Jana Askeland is reshaping the automotive landscape by providing honest, relatable car reviews from a woman’s perspective. As the founder of Real Mom Car Reviews, Askeland leverages her lifelong passion for cars and her experience as a mother to dissect vehicles based on the criteria that matter most to female consumers: safety, practicality, comfort, and family-friendliness. Her platform has gained significant traction, offering a vital counterpoint in an industry historically dominated by male perspectives and marketing.

The Rise of a Woman’s Voice in Automotive Journalism

The automotive industry, for decades, has largely directed its marketing efforts and product development towards a male demographic. This has historically made car buying a less accessible and often intimidating process for women, despite their significant influence on purchasing decisions. Data consistently shows that women are key decision-makers in car purchases, with some reports indicating they influence up to 85% of all car buying decisions. Askeland’s initiative directly addresses this disparity by creating a space where women’s needs and priorities are not only acknowledged but are the central focus of vehicle evaluations.

Askeland’s journey into automotive commentary is rooted in her upbringing. She spent formative years accompanying her father, who worked in the car business. While initially feeling embarrassed by her father’s profession compared to the perceived prestige of other parents’ careers, these early experiences instilled in her a deep understanding and appreciation for the automotive world. This exposure, however unconventional, provided a foundational knowledge that she would later leverage to carve out her unique niche.

Her academic pursuit of Mass Communications at NC State University led her to a career in advertising, specifically targeting car dealerships. This adjacency to the industry further solidified her understanding of its dynamics. She consistently observed women approaching her with questions about car purchases, seeking guidance in an arena where they often felt underserved. This recurring pattern sparked the idea for her platform, realizing there was a significant unmet need for accessible, female-centric automotive advice.

Real Mom Car Reviews: A Platform Built on Relatability and Expertise

Founded in 2022, Real Mom Car Reviews, accessible through its website and various social media channels including YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, and Instagram, offers a distinct perspective. Askeland’s reviews are not just about horsepower and handling; they delve into the practicalities of daily life with a family. This includes scrutinizing the ease of installing car seats, the accessibility of storage compartments, the spaciousness for growing children and their gear, and the overall comfort for both driver and passengers during everyday errands and longer journeys.

Her approach is characterized by its honesty and transparency. Askeland aims to provide an unbiased assessment, highlighting both the strengths and weaknesses of each vehicle, with a particular emphasis on features that enhance family life. This strategy resonates with her audience, fostering trust and credibility. The "mom life" content woven into her reviews makes her an approachable and relatable figure, bridging the gap between technical automotive specifications and the lived experiences of her viewers.

Navigating the Digital Landscape: Internet Bullies and Resilience

Askeland’s presence on social media, while instrumental in building her platform, has also exposed her to the less savory aspects of online engagement, including cyberbullying. She candidly discusses her strategy for dealing with negative comments, particularly those rooted in sexism and online harassment. Her approach is one of measured resilience: she acknowledges that hurtful comments can sting but ultimately refuses to let them derail her mission.

By choosing not to delete negative comments, Askeland believes she denies them undue energy and attention. Instead, she focuses on the overwhelming majority of positive feedback and engagement, which fuels her motivation. This perspective is crucial in understanding the psychological fortitude required for content creators in the digital age, particularly women navigating traditionally male-dominated spaces. Her ability to maintain focus on her core message and her supportive audience demonstrates a strong sense of self and purpose.

Key Considerations for Car Buying: A Mother’s Perspective

Askeland emphasizes several critical factors that mothers should prioritize when purchasing a vehicle.

• Advanced Safety Features: Beyond standard airbags and anti-lock brakes, Askeland highlights the importance of features like side-impact safety. This is particularly crucial when considering the placement of car seats, as impacts on the side of the vehicle can pose significant risks to children. She advocates for a comprehensive review of safety ratings and technologies tailored to protecting the most vulnerable passengers.
• Car Seat Placement and Accessibility: The practicalities of car seat installation and removal are a frequent point of discussion in Askeland’s reviews. She advises parents to consider the ease with which car seats can be secured and whether multiple car seats can be accommodated comfortably. The location of car seats, whether in the middle of the bench seat or behind the driver or passenger, is also a key consideration, impacting driver visibility and ease of access for children.
• Seating Configurations: Askeland’s personal experience informs her recommendations on seating. She notes a preference for bench seats when children are very young for ease of access and supervision. As children grow, captain’s chairs in the second row can offer more personal space and easier access to a third row, which is particularly beneficial for carpooling or managing multiple children. Her insights reflect the evolving needs of a family as children age.
• Vehicle Size and Family Needs: The transition to a larger vehicle, such as a minivan or a larger SUV, is often a necessary step for growing families. Askeland acknowledges the common resistance to minivans, which are sometimes perceived as less stylish, but underscores their undeniable practicality for family transport. She encourages test driving various models to find a vehicle that balances identity with functionality.
• Teen Driver Safety: For families with teenage drivers, Askeland stresses the importance of advanced technology. Features like geofencing, speed alerts, and even speed governors can provide an added layer of safety and parental oversight. She also strongly recommends supplementing vehicle technology with defensive driving courses for teenage drivers.

Beyond the Dashboard: Personal Reflections on Motherhood

The conversation with Liz Tenety on The Motherly Podcast also touches upon Askeland’s personal journey into motherhood, revealing a profound shift in her perspective. She admits that she never initially envisioned herself as a mother, yet a transformative experience with a friend’s baby ignited a deep desire to have children. This unexpected revelation highlights how life’s most significant paths can emerge from unforeseen moments.

Askeland’s initial perception of motherhood was one of sacrifice—giving up identity, freedom, and opportunities. However, her lived experience has taught her the importance of embracing individuality within the maternal role. She emphasizes that there is no single "right" way to mother, and finding what works for one’s own family is paramount. This realization has been key to easing the control she once felt she needed, leading to a more fulfilling and less stressful parenting experience.

Her approach to parenting her two sons, aged 9 and 11, is described as "freedom within a framework." She strives to provide her children with ample freedom while ensuring their safety and well-being within the structure of everyday life. This balance reflects a conscious effort to remain true to her own free-spirited nature without compromising her children’s needs for order and success.

Askeland views her day-to-day life as a busy but rewarding blend of reviewing cars and raising her sons. She actively involves her children in her content creation, allowing them to be present in videos or even contribute lines, integrating her professional life with her family life in a unique and authentic way.

Motherhood as a Superpower

At the core of Motherly’s philosophy is the belief that motherhood unlocks unique strengths, or "superpowers." For Askeland, this superpower is flexibility. She identifies her ability to "roll with the punches," to pivot when necessary, and to help her children navigate unexpected changes as a defining characteristic of her mothering. This adaptability, she explains, allows her to let go of rigid expectations and embrace spontaneity, which ultimately reduces stress and anxiety.

Jana Askeland’s story is a testament to the power of authentic voices and the importance of addressing underserved markets. By combining her passion for automobiles with her lived experience as a mother, she has not only built a successful platform but has also empowered countless women to approach car buying with greater confidence and clarity. Her insights, grounded in practicality and empathy, offer a much-needed perspective in an industry that is finally beginning to recognize the significant role women play in shaping its future. Her journey underscores the idea that expertise can emerge from unexpected places and that a unique viewpoint, when shared with authenticity, can resonate deeply and create meaningful change.