Second in Command Podcast with Cameron Herold

Ep. 542: Vinali Group COO and Co-Founder Ruth Velez – “Uncommon Wins: The Proven Way to Lead with Vision Under Fire”
Date: January 6, 2026
Guest: Ruth Velez, President & COO, Vinali Group
Host: Savannah Brewer (guest host)

Episode Overview

This episode dives into the journey of Ruth Velez, COO and co-founder of Vinali Group, who shares the compelling story of building and repeatedly pivoting a staffing business—especially through the turmoil of COVID-19—alongside her husband and co-founder, Israel. Ruth discusses their near collapse, the strategic pivot to nearshore staffing in Latin America, and lessons learned navigating business and marriage together. The conversation offers practical insights on resilience, operational excellence, client relationship-building, and the CEO/COO partnership dynamic.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

The Vinali Group Story: Explosive Growth, COVID Setback, and Bold Recovery

• Rapid Growth (2016–2019):
  • Started as a traditional, nationwide staffing firm.
  • Learned operational efficiency from third-party partners.
  • By 2019, the company was generating millions in revenue.
    “Within a year, we were already in the millions. And so we just exploded.” — Ruth [03:15]
• COVID Impact (2020):
  • Temporary staff were the “first to go,” decimating cash flow.
  • Personal investment (no outside investors) raised stakes and stress.
  • PPP loan provided critical short-term relief.
  • Workforce instability with some staff unwilling to return post-lockdown.
  • Florida’s rapid economic reopening presented new talent shortages.
• Pivot to Nearshore Staffing:
  • Leveraged connections in Colombia, hired and trained quarantined young professionals for US recruiting roles.
  • Formalized a Colombian entity after navigating complex legal and employment challenges.
  • Unique company culture: hybrid online/in-person “Piggage Parties,” team cohesion, and integrating employees into a “bigger family.”
  • Solidified “nearshore” as a differentiator from traditional offshoring—same time zones, higher alignment, and robust employee support.
  • Complete business model transformation; it took nearly three years to recover pre-pandemic scale, now with a thriving recurring-revenue model.

The Value Proposition: Why Clients Choose Vinali

• Beyond Transactional:
  • “Not just processing payroll”—the company provides ongoing support, cultural integration, and compliance.
  • Office space in Colombia offers community and improved company culture for remote staff.
• Security & Process:
  • Direct employment (vs. contractors) gives both workers and clients greater psychological security and stability.
  • Handles all HR, employee management, and compliance as Employer of Record in various countries.
  • Cybersecurity is front-and-center: use of company laptops only, ISO 27001 certification, and rigorous IT controls. “When you hire contractors, they’re all on their personal laptops. Where’s your information going?... With us, they have to be on a company laptop.” — Ruth [11:13]

The Pivots, the Grit, and Surviving When Others Failed

• Resilience Under Fire:
  • Perseverance and creativity were indispensable: “This cannot fail...we’ve poured so much, and this is just us.”
  • Strong, relational client bonds kept doors open during hard transitions.
• Transparent, Relational Style:
  • Ruth credits candor and relationship-building with clients during tough transitions, even when the team “learned on the go.”
  • When major issues emerged (e.g., with their first medical billing client), hands-on efforts, transparency, and “fix it together” attitude saved the account and created long-term loyalty. “Sometimes you have those crisis moments and it’s just going all in and not the blame game...and doing whatever you gotta do to save the client.” — Ruth [17:43]

