sk the owner of Cotton Belle what makes the business successful and with a blend of cheerful enthusiasm and resolute conviction you’ll hear a few secrets. Empowering people. Being sensitive to the needs of women as moms. Having fun. Monthly back massages for all employees.

Certainly not what you’d expect in these lean and mean nineties. And not what you’d expect from one of the top futon cover and accessory manufacturers in the country.

But maybe it’s not so much of a surprise when you realize that the owners of this business are women. Mary Lou Rath and her partner Deanna Ridenhour are just a few of a relatively significant percentage of women in ownership or leadership positions in the futon industry. Look around and you see women designing product, women owning manufacturing companies, women running rep firms, and women running successful retail shops and chains. The futon industry is a rare one in that it has been shaped in large part by a sorority of bold, competent women.

What is it about this industry that attracts successful women? How did they get here? What are the secrets to their success? Do they enjoy their work?

These are just some of the questions that prompted Futon Life to interview women in different corners of the futon world around North America. We spoke to fifteen women, each one of them generous enough to share their story – and gracious enough to share their wisdom.

Following Their Bliss

One of the first questions we asked was, what drew you to the industry? In other words, how did you get to be where you are today? What we found out was, like most people, the women in this industry stumbled into their careers by improvisationally following their interests and talents. Not one of the women we spoke with thought they’d be doing what they’re doing today when they were children.

And the talent and interest most women were following were sewing and fabric. Many spoke of an early love of sewing which expressed itself by making dolls as children and designing clothes as an adult. And, of course, they spoke of having a lifelong affection for good fabric.

Shari Hammer, 36-year old CEO of SIS Covers, is a perfect example. She was in graduate school studying to be an art teacher when her sister persuaded her to start a business together. “We are both artistic and loved to sew, so in the beginning we did all the sewing in the basement of her home.” Today Shari owns the business on her own, employs 110 people, and occupies a 60,000 square foot facility. “If I step back and look at the size and number of people in our company it’s amazing. I’m in awe that this is my life!”

Several women discovered the futon industry by way of the fine arts. Women like Sue Titus, founder and co-owner of MUSE, supported herself through the sale of her oil paintings before starting a successful line of hand painted futon covers, pillows, and decorative accessories. “At first I created my work just for my friend’s store,” she explains. “Then, six months later, I decided to wholesale. My interest is in being an artist, so my partner Nancy and I keep the business small so we can do all the designing and a lot of the hands on work. It’s this passion that makes the product and business work.”

When women like Irma McInnis discovered futons, they found a perfect way to express cherished values. “I always loved textiles and I knew I wanted to be doing something with natural products,” explains McInnis, founder and sole owner of Dream Designs, manufacturer and wholesaler of natural fiber futon furniture and accessories in Vancouver, British Columbia. “When a girlfriend talked about the cotton mattresses in Israel, I wanted to find out more. At that time polyester was “in” and you couldn’t even find cotton underwear! I saw this as an opportunity to make natural textiles a part of people’s everyday lives, to make healthy “sleep pods” with no metal springs, no electromagnetic discharge. Futons are a simple, pure design that afford people a rejuvenating sleep.”

Several women were introduced to the business by their husbands. Through them, they learned about the business, started helping out, and eventually came on board as co-owners and equal partners. Catherine Chadbourne was married to her husband Dave for 16 years before she joined him three years ago to manage retail store and wholesale operations of Welcome Home located in Minneapolis, MN. Like most women working with their husbands, she enjoys their relationship as much as the business itself. “If it weren’t for Dave, I would still be working as a nutritionist and running the food wholesale business I had with several other women. But I really like working with him, coming up with better solutions by merging our different talents and working towards a common goal.”

Peaks and Perks

Once they became established, the women we interviewed flourished as owners of retail shops, manufacturing companies, and wholesalers. But are they happy?

The answer is a recurrent yes. Over and over again women described their jobs as offering excitement, independence, creativity, and challenge.

Nancy Taylor is one of several women who find the freedom and autonomy of running their own business the most satisfying aspect of their work. After she discovered futons as the solution to her chronic back problems back in 1982, she sewed a mattress for herself, then a neighbor – and then, like many other women, sewed all the futons she sold her first year of business. Now she’s the founding owner and president of Dream on Futons, a retailer and manufacturer of soft goods in Bellingham, WA, which has grown 20-30% every year since. “I love having the freedom to constantly grow,” she explains. “Having to create systems, relationships, systems, and customers pushes my mind to the edge. It’s all up to me.”

Lesa Heinlen of East West Futons agrees. She was an accountant at a large corporation when she met her husband, who at the time owned one futon specialty store. She came on board shortly thereafter and manages the accounting and advertising for the whole business while co-managing two of the three stores they now own in metro Detroit. “I’m not a corporate person – I don’t like the politics and I don’t like the whole suit and tie thing. I could never work for anyone again! I love having the freedom to decide what I want to do and when.”

