For Debbie Michala, getting laid off from SunTrust Banks Inc. was a blessing in disguise.
A month after getting her pink slip in October 2007, she bought the franchising rights for Expense Reduction Analysts, a company that specializes in lowering businesses’ noncore expenses on a contingency fee. Now she serves clients in her North Florida and Alabama territories and still has time to drop off her 6-year-old son at school every day and participate in classroom activities.
“I thought I would live and die by corporate [America],†Michala said, “but I’ve never been happier. I like just being responsible for me now.â€
