How Derek Hales Replaced His Agency Salary in 2 Months Testing Mattresses Artwork

Your Digital Marketing Coach with Neal Schaffer

As Your Digital Marketing Coach, I am on a mission to provide you marketing professionals, agencies, entrepreneurs, and business owners expert advice, both from myself as well as my expert guests, on how to leverage Digital First Marketing to grow your business, one episode at a time, This podcast will include advice on a broad range of topics all with the commonality of being related to digital marketing and having actionable takeaways for your business. Topics discussed will include digital marketing, social media marketing, content marketing, influencer marketing, search engine optimization (SEO), search engine marketing (SEM), blogging, podcasting, YouTube, video marketing, email marketing, marketing automation, artificial intelligence and Generative AI, as well as how to maximize digital marketing ROI from social media on sites like Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, Pinterest, and TikTok.

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Your Digital Marketing Coach with Neal Schaffer

How Derek Hales Replaced His Agency Salary in 2 Months Testing Mattresses

September 16, 2025 • Neal Schaffer • Episode 433

Ever wonder how someone goes from frustrated agency employee to building a trusted content empire? Derek from NapLab shares his remarkable journey of turning a terrible mattress shopping experience into a business that replaced his salary in just two months.

In this episode, you'll discover Derek's "create what you wished existed" approach to content strategy, why he started testing mattresses in a cramped one-bedroom apartment with nothing but a cell phone and lamp lighting, and how this humble beginning led to one of the most trusted review sites in the mattress industry.

Key takeaways from this conversation:

How to identify profitable content opportunities from your own consumer frustrations
Why starting imperfectly beats waiting for the right equipment or skills
The simple transparency strategy that builds more trust than any sales funnel
How to monetize content without compromising your integrity or audience trust
Derek's approach to weathering Google algorithm updates by focusing on authenticity
Why saying no to sponsored content actually increased his revenue
The North Star mindset that guides every piece of content he creates

Derek's story proves that authenticity and genuine problem-solving will always win over flashy marketing tactics. Whether you're a content creator, entrepreneur, or business owner looking to build trust with your audience, this episode offers a blueprint for turning your expertise into sustainable income while maintaining your integrity.

Connect with Derek at NapLab.com or find him on LinkedIn.

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