Melinda (Mel) Stockwell Owner, The Calico Press
LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mel-stockwell
What do you do?
I fell in love with the printing press in college. Being a farm girl and having the know-how to work on machinery made printing very exciting for me. Over the next 15 years, I went from graphic designer for a direct mail print house to a creative manager for a publishing company. In 2010, I built a 30×40 building on our small farm in SE Iowa and began rescuing old printing presses. On January 1, 2012, I opened my shop for business. My days are filled with letterpress, block, and laser printing. From wedding invitations to concert posters to raffle tickets. It’s a one-woman show.
What investments have you made in your professional career development?
I attended print conferences, took marketing classes, and climbed my way up from prepress to manager. I learned every aspect of printing from design to plate making to press operation to marketing and sales. My ultimate investment in me was constructing a 30×40 building that houses my small print shop.
What investments have you made in your personal development?
Took time for health and raising my son with autism. Didn’t waste my time competing for awards and advertising/promoting. Since I owned my building no major overhead and took the time to build a customer base that I enjoyed working with.
How can the industry proactively invest in women, and why should this be a priority?
Personally, it is the time I set aside to be a mom and focus on myself that allowed me to accomplish more in my print shop than I ever had while I was employed. Being successful in the home allowed for my clear thinking and positive attitude towards my business goals.
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