ABOUT THE AUTHOR
THE STRATEGIST BEHIND THE STORY
Lanett Austin Kesse is a seasoned HR executive and people strategist with deep experience across Fortune 500 companies, startups, and high-growth organizations.
​
She helped scale a company from employee #3 through IPO — growing to more than 6,300 employees across 23 U.S. states and three European countries — while leading HR, talent management, DEI, and employee relations.
​
She is the founder of People Equals Profits (PEPs), a people-first HR consulting firm built on one truth: when organizations put people first, revenue follows.
"Your setback doesn't define you. Your comeback does."
THE BOOK
WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN DOING YOUR JOB RIGHT STILL GETS YOU FIRED?
Lanett built a career protecting people, speaking the truth, and holding leadership accountable; and she was let go for it three times. Fired Up is the story of what came after, and the framework she built from it.
Blending raw memoir with case-study rigor, this book gives you both the story and the system to turn job loss, betrayal, or being overlooked into a structured rebuild; not a rushed "bounce back."
-
Turn job loss or betrayal into a structured rebuild
-
Build teams and cultures that don't burn people out
-
Know the difference between surviving a broken system and building a better one
REST
Pause with purpose before your next move.
RESET
Realign your mindset, priorities, and purpose.
REBUILD
Create a stronger foundation than before.
REWARD
Celebrate every milestone along the journey.
REPEAT
Growth isn't a destination, it's a lifestyle.
