Leigh Morrison, Tempur Sealy

Blending Engineering and Art Through Mattress Creation

It’s not altogether rare to meet someone in the home and furnishings industry who found their way to their career by accident, but Leigh Morrison, Principal Product Developer with Tempur Sealy, might have one of the most unique stories we’ve heard.

Over two decades ago Leigh was working for a company that managed components for the nuclear stockpile. Her role was creating components that would prevent nuclear weapons from exploding prematurely. To go from that to designing mattresses seems like a huge jump, but in her transition, Leigh says she found her calling.

Leigh works as a part of Tempur Sealy’s product merchandising group. She and her colleagues are responsible for the material and outside aesthetics of the mattresses loved by many. She says it’s the perfect blend with her engineering background and provides a creative outlet for her.

We talked with Leigh about her passion for her job, advice she has for other young women looking to make the leap into the industry and how she found WithIt. Check out the full conversation below to learn more!

Q&A

How did you get started at Tempur Sealy?

I’ve been here 26 years.  I actually started as a mechanical engineer. Before I came to Tempur Sealy I worked for a contractor for the Department of Defense in Kansas City, Missouri, where we manufactured all the non nuclear components for the nuclear stockpile. I used to make a component that would prevent things from exploding prematurely. I was from the North Carolina area and really wanted to come back to this part of the country and an engineering position opened up with Sealy. I came, did the interview and I was like, ‘Oh if I can manufacture nuclear weapon components I’m sure I can design a mattress.’ What’s interesting is that I found it much more difficult to make mattresses because in the military or federal world things are very concise and specific and there’s a lot of standards that are applied and used, and it was a little bit looser in the bedding industry. You had to figure your way through how to create those standards for this industry, which was interesting and challenging. 

From nuclear components to the home and furnishings industry is a pretty big jump. What’s kept you in the industry for so long?

Number one: the company is amazing. Tempur Sealy is an amazing company to work for. The company itself with its mission and culture, the people that we work with day in and day out make it so great. As for the transition from engineering to design I realized there was more of a creative spirit in me versus the regimented engineering aspect, which I loved, but I love even more being able to have that creative outlet in what I do. I transitioned into this role when we merged with Tempurpedic. I transitioned from engineering into this design role and I tell people all the time I absolutely love my job. It’s a nice balance between the creative and the technical, so I really get the best of both worlds in this role. 

What’s something from your career that you’re particularly proud of?

I think what makes me proud is that somehow I manage to outdo myself or I should say our team manages to outdo ourselves with each new product launch. They get better and better, each time we develop we get smarter, even  with our processes and how we go about developing the products. We’ve implemented a new process for development of textiles within our company that has allowed us to have more clarity around how we create at the right cost and quality while staying on our timelines and true to the vision. We’re able to get very smart and target the textiles that we’re bringing in insuring they meet the exact cost we expect, they’re meeting our quality standards and our aesthetic intent. Our last few launches have been very successful. 

What advice do you have for other women hoping to get started in this industry?

I would say don’t ever be afraid to tap into that creative nature that’s inside you and then confidently express that to others. I have a cute story of how I transitioned from engineering to designing. Back in 2008, Stearns and Foster was a declining brand. I was an engineer at the time and the organization was contemplating what we were going to do with the brand – was it just going to go away or were we going to try to reinvigorate it? My manager at the time approached our team and challenged us to think about what a personality product would look like. I was obsessed with series “Sex and the City” at the time and there’s four different personalities represented by the ladies in the show. I worked with my colleagues and we made these concept products that were attuned to each personality. We shared it internally and with our president and CEO and sales leaders, and everybody was in shock and awe. The colorful concepts we developed were so impactful that they provided an opportunity for our organization to consider differentiating ourselves from the sea of white mattresses that flooded the industry at that time.

This is about taking those risks and putting yourself out there. It shocked everyone and it made them think more about ‘oh maybe there is a significant importance to the aesthetics of our products and what they communicate’. By doing so, that was a trajectory for me to go into aesthetic development. The organization started to think about aesthetics differently and invested in it differently. We transformed a 30 million dollar business to a 400+ million dollar business today with this approach. So that’s my advice: take those risks, put yourself out there and show what you can do.

How did you first get involved in WithIt? 

I learned about WithIt maybe 20 years ago. At that time, our organization placed great emphasis around empowering women in the industry and WithIt was part of that initiative. I didn’t get heavily involved at the time. Fast forward to four years ago, I attended a presentation at the High Point Market and there was mention that there were still slots available for folks to join the design tour in New York.  It sounded amazing. I went on the NY Design Tour in May of 2022. Amy, WithIt’s executive director, was amazing and I met a lot of wonderful women on that trip. The content of the tour was incredible – what they showed us and shared with us impressed me.

Following that, I attended the conference in Alexandria, Virginia. There were so many amazing women I was able to meet and introduce myself to. The speakers were so inspiring and I really enjoyed it. Since then, I’ve been compelled to work on the scholarship committee and help to bring young ladies into the organization and support them in their journeys. I love all aspects of how it creates this network for women across all the industries. It helps me think more thoughtfully about how I empower myself in my own career and how I would do things differently based on conversations with these individuals. 

Why do you think an organization like WithIt is still important today?

I would say I think there’s always a need for that support system and that level of mentorship so that young women or even seasoned women,like myself,  can have access to the trailblazers who have gone through whatever you may face and can help you navigate whatever is in front of you. I’m also part of a sorority so I know how important sisterhood is.

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If you’re considering WithIt membership for your professional journey, find out more about WithIt’s mission here or join today.