I filed for bankruptcy after my wife died from cancer. I underestimated what grief would do to my business.
Source: Business Insider ·
After his wife died from cancer, Brian Rooney struggled to sustain his business while grieving. He filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in 2024.
From the source
Brian Rooney and his late wife, Tina, who died in 2013.Courtesy of Brian RooneyBrian Rooney, 60, filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in 2024.During his late wife's illness, he built up medical and credit-card debt.After she died, the grief made it difficult for him to sustain his business.This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Brian Rooney, the 60-year-old founder of Chapter7Reset.com, who lives in Conroe, Texas. He lost his wife in 2013. The essay has been edited for length and clarity, and the details verified.When you're grieving, you're not thinking about how to move a business forward, capture new market share, or adapt to new technologies. You're not thinking straight because you're overwhelmed by a cloud of loss, pain, and sorrow. Some days, you're just trying to get through morning to night.In 2013, I lost my wife, my partner, and my life. I still had to deal with the financial reality. I had underestimated what grief would do to my ability to run a business. Did…
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