October 18, 2024· 54m

A Cigar Hustlers Podcast Special Episode: Zino Cigars with Law Ream, Brand Activation Manager

Transcript

All right, so we are here.

Go ahead and introduce.

Yourself, Sir?

Hi, I'm Laurim and I work for

Davidoff and I'm a Zeno brand

activation manager.

OK, so.

But wait, can you explain brand

activation?

Manager, yeah, we'll get into

that.

First of all, Jack already did

that on the Camacho thing.

Oh, OK.

Yeah.

So he's he's Jack for for Zeno.

He's a Zeno.

Version.

Oh, OK, gotcha.

I'm half the man Jack is.

Who's not?

So just so I've done a little

bit of research about you.

So you started off in the PCA,

converted over to the CRA,

right?

And now, somewhere along the

lines, you find yourself at

Zeno, huh?

Yeah.

So I just, I kicked, I kicked

the FDA.

As the name OK, the PCA in the

CR OK yeah yeah, yeah yeah I.

Gotcha.

All right, so I I took the sky.

I know it.

I took the FDA to town and I was

like, you know what?

That's enough for my career.

I kicked the FDA's ass in court

and and now I I I work for

Davidoff selling Zeno cigars and

here.

You are, you figured, hey, you

peaked already on in the

political realm, but you, I

mean, all kidding aside, you did

have a run in where Steve Sacca

thought that you were Scott

Weeks of PCA.

I've I've had so many run

insurance with people Nish from.

Nish doesn't know what's going

on half the time anyways.

That's eventually.

What he said, yeah.

He was like, cuz this year at

PCA, Scott had a family

emergency and he had to leave

the first day of PCA, right.

And Nish comes up, he's like,

Scott, what are you doing here?

I heard about your family.

I was like, yeah, He's like,

yeah, man, I thought, I thought

you left.

What are you doing?

I was like, look, man, the the

PCA is way more important than

my family.

So you know.

He's like are.

You are you serious?

Like I heard it was bad and I

was like, Nish, dude, I'm I'm

not Scott.

And he goes, oh, I just got done

drinking with Rocky.

I'm like, it's 7:00 AM.

He's like, yeah, it was an early

night.

Dude.

Those you know, Mike Wasp has

told me some scary stories about

Rocky Patel.

I'm, I'm just kidding.

He hasn't said anything like

that.

I want to throw down a gauntlet

right here.

I think I can out drink Rocky

Patel.

No way.

That's quite.

There's no way.

You hear me, Rocky?

There's no way.

Yeah, he's a big fan.

No, no, here.

Here's the.

Thing it listens all the time.

I can outdrink him, yeah, but I

can't get up in fucking two

hours later and run the whole

day like I'm.

I've never drank in my life.

That's that's the thing.

He that's a superpower.

Yeah, it's not a superpower,

just for the record.

It's just inhuman additional

implementation of other things

to keep you going.

Come on now.

Allegedly.

Allegedly, of course.

I'm from Miami, it snows often

there.

There you go.

Just like a a Deadpool

Wolverine.

I didn't see it.

We're not allowed to talk about

that.

You didn't see it?

Not yet.

There's a whole diatribe about

how they're not allowed to talk

about, yeah, snow, animals and

all types of things.

It's like, hilarious.

So how long have you been going

by the name law?

Since I was 18, so my first I

was I was in Navy special

operations, OK.

And my first roommate was this

stud named Blue Jones.

Gotcha.

And we got this apartment right

outside.

So the bullets thing is like,

it's legit.

It's not.

You didn't wake up one day and

say, hey, I just want to get a

cool bullet tattoo.

I mean, I I did that before I

did that was like 12 years old.

Oh, OK.

Like if I do this, I'll be cool

the rest of my life.

You were destined for.

I had to shoe shoehorn myself

into somewhere cool.

Gotcha.

Yeah, I got I got that post

Iraq, but so blue.

We we got this great bachelor

pad where I was 19.

OK, so 19.

I lied already.

Can't trust anything this guy

says.

You're in the cigar industry,

bro.

We don't believe you already so.

So we had this great bachelor

pad right outside Qualcomm

Stadium where the Chargers

played.

So all the cheerleaders live

there.

OK, So we had a house warming

party and he invites all of his

brothers and all the

cheerleaders.

So we're hanging out, we're

drinking, and all of a sudden

these cheerleaders show up and

he's like, what's up ladies?

I'm blue.

This is my brother Colt, my

brother Steele, my brother

Knight, and my roommate Larry.

That's exactly what the girls

did.

They just started laughing at

me.

He's like, brother, if you're

going to live in this house,

he's like, we're we're going to

be getting some like grade A

female attention in this place.

That's the PC way of saying it.

You can't be going by such a

terrible name.

So I'm trying to break it down

to like why I won't get fired.

You're not going to get fired.

