Susan Kemp is the Design Director of Sloom - a mattress brand that simplifies the buying experience with a mattress in a box.
Glamour: Tell us more an awesome fact about your job?
Susan Kemp: I get to test new sleep products all the time! My bedroom is basically a sleep heaven filled with some of the nicest products (also some of the worst) to have the most comfortable (and stylish) rest.
Glamour: What makes you proud of being a woman and why?
SK: Women are just great at so many things! We’re like octopuses, each tentacle is brilliant at something else, and all the tentacles can work at the same time. And we are so good at not making a big deal out of it. We are powerful and tender at the same time. I also love the unique perspectives and insights that women bring to the table.
Glamour: Please share your biggest life lesson?
SK: I have learned the value of partners that have each other’s backs. Together, my husband and I are so much stronger than on our own. Starting a business together is not an easy task to take on, it becomes very personal and intertwined with your entire life. It’s really an emotional thing. When he needed support, I was there for him, and when I needed to jump ship, he prepared my landing for me. And through it all, we have to be able to trust each other 100%, even on rocky days. Nobody else would ever be as invested in our journey as we are.
Glamour: What’s the one skill you acquired on the job?
SK: I learned to handle customer care. When I joined my husband full-time at Sloom in 2020, we were only a team of two, and customer care was part of my responsibilities. Coming from a place of never dealing with customers or clients, I had a lot to learn very fast. I had to learn to make them feel heard (by actually listening to the issue behind what they were saying), be able to say ‘no’ in a gentle way when they asked too much, and also to grow a thick skin for the rude customers. It has also made me a better customer.
Glamour: Given the opportunity to sit down with your 16 year old self, what would you say to her?
SK: To never stop dreaming and to not be scared or shy to pursue those dreams. At some point as my young self, I stopped dreaming for myself and only applied my energy to other people’s dreams. Now I remind myself to dream regularly, and I have worked this into the mattress business as a little easter egg. Behind the label is a little note reminding the reader to “Keep on dreaming” because I think in our busy lives we often forget to also just dream a bit.
Glamour: Why is it important to celebrate International Women’s Day and women in general?
SK: Historically, women have faced systemic discrimination and oppression in many areas of life. Celebrating women and days like International Women's Day are essential to encourage gender equality, educate people about women's ongoing struggles and successes, and acknowledge their major contributions to society while also recognizing the work that still needs to be done.
Glamour: What inspires you?
SK: Of course, I want to say that my adventures and time in nature feed my inspiration, but in the end life in itself inspires me. I like to believe that life is the most beautiful thing that could’ve happened to me. There is so much happening around us all the time, and I find small bits of inspiration, creativity and energy everywhere I go. Even on mundane days, a simple smile, a pet's soft fur, a funny interaction between people, or a loved one's touch, talks to my senses and inspires my mind.
Glamour: What do you know for sure?
SK: I know that I only have this one chance of living life. What I make of it is up to me, and what I want to look back on at the end of the line. Yes, a lot of things are wrong and out of our control, but a lot of things are also right and exactly what they should be. And if we have only one chance at life, I’d choose to live free and light, without the weight of unnecessary worries and pessimism.
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