Carla sits down with her dad, Jim, and her brother, Vince, to trace the story of Cuyahoga Vending Group, the Cleveland food service company Jim started in 1988 after losing his job in a recession and the family built together for 33 years, and to talk honestly about what it took to rewire their identities once the business, and the community that came with it, was gone.

Episode Navigation:

00:00 — Introducing Carla's dad, Jim, and brother, Vince, and the story of building Cuyahoga Vending Group together

01:44 — Jim on losing his job in a recession and starting the business with a partner and nothing to lose

03:53 — Growing to nearly 8,000 vending machines, over 150 micro markets, and a dozen dining accounts

09:18 — Vince on their mom's role, growing up in Maple Heights, and learning the business on the routes as a teenager

12:09 — Vince's path through ROTC, the Navy, and Iraq before coming home to run the Columbus branch

15:09 — Jim's philosophy of handshake deals, reactive service, and constantly adding new lines of business

18:23 — Life changes collide: a divorce, a move back to Cleveland, and the call to sell

20:32 — Surviving a 50% Covid sales drop and selling the company in December 2021

21:25 — What nobody tells you about the morning after: Vince's new role, Jim missing the action, and Carla's loss of identity

25:03 — The “Jim-isms” that still guide the family today, and advice for anyone starting over

About Our Guests:

Jim is the founder of Cuyahoga Vending Group, the Cleveland-based vending, micro market, office coffee, and dining services company he started in 1988 with a partner after being let go from his job during a recession. Jim grew the business from two people to more than 300 employees at its peak, built on handshake deals and a reputation for taking care of clients, before selling the company to a private equity firm in December 2021 after 33 years.

Vince is Carla's older brother. He started working the family's vending routes as a teenager, then earned an ROTC scholarship to Miami University and served nearly seven years as a Navy officer, including a deployment to Iraq. After his son was born, he came home to run the company's Columbus, Ohio branch, eventually becoming its president, and continues to work in the industry today for the company's new ownership.

Tool to Use:

Borrow a Jim-ism for your own hard season: take the good with the bad, remember that all education is expensive, and keep showing up, because nobody gets through life without a few bumps.

Connect and Resources:

Listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify

Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@RewiringwithCarlaV

Website: https://5683justbe.com/

Follow Carla V. on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carla_variglotti_/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carla-variglotti-201b1736b/