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Bobby Trussell

39 statements across 3 episodes · 9 bullish · 1 bearish · 2 people on the record · first statement Oct 22, 2018 by Bobby Trussell · across every show →

On the record as a speaker too: Bobby Trussell's record, appearances and statements → this page counts the times other people say the name.

Everything said about Bobby Trussell, oldest first

Oct 22, 2018
Assertion Not checkable as stated
Trussell traded 10% of Tempur-Pedic for a $75,000 product shipment
“So next day he calls back and says, ok, here's what we'll do. We will swap that container for 10% interest in your company. . Tempur-Pedic. And I said, ok.”
Bobby Trussell Oct 22, 2018 ▶ 29:38 Tempur-Pedic: Bobby Trussell
Oct 22, 2018
Disclosure
Trussell raised $500,000 to launch Tempur-Pedic in North America
“Well, it was undefined, but I was supposed to raise what is needed, so I raised about 500,000 dollars.”
Bobby Trussell Oct 22, 2018 ▶ 21:41 Tempur-Pedic: Bobby Trussell
Oct 22, 2018 positive
Assertion Not checkable as stated
Adding an 800-number dropped New Yorker ad costs from $25K to $6K
“And then one day I got a phone call from the New Yorker, our first magazine, and he said, you know you guys have an 800 number. That means you, you're eligible for direct response rates. I said, oh, okay. How much is that? He said, 6000. I said, I've been payi…”
Bobby Trussell Oct 22, 2018 ▶ 43:01 Tempur-Pedic: Bobby Trussell
Oct 22, 2018
Assertion Not checkable as stated
Trussell got two jobs after writing to top ten horse trainers
“So I wrote letters to the top 10 horse trainers in the country. And nine of them didn't answer, and one of them was John Nerud, N-E-R-U-D, who offered me two jobs, one at his farm in Ocala, and the other one at the racetrack at Belmont Park.”
Bobby Trussell Oct 22, 2018 ▶ 5:08 Tempur-Pedic: Bobby Trussell
Oct 22, 2018 neutral
Assertion Not publicly verifiable
Tempur-Pedic grew revenue from $300K in 1992 to $45M
“We did 300,000 in 92, then 2.6 million, then six and a half, then 13, then 28, then 45.”
Bobby Trussell Oct 22, 2018 ▶ 39:18 Tempur-Pedic: Bobby Trussell
Oct 22, 2018 neutral
Assertion Not publicly verifiable
Suppliers acquired 45% of Tempur-Pedic North America via inventory swaps
“Well, that 10% interest that they swapped for that container of pillows, we had to do that four more times. So they ended up owning 45% of my company. So me and my U.S. Investors, we owned 55.”
Bobby Trussell Oct 22, 2018 ▶ 38:55 Tempur-Pedic: Bobby Trussell
Oct 22, 2018
Assertion Supported
Tempur-Pedic sold 70 mattresses in year one against a 10,000 quota
“We were supposed to sell 10,000 mattresses the first year, and we sold 70. So we missed the goal by 9930.”
Bobby Trussell Oct 22, 2018 ▶ 27:49 Tempur-Pedic: Bobby Trussell
Oct 22, 2018 neutral
Assertion Not checkable as stated
Trussell leveraged Sharper Image rivalry to force Brookstone to sell mattresses
“I started selling to Sharper Image, their arch rival. Brookstone had an absolute cow about that, and they called me, Mike Anthony called me, and he said, Bob, we want you to not to sell to Sharper Image. It's going to hurt our business. And I said, okay, I'll …”
Bobby Trussell Oct 22, 2018 ▶ 41:36 Tempur-Pedic: Bobby Trussell
Oct 22, 2018
Assertion Not checkable as stated
Direct mail to chiropractors drove $300,000 in first-year Tempur-Pedic sales
“So, we got 25% of them to buy four pillows, and that was the major breakthrough that turned us out of the nosedive And so all of a sudden from that 500 chiropractors, we had a 125 of them who were buying four pills a month, and we were selling it to the chirop…”
Bobby Trussell Oct 22, 2018 ▶ 32:08 Tempur-Pedic: Bobby Trussell
Oct 22, 2018 positive
Insight
Founders should prefer 5% of a big company over 51% control
“Well, my philosophy is the opposite is I'd rather have five percent of something really big than 51% of something small. And so my advice is, okay, you'd always like to control it, but you don't have to.”
