High Cotton: Pete Bell and Co. Host Spectacular Cook-Off Shindig to Open Rodeo Season
Painted Peacock Photography
Mar. 3, 2023
FAMOUS FOR NEVER doing anything halfway, Cotton Holdings and CEO Pete Bell opened Rodeo season strong with a 10,000-square-foot chandelier-and-red-roses-bedecked tent dubbed the Cotton ’Q Club, hosting hundreds of guests at Rodeo Cook-off.
Cotton — the disaster and infrastructure support services company that served as title sponsor of the World’s Championship Bar-B-Que Contest, aka “Cook-off,” for the second year in a row — has developed a reputation for lavish entertaining, and its Rodeo digs lived up to the rep.
“The cedar-framed ‘tent’ was completely draped in navy paneling with antler and crystal chandeliers hanging from the ceiling,” explained a Cotton representative. “The room was decorated with seven-foot-tall mosaic horses draped with blankets of red roses by Flora & Eventi, antique mirrors, saddles and mounted taxidermy.” The latter came straight from Bell’s ranch, the rep added.
Cotton Culinary, an award-winning subsidiary or Cotton Holdings, put out a decadent spread. Apps of fried oysters, fried quail, and Figgy Piggy sliders with pork belly and fried brie were followed by barbecued rib-eye with Astro Alex Bregman’s Breggy Bomb sauce, as well as lobster mac ’n’ cheese, twice-baked potato casserole, and, for dessert, bread pudding with Jack Daniels cream sauce.
Also on the menu on opening night: a surprise performance by Grammy-nominated country artist Cole Swindell.
The souped-up tent also boasted a special VIP room, the “Gold Pony” lounge, where the décor featured white roses and disco-ball accents. VIPs in attendance included hospitality mogul Tilman Fertitta, designer-milliner Teressa Foglia, TV personalities Chita Craft and Derrick Shore, and Cotton execs Bryan Michalsky, James Scaife, Johnny Slaughter, Russel White and Zinat Ahmed.
Tilman Fertitta and Pete Bell
Cole Swindell performs
Teressa Foglia, Tyler Wild, Zinat Ahmed
Norbert Tran, Travis Bice, Russell White
Samantha Knight, Lauren Halle, Bill Sisson, Madeline Dill
Over 650 guests joined Cotton Holdings and Quanta Services in the Cotton 'Q Club
Travis Bice, Hayden Layne, Matt Thompson, Louis Martinez, Jesse Luke
Cotton Holdings CEO Pete Bell and Quanta Services CEO Duke Austin
Entry Sign to the Gold Pony VIP Lounge
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Thrive & Inspire: Working with Seniors — ‘America’s Best’ — a Joy for Medicare Expert Justin White
Mar. 6, 2023
WHAT IS THE secret to running a successful business? First, you have to have a mission that you care about. I absolutely love helping people understand Medicare! Secondly, I have always succeeded because the agents I work with know that I care for them and truly want them to succeed. I love developing leaders and watching them soar! If I help them get where they want to be, I will never need to worry about me! We all rise together.
What’s unique about your approach or your mission? We are the luckiest people in the world. We get to work every day with America’s best: seniors. They need help navigating Medicare, and we are proud to help them!
I am not sure this is unique, but I am a bit of an idealist. I believe if something is good enough to go after, it is good enough to obsess about and go aggressively. I believe very strongly in what we do, and I am not afraid to let people know!
What’s special about your team? I am very honest with all who choose to work with me. This builds a level of trust. We are very much of like mind, and all our goals are aligned. We work side by side with each other, we have meals together, we know each other’s families, and get to go on trips together. Strong bonds are formed!
Who or what inspires you as you seek to reach greater heights of success? Our clients inspire me. Their experiences and life stories and challenges are incredible! When I enjoy something, I like striving to be the best. When you love what you do and who you do it for, ascending to greater heights tends to happen more naturally; it is almost a byproduct of that love.
What have you learned about your business and your community that might inspire others? Nobody can do anything alone. It is humbling to realize how much I depend on others. This business and life is not all about me. We’ve got to take care of each other.
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