The mental load of motherhood is a frequent topic of conversation, but for single mothers, that load is a daily reality of balancing provider and nurturer roles, solo. At The N2 Company, we’ve noticed a powerful trend. When single moms look for work that offers both financial upside and the flexibility to never miss a soccer game, they often find their way to the Area Director (AD) opportunity.
Recently, in our private Facebook group for N2 franchise owners, a new AD made a request: “Looking to connect with any single moms who have ramped up with at least 1 pub!”
And our team responded! More than a dozen successful women jumped in to offer mentorship, proving that while ramp-up (the period spent building a publication from scratch) requires grit, it is a proven path to professional freedom.
In honor of Mother’s Day, we’re sharing the stories of five women who turned “survival mode” into boss status. Let’s meet our trailblazers:
Rashell Weber: From $7.00 to Business Owner
When Rashell first encountered N2, she was at a financial breaking point. “I had seven dollars in my bank account,” she shared during a powerful talk on the N2 national stage. Driven by the need to provide a better life for her children, she transformed that desperation into a thriving business.
- The Family: She has two children, a son and a daughter.
- The Strategy: Rashell used her “why” as her engine. She treated every meeting as an opportunity to change her family’s trajectory.
- The Evolution: Today, she is a top-performing Area Director who uses her platform to inspire others to move past their circumstances.
- Insight: “I didn’t have a choice but to make it work. N2 gave me the vehicle, and my children gave me the reason.”
Mandi Wilke: From Unemployment to the National Stage
Mandi’s journey began during a season of total upheaval. “I had been fired and was going through my divorce,” Mandi recalls. After an unemployment filing suggested N2 as a match, she leaned into the system.
- The Family: Three kids (ages 4, 12, and 14 when she started her N2 business).
- The Strategy: Mandi treated her “no-kid days” as high-intensity workdays, starting as early as 7 a.m. to meet with trades and contractors.
- Advice: “Calendar blocking. Build your family’s non-negotiables first and fill in the rest with work. The AD position requires many hats, but we can never lose focus on revenue-generating activity.”
Ellen Hargrove: From the Classroom to Community Connector
Ellen was already familiar with N2 as a neighborhood photographer. Still, she didn’t realize it would become her professional lifeline years later when she needed to support her family beyond a teacher’s salary.
- The Family: Three children (ages 10, 15, and 17 at the time of ramp-up).
- The Perspective: “I could show up for school moments, last-minute needs, and the quiet in-between times that matter just as much. It gave me a way to build something meaningful while keeping my role as a mom at the center.”
MaLane Dowl: Ending the Treadmill Grind
For MaLane, N2 was the way to stop working multiple jobs and finally start building equity. “As a single mom, I always worked jobs in sales or waiting tables… it always felt like I was on a treadmill, running fast but never really getting anywhere.”
- The Family: MaLane has two sons, but she’s quick to shout-out another important man in her life: “My dad always shows up for us too, so that has always been a huge blessing.”
- The Strategy: MaLane packed lunches and cut personal spending to protect her family’s budget while she built her business, scheduling meetings between school drop-offs and sports practices.
Corrina Eisenhart: The Power of Slow and Steady
Corrina faced challenges that would have sidelined most, including navigating unemployment during the COVID-19 pandemic and managing significant health crises within her family.
- The Family: Five children (ages 11 to 21).
- The Mindset: “Don’t compare yourself to someone who has another parent helping out. It may not look like you are doing as much, but slow and steady still wins the race.”
Why Single Moms Excel as Franchise Owners
Single mothers are arguably the world’s best project managers. The skills required to manage a household solo (tenacity, time management, and the ability to pivot, just to name a few) are the same skills needed to run a successful N2 publication.
The Reality of Single Motherhood
To understand why these women work so hard for their independence, look at the landscape of single motherhood in the U.S. today:
- Economic Impact: According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 80% of the 10.9 million single-parent families in the U.S. are headed by single mothers.
- Workforce Participation: Over 70% of single mothers are in the labor force, often juggling multiple low-flexibility jobs just to bridge the income gap.
The Single Mom Career Search
If you are a single parent searching for your next chapter, you’re likely using terms like:
- Work-from-home jobs for moms
- Flexible franchise opportunities
- High-income sales careers with no cap
- Career changes for teachers
- Business opportunities for single parents
At N2, we offer more than just a job; we offer a community of women who have been exactly where you are. This Mother’s Day, we celebrate the Area Directors who prove that you don’t have to choose between being a present solo parent and a powerhouse professional.
Are you ready to build something for yourself and for your family? Click here to learn more about the Area Director opportunity.
