Jan 13 2025
Mandy Rennehan is the host and lead contractor of HGTV Canada’s Trading Up with Mandy Rennehan, author of The Blue Collar CEO, and a sought-after keynote speaker.
The Blue Collar CEO™ Mandy Rennehan is a self-made entrepreneur, trade industry ambassador, author, philanthropist, and the host and lead contractor of HGTV Canada’s Trading Up with Mandy Rennehan – but you can call her “Bear.” She is also well-known for her keynote and motivational speaking. Mandy Rennehan is available to be booked for corporate and private events. Contact the Mollie Plotkin Group today to inquire about Mandy Rennehan’s fees.
Contact the Mollie Plotkin Group at 215-510-6607 to book Mandy Rennehan for corporate or private events, keynote speeches, workshops, fireside chats, motivational speaking, or virtual appearances. Our agency will work directly with your organization and our keynote speakers to create an unforgettable event.
The Mollie Plotkin Group is the leading keynote speakers agency and entertainment bureau bringing excitement to audiences, clients, and employees. We represent subject-matter experts in every possible field, so whether we’re your partner in creating a memorable meeting, or your meeting planner’s secret weapon in securing the perfect keynote speaker, we’re in this with you.
As the daughter of a lobster fisherman, Mandy Rennehan grew up in a community that relied on a seasonal fishing industry. Many times, her parents struggled to put food on the table. While other kids were playing, Mandy was foraging for bait and selling it to local fishermen to help support her family. At 10 years old, she was dubbed the “local fish broker,” and her entrepreneurial spirit was born.
Then at 18, Mandy left home with a dirty hockey bag, a desire to know more about construction, and the wish to make her parents’ lives easier. Only a year later, in 1995, she founded Freshco – the first full-service, 24/7, on-call retail maintenance provider with complete coverage across Canada and the eastern United States.
Today, Freshco is the most successful and fiscally responsible retail maintenance business in Canada with three collaborative divisions – Maintenance, Projects, and Reconstruction – that serve retail giants like Anthropologie, Apple, Banana Republic, Bell Media, Home Depot, Lululemon, Nike, Restoration Hardware, RBC, Sephora, under armor, Tiffany & Co., and many more.
Along the way, Mandy earned the nicknames “The Blue Collar CEO” for her ability to navigate between the white- and blue-collar worlds and “Bear” for her big hugs. In addition to her success with Freshco, she hosts HGTV Canada’s Trading Up with Mandy Rennehan, wrote the award-winning book The Blue Collar CEO, and has received countless awards for her visionary leadership, including:
Mandy’s mission from day one has been to build a company that challenges industry stereotypes and “redefines the collar blue,” changing the perception of skilled trades and fighting for the respect they deserve as well as advocating for women in trade industries. She also currently serves as a lead advisor to the Canadian Federal Government’s national campaign encouraging apprenticeships and promoting the skilled trades as a career.
Find out how to hire Mandy Rennehan to appear at your next event. Contact the Mollie Plotkin Group to inquire about Mandy Rennehan’s availability and cost. When booking Mandy Rennehan for an event, we need to know the type of venue and location the event will take place. Mandy Rennehan is a popular choice for corporate events, private events, and virtual events. So, you can click the Check Availability button or contact us and an MPG Mandy Rennehan booking agent will get back to you within 48 hours.
How much to book Mandy Rennehan depends on the type of event. So, the cost to hire Mandy Rennehan for corporate or private events is available by contacting a Mollie Plotkin Group Agent. Notably, Mandy Rennehan is available for conferences, festivals, private parties and events. Just contact the Mollie Plotkin Group and tell the booking agent the proposed date, time, and location.
Our speakers are in high demand! View their upcoming events.
Mandy defies labels. The description she most often gets is “refreshing.” Her (respectfully) uncensored honesty is matched by her quick wit, East Coast humor, and big heart. Her vision goes well beyond building successful businesses. Mandy pushes for more diverse and inclusive practices in the facilities and trades industries and travels the world speaking to audiences about effective leadership, entrepreneurship, and the importance of the blue-collar workforce. She is redefining blue-collar and changing the answer to “what do you want to be when you grow up?” to help solve the massive skilled trade shortage worldwide. It is impossible to remain unchanged after coming into contact with this authentic, self-taught, and self-made powerhouse.
North America has a massive skilled trade shortage that affects everyone. We are paying more and waiting longer for the same services. Companies can’t scale and important infrastructure projects, like roads, transit, and hospitals are facing major delays. But 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. We need both! Currently, university graduates can’t find jobs, and well-paying skilled trade jobs sit empty. Something has to change. In this conversation, Mandy will provide the actionable steps organizations can take to reverse the skilled trade shortage.
Each individual has their own blueprint that makes them an absolute rarity in the world. Using her own story, Mandy inspires the confidence in people to discover and foster their blueprints. Through sincere, 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. By the end of this keynote, your audience will use what makes them unique to their advantage in life and business.
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. Expect candid anecdotes and practical, straightforward advice on leadership, authenticity, and harnessing potential.
Wow! I’ve been doing this for 25 years – that was the best speech ever. EVER! – Diane Francis, Editor-at-Large, National Post
Mandy was a hit! Her humor and candor kept our audience engaged (and laughing). Her message was relevant and generated conversation during and after the event which was our hope. She was also an absolute pleasure to work with, as was 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
Mandy Rennehan speaks personally and from the heart, engaging audiences on an unprecedented level – an inspirational tour de force. – Atlantic Business Magazine
WINNER of the Margaret and John Savage First Book Award (Non-Fiction)
The “respectfully uncensored” story of how Mandy Rennehan’s savvy business skills and innovative thinking led her to the top of the male-dominated construction industry before the age of thirty
Born in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, Mandy Rennehan began her business career at the age of ten by catching bait and selling it to local fishermen. She was so good at her job, she knew she wanted to be her own boss one day. At the age of seventeen, Rennehan decided to strike out on her own, so she packed a hockey bag full of her belongings and fled to Halifax, where she began cold calling construction companies, volunteering to work for free, so she could learn more about contracting and the trades.
Three years later, Rennehan had garnered all the experience she needed to start her own company, Freshco, a boutique retail maintenance and construction company. Still in her early twenties, Rennehan’s reputation as a knowledgeable and trustworthy contractor led to her first corporate contract with The Gap. Her business has since gone on to become a multi-million-dollar company whose clients are some of the top corporations in North America.
Known as the Blue Collar CEO for her ability to seamlessly navigate between the white- and blue-collar worlds, and as a tireless advocate for the trades, this is the story of how Rennehan succeeded in business through honesty, integrity, and most of all, authenticity—by always remaining true to herself and her vision for success.