The CEO/COO Yin and Yang—Marriage & Business Partnerships

• Personality and Role Differences:
  • Israel (CEO): Visionary, relationship-driven, sales-savvy, creative risk-taker.
  • Ruth (COO): Literal, process-oriented, risk-aware, “options queen,” grounded operator.
• Dynamic Decision-Making:
  • Israel pitches bold new ideas; Ruth assesses risks and operational realities.
  • Ruth has learned to listen, not shoot ideas down immediately, and present challenges as problem-solving opportunities rather than roadblocks. “Sometimes his ideas are just blurting out because he just wants to get them out into the air. And so, fine, we’ll table it...” — Ruth [23:27]
  • Over time, they’ve developed a mutual understanding, leveraging each other’s strengths and checking pride at the door. “If you can identify those strengths and really hone in...you can lean on each other for that.” — Ruth [27:49]
• Navigating Work-Life (Un)Balance:
  • Especially in early growth, business is ever-present—even at family dinners.
  • Ruth rejects guilt over lack of work/life separation: “When you’re starting, you’re all in...We’re really having a lot of fun. And I think when you’re—even with hard times—we always tell ourselves we wouldn’t trade this for the world.” [31:21]
  • Emphasizes involving children in the journey, teaching them about entrepreneurship and impact—two of their older children now work for Vinali. “To give your kids the best is to give them opportunities to develop some skills and to have opportunities to grow under your watch.” — Ruth [36:01]

Building Unusually Strong Client Relationships

• Video First, Face-to-Face Matters:
  • Ruth’s “hard rule”: all meetings, even with clients across borders, are on video for true personal connection.
  • Physical visits—either to clients’ offices or bringing clients to Vinali’s offices—help cement long-term loyalty.
• Choosing Ideal Clients:
  • Now, with growth, more structure goes into onboarding and qualifying new clients.
  • The team recognizes “red flags” and adjusts onboarding processes accordingly.
  • Prioritizing “fun” and human connection, even in serious industries.

What’s Next for Vinali Group

• Growth and AI Integration:
  • Focused on formalizing processes to enable scaling (targeting 10M+ revenue).
  • Exploring AI as a supplement, not a replacement, for human roles in recruitment—balancing the best of both worlds.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On difficult pivots:

  “It took us two and a half years to get back to where we used to be prior to Covid, but now with a completely different business model.”
  — Ruth Velez [07:40]

• On partnership and marriage:

  “We’re good at what we do, and we really, really have fun. So I don’t know how many marriage leadership couples are out there...if you’re having a great time, you’re going to build a beautiful company...”
  — Ruth Velez [23:27]

• On balancing risk and vision:

  “He’ll come up and say, I think we can sell this...I’m like, are you kidding? We’ve never done this before...But every time he has an idea, probably nine out of 10 times, they’ve worked very well...”
  — Ruth Velez [14:56]

• On company culture:

  “It’s not just processing payroll. It’s having the office space where they can work out of, making them feel like a bigger party even though...there’s 20 different clients they’re representing...”
  — Ruth Velez [08:35]

• On growing with client relationships:

  “We will have a client for life if either we can see them face to face and see their facilities or they come...there’s just something about being so personable and getting personal because at the end of the day, everyone’s a person...”
  — Ruth Velez [39:01]

• On grit and creative problem-solving:

  “Grit was that and being creative. So our clients being very relational, very transparent, that’s one of our core values, too. I tell the team, if you mess up, you fess up. We’re human beings, too…”
  — Ruth Velez [13:49]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Vinali Group Origins & COVID Pivot: [03:02–07:55]
• Why Nearshore, Not Offshore? [08:08–10:46]
• Security, Employer of Record, and Cybersecurity: [10:46–12:22]
• Pivots, Perseverance, and Customer Relationships: [13:49–18:03]
• Visionary vs. Operator (CEO/COO Dynamics): [19:03–23:27]
• Navigating Working with Your Spouse: [30:11–33:45]
• Involving Kids and Growing a Family Business: [33:45–36:26]
• On Building Client Relationships: [38:05–41:13]
• What’s Next for Vinali (AI & Scaling): [41:13–42:30]

Closing Thoughts

This episode offers a masterclass in operational resilience, “leading with heart and strategy,” and leveraging complementary leadership strengths. Ruth Velez’s candor will resonate with any operator managing rapid pivots and close founder partnerships. The story uniquely illustrates not only how to survive disruption but also how to reinvent a company’s model—and culture—for sustainable success.

Contact Ruth Velez:

• vinaligroup.com
• Email: rvalez@vinaligroup.com

Listen to past episodes and join the COO Alliance at COOAlliance.com.