I got married in April of 2000 after living with my now-ex-husband for several years. At the time, I made a good living from my job in advertising, and like many of my colleagues, I’d been doing freelance work on the side for years.
In 2001, my husband and I became proud homeowners, one of the many Americans who used a subprime mortgage in the early 2000s to finance our first home, all my idea. We even leased a new car that year.
Then came 9/11. Amidst the tragedy, the advertising industry ground to a halt. When I got laid off that year, I took the opportunity to start my own marketing consultancy. I’d been talking about going out on my own…
