As part of the Morning Lazziness series highlighting empowering women who are making a remarkable impact with their ideas, I had the pleasure of interviewing Diane Tipper.
Diane Tipper is the founder and creator behind SleepKeeper, a unique travel accessory designed to help people travel with their own comfy pillow anywhere in the world. An avid traveller herself, Diane found that nothing compares to the restful sleep that comes from your own pillow. With a request and help of a friend, she set out to design a compact, water-resistant pillow carrier that could easily slip onto luggage or clip to a backpack. The result was SleepKeeper—a simple yet clever travel essential now enjoyed by families, business travellers, wellness professionals, skiers, and adventurers alike.
With a keen eye for design, Diane has grown SleepKeeper into a recognizable travel brand. She is constantly innovating—introducing new colours, multi sizing and stylish printed pillowcases, that cater to different lifestyles and preferences.
Diane’s entrepreneurial journey reflects her belief that comfort and wellness are integral to modern travel. Highlighting the convenience, hygiene, and peace of mind that SleepKeeper provides, she has positioned it as more than just a travel accessory—it’s a lifestyle upgrade.
Outside of building her brand, Diane continues to travel widely, drawing inspiration from real experiences on the road and on overseas adventures. Her mission remains clear: to help travellers everywhere sleep better, feel at home, and wake refreshed—no matter where their journey takes them.
In this interview, she opens up about the strategies, challenges, and key turning points that have fueled her decade-long career in the digital business space.
What inspired you to start your business, and what problem were you passionate about solving?
A few incidental things, really. Starting with a girl friend wanting me to create a bag for her pillow to travel with (my background is in sewing), and a mum asking if I could make a water-proof one for her son in scouts. (this is when I really liked the concept) It was now possible to easily travel with your pillow, conveniently in all types of weather.
How has your business evolved since its launch, and what key decisions have helped drive that growth?
I began with 2 basic colours, Black and Navy, to now eight fun colours in standard and king sizes, and a variety of printed pillow cases so your pillow stands out and never gets left behind! Decisions for growth were to listen, listen, listen to what my customers were saying and asking. Never say no to someone offering help or advice. And a lot of work.
In your view, what truly sets your brand apart in today’s competitive market
There is nothing that truly compacts your pillow, keeps it protected and dry and can leave your hands free while you travel like SleepKeeper. There are many, many people that love their pillow.
What has been your most effective marketing strategy to date, and why do you think it worked so well?
Arranging reviews, editorials, and blogs to be written about SleepKeeper. There is nothing better when someone else writes about your product with rave reviews.
How do you stay connected to your ideal audience and understand their needs or behaviors?
I have great SEO on my website, social media (I’m still improving haha!) and I also travel a lot… with my pillow, which I love.
What’s one branding move or campaign that helped elevate your business to the next level?
I’m not sure there was one defining moment but having a write up for SleepKeeper in Escape Travel certainly let me know there are many travellers that want their pillow. Whether it’s to help with neck issues, allergies, hygiene (sick people always go to bed and lay on a pillow…Yikes) or for pure comfort.
What does success look like for you, not just in numbers, but in purpose or impact?
Success to me is about enjoying myself in what I do, hearing from my customers and reaching the people that need to travel with a pillow whether they’re on a plane, road trip or camping adventure. The big goal is for all travellers to travel with their pillow as there is nothing like the comfort and smell of your own pillow when in a strange bed. Priceless!
How do you personally define success, beyond revenue and growth metrics?
Learning what makes you happy and puts a smile on your face everyday.
Can you share a challenge or setback that ultimately became a turning point for your brand?
That’s an easy one COVID, wow the whole world stopped. Luckily the US started travelling before anyone else and kept the sales going, slowly. At this point I was importing the SleepKeepers but with all the shipping delays once things got going and not to mention cost, I did a full circle and brought all production back to Australia. So now we are 100% Australian made and it feels so right.
What daily habits or rituals keep you focused, creative, and grounded as a leader
I love my yoga and meditation to keep focused and grounded, and I love being in nature.
How do you approach innovation and risk in your business strategy?
With any innovation, there is usually risk…plan as much as possible and it’s gotta feel right.
What advice would you give to someone starting a business in today’s fast-changing digital world?
Realise it’s not easy, all good things take time and don’t forget to stop and smell the roses.
Where can our audience connect with you and learn more about your work or offerings?
For more information, you can visit our website
