Creating a Culture of Courage: Lindsy Argenti Of Big Fig Mattress On How to Create a Culture Where People Feel Safe to be Authentic & Why That Helps the Bottom Line
An Interview With Vanessa Ogle
Encourage employees to share their challenges, failures, and successes openly, fostering trust and empathy among team members. Leaders can create a culture where vulnerability is seen as a strength rather than a weakness by not always reacting. Sometimes listening to vulnerable admissions without offering solutions, repercussions or your own opinion can be a challenge. However, active listening is occasionally all that’s needed to let people find a path forward for themselves.
In today’s fast-paced world, authenticity in the workplace and in our personal lives has become more crucial than ever. Yet, fostering an environment where individuals feel secure enough to express their true selves remains a challenge. The importance of authenticity cannot be overstated — it is the foundation of trust, innovation, and strong relationships. However, creating such a culture requires intention, understanding, and actionable strategies. As part of this series, we had the pleasure of interviewing Lindsy Wise Argenti.
Lindsy has been in marketing for more than thirteen years, working in a multitude of industries from plumbing fixtures to pet products. Now as the head of marketing for Big Fig Mattress she’s focused on great sleep for “every body”.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series. Before we dive into our discussion our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you share with us the backstory about what brought you to your specific career path?
I really fell into marketing. I got my degree in public relations but graduated in 2008 when the job market was looking pretty bleak. I wanted to find a career that would give me a path for growth while doing something I enjoyed. In the meantime, I made a lot of lattes for folks… I worked as a barista. I think that has been a core part of my story, not sitting still or waiting on an opportunity. It’s always been important to me to stay productive, control what I can and watch for the next right move. When an entry level job as a marketing project coordinator came up, I leapt at the chance and I haven’t looked back.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career?
Success is always interesting, but I think failure is equally so. I worked for a top three faucet brand for a few years. I was successful, got promoted and enjoyed the work. Then one day there was a corporate restructuring and my position no longer existed. It was devastating. I had done everything right and yet there I was, a mom of two, the primary bread winner in my home and abruptly unemployed. I was actually on a family vacation at the time, and I remember that first 24 hours after being let go very clearly. I flat out bawled for about 4 hours. I loved that job and thought I’d never leave. I had to grieve that loss. Then I pulled out my laptop, dusted off my resume and got to work applying to any and everything that looked interesting to me. I also reached out to my colleagues and got letters of recommendation and references.
It was a terrifying time, because I had to just trust that I would land on my feet before the money ran out. I will say that the company took care of me with a severance package, and I have several colleagues from that job that I’m still in touch with. However, it taught me a very important lesson about working at large corporate organizations. A bit of humanity gets lost when the financial numbers get bleak. I think that’s what I’ve enjoyed most about my current role at Big Fig. We’re a growing brand, but there are less than two dozen of us on the payroll. We’re all very collaborative and while sales matter, we are very aware of the people who are helping drive those numbers.
You are a successful individual. Which three-character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? Can you please share a story or example for each?
I think a big part of my success is that I am action oriented. I graduated in a recession, but I hustled to find my first career position while also working an hourly gig to support myself. When I got unexpectedly caught up in a company reorganization and laid off I cried it out and then went to work finding my next role. If you focus on controlling what you can, your actions and your efforts, the wins happen.
I also think having general curiosity has been a big part of my success. You don’t have to be an expert on everything. Social media alone evolves too quickly for anyone in general marketing leadership to understand it fully, that’s why we hire specialists and managers. However, you have to stay curious about those changes so that you can lead from an informed place. A lot of successful leadership is just being able to ask the right questions of your team, think about things critically and move forward relying on their knowledge and skills. Curiosity has also been what’s prompted me to seek out different industries rather than stick to where I started in medical devices. Curiosity about the guts of how a business runs lead me to my MBA. Curiosity is a powerful instinct.
Finally, I do think being authentic has been a big part of my success. Both bosses and direct reports can smell falsehood a mile away. Is there an element of “fake it until you make it” when it comes to presenting a confident position of leadership? Sure. But if you try to pitch an idea you aren’t truly passionate about no one else is going to get excited either. You have to decide if it’s something you can truly get behind or find a way to bring forth a better concept that you are fully behind. Conversely, if you dampen your energy or personality to fit a culture that doesn’t match your values you will suffocate and wilt. No one who feels fundamentally “caged in” is going to put forth their best work and it takes your best to really succeed.
Ok, thank you for that. Let’s now jump to the primary focus of our interview. Can you share a pivotal moment in your career or personal life when being authentic made a significant impact on your success or well-being?
