Cassie sits down with Marc Werner, CEO of GhostBed
What It Means to be a Family Business
Q & A with Marc Werner, CEO of GhostBed
Cassie: We both work in our respective family businesses. Talk to me a little bit about what a family business means to you.
Marc: Entrepreneurship has been in my blood since the day I was born, thanks to my family. My grandfather founded Werner Ladder Company in the early 1900s, and eventually my dad’s generation took over and developed the aluminum & fiberglass ladder that the company is now known for. When I was younger, I was always learning and helping my dad which really solidified my love of inventing.
I also got to see first-hand how hard they worked, and how they built the company on high-quality, durable products. My grandfather always told me “Profits follow quality,” and I have carried that with me my whole business life, and especially at GhostBed.
Cassie: What would you say makes a family business unique, compared to your peers in the industry that aren't family-run?
Marc: For Werner Ladder Company, it was all about trying out new materials and technologies to make better and safer ladders and other products. Same thing with GhostBed—I’ve always been interested in combining new and different materials and experimenting with how we combine those materials to create mattresses and other sleep products to provide the best in comfort and support as you sleep. A big part of our success early on was because we were approaching the industry in a different way. I would not have known to do that without seeing my family forge the way at Werner.
Cassie: What are the most rewarding parts about working together as a family? How does being family-run shape the way you approach your business, in terms of partnerships, business opportunities and your growth strategy?
Marc: Making GhostBed a family business was a natural transition, too. It started with just me and my wife, Donna. Later, I brought in my son and daughter. I love getting to spend time with them every day, and even when we get together on the weekends, we end up talking about work. I love every minute of it.
We have two decades under our belts now with designing mattresses and other sleep products, and we are always looking for those shared values as we grow the company. We hire smart, down-to-earth people. And it’s even how our partnership with Venus Williams started last year. We got talking about our families and how important they are to us, and it was an instant match.
Cassie: Your business is focused on selling luxury, innovative high-quality products. How have you effectively managed growth and how do you think about taking advantage of new business opportunities without jeopardizing quality control?
Marc: GhostBed has grown a lot over the past few years, but we are still relatively small and nimble. We are tight-knit, and I think that will always be how we operate. We start the day with a tactical performance approach, but we excel at adaptive performance. We really are like a big family, and I can count on everyone to be the expert in their role. As for quality control, I was fortunate to have the experience of growing up around manufacturing, so it is second nature to me. Whenever we design a new product, I have my eye on every minuscule detail along the way. My team is right there with me and back that up.