Today we’d like to introduce you to Brett Wagner.
Hi Brett, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Our story really started back in Missouri. I grew up there, and my wife and I were living in the Lake of the Ozarks for a few years — which is actually where we met. At the time I owned a heating and cooling company called Ozark Air, and life was good, but we kept feeling pulled toward something different. We wanted to be closer to family, and honestly, we wanted to escape the winters.
My wife’s sister and brother-in-law lived down in Buda, Texas, and every time we visited the Austin area, we loved it more and more. On one of those trips we finally said, “What if we just moved here?” That sparked everything. We ended up selling my business, the equipment, the vehicles — the whole operation — and decided it was time for a new chapter.
When we got here, we spent a lot of time thinking about what this area needed and what type of business we could build from scratch. I knew some people in the mattress industry back in the Midwest, which made us start looking into it. The more research we did, the more it made sense. San Marcos had either long-standing furniture stores or big-box chains, but very few places that truly focused on sleep, comfort, and personal fitting. There was a big gap in the market for a dedicated mattress and sleep store that wasn’t just another corporate chain.
So we started exploring locations and eventually found a spot in San Marcos that we loved — close to Texas State, great traffic, great community. Once we secured the space, we jumped right into remodeling it and getting everything ready. We moved in around January 2024, and by April we were officially open.
What really helped us click early on was focusing on the sleep experience instead of just selling products. Every person sleeps differently, so the mattress and pillow that works for one person may not fit someone else at all. We wanted to take that seriously. We built our whole store around matching people with the right products for their body and their sleep style.
Pretty early on we started hearing feedback that really confirmed what we were trying to do. Customers would come back or call us after their delivery and tell us they were finally sleeping comfortably for the first time in years. One customer told us they hadn’t slept a full night in a year and a half until they came to us. They tried other stores, tried other mattresses, but no one had actually taken the time to fit them. That was the moment it really hit us that we were onto something special.
Since then, things have grown fast. We’ve dialed in our product lineup, expanded into adjustable bases, pillows, and sleep accessories, and really built a brand around personalized sleep. Most of our products are American-made — a lot of them right here in Texas — which has been great for quality and reliability.
It’s been exciting watching this go from an idea to a real part of the San Marcos community. And we feel like we’re just getting started.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It definitely hasn’t been a perfectly smooth road. We came into this thinking it would be a little more turnkey since we had friends in the industry, but the reality of starting a retail store from scratch — in a new state — hit fast.
One of the first hurdles was the remodel. Because we had just moved and invested a lot into starting fresh, our budget for construction was tight. That meant we were doing a big portion of it ourselves. What we thought would take a few weeks ended up turning into a three-month project, and like most remodels, it took longer and was more involved than we expected. But we got it done.
Once we opened, the first six months came with a lot of learning curves. Everything from figuring out the right marketing approach in a new area to realizing we picked the wrong credit card processor — one that didn’t fully support retail setups — added friction early on. We also had to build brand awareness from the ground up. When you’re the new business in town, especially in a market with long-established stores and big chains, it takes time to get your name out there and earn trust.
Even after getting traction, there are still challenges that come with running a retail business today — changes in the economy, shifts in consumer behavior, and even things like tariffs that directly impact product costs. The good news is that most of our products are American-made, many of them right here in Texas, which has helped us weather some of that.
Looking back, the struggles really became the foundation of what our business is today. Every hiccup taught us something and pushed us to refine our process, our product lineup, and the overall experience we offer. And in a weird way, the tough moments made the wins feel even bigger.
We’ve been impressed with Mattress Warehouse , but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Our business is all about helping people sleep better — plain and simple. We’re a dedicated mattress and sleep store, not a big-box furniture chain or a place with a little bit of everything. Sleep is the whole focus of what we do, and every part of our store is built around that.
What we’re really known for is our fitting process. Instead of walking in, pointing at a mattress, and hoping for the best, we actually take time to match people with the right mattress and pillow based on their body type, sleep position, pressure points, and personal preferences. Every person sleeps differently, and the right setup can literally change someone’s life. We’ve seen it happen — people who haven’t slept a full night in years come back to tell us they finally feel rested again. Those stories never get old.
Another thing that sets us apart is the products we carry. We’re very selective about what goes on our floor. Most of our mattresses are American-made, and many are made right here in Texas. We’ve built a lineup of products we truly believe in — adjustable bases, cooling and adjustable pillows, mattress protectors, bedding, and everything that goes into creating a full sleep system. It’s not about selling the most expensive thing; it’s about finding the right thing.
Brand-wise, we’re proud of being local, modern, and approachable. We aren’t a stuffy furniture store, and we aren’t a corporate chain with a “take a number” feel. Our goal is to build something that feels fresh, inviting, and focused on long-term comfort rather than one-time transactions. We love getting to know our customers, hearing their stories, and helping them build a setup that actually works for them.
If there’s one thing I’d want readers to know, it’s this:
Your sleep matters way more than most people realize.
The right mattress and pillow combo can improve your energy, your mood, your recovery, your posture — everything. And we’re here to make that process simple, personalized, and actually enjoyable.
If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
Growing up, my dad was basically was and still is my mentor especially when it comes to work ethic. Just being around him made me fascinated with business way earlier than most kids.
I actually started my first “business” at 12 years old — a neighborhood lawn-cutting operation. I went all in: printed business cards, knocked on doors, pitched my services. At one point I was mowing seven lawns a week, and I truly thought I had made it. Looking back, it cracks me up, but that experience definitely lit the entrepreneurial spark for me.
Because I was so focused on working and building things, school wasn’t really my arena. I wasn’t the kid staying after for clubs or sports — I was usually trying to figure out how to make a little extra money or coming up with some business idea. Let’s just say my report cards weren’t the star of the show, but my hustle definitely was.
Outside of business, my family’s biggest hobby was boating. We practically lived on the water during the warm months. Some of my best childhood memories are from those days — just being out on the lake, hanging with family, and enjoying the sunshine. To this day, boating is still my favorite thing to do.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://mattresswarehousetx.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mattress_warehousellc?igsh=NHZ3aDAyMnd6a3Fm&utm_source=qr
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1FNiLcTQpS/?mibextid=wwXIfr
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brett-wagner-7866652ab?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_app
Image Credits
San Marcos Chamber (Grand opening photo)
Shtooka Atelier Photographer (Headshot)
