News

Part of Sleep Country Canada's success lies in the comfort level customers have with the company's president, Christine Magee.

Call it a gut reaction.

Ms. Magee figures prominently in the mattress chain's advertising strategy, the underlying message rings loud and clear — you can trust this person to deliver on the promises she has just made.

It's a connection forged through a track record of strong customer service and competitive pricing. Sleep Country Canada banks on this trust factor between Ms. Magee and her customers.

When it comes to making her business decisions, Ms. Magee looks to make a similar connection.

"Instinct — that proverbial gut feeling — applies to every decision we make," Ms. Magee tells globeandmail.com. "Instinct helped when we started Sleep Country Canada because we trusted our gut when every one else was approaching our market differently."

When Ms. Magee started Sleep Country Canada, with partners Steve Gunn and Gord Lownds in 1994, her instinct told her that there was a need for a specialty supplier of mattresses in Canada, and that the concept would take root in the marketplace.

Her instincts were bang on. Sleep Country Canada is generally regarded as the No. 1 mattress retailer in Canada, with 108 stores operating in British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba and Ontario.

More competitors are taking aim at Ms. Magee's mantle. In the past few years, Sleep Better has entered the market, while existing players like Sears Canada Inc., Hudson's Bay Co., (which also owns Zellers), IKEA, Leon's Furniture Ltd. and The Brick are increasing their mattress selection.

But still, Sleep Country remains the industry leader. This year, the chain celebrated several milestones including: more than a decade in business, the opening of its 100th store, the millionth mattress sold and most recently, an expansion with the opening of its first stores in Winnipeg.

Sleep Country Canada was recently ranked one of the top 50 companies to work for in Canada by the Globe and Mail and Hewitt Associates. The company was also recently inducted into the Marketing Hall of Legends as well as into the Retail Council of Canada Hall of Fame earlier this year.

Following is a new feature on globeandmail.com/small business called My Best Mistake where we ask Canadian business leaders and well-known entrepreneurs to discuss a seminal moment or action that helped form who they are today

My Best Mistake

1. What do you consider your biggest career mistake or miscalculation?

Early in my banking career I was involved in a transaction that, at the time, seemed to meet all the financial data and analysis, but I had a nagging concern — my instinct was telling me something. Because I couldn't articulate or truly identify what my concern was I ignored my instinct, accepting that my lack of comfort was perhaps due to my inexperience with the given industry. In the end, I was right to be concerned, as the client may have not accurately represented certain data, and, as a result, did not meet certain financial hurdles.

2. What did you learn from it?

I learned that when some one tells you something and you don't understand it ask the question again and again until you do. We are often afraid that we will look less intelligent if we don't understand an answer, so we sometimes feign understanding. In the end, if you still don't understand what someone is saying, know that you may not be the problem — it may be simply that the answer is not right.

With this lesson, I learned the value of being diligent and analytical, but, more importantly, the value of also trusting my instincts. It is important to step back and see the whole picture.

3. In what ways did it make you more successful?

Instinct — that proverbial gut feeling — applies to every decision we make. Instinct helped when we started Sleep Country Canada because we trusted our gut when every one else was approaching our market differently.

We've also learned to accept and trust our instincts in other ways, for instance when we hire our team. We look at applicants' experience and their willingness to embrace our vision, but we also connect with each individual, trusting that our gut feel about a person will tell us if he or she will fit in with our culture.

At the end of the day, instinct is only one decision-making tool, but it may be what sways the final outcome — so it shouldn't be ignored.

Five Year Plan

In five years, I will like to be best known for . . .

Helping build a company that lives up to and exceeds our customers and employees expectations!

The essential Christine Magee

President and co-founder of Sleep Country Canada

Marital status: Married, with two children

Education: University of Western Ontario, graduated with honours business degree in 1982

Number of stores: 108

Mattresses sold: More than one million

Sleep better, work better: Sleep Country Canada was recently ranked one of the top 50 companies to work for in Canada by the Globe and Mail and Hewitt Associates.

Honours: 1998 Financial Post Ontario Entrepreneur of the Year, Retail/Wholesale; Consumers Choice Toronto Business Woman of the Year in 1999.

She was also recognized as one of Canada's Top 40 Under 40.

Charitable activity: Donated Bed Program, Give A Kid A Coat, Backpack for Kids and Basics for Babies.

Cabinet Member for the United Way of Greater Toronto in 2001 and 2002.