After Overcoming Adversity, Single Mom Fulfills Lifelong Goal with Unlikely Franchise First Sole Female Franchise Owner for 1-800-WATER DAMAGE Seeks to Inspire Others

After overcoming a series of personal tragedies, Charlene Keating is finally fulfilling a lifelong dream of owning her own business as the first sole female franchisee for 1-800-WATER DAMAGE – the nation’s leading Franchise specializing in water damage restoration for homes and businesses. Keating’s dream of being her own boss began to materialize after the sudden and unexpected death of her husband, leaving her alone to raise a young child, at the time a toddler. In the years that followed, working multiple jobs to build a good life and support her son, Keating lost both of her parents from illness, but never lost the will to keep forging forward in the name of her son. She found success through professional careers, ranging from telephone operator and IT management to respiratory therapy – always striving to balance long hours of moonlighting with being a good mother to her growing son, now age 21.

“Through all of life’s challenges, I’ve learned that the only person you ultimately can depend on is yourself, which is why it was important for me to run my own business,” said Keating, age 54. “A lot of women would probably wonder why I chose 1-800-WATER DAMAGE over a more typical `feminine’ opportunity, but after researching several opportunities, I liked that 1-800-WATER DAMAGE fills a unique niche in an untapped industry, and it offers tremendous flexibility in terms of lifestyle.”

Always the go-getter and never afraid of a little hard work, Keating will carry her determined attitude into her new role as a franchisee. Keating is confident the 1-800-WATER DAMAGE franchise will be a huge success, allowing her to finally achieve her lifelong dream. Her son, who inherited Keating’s tenacity, will help her run the franchise while attending college classes part time.

ABOUT 1-800-WATER DAMAGE

1-800-WATER DAMAGE, approximately 80 locations operating across the United States, offers homes and businesses a wide array of water damage restoration services, including: water extraction; basement, crawl space and structural drying; dehumidifying; odor removal and disinfecting. Technicians respond to customers within 90 minutes.