People of Sleep Number

“My wife, Sindy, and I met when we were in college. We attended a Game Art and Animation course together and the rest is history. Eleven years later, we’re happily married with our daughter Mila, who just turned five, though I sometimes feel like she turned fifteen. She is witty, sassy, and full of jokes. I feel like she is way beyond where I was at her age when it comes to language and communication. Sindy and I are so excited for her to start kindergarten this fall. Admittedly, I’m also nervous for her, but I know that she will thrive in her new school.

I get my energy from spending time with my family and friends. As a family, we enjoy all types of content and media. Sindy and I like to watch movies, tv shows, anime, and have created many memories while playing games together and with our family and friends. Mila gets invested in these types of stories and experiences as well, always thrilled when I say we’re having a movie night, picking up a new game, or continuing one of her favorite shows. I’ve always poured my time into games and story driven content and have countless fantastic memories of doing so that act as time stamps in my life. Getting to share these experiences and create these memories with my family is something incredibly special to me.

As far as careers go, Sindy is a successful design producer at Microsoft, and I specialize in graphic design, video editing, and photography. At Sleep Number I have had the opportunity to lend my talents toward Learning and Development content to help team members learn, understand, and retain certain processes and aspects of their roles. Over the two years I’ve been with Sleep Number, being able to support almost every side of the business in this way, while getting to meet so many leaders and team members has been a very rewarding experience for me.

Sindy and I used to cosplay a lot but took a long break after Mila was born. This year we returned to the convention scene and plan to attend more whenever we can. Sindy does the heavy lifting on the costuming part, but I help where I can, usually by painting things. Conventions are a special place because you are surrounded by thousands of accepting, non-judgmental, and friendly people, all having a fantastic time for days. The energy is so positive that I always leave feeling recharged and happier than when I went in.

I’m a strong believer in being kind and accepting of everyone as they are. I have Tourette’s syndrome and have experienced bullying throughout many years of my life. At some point in middle school, I decided to be myself and do what I wanted to do regardless of what others think, and I hope that by doing so, others will feel comfortable to be their authentic selves around me as well. I appreciate that Sleep Number’s culture encourages me to bring my authentic self to work each day, helping me take my self confidence in the workplace and my personal life to new heights.

I do my best to remind myself every day to ‘be yourself, be kind, and have a good time.’

At Sleep Number, I am a Learning Experience Video & Graphic Designer, and my Sleep Number? setting is a 45.”