Cara Simmons was a 36-year-old woman living in Cleveland. As a single mother, she knew she had to keep her housekeeping job no matter what. However, she didn’t realize that one job could change her life so unexpectedly. What happened? Continue reading to find out!
Mom of Three
Cara had three children and made sure they had what they required, providing for them. She took on many housekeeping jobs with no days off to ensure that they were happy. She never gave up, even when she was physically injured, and it all paid off!
Mom of Three
Determined
Cara was a dedicated mother and worker. She often overworked herself and ended up in the hospital from exhaustion. All that stress led to many different health issues, including stomach ulcers. However, she kept going because she had to pay rent and take care of her kids.
Determined
Great Work Ethic
Cara’s children loved her and enjoyed the time they had together. She worked at Maid Brite, so there were plenty of housekeeping assignments. Plus, her employer was impressed by her efforts and willingness to work. This lady was strong enough to tackle it all!
Great Work Ethic
An Ordinary Day
Her next assignment was on a routine day for Cara. However, she never realized that it might change her whole life. She wrote the address down, preparing for an ordinary cleaning project without knowing it was a celebrity’s house.
An Ordinary Day
Meeting Madeline
Cara arrived at the address and met Madeline Blue, who explained her duties. Strangely, Madeline had said that this house was already cleaned, so Cara was quite curious. The woman asked her to come inside to explain what she required, and Cara was confused.
Meeting Madeline
Interesting Assignment
Once inside, Madeline told Cara that the owners wanted her to help organize a party with little time to spare. The housekeeper had been hired to help with preparations, and it sounded fun! First, Cara had to meet Manny Slomovits, a famous chef.
Interesting Assignment
Meal Tasting
Cara received a fun assignment. She had to taste every meal the chef cooked. It wasn’t a normal job description, but she was very happy to do it. Still, this was out of her comfort zone, and she was concerned that she might do things wrong.
Meal Tasting
Favorite Food
It was an awkward situation for Cara and Manny, so the chef asked her about her favorite meal to break the ice. She said her children liked spaghetti, claiming that was her top choice. Clearly, Cara put her kids first from that answer, and she was at the house to do a job!
Favorite Food
$500 Lobster
While Cara said her favorite meal was spaghetti, the chef prepared something much more elaborate. She was actually eating South African Tristan Lobster, complete with quail eggs and basil oil. It cost roughly $500, making it the most expensive dish she’d ever eaten!
$500 Lobster
Expensive Dessert
The lobster was anything but cheap, but the dessert was even more expensive. She received a plate of white truffles with some edible gold sprinkled in. This dish was about $4,000. Cara didn’t just look at it; she got to eat some, finally realizing that this was a big event!
Expensive Dessert
The Next Task
After the meal, Cara learned how much it cost and was shocked. Then, she found Madeline to get her next assignment. Now, she had to answer the door because someone was knocking. Two men were there to set up for the reflexology station.
The Next Task
Unexpected Massage
Once the men walked in, Madeline asked them to warm up before the big event. To do that, they asked if they could give Cara a massage. She couldn’t believe her luck but went with it. Her job was to complete her assignment, regardless of what that might be!
Unexpected Massage
Not Her Birthday
The men gave Cara a relaxing massage, and she joked around that it wasn’t her birthday, but she was getting treated like royalty. She couldn’t believe her “housekeeping” tasks for the day. Instead of cleaning or organizing, she felt like a princess!
Not Her Birthday
The Walk-in Closet
Cara thought the massage was likely to be the high point of her day, but she had much more to enjoy. When the therapists finished, Madeline asked her to go upstairs. Once in a bedroom, Madeline showed her a walk-in closet, telling her to organize and get rid of some of the clothes.
The Walk-in Closet
Designer Clothes
Madeline surprised the housekeeper by telling her to declutter the space, taking whatever she wanted to wear for herself. Cara couldn’t believe her luck. She saw amazing designer accessories and jackets, shoes, and jewelry, realizing that she got them for free!
Designer Clothes
Strange Delivery
After the impromptu shopping spree, Madeline asked Cara to answer the door. Hoping for another pleasant surprise, she wasn’t disappointed! A delivery man held a box, placing it inside the room when the door was opened. Cara was soon to see something shocking!
Strange Delivery
Her Stuff
Things got pretty weird after that. Someone told her to open the box, and she saw her personal items. Now, she was worried because she was in a stranger’s house and her belongings were all in that container. What was going on here?!
Her Stuff
Confusion
Cara could no longer hide her concern. Looking at all of her stuff, she wondered why it was there and was in disbelief. The delivery man wasn’t done, bringing in another big box. She asked where the items came from, but he wouldn’t talk. Was she safe?
Confusion
It Gets Weirder
Things unraveled quickly when the delivery man finally explained things. He said the items were sent for one Miss Simmons because she was the homeowner. While that was her name, nothing made sense. Madeline stepped in and claimed that Cara was the boss. This was too good to be true!
It Gets Weirder
Pranked
Understandably, Cara was confused. She was initially hired to clean a house and was being treated like the owner. The crew finally told her what happened because they were so excited. They were all part of a web series called Prank It Fwd, which helped people have fun and improve their lives.
