Ep 370 | Missy Tannen

Written By Yasmin Nouri

“I Never Planned to Be an Entrepreneur”: How a Third-Grade Teacher & Mom of Three Built a $200M+ Brand That Redefined the Bedding Industry

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Missy Tannen is the co-founder and Chief Product Officer of Boll & Branch, the luxury bedding brand that made organic, ethically made sheets a household staple.

Missy’s journey to entrepreneurship started far from the business world. She spent eight years as a third-grade teacher before stepping away to raise her three daughters, never imagining she’d one day build one of the most successful bedding brands in the country. It all started with something simple: a search for better sheets. That curiosity turned into a deep dive into an industry full of hidden practices and little transparency. Together with her husband and co-founder, Scott, they decided to figure it out themselves, learning everything about cotton, weaving, and supply chains completely from scratch. In 2014, they launched Boll & Branch with a simple mission: to create beautiful, responsibly made bedding at an honest price. What started at their kitchen table has grown into a $200 million brand, sold at Nordstrom and Bloomingdale’s, with stores now expanding across the country.

In this week’s episode, Missy opens up about her transformation from teacher to entrepreneur, the pivotal moments that shaped Boll & Branch’s early years, and how one unexpected newspaper story changed everything for the brand. We get into the scrappy stuff: wiring all of their savings overseas to a factory they’d never visited, making “tech packs” in PowerPoint, washing fabric samples 20 times in her laundry room, and missing a holiday launch because of a disaster that happened with their first real production run. We talk about how they built their supply chain from the ground up, handled zero-sales days after the initial excitement faded, and then suddenly sold out overnight when the press caught on. Missy shares how she’s battled perfectionism, and how she juggled growth, motherhood, and self-doubt while building a brand rooted in purpose. This conversation is your reminder that you don’t need experience or a roadmap to build something extraordinary—just grit, heart, and the courage to keep going.

Show Notes:

  • Missy’s upbringing, early influences, and path to teaching. [03:31]

  • The moment that sparked her shift from teaching to entrepreneurship. [06:26]

  • How a family conversation sparked the idea for Boll & Branch. [07:30]

  • Starting from scratch with no experience in textiles or retail. [11:30]

  • Sourcing ethical cotton and building fair trade supply chains. [15:48]

  • Finding the right partners and staying true to their values. [18:22]

  • The process behind their first PO. [22:44]

  • Navigating early challenges with her husband and co-founder. [24:24]

  • Staying grounded through growth and industry recognition. [31:40]

  • The Wall Street Journal feature that changed everything for Boll & Branch. [33:25]

  • Balancing rapid growth with personal values. [39:36]

  • Finding joy in the creative process and innovation. [42:48]

  • The evolution of Boll & Branch and leading with authenticity. [46:31]

  • How Missy manages moments of overwhelm while building a business. [49:31]

  • Overcoming perfectionism and people-pleasing in leadership. [53:50]

  • The intersection of motherhood, mission, and entrepreneurship. [59:18]

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Ep 371 | Allison Evans
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Ep 369 | Dr. Mariza Snyder