Dos Marcos

Do you know how to tap into the buying power of the bride? If you don't, this is the season to learn. It has been said that 2022 will see more weddings than have been held in a single year since 1984! Why? Covid19. Weddings have been on hold for the past two years and bank accounts have been stacking up. Now with an endemic in site, people are making good on their long-overdue weddings and the mattress industry should get in on the action. The average wedding hosts around 200 guests. If furniture and mattress retailers could get 1 person from each wedding to make a mattress purchase for the bride and groom, it would total over $1 billion in revenue. This begs the question: how should you position a mattress at the top of a registry list? 1) Wedding Expos. Get in on the action. Be in the place where the people are. Along with DJs, wedding bakers, and florists, book a spot at your local wedding expo and set up a mattress on display. 2) Market To Parents. Parents are likely the largest gift-givers at a

Does the interior of your home affect your health? For better or for worse? Today on the Dos Marcos show, we are joined by Mike Peterson, President of Visionary Design Marketing and Linda Kafka, Co-Founder of Livable Environment, who are the founders behind the Science in Design summit happening in ten locations across the United States starting on April 21st, 2022.  In this episode we're discussing how our industry is the curators and creators of "aesthetic experiences" and how the interior of our home has scientifically been proven to affect our overall wellness. We cover: How nature affects are overall well being;  Physical health benefits of good interior design and how interior designers play a vital role; a scientific partnership study conducted by Google and John Hopkins University; and  Biophilia and Neuroaesthetics. Want to attend the Science in Design Summit closest to you? Check out the exclusive seminar tour dates and locations here.  --- Send in a voice message: https://anc

Today's episode of the Dos Marcos Podcast is a special one highlighting the service of Mark Quinn in the mattress industry. The now-former Vice President of Sherwood Bedding has been hired as the new Vice President of Merchandising for Mattress Firm. In this episode, we discuss Quinn's history in the industry, pay homage to his achievements, and talk about the transition from private brands to a national brand. We also head-on address the elephant in the room of going in-house to a major player in the industry. What does this mean for this show, The FAM, and the international support generated by the galaxy's greatest mattress podcasters? Simply, The FAM is getting a whole lot bigger, and the depth of knowledge we all gain by having a friend on the inside is even deeper. Join us for this very special episode and help us congratulate Quinn on his new role and wish him success in this endeavor! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mattresspodcast/message

He's bringing sexy back....financial sexiness that is.  This week, Dos Marcos hosts Vice President of Sales for Koalafi (pronounced like "qualify"), Craig Leffew. A company set on delivering simple financing options that are not only innovating, Koalaif is striving to offer a stress free financing option for both the retailer and the consumer.  In this episode, they discuss the origin of the Koalifi name and how spelling (it's the most epic dad joke that lives on), their "never say no" motto and how every customer who wants furniture, should be able to get furniture; the biggest mistakes retailers make (hint: offering too many options and not discussing financing early and often throughout a transaction) and the footprint they are leaving in the industry. Plus, if you want to see what all the interest is about, visit Koalafi at the following link and they are going to give you $50 to keep just for taking a meeting. They value your time and are willing to pay you for it! --- Send in a voice messag

When you walk into a store to buy a mattress or a piece of furniture, who is ultimately the one in charge?  Is it the store owner? The consumer? Would it shock you to know it could be the manufacturer?  As the supply chain issues continue to cause disruption in the pipeline, and as we see spending start to slow down as the world shifts from a pandemic to an endemic state, the roles of consumerism may shift as well. In this episode, we strategize how this affects you and your business, and how can you be sure you are getting quality service from your suppliers that you can pass on to your customer. Also, we touch on how the ecosystem varies between furniture and mattress industries, and we consider what role does a brand play in price negotiations when it comes to suppliers and in developing a customer base.  --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mattresspodcast/message

ISPA is over, and now the real work begins. Manufacturers are busy fulfilling orders, retailers are busy finalizing their spring and fall offerings and people are eagerly looking ahead to what the seasons bring. As we close out this year's #ISPAEXPO, we wanted to bring you a "sounds of ISPA" episode. If you weren't able to attend, we're bringing the ISPA to you. It's an abbreviated combination of some stellar elevator pitches and additional insights into some of the industry's most exceptional products being offered. We hope you enjoy it and look forward to seeing you at next year's ISPA Expo! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mattresspodcast/message

What happened at ISPA Expo? Ask the Marks! It's been four years since mattress industry nerds and execs alike convened together in person and they made the most of it. Quinn and Kinsley went live from Orlando, Florida and covered everything you are curious about. From foot traffic and exceptional products to trends in foam, fabric and technology, they covered it all in real time on today's recap! Special Thanks to our friends at  Hickory Atlanta Attachment Culp Harrison Spinks Juna Talalay Global --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mattresspodcast/message