Pranked
The New Home
This situation wasn’t a joke. The house was Cara’s so that cleaning job was her turning point in life. She never imagined being a homeowner, thinking she couldn’t afford it. Now, she was thanking these men, learning that she wasn’t the only struggling mom in the world.
The New Home
A Similar Situation
Tanna Marino had a similar situation to Cara. She had four kids and lived in Cypress, Texas. Though she had a husband, he was a firefighter and was often out working, so she stayed at home with the children. They were her life, and she couldn’t live without them.
A Similar Situation
Mother of Four
Tanna had to work long hours as an appliance technician, so she couldn’t spend much time with the kids. Mr. Appliance offered extra hours whenever possible. While she had a stable income and job, she still struggled financially. One day, she received a call that changed her life!
Mother Of Four
Strange Call
She picked up the phone when it rang, never realizing that there was a life-changing opportunity on the other end. The voice claimed to be a television scout, asking her to appear in a pilot for a reality TV show. Tanna was skeptical and didn’t quite believe her luck.
Strange Call
Don’t Quit Your Day Job
The scout revealed that they couldn’t talk much about the show and only gave the title: “Don’t Quit Your Day Job.” Tanna decided to go along with it at first to see what it was about. It might just help her family pull out of their difficult times.
Don’t Quit Your Day Job
Agreeing to Do It
After a quick debate with herself, Tanna decided to do the show. The next day, she met the camera crew, who followed her around. In fact, she was training Faith Brown, so she didn’t even realize that she was on television and didn’t have to act.
Agreeing to Do It
Meeting Faith
Faith was supposed to be a regular office worker, but she overdressed for the job. Tanna actually thought it was an odd character for a television show, but she didn’t say anything. Faith seemed ready for it, so Tanna played along.
Meeting Faith
Patient Training
It didn’t take long for Tanna to see that Faith wasn’t experienced, but she tried her best to train her. The camera crew followed the pair around while she walked Faith through the whole routine. Tanna realized it was odd, but what could she do?
Patient Training
Getting Along
Training took a few days. The women had to work together, and Tanna was patient with Faith the entire time. Everyone could see the ladies getting along and bonding. Finally, Tanna invited her trainee to her home.
Getting Along
Visiting Tanna
Once Faith got to the home, she met Tanna’s four children and husband, Michael. Everyone seemed happy and healthy, even with the financial struggles they faced. Plus, everyone welcomed Faith. The women got closer, and Tanna admitted something personal.
Visiting Tanna
Personal Conversation
The kids finally fell asleep, so the women talked. Tanna told Faith that money was tight, even with both people working. It takes a lot of cash to feed six people. Finally, Tanna wondered out loud if she needed to get another job, which meant spending even more time away from the kids.
Personal Conversation
Sharing the Struggle
Faith was absolutely touched by the confession, sharing her own story. Financial issues were always a part of Faith’s life because her dad was gone often. Once she heard the story, Tanna felt connected to her new friend. Then, she was shocked to learn what the reality show was about!
Sharing the Struggle
The Last Task
Once the shooting for the show was finished, Tanna was invited to Faith’s home to handle the last segment. When she got there, she realized that Faith had changed. She had blond hair and a different hairstyle. This didn’t prepare Tanna for the surprise, though!
The Last Task
Her Real Name
Faith finally revealed that her name was Dina Dwyer-Owens, and she was the CEO of Mr. Appliance, where Tanna worked. Dina quickly explained when she saw the shocked look on her friend’s face. She had wanted to spend time with Tanna to learn about her and what she did.
Her Real Name
Undercover Boss
The television crew finally came clean, saying this wasn’t a reality show. In fact, it was Undercover Boss. The series focuses on bosses wearing disguises to find out more about their employees and get to know them and their struggles.
Undercover Boss
A Generous Reward
Dina was impressed by Tanna’s work ethic and personality, but her financial struggles tugged at her heartstrings. Therefore, the CEO gave Tanna $5,000 because she was a woman in the trades. Women in the Trades helped females get financial aid and learn something they could use in life.
A Generous Reward
Scholarship Fund
Tanna couldn’t hold back her tears and was quite moved by the company’s generosity. Dina then revealed that she had set up a $10,000 scholarship fund for the couple’s children. Education was no longer an issue. However, that wasn’t the biggest surprise!
Scholarship Fund
The Grand Surprise
The CEO presented Tanna with a $25,000 check, saying the family was allowed to use it for any purpose. It was Dina’s personal gift to her best employee. Tanna almost fainted from the shock. This meant so much to her, her husband, and their children.
The Grand Surprise
Interesting Outcome
Initially, Dina had no idea that she might give away so much money. She had only wanted to learn about the employees while pretending to be one. When she met Tanna, though, she knew the caring mother deserved a reward for her hard work.
Interesting Outcome
The Valuable Experience
The Undercover Boss episode was actually unique for both women. Dina learned about life as an employee at her store, and Tanna received life-changing gifts. That financial aid was what her family needed!
The Valuable Experience