I got laid off at 65 and couldn't afford my Bay Area mortgage. Now, I work for myself while traveling the world.

I began my career in the financial-services industry in 1985 in the warehouse at Fannie Mae Software Systems.

I went from loading software and shipping computers to mortgage companies to starting and running a mortgage-tech-consulting firm to becoming the chief information officer for two startup mortgage companies, all without a college degree.

My career as a CIO ended abruptly in 2006

My dream job as a CIO, which I'd worked for years to achieve, was suddenly eliminated after nine years. I changed my career path from tech to sales and became a loan originator. I started strong, building relationships with realtors, builders, and clients.

Then, the financial market crashed in 2008. By 2010, my loan-origination business failed. I lost my home in Atlanta and had to file for bankruptcy.

First Republic Bank in San Francisco recruited me through LinkedIn

First Republic was a reputable, stable, and growing company. They wanted me to source and lead an imaging team for their lending department. I moved to the Bay Area and began my subsequent career in financial services.

I was enjoying my 13th year at First Republic, earning $200,000 a year, when Silicon Valley Bank's failure prompted a run on our bank. We couldn't recover before the Federal Reserve took us into receivership, making us the second-largest bank failure in history.

About 1,000 of us were laid off in June 2023.

I was 65 and planned to retire in a few years, but the third of my last three careers in financial services had abruptly ended. I took it as a gift and opportunity.

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I chose to start a business and work for myself

I used my years of professional speaking, mentoring, leadership, and team-building experience to start a corporate-training and leadership-coaching business.

I decided to build additional income streams since you never know if your industry will crash or a pandemic will occur. I started a print-on-demand store and a faceless YouTube channel and began freelance writing.

I also decided to become a digital nomad. I wanted to travel to places I'd never been.

The biggest problem was my home

Without a full-time job, I could no longer afford the mortgage on my home in the Bay Area. A friend suggested posting my home on Furnished Finder, a website for traveling medical professionals, often on three-month contracts. I could rent my home fully furnished and return if I wanted.

I listed my home for $3,500 a month to cover its expenses, though I sometimes made a very small profit — depending on utilities.

I left California and walked the 800-kilometer Camino de Santiago across Spain. I was able to work and communicate while on the trail. My first tenants signed a lease remotely, which paid for my mortgage.

I had a reasonable severance and could use the money to invest in my companies and pay expenses. I headed to Portugal to walk the Portuguese Way.

My new lifestyle has already taken me all over the world

After Portugal, I joined friends in Medellín, Colombia, an inexpensive haven for digital nomads. I rented an apartment in November larger than my own home for only $1,500 a month.

Everything was cheaper. Colombia has a 90-day tourist visa, so I left the country at Christmas and returned for another 90 days. It was perfect.

I spent 4 ½ months enjoying Medellín. I worked on my businesses, studied Spanish, and lived a wonderful life there. I was found again on Furnished Finder and signed another lease remotely.

I had to renew my passport, so I decided to drive across the US in March and stay with family and friends until it arrived. Once I got it, I spent June in Germany with a friend.

I plan to spend the next few months in Atlanta before heading to my next destination abroad.

It can be hard to recover from job loss, but you'll come back stronger

I work in many industries now, using my skills, knowledge, and motivation to help others. Instead of reentering the job market, I decided to do what I wanted.

It's hard not to get discouraged or feel hopeless at times — I know I do — but when I looked off the balcony of my apartment in Medellín, I knew I was on the right path.

I'm researching retiring in Spain, Portugal, or Colombia. My Social Security starts in October. I'm still renting my home in California, but I plan to sell it when the market improves.

I have no regrets in my career. I made good money and was a leader in my industry. I was able to help my daughters go to and graduate from college.

I'd lost everything and came back stronger. It can be done. I've always managed to survive and grow. If you lose your job, you can as well.