt out of touch.

And more than that, it didn’t feel human.

The people I cared about — the ones I’d supported over the years — didn’t need a fancy dashboard or a corporate coach. They needed someone who understood their grief, who could walk them through the emotional phases of job loss, and who could help them feel hopeful again.

They needed what I had quietly been doing for years.
They needed Respiris.

Learning the Language of Startups (Again)

I’d worked with startups before — as an HR partner and advisor. But building a startup is different.

Suddenly, I was the founder. The visionary. The one pitching the product, building the team, writing the mission, and keeping the lights on. I had to learn the language all over again: ICP, MVP, TAM, CAC, LTV.

And beyond the acronyms, I had to experiment.

I tried models. Scrapped them. Rebuilt. I tested pricing. I revised onboarding flows. I talked to companies, candidates, coaches, and folks in transition. I listened.

Some things worked. Others didn’t.

But every test brought me closer to clarity.

And the mission never wavered: to re-inspire people during times of transition.

The Outplacement Industry Is Ready for Change

This is a $5 billion market — and growing. But most providers still cling to outdated models:

• High monthly retainers

• Long sales cycles

• Executive-only services

• Per-employee, per-month (PEPM) fees

• Limited focus on mental health or community
  

They offer coaches — but often ones who don’t fully connect with the human side of transition.

What’s missing? Deep empathy. Belonging. Someone who understands how to hold space for grief and forward momentum at the same time.

That’s what makes Respiris different.

We built a model that:

• Supports employees at all levels, not just executives

• Charges only when someone is referred — no PEPM, no monthly fees

• Combines human coaching with AI to create scale and depth

• Offers our trademark-pending Career Prayer™ to activate personal networks and reflect on purpose

• Builds real community — so no one navigates transition alone

Purpose > Perfection

I didn’t start Respiris because I had all the answers. If anything, I started it in spite of not having them.

I dealt with imposter syndrome for a long time. I had worked in HR across industries and built functions from the ground up. I’d seen the pressure of high growth, reorgs, layoffs, and rebuilds. But I had never built something of my own.

What I did have was purpose.

And once I connected with that, I couldn’t go back. I didn’t wait to be “ready.” I just started.

I bootstrapped the company with $50,000 of my own money. I reinvested every dollar earned. I brought on partners. I signed memorandums of understanding. I started building the AI Companion Coach. I filed for trademarks. I spoke at conferences. I met with potential clients one-by-one.

And slowly, we grew.

A Personal Mission

Respiris isn’t just a business. It’s a personal mission.

It’s named after my daughter, Iris.
It came to life on a walk with our dog, Elsa.
It was born in Studio City, California, where I co-parent and build a life I want my daughter to be proud of.

It reflects my lived experience — including what it feels like to be in transition myself.

When I went from a dual-parent household to being a single parent, I lost a part of my identity. I lost stability. I lost time. For a while, I lost direction. During that period, I couldn’t think about a job search. I couldn’t even think clearly.

And yet, that season of my life shaped everything I’ve built.

So when I talk about re-inspiring people, I don’t just mean helping them find a new role.

I mean helping them come back to themselves.

I mean helping them feel human again — not broken or discarded.

I mean giving them the tools to reconnect to their strengths and create something new.

Where We Are Today

Respiris is growing every day.

We’ve supported hundreds of individuals in transition.

We’ve built a community of coaches who are mission-aligned and deeply committed.

We’ve formed trusted relationships with values-aligned companies.
We’re bringing in AI to help scale the experience without losing the human connection.

And we’re getting noticed — by conferences, accelerators, and advisors who believe in our mission.

We’re building a future where outplacement isn’t an afterthought or a check-the-box expense — it’s an investment in people, reputation, and what it means to lead with empathy.

A Moment of Change

There’s so much change happening right now.

Roles are being redefined.
Entire industries are being reshaped.
AI is changing how we work — not necessarily what we do, but how we do it.

People are navigating uncertainty in every direction.

And in the middle of it all, transitions are becoming more common — not less.

That’s why Respiris exists.

Because people deserve better support when their job ends.
Because companies deserve a partner who will help them offboard well — with care and intention.
Because transitions can be filled with dignity, meaning, and even a bit of magic.

Let's Talk

If you're an HR leader, a founder, or someone navigating transition — I'd love to connect.

We built Respiris to meet this moment.
We’re here to support you, your people, and your culture.

📩 Reach out to me directly at: angel.cruzado@respiris.com
📅 Or grab time with me here: calendly.com/angelcruzado/noagenda

We’re just getting started — and I’d be honored to share this journey with you.