I’ve always fought hard to be my authentic self in any role. I am 5’ 3” and from a lifetime of trying to appear taller, I became a fan of 6” high pumps. I enjoyed the fashion and fun of bright colors and they let me stand eye level with my peers; it was part of my personality that I became known for at multiple companies. Unfortunately, I received a lot of criticism for it as I rose in positions at one corporate office. The shoes were deemed unprofessional, which seemed so silly to me given that they were closed-toed, solid-colored pumps. They consistently matched my outfit and for me it felt a lot like wearing fun jewelry or scarves. I considered the choice not to wear them, but then I wouldn’t have felt like me. I would have felt physically and psychologically smaller. So, I kept wearing them and let my work quality speak louder than my wardrobe. I ended up winning an award at that same company for exceptional work. It’s a silly and frivolous example, but I think those small moments of staying authentic are what accumulate and matter most. You give up your shoes here, you bend your boundaries there, and soon you’re not really you.
Now, I will say that there is a right and a wrong way to present your authentic self. You don’t have to come in, guns blazing to defend yourself at every turn. There is a time for that, but sometimes it’s just quiet persistence that sends the loudest message. I learned that lesson by trying both and eventually was given a really powerful phrase by a cherished mentor, “do no harm, but take no shit.”
What strategies have you found most effective in fostering an environment where employees or team members feel safe to express their true selves, including their ideas, concerns, and aspirations?
I think a big part of fostering that atmosphere of openness is having leaders with high emotional intelligence. If you can understand your own unconscious biases, then you become aware of your own perspective on the world. If you can accept that those views are unique to you, then you can more easily accept the views of others as unique to them. It helps to remove the instant judgement of “right” and “wrong” and allows you to process ideas, concerns, and aspirations from a more wholistic place. There will always be a mix of answers; “yes”, “no” and “not this time”, but removing the automatic or default responses creates room for safe discussions.
There is also the need to lead by example. Employees need to see real and authentic leaders presenting their unique styles and perspectives, while still engaging respectfully with each other. Demonstrating the desired culture of acceptance and authenticity reduces the pressure to conform to an expected norm for others.
How do you navigate the challenges that come with encouraging authenticity in a diverse workplace, where different backgrounds and perspectives may sometimes lead to conflict?
Conflict is based in judgement. They are wrong, I am right. But that’s not usually how the world works. As a leader you have to help your team understand that working in absolutes is very limiting behavior. That being said, cultural perspectives can be deeply rooted. Depending on the source of conflict, it may actually be time to show zero tolerance. For example, racism, sexism and ablism are never acceptable behaviors. An authentic personal belief or not, that’s discrimination and there is no place for it in the workplace.
For the other differences of opinion that crop up when diverse and passionate people are working together, it’s about communication. Being able to clearly articulate perspectives and truly listen to the opposing viewpoint is paramount.
Based on your experience and research, can you please share “5 Ways to Create a Culture Where People Feel Safe to be Authentic?”
- This one might be the hardest for most leaders, but you have to lead by example. Executives and leaders need to show authenticity in their own actions and communications, both with each other and the broader organization. When leaders are open, transparent, and genuine, it sets the tone for the entire organization to follow suit. This can be a really scary concept for heads of larger organizations. I have found that the perceived culture of any company is most influenced by the people at most two levels above the largest population of employees. The larger or more matrixed an organization, the more diffused the influence of leadership. This means you need more leaders to understand the goal of authenticity and acting accordingly. A good start is to recognize your own unconscious biases and how they impact the way you see the world. Then you start to understand how others may view things through a different lens, not wrong or less… just, different.
- Not to be cynical, but a lot of companies would be more authentic simply by promoting diversity and inclusion beyond just that legal disclaimer at the bottom of job postings. To be authentic, a company has to truly celebrate diversity and actively promote inclusion within the workplace. If you’re a small company or hiring from a community that lacks diversity in its population, this can feel like a daunting task, but consider the tangential opportunities to support diverse populations. For example, Big Fig is a company with a small head count, but we work with dozens of influencers a year. We seek out diverse creators with varied followings. We support diversity with our marketing dollars, literally putting our money where our mouth is.
- Teach the concept of becoming passionately detached. There is the danger that people, especially new hires or junior level team members, can feel stifled or put down if their ideas aren’t accepted. They can feel unheard or unvalued. Managers will know that’s not the case, but not every idea wins and coaching your team on how to handle those situations is important. You want your team to only bring forward ideas they are truly passionate about, but they have to learn to detach that idea from their own identity. It’s the idea that isn’t what leadership is looking for right now, not your skills. Another good point to make on the subject is that ideas can be subjective, data is not. If you have someone really passionate about an idea, make sure they support why it’s a winner with solid data. Then when you’re competing for resources, the best data wins. It’s just that simple.
