Somewhere between the $4.99 rotisserie chickens and a $3,499 sauna, I met the CE

By Shane Heath · November 8, 2026 · Curated by George's Blog

Somewhere between the $4.99 rotisserie chickens and a $3,499 sauna, I met the CEO of Costco.

Last week, I was at the Camarillo store opening.

We had an end cap, and he came by to learn about MUD\WTR.

He was super down to earth, so I looked up his story.

In 1982, Ron Vachris took a part-time job driving a forklift at Price Club.

(Price Club merged with Costco in 1993. He came with it.)

Then he became assistant warehouse manager. Then warehouse manager. Then regional VP. Then COO.

In 2024, he became CEO of one of the biggest retailers on the planet.

His dad was a utility lineman, and his advice was simple:

“Take the worst job in a great company, and the rest is up to you.”

A surprising number of CEOs started on the floor:

→ Doug McMillon unloaded trucks before he ran Walmart

→ John Furner, Walmart’s current CEO, started in the garden center

→ Mary Barra started as a quality inspector on a GM assembly line

to name a few...

Ron showed up in 1982. The $1.50 hot dog showed up in 1985.

Both are still there.