Cultivating and supporting female leaders makes the entire industry nimbler and stronger
For years, the bedding industry — and the broader furniture industry — has been a boys club. With few exceptions, men have run the companies and made the decisions. And while bedding remains male-dominated, more women have taken on leadership roles, including at the helm of companies, and new generations of women are entering the industry, poised to be a future generation of leaders.
BedTimes spoke with some of these women about how the bedding industry has evolved, why it’s so important to have women in leadership roles, and how the industry can cultivate the talents of women to help them make the most of their leadership potential.
Laurie Tokarz
President of Restonic, a mattress licensing group headquartered in Buffalo, New York
Why is it important for women to be in leadership roles in this industry?
It’s important for women to be in leadership roles in any industry — a management team should be reflective of the marketplace they serve. In particular, in the home furnishings and bedding categories, women make or influence over 85% of the decisions, making it paramount that women help shape the companies that are supplying the products women are shopping for.
How can bedding companies cultivate the talents of potential women leaders?
It starts with recruiting. Our industry has only “shopped from within” for employees for many years. When you don’t start out with a diverse employee pool and you hire from within, the diversity can’t improve. Once recruiting creates a more diverse base, training, supporting and promoting from within a company will help bring more diversity into our leadership.
How can the bedding industry attract and retain successful women leaders?
I go back to recruiting: Where are we looking? We need to look at other industries where women have seen more leadership advancement. Once on board, we need to be sure they are exposed to all aspects of our business, help them develop a mentor relationship and, most importantly, listen to their ideas for growth opportunities.
What advice would you give a young woman entering this industry?
Ask questions. Listen. Learn. Network at events. This is an exciting, quickly changing industry. We need fresh insights and ideas.
Sonia Ortiz
Commercial director for Masias Maquinaria SL, a machinery supplier with headquarters in Girona, Spain
How has the bedding industry evolved to include more women in leadership roles?
I think the bedding sector, like most industries and the society itself, is moving forward in the right direction. The fact that equity is being discussed is an important and motivating step forward for future generations.
What goals can the bedding industry set to support and advance women’s careers?
It’s important to hire people because of talent, regardless of gender. Nowadays, the real challenge is to retain and develop talent within your company. We, as companies, need to be committed to our employees’ career paths and benefits — challenging opportunities, competitive wages, maternity and paternity leave, work-life balance, remote work, etc.
What advice would you give a young woman entering this industry?
My advice would be to believe in herself, be curious, question decisions, and give herself time to learn and grow. The environment is very important, so I would recommend she surround herself with good people — team players with complementary skills.
Lila Walker
President of Jomel Seams Reasonable, a cut-and-sew division of Jomel Industries, based in Hillside, New Jersey
Why is it important for women to be in leadership roles in this industry?
We represent the target demographic, so we design and produce products that we like personally. And in my experience women tend to be pretty well-organized and detail-oriented. Also, since women aren’t usually in leadership roles, we tend to think outside the box or ask “stupid questions” that lead to smart solutions.
How can bedding companies cultivate the talents of potential women leaders?
Bedding companies need to stop thinking of women purely as designers. We are just as effective at the C-level roles and as production managers. Our Kentucky plant is managed entirely by women, and we have found their leadership to be very effective.
Do you think there’s an unconscious bias that overlooks women in the industry in the hiring or promotion process?
I can definitely see an unconscious bias, especially at the manufacturing level. People tend to assume that women
can only sew versus run a quilting machine or manage a plant. I think on the sales-level, B2B side of it, many men look at women as secretaries or assistants versus decision-makers.
What advice would you give a young woman entering this industry?
Be tenacious, don’t be afraid to ask “stupid questions,” stick up for yourself and work hard.
Susan Mathes
Vice president of brand relations for Therapedic International, a licensing group with headquarters in Princeton, New Jersey
Why is it important for women to be in leadership roles in this industry?
Gender diversity is key to any organization’s success. It better reflects the diversity of the end consumers to whom we market and sell. Studies have also shown that gender diversity leads to more innovation, and better products and services. In our industry specifically, women represent a significant portion of the decision-makers for the purchase of bedding and home furnishings products, so it seems obvious to me that we would benefit by having our leadership better represent the end consumers that are ultimately key to our success.
