Vending & OCS Nation Podcast

There is old saying in the world of finance – “Cash is king.” Not so for vending and micro market operators, where it is all about cashless payment, as consumers, particularly younger customers, rely on operators to offer quick and easy cashless payment solutions. In this episode of Automatic Merchandiser’s Vending & OCS Nation, host Bob Tullio explores the many cashless payment providers that...

The coffee service industry has undergone quite a test of resilience since the start of the pandemic, not helped in the last year by the slow return of workers to the office. There was a clear sense of cautious optimism on display at the 2023 Coffee, Tea and Water Show (CTW) in Indianapolis – a sense that 2024 could be the start of better times ahead. What do OCS operators need to do to succeed in...

J. Recher understands that convenience services operators can impact millions of people's lives each day. The impact can occur in a small way, through a cup of coffee, a salad or a snack. A closer look reveals that the impact being made by Recher and Five Star goes far beyond serving customers. In this episode of Automatic Merchandiser’s Vending & OCS Nation podcast, host Bob Tullio talks to C...

Like so many of the industry’s leading coffee service companies, Associated Services was stung by the pandemic. Once the best market for OCS, the Bay Area suddenly became one of the worst, as the work at home movement stubbornly took hold. In the latest episode of Automatic Merchandiser’s Vending & OCS Nation – the podcast for the convenience services industry - Tom Steuber, Justin Steuber and...

Like so many business development experts today, Amanda Puppo, Founder and CEO of MarketReach Inc., started out as a salesperson, working on the frontline. Ultimately, she gravitated to her strength, which was cold calling and appointment setting, to form her company over two decades ago. In the latest edition of Automatic Merchandiser’s Vending & OCS Nation podcast, host Bob Tullio talks with...

She was just looking for a way to help fund her family’s New Song Mission, a non-profit in Nicaragua. Somehow, that turned into a coffee service journey – coffee cart operator, to OCS and pantry service operator, to roaster. For Melissa Brown, founder and owner of Well-Bean Coffee in Wake Forest, North Carolina, it’s really all about giving back. On a visit to Nicaragua in 2012, she came up with w...

As she put it, she started out as a “card carrying salesperson.” Now, Brynne Tillman is the world’s foremost expert in LinkedIn engagement and her strategies are proven. In this episode of Automatic Merchandiser’s Vending & OCS Nation, host Bob Tullio talks to Brynne Tillman of Social Sales Link.  She provides a five-step framework for mastering LinkedIn for social selling. Brynne notes that t...

She was a 2023 recipient of Automatic Merchandiser’s Most Influential Women in Convenience Services Awards. With 38 years of industry experience, Sandy Schoenthaler is still going strong as a very active consultant. In this episode of Automatic Merchandiser’s Vending & OCS Nation, host Bob Tullio talks to Sandy Schoenthaler about her journey, her efforts to move women forward in the industry a...

With a successful background in technology-oriented startups, Matan Sharf and his co-founders of ansā, found themselves attracted to the coffee business, an industry with plenty of room for innovative technology. In this episode of Automatic Merchandiser’s Vending & OCS Nation, host Bob Tullio explores the journey of a tech start-up that plans to cause some disruption in the coffee service cha...

Anyone who uses LinkedIn on a regular basis as a business development tool or to enhance their career path, will be captivated by this podcast from Automatic Merchandiser’s Vending & OCS Nation, hosted by Bob Tullio. Serdula was initially unimpressed by LinkedIn when she first signed up almost 20 years ago, but as she took a closer look, she began to see the potential and the rest is history....

This Los Angeles area operator has been driven by his love for the vending business and the determination to overcome adversity. Bob Tullio first met Barry Rosenberg from VendingOne in the 1990’s at Saban Entertainment in Los Angeles. Saban created the Power Rangers. Tullio, the host of Automatic Merchandiser’s Vending & OCS Nation, was impressed that a one-man operation had somehow landed a m...

Take your selling to the next level! On August 1st – it’s the kind of content that listeners tell Bob Tullio they are hungry for – Three proven strategies that will take your sales leads to an incredibly high level. This podcast is only a good listen if you want more sales, better sales leads, with no cold calling and not too much effort. If that sounds appealing, listen and subscribe.

Move your selling to the next level! On August 1 – it’s the kind of content that listeners tell Bob Tullio they are hungry for – Three proven strategies that will take your sales leads to an incredibly high level. This August 1 podcast is only a good listen if you want more sales, better sales leads, with no cold calling and not too much effort, really – Does that sound appealing? Later in the mon...

