Two bedding industry veterans are launching a new podcast to give the industry a weekly wake-up call.
Bedding News Now will be airing the Wake-Up Call podcast, hosted by Mark Quinn, senior vice president of sales and marketing at Shifman, and Mike Magnuson, CEO of GoodBed, a leading provider of mattress testing, ratings and product intelligence.
The independent podcast will be sent to BNN subscribers on Friday of each week and will appear in the Bedding News Now newsletter the following Monday.
Quinn and Magnuson, both veteran podcasters, said they hope to bring practical information to the industry and to inspire industry leaders to think more deeply and critically about the key issues impacting it daily.
“We want to spark conversations about what and who is driving change in our industry,” Quinn said. “We want to shine a light on the good, call out the bad and entertain our audience along the way. We both love this category and want to see it thrive, and this is a way that we hope to have a positive influence on its future. We’d like this podcast to be a practical resource for everyone within the industry — from the executives wrestling with long-term strategic decisions to the retail professionals on the front lines who see changing consumer behavior every day.”
Added Magnuson: “The idea behind Wake-Up Call is simple: Our industry is changing faster than ever, yet meaningful conversations about these changes are too often confined to conferences, private meetings or one-off presentations. Our hope is that this podcast can become a gathering space where we can challenge one another’s thinking and collectively move toward better outcomes.”
“This podcast expands our commitment to the bedding category, bringing two well-known and respected voices to our growing community,” said Rick Harrison, president of the Home News Now family of digital publications. “This is going to be fun. Mike and Mark have an engaging rapport that is as entertaining as it is insightful. The show is sure to be smart, funny and compelling, and we are thrilled to be the exclusive media partner for this show.”
Quinn said that Magnuson has developed “a unique perspective on the mattress marketplace, one shaped by his direct engagement with consumers, retailers and manufacturers across both online and brick-and-mortar channels, and informed by his background in business strategy and finance. From this position, Mike can share deep insights into how consumers think about this product and how technology and other forces are reshaping their buying journey.”
Magnuson said Quinn brings a broad perspective that will give the podcast depth and insight into several key sectors.
“Mark has spent his career leading marketing efforts across nearly every corner of the industry — from component suppliers and manufacturers to brick-and-mortar retailers, e-commerce stores and accessory companies,” Magnuson noted. “He’s not only seen these challenges from multiple vantage points, he’s been responsible for turning ideas into action inside real organizations.”
Quinn and Magnuson have been friends for years and have worked together on getting Shifman products tested through the new GoodBed-Dow certification program.
“I genuinely enjoy spending time with Mark, which I hope makes this show as enjoyable to listen to as it is for us to make,” Magnuson said.
The first Wake-Up Call podcast will air Friday, July 10.
