#593 What happens when a frugal newlywed couple turns a mattress shopping headache into a multi-million dollar business? In this episode hosted by Kirsten Tyrrel, Derek Hales, founder of NapLab, shares how his side project reviewing mattresses exploded into a data-driven empire. He walks us through the early days of testing beds in his one-bedroom apartment, building trust through transparency, and scaling into a team of seven with a dedicated lab. Derek reveals his three golden rules for affiliate success (complex, boring, expensive), how to find your niche, build trust with your audience, and create content that ranks. Whether you're curious about affiliate marketing, SEO, or building review-based businesses, this deep dive is packed with practical wisdom and behind-the-scenes insights!

What we discuss with Derek:

+ Origin of NapLab from a personal mattress search

+ Affiliate marketing as primary revenue model

+ Importance of testing complex, boring, expensive products

+ SEO and timing behind early site success

+ Building trust through unbiased, data-driven reviews

+ Scaling from a one-bedroom apartment to a full team

+ Structured review process with objective metrics

+ Leveraging social content without relying on it

+ Lessons from launching and selling Sleepopolis

+ Staying niche-focused to maintain authority

Thank you, Derek!

Check out NapLab at NapLab.com.

Take the personalized mattress quiz.

Contact Derek.

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