Bobby Trussell Oct 22, 2018 ▶ 46:55 Tempur-Pedic: Bobby Trussell
Oct 22, 2018
What-if
Trussell would have sold Tempur-Pedic to Sealy in early 2000s
“All those years back in the early, I mean, late nineties and early 2000, I was expecting to get a call from an industry player like Sealy. Guy Raz: To say, hey, we want to buy you out or something. Bobby Trussell: Yeah. And we would have said, Okay.”
Bobby Trussell Oct 22, 2018 ▶ 52:05 Tempur-Pedic: Bobby Trussell
Oct 22, 2018 bullish
Assertion Partly supported
Private equity investors made 10x in under a year on Tempur-Pedic
“It turned out to be one of the all-time great private equity deals for them, and then they took us public three months later, so it was like they didn't even have their money up for a year, And they made like, 10 X.”
Bobby Trussell Oct 22, 2018 ▶ 49:34 Tempur-Pedic: Bobby Trussell
Oct 22, 2018
Assertion Supported
Trussell secured North American distribution rights for Tempur-Pedic in 1991
“Late 91, and we met him in Milwaukee, and he and I negotiated that he would give me exclusive North American distribution rights for his products.”
Bobby Trussell Oct 22, 2018 ▶ 21:20 Tempur-Pedic: Bobby Trussell
Oct 22, 2018
Assertion Not checkable as stated
Trussell went $1 million into debt after thoroughbred business collapsed
“I was probably a million dollars in debt.”
Bobby Trussell Oct 22, 2018 ▶ 12:18 Tempur-Pedic: Bobby Trussell
Oct 22, 2018
Assertion Supported
Tempur-Pedic's $350M PE deal primarily bought out the original Swedish owners
“So anyway, that's what the three hundred fifty million was. The purpose of the transaction was to take the Swedes out. Not a ton of it went into the company, actually.”
Bobby Trussell Oct 22, 2018 ▶ 48:26 Tempur-Pedic: Bobby Trussell
Oct 22, 2018
Assertion Not publicly verifiable
Tempur-Pedic distribution deal required selling 10,000 mattresses in year one
“The other condition was we had to sell 10,000 mattresses the first year in order to maintain exclusivity.”
Bobby Trussell Oct 22, 2018 ▶ 21:48 Tempur-Pedic: Bobby Trussell
Oct 22, 2018
Assertion Not checkable as stated
Trussell's imported Swedish air purifier cost $500 against $50 competitors
“And then the retail price was 500 dollars for these, and there were products on the market that were similar that were 49 95 who could make the exact same claims.”
Bobby Trussell Oct 22, 2018 ▶ 15:00 Tempur-Pedic: Bobby Trussell
Oct 22, 2018
Assertion Contradicted
U.S. distribution drove over 60% of Tempur's worldwide sales before merger
“We were 60 to 65% of their world sales. So their company was only valuable pretty much because of that contract.”
Bobby Trussell Oct 22, 2018 ▶ 46:10 Tempur-Pedic: Bobby Trussell
Jul 6, 2020 positive
Assertion Not checkable as stated
Trussell: 25% of sampled chiropractors converted to buying four Tempur-Pedic pillows
“So, we got 25% of them to buy four pillows, and that was the major breakthrough that turned us out of the nosedive”
Bobby Trussell Jul 6, 2020 ▶ 33:08 Tempur-Pedic: Bobby Trussell (2018)
Jul 6, 2020 neutral
Assertion Supported
Raz: Tempur Sealy has a $3.5 billion market cap with Trussell on board
“Bobby Trussell still sits on the board, and today, the company has a market cap of three and a half billion dollars.”
