Dos Marcos

Dos Marcos heard a dirty rumor that the guys from GoodBed.com are starting a mattress podcast. In classic schoolyard style, the Marks confront Mike Magnuson and Jeff Cassidy to get the details.  Does the industry need another mattress podcast? What will their show be about? Can the universe handle another bedding business show, or will it get sucked into a black hole of sheets, springs, foam, and fiber?  In the first season of their show, they'll talk about how COVID has affected the consumer journey, threats facing the mattress industry, and answering the question, "Is retail walking dead?"  We'll announce when the Mike It Up podcast goes live, so be sure to subscribe to this podcast for the latest. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mattresspodcast/message

Scott Smalling is a friend, mattress industry veteran, and the founder of Relief Bed International.  In this episode, Scott tells the story about how Relief Bed came to be, and how they're partnering with retailers and manufacturers who are looking for ways to give back—and make sure their giving magnifies their brand.  Scott believes in emphasizing the heart behind your mission. Relief Bed's model is similar to TOMS Shoe's "buy one, give one"—each time a customer purchases a pair of TOMS, a pair is donated to a person in need. In one example, Smalling shares the story of how Relief Bed partnered with Brentwood Home to give a mattress to someone in need each time a customer made a purchase -- but then they asked customers to donate more after they made that purchase. Scott discovered that 33 percent of customers would donate above and beyond to ensure their purchase paid it forward.   Smalling also touched on the ever-increasing problem of homelessness.  Based on the latest numbers, half a million people in t

This week is different. Quinn found an article that's so important for the mattress industry, we wanted to make sure you heard it.  On December 21, 2020, The Atlantic Magazine published "The Mysterious Link Between Covid19 and Sleep," a piece that highlights how melatonin could be a knight in shining armor in the fight against a raging pandemic.  The article digs into studies about how melatonin and sleep could unlock a cure and alter the long term effects of COVID. Currently there are eight clinical studies reviewing the correlation between sleep and COVID-19.  In our industry, it's important we continue highlighting the health benefits of sleep and connect them to the products we sell. It's a revolutionary time to increase our relevance with consumers. But, we have to be intentional about telling that story.  --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mattresspodcast/message

It's a new year!  Typically, this event would usher in new resolutions, fresh goals, and some untouched challenges to tackle. We would grab a fresh piece of paper, pull a new pen from the box, and inhale a breath of fresh air before getting started.  Yet, given the recent year that  just departed, many of us aren't going through the traditional pomp and circumstance a new year brings—2021 just doesn't "feel" like new. As we sit here on January 4th, we mustn't let any emptiness of our circumstances deter us from making goals for our personal lives and most certainly our businesses. Strategy is still important, now more than ever and understanding how to tackle the coming year with both the mental fortitude to forge on as well as the adaptability to embrace whatever comes at a moment's notice will be more valuable than ever. So, as we look towards 2021, whatever your circumstances may be, memorize the following and sear it onto your heart: Action is the answer, always.  The way things used t

Adam Levene is the founder of Hero, a virtual platform that’s making online shopping more human. Used by brands like Nike, Levi’s, and Faherty, Hero works to bridge the gap between online and physical stores. We first came across Hero when Kinsley was shopping on Faherty and noticed an icon that, when clicked, popped up what looked like an Instagram story. A guy said hello and talked about the brand. When that story wrapped up another guy starting describing his favorite shirt and a bubble appeared where the user could click on that shirt and buy it. Even though all this was happening on a website, it was a wonderful and very human experience. Levene joined us to talk about trends in virtual shopping and where the connection between digital and physical commerce is headed. As more customers shop online, how will brands need to adapt—and what will customers demand from the online and in-store shopping experience? We dig into lots of trends. What’s a KOL in China and how many billions of dollars of products are

Do you work in retail? Do you love what you do? How has this year affected how you define success?  This week, we chatted with Ron Thurston author of Retail Pride: The Guide To Celebrating Your Accidental Career on what success looks like (especially in 2020) and the actions it takes to be successful in retail, regardless of the category.  Success does not necessarily equal sales. Yes, selling product is necessary to keeping a business going, but as Thurston pointed out, "There's no one resource, there's no one platform that says, 'if you do this, then you will be successful'."  Success is a mixture of factors and just because your work doesn't deliver a sale today doesn't mean it was a meaningless exercise.  Additionally, the impact you have on people goes further than you will ever know. In our conversation, Thurston mentioned fellow author Brett Russo who details her journey through IVF in her book, The Underwear In My Shoe. Russo writes an entire chapter on how, during her lowest days,

It's been a week since our book debuted and became an Amazon Bestseller. You can check it out here, "Come Back to Bed: Attract More Foot Traffic And Make People Fall In Love With Your Store." It got us to thinking—what ideas out there are ripe for the taking?  In this episode we discussed how Airbnb took a simple concept (open your home to a stranger) and turned it into a multi-billion dollar business.  Airbnb most likely looks nothing like what the founders envisioned, but they saw a need and filled it and filled it in the most personal way possible.  Think about it: what is more personal than inviting someone into the sanctity of your home? It's a personal approach that's worked and made Airbnb more valuable than Hilton, Marriott and Intercontinental combined. So what can we learn?  As we have connected with people since the book's debut, we've found that the ideas inside are serving people beyond the mattress and furniture industry and this connection is music to our ears. We certa

Our book is available today and like a mother in labor this has been a labor of love from us to you (though, much less painful we admit). The book, Come Back to Bed: How to Attract Foot Traffic and Making People Fall In Love With Your Store is officially available TODAY on Amazon and direct from our website. 

