In 2017, Lee Sheriden made a significant life change, stepping away from his national-level executive role to embark on an entrepreneurial journey, leaving an industry he was in since graduating from Quinnipiac University. Growing up in Connecticut with parents who owned multiple businesses, the spirit of entrepreneurship was ingrained in him from a young age. Although his initial plan was to find a national franchise and run it locally, he found an unexpected opportunity in starting Two Maids.

Lee connected with the problem that Two Maids solves for families. “In my professional life, a goal for me has always been freeing up time to spend with my family, and contributing to my community.” His previous job, which often required 70% travel, left little time for anything. By starting Two Maids, Lee sought to address a common struggle faced by most families: the overwhelming lack of time.

Lee lives in Virginia Beach with his wife Deborah, whom he has been married to for 23 years, and understands the challenges of balancing work and family life. Together, they raised two daughters, Delaney and Riley. Delaney is a newlywed and a first-year teacher in Virginia Beach public schools, while Riley is currently studying business at VCU. Lee reflects on his family’s experience, saying, [PULL QUOTE] “We knew too well what it was like to juggle the careers of two working parents and the important job of raising our girls.”

Two Maids is designed to alleviate this burden - providing recurring, weekly, bi-weekly and monthly, as well as one-time cleaning services. Lee states, “We solve the problem of having too much to do and not enough time to do it.” The service not only provides families with a clean home but also peace of mind, allowing them to spend more quality time together. 

Since Lee started Two Maids, the business has experienced steady growth. Lee's team has established disciplined practices and put systems in place to achieve and maintain customer service standards they hold for their own homes, and it has paid off. By 2019, he made significant investments in facilities and expanded services, and despite the complexity of 2020, and losing 50% of their business overnight due to Covid, Lee took a risk and continued to invest in Two Maids. He pivoted their cleaning business to serve commercial buildings preparing to reopen their doors to employees, decided to invest in marketing, and increase hiring and training employees who were being laid off all in anticipation for the return to normal life. 

In 2020, Two Maids further broadened their reach by adding Two Maids Chesapeake and Norfolk, serving the entire Southside Hampton Roads area. The company has received multiple accolades from COVA Best awards, being recognized as the Best Cleaning Company on the Southside, Best Small Business, and one of the Best Places to Work, and has accumulated over 800 5-star reviews on Google serving all of Tidewater.

Customer feedback highlights the professionalism and kindness of Two Maids staff, who maintain an efficient and accommodating service. Lee emphasizes the importance of finding and retaining the right employees as key, with all staff undergoing thorough background checks and regular training. “We use modern systems and processes that allow us to maintain a relationship with our customers and gather feedback to continually improve our service,” he notes.

Lee believes in serving his community, by participating in Cleaning for a Reason, a program to provide free cleaning services to patients undergoing treatment for cancer, Two Maids has served over 90 cancer patients since starting this service in 2017. “We have also seen an uptick in serving the aging community - with adult children arranging cleaning services for their family members.” Regular cleanings have a significant impact on the quality of life at every stage, and while Two Maids core clients are primarily busy families, “cleaning for the aging community allows them to live comfortably in their home and to age in place longer.” 

Lee is involved with the DECA Program through the Virginia Beach City Public Schools, participates in The Academy Programs for both Kempsville and Landstown, serves with the Noblemen of Virginia Beach. In business, he is active in the Global Entrepreneur Organization, having served as the Global Student Entrepreneurs Chair.

Citing what’s next for Two Maids, "our mission is to become the most professional and sought after cleaning service on the Southside. We continuously refine our systems and processes to achieve that goal, and plan to extend our mission to the Peninsula in the future."