This is an article based on a conversation with Jonathan Yang, who was laid off from Meta at the end of 2024 after working on the office design team for over three years. The 43-year-old shared how his job, plastic surgery and weight loss have shaped his confidence. The following content has been edited for brevity and clarity.
At Meta, I work very hard. I have golden handcuffs. I wasn’t prioritizing my health. You go to Meta, they call it “Facebook 15.” Well, with all the food available and all the stress, it was probably over 15 pounds. So, I really let myself go. I did everything I could to keep this job.
One bonus is that the higher salary allows me to start exploring things I’ve always wanted to do – emotionally, physically, aesthetically. I can finally afford a $10,000 hair transplant.
I also had a nose job. I had another one too Hair Transplantation. To me, looking good and feeling good are fundamentally connected. That’s for me, not everyone needs it. Many people are very successful at being themselves and not letting this get to them. I’m not that strong.
I just wanna get hot
Doing these things started to change the way I thought about myself. It started to take away some of the shame I felt about getting beauty treatments. Because, as a man, this is considered redundant and undesirable. I did a lot of soul searching, therapy, and all kinds of different things before this.
I hired a trainer and I felt great, but the changes weren’t happening fast enough. Then GLP-1 came out. I’ve been waiting for something like this. I finally put them on and the weight started to come off and I started to bloom.
When I started seeing results, I just wanted to get hotter. I think at the age of 43, I finally felt confident enough to say this out loud without any doubts. I think exercise is an avenue for people to think about improving their emotional lives – to talk about these things – and fitness is an acceptable way for men to do that.
Yang said he has become more confident at work after losing weight. Courtesy of Jonathan Young
At work, I stand on stage and become more confident. Before this, I didn’t consciously know why I was so docile. When I look back, I get nervous. I can’t smile. Through GLP-1, I started to really change and behave differently at work, and I got a promotion. I just feel like I have more command now that I’ve lost weight. My coworkers and managers are nicer to me.
Now I take a lower dose of GLP-1. Now that I’m self-employed, I have to pay my own expenses. This is not something I want to stop.
People look at me strangely
After the layoff, my weight was manageable. I had to establish a new routine. My body needs it too. I have sciatica and nerve pain. It was literally like my body was falling apart. I have never felt like this.
I became very conscious about health, staying healthy and eating healthy. Losing weight gave me the confidence to share my story. It freed me from any insecurities or intimidation. We say that all the time, but it’s like I only have one life right now. I know what that smells like now.
After all the changes I made, people looked at me differently. One of the things that people are really talking about is that, on the surface, it’s actually about looks. When I’m in a situation like this, it’s with this naive feeling that I’m like, “Oh, they didn’t take my weight into consideration.”
When I started looking more conventionally attractive, I noticed this was one of the first things people commented on. I’ll meet people and they’ll say, “Well, you obviously go to the gym a lot,” or “Oh, look at those arms!” And I’m like, “Wow! We live in a world where we’re told, ‘Aesthetics don’t matter. People see you for your personality.'” Unfortunately, that’s not true. I hope so.
Do you have a story about how your appearance impacted your work or career? Contact our reporter tparadis@businessinsider.com.