Vending & OCS Nation Podcast

Taylor Vaughan didn’t plan on a career in convenience services. At 21, she found herself helping out at SPG Vending Solutions where customers kept asking for coffee service. Tired of saying no, Vaughan put together a business plan, convinced the owner to invest in a single brewer and launched what would become Company Coffee Shop. Today, Vaughan leads SPG Vending, now known as The Culinary Express by SPG Vending, while continuing to run the coffee business she built from the ground up. On this episode of Automatic Merchandiser & VendingMarketWatch’s Vending & OCS Nation podcast, host Bob Tullio talks with Vaughan about what it takes to build and lead a successful convenience services operation in an increasingly competitive and technology-driven marketplace. Vaughan shares a philosophy central to her approach: not every growth opportunity is a good opportunity. She explains why operators need to protect margins, invest carefully and pursue what she calls “earned growth” rather than growth at any cost. We also get into: Why coffee and breakrooms create workplace culture AI, smart coolers and the changing convenience services landscape Leading “from inside the boat, not from the shore” Why there’s nothing passive about “passive income” in vending Authenticity as a competitive advantage in an AI-driven world How independent operators can compete and win against national companies Her advice to the next generation of women entering convenience services Taylor finishes the episode with one of our favorite answers we have heard from a guest this year: about building something sustainable while still having something left to give the people you love. It’s an insightful conversation with one of the industry’s next-generation leaders and a reminder that sustainable growth isn't necessarily about getting bigger. It’s about making better decisions.

The qualities that helped Jon Corto reach the NFL — discipline, resilience, coachability, sacrifice and relentless preparation — are the same qualities he relies on to lead Buffalo Strive, his successful convenience services business. In this first part of a two-part series of Automatic Merchandiser’s Vending & OCS Nation podcast, host Bob Tullio sits down with Jon Corto, founder and CEO of Buffalo Strive, Markets and Vending. Learn about Corto’s remarkable journey from an undersized linebacker at Sacred Heart University to playing in the National Football League for his hometown Buffalo Bills. Corto wasn’t a highly touted prospect. He wasn’t drafted. He admits that at different points in his career he wasn’t the biggest, fastest or strongest player on the field. What he did have was a goal — and an extraordinary willingness to work for it. Corto shares the unlikely chain of events that helped open the door to his NFL opportunity and why he was willing to leave college early and go “all in” on his dream. For Corto, years of preparation, sacrifice and discipline ultimately paid off. What happened along the way and how those lessons continue to shape the way he runs Buffalo Strive today — that’s the real story in this podcast. In this episode, Bob and Jon discuss: Why talent alone is never enough in professional sports or business The importance of developing habits that continually improve performance Why Corto says he will “fail five times before someone else even swings the bat” The danger of paralysis and fear of failure in business Why Corto would choose a coachable employee over the most talented employee What his best coaches taught him about leadership, respect and getting the most out of people Lessons Corto learned from his Buffalo Bills teammates about competition and supporting the people around you The memorable NFL moment when a teammate told him, “Don’t end on that. You’re up again.” What playing under constant NFL pressure taught him about handling business challenges Why every successful organization needs people who understand and embrace their role The remarkable similarities between becoming a professional athlete and building a successful company Ultimately, Corto says both pursuits demand many of the same things: hard work, discipline, sacrifice and relentlessness. It is a philosophy reflected today in Buffalo Strive’s mission: “Relentless pursuit to serve others.” Corto’s biggest lesson from both football and business is remarkably simple: “If you want to get ahead, you have to be willing to pay the price.”

For more than 130 years, Royal Cup, Inc. has quietly built one of the country's most respected coffee businesses. While many convenience services companies have expanded into vending, micro markets and every imaginable workplace amenity, Royal Cup has taken a different path, doubling down on what it believes it does best. In this episode of Automatic Merchandiser & VendingMarketWatch's Vending & OCS Nation podcast, Bob Tullio sits down with Michelle Scott, Director of National Accounts for Royal Cup Coffee & Tea's Office Coffee Service Division. Michelle shares how the company has evolved from a regional coffee roaster into a national OCS leader without losing the relationship-driven culture that has defined Royal Cup for generations. The conversation explores Royal Cup's customer-first philosophy, why remaining focused on office coffee service has become a competitive advantage, how the recent Farmer Brothers acquisition expands the company's national reach, and why being a coffee roaster - not just a distributor - continues to matter in today's premium coffee marketplace. Michelle also discusses workplace beverage trends, the growing importance of cold brew and employee wellness, Royal Cup's sustainability initiatives, and the company's commitment to giving back through programs like NeverThirst. Whether you're an office coffee operator, convenience services executive or simply interested in how a 130-year-old company continues to thrive, this episode offers valuable insights into building a business around quality, service and long-term relationships.