Listen, here's the here's the

thing.

Honestly, we're we we pre record

these things.

OK, So if you ever feel like,

hey, I said something that, you

know, you know, maybe I kind of

crossed the line there or

whatever, we'll just subtract it

out.

No, I'm, I'm definitely playing

it up a little too.

Much.

You're going to be fine.

You're going to be totally fine.

I did the Cigar Authority a

couple weeks ago and they got

back to me and they're like,

that was great.

That was fantastic.

We love it.

I was like, oh cool.

So as of right now, you're kind

of, you drive, you're living in

a van down by the river.

You're living in a van down by

the river.

I mean, I ran into you in

Wisconsin.

Yeah.

At Lake Country's cigar auction

event.

Yes, yeah, that's pretty cool.

The.

Yeah, it was, it was, it was, it

was, it was good.

Cigar and Brewfest something

like.

That, yeah, they're, you know,

they're trying, Matt's trying to

do something positive, right?

Yeah.

You know, so I think that he's

got some things to kind of

critique.

I don't think that he was happy

with the overall outcome.

I guess I wouldn't be satisfied

with it regardless of whatever

it was, right?

So I think he's going to keep

working on it for sure, I think.

I had a good time.

I thought it was.

Great.

Yeah, I think a lot of people

had a good time, but I so I went

over to you to go and get.

You guys had water, you guys had

like Topo Chico, and you have

this whole elaborate set up.

You got this van, you're pulling

this thing you got.

I don't even remember umbrellas,

like all chairs, all kinds of

shit, right?

Not a single bottle.

Zeno bottle opener to be found.

It's not a single one.

They're expensive, they're.

Like it's.

Like 75% and $0.75 per bottle

opener like.

Who do you think we are?

That's where you guys draw the

line, huh?

Yeah, A.

Quarter $1,000,000 for this

truck.

Can't do the bottle.

Opener.

No, that's it.

Out of budget.

Before you got into the cigar

industry, you were in

photography.

Yes.

So when I was in the military,

we did Recon, so we learned

photography.

And when I got back from the

Philippines, I saw this hot

little Filipino chick in a bar

in San Diego.

And I was like, oh, I'm going to

go over there and spit some

Tagalog at her.

So like, this other guy's

hitting on her.

I go over and I just like, speak

the few things I know in

Tagalog.

And she's like, yeah, I was born

here.

I don't know any of that.

I was like, oh, that's

embarrassing.

So the other guy's like, you're,

you know, he was like, that was

the worst approach ever.

And then she said something

about photography.

And I was like, oh, I know

cameras.

And then I talked to the other

guy out of the room and then

she's like, so I got a wedding

tomorrow.

Do you want to come do this with

me?

I was like.

Really I was like, well.

All right, yeah, I mean, I'm

still trying to get in your

pants.

I guess I'll do.

It.

You're kidding me.

So you randomly approach this

girl.

Yeah.

And you kind of walk your way

into a job, essentially.

Yeah.

Even though I had a way cooler

job in real life, I was just

like, she's really cute so I'll.

Go shoot this wedding.

I'll go take pictures at a

wedding I didn't.

Realize there was so much work

there was like zero time to talk

to her and flirt with her and

turns out she was married so her

husband like came to help the

setup and.

Everything, Yeah.

So you got totally got baited

bro.

I did, but then I learned

there's a lot of money in

weddings.

Did she?

Did she at least pay you?

Yeah, she paid me really well

for, like, not knowing anything

about the job, right?

So then I was like, oh, there's

a lot of money in weddings.

I'm going to get into that,

right?

And I'm not the only one of the

other photographers I worked

with in Miami was a former

lineman for the Dolphins.

So it's like there's a lot of

people that come from big

careers and they get into

weddings because there's so much

money in it, right?

So you so, So what were you

doing before that?

I mean, how did you find So I I

get how you transitioned into

it.

Yeah.

What were you doing before?

I was in the military.

OK, so but like, you can't just

up and leave the military.

Well, my four years was coming

to an end.

Gotcha.

And they I had the genius

foresight to not re enlist in

2007 thinking there's there's

nothing terrible that's going to

happen in 2008, right.

So I'm just, I'm going to get

out like the the real reason I

got out was because I was

working one hundred 120 hour

weeks for like 35 grand a year,

right?

And I was like, this sucks.

And my stepdad who's like barely

graduated high school is making

100 grand a year selling truck

parts, working like 30 hours a

week.

So I'm like I'm I'm going to get

out and go get a regular.

Job.

This seems stupid.

Yeah, yeah.

Then I got out and 2008

financial collapse happened and

I couldn't find a job for a

whole year.

Gotcha.

So it was a couple years.

So then you started, so you got

into wedding photography 'cause

you have a whole YouTube page

about that.

Yes, yeah, yeah.

So I got into wedding

photography.

The money was really good.

Then we started doing wedding

video to expand.

Well, the income really, right?

I never cared about weddings.

I was never like, I love love so

much.

I never cared about cigars, bro.

Yeah.

And here I am.

I'm being honest.

It just happened, so.

OK.

So because the videos that you

have on there are really, really

intricate, they're really nicely

done.

But they just kind of, I guess

like any YouTube channel or

anything, when you kind of move

on to the next segment in your

life just kind of stops, right?

So they're probably what maybe

the last one was four years ago.

Yeah, about.

So but you did all the editing

and stuff for your own videos

too?

Or did you have somebody else

with you or?

No, towards towards the end, I

like, I didn't do the

photography or the videos.

So I was pretty much like a

producer of the weddings I had.

I had extremely talented

photographers and videographers

working for me and I just kept

developing the business side of

it.

OK, so like I developed all

these services that made all

this extra money and it actually

made my life easier.

I was like, I, I can't believe I

can charge for this, but it

actually makes my job easier.

So I'm like, my video guy was

like, I hate shooting

receptions.

I'm like, all right, we'll go in

there and edit a video during

the wedding and then we'll

deliver it during the wedding

and I'll charge an extra $1000

for having it delivered at the

wedding when really we had to do

it anyway.

So, so now they're getting

actual less product because

they're, they're not shooting

the reception.

But the couple felt like they

were getting a better product,

of course, because now they the

video's already edited at their

wedding.

Right.

You have that whole captive

audience right there as well.

Yeah, and now, now I don't have

to stress for the next two weeks

about editing a video.

Same with the photos, like I

hired this Rockstar photographer

he shot like Dwyane Wade's

wedding, Kevin Hart's wedding,

like he was a rock star.

And he's like same thing.

I hate receptions.

I'll do everything but

receptions.

I was like, get in there and

start editing some photos.

So we're, he's a world champion

Photoshop editor.

No kidding.

So, like, these photos are

coming out.

Like, you know, magazine, he has

a lot of magazine covers and

we're just delivering them at

the weddings.

And I'm charging an extra $1000

for that service.

No kidding.

And I charged extra money

because he had a famous

portfolio, not because I did,

right?

Like, hey look, here's my.

Celebrity photographer This is

the guy.

But but if they didn't want to

pay for that package, I hired

the same guy anyway.

So, all right, well, if you

don't want that, we'll get

somebody else in here.

So what are you doing tomorrow?

OK, so like, so you got into

this whole thing?

Yep.

All because you walked up to a

girl at a bar.

Exactly, Yeah.

And then after, so you started,

you did that, that wedding with

her and you're like, Hey, I can,

I can do this.

Yeah, I was like, I can't

believe you just made 5 grand

for one day of work.

This is ridiculous.

So I was like, I want to get

into this.

It seems like a racket.

And then you built this whole

thing up, you had a whole team

with you, and it's going well,

Yeah.

So then what happens?

How the hell?

How do you find yourself out of

this successful business and

then eventually find yourself in

a yellow van travelling around

the world or the US?

So, so again, there's a, there's

something else on the horizon I

didn't predict.

I was like, so at the time I, I

expanded out of weddings and I

was shooting commercial projects

for big hotel chains and big

restaurant chains and, and that

was actually way more work and

the same amount of money as

weddings.

I believe it.

You just feel more professional.

You're like, oh, because wedding

photographers are totally looked

down upon.

Like you know the.

Well, I guess the entry level to

get into it isn't hard right

now.

I mean, the levels of expertise

as you get into it are

definitely different.

But it's just like being a real

estate agent.

Anybody can.

You can go take the test and you

know you can become a realtor,

right?

I have always compared wedding

photographers to Realtors.

There you go.

I'm like anybody could do it.

Only a few can make a lot of

money at it.

Right, makes sense.

I was charging like 25 grand per

wedding at the end.

That's a lot of money.

OK, so.

Something's on the horizon that

you don't see coming.

Yeah, so I'm doing hotels,

right?

I'm doing restaurants, I'm doing

events, OK?

I'm like, I'm really well

diversified.

There's nothing that can come

out of nowhere and just wipe me

out completely, right?

Then the pandemic happened.

Then there's.

I made in 2019.

I made $190,000 that year right?

In 2020 I made 30,000.

Dollars.

That's quite the dip.

Yeah, I had one client that came

out of nowhere.

Really.

Nick Perdomo, OK, I just, I was

tailgating with him at Miami

Hurricanes football games.

I kept like, hey, let me shoot

your cigars.

I'm really good at this.

And he's like, Nah, we're good.

I went on a factory tour and he

actually had his hired

photographer there and the guy

was pissing him off.

Complained about his hotel room.

You know, we went out at like

4:00 in the morning to shoot the

sunrise.

And esta Lee what I mean, what,

what hotel was he expecting to

stay at?

I know now he complained about

the one in Managua, the one in

Esta Lee is like way worse.

So he was already complaining at

the peak of the trip, right?

He's like, this is terrible,

Yeah.

And with Nick Perdomo, like, if

he does something for you, you

do not complain about it no

matter what.

Gotcha.

Because he will.

He doesn't like that.

So this guy started off on the

wrong foot immediately, OK.

And then eventually at the end

of the trip, he's like looking

at my photos, looking at his

like, I wanted to go back out

the next day because the first

day of sunset over the tobacco

fields, it was like terrible.

There was it was overcast.

You couldn't get any like, you

know, the highlights of the Suns

on the leaves.

So they're like, what do you

think?

I was like, it was terrible.

Can we go back out tomorrow?

And we had to get up at, like,

4:00 in the morning to do this,

right.

And this is technically my

vacation, right.

So the hired photographer was

like, Nah, I'm good.

I don't know.

Yeah.

And so that was like the last

straw for Nick.

And at the end of the trip, he

goes, can you stay in Nicaragua

for three more days?

He was like, did I just get

hired?

Did.

I just find myself another job.

So even though it was like the

lowest paying job I had at the

time, because this was like

2018, right?

It was like the lowest paying

job I had at the time, I was so

excited to just do cigar work,

right?

You know, just be it completely

outside the food and events

industry.

So you've always liked cigars

though?

Yes, I've been smoking since I

was 18.

OK, All right.

So, so you start working with

Prodomo.

That's really how you kind of

enter yourself into this cigar

world.

Yes.

Eventually you stop working with

Nick Prodomo, I would assume.

Yes, we, we butted heads a lot.

Yeah, like, 'cause Nick.

Nick is a genius businessman.

But at the time, nobody in the

cigar industry understood

YouTube, right?

And I studied this hard and I, I

convinced him.

I started convincing him in 2019

to do a YouTube channel.

I was like, we got to do this.

Trust me, there's no

manufacturer doing it at this

level.

Like you have a couple retailers

doing it, you have a bunch of

other people that don't even

work in cigars doing it, but no

manufacturers doing it.

You can take over the industry,

right?

So six months of convincing him,

we finally do the YouTube

channel and this is when we got

the timing right.

We launched our first video

January of 2020.

It was perfect storm.

Oh, OK.

Like that actually works because

people are like staring at their

phones and nobody's doing

YouTube at this time, right?

Especially in the cigar

industry, Like, it's like Tim

and like a couple other other

people, right?

There's people are now stuck at

home.

You know, they have money to

spend still, and they have a lot

more time to smoke cigars,

right, And consume YouTube.

So it's the perfect storm.

And the channel blew up and

we're doing a million views a

month within six months.

Wow, yeah, that's incredible.

Dude just on YouTube.

No, not putting it anywhere

else, right?

It was incredible.

So that was, so you were with

him for about two years.

Around 2020-2021 is when you

stopped or.

Mid 2020 OK, so but we we just

kept butting heads, you know,

because I would not let the

quality go down and and they

they wanted to do it the way

they always do Perdomo and I'm

like you can't do that on

YouTube it's not going to work

right.

So we were just always.

Fighting.

Well, it's, you're an artist.

Yeah, right.

When you produce stuff, it's

art.

Yes.

It's a tremendous amount of work

and time.

And then when you go and review

it, you analyze it, you, you

know, you adjust it over and

over and over again until you

eventually find yourself with

the content that you like,

right?

Yes.

So you build this whole thing.

And he's like, hey, that's not

what we want.

That's not the image that we're

looking for.

Right.

Yeah, they were like, like, I

had a few jokes in there and

they're like, hey, Perdomo's a

serious brand.

We don't do jokes around here,

you know, and but there I was

making the content geared

towards, you know, like 25 year

olds, people just getting into

cigars.

I'm like you, you have all these

like 4056 year olds smoking your

cigars.

We're not making content for

them.

So it was a whole new market

that they were, you know, not

used to approaching.

So I'm like this, whatever works

for them does not work for this

group.

They're a totally different

breed.

Yeah, 100% so.

Eventually.

You're 4056 year olds.

They get older and they die,

right?

And you want to make sure that

you have new consumers coming

in.

Exactly.

Like so totally different

subject.

Nobody agrees with me on this at

all.

OK, but I think Padrone's going

to die out a lot sooner, sooner

than anyone thinks really,

because they're they have all

these dedicated loyal smokers

and there's 50s and 60s when

they die off, they have nobody

to replace them.

There's no, no, you know, 3030

year olds are like going out

there just like, oh, I need to

smoke for drone.

They're trying all these

thousands of different brands

out there, you know, they don't

know which one to choose, right?

So I think they're very

complacent right now because

they don't market.

They have a very small sales

team.

They have no social media

presence whatsoever.

They don't do interviews, they

don't do anything right.

So I think they're going to die

out sooner than most companies.

I think, you know, I think that

their format is actually quite

intriguing.

You know, I I understand what

you're saying.

As far as the age bracket, yeah,

that does make sense to some

degree.

But I can tell you that there's

definitely some youth that is

smoking for drones.

Yeah.

You know, So though everything

that they do is not the norm to

some degree, I could tell you

year over year they're still the

the fastest growing brand, brand

in our store.

Really crazy.

Yeah, well, maybe in your store

and they're in, they're in every

store I go to.

They are.

So they have a great presence.

But I think if complacency

kills, I mean, that's true.

You look at Kodak, right?

They developed the first digital

camera, got mad at the guy,

fired him, and then they were

out of business.

Yeah, that's true.

So.

That's very true.

I mean it's very possible.

It can happen overnight if you

get complacent.

All of a sudden, yeah,

absolutely.

Or maybe they get like a padrone

van.

Yeah, you know, and they stick,

you know, maybe you jump or

something or they stick somebody

else in there and they travel

around and they, you know, and

they have bottle openers.

Yeah, well.

At that point, they're above

you.

Who's complacent now?

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Surprise, surprise, Zeno.

All right.

So you're working with Perdomo

somewhere along the lines you

find your way with Drew a state,

right?

Yeah, so our, my contract came

to an end with Perdomo.

We said after six months we'll

sit down, we'll re evaluate.

He's like, hey, I love what

you're doing, but like it's

expensive.

So like either give me a better

deal or we're done.

I was like, well, I guess we're

done 'cause there's a lot of

work.

I can't do it for less money.

Like I was, I was working, I was

putting like 40 to 60 hours in

each video.

So we're doing 2 videos a month

and we wanted and we wanted to

up it to one video a week.

So 4 videos a month, right, But

not change the price.

And I was like I, I can't, I

would love to do it, but I

can't.

It's just not.

It's feasible, right?

So.

Without you hiring another

person to help you.

Yeah.

And then you got to pay that

person, right?

Yeah.

And I had a a business partner.

I was splitting a Commission

with him because he introduced

me to Nick Perdomo.

So I wasn't even taking most of

that home.

Does was he doing anything?

No, he's, I had to deal with him

like he's the one who introduced

me to a lot of my clients pre

pandemic.

So he was, he's now my business

partner on the Republican

debauchery channel.

But before that I worked at a

law firm and met him and we, we

were both like heavy cigar

smokers and drinkers.

So we got along really well.

And he was like senior up in the

law firm And I was like, hey,

look, man, I was like, I do all

this stuff on on the side.

Like what if you just introduced

me to some of your clients,

'cause he was representing like

Canon, you know, like the

printing company side of the

business.

He was representing Aeromexico.

Like he had Four Seasons hotels,

like he had big clients.

I was like, introduce me to some

of these people.

I'll give you 20% Commission on

everybody you introduce me to

throughout the entire time.

They're my client, right?

So for him it was just like, do

a couple meetings and then I

make money for the, you know,

the next three or four years.

I probably paid him out like 80

grand from Perdomo.

No shit.

Yeah.

So that's 20%, but not half,

right?

Right, right.

So I was doing 20%.

Then the cost of like I kept

upgrading equipment.

So I was paying another thirty,

3040% from each video into that.

So I was walking away with like,

at one point I did the math and

after three or four months I was

like breaking even on the videos

'cause I wanted to be so

successful.

Right, 'cause you just kept

well, you kept reinvesting in

your stuff.

Yeah, making it better.

New lights, new, you know, audio

equipment, you know.

Yeah, it's kind of like this,

this whole thing for us, we

fucking just hemorrhage cash

over it makes us no money.

We refuse to take ad space.

Yeah, like none whatsoever.

Like that's not happening

because I want to say whatever

the hell I want to say.

If I want to talk about Rocky

Patel and Colombian Bam bam, I'm

going to.

You know what I mean?

It's just going to happen so.

Yeah, we talked on our YouTube

channel.

We, we made a video at Gurkha's

expense and like, I love Juan

Juan's such a good dude, Juan

Lopez.

And I was just like, he was the

first one to comment on the

video.

He's like great video guys.

And it was like the number one

video from PCA.

They had like 12,000 views the

first week.

And I was just like, sorry,

Juan.

That's just it was true though.

It, it, it is what it is, you

know, Yeah, you got to say some

fun stuff.

You got to keep it interesting,

you know, if you keep it really

jejune, no one's going to watch,

no one's paying attention.

It's not fun.

It's not even fun to do the

interviews, you know?

So.

All right, So how did you find

yourself with Drew Estate?

So Perdomo, I'm bringing you

back.

So Perdomo contract ends.

So I go, I go with my now

business partner Albert, and I'm

just bitching up a storm.

We're drinking, we're smoking.

And I'm just like, you know how

much money that Channel could

have made that could have been

so successful?

And he gets so annoyed at me, he

goes, he goes, how much money is

it gonna take you to, like, shut

the fuck up right now, right?

I was like, $100,000.

He's like, no, seriously.

He was like, no, seriously,

$100,000.

We start our own channel today.

He goes, really?

I was like, yeah, you know, the

business model.

You know, I'm good at it.

He's like, all right, let's do

it.

And there's a few things I

didn't take into account, right?

One, this was two years after

the pandemic started, there's

now like three times the

creators on YouTube.

So the barrier to entry is way

higher.

Like you can when we did

Perdomo, all we had to do was do

better video quality and better

audio quality and a little bit

of script writing.

No problem.

Now you have to do storytelling,

fancy editing, like you have to

do all these things to get ahead

of everyone else, right?

So we started the channel and we

didn't have a direction to go in

either.

Like we didn't because we didn't

want to do cigar reviews like

everyone else, right?

So we kept trying everything.

And when you don't stick to one

subject, if you don't, if you

don't stick to one like style or

one like, like if you do cigar

reviews, only do cigar reviews,

right?

If you're gonna interview

people, only interview people,

right?

And so we're doing interviews

and some cigar reviews and some

myth busting and like, you know,

so our audience.

Like Andrew Tate and

testosterone?

Yes, like that very.

Recently.

So we kind of use it as we're

like, all right, we'll use our

YouTube channel as an experiment

and start selling this to other

companies, right?

So we ran into Jack Hare and Joe

Grow at PCA.

We like shelled out like 6

grand, went to PCA, filmed a

bunch of videos like 8 grand.

And then we're like, oh, it's

we're not getting any views from

these videos.

They're like 40-50 views per

interview.

Like it wasn't going well.

And then we run into Jack Hare

and Joe Grow and they're like,

they're like, what are you guys

doing?

And we're like, Oh yeah, we did

the Perdomo YouTube channel.

So we, you know, we're trying to

ask other companies if they want

us to do them for them.

He goes, you guys did Perdomo.

He's like, we've been looking

for you.

Like literally like we love that

Channel.

We've been looking for like

we've been flying these guys in

from out of state and they suck.

Like we really, we're like, oh,

we're in Miami too.

And like perfect.

You're hired.

You're like, well, you want to.

And they're like, no, you're

hired.

Like, so we did that and then we

shopped it around a little bit

more.

We did some stuff for Agonorsa,

some stuff for Smoke in we help

them with their their NFC or NFT

launch and it was a lot of fun.

We, we broke even on everything.

We didn't make any money.

I depleted all my life savings

doing it, but we're enjoying it

at least, right.

Yeah.

And then then you came knocking

to Zeno or what?

How do you use So now so real

estate goes you did you know,

you do all these kind of things

in the industry and you're still

doing Republic debauchery.

Yes.

No, not not anymore.

It's done.

Yeah.

OK.

So the last show was what, a

year or two ago?

Or?

I we posted actually you should

go check this out.

We posted a interview with Matt

Booth.

That's insane.

I saw it, yeah.

I didn't watch it.

I like, I saw the image of it,

but the Andrew Tate one,

actually, I gravitated to that.

And then I gravitated to, there

was an interview that you did

from PCA and it was too late.

Yeah.

And you're right.

They're two totally different

feels right.

Like the Andrew Tate 1 was

really well cut, well lighting,

you know, you have different

angle shots.

You have all of these things

going on.

And then I go to the PCA one.

It was just kind of like, so,

hey, you know, it's like, oh, it

was Oscar Valladares, which I

just said wrong, but you said

right, Oscar Valladares.

That's it.

Yeah.

I grew up in Miami.

It's easier.

Gotcha.

So OK, so so how do you find

yourself in a van down by the

river?

So Jack, Jack and I were making

great videos of Dru Estate.

They they are some of the best

videos out there.

And Jack up and leaves and goes

to to Davidoff and I'm like,

what are you doing there?

He's like, I'm a brand

ambassador.

He's like, it's great.

I'm doing like.

No, it's a brand activation

manager, so.

See, I fall for that pitfall

too.

See.

Uh huh.

So I actually got corrected in

my job interview.

During my job interview, I was

like, so as a brand ambassador

and they're like, it's called a

brand activation manager.

I was like, oh, OK.

Very sorry.

So cuz brand ambassador sounds

cool.

You're like, I am an ambassador

for a cigar company, right?

Brand activation manager means

it sounds like I go to events

and I set them up for you,

right?

And that's essentially what we

do.

But we like to believe that

we're the ambassador.

So but so he leaves and I was

like, oh, that's a job.

You can like, I thought Pedro

was the only ambassador in the

whole industry, right?

And then he's like, no, I'm a

brand ambassador for Camacho

now.

I was like, if anything else

like that ever opens up, like I

was like, I'm happy with my

business.

It's doing OK.

I'm still doing some side work,

portrait, family portraits and

stuff that make good money.

I was like, but if anything

opens up, let me know.

And like he posted on Facebook,

like Zeno activation manager now

available.

And I looked it up and I was

like, when they first posted, it

was like 140 grand a year.

I was like, that's good.

That's good money.

Yeah, yeah.

So I applied for it.

And then I'm like, I'm looking

up the posting again and all of

a sudden it's gone.

And then they they republish it

and they don't have any salary

on there at all.

That was a typo.

We're sorry.

Yeah, So I, I guess I, I, they

probably like because they

needed to fill the position

really quick, right.

So they're like, they're like,

oh, let's, let's put a lot of

money.

And then they probably got like

hundreds of applications.

You know, everybody's like, I

can smoke cigars for 140.

Grand a year.

Shit for 140 grand, I'm in.

Yeah, right.

Go Zeno.

I I could wear all yellow.

It'd be it'd be great.

Yeah, that'd be fantastic.

That's the hardest part of the

job is wearing.

The yellow, All the yellow,

yeah.

It's my whole wardrobe now.

I went from Gray tone, black and

Gray tone's the banana, right?

So, so I, I put in my resume,

you know, and I like, I put in

the resume on like 6 different

websites.

I really want this job.

I even like e-mail the HR guys

like hey, put in my resume just

so you know, like Jack go in

there and put my physical resume

on his desk.

He's.

Just following up.

Yeah, I'm just trying to do

everything I can.

So I get the first interview and

like I see the pay is like, you

know, it's not what it was

before, right.

So I'm like, oh, well, now I'm

having second thoughts.

Like I'm I've been building this

business because at the same

time we're launching our own

online cigar shop.

Gotcha.

So I'm building.

We got you.

Figured why not get a little

more abuse And why not?

Do you know cigar retail as

well?

Well, that, that was my business

partner's idea, right.

OK.

So like we're yeah, we could do

this.

I get it.

We're like three years into this

channel and I'm like, like, bro,

I was like, we're still breaking

even.

We're three years in.

My savings is depleted.

I I think I got to go another

route.

I'm sorry.

I know you put a bunch of money

into this.

I put a lot of work into this

like, but he goes, I have an

idea.

He's like, give me one week.

He's like, how you going to move

the needle in one week?

And he comes back, he goes,

here's our tobacconist license.

We're going to sell cigars.

And I was like, so your solution

to our problems is to start a

whole new business on top of the

other businesses.

So I'm going to be essentially

running three businesses by

myself.

He's like, yeah.

Yeah, you'll be fine I.

Was like, OK, let's do it.

And then at the same time, like

this job opportunity comes up.

So like I'm almost done building

the site, ready to launch it.

And then I, I'm about to do my

first interview and I was like,

you know what, I'm going to go

smoke.

I've never smoked a Xeno

Nicaragua.

I'm going to go smoke it.

If it sucks, I'm going to pull

my resume, right?

So I'm like 3 puffs in like 30

minutes before my first

interview.

I was like, damn, that's a

pretty good cigar.

I was like, I could smoke this.

I don't even have to sell it.

It's a good cigar.

And Davidoff knows that.

They know it's like a $1520

cigar that they're selling for

$8, right?

So, so I go, I go into the

interview.

Jack had to do 1 1/2 interviews.

He says he had to do like 2

interviews, but one was like

informal.

They're like you got the job,

you got the tram stamp, you got

the.

Job.

Yeah, it was.

I had to do 6.

I was going to say, so how so?

The tram stamp cuts down about

four and a half interviews.

Well, it's not that.

It's because Camacho and Alvo

are like US, run brands for

Davidoff.

Zeno is from Basil, it's from

the headquarters.

This is their new baby and they

want to push it more than

anything else and they're very

excited about it.

So I had to interview with the

top guys over in, you know,

Switzerland as well, so.

Did you show up in a suit?

I did not.

I I wore a yellow polo, though,

right?

Yeah.

Like I'm already on brand,

right?

Yeah.

So you got to hire.

I have several of these at home,

yeah.

I just happen to have this.

I have somebody.

I have so much yellow.

Yellow is my favorite color.

Did I tell?

You guys that I'm a huge yellow

fan.

So, but they're so protective

over this brand because it has,

you know, Zeno Davidoff's name

on it.

So they're like, this has to be

somebody that we really believe

in, right?

So it was, it was a lot harder,

but I never, I didn't end up

pulling my resume.

I even load balled myself when I

asked how much money I wanted.

And luckily they were pretty

nice and they gave me like over

asking.

Oh, OK, above asking.

Yeah, that's good.

Like significantly above what I

asked.

For, well, you're working your

ass off.

Yeah, well, it doesn't feel like

good.

I mean, you're sitting in a

fucking van.

Yeah, you're traveling all

around the nation.

Like, when do you have time off?

How many hours a week inclusive

to driving?

Like how much time do you put

into this brand every week?

Probably 100 hours a week. 100

hours a week.

Yeah, but it doesn't feel like

it like the setup of the event

is I would say 3 hours per event

setup and breakdown is like 3

hours total.

OK.

Everything else aside from that

is not.

Work.

You're driving in a van.

Listening to cigar podcast,

smoking cigars like I would do

that anyways.

And no wife.

I have a girlfriend, OK, very

very understanding girlfriend so

and she works from home so she

she'll fly out and visit me in

some states.

Where, where and where is home?

Saint Peter, I moved to Saint

Petersburg.

That's where Davidoff's

headquarters is in the US All

right, so from Miami.

I have your the coffee keg at my

house now, by the way, the one

that Jack was building that he

kept screwing up, he had a Nitro

thing.

Oh, the first one.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

I'm trying to get it going now.

I'm dealing with the.

Problems he's he's been trying

to get like the whole office

into Nitro coffee yeah, cold

brew and it's just not taking.

OK, so here's what happened.

So we did the kegerator

giveaway, right?

And I said, hey, just so you

know, if anybody wins it, I will

offer you a box of cigars for

the kegerator.

Yeah, before we did the

announce.

Before we announced it, Yeah.

So someone, you know, someone

want it and we worked out a

deal.

We want to be in two boxes.

But you know, hey, whatever.

I was excited because I want to

do Nitro cold brew in my house.

Lo and behold to me, I mean, all

of a sudden I lit up Jack and

he's like, oh, here's what you

got to do.

And here's all these things like

this is what you got to buy and

all this stuff.

So I bought a kit and he sent me

the keg, which is awesome

because I didn't think he was

going to send me the keg.

He sends me the keg.

I try and put it together, shit

doesn't work.

The parts aren't the same.

I'm like, fuck.

So now I know that I'm over my

head and I got to try and figure

out how to get somebody in here

to help me fix this whole

scenario, right?

Yeah.

So that's where I'm currently at

with this.

But I have this beautiful

plastic tub that we're doing 5

gallons of cold brew in.

My wife, well, my wife does, and

it's just not attached to the

keg.

So it's just sits in the keg,

the keggerator in the fridge.

So complete chaos.

Funny story, Jack figured out

the one in the office somehow,

right?

Like my first day at work, this

was like the big celebration,

right?

It was like, oh, we got the cold

brew working.

And I was like, it's this cold

brew guys.

And they're like, but they're so

excited because I guess they've

been working.

On momentous occasion, yes.

So I start mixing like a month

later, I start mixing cocktails

for the Zeno event to try and

see if I can make a mocktail

that'll pair well with the

cigar, right.

Long story short, I failed, but

I was making these, I was making

these mocktails and I put the

bag of ice into the kegerator.

I was like, oh, that'll last a

few hours at least.

And all of a sudden there's like

water puddled.

I forget about it and we come in

the next day as water, water

puddled all around it, right?

So immediately everyone just

assumes it broke again and they

they unplug it and they put it

in the warehouse and like I come

in.

I was like, I knew exactly what

happened.

I was like, what will you do for

me if I can fix it?

And like you can't fix it, bro.

Like this thing just like it's a

nightmare.

And I I just bring it upstairs

and I plug it in and I was like,

I fixed it and they're like,

what did you do?

I was like, I know these things,

bro, right?

I just took the bag of ice.

I'm a carrier expert.

That's awesome.

Well, I do want to talk about

one brief thing before we go as

far as what's going on the news,

because this is, I found this

was pretty fascinating.

I don't want to.

I want to segue out of it real

quick because I feel like we're

coming to an end here soon.

I'm, I'm just getting warmed up.

Are you?

Yeah.

About Liam Payne Yes The English

pop singer best known for his

work in One Direction, has died

at age 31.

Yes, the singer fell from a

third floor balcony at the Casa

Sur Palermo hotel in Palermo,

Buenos Aires, Argentina, People

magazine has confirmed.

Payne was in Argentina where he

attended a concert by his former

bandmate Mr. Horan.

He has no idea what's going on.

He like he he does these

Show Notes

In this special episode of the Cigar Hustlers Podcast, we’re joined by Law Ream, the Brand Activation Manager for Zino Cigars. Law gives us an inside look into the strategy and passion that fuel Zino’s brand growth, sharing the story behind their cigars and what sets them apart in the industry. We also dive into exciting new releases, future plans, and what it takes to bring a premium cigar brand to life.

Tune in for a deep dive into the world of Zino Cigars with great insights straight from the man himself.