Christa Mruz and her husband, Javier Diaz, own two Two Maids franchises in New York and Connecticut. Their first opened in White Plains in 2017, while the second began in 2022 in Stamford, CT. They have 26 employees. Christa and Javier live in a suburban town called Scarsdale, NY, which is located about 20 miles north of midtown Manhattan. Christa was raised in Huntsville, AL, and graduated from Villanova University. She spent most of her career pre-Two Maids in project management and consulting roles in various corporations. The couple has two kids, Natalie (18) and Nicholas (16), and 2 cats, Mickey and Luna. She enjoys playing tennis, volunteering, cooking, and spending time with her family.
We talked to Christa to learn more about what it’s like to be a multi-unit Two Maids franchisee.
What made you decide to look into purchasing a franchise?
Javier and I decided to purchase a franchise to gain an income stream outside of our corporate jobs and mutual funds. Little did we know that we would be both running the locations and that this would be our job!
When researching franchises, what criteria mattered to you most? How did your franchise meet that criteria?
The number-one criterion we were looking for in researching a franchise was a concept we could grasp and get behind. I had always used cleaning services and knew how beneficial they are to working families and empty nesters. We were also looking for a proven model that would be worth our time and money. Lastly, we were looking for something we could do in our backyard, didn’t have to commute to, and could be deemed as a ‘local business owner’. Two Maids fit all the criteria. While we bought during the early days of the franchise, we saw how committed the franchise was to creating a model and helping owners to build wealth. Additionally, we had the opportunity to help draw the lines of our territory and pick an office 10 mins from our house.
Which of your prior skills and experiences do you use in operating your business today?
One key skill I developed in corporate America was how to build and develop relationships. That is a key skill I use every day – not just with our clients but with other business partners, the franchise, and of course our staff. Another skill I use is problem-solving…whether it is just a small problem on a route, or how to better clean a home or a larger problem like how to better market to our ideal customers, or how to put programs in place to maintain our customers I really put those problem solving skills to work.
When doing your research, which questions did you ask the franchisees?
Our questions were mainly around financials, growth rates, and their experiences with the franchise and how the franchise supported their businesses.
Which questions did you ask the franchisor?
We asked a lot about their approach to marketing and their approach to supporting the franchisees.
What were your first 90 days like as a franchisee?
It’s hard to remember specifics, but overall it was an overwhelming time trying to figure out how to acquire clients and how to choose, train, and manage the right employees. I had to spend a lot of time in the field, which allowed me to really see what the employees encounter and learn a lot about our clientele. It was hard to balance all of that at the same time as doing the office work and evaluating how we were doing. I’d say I was running on all cylinders, but it was as fun as it was overwhelming.
At what point did you feel like you “got the hang of it” and settled in as a business owner?
That is a loaded question. In the first 2 years, we had slow and steady growth and went through a steep learning curve. We thought we got the hang of it at that time. Then COVID hit, and we had to rethink things. Even now, well after COVID, we go through periods where we think we got it and we can sail, but inevitably something happens (nothing as big as COVID), and we have to change paths, need to implement a change, etc. Sometimes we feel we have to take 2 steps back to go 3 steps forward. I guess we never feel like we have the hang of it because we still want to grow our businesses and live on a mantra of “never giving up or giving in”. I will say though, at 9 years in – it’s much easier to pivot because we have a lot of experience, which allows us to have more confidence when issues arise, but we are still learning!
How does the franchisor support and encourage your success?
Our need for franchise support has evolved over the years as we have grown and developed. In the early days, it was the training and ability to have a hard line to the field support rep for ad hoc questions and coaching. Now it’s more strategic help. We have access to a wonderful marketing staff that can help us think through and analyze marketing approaches and access to a one-to-one coach that helps us think about and plan for the future.
What are you most proud of and why?
I’m most proud of the fact that we’ve been able to create new jobs in the area to help people make a fair wage and be able to provide for their families.
What advice would you give to potential franchise owners?
The best advice that I’d give a potential franchise owner is that whether you are a day-to-day operator or semi-absentee, you have to think of your business as one of your children. You wouldn’t let a newborn or a young child stay home alone. Why would you leave your new business alone? Businesses need a lot of your attention to grow and prosper. You are the one who will benefit from its success. At different points in your business’s life cycle, it may need different things from you. Give your business the attention it needs, nature your business. Craft a plan on how you plan to be involved, implement the plan, and evolve.
More About the Two Maids Franchise Model and Opportunity
Two Maids is a cleaning franchise that offers a great work/life balance and requires no industry experience. Because they survey with us here at FBR and score high in Franchisee Satisfaction, they appear on a few of our lists, like our Top 200 Franchises of 2026.
They also share their entire Franchisee Satisfaction Report on our site; check it out.
Highlights include:
- 88% of franchisees agree that their fellow franchisees are supportive of the brand.
- 85% of franchisees agree that they enjoy operating their business.
- 85% of franchisees agree that their fellow franchisees are supportive of each other.
Each franchise office is independently owned and operated. These testimonials represent that person’s experience and the opinions of a specific franchise owner. Individual results and experiences will vary. This is not a guarantee, promise, or prediction of future performance or outcomes. For a comprehensive understanding of the costs, risks, and performance data associated with this franchise opportunity, please refer to Two Maids’ Franchise Disclosure Document.
