Gigi Stetler’s story reads like a best-seller, replete with plot twists, shady characters, and a heroine with many layers. A father-figure mentor who gave Gigi her first opportunity but later stabbed her in the back. An attacker who literally stabbed her 21 times and left her for dead and success in an industry that conspired to keep her out. In every instance, GiGi was knocked down, brushed herself off, and came back stronger than ever. But there are many sides to this tough-as-nails businesswoman: She is also a single mom, an accomplished equestrian, and a woman of such immeasurable grace that she visited every day at the deathbed of the mentor who had tried to destroy her.

As the sole female owner of three RV dealerships in the country, GiGi operates in a man’s world, carving out her own path to success. She has rewritten the rules and redefined the business climate of the RV industry. GiGi’s gift of innovation has enabled her to expand her business, while her competitors are closing their doors. With a recession under way, RVs are a tough sell, but her business grosses more than $18 million a year, and she personally takes home over $700,000.

That’s a big jump from the $500-a-week base pay Stetler earned as an employee at a Fort Lauderdale RV dealership in 1986 where she was promoted to manager after only two weeks, and stayed for 13 years. Along the way, she transformed the business into a customer service focused operation. “We had all these buyers who were unhappy, so I fixed toilets and made homes level and did whatever it took to get them to trust us,” she says. “Then I threw a thank-you party for them at the dealership and offered a $500 credit for every new customer they brought. People saw we were paying attention to them and started coming in by the truckload.”

Keeping her customers front and center has also enabled her to successfully expand into new markets. GiGi’ has expanded her to expand her client base by creating an in-house interior design team and offering customized RVs for every industry including: mobile hair salons, boutiques, and even chiropractor’s offices. These corporate clients have kept her business thriving in a depressed economy. The affluent clients, who still have money to spend, are also taken advantage of GiGi’s style team to transform the typical RV into a palace on wheels.

“Give more than a customer expects. It will come back a hundredfold in good will and new opportunities.”