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There has been a long-standing paradox in the home furnishings industry and among mattress manufacturers in particular. Although women are typically in the driver’s seat when it comes to purchasing decisions, they are largely underrepresented in leadership roles in the organizations that provide the products that serve them. Here at Sound Sleep Products, we have worked diligently to address this issue and we pride ourselves on having female leadership throughout our organization. These efforts have resulted in a higher female employment rate than the majority of the industry and our company is now closing in on having more female employees than males. This is a result of the leadership team having a commitment to diversity and bringing the female perspective to all areas of our business.
The benefits of having female leadership in the workplace are immeasurable. Having increased representation opens the door to diverse problem-solving, fresh perspectives, and an appreciation for the female consumer. Further, it allows the interaction of different backgrounds, viewpoints, and approaches to problems. We recognize that ultimately our products must speak to the consumer and meet her needs. Our team is uniquely positioned to do just that, and our female leadership provides us with a strong competitive advantage. The entire leadership team is committed to supporting their team members and advancing diversity, equity and inclusion. Women are recognized for their contributions as part of our culture and our company is better able to serve our customers as a result.
Today, many companies talk about these issues, but the true measure of success can only be found in actions. As Women’s History Month draws to a close, we thought it would be a good time to check our own temperature to see if our objectives were indeed being met. We turned to three of our female leaders and asked them to share their view on the role of women in the company.
Raymee Delaney – General Manager
Raymee recently celebrated 15 years at Sound Sleep Products. People that work with Raymee are pleased to share that she leads with kindness and understanding. She also leads her team by example–she’s dedicated to her work and the success of the company and its employees. Raymee is involved in almost every aspect of the business. When asked for her viewpoint on the role of women at Sound Sleep, Raymee commented,
“Before starting at the company, I had spoken with colleagues that worked for other companies. They expressed that they always had to work twice as hard as men to get anywhere. This has not been my experience here at all and I feel lucky that I didn’t have to go through that! John (Larsen, CEO) always recognized the importance of having female input in a business where most of the consumer base is predominately female. He saw the value of my ideas and thoughts on how to better the business. Right away I noticed that John always listens and takes what you have to say into consideration- I really appreciate that about him.”
Tracy Director – Sales Leader and Business Development Manager
Tracy is recognized throughout the organization as the top salesperson. She delivers excellent results and is the lead on most of the company’s major accounts. Like Raymee, she is involved in almost every aspect of the business. We asked Tracy to share her experience within the Sound Sleep Products organization.
“When I started working at the company, I had expressed concerns to Raymee that I was worried I wouldn’t be given the opportunity to advance here. Raymee had reassured me that I would be given the chance to grow and advance with the company. Throughout my time working with John (Larsen, CEO), he always empowered me and trusted me to do what I needed to do to grow the business. My gender is not an issue and John gives me the freedom I need to improve the business. I enjoy that he takes my ideas seriously. I liked that I had the opportunity to really rise in a world where majority of sales representatives are male in this industry.”
Paiton Boyd – Marketing Specialist
New to the Sound Sleep Products team, Paiton has made an immediate impact on the business. She leads and executes all the social media for the organization. She also has impacted new product advertising programs and develops training tools for the sales team. Paiton already has strong feelings about the team culture and having her voice heard in cross functional decisions. Paiton commented,
“The company allows employees to be seen for who they are as people and not what they are. It is vital to the company that anyone and everyone can share their different perspectives in any scenario. Sound Sleep Products believes that giving people the ability to share their ideas is what creates an inclusive and accepting environment – if one of us succeeds, we all succeed. Being able to voice concerns as well as ideas without fear is what sets us apart from other companies. I have been heard, respected, and encouraged by everyone around me.”
“Having a diverse team enables more creativity. My individual creativity can become enhanced by connecting and integrating different points of view. Instead of creating just from my perspective, I am given the opportunity to bounce ideas off all kinds of people- with different backgrounds and experiences. Having a diverse team is the secret sauce for boosting productivity and employee morale.”
Any organization is only as strong as its team members and their ability to serve a unique customer base. Sound Sleep Products is forging a new path in the industry where women are an integral part of every step in the sales process. Women are heard and impact each decision along the way. Our products, marketing, training, and quite frankly the entire company are all better for it. As Women’s History Month concludes we wanted to tip our hat to those strong female leaders who are indeed making a positive difference.