Relationships with customers, colleagues, and employees are also a source of satisfaction on the job. Many women spoke warmly of customers’ stories, the friends they’ve made, and the satisfaction of helping people choose products they’ll enjoy for years to come.

“Helping customers by providing excellent customer service is the best part of this business,” explains Lillian Nazginov at Life Style Covers, manufacturers and wholesalers of futon covers and accessories located in Queens, NY. When she had her third child, she was amazed at the number of gifts she received. “My vendors and customers have become my friends.”

Lynn Martin and her husband own Cotton Works, a cover manufacturer and distributor in Albany, GA. She was in real estate before she entered the world of futons and finds the opportunity to meet retailers and form relationships with customers an unusually pleasant part of her job. “I’ve met friends and enjoyed great relationships with wonderful people that I’ve met at shows and talked to over several years. You don’t get that chance in other industries.”

The Road Less Traveled

Make no mistake about it. Despite the satisfaction these women express, they can quickly point to the difficulties of the path they’ve chosen. It’s not always been an easy ride and they’re well aware of the obstacles they’ve overcome.

There are the day to day frustrations such as administrative paperwork. Long hours. Rude people. Uneven cash flow. Inconsistent lead times. And from the beginning, there has been one obstacle that’s been a little more subtle.

“It’s a man’s world,” explains Lillian Nazginov. “It’s particularly difficult for a woman to start a business. They don’t take you seriously, don’t trust you. There’s a lot of skepticism and you have to prove them wrong.”

Several women gave the same example of this unwelcome stereotyping – male sales reps who visit the store and approach them only to ask to see the owner or person in charge.

“It’s more challenging to be a woman because even after men realize I’m the owner, many of them assume I don’t know what I’m talking about,” says Nancy Taylor.

Taylor, like many others, has also felt challenged by the lack of role models in her life.

“There’s no precedent. No woman in my family has ever been a business leader before me.” Even those who network with other women inside and outside of the industry feel it’s difficult at times to face unfamiliar territory such as balancing work and family.

But despite sexism and the challenge of new roles, most women interviewed acknowledge that they’re better off than their counterparts in other industries. The futon industry is more egalitarian than most, perhaps because it came of age after the women’s movement in the 70’s, perhaps because it grew out of a somewhat alternative subculture – or maybe precisely because the industry has historically attracted capable women to leadership positions.

But there are fears this is changing. The futon industry, in the eyes of many, is becoming more corporate, which may mean that it will become less friendly to women. People wear suits on the trade show floor. There are no longer any women on the Board. Some women worry the industry is capitulating to “the mattress boys,” and devolving back to the place from which it departed.

Celebrating Strengths

But there won’t be any devolution as long as women have their say. Despite the challenges, women have a clear sense of their unique and valuable contribution as employers, buyers, designers, and managers.

“Women are definitely an asset,” says Carol Garretson of Futons and More, a chain of retail stores in Rochester, NY. “In fact, there should be more women in the futon industry. Customers feel more at ease with them because they are less aggressive. Women take more time to listen and can more accurately get a sense of a person’s needs.”

And then there’s a woman’s aesthetic sense. “Being a woman is a real asset in this business,” explains Karen Beardsley, co-owner of Futon Designs in Asheville, NC. “A woman can visualize how things are going to look better than a man. This comes in handy whether you’re choosing what to carry or advising a customer.”

Women also bring a unique and valuable perspective to employee relations. Suzanne Diamond, owner of the eighteen store chain The Futon Shop and employer of 175 people, implemented many effective personnel policy changes when she took over from her husband. “As a mother, I’m more understanding, more compassionate, and more sincere. I’m also more sensitive to family leave and flexible work hours for parents with school age children. The result has been a happier and more effective work force that will go the extra mile.”

In fact, an inspiring thread of continuity among the women we spoke with is the pride they take in creating a company culture that’s both supportive and caring. Mary Lou Rath, owner of Cotton Belle and purveyor of free monthly massages for all employees, describes her business as a safe house. “I really believe in the value of meaningful work to help heal people. For this reason, we don’t look at production like a factory. Our employees are craft workers who can take pride in making the whole piece, not just a part. It’s amazing how people really thrive with even just a little encouragement.”

Then, after a moments reflection, she adds, “Some women try to act like a man and run their business the way a man would instead of drawing on their unique strengths as a woman.”

The women leaders of this industry are clearly drawing on their unique strengths to develop successful businesses. They’ve followed their artistic and creative talents into a new field. They’ve succeeded as pioneers because of their perseverance. They’ve used their skills and instincts as women and mothers to create work environments that nourish and motivate. They’ve held fast to their values, finding innovative ways to live them out through their work.

In sum, they’re successful because they work hard. But they’re satisfied because they work with heart.

Andrea Mainardi is a freelance writer who works out of her new home here in Providence, RI. She is a regular contributor to the pages of Futon Life and will be presenting an article on flammability in the next issue.