- Encourage employees to share their challenges, failures, and successes openly, fostering trust and empathy among team members. Leaders can create a culture where vulnerability is seen as a strength rather than a weakness by not always reacting. Sometimes listening to vulnerable admissions without offering solutions, repercussions or your own opinion can be a challenge. However, active listening is occasionally all that’s needed to let people find a path forward for themselves.
- Executives and leaders need to provide support and recognition for the unique contributions and strengths of employees. Recognition doesn’t have to be a large or expensive gesture, but it should be a public one. By providing a variety of resources for personal and professional development, you’re empowering employees to grow and thrive authentically. I’ve seen ideas as simple as “get to know us” bulletin boards become resounding successes simply because it allows a company to highlight an individual beyond the workplace. A photo with a list of likes, hobbies and personal details is all it takes to make someone feel seen.
In your opinion, how does authenticity within an organization influence its relationship with customers, clients, or the broader community?
I think this question is especially relevant in the plus-size community. Here is an entire subset of the population that has been dealing with performative inclusion for years. Fashion is the biggest offender, showing plus models, but then never stocking larger sizes in stores or discontinuing larger sizes in general, but that’s not to say there aren’t other offenders. We’ve heard over and over again from our Collective members that our consumers are an especially skeptical population because of this.
So for Big Fig, we’ve really had to work hard to earn their trust that we are one-hundred percent here for them. We’re the first and only brand that designed a mattress from the ground up to work specifically for bigger figures. We say that everybody and everybody deserves great sleep. Our brand voice is a little bit quirky and we’re inclusive in our marketing representation. Our ads feature the spectrum of plus identities from skin color to sexuality. That’s not a cover for the company, but a reflection of what we all truly believe.
Authenticity is contagious. When a company is run by people comfortable in their own skin at work each day, it elevates the entire company personality aka brand. And it is usually most apparent in customer reviews. When everyone in the organization shows up as their authentic selves you get customer support agents who get five-star reviews even when the product gets returned (we’ve seen it happen), you get marketing that isn’t afraid to push boundaries and you get a company that isn’t just a product, but a lifestyle brand.
You are a person of great influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
I would argue that I’m an authentic person in a position to have great influence on a very important aspect of people’s lives, their sleep. Now, given how much advertising we do on social platforms, my company president might shoot me for this one, but if I could start (or help propel) any movement that would be universally helpful, I’d propose social media fasting. I think there should be 24hrs in any week and always the hours of 11pm and 5am where you absolutely cannot log-in to any social media platform. You are forced to decompress. You take a forced breather from social norms and societal ideals and just be you. Most importantly, you get some decent sleep!
How can our readers further follow you online?
The best way to keep up with us is following us on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok using @BigFigMattress
You can also check out our blog at https://www.bigfigmattress.com/blog for tons of helpful sleep articles, inclusive content, competitor comparisons and our Creators’ Feed that highlights some of the really cool members of the bigger figured community!
Thank you for the time you spent sharing these fantastic insights. We wish you only continued success in your great work!
About The Interviewer: Vanessa Ogle is an entrepreneur, inventor, writer, and singer/songwriter. She is best known as the founder of Enseo which she and her team grew into one of the largest out-of-home media and connected networks in the world, serving more than 100,000,000 people annually. Vanessa’s talent in building world-class leadership teams focused on diversity, a culture of service, and innovation through inclusion resulted in amazing partnerships and customer relationships. She collaborated with the world’s leading technology and content companies such as Netflix, Amazon, HBO, and Dish Networks to bring innovative solutions to the hospitality industry. Enseo has also held an exclusive contract to provide movies to the entire U.S. armed forces for almost 15 years. Vanessa and her team’s relentless innovation resulted in120+ U.S. Patents. Her favorite product is the MadeSafe solution for hotel workers as well as students and children in their K-12 classrooms. Accolades include: #15 on FAST 100, 50 Fastest Growing Women-Owned 2018–2020, Entrepreneur 360 Best Companies 2018–2020, not to mention the Inc. 500 and then another six times on the Inc. 5000. Vanessa was personally honored with Inc. 100 Female Founder’s Award, Ernst and Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year Award, and Enterprising Women of the Year. Vanessa now spends her time enjoying her children, sharing stories to inspire and give hope through articles and speaking engagements. entrepreneurs-to-be with her articles including her LinkedIN newsletter Unplugged. In her spare time she writes music with her husband Paul as the band HigherHill, teaches surfing clinics, and trains dogs.
Please connect with Vanessa here on linkedin and subscribe to her newsletter Unplugged as well as follow her on Substack.
Creating a Culture of Courage: Lindsy Argenti Of Big Fig Mattress On How to Create a Culture Where… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.