Do you know your chronotype? Do you even know what a chronotype is? On today's episode, we chat with The Retail Doctor himself, Dr. Michael Breus. We connect on: What are chronotypes and how they work (hint: they're genetic and cannot be changed);  How to be transformative as an RSA; Answer the question on whether melatonin is good for you and your kids; and Discuss the benefits of CBD and address what is CBN and how it affects you. Whether he is providing advice to celebrities or retail workers, this episode has something for everyone and you can't afford to miss it.  --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mattresspodcast/message

If we were making recommendation for must see booths are ISPA, Culp's showroom is at the top of our list. On today's episode, we sat down with Holly Fulton, Brand Awareness Manager, and Christina Pennant, Creative Director for Culp Industries--the largest fabric mill in North America--and discussed their strategy for brand awareness and their cutting edge customer experience. Starting with their thread-to-cover collection, Culp is offering an innovative design process that provides efficiency, sustainability and intentionality for their end user. From instant changes in fabric texture, color and pattern, designers will have the ability to completely customize their unique mattresses on the spot and get real time quotes and estimates. And that's just one element of the ISPA offering from Culp! Listen or watch today's episode and make plans to visit Culp at 2723! Did you miss our earlier episode with Culp? Check it out here! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mattresspodcast/message

How do we fix the great resignation? It's the question major corporations everywhere are frantically trying to answer. One company at the top of their HR game is Tempur-Sealy International (TSI). In this episode, we chat with the Vice President of Human Resources, Drew Millar, about the mind shift in the workforce, what companies should be doing differently (hint: it's not always compensation!) and the work being done at TSI to reframe how employees view the role of HR. Millar is a labor and employment attorney-turned-HR professional who's shifting the corporate landscape one great employee at a time. Watch or listen for tangible insights from a top industry insider! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mattresspodcast/message

Is retail your passion or was it an accidental career you fell into? Whether you set out on your career path to be in retail or it was something you did as a filler and it has consumed a decade of your life, Amazon best-selling author Ron Thurston is setting out on a roadshow across America to tell the stories of those of you in the trenches. With a background that spans more than two decades in retail, Thurston is anxious to hear the journeys of individuals on the front lines. From his conversations and analysis, people are rarely in retail for the products they sell. Rather, it's because of community, customers, and generational family ties. Join Thurston as he hitches his airstream up to his F250 and travels across the U.S. sharing gratitude, listening, and giving your voice and story to a worldwide audience. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mattresspodcast/message

When Bradley Siepp launched Lifeloom, people thought his sheets were a beauty product, not a medical device.  On his debut podcast, Lifeloom's CEO and Co-Founder of Lifeloom joins Dos Marcos to get "between the sheets" and discuss the FDA-approved product. They cover the backstory of Lifeloom; who they are (a former boy band dancer and sandwich connoisseur) and what Lifeloom is (a dermatherapy company providing sleep products).  They also discuss: How they achieved medical greatness through the FDA The wicking nature of the sheets  The science behind their sheets, and how they really do provide the coolest temperature How these sheets can help drive foot traffic to your store Listen or watch this episode to find out how you can get your own free Lifeloom pillowcase! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mattresspodcast/message

"Problems own sleep." If you can diagnose and address your customer's sleep issues, you can solve their sleep problems.  Enter events such as the Vegas Market which exist to put on full display every retailer and manufacturer's products to help you meet your customer's sleep needs. In today's episode, we discuss foot traffic at market and address who seemed to fair well. In assessing those who did exceptional, four characteristics were noted: 1) They vendors gave a reason for their presence; 2) They built value in the shopper's experience; 3) Many used the HATCH method; and 4) Most were having fun and got creative in their approach.  We also discussed special additions to Vegas Market, specifically focusing on Englander's new line of products in Lifeloom. What is Lifeloom? It's a Dermatherapy company who has produced the first FDA cleared frictionless sleep system. What is a "frictionless sleep system?" You'll have to listen to find out! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mattresspod

Imagine if your trash only got picked up monthly, instead of weekly. How differently would you view how you contribute to the world's overall waste? In today's episode, we chat with ISPA President Ryan Trainer and CEO of Pleasant Mattress Rion Morgenstern about their predictions for the industry, shifts in the sustainability mentality, legislation, and implementation for the Sleep Product Sustainability Program (SP2), and its partnership with the Mattress Research Council (MRC). Plus, we discuss economic incentives to recycling and how the process of sustainability begins much earlier in the life of a mattress—recycling doesn't just occur once the mattress is used and old! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mattresspodcast/message

