I’d had enough of corporate politics and backstabbing, of companies that put profit before people. I’d had enough of working so hard every day and not feeling like I was making a difference. With those thoughts in mind, I decided to take control of my future and founded Celebrate Vitamins. Luckily, I had some strong ties to the industry, so I was able to make some relatively quick moves to establish Celebrate as a reputable brand in the bariatric supplement space in a very short time.
Not long after setting my plan in motion, I called my brother Nick. My call was just to check in on him and to tell him about the company that I had formed, as a lot was happening quickly in my life. Nick’s reaction to my news took me off guard; he became very serious and asked me to hold on a minute. I heard him get up and close his office door. When he came back to the phone, he simply said, “I want in.”
For anyone familiar with Vic and Nick growing up, it would be laughable to think of us working together. This is the same brother that could lift me up with one arm (when we were kids) and who would regularly torment me with the threat of putting spiders on my head.
I wasn’t sure what to say to him. My brother and I had a solid adult relationship, but we had chosen very different paths since graduating from college. While we got along well, I didn’t know what it would be like to work together. But after giving it some thought, I decided there was no one I could trust more to have my back if things ever went south.
It was January of 2008 when we had that initial conversation, and we began working together to craft the company that we have today. For the most part, it has gone well. Celebrate has grown dramatically, and we have learned a great deal about each other and ourselves.
In 2017, Nick and I had a conversation that brought our appreciation for bariatric surgery to a new level. Nick had sustained an injury which severely limited his ability to exercise. This had led to a gradual weight gain that was negatively affecting his health. It was then that we had a discussion about him having surgery; this conversation gave us true empathy for everyone that deals with this decision. We had thought we understood what it was like and what people went through. Now, we knew.
But like most people that have surgery (or have a family member that has surgery), this didn't stop us but renewed our energy. We are passionate about our business and community. We believe in treating people with kindness, and we always treat them fairly.
We know how lucky we are, and we enjoy every day. We appreciate the trust that the industry has shown Celebrate, and we are thankful for every patient we get to help every day. We have built a great company with an amazing team of people that echo our beliefs in business. Thank you for taking the time to read our story and for checking out Celebrate Vitamins. We hope that you choose us as your supplement company, but, whatever you do, take your vitamins.