In this episode of Automatic Merchandiser's Vending & OCS Nation podcast, host Bob Tullio talks with Bill Ackerman, one of the nation's most prominent expert witnesses.  What can we learn from Bill Ackerman? Not only does he entertain us as he takes us inside the world of a high profile expert witness, he provides some valuable lessons for anyone in sales, including the importance of preparati...

What should every operator and supplier consider doing in July? It’s the NAMA Fly-In & Advocacy Summit, July 25th and 26th in Washington, our nation’s capital, where operators can have their voices heard by legislators. Matt Bisenius, vice president of external affairs at NAMA, and Robert Jackson, director of government affairs, present a strong argument for attending the event, while outlining wh...

In July, Automatic Merchandiser's Vending & OCS Nation podcast host Bob Tullio has a suggestion on what every convenience services operator needs to consider doing this month. Then, later in July, he sits down with a guest from outside the industry who has stories to share and some relevant lessons that translate well to the business world. What should every operator consider doing in July? It’s t...

In this episode of Vending & OCS Nation, host Bob Tullio explores the current and future state of the office environment, the stubborn US employee movement to keep remote working in place and the efforts of employers to entice them back to the office. Amid a nonstop wave of press reports that tell us “Work at Home is here to stay,” Bob Tullio, the host of Automatic Merchandiser’s Vending & OCS Nat...

In this episode of Automatic Merchandiser’s Vending & OCS Nation podcast, host Bob Tullio explores the recent flurry of acquisition activity.  Vending & OCS Nation podcast host Bob Tullio heard a definite buzz on the convention floor at the 2023 NAMA Show, May 10-12, in Atlanta. The question being asked: “What is going on with all of these acquisitions?” In this podcast, Tullio looks for the answe...

In June, Automatic Merchandiser's Vending & OCS Nation podcast host Bob Tullio is exploring the question – “What is going on with all of these acquisitions?” Major deals are going down every month. What impact will it have on your business. Tullio asked an expert and offered some strategies for operators. Then – he asks another question – “Will it ever be like 2019 again? Tullio looks at the state...

Your roving reporter, Bob Tullio, was all over the convention floor in Atlanta, trying to work off the cheese grits from his breakfasts at Waffle House - Big culinary mistake. Tullio spoke to many operators and they had plenty to say about what impressed them at the NAMA Show last week. He weighs in with his own opinions as well - of course. Instead of running in the opposite direction when they s...

Is it even possible to make equitable deals today? Two months ago, Bob Tullio touched on this topic in his Best of OCS column, which is featured in Automatic Merchandiser's monthly OCS newsletter from VendingMarketWatch.com. Tullio decided that making equitable deals might be a great topic to discuss with industry leaders. You will hear from Matthew Marsh, First Class Vending and Coffee, Las Vegas...

In May, Automatic Merchandiser's Vending & OCS Nation Podcast host Bob Tullio is going to go cerebral on you and he’s going on location to the NAMA Show in Atlanta. The first May podcast will talk about making equitable deals – deals that work for everyone.  And we’ll hear from some industry leaders, like Matthew Marsh, Arthur Siller, Dan Welch and Jon Holden – on the importance of making deals th...

In Part 2 of a two part podcast - Automatic Merchandiser's Vending & OCS Nation podcast host Bob Tullio brings more ideas to the table for operators, courtesy of some giants of the industry, on how to make the 2023 NAMA Show in Atlanta a huge success. He also provides two other key content offerings in the April podcasts: First, some great tips from “Atlanta peeps” in the industry on where to eat...

In Part 1 of a two part podcast - Automatic Merchandiser's Vending & OCS Nation podcast host Bob Tullio talks about several ideas for operators, courtesy of some giants of the industry, on how to make the 2023 NAMA Show in Atlanta a huge success. He also provides two other key content offerings in the April podcasts: First, some great tips from “Atlanta peeps” in the industry on where to eat in At...

Over the course of two podcasts in April (Part 1 and Part 2), Automatic Merchandiser's Vending & OCS Nation Podcast host Bob Tullio has several ideas for operators, courtesy of some giants of the industry, on how to make the 2023 NAMA Show in Atlanta a huge success. He also provides two other key content offerings in the April podcasts. Number one - some great tips from his Atlanta peeps in the in...