In April, Linda Findley became president and CEO of Sleep Number, which had been led by Shelly Ibach for 13 years. Findley has turnaround experience, and the board is counting on her to transform Sleep Number. “The entire mattress industry went through a pretty deep recession post-Covid, and it continues to be in one to a certain extent,” Findley says. “We need to right-size the business from a debt perspective.” She also wants to reinvest in the company to drive growth. Findley is intent on “reshaping the product and marketing strategy to be able to address a larger, new audience.” Sleep Number markets premium beds that start a bit over $1,000 as well as luxury ones priced at more than $10,000. A broader customer base “encompasses not only different income levels, but also different age groups,” she says. In late July, Sleep Number projected this year’s sales would be down 14% from 2024. As she plans for 2026, Findley is asking core questions about Sleep Number, including where the business should be selling, how it should be distributing, and what its scope of stores should look like. The business has a “passionate culture about helping people sleep better,” Findley says. She wants to take that culture and translate it into “a leaner, faster-moving organization that can address product and marketing needs quickly.”