What is one thing you would do if you knew you would fail?  It's a unique twist on the old question of what would you do if you knew you couldn't fail? In our chat with author, speaker, Dale Carnegie coach and former podcaster, Doug Stewart, we discuss what things in life are worth doing even if we know in the end we will fail.  In his amazon best selling book, "5 1/2 Mentors: How to Learn, Grow & Develop From Everyone And Everything" Stewart discusses the five and a half people in life that ultimately influence you and the person you become. Who is the half person? The person you dislike the most. The person you abhor and do not want to be in life. Even this person influences you and who you become because they teach you who not to be.  We also discussed the thin line between being confident and being courageous. One is chosen and the other is learned. Confidence is learned. At the outset, a confident person--at best-- is arrogant and at worst, simply disillusioned. However, one doesn't be

It's 2020 and, while the world is crashing on many fronts, a large number of furniture and mattress businesses are booming. But as we head into 2021, the Moody index projects a bleak Q1 and Q2, with a hearty economic comeback for the back half of the year.  While the furniture and mattress industry has feasted over these past few months (when other industries are suffering and closing their doors), how well positioned is your business to endure a famine? Our industry is currently seeing the fruits of a well-plowed season, but winter is coming. Are you enjoying the moment and expecting the same results, or stocking up and preparing? 

2020. The numbers alone are a complete sentence for most. When someone sees or hears the words "twenty-twenty" emotions and meanings run high. From toilet paper shortages, to political upheaval to the infamous virus that runs unchecked—2020 will forever be the year that all bets were off. The unlikely happened. The impossible seemed to occur.  And yet, in the middle of it, we find ourselves entering the season of thanks and we pause to consider, "Is there something to be thankful for?"  In a year where many of have lost loved ones, many are without jobs, many without the ability to see family, and most without any sense of normal, it seems we have to dig deep to find things to be thankful for.  There's an ancient parable on leadership where a ruler tells a young prince to go into a forrest and to return and tell the leader what he has heard. The young prince does so and returns with a report of what you may expect: birds chirping and bees buzzing. Yet, the ruler instructs the prince to return t

Stacked up, the number of mattresses discarded each day in the USA would surpass Mount Everest by an additional four miles into the sky. That is tons of waste that ends up in landfills and could have been recycled into items like carpet padding, mulch, and steel.  How do we do a better job of bidding farewell to a mattress in its final days? Recycling. Even though that sounds simple, only three states have enacted official programs—California, Rhode Island, and Connecticut.  The process to recycle a mattress goes beyond sitting the old bed on a curb on trash day. There are fees and protocols and legislation that governs the proper disposal of a mattress. Fortunately, this is where the Mattress Recycling Council steps in.  This week we chatted with the Director of Operations, Justine Fallon, to learn how the MRC is working with manufacturers, retailers, and the individual states to develop and maintain healthy mattress recycling programs. It's an issue that impacts everyone in our industry

After 25 years as a Human Resources Executive, Dale Kreienkamp heard the words no employee wants to hear, "Your name is on the list." Those six words signaled his involuntary departure from a company he had spent the better part of his career investing in, and to his new status of unemployed.  Undeterred, Dale went through the normal stages of unemployment grief (which, as he tells us, is a real thing people don't talk about), but then regrouped and in doing so wrote a book entitled, "How Long, Oh Lord, How Long." The book is a compilation of devotions for those who find themselves unemployed, those in the land of unemployment and unsure when it will end, those who want to support unemployed family and friends, and for leaders looking to get better. As we chatted with Dale, one consistent theme emerged: your outlook will shape how you face hard times. Although no one ever wants to go through difficult life transitions, they are inevitable. How you proceed is half the battle. Now, as a consultant assistin

Mark Quinn said it best, "We don't want retailers to survive. We want them to thrive."  In this week's episode, we reveal the name of our new book, "Come Back to Bed: Attract More Foot Traffic And Make People Fall In Love With Your Store. " As your Sleep Industry Guides, Dos Marcos has traveled the mattress universe looking for tried-and-true foot traffic drivers. Over the years we've gathered dozens of ideas that have been implemented by real retailers. But the book is more than a list of ways to attract foot traffic; Dos Marcos will show you how to build a brand people love, connect with people in a meaningful way, and truly differentiate your business from the competition.  Here's a taste of what's inside the book, a snippet from Chapter 3 that touches on why mattress and furniture stores have to change and adapt to be here tomorrow.  "We live in an attention economy. If you capture people's attention, you can get paid. Fail to make people look and listen and business will suffer. Offer the

