Mary E Mahowald: The Writer

Author, Writer, Blogger, Social Media Marketing Consultant, Mom.

Mary is a hard working single mom, from Omaha, Nebraska. She works full time as a Truck Rental Specialist, and is pursing a career as a Writer and Social Media Marketing Consultant.

As a homeschooler, and daughter to a writer and entrepreneur, Mary began working for her dad, and was answering phones for his in-home based business since the age of 7. Her wanderlust began around the same age. Her father, also a public speaker, would travel the country to run a booth and sell books at religious speaking engagements, with (at least part of) the family of 10 in tow. Throughout the course of several years, they visited about 35 of the 50 states, and had so many great travel experiences that she hopes to share with her children.

She assisted her parents with the office work, helped with internet and layout design decisions, proofread, collated, assembled and mailed their monthly newsletters for much of her childhood as her first job. Her first taste of entrepreneurship however was as a babysitter around the age of eleven. Though work was nothing new to her, she began her career in the restaurant and hospitality field at the ripe age of 14.

Mary had travelled quite a bit stateside in her early years, including Mexico, in high school she was blessed with the opportunity to travel abroad. Mary visited France, Holland, Belgium, Germany, her favorite: Italy, and later in life, England and Jamaica.

After high school Mary continued working in the Restaurant and Hospitality field. She found it to be an outlet for her passions and talents of serving others and brining joy to those gathered around a great meal. Mary attended the Institute for Culinary Arts, at MCC and worked nearly every front of the house positions, including management, and a couple behind-the-scenes jobs including: line and prep-cook, and also baker. And she still has a presence in the food space today.

Mary moved to Charleston, South Carolina for a stint in 2010, and spent an amazing year getting a taste of the local establishments, and experiencing life for the first time, as a local beachcomber. Mary loved strolling through downtown, sampling the local fair, riding cruisers on the beach, and beachside islands, and oyster roasts became a new favorite pastime!

She moved back to her home-state of Nebraska in 2011, and became a mom soon thereafter. Mary has two rambunctious boys, and is experiencing the challenges, joys and struggles of living the unintended single-parenting life.

Mahowald began working in the Transportation industry in 2014, and returned to school as a non-traditional student in 2016. In May of 2019, she graduated with an AAS in Business Management and a professional certification to boot.

In 2018 Mary began to pursue writing, and was published the same year. She began as a contributor for the Omaha Mom’s Blog, a local parenting and lifestyle blog, and also contributed to The (local) Reader magazine as a guest contributor, featuring her first printed article, writing about one of her many passions: food!

In 2019 Mahowald launched this website and her blog Roadmap for Mom. She wanted a more direct, and less filtered route to communicate with her readers. She began to work as a freelance writer, content creator, and social media guru for Nebraska entrepreneur and CEO of Sholdit® Angela Lee Diaz.

Late 2020 Mary officially launched With Heart Booksellers and the publication of her first Children’s Book “Frankie Drives a Freightliner!” A collaborative project with advertising partner Truck Center Companies, and illustrator Joseph Davis. We are so excited to share our love for trucking and transport, and of course Freightliners with the world, through a story of strong female characters and their adventures. Inspiring hope and dreams, and appreciation of trucking to a child and bookshelf near you! You will be able to preorder and buy the books soon at www.withheartbooks.com , Amazon, and select Truck Stops!

Mary loves travel, exploring new places, and a good bite to eat. She also adores a good cup of coffee and a cocktail from time time, being outdoors in the nice weather, and by the water are her very favorites and family, friends and her Faith are her constants. She loves live Country music, college sports, and of course, the Cornhuskers, like any respectable Nebraskan.

Stay in touch for insights about single-mom-life, surviving as a boy-mom, travel and adventures, budgeting and hustle, the path to entrepreneurship, living and giving, and building a life to love!