# From Fired to Inspired: How Rock Bottom Sparked a 1,300-Employee Mission

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/code-3-life-reinvented-7517256/from-fired-to-inspired-how-rock-bottom-sparked-a-1-300-employee-mission
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/code-3-life-reinvented-7517256/from-fired-to-inspired-how-rock-bottom-sparked-a-1-300-employee-mission.md
Podcast: [Code 3: Life. Reinvented.](https://stenobird.com/podcast/code-3-life-reinvented-7517256)
Published: 2026-03-16T10:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://traffic.megaphone.fm/UYIIU8064088300.mp3
Audio file: https://traffic.megaphone.fm/UYIIU8064088300.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/code-3-life-reinvented-7517256/episodes/from-fired-to-inspired-how-rock-bottom-sparked-a-1-300-employee-mission
Duration seconds: 2381

## Resource

In this episode of Code 3: Life Reinvented, I sit down with Merry Korn, whose story is a powerful reminder that sometimes our greatest breakthroughs begin with our lowest moments. Merry’s “Code 3 moment” came when she was suddenly fired from a job she had held for just two months. As a single mother with two kids preparing for college, she woke up one morning with no income, very little savings, and no idea how she was going to move forward. What followed wasn’t a perfectly mapped-out plan — it was a series of bold steps fueled by determination, courage, and a refusal to stay stuck. Instead of retreating, Merry started calling everyone she knew and scheduling informational interviews. Those conversations eventually led her to launch a business that would become Pearl Interactive Network, a company that grew to employ more than 1,300 people across 30 states. But what made her company truly remarkable was its mission. Merry intentionally built a workforce made up of people the world often overlooks: disabled veterans, people with severe disabilities, military spouses, and individuals living in the most economically challenged parts of the country. Through meaningful work and opportunity, she created not just jobs, but purpose, dignity, and community. In our conversation we talk about: Why fear is not a reason to stop The importance of doing the inner work to discover your purpose How informational interviews can open unexpected doors Why choosing a job is often really choosing your life And how some of the most powerful reinventions happen later in life Merry started her company at 46 years old, proving that it’s never too late to rebuild your life around what truly matters. Her story is a reminder that you don’t need the entire roadmap to begin. Sometimes all you need i…

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## Transcript

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