E-MAGAZINE - DECEMBER 2023
CELEBRATING WOMEN IN PEST MANAGEMENT IN CANADA GETTING TO KNOW YOU - RACHEL MENDES WHAT IS YOUR NAME? Rachel Mendes.
WHERE DO YOU WORK? Last Call Pest Control. WHAT IS YOUR ROLE? Owner/Operator.
HOW DID YOU GET INTO PEST CONTROL? I was beginning my entry exams for mortuary school when I had a terrible injury at work. I decided I needed to reframe my career and took a job at a hygiene/ pest company. I was pleased with the company but bored with hygiene, so I took my exams for pest control in 2012 and the rest is history! DESCRIBE YOURSELF IN THREE WORDS. Empathetic, bold, innovative.
WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT PEST CONTROL? Nothing is ever the same situation twice. There’s always something new and interesting to tackle. I love being able to help people and provide dignity in tough situations. WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST PEST PEEVE? Armchair experts.
WHO INSPIRES YOU? AND WHY? I can’t think of anyone specific, but women in general. Women in this field, women in other traditionally, male dominated fields. Women in general. Since truly embracing the power of female friendships, I have felt supported, inspired, and respected and I am so grateful for the women that have come into my life over the years. WHAT SCRAMBLES YOUR BRAIN EVERY TIME YOU THINK ABOUT IT? How mirrors work. I just don’t get it LOL.
WHAT ARE YOU MOST DETERMINED TO ACCOMPLISH? I have accomplished so much already it’s still hard to believe I came so far in the matter of four years. I would love to continue the success of Last Call and
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have my unborn son take over the family business one day. WHAT'S YOUR FAVOURITE WAY TO SPEND A DAY OFF? Sleeping in, sipping delicious, iced coffee, relaxing on the couch with my hubby and our dog. On more adventurous days we like to kayak and take day trips to the beach.
HAVE YOU EVER READ A BOOK THAT CHANGED YOUR LIFE? The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck. I read it at a pivotal moment of change in my life and it gave me the courage and perspective to shift my thinking. IF YOU ENDED UP IN JAIL, WHAT WOULD YOU FRIENDS AND FAMILY THINK YOU DID? Probably something related to a political counter protest. IF YOUR LIFE WERE A MOVIE, WHAT WOULD THE MOVIE BE CALLED? Pest Mortem.
WHAT EMBARRASSING MOMENT HAS STUCK WITH YOU OVER THE YEARS? When I squeezed a bottle of chemical so hard it exploded in front of my boss at the time.