Firm Impression

Students from the A. R. "Tony" and Maria J. Sanchez Program for Excellence in Selling (PES) at the C. T. Bauer College of Business saw a different side of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo thanks to the partnership with industry giant Mattress Firm.

Through their partnership, Mattress Firm gave PES students the opportunity to see behind the curtains of what it takes to be a business at the Rodeo. The day consisted of touring the Rodeo grounds to visit the various Mattress Firm booths, learning about the company’s business practices and hearing how they market at large-scale events like the Rodeo.

“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that a lot of students outside of Bauer College wouldn’t be able to experience,” finance senior Kinsley Simons said. “Mattress Firm is doing such a great job of interreacting with us, and they are giving us the opportunity to not only see the behind the scenes of the Houston Rodeo, but also the behind the scenes of how Mattress Firm makes profit from this kind of event.”

Students like marketing and finance junior Ayanna Reynoso have become familiar with Mattress Firm as they provide internship and other job opportunities for Bauer students. She has worked as a sleep expert for the company since June 2023.

“You wouldn’t think people who come to an event like the Rodeo would have any intention of purchasing something like a mattress, but being able to see the whole process really makes the sales side of it click,” she said. “Even though everything is the same transactionally, each sale is different, and it is great to see how each sale works.”

Bauer has partnered with Mattress Firm since 2015 when the CEO at the time, Stephen Stagner, made a gift to the college’s sales program. The program was subsequently named in honor of him as the Stephen Stagner Sales Excellence Institute.

“It has been a partnership that we have been extremely grateful to have, and it has been very valuable to the city,” Mattress Firm District Manager John McCarty said. “I have worked with many of the interns myself for a couple of years, and this is such a sharp group of people who are ready for the next level.”

McCarty was just one of many different members from Mattress Firm in attendance during the day. Bauer students were given the opportunity to speak with the industry professionals during a networking lunch following the tour’s conclusion.

“It is a such a great opportunity to come out here and mingle with Mattress Firm,” marketing and entrepreneur sophomore Michael Gomez said. “We are able to get a taste of Rodeo culture while also getting to networking with all the district managers, the sales teams, all the specialists and everyone else. It is a fun time for everyone out here today.”