With Julia Doak, Bedpost National Franchisor and Marketing Manager
We recently hosted an inspiring session with Julia Doak, national franchisor for Bedpost, and it was certainly a crowd favourite.
Julia took us on a journey through the bold decisions that shaped her career, from sneaking into a Wellington nightclub at 17, to landing her first job at BNZ by walking in wearing a school uniform.
She shared stories from her days trading BNZ’s US Dollar portfolio during Desert Storm, where she was one of only four women in a room of 70 men. The high-pressure environment taught her how to make fast, confident calls, skills that would later define her leap into franchising.
Julia talked us through buying her first Bedpost franchise just ten days after a chance conversation with company co-founder Robert Fowler. Over the next decade, she experienced the highs and lows of retail, eventually selling two stores, stepping into the role of marketing manager, and later helping broker the 2014 management buyout that shaped Bedpost New Zealand as we know it today.
Attendees enjoyed her candid reflections on what it takes to balance the needs of franchisees and customers, how Bedpost’s marketing evolved over the years, and which campaigns hit the mark (including the story behind the iconic “You can sleep on it” jingle).
The evening wrapped with a lively Q&A, where Julia’s mix of humour, honesty, and gutsy storytelling left everyone feeling energised and inspired.