Guy Raz Jul 6, 2020 ▶ 57:01 Tempur-Pedic: Bobby Trussell (2018)
Jul 6, 2020
Assertion Not checkable as stated
Trussell was approximately $1 million in debt before founding Tempur-Pedic
“I was probably a million dollars in debt.”
Bobby Trussell Jul 6, 2020 ▶ 13:13 Tempur-Pedic: Bobby Trussell (2018)
Jul 6, 2020
Assertion Supported
Tempur-Pedic missed its 10,000-mattress first-year sales goal by 9,930
“We were supposed to sell 10,000 mattresses the first year, and we sold 70. So we missed the goal by 9930.”
Bobby Trussell Jul 6, 2020 ▶ 28:44 Tempur-Pedic: Bobby Trussell (2018)
Jul 6, 2020 positive
Insight
Trussell: Founders should prefer 5% of something big over 51% of something small
“Well, my philosophy is the opposite, is I'd rather have five percent of something really big than 51% of something small. And so my advice is, okay, you'd always like to control it, but you don't have to.”
Bobby Trussell Jul 6, 2020 ▶ 47:46 Tempur-Pedic: Bobby Trussell (2018)
Jul 6, 2020
Disclosure
Trussell resolved to accept any new business ideas after hitting rock bottom
“You know, I just decided, ok, if people come to me with ideas, I'm just gonna say yes.”
Bobby Trussell Jul 6, 2020 ▶ 14:48 Tempur-Pedic: Bobby Trussell (2018)
Jul 6, 2020 positive
Assertion Not checkable as stated
Dan-Foam swapped a $75,000 container debt for 10% equity in Tempur-Pedic
“We will swap that container for 10% interest in your company.”
Bobby Trussell Jul 6, 2020 ▶ 30:38 Tempur-Pedic: Bobby Trussell (2018)
Jul 6, 2020
Disclosure
Trussell: Tempur-Pedic Swedish partners ended up owning 45% through equity-for-product swaps
“Well, that 10% interest that they swapped for that container of pillows, we had to do that four more times. So they ended up owning 45% of my company. So me and my U.S. Investors, we owned 55.”
Bobby Trussell Jul 6, 2020 ▶ 39:55 Tempur-Pedic: Bobby Trussell (2018)
Jul 6, 2020
Disclosure
Trussell raised about $500,000 to launch Tempur-Pedic distribution in the US
“Well, it was undefined, but I was supposed to raise what is needed, so I raised about 500,000 dollars.”
Bobby Trussell Jul 6, 2020 ▶ 22:36 Tempur-Pedic: Bobby Trussell (2018)
Jul 6, 2020 positive
Insight
Trussell: Founders are more equipped for entrepreneurship at 40 than at 20
“I think you're more equipped for that when you're 40 than when you're 20.”
Bobby Trussell Jul 6, 2020 ▶ 55:08 Tempur-Pedic: Bobby Trussell (2018)
Jul 6, 2020
Assertion Not checkable as stated
Trussell: Tempur-Pedic mailed 500 free pillows to chiropractors to spur initial sales
“So we mailed 500 pillows to 500 unsuspecting chiropractors.”
Bobby Trussell Jul 6, 2020 ▶ 32:34 Tempur-Pedic: Bobby Trussell (2018)
Jul 6, 2020
Assertion Not publicly verifiable
Trussell: Tempur-Pedic grew revenue from $300k in 1992 to $45M
“We did 300,000 in 92, then 2.6 million, then six and a half, then 13, then 28, then 45.”
