Tenisha Neal wasn’t searching for extra income. She was seeking a path forward.
Several years ago, this St. Louis resident worked as a truck driver until a high-risk pregnancy forced her to stop traveling. The job that sustained her financially was no longer viable. With a baby coming, medical appointments multiplying, and bills to pay, Neal needed an income source that allowed her to stay home.
“I really just needed something that I could do from home,” she explains.
After exploring remote job options without success, Neal discovered an unexpected solution: laundering clothes for others.
Using Poplin, a laundry-delivery service operating nationwide, Neal could work around her medical appointments, prepare for her son’s birth, and earn money on her own terms. Customers book pickups through an app, and independent “Laundry Pros” collect, wash, dry, fold, and deliver clothing—typically within 24 hours. The service costs approximately $1 per pound, including pickup and delivery fees.
“When I found Poplin, it took away the stress,” Neal says. “It took away that heavy mental load of having to think about how can I make money, how can I buy my child things, how can I put gas in my car.”
What started as a temporary solution during pregnancy evolved into something far more significant.
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Finding work that fit motherhood
Initially, Neal viewed this opportunity as temporary relief during a challenging time. The work itself was simple: gather laundry, clean it, dry it, fold it, pack it, and return it. Yet the flexibility proved invaluable.
She could activate or deactivate the app based on her family’s daily needs. She could arrange her schedule around medical visits. After her son, Dario, was born, she could continue earning without the childcare complications typical of conventional employment.
“It gave you the availability to just basically make as much or as little money as you needed in that moment,” she says.
For a new parent balancing income, health, and family responsibilities, this level of control was essential, Neal explains.
The people behind the laundry
Eventually, Neal realized the work transcended laundry—it was about the individuals she served, she says.
Her clientele included seniors, post-surgery patients, and busy individuals struggling to keep up with daily responsibilities.
“I didn’t know that there were so many people that needed those services,” Neal says.
As repeat customers began requesting her specifically, genuine relationships developed. Some customers left snacks or beverages at their door. Others donated baby gear and supplies after learning about her young son. One customer offered homemade Thanksgiving dishes.
“It becomes more like a family-oriented thing,” Neal says. “The more that you provide services for your customers.”
One relationship particularly touched her. An older woman regularly hired Neal and would chat with her at the door. Neal eventually learned the woman lived by herself with adult children living far away. When the woman fell ill, Neal met her family.
After the woman passed away, her daughter reached out with a surprising surprise: a barely used washer and dryer.
This gift allowed Neal to expand her operation significantly. Her landlord installed an additional hookup, enabling her to operate two machines simultaneously and increase her workload. “That was a huge blessing,” Neal says.
Yet the true takeaway centered on human connection. “There are a lot of lonely people in this world,” she observes. “I’m proud I am able to help others in this way at times when they need it.”
Building something bigger
Now that Dario is 6 and has finished kindergarten, Neal continues working with Poplin, but her original side gig has grown into something substantial. She has since launched a house-cleaning business employing three staff members. During slower periods, she encourages her team to accept laundry jobs through Poplin as well.
Neal’s journey demonstrates that flexible work arrangements can be more than emergency measures—they can foster financial security, self-assurance, and new possibilities.
However, Neal resists the notion that remote work is “simple.” “We’re lugging these bags of clothes up and down the stairs. We’re feeding and taking care of kids,” she says. “We still have to maintain work and home balance.”
For working parents who need earnings that accommodate life’s unpredictability, though, she believes flexibility can be transformative.
After countless pickups and deliveries throughout the St. Louis area, Neal now views laundry in a new light: While it remains practical, commonplace, and something most prefer to delegate, it’s ultimately an expression of how people support each other. As Neal says, “Everybody needs someone.”
