The BedBuzz

Jody Putnam, Chief Retail Officer of Mattress Firm, on Winning Memorial Day Weekend

Our guest is Jody Putnam, Chief Retail Officer of Mattress Firm and one of the best leaders in the business. Jody shares his incredible journey from delivering beds and working operations to leading retail sales for the largest mattress retailer in the world. This episode is packed with real talk about leadership, sales, urgency, creating customer trust, and what separates top performers from the rest. A few highlights from the show: • Why the best salespeople always “find a way” • How creating urgency drives consistent success • Why great leaders focus on helping people win today and preparing them for tomorrow • Memorial Day weekend selling strategies and how to maximize one of the biggest sales events of the year • His unforgettable first big Tempur Pedic sale that changed the way he sold forever Jody’s message heading into Memorial Day weekend is simple: Have fun and sell beds. Perfect timing as we get ready for one of the biggest weekends of the year. Take a listen, get fired up, and let’s go win big.

Innovation, Sleep, and Success with Todd Youngblood

Our guest is Todd Youngblood—an inventor, entrepreneur, and true mattress industry pioneer whose uncle actually invented the waterbed! Todd shares his incredible journey from developing airbeds with built-in pumps, to creating products sold at Walmart and Target, to building Chilipad and now launching Geli Sleep. A few highlights from the episode: • How solving one simple problem turned into a $300 million business • Why great execution always beats a great idea • The importance of understanding the customer journey and what problem your product solves • Lessons from building products with Walmart, Target, Brookstone, and beyond • Why retail success depends more on the RSA understanding the product than the product itself • Todd’s newest innovation, Geli Sleep, and how it could change pressure relief and sleep technology forever One of our favorite takeaways: “Great products and great businesses start by solving real problems.” This is a fun one with a lot of practical lessons for anyone in sales, leadership, or retail.

Tempur-Pedic Secrets to Selling More and Winning the Floor

This episode features TJ Hathorne and Jesse Abreu from Tempur-Pedic, and it’s loaded with practical on the floor insights.  If you’re selling on the retail floor right now, especially with Memorial Day around the corner, this is one you don’t want to miss. A few highlights: • Simple ways to create urgency without pressure and stay “in the pocket” longer with customers • Powerful Tempur-Pedic selling tips from demos to positioning that actually moves the needle • A great reminder “Pressure relief puts you to sleep… spinal alignment keeps you asleep” • How top performers personalize every presentation instead of using a one size fits all approach • Real world techniques to overcome common objections like “too hot” or “I don’t like foam” It’s practical it’s fun and there are a ton of nuggets you can use right away on your next guest. Give it a listen and pick up one or two things to put into action today.

Why Customers Buy Today Not Tomorrow: The Power of Urgency

This episode is all about creating urgency and helping our guests make great decisions today so they can start sleeping better tonight. A few highlights from the show: *  Great salespeople create urgency because they believe they are helping, not pushing  *  It starts with an enthusiastic greeting and a strong first impression  *  Use the sale event. If they don’t hear it and feel it, it doesn’t exist  *  Inventory and delivery timing are powerful tools to close today  *  Price increases and supply uncertainty can create real, honest urgency  *  The question “how soon do you need your mattress?” can change the entire conversation  *  Enthusiasm wins. The guest will match your energy every time  Bottom line: be prepared, be confident, and have fun with it. When we do that, we create a better experience and we sell more beds.

Bob Hellyer on Building the Mattress Industry | 40+ Years of Leadership & Innovation

This week we sit down with a true legend of our industry — Bob Hellyer. Bob is a fourth-generation mattress guy who literally grew up in a factory and went on to help shape some of the biggest brands and ideas in our business. This episode is packed with stories, insights, and a few all-time “golden nuggets.” A few highlights from the episode: *  From a Chicago mattress factory in the 1800s to today’s industry — Bob shares an incredible family legacy  *  Behind-the-scenes stories of building Stearns & Foster into a luxury powerhouse *  The real story of how “no flip” mattresses changed the industry forever *  Why “a mattress is still sold, not bought” (and why that matters to all of us)  *  A powerful leadership takeaway: Performance = Potential – Interference *  And of course… some hilarious industry stories you won’t want to miss  If you love this business, this is one of those episodes that reminds you why we do what we do.