Bobby Trussell Jul 6, 2020 ▶ 40:21 Tempur-Pedic: Bobby Trussell (2018)
Jul 6, 2020
Assertion Not checkable as stated
Only one top horse trainer replied to Trussell's post-college job letters
“So I wrote letters to the top 10 horse trainers in the country. And nine of them didn't answer, and one of them was John Nerud, N-E-R-U-D, who offered me two jobs, one at his farm in Ocala, and the other one at the racetrack at Belmont Park.”
Bobby Trussell Jul 6, 2020 ▶ 6:03 Tempur-Pedic: Bobby Trussell (2018)
Jul 6, 2020 positive
Insight
Trussell: Taking entrepreneurial risks is not risky when you have nothing
“You have to have the ability, though, and the mindset to take risks, but when you don't have anything, it's not so risky if you think about it.”
Bobby Trussell Jul 6, 2020 ▶ 55:17 Tempur-Pedic: Bobby Trussell (2018)
Jul 6, 2020
Disclosure
Trussell leveraged a Sharper Image deal to force Brookstone to stock mattresses
“So I started selling to Sharper Image. Their arch rival. Brookstone had an absolute cow about that, and they called me, Mike Anthony called me, and he said, Bob, we want you to not to sell to Sharper Image. It's going to hurt our business. And I said, okay, I'…”
Bobby Trussell Jul 6, 2020 ▶ 42:35 Tempur-Pedic: Bobby Trussell (2018)
Jul 6, 2020 negative
Assertion Not checkable as stated
Trussell: Imported Swedish horse ionizers were priced tenfold above competing US products
“And then the retail price was 500 dollars for these, and there were products on the market that were similar that were 49 95 who could make the exact same claims.”
Bobby Trussell Jul 6, 2020 ▶ 15:55 Tempur-Pedic: Bobby Trussell (2018)
Jul 6, 2020 bullish
Disclosure
Trussell decided to enter the mattress business after one overnight test
“I said, this is the most amazing product I've ever encountered. I'm interested. And when I came home after my first Swedish trip, I told Martha, I said, Sweetie, we're in the mattress business.”
Bobby Trussell Jul 6, 2020 ▶ 20:13 Tempur-Pedic: Bobby Trussell (2018)
Jul 6, 2020
Assertion Supported
Trussell: DanFoam required selling 10,000 mattresses in year one for exclusivity
“The other condition was we had to sell 10,000 mattresses to The first year in order to maintain exclusivity.”
Bobby Trussell Jul 6, 2020 ▶ 22:43 Tempur-Pedic: Bobby Trussell (2018)
Dec 18, 2025
Insight
Trussell: Market expansion success depends primarily on the local manager
“You're only as good as the guy you got there. If you have a good guy in Spain, Spain's gonna do great. If you have a marginal guy, Spain's not gonna do well. So if you can get comfortable with the guy, and then, yeah, have the handbook, and have the rules and …”
Bobby Trussell Dec 18, 2025 ▶ 15:22 Advice Line with Bobby Trussell of Tempur-Pedic
Dec 18, 2025
Disclosure
Trussell: Tempur-Pedic raised early seed offering 4x payback plus 1-2% equity
“We didn't want to give up equity, right? But we were okay with giving up some, so we gave for, if you give me 50,000, I, you'll get either one or two percent equity in the company, and a four-to-one payback On your money. So you give me 50, I'll give you 200 p…”
Bobby Trussell Dec 18, 2025 ▶ 37:02 Advice Line with Bobby Trussell of Tempur-Pedic
Dec 18, 2025
Assertion Not checkable as stated
Trussell: Mailing 500 chiropractors secured Tempur-Pedic 125 initial distributors
“We mailed the 500 chiropractors and 125 of them. Took up our offer of which our, which was, this pillow is yours free if you order four, so now we have a 125 distributors.”
Bobby Trussell Dec 18, 2025 ▶ 10:50 Advice Line with Bobby Trussell of Tempur-Pedic
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