Name
Rebecca Bartak-Medlin
Company/Organization
Market 2555, owner
What Does Your Company/Organization Do?
Market 2555 is a mobile women’s clothing boutique and gift shop. I love meeting new people and helping them find special items for themselves or others. I am also a cheerleading coach at Edwardsburg High School, a substitute teacher for Edwardsburg Public Schools through Edustaff, and enjoy providing Notary and Officiant services.
Age
39
Accomplishments
I greatly enjoyed my time as a stay at home parent when our 3 children were younger. Since they are all in school and college, I have greatly enjoyed pursuing my passion of coaching high school cheer through 18+ seasons, building a thriving small business, watching our children grow into amazing individuals, and regularly learning new skills, including entering multiple exhibits at the Cass Co Fair. I am a proud member of the Bold Women of Business Class of 2022.
What else do you hope to accomplish by the age of 40?
I only have a few months left in my 30’s, but my goal is always to learn as many things as I can, be a positive role model for the high school students I spend a lot of my time with, and be supportive of my family and their goals (and also pet lots of cats).
Education
I am a 2002 graduate of Edwardsburg High School. After high school, I attended Southwestern Michigan College and Lake Michigan college, focusing on History and Foreign Languages. I then transferred to Kalamazoo Valley to focus on Law Enforcement and Social Sciences.
What Town Do You Reside In?
Niles, Michigan
Where were you born?
Niles, Michigan
What was your first job?
My first job was working on a horse farm.
Best advice you ever got?
The best advice I ever got was actually fairly recent. I tend to want to take on a lot of responsibility, keep everyone happy, and do “all the things.” That often gets overwhelming, and it can be a struggle to find a balance. My Uncle Katt said, “you can’t be everything to everybody, all the time.” And that is so true. I never want to let anyone down, or say “no,” but it is ok to not only say “no,” but to take time for yourself, let go of some responsibilities, or to delegate. I am extremely lucky to have a strong and supportive family, and they help to remind me of these things.
Who inspires you most?
This is a multi-faceted question. My husband is a huge inspiration to me- he works an extremely labor-intensive trade, but still manages to make time and energy for his family, work on projects that we may want to do or need help with. My mom and dad are extremely talented and can do/make absolutely anything, and that inspires me to continue learning new things. My three kids and the athletes I coach inspire me to want to be a good role model. My friend, Jamie Whitfield, inspires me to continue learning more, as both a coach and an academic.
That one thing about you we’d be most surprised to learn.
I have chronic health conditions that cause extreme fatigue, pain, and a myriad of other issues for me. I push through these, because my goals are bigger than my setbacks.
What do you love to do in your downtime?
I love spending time with my family and cats, tending to our aquariums, reading, crocheting (when I can), canning and preserving the produce our fruit trees and my son’s garden produce, and going on adventures with my husband.
What book are you reading now?
I am in the middle of The Testaments: A Novel, which is the sequel to A Handmaid’s Tale.
Volunteer activity you love the most.
I enjoy organizing donations for local animal shelters and The Lupus Foundation of Michigan.
What motivates you to give back to your community?
Giving back to your community makes the world a better place, and even one person can make a difference.
What Superpower would you most love to have? (for example, the ability to fly or to be invisible, or incredible strength, etc)
I would love to be able to teleport, so I could easily travel the world.
What would you like to leave behind as your legacy once you are gone?
I want everyone to think of me as someone who was compassionate, who valued education, and to make many amazing memories for my kids.
What does the honor of being named to the 40 Under 40 most mean to you?
I am blown away to be chosen for this honor, in the last year of my 30’s. There are many amazing people in our community, and I am endlessly grateful that time was taken not just to nominate me, but also for the judges to deem me worthy.
