MEET

MANDY RENNEHAN

TV personality HGTV and Netflix "Trading Up with Mandy Rennehan”

ABOUT MANDY

Mandy Rennehan (a.k.a. Bear) is called the Blue-Collar CEO™ for her ability to seamlessly navigate between the white- and blue-collar worlds, and to respectfully ‘tell it like it is’. She is determined to redefine the term ‘blue collar’ and solve the massive global skilled trade shortage. Mandy defies all labels. The description she often gets is “refreshing.” Her (respectfully) uncensored honesty is matched by her quick wit, East Coast humour, and big heart. It is impossible to remain unchanged after coming into contact with this authentic, self-taught and self-made powerhouse.

  • Mandy Rennehan (a.k.a. Bear) is called the Blue-Collar CEO™ for her ability to seamlessly navigate between the white- and blue-collar worlds, and to respectfully ‘tell it like it is’.

    Not only is she sought-after speaker, award winning author, multiple award-winning self-made entrepreneur, philanthropist, trade-industry ambassador and CEO/founder of Freshco.ca (not the grocery store!)

    Mandy defies labels. The description she often gets is “refreshing.” Her (respectfully) uncensored honesty is matched by her quick wit, East Coast humour, and big heart. It is impossible to remain unchanged after coming into contact with this authentic, self-taught and self-made powerhouse.

    Her vision goes well beyond building successful businesses. She is redefining the collar, blue™ and changing the answer to ‘what do you want to be when you grow up?’ in order to solve the massive skilled trade shortage in North America and diversify its talent for generations of building to come.

    Mandy is challenging the misconception that white-collar jobs are “better” or “more desirable” than blue-collar ones; for society needs both collars.

    Mandy is the international ambassador and voice behind The Jill of All Trades; an initiative designed to inspire young women in grades 9 through 12 to explore rewarding careers in the skilled trades.

    Rennehan was also a lead advisor to the federal Governments national campaign encouraging apprenticeships and promoting the skilled trades as a career and most recently appointed Officer of the Order of Canada.

    Her book, The Blue Collar CEO, My Gutsy Journey from Rookie Contractor to Multi-Millionaire Construction Boss gives you a behind the scenes look at her start, her life and her trajectory from one end of business through to another.

    Or as Bear says: “I’ve had my teether kicked in so many times, luckily they’ve grown back straighter and whiter!”

Inquire About Mandy

Motivation

Business & Management

TAGS & EXPERTISE

Entrepreneurship • Leadership • Innovation • Career Development • Workplace Culture • Diversity & Inclusion • Personal Growth • Change Management • Future of Work

SPEAKING TOPICS

  • Mandy candidly shares her journey from a small fishing town to becoming one of North America’s most powerful entrepreneurs. Mandy built a multi-million-dollar empire from the ground up by turning her passion into ingenuity and her personal brand into an award-winning business model. Born and raised in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, the daughter of a lobster fisherman, Mandy left home at the age of 18 with an old hockey bag, an audacious dream, and her cheeky smile, and the rest is history. Expect candid anecdotes and practical, straight-forward advice on leadership, authenticity, and harnessing potential.

  • North America has a massive skilled trade shortage, that affects everyone. We are paying more and waiting longer for services, companies aren’t able to scale, and important infrastructure projects, like roads, transit and hospitals are facing major delays. How did we get here? Perception! Societal ideology has brainwashed people to believe that white-collar careers are better than blue-collar ones, when they should command equal respect because we need both! Our current reality is university graduates who can’t find jobs and well-paying skilled trade jobs sitting empty. This has got to stop. In this candid, and real-life conversation Mandy will provide the steps organizations can take to reverse the skilled trade shortage.

  • Each individual has their own blueprint which makes them an absolute rarity in the world. Using her own story, Mandy inspires the confidence in people to discover and foster their own blueprints. Through candid, honest, and often funny anecdotes, Mandy encourages people to open themselves up to their innate architecture, create their own path, and creatively harness individual strengths to discover their Bear Potential. She inspires and helps the audience to discover and unleash their true potential. Mandy empowers audiences to explore what makes them unique and use it to their advantage in life and business.

FEATURED BOOKS

FEATURED VIDEOS

Testimonials

  • Mandy was a hit! Her humour and candor keep our audience engaged (and laughing), her message was relevant and generated much conversation during and after the event which was our hope. She was an absolute pleasure to work, as were her assistant.

    — Communications Coordinator, Cape Breton Partnership

  • Mandy is honest, open and accepting which allows her to connect and engage with audiences of all ages. She inspires people to be themselves and pursue their passions. She is the real deal.

    — Chair, Technology, Trades and Apprenticeships, Conestoga College

  • Wow! I’ve been doing this for 25 years, that was best speech ever, EVER!

    — Diane Francis, Editor-at-Large of the National Post

Interested in booking Mandy Rennehan?

Inquire About Mandy