How can bedding companies cultivate the talents of potential women leaders?
Provide a diverse array of opportunities and roles for women within the industry to gain broader knowledge and insight. Pay attention to opportunities for women to take on smaller roles as leaders throughout their career — lead on a project, lead on an event, lead on a product being developed or launched, etc. For smaller organizations where there may not be many leadership roles in general, allowing someone to lead in smaller ways is still a step in the right direction and will help develop skills that are valuable in the future.
How can the bedding industry attract and retain successful women leaders?
Actively recruit new hires from sources/resources in which women are involved. Utilize internal female employees for referrals to fill open positions. Offer the flexibility needed for women to balance their responsibilities at work and at home, and offer the same flexibility for men, not just women. Flexibility is especially helpful for single parents (male or female) and for women who are typically responsible for more caregiving activities than men.
What advice would you give a young woman entering this industry?
Have confidence. Take risks as appropriate. If offered opportunities, take them. If not offered, seek them out. Say to yourself: I can do this and I will figure it out. Prepare to get out of your comfort zone. Work on developing smaller skill sets (negotiating skills, public speaking skills, etc.) that will set you up for future success as a leader.
Sheri McGuire
Vice president of innovation concepts at Serta Simmons Bedding LLC, a mattress major in Atlanta
How has the bedding industry evolved to include more women in leadership roles?
Having been in the bedding industry for more than 20 years across diverse companies and in various job functions, I have seen an increase in women promoted and progressing into leadership roles. The female leadership shift has been gradual but more prevalent over the past five years. The evolution within the bedding industry has mirrored diversity and inclusion changes across other businesses, with a more focused effort on the development of high-potential female leaders.
How can bedding companies cultivate the talents of potential women leaders?
Having a mentor identified and invested in your personal and career growth is extremely valuable. Additionally, it is important to provide opportunities for employees to participate in networking events to meet other industry representatives.
How can the bedding industry attract and retain successful women leaders?
Participate and have a strong presence on college campuses and at college recruitment fairs. Within industry-sponsored events (e.g., ISPA EXPO), showcase key industry leaders. Collaborate with HR and with different companies to outline and define career growth paths. Partner with women across the bedding industry to review and understand key gaps that exist within their company and changes that could be implemented to ensure high talent retention.
What advice would you give a young woman entering this industry?
Own your career plan: Be proactive, tenacious and take responsibility for your career development path.
Shana Rocheleau
Executive vice president of strategy for Bedgear, a sleep products maker based in Farmingdale, New York
How has the bedding industry evolved to include more women in leadership roles?
I see a lot more women than I used to and I think we’re finding that as the generations change over in terms of the family-owned businesses, the next generation of kids growing up in the business is more diverse.
How can bedding companies cultivate the talents of potential women leaders?
Having an in-house mentoring program that’s not just your direct manager, but makes access for individuals in your company to reach other mentors who may be women.
What advice would you give a young woman entering this industry?
Take advantage of every networking opportunity. Don’t be afraid to ask. You can ask someone to be a mentor, you can ask to shadow someone, you can ask to be considered for a promotion.
Lisa Stansbury Humphrey
President of Fred’s Beds, a bedding retailer based in Wilmington, North Carolina
Why is it important for women to be in leadership roles in this industry?
Women are the final decision-makers in many bedding purchases. We know what we want out of a product. Women don’t just have to be in marketing or design. We can be in sales, leadership, and more hands-on, such as in delivery.
How can bedding companies cultivate the talents of potential women leaders?
Give them what they need. Protect them from the outright hostility of some men in the industry. Companies can support the family unit more. This applies to both men and women. Maternity and paternity leave is important. Health insurance is important to women. We can play golf, but wouldn’t a spa day be fun? Our industry is so male-centered. If we look at the consumer, that doesn’t really make sense.
Do you think there’s an unconscious bias that overlooks women in the industry in the hiring or promotion process?
It isn’t even unconscious — it’s conscious. It is also a numbers game. Let’s say there are 15 applicants for a position, maybe one is a woman. That can be changed by treating the women who are already at the table better.
What advice would you give a young woman entering this industry?
Stand up for yourself. Keep at it. You will have a ton of support from other women in the industry and so many men.
What impact do you feel women are having in the bedding industry?
