The Mrs. behind Mr Lightbulb
To shine a light on Sharon Stephens the manager of Mr. Lightbulb, is to gain an understanding that this no-nonsense, yet amiable woman has been making sure the lights are on for a good portion of the Greater Toledo area for the last 48 years. In addition to her residential customers, The Cities of Toledo and Perrysburg, the Toledo Public Libraries, Toledo Public Schools, many area businesses, doctor’s offices, churches and school districts don’t have to worry about the lights going out as long as Sharon and her longtime assistant, Sandy Broyles are just a phone call away.
Sharon makes it clear that Mr. Lightbulb is an electrical distributor. “We specialize in lighting as in fixtures, lamp replacements, and ballasts. We don’t get into conduit and wiring.” In spite of that, Sharon is the one who electricians often call with a question during an installation. Her knowledge about something the rest of us take for granted is pretty spectacular. At one point during our interview she was heard taking a phone call from a stumped electrician and her polite yet purposeful response was “Didn’t you read the diagram on the ballast? I’ll send you a picture.”
An unexpected career path
Sharon’s knowledge has been built on a career she fell into 48 years ago when she started working for her uncle who owned Travis Lighting in the Polish Village. “The only thing I knew how to do back then was screw in a lightbulb. I learned through osmosis.” Armed with good listening skills and a desire to learn she set herself up to become an expert in the field. Learning the nomenclature, figuring out the right questions to ask and learning how to read the product catalogs were her stepping stones to success. In 2006, five years after her uncle died, Sharon was lured to Mr. Lightbulb. 3 years later Mr. Lightbulb bought Travis Lighting. The one constant in all these moves was Sharon and her wealth of knowledge.
Knowledge that spans the decades
The technology of lighting has changed considerably during her career. Sharon enjoys reading up on the changes and diving into the details, making her the person to go to whether you want to replace an old fixture’s bulb or upgrade it to LED. She enjoys problem solving with her customers and helping them find difficult to locate products. Because of this there are many instances in which Mr Lightbulb is the hero of a story. She remembers one in particular in which she was able to locate a hard to find replacement bulb for an elderly woman who just wanted her disabled granddaughter’s cherished one-of-a-kind nightlight to work again.
No end in sight
When asked if retirement is in the near future she looks across the room and says that while she would like to cut back on her hours she rattles off all the reasons she plans on staying. “People bring a smile to my face. I love customer service and being an expert in a niche field. ” She was especially grateful for her job when she lost her husband last November. “It’s good to have a reason to get up, get cleaned up, put a smile on my face and say it's a good day.” Sharon adds a lightheartedness to the work that makes it hard to walk away from. “I like ribbing the customers, especially the men who think I must not know what I am doing since they see me as a little old lady. By the time they leave, they are putty in my hands. I have fun with the people I meet every single day.”
Q&A
-
...I am 77 years young! Some of my current customers are the grandchildren of my first customers!
-
…go home and have a glass of wine
-
…being with my friend and gardening.
-
always a jigsaw puzzle
-
Bluebloods
-
The Notebook
-
It was from my mother: Do what makes you happy.