Atlanta, GA – August 6, 2010 – NBC’s new reality series, Breakthrough with Tony Robbins, aired its second of six series shows on Tuesday, August 3rd featuring a struggling couple on the verge of foreclosure and divorce after investing their life savings in a start up company that never got off the ground. Faced with extreme financial challenges and personal stress, the couple applied to be part of the new reality TV series Robbins was producing in hopes of accessing his help and coaching to get their life back on track, including finding new jobs for both. Robbins planned a series of challenges the couple must face to achieve their ‘breakthrough’ and through that journey Ron and Marie Stegner regained their confidence. After eight years at-home, Marie was able to find a flexible job with Maid Brigade as a Consumer Health Advocate, thanks to help from Allison O’Kelly, CEO and Founder of Mom Corps. Today, the Stegners have recharged their lives, and Marie is helping contribute to her family finances while balancing work, home life and her three children.
“Going back to work after you have been out of the workforce for some time can seem daunting for so many people,” says Mom Corps CEO Allison O’Kelly. "The recession hasn’t made it any easier, putting extra pressure on at-home moms like Marie Stegner to help contribute financially. As a national staffing company that finds challenging jobs for professionals looking for alternative work schedules, Mom Corps provides candidates like Marie expert resume advice and the tools they need to regain confidence in themselves and find meaningful work.”
The house cleaning franchise became increasingly concerned with scientific evidence that cleaning products and methods are linked to health hazards and in 2007 converted its entire network to a green cleaning system that is standardized to meet the requirements of several green cleaning certification programs. Before there were third party green cleaning certifications, Maid Brigade developed their own internal standard to ensure a consistent, thorough and effective green cleaning throughout their entire system. Since then, third party certification organizations developing green standards for cleaning organizations have consulted Maid Brigade. As the pioneer of the green house cleaning movement, Maid Brigade implements a concerted public awareness initiative so that all consumers can make informed decisions for their homes and families. The cleaning company’s Consumer Health Advocate role was conceived to help increase the breadth and depth of that effort.
Last year Mom Corps joined forces with Maid Brigade to help their collective users achieve a better sense of balance while juggling career, family and household management. When the Tony Robbins Show called Mom Corps, O’Kelly immediately reached out to Maid Brigade knowing the new Consumer Health Advocate position they were creating would be a great fit for Stegner, who was already one of Mom Corps’ candidates. Stegner’s previous professional experience included working as a licensed practical nurse and corporate health and wellness manager."Many stay-at-home moms underestimate their worth, when in fact, they use a broad range of valuable skills everyday when managing their homes. Mom Corps enabled me to realize my true potential and find my dream job writing about health and environmental issues for Maid Brigade, an eco-friendly company that values family," states Stegner.
“When we interviewed Marie, her previous work and at-home mom experience lined up beautifully with our job description,” says Cloud Conrad, Vice President of Brand Strategies at Maid Brigade. “We hired Marie to educate families on the impact of common household chemicals on our health and the environment and advocate for increased awareness of these dangers and the use of green cleaning alternatives. We had confidence in her abilities, work ethic and ambition from the outset but Marie is flourishing in her virtual job far beyond our expectations. She’s put her whole heart in this.” Stegner blogs daily for Maid Brigade, writes articles, creates educational videos, and appears at local events – all geared toward helping busy women lead healthier lives and create healthier homes.
Maid Brigade (www.maidbrigade.com) facilitates work/life balance for working women by giving them back what is arguably their most precious commodity – time. For over 25 years the cleaning company has provided reliable, consistent housecleaning services that help to maintain a clean and healthy indoor environment, in over 400 service areas throughout the US and Canada. Maid Brigade is the first house cleaning service to develop its own green cleaning system. Maid Brigade’s consumer advocacy web site, GreenCleanCertified.com contains numerous articles and videos, and even an interactive quiz on green living.
Mom Corps (www.momcorps.com) and Maid Brigade partnered last yearrecognizing that reducing housework for working parents can be elemental in creating time for family and promoting a stronger work-life balance. According to a survey of 1,337 participants, the two organizations conducted together last year, 72% of the respondents (women between 25-54) felt they work a "second shift" trying to keep up with household chores, almost 75% responded they did not feel they could manage all the cleaning details and maintain proper balance, and 98% said that using outside household cleaning providers gave them better balance.
For Mom Corps media inquiries, contact Caroline Evans at caroline@momcorps.com and for Maid Brigade media inquiries, contact Whitney Samuelson at wsamuelson@maidbrigade.com.