We are trying to make it prettier and more functional. You can ask some of my manufacturers how many times I’ve said, “Did you show this to any women before me?” Some of the men that are great at making great products aren’t so great at making it pretty. Did you know that requests from women started the trend of mattresses being whiter and brighter? It looks cleaner. Women want a clean sleeping surface.
Evi Brilleman
Vice president of business development and marketing for Latexco U.S., a foam maker based in Lavonia, Georgia
Why is it important for women to be in leadership roles in this industry?
We are all aware that the bedding industry is male-dominated and has been driven by the same dynamics for years. However, as an industry, we all recognize it needs some fresh perspectives and different approaches to keep it attractive for young people who would like to start a career in our industry. Without diversity and out-of-the-box ideas that are created by putting people from different fields of expertise together, the industry risks stagnation. Women often have a different approach in leading teams, which can result in developing innovative concepts and, eventually, launching new products in the marketplace.
How can the bedding industry attract and retain successful women leaders?
During the pandemic, more and more employers were forced to allow a flexible working schedule in an agile environment, such as working remotely. Our industry has been reluctant to transform in this area. I have been on the forefront of many digital implementations and it has been a challenge to convince people to adapt to a new (digital) working environment. The most important factor is to have an open mindset and to welcome fresh ideas, not only related to products, but also in terms of the ways we work and to be as productive (as we were before the pandemic) or even more productive in the new normal.
What advice would you give a young woman entering this industry?
Connect with people both in and outside the bedding industry. Find role models — people you look up to, those you can learn from and who can support you along the way. A lot of women have done this before and can help you shape your path in the industry.
Emily Roberts
Vice president of NuTex Concepts, a supplier of industrial fabrics based in Lenoir, North Carolina
Why is it important for women to be in leadership roles in this industry?
We all know that hiring is a major challenge across the country these days. Given that 57% of the U.S. workforce is made up of women, if a company has an unconscious bias leading them to focus their executive search and ultimate hiring/promoting decisions mostly on males, they are missing out on a large pool of talent.
How can bedding companies cultivate the talents of potential women leaders?
They can do so by including them in cross-functional teams within the company, cross-training them in other areas of the business, and not only encouraging them but providing the resources for them to attend and take part in industry committees, conferences and networking events.
What goals can the bedding industry set to advance women’s careers?
Increasing the presence of women on executive leadership teams would be a great goal for the industry. Featuring more women as leaders and experts at industry conferences and in industry publications would also support and advance women leaders long term.
What advice would you give a young woman entering this industry?
Don’t be afraid to speak up. Don’t be afraid to step up, introduce yourself and present your ideas. Be confident in the things you know and be open to learning the things you don’t. Take part in industry events and any other opportunities that will allow you to learn and grow.
Breana Pennington
Vice president of Diamond Mattress, an independent bedding producer in East Compton, California
How has the bedding industry evolved to include more women in leadership roles?
The industry has evolved to focus more on sleep and its importance in our overall health and well-being — with less emphasis on products — and this has opened up the conversation to be more creative about how we present our industry, what we do and how we do it. Creativity and communication are where women tend to excel, and this has allowed more women to showcase their talents and leadership.
Why is it important for women to be in leadership roles in this industry?
Women are the primary decision-makers for these products, so it is vital that a female perspective is represented throughout the process in order to ensure the product relates to their particular needs and desires. According to Women Deliver (which advocates for gender equity), companies in the top quartile for gender diversity on executive teams are 21% more likely to outperform the national average.
How can bedding companies cultivate the talents of potential women leaders?
It starts with top leadership and the company culture. At Diamond, we appreciate opportunities to develop women as leaders through formal coaching programs and training initiatives across all departments.
What advice would you give a young woman entering this industry?
Be yourself. Define your core values and don’t compromise on them. Find a company that values and fosters your talents, wants to hear your voice, and recognizes and rewards your contributions.
Don’t Miss This Networking Event
The ISPA Women’s Network will host a reception for women from all sectors of the industry from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday, March 7, in Orlando, Florida, before the opening of ISPA EXPO 2022, which runs March 8-10. The International Sleep Products Association invites women in the bedding industry to enjoy light refreshments while they network with old friends and meet new colleagues. Wright Global Graphics is sponsoring the event.
