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How Twitter Landed $150K Mattress Sales in 3 Months
An interview with Nick Hancock at Direct Outlet Mattresses
Bryan Shankman
April 24, 2025
Welcome to this week’s edition of The Workbench, a resource-rich weekly newsletter and podcast for home services entrepreneurs.
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This week, I sat down with Nick Hancock, owner of Direct Outlet Mattress in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Nick runs a true family business, with locations across the state and a rapidly evolving approach that bridges old-school retail and new-school online sales. We got into how he's grown a loyal following on Twitter as “The Mattress Guy,” landed unexpected six-figure hotel deals, and what he’s learned about carving your own lane in a crowded category.
Nick was refreshingly honest about the ups and downs of leaving the 9-to-5, why most people get mattress shopping completely wrong, and where this business's next decade is headed.
The 7 Key Takeaways
Below are the most essential insights from my conversation that you can apply to your home services business today.
1. Mixing Brick and Mortar with Online Growth
Direct Outlet Mattress is balancing a tried-and-true retail experience—appointments, in-store comfort tests—with a growing online presence that reaches customers and markets traditional advertising can’t touch. Nick’s background helped them shift focus and tap into new digital platforms that get real traction quickly, especially through Twitter.
"We almost have like effectively two different businesses... We have the regular store, where people meet us by appointment. It's customizable—take them through a comfort test, figure out what they call comfortable, and work from there. Then online, it’s almost the same thing, but I do all the spec checking and walk them through it right from Twitter. It's really in the infancy for us, but we've seen crazy growth just because people know me as The Mattress Guy."
2. Twitter as a Massive Sales Channel
Nick didn’t even start posting about mattresses until December, but fully committing to the Twitter persona quickly transformed the business. By sharing honest takes, behind-the-scenes details, and simply being active, he created opportunities most owners never even see, like closing a 392-mattress hotel deal in a matter of weeks.
"In three months, did over $150K in revenue off Twitter. Had a hotel deal for 392 mattresses, Airbnb deal, and a bunch of residential too—you just keep talking about the industry, putting content out, and people DM you. All these people really came to me; all I’m doing is being 'the mattress guy' online."
3. How B2B and Residential Business Mix
Before going all-in on Twitter and building an online presence, nearly all of Nick's business was residential. Now, with the exposure and credibility gained on social, hotel and Airbnb deals are quickly becoming a bigger piece of the pie, and the process to land these deals is surprisingly accessible for any local operator.
"Before December, honestly 99% of our business was direct to consumer. But now about 20% is coming from Airbnb, hotel, etc., just thanks to being public and getting more at-bats. It's far more fun, but I also love helping residential buyers. And the funny part is, a lot of these B2B deals just start with someone DM’ing with a quote, asking if I can beat it."
4. A Step-by-Step Guide to Buying the Right Mattress
The mattress buying process can be overwhelming—people often don't even know where to start. Nick outlined exactly how he guides both local and virtual customers through picking the right mattress, taking stress and confusion out of what’s often a dreaded process.
"For me, it's simple. If someone wants to try a mattress, they come in and I take them through: this is a firm, this is a plush, this is a pillow top. We find their budget and narrow it down. For online, I send people to try the big brands in a store, have them send me pictures or notes about what they like, then match it spec-for-spec for a better price. All along, I’m educating so people know what's really inside their mattress."
5. The Biggest Mistake Mattress Shoppers Make
The world of mattress brands is full of hype, but Nick says most buyers are thinking about it all wrong—and it can cost them real money.
"Buying based off a brand, to be honest. Brands are good, but are they what's best? People don't really know what they're buying, if it'll last, or if it's just some Amazon crap. Every company has strengths and weaknesses, so I help people find the best from any manufacturer and avoid just picking something because of a logo."
6. Nick’s Favorite Brands (and the Secrets the Industry Won’t Tell You)
Most people assume there are huge differences between the biggest names in the business, but the truth is a lot of mattresses come from a handful of manufacturers. Nick shared his top brands and an insider's perspective on what matters most.
"Tempur-Pedic is easily best-in-class, but their big drawback is price. There are brands like MLily I talk about a lot—they're my favorite for people who want Tempur-Pedic quality at a better price. Most folks don’t realize, but MLily actually manufactures for the big brands too. There are a couple manufacturers out there private labeling for everybody."
7. The Downside of Shiny Object Syndrome
Like most business owners, Nick struggled early on with focus and “shiny object syndrome.” Getting clear about his brand and fully committing to one channel made the difference; it’s a lesson that applies whether you’re selling junk removal, landscaping, or mattresses.
"If you really want to pursue something, go all in. One of the biggest struggles for me was shiny object syndrome... When I fully focused in December, I saw the massive impact of Twitter. Even with a small following, it totally changed my business—hotel deals, Airbnbs, residential. Don’t sleep on just picking one thing and just committing."
Looking Ahead
The immediate future for Direct Outlet Mattress is about scaling what's working—more deals, more content, and more digital. Longer-term, Nick is aiming for true vertical integration, building both a recognizable brand and (eventually) their own manufacturing, using social media to learn exactly what customers want.
"We’re going to test the waters with licensees and grow online, but my real goal is true vertical integration. I want to use what we've built on Twitter to collect the right data, innovate products people actually want, and eventually get into manufacturing ourselves. Testing what works in the market and sending samples out directly to customers—it's going to be a lot of fun."
Wow! You made it to the end; thanks for sticking with us.
The full interview is available on YouTube below, Spotify here, and Apple Podcasts here.