Spotlight On: Maryellen Lewandowski, Owner of Rubber Stamps Unlimited, Inc.

The 4-1-1 on Mel:

• Current hometown: Detroit, MI
• Astrological sign: Leo
• Favorite books: "The Glass Castle" by Jeannette Walls and "Left to Tell" by Immacule Ilibagiza
• Dream job when you were younger: A ski resort manager
• Area of focus: My husband and I purchased Rubber Stamps Unlimited, Inc. in 1993 and have since become an internet leader in the custom stamp industry. I now run the business on my own and employ 15 awesome and loyal people. We ship custom stamps all over the US and Canada, fulfilling huge volume corporate orders and single personal orders.

5 Questions with Mel

What was the turning point of your career?
I was on the internet in 1995, before most people had even heard of it. Getting on the web early and continuing to improve and innovate has taken us from a small local company to one of the leading stamp companies in the country.

What is one of your proudest accomplishments (in your career, personal life, or both)?
My proudest accomplishment is being able to offer a pleasant work environment and top level benefits to my employees that rival the biggest and best companies. In the same light, I am proud to be able to give back to local charities here in Detroit by sponsoring students from Detroit Cristo Rey High School and donating to charities like Mittens for Detroit.

Can you share one piece of life advice, and one piece of career advice?
I am going to give the same piece of advice for both personal and career. My parents always taught us the "Golden Rule"Do unto others as you would have others do unto you" (treat others the way you would like to be treated). That is how I treat my employees, and that is how I guide them to treat our customers. I treat every single person with the same respect because a wise person once told me: They dont know your story and you dont know theirs.

How do you maintain a good work/life balance?
Balancethat is a good one! Being a working mother is always challenging. You are pulled in so many directions. Beyond doing things that absolutely must get done, I spend a lot of time thinking of how I really want to fill that extra time. What activities do my kids really need to do and how many of them? What people do I really want to be with? What can I delegate at work? My time is my most valuable commodity, so I try to manage it wisely.

Tell us how your life experience has shaped you into who you are today.
My parents were entrepreneurs and I think that had a profound effect on me becoming an entrepreneur. While I saw that they worked long and hard hours, it paid off in the freedom they had to do the things they wanted. My parents were also Depression-era children. They never took anything for granted and never wasted anything. I know I was raised that way and am miserly and grateful for everything that I have!