Hi! My name is Renee, and I grew up in Compton, California, where I was given the standard playbook for success: work hard, get good grades, go to a four-year college, get a career, and live the American Dream. Back then, society mostly steered young women toward traditional, gender-stereotyped careers— a teacher, a doctor, or a nurse.

Nobody showed me that there were so many other incredible, hands-on career paths out there. I was unaware of the many incredible, hands-on career paths available to me. I lacked information about fields such as welding, crane operation, plumbing, electrical work, and mechanics, and no one warned me that pursuing a traditional college education could come with a steep price tag, and I still possibly wouldn’t be able to land a career after graduation in the field I studied. At the time, I didn’t even know what I truly wanted to study as far as a major in college. I thought I wanted to be a veterinarian, but I was primarily following the conventional educational path based on my love for animals without actually knowing about the other pathway of skilled trades.

Looking around today, these blue-collar trades are still vastly underserved by women and seldom encouraged or talked about when deciding on an educational path or career field—and that is exactly what inspired The Blue Collar Lady™

I created this platform to build a space for women of all ages, backgrounds, and walks of life who are interested in pursuing these high-paying, fulfilling careers. My mission is to guide women toward these seldom-talked-about roles, showing them how to step into these opportunities and proving that you don’t need a four-year college degree to build financial independence, pride, and a successful future when choosing a career or educational path.