Celebrating Moms: 6 Franchises Owned or Operated by Mothers

The franchise industry is widely recognized as a welcoming one for women and moms, with flexible scheduling options and proven models. These six franchises are led by some of the best.

By Morgan Wood1851 Franchise Contributor

8:08AM • 09/01/24

Many mothers find themselves looking to business ownership as a way to create more professional freedom and find flexibility in their schedules for more time with their families. Franchising is an ideal outlet for this, both for those who want to start a brand new concept and those who are looking to get into entrepreneurship with the backing of a proven model.

From fitness to education, here are six franchises with powerful moms in leadership positions.

Rumble Boxing

Rumble Boxing is a group fitness franchise with more than 85 locations open across major markets and more than 350 licensed locations worldwide. The concept combines boxing-inspired circuits and resistance training to deliver a powerful workout in just 45 minutes. The brand has been recognized as “a hit with female franchisees” with many trainers, owners and operators noting the joy they find in infiltrating a traditionally male space.

Sara Birriel, a trainer at a Hollywood, Florida, location who is currently working to open her own gym in Coral Springs, is a prime example of this. As Birriel balances motherhood, training, business ownership and other fitness and wellness pursuits, she illustrates how passionate business ownership can create freedom for women and moms.

Shuckin’ Shack Oyster Bar

Shuckin’ Shack is an 18-unit oyster bar franchise that offers a laid-back atmosphere, fresh seafood and creative drinks. Local Shacks are welcoming to families and people of all ages, and many of its Franchise Owners bring personal values surrounding family and community into their role as owners.

Sarah Lookingbill is a long-time member of the Shuckin’ Shack family who stepped into ownership and motherhood around the same time. She opened the restaurant while her daughter was a baby and managed the restaurant through the pandemic while her daughter was a toddler. But now, the business is stable and she enjoys the benefits of ownership, including more free time and flexibility to cater to her daughter’s needs.

Code Wiz

Code Wiz is a 23-unit children’s education franchise that helps kids learn to code in a supportive environment that embraces their creativity. The brand was founded by Ruth Agbaji, who found herself interested in coding, and after finding herself unfulfilled in a role at Microsoft, she decided it was time to start her business.

“I get to set a foundation that my children can build on. I get to show them that women can be just as accomplished as men,” Agbaji told FranchiseWire. “I get to inspire other moms to pursue their dreams and be the best versions of themselves. Even though I am incredibly busy, I get to set my schedule and be present with my kids.”

Drybar

Drybar is a hair styling franchise with a unique proposition: blowouts only. The brand has become popular among busy women who simply need their hair styled. Rather than going to a salon with professionals who also focus on cuts and colors, consumers have a convenient, specialized option.

Drybar was founded by Alli Webb in 2010. Webb began offering in-home blowouts after going to beauty school, getting married and having two children of her own. This way, she could style moms’ hair while their kid(s) slept, turning what was once a logistically complicated luxury into something more accessible. The business took off, and Webb launched the official Drybar business to bring services to even more people.

Pure Barre

Pure Barre is a fitness franchise that offers low-impact, full-body workouts inspired by elements of ballet, yoga and Pilates. With nearly 650 studios, the brand identifies itself as “the largest, most-established barre brand.” Many franchise owners pursue Pure Barre as a way to bring much-needed resources to their communities, and Susie Grobler, a franchisee with both Pure Barre and Rumble Boxing in Anchorage, Alaska, embodies this approach.

Grobler was a successful equipment engineer in Prudhoe Bay, but as she began to consider building a family, she knew her two weeks on, two weeks off schedule would need to change.

“Pure Barre was an easy choice for me because I believed in the workout and saw a need for it in Anchorage,” she said.

Her Pure Barre franchise opened in December of 2017, and her son was born in June of 2018.

“I remember a while ago sitting in a meeting with Anthony Geisler where he said that a business is a lot like raising a kid, and I couldn’t agree more,” explained Grobler. “The first two years are all about survival. There are a lot of sleepless nights and a feeling of immense pride coupled with exhaustion. Once you hit that two-year mark though, things start getting easier.”

Noting that she got a lot of her grit from watching her own mother, Grobler said she hopes her son sees a similar benefit.

“I hope my son picks up the attitude of just getting the work done when it needs to be done,” she said. “The world of fitness is different because it's busy during non-traditional times. My son has had to come to work with me many times but, so far, he's always happy to tag along.”

The UPS Store

The UPS Store is a 5,000-plus-unit franchise that offers packing, shipping, printing and shredding services as well as passport photos and computer access. The franchise offers multiple models with both traditional and non-traditional stores, and it encourages diverse franchise owners to pursue ownership with the system.

In 2022, UPS spotlighted a mother/daughter team that owns and operates a UPS Store in Senoia, Georgia. Theresa Keaveny pursued entrepreneurship with her daughter, Kelly Lepchitz, after a career as a flight attendant.

“I didn’t realize the impact of being a small business owner to the people in the community,” Keaveny said in an interview for UPS. “They really want to celebrate small business owners and especially female business owners.”

As we recognize the transformational role of families in franchising, 1851 Franchise celebrates the brave women who have pursued their dreams in the industry.

Find more on the role women and moms play in the franchise industry and hear the stories of even more moms: