It Goes On

2011 has been a remarkable year for me in so many ways that I am certain I will overlook a few people and events that deserve mention, and so I beg forgiveness in advance if I do so.

With the national launch of the Emilio cigar brand I've found myself suddenly showered with praise, accolades, and recognition. While this is gratifying in the extreme it must be said that none of this would have happened without a curious and unexpected series of changes in my life.

Because a single strident voice in my life had for years told me I was destined to failure I had lost faith in myself, and come to believe those words. I should never have, and no one should ever allow that to be visited on them by another.  I look back and realize that every single thing I've done in life I have indeed been successful at. Yet, I was measuring myself by accomplishment, and not by status, possessions, or wealth, none of which I had an interest in. But I was being measured by whether I had a corner office, a prestigious title, and lived in an exclusive neighborhood. I was deemed a failure because I could not become a different person than I was, and am.

In these last few years, as that voice has become more and more a dim echo, I have realized that I was surrounded by people who universally believed in and encouraged me, and in fact always had been. I just hadn't listened. I will never make that mistake again.

And so, I close this year by reflecting on and thanking those who have given me a healthy dose of something I had been missing for years - happiness.

Without the blessing and support of the Zucca family, and Scott Zucca in particular, the Emilio brand might still be a dream.  Although many in the cigar industry had suggested I should pursue the creation of a brand it was he who said "why not?", and afforded me the opportunity to create the brand while retaining my job and economic security. He did not have to do that, but he chose to, and thus enabled me to achieve this dream.

The doors that have been opened to me by people in the industry who I now consider family have been numerous. Eddie Ortega, A. J. Fernandez, and Jaime Garcia in particular have gone out of their way to share knowledge, and to offer all the help I needed to make this dream a reality. Their patient nurturing, kindness, and willingness to share are things for which words alone can never express enough gratitude. I thank them.

Throughout this period of learning, experimentation, and growth it has been a wonder to me that despite some oversights on my part there were people who believed from the beginning that we were really onto something by being the quirky little company we are. Alan Price, our first sales representative, has given us his absolute energizer bunny best. When Nathan McIntyre came aboard he brought a whole new perspective and degree of thoughtfulness and creativity that brings out the best in all of us.

The level of support and recognition we've received from that oft misunderstood group of pundits known as bloggers has been overwhelming. Without them a small company like ours could never have gotten the exposure and attention we have, and I wish there were a better way to acknowledge their kindness, but a tremendous thanks will have to suffice.

Rarely in life can we say that a very special individual has been the single most important influence on us, but in my case I have been blessed that I can. Only a few years ago someone came into my life who has slowly, quietly, and unselfishly given me the gift of becoming the dearest person I know. She epitomizes what every person should strive to be - generous, caring, sincere, honest, creative, thoughtful, and so much more. At a point in her own life when anyone else would have had nothing in them to give, she still did, without hesitation, at every turn where it was most important. Thank you Jonnie, you have given me more than you will ever know, and more than I can ever hope to repay. You believed.

In the midst of all the chaos and confusion of creating this brand, letting go a painful past, and beginning in middle age to find my own way and steer my own course there have been many others who have stood by me, and I thank you every one. I look forward to the coming year with happy anticipation, knowing that what will come will be exciting, challenging, and occasionally hectic, but that we will all have fun with whatever comes our way. A good friend reminded me the other day of a quote by Robert Frost, which somehow seems very appropriate to close with. "In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life: it goes on."

Making things fun and informative

Unless you've been in a coma the last decade, or are utterly devoid of observational skills, you may have noticed that technology is becoming ever more important in the daily lives of consumers.

The days are long past folks when laying the latest issue of a cigar magazine on the counter fulfills the expectations of the consumer. Not that print media doesn't have a place, but you should offer your consumers information via every medium that is convenient for them, and there are other great options out there. Of course, if you're the kind of owner or manager who has failed to change and adapt at all in the last few years you need read no further. You'll undoubtedly spend some time after reading this convincing yourself  "it won't work here", and no amount of coaching is going to help you steer off the pathway to eventual extinction you're currently on.

Here's one simple technique you can use that, over time, will help you sell more cigars, educate your consumers, and make shopping in your place of business a fun and potentially even rewarding experience.

Today, cigar smokers are thirsty for knowledge, and with the advent of smart phones and the plethora of applications for them your consumers are becoming more capable of finding the information that interests them with or without you. Think about how often someone pulls out their phone these days, tilts it toward you, and then says "Do you have this?"  Why not become a portal for information? An informed consumer is far more likely to buy that extra cigar or two.

We all know that cigar reviews posted online are widely used by consumers when making buying decisions, so provide access to that information in a convenient way.  The example below is how we do it in our retail locations.

This simple sticker, printed on inexpensive Avery mailing labels and created with their free software does a number of things. There's the basic information about the brand, tobacco source, strength and flavor, which helps the consumer decide if it's worth a try. More importantly, there's a link to a review of the cigar by a respected blogger. This helps give your customer confidence in the product by directing them to an independent and impartial third party to read about the product in greater depth. No need for long-winded shelf talkers or obtrusive signage. Simple and straightforward.

The QR code is easily generated by using free online tools. You simply paste the URL of the review into the generator, save the generated image, and paste it into the label maker software.

If you're really ambitious you can take the whole idea even further, adding colorful borders and other decoration to spice things up.

You can even give your customers an incentive to begin using the codes in your shop. Remember "easter eggs" on DVD's and in video games? You can use the same idea for retail and hide little "prizes" in the humidor. QR codes can also be used to make text appear on the cell phone. Wouldn't it be interesting if one of your customers scanned a code in your humidor and text appeared on their phone that says "You're a Winner!  Take this to the counter right away!". Believe me, when someone wins a prize the word will circulate that scanning the QRs in the humidor might pay off.

Make it interesting and fun and your customers will become more loyal to you . Distinguish yourself in the marketplace. Make it easy for your customers to have confidence in trying that new stick, and they're more likely to buy it. If it's fun enough they may try even more.

Or, you could just continue to do things the same old boring way like everyone else, in which case the answer to the question "What am I doing that sets me apart from the competition?" is - nothing. In which case feel free to stand behind the counter and complain about how bad business is. Just remember, it's possible nobody will come in to listen.

The Importance of Smell in Memory

This is a short piece I originally published in September, 2009, but thought it worthy of sharing again.


I listened to an interview on the radio today by a woman who had traveled the world to find all the essential essences needed to create a perfume that would remind her of not only where she had found them, but that suited her particular scent profile.

This set me to thinking, as I occasionally do, about what it is that draws some of us so strongly to particular flavors and overtones in our cigars, and what causes us to not dislike, but at least less enjoy others.

A part of the discussion centered on evocative memory, or the idea that smell and taste can bring us to places in our past, both pleasant and unpleasant, that have had a distinct influence on us. Indeed, I agree with this concept, as I can well remember the distinct aromas that lingered in my great grandmothers kitchen; bacon, cooked cabbage, and the crisp clean taste of the water from the hand-pump at sinkside. Each time I detect a similar smell I am brought back instantly to those days when I was 9 or 10. I can immediately see the entire layout of the house, hear the tinkling of the glass chimes on the screened porch, and picture the enormous collection of salt and pepper shakers that spilled from every available display space in her home. I can remember rifling through the stacks of fading sepia photos in her attic, wondering who each and every person was, and how they were related to me.

Taste and aroma are powerful reminders of the past, but as cigar smokers perhaps we must be cautious that we not let either prematurely lower our expectations of a cigar based on prior experience.

One of our employees rather crudely describes what I perceive as earthiness in a cigar as "that cow pie smell," and won't smoke anything that gives him that impression on pre-light. That's a shame, as I've certainly smoked a few cigars that gave me that sense when I smelled them, but immediately blossomed into true gems once the torch was applied.

You see, taste and smell at times can have a certain dissonance to them, whereby we may initially be turned off by the smell of the unlit tobacco, yet surprisingly pleased by its taste once we smoke it. Sort of a "Don't judge a book by its cover" moment.

Each of us have very different capacities to taste and smell, and I always enjoy the differing reflections customers give to a smoke. Some have very discerning palates, and quickly grasp the nuances of subtle hints of flavor provided by the tobacco. Others are constantly perplexed by descriptions like "subtle hints of nutmeg" or undertones of leather and spice."

What's important is that you not let someone else influence your decision to sample a blend based on their judgment. What your friend or neighbor dislikes may become an everyday enjoyment for you. Indeed, don't even let the best of tobacconists dissuade you from smoking a blend you enjoy, for in the few hours a day or week we're given to truly enjoy our cigars we should smoke those that satisfy us most.

But attempt this, if you will: Try to remember while smoking. Think of those special moments and memories that are brought back to you by certain flavors and smells. Distill the essence of all you're experiencing into a flash of memory, and recall the best times of your life. That is what cigars are all about.

A passion, a dream, and a blessing

Curiosity has, for better or worse, always gotten the best of me. I have lived my life a passionately curious person, thirsting to understand in minute detail what are sometimes the most mundane of things. This has I suppose worked to my detriment in certain ways, as I've often focused intently for extended periods on things that, quite frankly, were viewed by others as a waste of time and effort.

Yet, I've always had faith, despite the doubters and detractors, that when one pursues everything in life that interests them both passionately and intensively there will in the end come a time when everything will fall together, make sense, and offer the wonderful reward of being able to make a living doing something you love.

To paraphrase Steve Jobs, you just never know how, where or when the dots will connect until they do.

Almost a decade ago I found I had reached an age when I wanted to do something I could get up every day looking forward to, and began working in a local cigar shop. I quickly recognized the unrealized potential the business had, and determined I was going to make a contribution to its success.  Today, albeit not entirely of my own doing, that 2 store operation has grown into a 24 store chain.

During my tenure, I have had the distinct pleasure of meeting many of the blenders, manufacturers, and owners of the cigars I so enjoy, and discovered that the people in the industry are unlike those in any other field I've ever worked in.  They awake every day with the same passion and intense curiosity I do, and I came to realize that I had found my home. With their encouragement, knowledge, and guidance I've even had the good fortune of establishing the Emilio cigar brand, something I would never have imagined possible when this all began.

Today I feel blessed to work in an industry that has so willingly and openly shared so much with me, and presented me with the wonderful opportunity to both learn and share what I have learned.

So this is the beginning of what I hope will be a long and fruitful conversation, in which I'll share my thoughts and listen to yours on a whole range of topics related to the industry I've come to love, and the people I've come to so admire.

Listen if you wish.