During his childhood, Wes Roberts lived in a hotel in Devil's Lake, North Dakota. Early on, Wes' dad taught him and and his legendary cousin, Mattress Firm co-founder Harry Roberts, the rules of the schoolyard—keep out of trouble, but know how to throw the first punch.  After learning the ins-and-outs of the hotel business, Wes began bartending and, eventually, opened up a bar  he operated for thirteen years and hosted up-and-coming names in the music industry. The bar business wasn't a permanent plan because he'd made a promise to his mom that he wouldn't raise a family in a bar. So, when Wes met his wife  after a car accident that dislocated and broke several bones, he sold the business and began selling furniture for Jack Smith at American Bed in Houston.  With a love of people and talent for communication, it wasn't surprising he met an Edward Jones agent who encouraged him to try his hand at financial planning. From there, he opened up the first Edward Jones branch in Alaska and event

Our guest today is Gui Peres. Born in Brazil, Gui came to the United States at age sixteen as a foreign exchange student. He loved the USA and eventually made his way here full-time, landed a job at a startup called Ergomotion, and now he's their Global Sales Director. And he happens to live a few miles from Oprah and Prince Harry.  In this week's episode, Peres tells us how Ergomotion is using research and insights to create the bed of the future and help their dealers make more money.  If you're in the mattress business, you may remember the early days of adjustable bases when consumers associated them with hospital beds. When Ergomotion began training their retailers on how to market and sell motion bases the narrative shifted away from the "old hospital bed" toward adjustables being a lifestyle product.   Now, the Ergomotion team is working on technology that tracks and monitors each person's biometric make-up to help them sleep better and live better.  If you're looking for more insig

It's the continuation of last week's episode, where we interviewed the founder of Austin's Couch Potatoes, Brian Morgan. If you haven't heard part 1 of this two part series, go back and grab a tissue as you do. It's an episode too good to skip.  In this week's episode, Brian starts off with explaining how he and his team had to pivot during the initial onset of Covid19. He discusses making over one million items of PPE (personal protective equipment) from items purchased for furniture construction and how he got a call from the Department of Homeland Security! He also touches on a heart warming and equally gut wrenching story about two murderers who came to work for him and their story of redemption.  This episodes ends on the highest of notes and its one we can't wait for you to hear.  Nationwide Marketing Group Thank you to our headline sponsor Nationwide Marketing Group. As a member of Nationwide Marketing group, you instantly have access to over 200+ ambitious, entrepreneurial-minded advoca

To get lunch, Brian Morgan used to order pizza during homeroom and sell it for $2 a slice to his classmates. In college, he sold plus-size lingerie on eBay and in 2010 he launched a church at Ground Zero in New York City. The founder and owner of Austin's Couch Potatoes is passionate about meeting the needs of people and building a business around those he brings into his ever-expanding family. It's rare to find a person whose story is so captivating that you have a hard time stopping the conversation, but we have it here. Brian’s journey coves so much ground we decided to break this episode into two parts. In part one, we introduce you to Brian—who he is, his approach to business, and the early days at Austin’s Couch Potatoes. It started by reselling scratch-and-dent furniture from Macy's on Craigslist before moving into their first brick-and-mortar location—an old bathtub manufacturing facility with no electricity or running water where Brian and his crew ended up living for three years. Brian used a coffee

Brad Parker is the founding partner of Doorcounts and the CEO of a six-store chain of La-Z-Boy Furniture Galleries located in the Portland, Oregon area. In the episode, we trace the origins of the first door counter back to Peter, a Russian transplant who spoke no English and put together an innovative ticker to monitor how many people walked into Brad’s stores. You’ll find out how Brad’s team became lean practitioners and implemented TWI Training (combining doing and teaching). Why does Brad have his team tie a Fire Underwriter’s Knot on the first day of TWI training? That conversation kicks in at the one-hour mark, so keep listening. Also, discover how Brad’s group generated 5,000 ideas in one year with less than 100 employees, implemented all of them, and won the Shingo Prize for Research (it’s a big deal). We cover surfing to work, sleeping in recliners, and our Wizard Academy connection. One thing we didn’t get to is the all-new foot traffic report you can get direct to your inbox. If you’re curious to f

Charlie Malouf is the CEO of Broad River Retail,  a top 50 retailer operating 24 Ashley HomeStores in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. He's purpose driven leader whose focus on culture and people shines through in his business.  The associates at Broad River Retail are called Memory Makers and the company holds an annual event called "Purpose 8/28" where they invite leaders to inspire their team and expand their perspective.  Charlie believes in the power of moments and focuses on how to win in transitions. Get your pen and paper handy because Charlie Malouf delivers ideas you can put into practice to become better in business and life.   Nationwide Marketing Group Thank you to our headline sponsor Nationwide Marketing Group. As a member of Nationwide Marketing group, you instantly have access to over 200+ ambitious, entrepreneurial-minded advocates who are dedicated to helping your business thrive. Nationwide serves more than 5,500 independent retail members with tools, r