55-year-old was fired for writing 'yipee' in a client email — then she noticed a sneaky pattern in who else was being let go

Celebrating the closure of a major deal for a high-profile client is usually a cause for excitement. However, for 55-year-old recruiter Loren Grieff, this was not the case five years ago. She faced trouble with her boss, Liz, after sending an enthusiastic email to her client, the CEO of a gambling startup, which included the word "yippee." Within minutes, she was criticized for her "unprofessional" behavior. In response, Grieff defended herself by pointing out that her excitement was nothing compared to her boss's use of strong language in the workplace. The aftermath of their exchange was significant, which she shared in her TED Talk (@TEDx) on June 5, 2026, which has garnered over 100,000 views since.

She was placed in PIP

Following the incident, Grieff was placed on a Performance Improvement Plan (PIP). At first, she, just like anyone would, thought that this had to do with her retaliation against her boss about the email. But she soon realized that it had nothing to do with her email response, but rather a culmination of a quiet, months-long pattern of exclusion that she had willingly ignored to avoid "making waves." So, as she took her severance and left the job she had been working for five years, she reflected on everything that led to this moment. 

The realization

Grieff noticed that for months her boss had been cancelling her one-on-one meetings. Not just that, she had been systematically redirected from meetings that she usually led, and her professional achievements were credited to her coworkers. It was then that she clocked that "yippee" wasn't the actual issue; it was the fact that the management had already decided she was no longer relevant because of her age. "I helped them believe it. That is the cycle of agism," she noted in her TED Talk.

She wishes to break the cycle

Nonetheless, after she quit, Grieff decided to do something about it, even more so, because she knew that she wasn't alone. There were plenty of people all over who were facing the same treatment because of their age. She did her research and found that in the early days, the life expectancy was lower, and now it is much higher; the people in their 40s and 50s aren't in the latter stages of their career but in the mid stage, but companies treat them like it's almost the end of their career, an "exit ramp" as Grieff called it.

Helping others

Following this revelation, she headed out to help others, and her first client was Ben, who was in his 50s and looking for a new opportunity. However, as you'd expect, the recruiters looked past him because of his age. So, she suggested that he pitch himself as a person who was still learning and growing rather than a seasoned professional. In her words, "That is a word for meat, not people." Sure enough, it worked. In fact, Ben didn't have to apply for jobs; the recruiters came up to him. 

We need more people like Greiff

Nonetheless, while Grieff continues to help individuals age, discrimation at workplace remains as rampant as ever. According to a survey held by AARP, about 90% of the workers aged 50 or older believe that discrimination against older employees is happening even today. In fact, about 64% of these workers have themselves experienced this. Although all races and genders are affected by this age-based discrimination, black workers and women experience it more than others, with 72% and 67% people confirming so, respectively.

People love Grieff's efforts

Meanwhile, people following her successful TED Talk have rallied behind her and her cause. @anitafraser4883 commented, "Women in their 50s are the most employable women, experience, skills, hardest workers." @Featherfinder shared, "My husband hired a man I’ll call William, who was in his early 70s a few years back, who is still doing superb work. 'Best person I’ve ever hired!' says my husband, who has hired many people."

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