You've heard of Build-A-Bear, but have you heard of the Fill Station? If you haven't, we liken it to the build-a-bear experience, but for mattress stores. Founder and CEO of Fill Station, Arthur Watkins has created an in-store attraction wherein you can customize your pillow from start to finish. Select your foam, your density, and any other material to pillow perfection.  On today's episode, we discuss the cultish obsession people have to their pillow, the draw of a customized pillow, and how personalized pillows can not only attract potential customers, but assist in elevating the sale. Bring the customer in for the pillow and sell them a mattress, too! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mattresspodcast/message

Physical retail space is coming back, and it’s coming back with a vengeance. It is no secret that digital upended how brick-and-mortar retailers conduct business. Yet, as time goes on, retail is beginning to uncover that to maximize your business—to grow and expand profitably—there has to be a space for both the physical and digital in your long-term strategy. In this week’s episode, we chat with Vice President for Collier’s Furniture Industry Real Estate Group, Ben Haverty, on how physical retail space is necessary for continued business growth. We: Touch on his family history and his ties to the industry (his great grandfather started Haverty’s Furniture over 130 years ago!) Discuss how mega box stores such as Macy’s, Target and Bloomingdales are still expanding their physical footprint in the digital age, albeit in smaller formats Highlight how Nebraska Furniture Mart is making waves in our industry by becoming a real estate mogul Answer questions you should be asking of any landlord during a contra

Robert George Culp Jr.'s nickname was “Bullet,” but he wasn’t a gun slinger. He earned his nickname after helping establish Culp Inc. as the best in the business for providing top shelf upholstery fabric with the shortest turnaround time. Speed was his goal, and quality and service was his game. In this episode, we sat down with current Culp CEO Robert George Culp IV, also known as "Iv" to the rest of the world, and Jeff Veach, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Culp, to discuss the secret sauce that has turned the company into an industry powerhouse. Perhaps it is the pride they take in being a family company. Started by Iv's grandfather, Bullet, and pioneered by Robert George Culp III, his father, Culp is a fourth generation family business that has grown to include international family tree branches. Or, maybe it is the fact that Culp has proven to be one of the most agile and adaptable companies in the industry. From starting as an upholstery fabric distributor in the 1970's to their

What a year, what a year.  We finish off the best of Dos Marcos for 2021 in this second episode of the two-part series. We recap Dr. V of Miskelly furniture's infamous, "training as a reward" approach and how he got employees to come in on their day off. We also went back to our interview with Jevon McCormick (who you may remember as the son of a pimp and a orphan) and his life-changing story on how if you can see your goal, you can achieve it. We touched on the importance of roadshows and how vital they can be to building your brand and discussed whether buying groups or the Vegas market are worth the continued investment. Finally, we round out this year by discussing innovation and how we can use it to meet consumer needs—though it is useless if we aren't using the data to improve our products—and how outsiders coming into the industry need to make sure not to make these fatal mistakes.  --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mattresspodcast/message

The last two weeks of 2021 have arrived and there is no better way to end the year than to pay homage to some of the amazing industry leaders and professionals who joined us on the Dos Marcos Show. In the debut episode of the best of Dos Marcos, we bring back six nuggets of wisdom we felt were worth repeating as we ponder the lessons learned from the past year. We discussed how to action plan during uncertain times, we learned how to find and retain talent, which has become of essential importance during the national labor shortages that will continue into 2022.  We discussed how changing is not a necessary component of business because surviving is not mandatory. We hosted industry powerhouses Mike Whitaker, Former President of Sleep Train Hernani Alves, and Ashley Homestore and Furniture Land executive Justin Barnes and pay our respects to men like Eric Garcia in Costa Rica who showed us what true customer service looks like.   Join us as we travel down memory lane! --- Send in a voice message:

Shipping delays are nothing new in 2021 and unfortunately, the supply chain issues are likely to bleed over into 2022.  With the world trying to return to normal, some may ask why? What is causing the back-up?  The short answer is there isn't just one answer. Multiple, individual issues compound upon one another to affect the supply chain. Take for example a little known law known as The Jones Act. Enacted in the 1920's, the maritime law lays out some pretty specific requirements for shipping within the United States. Add in the higher cost associated with these requirements and you've got U.S. businesses searching abroad for cheaper shipping options. Yet, going abroad adds time into the shipping process, and even if it is cheaper, there's still the lingering pandemic issue which individual countries are trying to control--some with very lengthy quarantine rules.  In today's episode, we highlight some of the Audio Stories recently produced over at FAM.news that are likely to affect your holi