With an M.A. in Art History I never thought I’d become an expert in home loans, how disastrously they can go wrong, and how many mortgage assistance programs sprang up to set things right.

At the height of the sub-prime housing crisis in 2010, Bank of America offered over 30 distinct loans to homeowners in various stages of default. My job was to dissolve stress, blame, and guilt—while mustering short blocks of information, concise differentiators, and clear next steps to help people find the solution that fit them. It was an intense two-year project with must-happen-overnight updates and a family’s home literally in peril. Take that…Nike.