She loves the media and the arts, particularly documentaries and based on true story dramas. She is bothered by conventional media today with the over indulgence of egos and divas and mostly she struggles when asked the question “Is there a difference between a reality show as we know it today and a made for TV show about something that actually happened in someone’s life”? There is a distinct line of demarcation between the two that is not categorically related; the script writing and production quality. True stories are few and far between today, but in watching good television can you remember when Perry Mason could figure out the actions of a killer and why they did it. Detective Lt. Columbo hounded the most likely suspect until he proved them to be guilty and Jessica Fletcher could remember the most miniscule detail that became the tell tale sign of aberrant guilt. Those were the good old days. Today we have nonsense.

The reality of one’s life is hardly to be found in a television documentary or a made for TV movie, but since reading at the age of 2 she has had a love for broadcasting, journalism radio and television. Enunciation came natural, even with an accent! Passion for good diction was incredibly innocent as she constantly corrected those around her, junior and senior. And then the day came.

One cold winter’s day in October 1988 she picked up the telephone and called the editor of the Winnipeg Sun. She got him on the phone to her surprise and asked “Why do you not have a section in your newspaper for small business people”? The editor seemed a little puzzled but answered “we’ve been having discussions about that”, he said. “Good, I am the person you are looking for and I can start right away” she said. “Really”! With a hesitant pause he went on. “Tell me about you” he asked? She went into no detail other than to say I just completed a year of Radio and Television Arts at Ryerson Polytechnic in Toronto with emphasis on print and publishing. “Interesting”, said the editor, “can you come by the newsroom later today”? “Sure”, she said and took her resume with her.

The segment was a hit! Profiles of small business entrepreneurs with various backgrounds and the scope and reach of the small business market included areas not originally intended such as Brandon , Selkirk, Portage La Prairie and Thompson , Manitoba . She wanted more and was able to parlay a newspaper column into a radio show for CKJS.

Many other doors became opened for her and broadcast journalism extended to other markets. Notably in the true white north where she continued writing for the Winnipeg Sun and joined the news team of the Yellowknifer Newspaper and CJCD Radio Yellowknife, NWT.

Ontario was calling and on her return to Toronto in summer of 1990, she began studies at the University of Toronto, Erindale Campus with great enthusiasm. While studying Sociology she worked as credit and collections agent, an investment agent and a consultant for a leading credit reporting agency. This is where it all culminated, and a fascination with credit billowed into a passion for understanding the industry and simplifying the dizzying details to fellow students, their parents and friends.

She facilitated seminars for banking personnel and leading financial institutions on maintaining good customers during bad times. These seminars lead to her putting pen to paper.

Her first book But You Know, I Really Owe, How to get out of debt, manage finances and maintain a good credit rating hit book stores in 1997. A new edition of the same title followed in 1999. She followed it up with another release for consumers in 2002 called Broke on Payday, the cycle of living paycheck to paycheck.

Today, she has released her third book targeted to Canadian College and University Students called In School & In Debt, Graduating Student Loan Free. It is an essential compendium for students who want to include debt, credit, student loans and credit reports as a personal elective course to work on their finances, while they seek a higher education.

She is Mandi-Delight Greenidge.

The cost of going to University costs a tremendous amount. Getting student loans is easy but paying them back is hard. I was worried about carring this kind of debt after graduation. I puchased "In School and In Debt" and now have a better understanding on how to graduate with little to no debt.

Thanks
Stephanie, Ottawa

"In School and In Debt" is a great book. I will be able to graduate with no debt."

Mitch, Edmonton, AB